Chapter 566 - 575: Pain
Hearing Stella Sterling’s words, Mr. Magnus’s eyes lit up.
’He knew that for Sterling to say this, she must be very confident about it.’
He said excitedly, "Then I’ll extract the components right now and take them back for testing!"
’No matter if it works or not, at least there’s hope. I’ll know for sure after I run the tests.’
Stella Sterling nodded, having no objections. ’While she had bought some medical equipment in the past, it was a far cry from the laboratory Mr. Magnus had.’
She said, "I’ve already extracted it. Mr. Magnus, you just need to take it back and run the tests."
She handed the freshly prepared vial to Mr. Magnus. It contained a green liquid, crystal clear and brimming with vitality.
Mr. Magnus gazed at the vial in his hand, his excitement palpable. He couldn’t wait to head back to Meridia Base.
Stella Sterling went with him.
The two of them left Caeluna Base, boarded a Meridia Base aircraft, and headed for Meridia Base.
From above, Quinn also saw the scene below.
Corpses were everywhere, as were people who looked like the walking dead.
Those people had crazed expressions, biting anyone they saw, having long lost any shred of sanity.
And the survivors were frantically fleeing.
Others wielded weapons, fighting back against the infected.
In no time at all, the world outside had descended into chaos.
Stella Sterling also saw many people in base uniforms, systematically clearing out the infected.
However, among the chaos, some people tried to stop the cleanup crews.
The relatives of the infected, for instance. They couldn’t bear to watch their loved ones be killed. Even knowing they had become grotesque monsters, they couldn’t stand to see them put down. So, whenever base personnel took action, these relatives would step in to stop them.
But before the base teams could even act, those trying to intervene were bitten by their own infected relatives.
Seeing this, Stella Sterling closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her expression was serene.
Mr. Magnus witnessed this as well, and his expression darkened. His voice was heavy. "So, Sterling, do you see now why I lost my composure earlier? I can’t take it anymore. I’m truly about to break."
"Watching them turn on each other... watching people you once protected, or who once protected you, become mindless monsters you’re forced to attack... it’s an unbearable feeling. I may not have gone through it myself, but seeing their suffering, I can feel their despair!"
Hearing his words, Stella Sterling was silent.
She understood the feeling all too well.
In her previous life, her comrades weren’t just Caleb Xavier, but others too. Back then, she traveled with them.
They ventured through the apocalypse together.
Stella Sterling had experienced betrayal from teammates, but not everyone was like that.
There was even a teammate who was killed by the infected while protecting another teammate.
Watching a friend she had once fought beside devolve into a monster that only attacked humans... even now, Stella Sterling hadn’t forgotten the feeling of desperate struggle.
’I couldn’t bring myself to do it.’
’Even though I killed him in the end.’
"And..."
Stella Sterling looked at Mr. Magnus. "Those infected people... they aren’t completely mindless. They still have their consciousness, but they can’t control their bodies."
Stella Sterling didn’t say it outright, but the meaning in her words was very clear.
Hearing this, Mr. Magnus’s eyes widened. "Are you saying that after those infected people become monsters, they’re aware of what they’re doing?"
Stella Sterling silently nodded.
And so, Mr. Magnus fell silent as well.
’If that’s the case, then this situation is far more tragic than I ever imagined.’
’Those who have lost their sanity and become monsters... if they’re still conscious and aware of their own actions...’
’...then how much pain they must be in!’
’They know full well that they’ve become grotesque monsters, attacking their former relatives or companions, yet they are powerless to stop it.’
’I’m afraid the pain they feel is no less than that of their victims.’
’He had even seen a father and daughter once. The father was infected. His daughter, thinking she could wake him, rushed to him without a second thought. But she was bitten without mercy. Right up until the end, she had been crying out, "Daddy, Daddy."’
’When he saw it, his heart ached terribly. What must that little girl have felt, being bitten by the father she trusted and relied on most?’
’By the time he saw it, it was too late. He couldn’t stop it. All he could do was put them both down.’
’But if it’s really as Sterling says... then what about that father who bit his own daughter?’
’He killed his own daughter with his own hands, yet he couldn’t control himself. And he was conscious for it all. How agonizing must that have been for him?’
’The mere thought of it was just too cruel.’
’If that’s really the case, then I would rather the infected lose all consciousness.’
’That way, they wouldn’t know what they were doing, and they wouldn’t have to suffer so much.’
Seeing Mr. Magnus’s silence, Stella Sterling continued, "So that’s why I said from the beginning that killing them early is a kindness."
"Because many of them don’t want to live in such pain. They just don’t have a choice—they can’t even kill themselves."
Stella Sterling’s voice was cold. ’The reason she knew this was because she had experienced it herself in her past life.’
’One of their comrades had been wounded by an infected person. At first, they couldn’t bring themselves to act against him, hoping they could find a way to save him. But in the end, they were powerless, forced to watch as he, too, turned into one of those grotesque monsters.’
’Then, during one of his attacks against them, he suddenly stopped. For a fleeting moment, a flicker of a normal emotion—anguished struggle—broke through his vacant expression.’
’It was only for a moment, but Stella Sterling saw it clearly. That’s when she realized the infected were, in fact, conscious.’
’They were in agony over their own situation.’
Mr. Magnus sighed. He said, "Sterling, you’re right. For those who are already infected, perhaps they would rather die than live in such agony, attacking the people around them, even their own families. For them, it must be a fate worse than death."