Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Nightfall Curiosity

The night had settled in, the soft glow of candlelight casting shadows across the room as Ryo and Sachiko finished their meal. The air was calm, except for the usual faint sounds of the zombies patrolling outside. What shocked Sachiko, however, was when she saw Ryo casually feeding Sayako, the female zombie, a portion of their food. Sayako, without hesitation, took it and began to eat.Sachiko blinked in surprise, watching the zombie consume the food like any human might. "I… I didn't know zombies could eat like that," she stammered, her voice filled with a mix of disbelief and discomfort.

Ryo leaned back, observing Sayako for a moment before turning his gaze to Sachiko. "Why are you so shocked? Weren't you a researcher before? You really don't have any curiosity about how zombies react?" He smirked, as if the answer was obvious. "You should be asking more questions, testing their limits. Especially now that Sayako's here and different from the others."

Sachiko frowned slightly, her researcher's instincts sparking to life despite her hesitation. "But… feeding them? It's just strange," she muttered, glancing back at Sayako, who seemed unbothered by the attention and continued to eat in silence.

Ryo shrugged nonchalantly. "You've seen crazier things already. Besides, I've got plans. This isn't just about keeping them around for protection. I'm going to see if I can make them stronger." He looked out the window, his mind already racing with ideas. "I plan to head to the sea this week.

There's a store nearby that might have fishing nets or something useful for catching fish. Fresh fish, crabs, clams—I've been craving them."

Sachiko smiled softly at Ryo's mention of fresh food. "That does sound good. I've almost forgotten what it's like to eat something other than canned food."

Ryo nodded. "Exactly. We need to start thinking ahead. I also want to plant some vegetables, maybe even get a garden going. Fresh food is going to be vital if we're going to stay here long-term."

He paused for a moment, considering his next words. "And I want to test something. If the zombies, like Sayako, Striders, and Brutes, can eat fish… I want to see what happens. Will it make them stronger? Faster? I want to know their limits.

After all, they've already shown they're different from the others."

Sachiko was silent for a moment, processing Ryo's ambitions. She admired his drive, his relentless curiosity about the world he found himself in, but she couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Experimenting with zombies, feeding them… it felt like a dangerous game. But then again, everything about this new world was dangerous.

"You really think feeding them fish will make them stronger?" she asked, her curiosity winning over her fear.

Ryo smirked again, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "There's only one way to find out."

Sachiko couldn't help but notice something peculiar about the zombies that surrounded Ryo's base. She had seen them before—limping, decayed, reeking of death and rot. But now, as she looked out the window, they appeared… different. These zombies were fully healed, their greyish skin smooth and intact, with no visible wounds or signs of decay. Even the stench that once clung to the air had faded.

It was strange, almost unnatural. The zombies Ryo had brought here were once in terrible condition, their bodies broken and festering. Yet now, they moved with a fluid grace, faster and stronger than before. They didn't seem like the same creatures at all. Their eyes, still pitch black, now reflected a sense of power she hadn't seen before.

"Ryo," Sachiko murmured, glancing over at him as she watched one of the Striders pass by with a speed that was alarming for something once barely able to stand. "The zombies around your base... they're fully healed. I mean, no wounds, no decay… and they don't even smell anymore."

Ryo took a sip of his beer, his eyes following the Strider outside. He didn't seem surprised, as if this was exactly what he had expected. "Yeah, I noticed. They've been getting stronger. Faster too. It's like whatever's affecting them is fixing them up."

Sachiko furrowed her brow. "But how? When you brought them here, they were rotting. Now, it's like they've regenerated somehow."

Ryo smirked, leaning back in his chair. "That's why I said you should be more curious. There's something about this place—or maybe it's something about me—that's changing them. Whatever it is, it's making them healthier, more efficient."

The thought sent a chill down Sachiko's spine. Could it be Ryo's influence? His immunity? Or was something else at play, something deeper tied to the changes in the world around them? She didn't have the answers, but she was starting to see the broader picture. Ryo was far from ordinary, and the zombies were evolving in ways she hadn't thought possible.

"Are you worried?" Ryo asked, watching her with a raised eyebrow.

Sachiko shook her head slowly, though in truth, she wasn't sure what to feel. "I'm more intrigued than worried. If they're becoming stronger, that means they're also becoming more dangerous." seaʀᴄh thё Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Ryo chuckled softly, that familiar smirk of his returning. "Dangerous for everyone else. Not for me."

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Sachiko nodded, leaning against his shoulder. It was true—Ryo had complete control over these creatures, and for now, that was the only reassurance she needed. But still, a part of her wondered just how far this transformation could go, and what it might mean for them both in the long run.

What Sachiko and anyone else couldn't possibly know was the full extent of Ryo's influence. No zombie had ever tried to attack him. His presence alone seemed to emit something—an invisible aura that made the undead not just afraid but deeply loyal. It was as if they sensed something in him that set him apart from everyone else. And it wasn't just about control; this aura did something more.

It was healing them.

Ryo smiled to himself, leaning back in his chair, the cool night breeze brushing against his face as he took another sip of beer. The zombies outside weren't just guarding—they were evolving under his watch, becoming faster, stronger, and healthier.

Sachiko sat beside him, unaware of the true nature of Ryo's connection to the undead, still lost in thought about the changes she had noticed in the zombies around the base. Sayako, the female zombie, stood silently behind them, her white eyes fixated on Ryo with an unwavering intensity. There was no threat, only silent obedience.

Ryo's smirk widened slightly. Everything was falling into place. The government might be after him, but he had an army growing stronger by the day. They thought they could control him, but he was the one in control—the one they should truly fear.

He glanced down at Sachiko, who leaned against him with quiet contentment, and then back at Sayako, his loyal, ever-watchful guardian. This life, this power, was something no one could take from him. Not the government, not the world. He was untouchable.

With that thought, Ryo raised his beer, as if to toast the silence of the night, the evolving zombies, and the strange new life he was building with Sachiko at his side.

Sachiko, her curiosity piqued, looked up at Ryo and asked softly, "Ryo… I really want to know. What if you meet another female survivor in the future? Will you bring her here to this base? And… if you do, will you claim her body, the same way you've claimed mine?"

Ryo's expression hardened, his usual smirk replaced with a serious, almost cold gaze. He stared at her for a moment before answering in a firm, unyielding voice. "Yes," he said without hesitation. "There's nothing free in this world anymore, Sachiko. If a female survivor wants a place here, she'll have to submit.

If she isn't willing to give her body to satisfy my desires, then there's no place for her at this base."

He paused, his voice becoming even more resolute. "For me, a woman who refuses to become my pleasure in bed has no use. I don't need weak attachments or half-hearted loyalty. Everything is about survival now, and that includes fulfilling my needs."

Sachiko listened in silence, her mind racing with the weight of his words. Deep down, she knew this side of Ryo—his dominance, his control. It was part of the world they lived in now, part of what made him strong. But hearing it out loud, so coldly spoken, made her feel both nervous and strangely reassured.

She had already accepted her role beside him, but what did the future hold for her… and for any others who might cross Ryo's path?

Ryo, sensing her quiet contemplation, leaned back in his chair, taking another sip of his beer, as if his declaration was nothing out of the ordinary. For him, it wasn't—it was just the new reality.

Ryo leaned in, his lips capturing Sachiko's in a firm, possessive kiss. As he pulled away, his gaze bore into hers, his hand gripping her hair tightly, sending a jolt through her.

"You're mine and mine only," he said, his voice low but commanding. "Even if there's a day when another woman comes here, it won't change anything. You'll still be mine. Don't ever forget that."

The firm grip on her hair and the intensity in his voice made it clear—Ryo wasn't asking, he was declaring. Sachiko felt her heart race, the mix of dominance and passion that only Ryo could bring sending waves of conflicting emotions through her. She nodded silently, fully aware of her place in his world. No matter who came into their lives, she belonged to Ryo.