Becoming a Legend

Chapter 31: Becoming a Legend

When Anna woke up, she was lying on a soft, large bed. The air was fresh, the quilt was comfortable, and her body seemed to have been cleaned; the minor scrapes she had sustained on the road had been properly treated.

She raised her hand; her sidearm was right there by the bedside. A tempting, sweet aroma drifted through the fresh air, accompanied by light footsteps approaching the bed.

"You're awake."

She turned her head and saw Ethan sleeping soundly on a small cot nearby. An Asian girl who looked like a student was walking into the room carrying a tray, offering the two of them a friendly smile.

The tray held meat porridge, a delicacy that could only be enjoyed during large communal meals in the settlements. The girl placed it on the small side table next to the bed; besides the porridge, there were some delicate side dishes and a piece of cake.

"The Professor said you fainted from exhaustion and hunger when you were startled. I gave you some glucose earlier, but since you're awake now, it's better to eat something."

Professor, glucose.

These archaic terms, which had been virtually unheard of since the disaster, made Anna's heart leap with joy. She whispered a thank you and took the bowl of steaming meat porridge. The long-lost warmth, combined with the nostalgic taste, rolled from her tongue into her stomach, leaving her feeling so warm she almost burst into tears.

The skull she had seen earlier... that must have been an illusion. Yes, she was too tired, too hungry, so—

Her hand froze. The girl caught the bowl just before it could fall. A walking skeleton had suddenly walked in from outside the door, and those eye sockets were still glowing with an ominous, dark fire!

She instinctively reached for the gun by the bed.

Minutes later.

"...I see." Anna pressed her chest, her heart still racing, trying to convince herself that all of this was the result of science. The girl who called herself "Ishikawa" had taken quite a while to explain it to her. She told her that all of this was the Professor's special scientific achievement, and that she wasn't living in a dream, but was awake and living in the real world.

"Is it some kind of... robot that just looks like a skeleton? Because that's the only way to ensure they have the power to fight the Night Demons?"

She managed to convince herself, and after that, she worked even harder to shift her focus. She was certain the girl before her was a normal, sound-minded human being. After a brief chat, she couldn't wait to ask.

"I came looking for Mr. Robert Neville. Is he the leader of this sanctuary? And that Professor... is the Professor Mr. Robert?"

However, the young girl only shook her head slightly, then gave a small nod.

"Colonel Robert and Professor Si are both very busy right now. They are at a critical stage. I cannot take you to disturb them immediately. Unless—"

The air suddenly went quiet.

An invisible rhythm was being generated and released between heaven and earth. It was like static electricity suddenly crackling in the middle of winter. Anna's body shuddered, and deep within her soul, a surge of immense joy welled up.

Something good had happened.

Something very good for humanity as a whole, and for every individual.

The Skeleton Soldiers patrolling nearby seemed to lose all their terror in that moment. And Ethan, the child who had come with her, suddenly let out a very happy laugh.

"...It seems the situation has changed. Miss Anna, little Ethan, you can come with me to see the Professor and the Colonel now."

The girl calling herself Ishikawa seemed to have heard something, and her face broke into a smile. She nodded slightly at the two of them and led the way. The two survivors, one large and one small, exchanged a glance and followed closely behind, unable to wait a moment longer.

Forward, keep moving forward.

The scale of this sanctuary was far larger than she had imagined.

There were signs of expansion everywhere on the exterior. And as soon as she stepped into the research area, the sight that met her eyes made Anna's heart leap!

What was she seeing?

She saw Night Demons... she saw Night Demons locked in cages, and the mutated features on their bodies were disappearing in patches. Their skin was turning fair again, their eyes no longer bloodthirsty. Even their fallen hair was showing signs of regrowth!

The Night Demons were transforming back into humans.

The further in they went, the more human the Night Demons appeared. By the time they crossed the outer zone and reached the inner zone, the test subjects in the cages were, in terms of appearance, not much different from ordinary humans. Among them, there were even some who looked quite intelligent; as they passed, they opened their mouths and let out soft, whimpering cries like little animals, filled with a sense of wanting to be pampered.

—They were researching a cure.

—The Professor and the Colonel, they had developed a cure for the KV Virus!

Anna's pace grew faster and faster. Always accustomed to taking care of others and possessing a generous heart, she didn't want to spare even a shred of attention for these Night Demons who now looked almost exactly like humans. She held Ethan's hand tightly, her pace nearly breaking into a run. Just as she was about to urge Ishikawa to hurry, the space before her suddenly brightened.

She saw the two men, the two men in white lab coats. But what caught her attention even more was the person strapped to the hospital bed, who was already no different from an ordinary person... no, they were a completely normal human. That person was looking around in confusion and unease, making incoherent noises.

"Aba... aba... baba..."

The man in the heavy gear beneath a white lab coat looked down at the human on the bed.

"Gene sequencing is complete; all chromosomes have returned to the normal range. The xenogeneic gene fragments have been completely screened and excised. At the genetic level, this is a human being through and through."

"The cerebral cortex shows clear signs of remodeling. Both the memories from when they were human and the memories from when they were a Night Demon have been completely erased from their mind. They are now a healthy young person who has never received any education. With a certain degree of guidance, they will be able to become like a normal human again."

"...You succeeded, Colonel Robert. You researched the cure for the KV Virus. Now, we can re-infect these creatures who have the KV Virus. Let the traits belonging to humans once again overwrite the special pathologies caused by their infection. Congratulations, Robert, you have become the savior of humanity."

"Not me, but us." The other man nodded, letting out a sigh of emotion and satisfaction. "KV Virus infection is irreversible... without your help, Professor, I might never have discovered this truth. But irreversible does not mean unchangeable... Professor, we didn't save humanity. We simply recreated it."

"We saved human civilization." The Professor corrected him. "By erasing human sorrow and the sins of the Night Demons, we have given human civilization a sufficient vessel once again. And next, it is time to increase its numbers."

And this time, the Colonel accepted the congratulations.

"You're right, Professor... we, at least, saved human civilization."

Their voices poured into Anna's ears. But Anna was simply mesmerized, staring at the newborn lying on the hospital bed. It was a fair-skinned, healthy woman, and a vague, indistinct voice echoed incessantly in the depths of her heart.

—This is my kin.

—This is my treasure.

Joy flooded her entire being, and even though she didn't even know the woman's name, she couldn't help but want to step forward and embrace her.

It wasn't until she heard Colonel Robert greeting her and speaking to her that she stopped.

--[Side quest completed: Assist Colonel Robert Neville in completing the KV Virus antidote. Reward: 1 Grade B side quest plot, 5000 reward points.]

The Main God's notification rang out.

The side quest triggered by Si Ming had finally yielded its reward, just as he had anticipated, before the fifteen-day time limit had expired.

He glanced at Colonel Robert, who was chatting happily with Anna and even showing a rare, flustered expression. He pulled the data storage device from the operating platform and placed a vial of the raw serum, tied with a gift ribbon, into the center of his Dimensional Ring.

This was his payment, the gift he had been given. The Main God had already guaranteed the reliability of Compound Six. He had told Robert long ago that he would take a finished sample of the raw serum with him as a souvenir.

Perhaps it really was just a souvenir.

But Si Ming remembered that more than a decade later, in a superhero dark comedy called The Boys, the creator had personally admitted that Compound Five, which created so many superheroes, was directly inspired by the lore of the Compound Six created by Colonel Robert in I Am Legend.

There might be some mysterious connection between the two—or perhaps not, perhaps it was just a simple reference. But it could not be ruled out that this serum might actually have special effects on reincarnators.

--After all, this was World Two, a place meant for laying the foundation for rookie teams.

His thoughts shifted. He returned to the lounge of the stronghold. Shizuka Ishikawa was waiting for him there, and over the course of their half-month together, he had basically come to approve of her.

He could tolerate betrayal from newcomers, but he could not tolerate incompetence.

However, if a newcomer could truly demonstrate loyalty and obedience, then a slight lack of ability was no longer of great importance.

"Ishikawa." He nodded toward the young girl. "Get ready, we have one last thing to do."

It was already the final day, but there was still a considerable amount of time left before the end. It was the perfect opportunity to take care of all remaining objectives.

"I am ready, Professor." The girl bowed to him gently, as gentle and obedient as ever. "The Colonel's vehicle is prepared, and our route has been mapped out. We can depart at any time."

"Very good." Si Ming let out a soft breath, hesitating for a brief moment.

"And... after the mission is complete, call me Captain, Ishikawa."