Field Investigation, Data Detection

Descending.

A little bird was singing in the heart of Si Ming.

It was as if he had returned to that familiar alien world, back to that forsaken wasteland where enemies lurked on all sides, and even the flowers and grasses on the ground might suddenly spray toxins capable of melting flesh and blood in an instant. The air was thick with the stench of rot and rust, and the howls of monsters could always be heard in the distance.

Terrifying monsters, powerful monsters.

There were giant centipedes rushing out of putrid swamps, and bloodthirsty avian monsters as large as sedans.

How did I even survive back then?

He couldn't remember.

It didn't really matter, either.

Si Ming stepped into the underground area corresponding to the large supermarket, carrying the still-twitching, bleeding bait. The light grew dim and weak at the end of the escalator, and in the deep darkness ahead, many monsters were already emitting low howls.

"Come, feast."

He tossed the bait into the open space.

Even though he had already mastered night-vision techniques, the Nano-Biochemical Suit provided auxiliary observation at this moment. The instant the heavy object hit the ground, he already had another firearm in his hands.

AK12, an assault rifle. An improved replacement for the AK74m, using 5.45mm caliber ammunition to inflict lethal trauma on unarmored units.

A series of muzzle flashes erupted in the darkness.

The fastest Night Demon collapsed to the ground—sleek, hairless, quick to react, with no additional natural armor on its body.

"Unable to withstand rifle fire; the heart remains a vital organ. It differs from the conventional concept of a zombie."

Continuing, the second one behind it fell in response.

"Destroying the brain still results in death."

More Night Demons rushed forward; they were not intimidated by the light armament Si Ming displayed. Over the past three years, Night Demons had destroyed the entire human civilization, though, of course, the airborne transmission of the KV Virus accounted for over 99.99% of the credit.

Switching hands, he raised the Glock.

.22LR caliber bullets splashed non-lethal sprays of blood across a Night Demon. Moving forward, he swung the butt of the rifle. The sturdy stock of the AK12 slammed heavily into the shoulder blade of another Night Demon.

The sound of bone fracturing followed, and the tactile feedback provided information. A flashbang had landed on the ground at some point, and then intense light burst forth.

"The skin possesses a certain degree of protective capability; its toughness is comparable to animal leather. The muscle tissue has been reinforced, with overall strength approaching that of a cheetah—correction, slightly below that."

The glare had its effect.

Even for Night Demons, who operated at night and were severely burned by ultraviolet rays, their visual capabilities remained intact. Si Ming had specifically chosen a flashbang instead of a stun grenade to test this, and as the intense light erupted, dozens of Night Demons in the escalator hall covered their eyes and wailed.

Interesting creatures.

The vision of these night-walkers had not degenerated.

It was said that according to the original novel, Night Demons were actually a derivative of vampire literature. So, even though the setting of the 2007 film version was vastly different from the original novel, these traits—originally belonging to vampire derivatives—were still retained.

"A high craving for blood."

Switching firearms, he continued to fire single shots with the AK12. Several Night Demons were quickly struck in the head and fell. However, many others, injured in areas other than the brain and heart, were still able to move and struggle. This provided him with quite a bit of valuable intelligence.

"Instant burst speed, approaching ten meters per second. Comparable to a first-tier sprinter."

"The reflexes are also sharp; they can recognize muzzle flashes from ten meters away and perform minor evasive maneuvers."

Shifting his gaze, a muffled sound hidden beneath the intense exchange of fire came from behind him. He immediately holstered the Glock and switched to a machete made of high-strength alloy.

"They know how to utilize tactics; their level of intelligence is indeed not low."

Another Night Demon fell.

Beside Si Ming's ear, the announcement of the Main God suddenly rang out.

--[Killed 10 Night Demons, obtained 50 reward points.]

He paused for a moment. This amount was smaller than he had anticipated.

And at that very same instant, the lurking Night Demon that had been hiding in the shadows behind him, waiting for an opportunity, lunged at the back of Si Ming's neck with greater speed and force than the others!

It collided fruitlessly against Si Ming's raised arm—the Nano-Biochemical Suit effectively resisted and absorbed the full force of the attack. It was like the violent impact of a bull, and at the same time, the machete in Si Ming's hand stabbed fiercely into its heart!

"Hmm?"

The tactile feedback was somewhat sluggish.

The force that should have easily pierced a Night Demon met with considerable resistance the moment it cut in.

He did not hesitate, unleashing three times the strength he had used previously. The machete met no further obstruction. It easily broke through the tough skin and the internal flesh, tendons, and bones, directly shattering the chest cavity of this special Night Demon.

It let out a shrill scream the moment it died.

--[Killed 1 Higher Night Demon, obtained 100 reward points.]

The corpse fell to the ground.

Si Ming's gaze swept over it.

That tough skin possessed a pitch-black luster different from ordinary Night Demons. Both its strength and toughness had been greatly increased.

From animal hide to bulletproof vests with inserts. From the leather armor of cannon fodder to the chainmail of elite troops. Speed and strength had also increased by about fifty percent. In terms of conventional biology, this was already a leap-forward evolution that transcended species hierarchies.

"It is a level that a newcomer would only be able to resolve by relying on force and terrain. Its general performance is already equivalent to the Night Demon leader at the end of the movie, the one capable of shattering reinforced glass partitions with its bare hands. Hmm... the authority of its command ability is the same as well."

Si Ming shifted his gaze.

The bait, still oozing blood, remained collapsed on the ground. Yet, the Night Demons, which should have numbered close to a hundred, had all fled after leaving behind a dozen corpses.

They had obeyed their leader's command—a command capable of making them overcome their own desire for flesh and blood. Based on the intelligence gathered so far, the behavior of these Night Demons was almost identical to the content of the 2007 movie version. This was completely different from the "Third Generation Special Edition" that would have forced even the North Ice Continent Team, with their full squad configuration, into a bitter struggle.

"It's a level I can slaughter my way through alone." Si Ming sighed. Having read too many fan fictions of the Infinite genre, he had braced himself for the worst-case scenario where enemy strength scaled synchronously and all his reward points would be spent on monsters. Yet, as it stood, the area he had arrived in was quite different from those versions that insisted on making things unnecessarily difficult.

After all, up to this point in the test, he hadn't even used ten percent of his full strength.

"Rise!" he commanded.

The Night Demons had been confirmed as living creatures, and their corpses were strewn across the ground.

The next moment, a massive amount of flesh and blood collapsed and dissolved from these remains, seeping into the skeletons to form new shapes. Ten Skeleton Soldiers were thus born under his Raise Dead!

"Go." The order was issued, and the Necrotic Aura, bolstered by Divinity Particles, allowed these Skeleton Soldiers to possess enhanced basic intelligence. "Kill every Night Demon on this floor. Do not leave a single one behind."

The mandibles of the undead cracked open, appearing to laugh, or perhaps responding to him. The next moment, these newly born skeleton warriors brandished their bone blades and shields, lunging into every corner of the darkness.

The sound of shrill shrieks erupted once more.

Within the roars of the monsters, there was even a strong scent of intense fear—they indeed possessed intelligence and emotions, and precisely because of that, they feared the death rushing toward them!

Bang— A gunshot rang out.

Among the Night Demon pack hiding back in the darkness, one individual, panicked and losing its way, actually lunged in the direction of Si Ming. Waiting for it, naturally, was the shotgun he had switched back to; a single close-range blast of buckshot blew its head off.

The sound of scoring points rang out again and again.

Occasionally, one or two Skeleton Soldiers would lose their connection to Si Ming, clearly having encountered the Night Demons' terrain traps or a coordinated swarm attack. But this level of death throes was not even worth a smile from Si Ming.

The chaotic Necrotic Aura flowed back rapidly.

New Skeleton Soldiers were quickly reforged under Si Ming's will—they charged one after another into the deep, gloomy darkness. This continued until the traces of death filled every corner of this underground shopping mall.

"I hope you develop the habit of digging tunnels in your next life—though, of course, you won't have the chance to see a next life."

The sounds of slaughter continued for quite a while.

The Night Demons in the underground mall had a finite number, but the Skeleton Soldiers under Si Ming's command were endless—he walked to the side of the dying bait. After some fussing, the bait's body temperature was dropping due to blood loss, and his heartbeat and breathing had become weak. Si Ming retrieved a Rapid Healing Spray from his Dimensional Ring and treated the wounds on the lump of flesh.

"I said that I would ensure the safety of anyone willing to come down with me, and I would not let them be bitten by Night Demons. I have done what I said I would."

The healing spray cost one hundred reward points and had the same effect as the product of the same name in the Resident Evil game version. The sprayed limb stumps healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and as the blood loss ceased, the fading heartbeat and breathing gradually stabilized.

He might still have a chance to wake up.

But the "adventure" phase had already ended.

When the last Night Demon hiding in the restroom was dragged out and killed by the Skeleton Soldiers, the final harvest of this operation flashed before Si Ming's eyes.

1,350 reward points.

Including the leader, there were over two hundred and fifty Night Demons in this underground mall. They had now all been turned into bones, stacked in the same place as the human remains that had long since been picked clean by them.

"Then, farewell."

The body of the dark-circled young man was left by him in the pool of blood in the combat zone. The area was filled with the blood of Night Demons infected with the KV Virus, and this had even turned the entire air into a faint red blood mist.

Si Ming then departed, heading deeper into the mall. He would collect some new supplies there; even if he didn't need them himself, they could serve other purposes.