Don't Look Out the Window

Chapter 27: Do Not Look Out the Window

Robert did not end up loading all the Night Demons onto the large truck—he only transported twenty, including that one high-level Night Demon, while the others were locked deep within the vault by Si Ming. Thinking about how high these monsters' vitality was, they likely wouldn't die too quickly from going hungry for a day or two.

Perhaps not.

And Robert's attitude toward these Night Demons was different from the third-generation version Si Ming knew.

"I thought you might find what I'm doing inhumane." Si Ming sat in the truck bed, monitoring the Night Demons in their sleeping bags at close range, while Shizuka Ishikawa sat in the passenger seat, holding Sam and behaving well. As the truck moved forward, the Colonel spoke to him through the protective partition, discussing trivial matters without much depth.

"Ha, is that how the future describes me? That must be me embellishing quite a bit in my memoirs." The Colonel looked quite cheerful; even without turning on the car music, he nodded rhythmically like a rapper.

"I have killed many Night Demons." There was a sense of nostalgia in his eyes.

"In the early days of the virus outbreak, we treated the first batch of Night Demons as zombies in the traditional sense. When they were biting and killing people indiscriminately, we didn't hesitate to open fire. Many Night Demons were killed on the spot. After that, as the number of living people around me dwindled, I would occasionally go out with tactical teams to hunt them."

He shook his head.

"They aren't human... and they certainly aren't sick people. They are... something else. The Night Demons that have survived until now have likely consumed the flesh and blood of countless living people. But when I could no longer see any other companions, I had to force myself to believe that Night Demons were still a type of human."

There were no living people left in the world.

If he didn't firmly believe that Night Demons could turn back into living people, how could Colonel Robert convince himself to continue his research day after day, all alone?

But now, everything was no longer the same.

"But even so, when I go out with a gun, it isn't to talk about coexistence with the Night Demons hiding in apartments, basements, and shadows. I know very well that when I see a living Night Demon in the dark, usually only one of us will walk away alive. And if I die, then there won't be a second living person in this city."

The Colonel sighed.

"You can't record this part... never mind, it doesn't matter if you do. A headline like 'The Colonel's Unknown Side' wouldn't be bad."

"I am not recording." Si Ming truly wasn't; he was simply letting his Night Battle Qi permeate the sleeping bags to check on them. He ensured that the high-level Night Demon and her daughter—the one originally selected as a test subject, who bore a butterfly mark on her back—could still maintain stable physiological data.

"Ah, that's good." The Colonel didn't seem to care much. He suddenly asked with curiosity, "By the way, in the era you came from, did humanity have a hard time too? I feel like you have a temperament very similar to mine, though Miss Ishikawa here is... well, more relaxed."

"She is a newcomer." Si Ming smiled. "As for my era..."

He recalled his past experiences in the other world. The pervasive malice, the twisted sky that was perhaps shattered or perhaps burning. The deranged creatures that looked like living people but were already twisted, decaying, and covered in maggots and poisonous mushrooms. And the twisted living things that could occasionally utter a logical sentence, but were mostly muddled, unable to distinguish friend from foe, and impossible to communicate with without a good beating.

That was truly...

A piece of old earth that was quite nostalgic.

"...It was alright." Si Ming's fingers tapped lightly on the corner of a sleeping bag. "Although I occasionally encountered some troublesome situations, most of the time, the difficulty of solving problems wasn't very high."

"You've had it tough too, Professor Si." The Colonel hesitated for a moment. "By the way, Professor Si, you mentioned before that necromancy could resurrect the living... is it possible to do it without a corpse?"

He held onto hope, but this hope... was not very strong.

"I am sorry about your wife and daughter." And he did indeed receive the expected reply.

But the details were slightly different.

"However, I personally feel that you could still move toward a new life, Colonel. Perhaps after some time, you will encounter other survivors?"

"There are other survivors here!?"

"You've been broadcasting for so long; it was bound to be useful eventually." Si Ming raised his hand and pointed to a building in the distance that he vaguely remembered. "Are we almost there?"

Robert's home was large, just as he had said, and much like in the movies. It served as both his base and his research center. With the help of Si Ming and Shizuka Ishikawa, the Night Demons were immediately placed onto the restraint beds in the laboratory or into cages meant for experimental animals.

"Be careful, these Night Demons are intelligent. If they find a weakness, they will cooperate to escape their cages. Also, there are special individuals among them whose physical strength is far higher than their kin."

Robert's movements stiffened slightly, and his expression became more solemn. With intelligence and division of labor, even if he tried to deceive himself, he could only view the Night Demons as a new species rather than a special form of a sick person. Although he was mentally prepared, he still felt a pang of sorrow when it truly happened.

The restraint process didn't take long.

During this time, some physically powerful Night Demons pretended to be asleep, hoping to launch a sneak attack, but Si Ming identified them in advance and used his large electric baton to send these unlucky souls into a more pure sleep—this naturally served as evidence, ensuring Colonel Robert would not fall into the traps set by the Night Demons as he had in the original story.

"I suggest experimenting on these two first, and even if you face setbacks, do not worry."

Si Ming pointed to the high-level Night Demon and her daughter with the butterfly mark. The original work didn't mention whether this daughter was a transformed human with a butterfly tattoo or a natural offspring of Night Demons, but regardless, this successful sample should prove useful.

"You mean I might fail at first?"

"One always faces failure when exploring the unknown." Si Ming shrugged. "Perhaps you use too little or too much of the sample on your first attempt, requiring another injection of the KV Virus to make the subject reusable."

"That sounds like something I would do." The Colonel nodded, injecting different doses of Compound Six into the bodies of the Night Demons restrained on the five hospital beds. "Especially when I am alone and have only caught one Night Demon."

The drug took effect quickly. The Night Demon characteristics on the five subjects faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, and their vital signs rapidly approached those of normal humans. However, after only a few seconds, the Night Demons began to tremble violently, emitting sharp roars filled with agony.

"Physiological parameters are dropping; re-injecting different ratios of the KV Virus now."

With Si Ming's reminder, Robert's operations were calm and steady. As the KV Virus was re-introduced or left alone, the roaring, struggling Night Demons gradually quieted down. The two with the highest and lowest dosages grew weaker until they lost their breath and heartbeat.

One Night Demon died, poisoned by an overdose of Compound Six.

However, the other one that died had its skin and eye color partially restored to a near-human appearance as its physiological traits faded.

"Compound Six is effective." The Colonel looked at the two dead subjects and let out a silent sigh of relief. "My viral immunity can indeed be transferred to the subjects. But the specific ratio will require repeated attempts and careful observation."

Si Ming clapped his hands in congratulations.

"Congratulations, Colonel Robert. You have taken a crucial step."

"This is all thanks to your help, Professor Si." He nodded in gratitude to Si Ming and Shizuka Ishikawa, who was carefully assisting on the side. "By the way, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I have plenty of good things stored in my refrigerator. Would you like to try some local specialties from this era? The taste might be different from your time."

"I am interested."

Si Ming accepted readily.

The group tidied up briefly, injecting all the test subjects with sufficient sedatives—Si Ming even left a few Skeleton Soldiers behind in the laboratory to stand guard for emergencies. Once every potential loophole had been plugged, the party made their way to Robert's kitchen.

He did indeed have a good stock of supplies; aside from a lack of fresh meat, the refrigerator was filled with high-quality bacon and sausages. The only female among the three proved her worth at this moment. Compared to two grown men who prioritized efficiency over refinement, Shizuka Ishikawa, a high school girl, clearly possessed culinary skills that surpassed the combined total of Si Ming and Robert.

She prepared a fragrant meal, and all three people and the dog were quite satisfied with the feast. Robert even cracked open two cans of beer to share a drink with Si Ming, turning on his favorite animated film, Shrek, to share with his two guests.

With bellies full and spirits high, both host and guests were delighted.

After a short rest, Robert threw himself back into the testing and research of Compound V until the curtain of night gradually fell outside the window.

Si Ming had no intention of leaving.

For the first night, he would stay inside Robert's stronghold with Shizuka Ishikawa—he had already triggered the side quest, and he did not believe a B-rank side quest could be completed easily without facing any challenges. Now was clearly the prime time for the mission's difficulty to manifest.

He sat by the window, gazing into the distance. As the protective shutters descended, he offered Robert a piece of advice.

"It is best not to turn on the external surveillance tonight, and do not harbor any curiosity about any noises coming from outside."

"This is for your own good, Colonel."