Everyone Enters the Water Together - 12
Putting off cleaning for too long wasn't a good idea. Even I couldn't just hole up inside the base forever. We needed to scavenge supplies from all over, and I had to make sure monsters didn't overrun us and attack the base.
But contrary to my worries, the streets were pretty safe.
"Haaah!"
"Hup!"
Right in front of me, the mercenaries were sweeping through zombies with disciplined, efficient movements. I was curious just how far they could go, but they were mercenaries through and through. Their reputation as top dogs around here wasn't just talk—they were mowing down a whole pack in seconds.
"Pull back!"
At Kim Soi's command, all the mercenaries retreated a few steps. She flicked her lighter, and flames burst out, engulfing every zombie in sight. The stench of burning flesh hit my nose in an instant. A few zombies survived, but they collapsed before they could even take a step.
"Can't use bullets, so it's a bit slower... but this should be okay... right?"
Kim Soi looked up at me with trembling eyes.
"Yeah. Impressive stuff."
Unfortunately, we had no way to restock ammo right now. But even without it, the mercenaries bashed zombie skulls effortlessly with their hammers and axes.
"Still... is this all there is?"
I scanned the surroundings, eyeing the fallen zombies slowly.
"W-Why?"
"No elite zombies. Kinda boring."
They'd all become my sex slaves. In other words, even if I gave them total freedom, there was no reason to fear them. So deploying them en masse to clear out local zombies was fine—as long as they didn't run or harm the settlement.
The only thing I had to worry about was keeping my slaves safe from nearby zombies or survivor groups.
"E-Elite zombies? Why would those be here?"
Kim Soi stared at me in shock. An Sua chuckled and shook her head.
"Master... normally, you don't run into those just strolling the streets."
"Weren't they common? Saw 'em plenty in dungeons..."
"That's 'cause it's a dungeon."
Kim Soi looked flustered for a moment but nodded in understanding.
"You're... from around here, right? Anseongu. Never been anywhere else before?"
"Pretty much."
I'd traveled a lot before the world ended, but post-apocalypse? Nah, this was virgin territory.
"Makes sense, then."
"Just Anseongu like this?"
"Obviously. If elite zombies were popping up everywhere on the streets, who the hell would go outside?"
Maybe liberating the district once had kept them away. I nodded, sighed, and looked at the mercenaries.
"They fight well enough, sure..."
"Not good enough?"
Han Seohee snickered at Kim Soi.
"Get it? Our master's super overprotective. That's why we couldn't go far from base, why I couldn't head back to the apartment alone. Remember all that?"
"Y-You too, Seohee?"
"Yup."
Come to think of it, Han Seohee was no slouch. She couldn't solo a Goliath, but she'd handle a couple elite monsters easy. Even she couldn't say with full confidence, "I won't die to zombies." So yeah, my overprotectiveness wasn't unreasonable.
"So... this level's sufficient?"
"Of course!"
"Guess I can trust 'em with scouting, then."
"Scouting...?"
"They don't have the muscle for heavy scavenging anyway. They can win fights, but they can't haul carts like me."
My cart was beat to hell from rough use. I'd hauled so much with it, I couldn't even guess the total.
"Still, for combat experience, sending them out occasionally to hunt zombies without me sounds good."
"Th-Thank you!"
Them being out here was more their choice than mine. They'd all been fucked by me and made slaves. Now, like it or not, they had to prove their worth and earn my affection to survive. They were mercenaries, not laborers. Things had twisted around a bit, but it wasn't weird for them to want to prove their utility through force and protect the settlement.
"Gotta tidy up local monsters too... Oh, how do you even get ammo?"
"Money."
Kim Soi shook her head.
"We can't go far ourselves, so we buy from traders. But traders coming to Anseongu...? Probably none."
"Gotta think on that."
Yeah, we needed ways to safely protect not just our people, but passersby too. I filed that away mentally and turned toward the base.
"But with that huge tower... wouldn't curiosity draw people?"
"If they're not scared off. Not many would come all the way here on purpose."
"Too bad..."
Then maybe I should visit other groups. I didn't have endless cash, but I could farm more anytime. Trading with others was way more efficient than expanding the orphanage or opening apartment rooms.
"Anyway, that's it for today! Head back!"
"Yes!"
I headed to the base with homework swirling in my head, smiling all the way.
/////
"He's out."
The settlement's residents eyed each other uneasily. They had plenty to do—building labs, prepping ingredients and meals for returnees. But they couldn't focus.
"The boss turned all the mercenaries into slaves. Not just Leader Soi, every last woman. So..."
They'd been in organizations before, ousted from them. They knew what power shifts meant.
"Fighters becoming the boss's women... where does that leave us?"
Warriors got respect in any group—not for moral reasons, but fear they'd rampage if disrespected. And warriors? They twisted "respect" to include looting, beating, and harassing civilians.
"He didn't seem that bad..."
"That's just 'cause they've been weak so far, hiding their claws!"
As prisoners, mercenaries had no reason to clash with settlers. No point risking backlash. But now they were warriors. New status, new behavior—not surprising.
"And they threw themselves at the master..."
A woman throwing herself at a man, especially a warrior? Either alone was enough for power. They had both.
"Trust the boss. He saved us—why would he let us get bullied now?"
"Depends. If his bedmates fight us useless settlers, whose side would he take?"
Crisis loomed in their minds.
"...We need something too."
"What?"
"Opportunity will come... Can't think like this. Gotta go all-in, ready to become slaves."
Exiled from past groups, this good one felt lucky. But getting kicked out again? Nightmare.
"S-Slaves...?"
"Those women gave the boss everything! We hold back, we're screwed!"
Some feared it, but no alternatives.
"Gotta become sex slaves?"
"Look around. Only sex slaves get in his arms. Sua, Seohee, the other prisoners."
"True..."
Strictly, orphanage director Seon Yeowon wasn't a slave yet in his arms. But settlers didn't know.
"From now on, work our asses off. Never pass up a chance—grab it!"
Sunwoo would've freaked, but they plotted seriously. And sooner than expected, their "chance" arrived.
"Oh, s-sorry! Didn't know anyone was here. I'll go."
Naturally, the bathhouse had no men's/women's changing rooms or baths divided. Fresh from bathing, settlers changing clothes bumped into oblivious Sunwoo.
They locked eyes. This was it.
"W-Wait... could you hold on a sec?"
The boldest woman spoke softly.