These Aren't Even Refugees Anymore. (1)
Phssst—the Nepheka I'd possessed crumbled into sand and scattered away after fulfilling its role. The fifteen Three Sand Claws I'd just unleashed would circle the area, hunting down zombies and monsters, gradually spreading out farther to earn me coins. It was a goddamn auto-hunt system that automatically cleared the area around San-e-deul Apartment Complex. The only downside was it didn't rake in coins as satisfyingly as I'd like. Fifteen uses meant about 450 coins spent? Oh, already over 20 coins earned back. Anyway, all I had to do was wait.
I repossessed the warrior Nephkent and stepped outside. Dozens of collection team members were pale as ghosts, slumped on the ground or trembling. They seemed a bit relieved at the sight of my familiar dog mask.
"G-God... just now, what was...?"
"W-We saw something insane... what the hell was that?"
"Don't be startled. It was magic to clean up the zombies and monsters around here. Didn't I tell you this apartment complex would be safe? No matter what monsters approach, I'll clean them out every day."
"Ooooh...!"
"My shrine is right here. You've already confirmed it, haven't you?"
They nodded eagerly with a chorus of "Yes!" I pointed to the apartment building across from mine.
"That apartment is your new home. The doors are locked, so wait a moment."
I brushed past the crowd, slipping into the apartments through windows and balconies to unlock the doors from inside. I barricaded the entrances with whatever was handy, going back and forth like that. Of course, it took fucking forever. Shit, nearly an hour. Fifteen stories tall. Even with a warrior's super strength and wall-climbing ability, clearing every single door in a whole apartment building wasn't a walk in the park.
Along the way, I found quite a bit of sand piles—zombies I'd taken out. There were also mummified corpses and even near-skeletons that looked like they'd been dead for months, probably from the early days of the zombie apocalypse before turning. Anyway.
The entire apartment was now empty, and I left all the doors wide open.
"The elevators don't work, so lower floors will be more convenient. Pick a place you like and move in."
"Whoa!"
The people stood up. Someone spoke up.
"G-God."
"What is it?"
"Our stomachs... we're starving."
...Ugh. Right off the bat. Well, these folks hadn't eaten properly in forever.
"...Wait here."
Everyone who'd started heading to the apartments sat back down. I released the possession, rose from the stone sarcophagus, and stepped out of the room.
"Phew... fuck. Sechem!"
"Yes, my lord."
Sechem Yaret slithered over in her serpentine form.
"Make egg porridge. A shit-ton of it. Use everything—microwaves, gas stoves, every pot in the house. Just make a lot."
"...People arrived outside. New followers? Is this for them?"
"Yeah. Sigh..."
I rubbed my forehead. "Sechem, I don't plan on handing out freebies left and right. But those people are starved. No strength left. They barely made it here. We gotta feed them something first before anything else."
"Understood, my lord. As you command."
Sechem hissed "Shishit," and one of the Ushabti doing housework headed to the sand egg plate. One? Oh, that one's incubating eggs under the balcony sunlight—can't move. Sechem grabbed a big pot from the kitchen and filled it with eggs alongside the Ushabti.
"I'll help make it too, my lord."
"Yeah, sure."
Probably not enough eggs. About 60 left? Sechem and the Ushabti took them all, emptying the plate. I tossed in 10 new coins to summon 100 more and stood up. That's when the women who'd gathered at the fountain came rushing over.
"Heard noises outside—what was it?"
"Too scared to look."
"Zombies?"
I shook my head. "Nah. Brought back the collection teams."
"Collection teams?!"
The women exchanged glances and poured outside.
"Ah!"
Yeonsu yelped in surprise. "Oppa!" "Unnie!" "Uncle!" "Auntie!"—calling out to everyone as the four women approached the crowd. The collection teams were startled too, chattering away, but I stayed inside so I couldn't hear the details. Fine, whatever. Let them see with their own eyes. Witnessing how well the women were doing would make the greatness of my shrine sink in even deeper.
"Ha... fuck. Didn't expect to have to feed a horde the second they arrived."
Have to deal with it. I decided to take them in—this was part of the package.
"Sechem. When it's ready, bring the pots outside with the Ushabti."
"Understood, my lord."
Back to the bedroom. I lay in the sarcophagus. As Nephkent, I went out again, and people were greeting each other excitedly. But the problem was... my women had radiant skin, clean clothes, and smelled great. The collection teams reeked like they'd rolled in coal mine sewers for a month—grotesque and foul.
The men were awestruck by the women's glow-up; the women eyed mine with envy and jealousy. I walked over to them.
"My servants are preparing egg porridge. You all have enough strength left to wait a bit longer, right?"
As I approached, I noticed my women keeping their distance from the collection teams. Not getting too close.
...Can't blame them. Who'd want to smell that if they hadn't? I wouldn't come out here in my real body either. They answered "Yes!"—all skeletons, sure, but after starving this long, 30 more minutes was doable.
"Yeonsu!"
"Hyeyoon!"
Aunties making a fuss nearby. "How's living here? Not too tough?"
"My god, you've cleaned up so nice!"
"Jeong-eun household, how you feeling now?"
"Your daughter was on death's door, and look at that glow."
...I'm telling you, aunties, chill. The women smiled back.
"We're doing great."
"Seriously, welcome— for real!"
"Seeing it for ourselves makes it... nice..." Jeong-eun glanced at me.
"Y-Yeah... I'm, satisfied... too."
And Iseo. Both faces a bit flushed, but also uneasy. They hadn't fully shaken off those feelings yet. Can't be helped. Time would fix it.
Jeong-eun and Iseo had eaten decently while I was possessing heroes or out of sight—their skin had improved a lot. Not gained weight yet, still skeletal. But their dull, half-lidded eyes now sparkled with life? And Iseo, who couldn't even walk alone before, was moving on her own. Incredible recovery in just days. Gotta give credit to Sechem's care, though.
"Whoa," the collection teams marveled.
"While the food's cooking." As the excited reunions died down a bit, I spoke. Everyone looked at me.
"I'm telling you now: eat up and rest well. Then those who can move, get ready to. You'll need to fetch supplies for yourselves. But one thing—you move with me."
"Pardon?"
The leader auntie asked. But she quickly lit up with joy as she got it. I nodded at their expressions.
"Right. I'll eliminate dangers ahead for you. Once it's safe, you go in and gather. Bring back as much as you can, share what you haul however you like—that's up to you. But one rule: no fighting. Don't get mad if someone grabs something you need right away. We'll go out again tomorrow and get more. Got it?"
"Yes!"
"And one more. No greed. Hoard more than necessary, and resentment brews. I said handle it yourselves, so find a way to live peacefully. If fights break out too often, God will step in and decide what's fair for everyone."
"Yes!"
"Good. Yeonsu, Hyeyoon."
"Yesss~."
Getting seductive, you vixens. "Check if Sechem's got the food ready properly."
"Of course."
"Yep!"
Yeonsu and Hyeyoon headed inside. Jeong-eun and Iseo smiled shyly and turned.
"We'll check on the food for everyone too."
As they walked off, one uncle stood.
"Th-That... uh..."
"What?"
"...What's it like inside there...?"
Oh boy. I shook off my arm, gripped the spear, and slammed it into the ground. Thud! He yelped and backed away, collapsing again.
"That is the shrine. Only priestesses who worship me may enter."
"S-Sorry! J-Just curious."
"I understand curiosity, but watch yourselves. Trespass or peep, and you're exiled immediately. Could even cost your life. Clear?"
"Y-Yes, got it."
Their faces changed at "exile." They glanced around warily. These skeletal collection folks had already seen Yeonsu and Hyeyoon—plump, healthy, radiant, no longer skeletons but slim beauties. Jeong-eun and Iseo's brightened skin in days. They'd seen the women, so they knew without asking how great life here was. No wonder they were curious about the shrine. But no dice. It's my shrine where my women live. Only they enter.
Then the shrine door opened. Sechem and Ushabti came out carrying pots. Yeonsu, Hyeyoon, Jeong-eun, and Iseo followed with stuff in hand.
...Already? Just minutes?
"Uwaaak!"
"Eek!"
"S-Snake!"
The collection teams toppled over in panic. One auntie shook like a leaf. I waved it off.
"My servant. Sechem, come say a word."
"Yes, my lord."
Sechem slithered forward and set down the pot in front of the crowd. Bowls were stacked high on top. Ushabti did the same. The women carried armloads of spoons, ladles, and plastic containers from the convenience store—probably looted from our place and the neighbors'.
"I am Sechem Yaret, attendant to the lord."
Her sultry voice from the snake body shocked them anew. Her polite demeanor and tone slowly got people standing.
"The lord in his mercy grants you egg porridge. Come take a bowl each. If it runs short, more will be made— no need to rush."
She took the ladle from Yeonsu. Yeah, perfect—let Sechem handle serving. No one's gonna throw a fit over food in front of that intimidating snake.