Read Novel Full Chapter 573: Gratitude
Chapter 573: Chapter 573: Gratitude
They had been quarantined for nearly a week to ensure no side effects appeared, and as an additional measure, they were allowed to buy as much food as they wanted.
It was, in a way, compensation.
The research lab still wasn’t completely certain about the long-term results, so they had discreetly stationed people to observe them.
To avoid resentment or emotional instability, they provided these benefits.
And strangely... no one seemed unhappy about it.
Instead, many of them appeared thrilled.
For people who had once been reduced to mindless zombies, even the simple act of choosing what to eat felt like a forgotten luxury.
After finishing the shopping, Mika looked at the bags in his hands and smiled faintly. ’Top-notch quality... just from the packaging, you can tell...’ he thought.
But the real temptation came moments later.
As he walked past one of the aisles, he saw a man casually opening a cup of instant noodles.
Steam rose gently as hot water was poured in. Within seconds, a rich, savory aroma spread through the air.
Mika froze.
The smell was so delicious, so overwhelming, that for a brief second, he felt like his soul was being pulled straight out of his body.
His throat tightened, and his grip on the basket trembled.
’I want it...’
For a fleeting moment, an almost primal urge surged within him, to snatch the noodles and devour them.
But he stopped himself.
He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to look away.
Once he checked out with the food, Greta smiled faintly and said,
"I’ll cook something special for you. It’s been a long time... maybe scallion pancakes?"
But Mika immediately shook his head, almost stubbornly. "No. I want instant noodles."
Greta blinked. Her mother also looked at him in confusion.
’Instant noodles... over real food?’
They couldn’t understand it.
But if their past selves could see them now, they would probably laugh. Back then, instant noodles were a luxury they couldn’t even dream of affording.
And now... They were treating it as something ordinary.
Humans really are strange...
Soon, the noodles were ready.
The moment Mika smelled them, his entire expression changed. His eyes widened, and he quickly grabbed the container, opening it eagerly.
The rich, flavorful aroma hit him again, stronger this time.
"...This..." he muttered, his voice trembling slightly.
Without wasting another second, he began to gobble it down, completely immersed, as if he were tasting something divine.
Greta and her mother exchanged glances.
’Is he... eating a delicacy?’
His expression was far too intense for something as simple as instant noodles.
Taking a deep breath, they decided to try it themselves.
And soon, the three of them sat together, eating quietly.
For the first time in a long while, there was no fear, no tension, just warmth.
And strangely enough... the noodles tasted far better than they ever remembered.
After the meal, Mika leaned back slightly and looked at Greta.
"How did everything change so much... in just one and a half months?" he asked.
Greta took a deep breath and began explaining everything in detail.
When she finished, Mika fell silent for a moment before speaking again, his tone filled with sincerity.
"If that’s the case... then we really need to thank that person... that ’messiah.’ If she truly changed everyone’s life like this ..."
Greta nodded firmly. "Yeah... I was thinking the same."
She hesitated for a moment before adding,
"I wanted to do something for Ivy... but she doesn’t seem to like anything."
Mika’s expression turned thoughtful.
"I might be able to help," he said slowly.
Greta looked at him, surprised. "You can?"
Mika nodded. "When I was a zombie... I still retained fragments of my human memories."
He paused briefly, his gaze lowering.
"Now that I’m human again... I’ve fully digested those memories."
He looked up again, his eyes carrying a quiet seriousness.
"And there’s something important... something useful."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I want to tell Ivy... as a form of gratitude."
Greta agreed, and soon the trio arrived outside Ivy’s residence.
The moment they stepped into the outer perimeter, the atmosphere changed completely.
Armed guards stood at every checkpoint, their expressions sharp and unyielding, their eyes scanning every movement with cold precision.
Ever since the incident with the Jade, security had tightened to an extreme level.
It was not easy to get in.
For a moment, both Greta and Mika hesitated at the entrance, exchanging a brief glance.
’This... is way stricter than before...,’ Greta thought, her fingers unconsciously clenching.
However, things changed when Mika’s identity was verified.
Because he was one of the experimental subjects, special protocols were in place. To ensure no mishap occurred, he was allowed entry, but alone.
Greta was stopped.
"I’ll wait here," she said softly, forcing a small smile.
Mika nodded. "I won’t take long."
With that, he stepped inside.
...............................
The deeper he walked, the quieter it became.
’This place... it feels different...’
Soon, he reached Ivy’s apartment.
Inside, Ivy had already been informed.
"Hm... he wants to meet me?" she murmured, her brows knitting slightly. ’Did something go wrong with the experiment?’
"Let him in," she said calmly.
The door slid open. Mika stepped inside.
The moment he saw Ivy, something in him shifted. Without hesitation, he moved forward and suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her.
The sound of his knees hitting the polished floor echoed faintly.
Ivy’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"What are you doing?" she said quickly, stepping aside. "Stand up. Don’t do this."
Her tone carried discomfort as she moved away, clearly unwilling to accept such a gesture.
But Mika lowered his head even further.
"What you’ve done for us... for my family... I can never repay it in this lifetime," he said, his voice trembling slightly with sincerity.
"If it wasn’t for you..." he continued, his fists tightening, "we might have died in one way or another."
He took a slow breath.
"But because of you... because of the antidote... people like us were able to return to our families."