Mercenary Black Mamba

"Don't move."

Boom—

Samedi's head rang like a vibrating drum. Samedi's body stopped trembling. The neurons' axons served as conductors of electrical signals. The myelin sheath that surrounded the axons to insulate them were known as myelinated nerves, and those without the myelin sheath were known as unmyelinated nerves.

The rate of signal transmission between the myelinated nerves and unmyelinated nerves differed substantially. Signals were transmitted from the myelinated nerves to the tactile and motor nerves at 100 meters per second. Meanwhile, signals were transmitted from the unmyelinated nerves to the sensory nerves such as sight, sound, and smell at 0.8 meters per second. That was the reason why a person's hand would flinch while the movements of an animated movie character would remain seamless even after touching a hot stove.

His interference waves directly stimulated the flow and reception of the cerebral cortex without going through the auditory organs. That was how quick and strong it impacted the brain. Black Mamba's intentions suppressed Samedi's brain nerves itself, forcing it to transmit electrical signals to stop the muscles. The mechanics behind sound attacks often seen in martial arts novels was like so.

This person is too scary.

Samedi was suddenly scared. That person was more powerful and brought about immense pain, which immobilized him. Chilled with fear, Samedi could only cry from the splitting pain he felt in his head. After wrestling the black film for 10 minutes, Black Mamba stepped back from exhaustion. Despite trying his best, he only caused Samedi pain. Pushing it any further could destroy his brain.

"Phew, I guess this is the difference between spellcasting and the Left Martial Theories technique?"

Brainwashing was a realm's difference from an operation that removed parasites and blood clots. The brain was too sensitive an organ for his meager skills to fix. His master's graceful face passed by his eyes. The world was only perceived as one knew. His master's achievements seemed distant the more he improved on his abilities and gained more experiences.

I shouldn't.

The man with the trembling body and arms wrapped around his head was a pitiful sight. His cells moved slowly, probably because he had been starving for a long time.

"Samedi, you can eat the goat."

"Th-an-k-you."

Samedi, whose face had grown pale, tore the goat's neck apart with his nails and drank its blood. After quenching his thirst, he ripped off the goat's leg and started chewing it down to its bones.

"Ugh-"

The sound of bones breaking, the sound of blood being slurped, and the sound of muscles ripping alongside the horrifying visual left Jamal and Ahmad quivering. If Professor Orifice and Professor Shernion were there to witness it, they would have kicked up another fuss.

"Sir Ddu-bai-buru-pa, what is Samedi?"

"Currently, he is a zombie who's not in a zombie state. The yorunba addiction and the brainwashing after-effects have evolved his IQ into that of a child aged around three to four years old. The human will create miracles. He might have gone through mental training like yoga or Shiva Samhita before he turned into a zombie."

It was something that Black Mamba had experienced himself. Without his strong will and the Epidium's enhancements, Chui Do Shik's soul-washing attack would have turned him into a puppet no different than a zombie. That was one of the reasons why he referred to the Vodou priests and the MK Ultra Project team members as "presents" he had to destroy.

"That is a scary yet extraordinary phenomenon."

"There are many things we don't know in this world. Although humans behave as though the little knowledge they have is everything, we're nothing but dust compared to the universe."

"Won't he attack people?"

"A human with strong instincts is selfish. Selfish people are social people, and therefore easier to control. That is the same for Samedi."

Ibrahim tilted his head. He couldn't see a connection between the zombie's violent nature and selfish people.

"Won't a society filled with selfish people be like hell? Aren't people who love and give back necessary in society? Those were God's words too."

Black Mamba smiled.

"Selfish people live for their own benefit. When you go to a restaurant, do you observe whether the cook uses spoiled ingredients or spits in the dish?"

"We don't have to. Why would the cook or the restaurant owner do anything that would generate losses?"

"That's it. Cooks whip up healthy and delicious food because that is the right move to take for their own benefit. If the food is tasteless and dirty, they'll have to bear with the complaints. Customers will only visit again if the food tastes good. The same goes for the customers. The reason behind their visit to a restaurant is to satisfy their desire for delicious dishes. They don't go to a restaurant mainly for the cook. That is why selfish people are called social people, and their actions are predictable. All living creatures are naturally aggressive based on the evolutionary theory. The only way to suppress aggression is with greed—the greed that prioritizes the minimization of an attack's rebounding losses."

"Oohh! I understand what you mean, Sir Ddu-bai-buru-pa. Since Samedi is highly intuitive, it must mean he has a strong self-regard. He is calm because he's scared of the consequences of an attack. I feel like I've been awakened. Bismillah!" Ibrahim summarized out of the blue.

"I hesitate to ask, Sir Ddu-bai-buru-pa, but how does that explain your efforts to save the Christian Orthodox and the Kurd tribe members without expecting any reward? Isn't that a truly altruistic behavior?" Mohammad carefully tackled the issue.

Ibrahim and Ahmad grew tense as they glanced at Black Mamba's face. Although Sir Ddu-bai-buru-pa was unlikely to get mad, those words could be considered rude depending on another's perspective.

"Hahaha, there is no truly altruistic being. No one pays taxes for the country and the people. People pay taxes because they fear punishment. There is no guarantee that a person who offers to donate to their needy neighbor this weekend would do the same on the following weekend. Altruistic behavior is unpredictable because it is dependable on one's will. My reward for rescuing all of you was peace of mind. If I can gain peace of mind by working a little, that will be a greater gain! All of you must have been anxious about the thought of me abandoning you after escaping Syria."

"How could we possibly think that? Our faith and loyalty to you, Sir Ddu-bai-buru-pa, is stronger than gold."

Black Mamba smiled widely.

"The reason why I returned Ibrahim's question is that I want to highlight the unpredictable future of those in a weaker position, having to rely on someone in a stronger position. Let me tell you a short story. A rabbit tired of avoiding foxes and wolves complained to God one day. 'God, all the animals are trying to eat me. What should I do?' What do you think was God's reply?"

"God could have said 'that's the law of nature' or something along that line?"

"That could be an answer. God replied, 'Rabbit, I also wish to eat you when I see you. From today onward, sharpen your teeth and nails. Strengthen your hind legs by running through fields.' Now listen. If you don't have power, there can neither be freedom, justice, nor equality. Reality is always harsh and hellish. You need to increase your power to fight against the harsh reality and to not fall in a ditch. That's what I want to say to all of you."

Boom—

Mohammad, Jamal, and Ibrahim looked at Black Mamba with admiration in their eyes. It was true. Without power, they were bound to be taken advantage of before falling in a ditch. The warning of a truly powerful person made their hearts race.

"May Sir Ddu-bai-buru-pa be praised! This is the teaching bestowed to us from our master. To become stronger, we'll work until our bones break and think until our brains melt."

The three men bowed together at once.

"We've been distracted from the main topic. Currently, Samedi, who only has his instincts left, misses his time as a human. You could say the social skills engraved in his DNA have been released. According to Barungo, Samedi ran away 25 years ago. He must be over 40 years old now. He's a pitiful person. Take good care of your old, yet youngest brother."

Samedi hadn't attacked Ombuti and Edel. Following his instinct, he had tailed their Jeep to try to get along with them.

"We'll devote ourselves to your teachings."

"Ahmad, Samedi is a child stronger than a grizzly bear. You take care of him for now. First, wash him and give him clothes. Teach him words and make him human."

"Yes, sir. Samedi, daljava[1]!"

"N-o."

Samedi shook his head and remained close by Black Mamba's side. Black Mamba smiled and brushed back the hair of the young yet old Samedi.

"Go wash yourself!"

When Black Mamba waved his hand at him, Samedi reluctantly crawled toward Ahmad.

Mohammad, who received Jamal's signal, drove the Jeeps into the village.

"Dubai, did you take care of the zombies?"

"They are over there."

"Huh!"

"Urgh!"

Zombies looked no different from humans. Professor Orifice and Professor Shernion vomited when they saw the headless corpses and corpses riddled by bullets. Monsters and humans were different. No matter how evil and ferocious they looked, monsters could be regarded as foreign existences because their appearance alone couldn't be assimilated. As humans were naturally cognitive, the intensity of impact perceived by their brain varied.

"Is this the zombies we heard of?"

Professor Shernion tilted his head at Professor Orifice's words.

"They look tough, but they don't seem that different from humans in terms of appearance. However, the color of their blood differs greatly."

"Should we gather samples?"

Professor Orifice and Professor Shernion's curiosity awakened. Curiosity was an essential value for any scholar.

"Nonsense. Otherworldly things have to remain as otherworldly things. Do you want to become a Vodou priest or something?"

At the lashing, Professor Shernion scratched his head and stepped back from the corpses. Regret filled his eyes.

"Should I gather the villagers, sir?"

"Leave them be. They'll regain their senses after some time. Let's bury the zombies and leave."

Black Mamba's response to Mohammad's question was rather cold. Professor Orifice tilted his head questioningly. Dubai was a person who was kind to the weak.

"Why don't you tell them that you took care of the zombies?"

"They should already know by now. The locals have their own lives. The beauty of humans is their sociability. They should have gathered and fought against the zombies together. I have no interest in egoists who only consider their own safety. Now that I've taken care of the threat, they should pick up the pieces themselves."

"Still… I suppose there could be a negative reaction if we interfered. You need to understand. How scary would a monster that beats up other monsters be! Hehehe!" Professor Orifice laughed.

"Dubai, we need to burn these evil things. These things had their cells modified. If a wild animal eats them, there could be side effects."

"That is true."

Black Mamba agreed with Professor Shernion. What he said made sense. There were hyenas and jackals in the Ennedi Plateau. Like in the movies, they could become zombie beasts after eating a corpse abandoned in the wild.

"Hadritak, there is no wood to make fire."

Jamal looked worriedly at Mohammad.

"What should we do?"

Mohammad's face creased. A large amount of wood was required to burn two zombie corpses. Moreover, they were in a desert. There was no wood there. It would take too long to gather dried reeds, and the fire would be weak too.

"I have a solution to that," Professor Orifice suggested.

"What is it?" Black Mamba asked.

"Hehe, I'm a botanist, at least by title. Did you see the small pile outside the village? Those are heaps of tamarisks."

"Tamarisks?"

"There is a similar tree called the Chinese tamarisk in Asia. Although the tamarisk and Chinese tamarisk look similar, their vegetation differs. Tamarisks are special kinds of shrubs that grow in the desert. They are a unique plant with roots deep underground and additional branches above the surface. To be specific, the tamarisk's branches and leaves entwine with each other and cover a large area like a net or felt cloth. Where they occupied, sand and dust accumulated. As the tamarisk grows, the hill of accumulated sand and dust grows in height too. Like bamboo trees, the tamarisk trees die out in a certain region together at once—these are the same tamarisks that multiplied for 100s and 1,000s of years underground. What do you think will happen when they die?"

"A heap of dried firewood is made."

"That's it. It's no different than a dune at first glance. Tamarisk tombs are commonly found in Namibia and Algeria. Bedouins find tamarisk colonies easily and use them as firewood."

"Huh, that's interesting. I've never seen such a tree before."

"Of course. It's a small thing that sticks out of the ground, so you might have thought it was a bush. Not everything you see is the truth! Kekeke!"

"Not everything you see is the truth" was a phrase mentioned by Ddu-bai-buru-pa often. Professor Orifice laughed confidently at having one-upped him.

"We could plant tamarisks in Novatopia."

Professor Orifice instantly crushed Black Mamba's hope.

"My words go in one ear and out the other. That's not a good idea. Despite it being large, because it shows slightly above the ground, it's ineffective as windbreaks and doesn't help with greenery either. It also grows slowly. After planting them in Novatopia, tamarisk dunes could appear all over after several 1,000 years."

Black Mamba's face creased devilishly at Professor Orifice's roasting.

"Seems like this isn't something an ignorant person like me should think about. You work for your pay, professor."

"I was already thinking of a solution anyway. I've developed alopecia areata because of this."

"Hm, I can already see the crown of your head, so what hair loss are you talking about! Nothing's easy. Anyway, that tamarisk or basilisk thing, go get it."

"Huh, with a disappointed expression like that, you finally look like a human. Let's go together. I'll need your help since the trees are all intertwined together."

Professor Orifice brought Black Mamba to a dune that looked like any regular dune. Jamal and Ahmad rushed in with their military shovels to dig into the sand. There wasn't much progress.

"Samedi, dig."

"O-ka-y."

[1] Let's go!