Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: The Leader's Audience
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Lee Seon-ji got off the bus and ascended the hotel with a tense expression.
"I'm sure the Leader will be delighted to hear you're still alive."
The Leader resided in the VIP suite on the hotel's top floor.
As it was the highest level, her quarters were perched high up.
Climbing to that height on foot in a hotel without power was an exhausting ordeal.
But Lee Seon-ji and Manager Heo chatted leisurely, completely at ease.
The reason was.
"Huff, huff."
Just like when Lee Seo-ho had climbed the stairs to Baek Min-ah's place using someone else's strength.
Just like how Lee Seo-ho had ascended comfortably with zombies.
The higher-ups at L Hotel used human elevators to reach the upper floors.
A barbaric system made up of men selected for their strength and stamina.
Four men, breathing heavily, strained their muscles as they carried a palanquin-like contraption made from plush chairs up the stairs.
And Lee Seon-ji and Manager Heo used it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It wasn't long before.
The human elevator reached the top floor, their destination.
The two women stepped down from the chair without so much as a word of thanks, treating it like machinery, and headed straight to the room.
But as she walked, Lee Seon-ji caught sight of the exhausted men and suddenly thought of Park Sung-hoon, her face twisting in discomfort as she glanced back briefly.
Right now, her role was to perfectly play the devout follower of the Leader.
She couldn't afford to slip up and draw suspicion, so she quickly schooled her features into indifference and looked ahead.
At the ornate door the two approached.
Several candles in the dim hallway illuminated it.
Manager Heo immediately knocked.
*Knock knock.*
"Leader, it's Heo Seo-jin. I've come with a survivor from the previous scouting party to make a report."
Not long after stating her business, a voice like the tone of a fine instrument echoed from inside.
[Come in.]
With permission granted, Manager Heo carefully turned the handle and opened the door.
A luxurious VIP suite revealed itself, vast and grand.
Moonlight streamed through the wide floor-to-ceiling windows, joined by countless candles lighting the room.
At the center of that shimmering glow.
Stood a woman with silver hair that gleamed brighter than the light itself.
Every movement, every gesture exuded a mystical aura.
She turned her captivating silver eyes toward the two who had entered.
"Team Leader Lee, you're alive. That's truly fortunate."
"I am grateful for your gracious words...."
The beautiful timbre, pleasing even to hear, expressed joy at Lee Seon-ji's survival. Lee Seon-ji blushed as if entranced, then promptly knelt.
"So, what is it you have to report?"
The welcome for her survival ended there.
The Leader immediately asked about the purpose of their visit.
Before Manager Heo's return, the radio report had mentioned bringing a gift.
So the Leader had thought.
If the gift was merely news of the team leader's survival, there would be punishment.
But contrary to her concerns, Manager Heo presented three large backpacks before her with an excited smile.
She opened the mouths to reveal the contents.
"This is...."
"Food supplies. Including luxury items unavailable around here."
Department stores stocked a variety of imported foods not found in regular convenience stores.
The gifts Lee Seo-ho had prepared included such diverse jerky, canned goods, and more.
The Leader was visibly shocked—not by the types, but by the sheer quantity.
"Filling three massive backpacks like this.... Not all from scouting, surely."
"Yes, these are gifts."
"Gifts?"
"A tribute from the current occupier of the department store you ordered us to investigate, presented to you, Leader."
"...Explain in detail."
"Yes."
Manager Heo then eagerly relayed everything she'd heard from Lee Seon-ji to the Leader.
Lee Seon-ji chimed in whenever questions arose midway.
"Hmm.... I see."
Having heard it all, the Leader rested her chin on her hand with a pleased smile.
It wasn't a bad story.
Scouting parties had investigated various large marts and department stores so far.
But most were overrun with zombies or already looted by other survivors, yielding scant supplies.
The S Department Store scout had nearly ended the same way—one of those two fates.
But it turned out to be ruled by a survivor.
Who protected the area using zombies, according to the tale.
The abundance of food and other resources inside was proven by the gifted backpacks.
Above all, the department store's owner shared similar ideology with the Imperial Sister Church and was amicable.
In other words, she could be recruited as an ally.
'The question is how to bring her under my wing.'
That was what the Leader pondered.
The gifts sent as a gesture of goodwill suggested no hostility toward the Imperial Sister Church.
But would the department store's mistress truly submit to the Leader?
'If she aims to stand shoulder-to-shoulder instead of below....'
Then she'd have to find an opening and crush her.
The Imperial Sister Church had only one head: herself.
One god was enough.
In this world where believers' faith became her power, no other symbolic leader was needed.
"The department store owner can wield grace like me, you say?"
"Yes.... I don't know if it's the same as your grace, Leader, but she definitely used some special power."
"She pinpointed my hidden location with it and sent Team Leader Lee here."
"......Hmm."
Only one thing nagged at her.
The department store conqueror wielded strange powers.
'It might not be different from mine.'
The Leader left the two kneeling women behind and walked to a spot in the VIP suite.
Where a green crystal floated in midair.
She caressed it fondly, gazing out at the dark landscape beyond the window.
Somewhere beyond that view lay S Department Store.
And its ruler.
'*Hehe, I wonder what she's doing right now, what she's thinking.'
The enigmatic possessor of special abilities who sent her such gifts.
The Leader felt intense curiosity about her.
And.
The department store ruler she wondered about so keenly was.
"New Slave No. 1! Recite your thoughts on the Leader!"
"Yes! The Leader is a god, the truth, and the master of all in this world!"
"Good answer!"
Busy shining her eyes, fully immersed as the Leader's lowliest slave.
. . .
'*Goddamn it.*'
Ideological training for the new slaves began that very first night.
First came the basics.
Disobey orders, and you'd get the shit beaten out of you.
After drilling that into their minds—nay, their very bones—came the indoctrination.
Lee Seo-ho, who flawlessly executed every command without issue, stood in stark contrast to the soldier slaves covered in bruises everywhere.
Naked before them loomed Instructor Tiger.
Hong Si-eun.
Her massive breasts swayed as she smacked a baseball bat against her palm.
'*Can't exactly ignore those.*'
Turned out her outfit itself was a trap.
Get caught glancing at those tempting mounds during training, and the brutal beatings commenced.
*You are mere tools as slaves—suppress even sexual urges.*
That was part of the indoctrination.
'*So damn sneaky.*'
Her white tank top strained to contain those jiggling, enormous tits.
No matter how many bat swings, eyes were drawn inevitably.
So Lee Seo-ho thought the training pointless.
...But it was more effective than expected.
The soldiers, once cracked even slightly, now kept their terrified gazes downcast.
A fierce resolve never to look up again.
'*It works.*'
Lee Seo-ho watched in awe.
Overcoming the allure of those huge breasts through intense beatings.
Beaten into submission, anything went.
'*Oh, shit...!*'
Unlike the downcast soldiers, I'd absentmindedly stared at her luscious breasts—and locked eyes with Hong Si-eun.
I'd followed every order perfectly so far, unscathed.
But this time, I was sure I'd get it.
"...That concludes mental training. Next are individual interviews."
Hong Si-eun had clearly met my gaze as I ogled her chest.
Yet she turned away as if she hadn't seen, facing the slaves again.
'*She's letting it slide?*'
Maybe overlooking it once since I'd been flawless till now.
Or.
'*Nah, it's the Charm Eye effect.*'
My guess leaned toward the latter.
Simple reason.
The goblin instructor Hong Si-eun I'd observed so far never spared a mistake—even if you'd aced 100 things, one slip meant a ruthless thrashing.
She wasn't the soft type to forgive for being a star student otherwise.
However.
If the Charm Eye had made her fond of me.
Things were progressing smoother than expected, and I smirked.
"Name."
"Lee Seo-ho."
"What did you do before?"
"Just an ordinary college student."
"Hmm...."
We then entered Hong Si-eun's tent for the personal interview.
I was last in line.
Others finished in seconds, but mine dragged on.
Especially the soldiers—doubtful they got this.
*—Body check.*
She stood me up, posed naked at attention, and circled me, scrutinizing every inch.
"No flab despite appearances—nicely muscled."
"Thank you."
As my necromancy grew, so did my physical stats; my body was quite sturdy now.
Sure, no fat back in the dorm days either.
But that was just skinny from poor eating.
Lately, feasting richly at the department store, I'd built solid, battle-hardened muscle—picture-perfect.
Ryu Da-hee especially loved this body.
She'd stroke my abs often.
"Hmm...."
Hong Si-eun seemed to like it too; standing right in front, she eyed me over thoroughly.
Her gaze started at my face, trailed over shoulders, chest, abs—downward.
Like a tongue licking, it lingered at my crotch.
Then she grinned slyly.
"Women so far?"
"...You mean how many? Or how many times?"
"...That's answer enough. Quite the lecher, huh."
Pleased with my reply, her sharp eyes gleamed as she approached, wrapping an arm around my waist.
Her sleeveless tee's massive breasts pressed against my bare skin.
Soft, huge tits squished with that feminine give.
"You've looked down on women as beneath you, fucked them at will."
Hong Si-eun flushed faintly, gazing at me like prey leaned on my shoulder.
Her other hand slid down, gripping my cock.
"Teasing them breathless under you with this monstrous thing. Fun college life, right?"
"N-no. Lived pretty cleanly—not that popular...."
My answer was true.
Ironically, only after the zombie outbreak did I lose my virginity and dive into wild sex.
No playboy college life like she imagined—nothing to do with me.
No lie.
But Hong Si-eun scoffed, unbelieving.
"With that pretty face and this dick? Plus, training showed your brain's sharp enough."
"You're too kind."
"Don't play modest, cheeky."
Charm Eye's fault, maybe.
In her eyes, I was prime material.
Seemed she pegged me as the popular campus sleaze chasing skirts.
"You need special training."
She breathed hot against my ear.
"Come to this tent after lights out. No tardiness."
Her sharp nails lightly pricked my hard shaft.
"I'll teach a tool like you—you're just a handy dildo to women who've been your playthings."
Wildly aroused, she kneaded my cock a few more times, then laughed satisfied.
Out of her sight, leaned on my shoulder.
I smiled faintly and replied.
"Yes, please teach me well."
*Skill pick was spot-on.*