Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Slaves Are Enough
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Despair them first, then extend a hand of salvation.
It was the most basic mechanism for dominating humans.
And for that, preparations were necessary.
'First, let's isolate this apartment.'
As I mentioned earlier, apartments were extremely vulnerable structures in a zombie outbreak disaster.
Block the bottom, and there's no way to escape.
Well, jumping down while hoping some part of you breaks could be a method, if you could call it that...
Anyway, this old apartment—built so diligently back then—had no pipes on the outer walls that could even serve as makeshift ladders, making isolation a simple task.
'Just let zombies into up to the fourth floor, roughly.'
Not too many, not too few—just that amount seemed perfect.
Any more, and my target woman might be in danger. Any less, and that guy might actually go mad and attempt a bungee jump without a cord.
Thus, the decided floor was the fourth.
No matter how nimble a high school boy he was, he couldn't climb down to lower floors using just window railings without support.
Looking at the guy's utterly ordinary height, face, build, and vibe, he didn't seem like the type to leap from four stories or higher.
I stood up from my spot and headed down the stairs to the apartment's front parking lot.
Sure enough, zombies swarmed the area like maggots.
Probably almost all the residents of this apartment had turned.
Due to the enclosed structure, many hadn't even attempted evacuation.
Well, it had nothing to do with me.
As soon as I appeared, the zombies in the parking lot all turned to stare at me.
"Kreeeeaaah!!!"
The zombies that spotted me let out roars and charged toward me.
Confirming the zombies rushing at me, I immediately turned and ran at a moderate pace.
With my boosted stats, I couldn't sprint full speed if I wanted to lure them at their pace.
One slip-up, and I'd lose aggro, which would be a hassle.
Six zombies chased after me.
One child girl zombie, two adult males, three middle-aged men.
All missing at least one body part, each sporting a grotesque appearance.
'An eyeball dangling from its optic nerve on its face while it runs—what the hell is that.'
Wondering how death could leave someone in that state, I lured the zombies into the apartment's first-floor entrance.
Not stopping there, I led them up the stairs all the way to the fourth floor.
The moment the last one, the girl zombie bringing up the rear, stepped onto the fourth floor, I activated Nameless.
Nameless
Stealth mode engaged. Enemies lose target lock.
In an instant, it felt like the world and I were cut off, and the zombies roaring toward me froze in place.
Then they slowly turned their heads left and right, searching for the vanished prey.
"Feels kinda gross in a weird way."
Zombies didn't repulse me anymore.
They were walking corpses defying physics, sure—but I'd become something far worse.
So my heart no longer pounded like it did the first day I saw one.
Now it just felt disgusting.
And knowing these revolting things had once seen me as prey soured my mood.
'Now I can burst their heads with a flick. They're getting cocky.'
Of course, zombies lacked intelligence—it was just my one-sided sentiment.
I figured I'd wipe them all out once this was over.
I slowly approached the dumbly standing zombies.
With Nameless active, even brushing against them, they wouldn't detect me.
That's why I could slip through their midst and head back down to the first floor.
'Fourth floor done. Three left.'
"Let's wrap this up quick."
I wanted the unpleasant sensation of being seen as prey by zombies to pass as fast as possible.
Unfortunately, my wish crumbled from the start due to Nameless.
Once deactivated, Nameless had a fixed cooldown regardless of usage time.
Meaning a 1-minute use or a 10-minute use both required the same 15-minute wait.
Lure, activate, deactivate, wait—repeating that took over an hour before I finally sealed the apartment using the zombies.
'Body's not tired, but I feel strangely drained.'
Muttering that, I finished by closing the first-floor corridor entrance and wedging a thick pipe onto the door handle for sealing.
This should keep them from getting out no matter what they tried inside.
Satisfied with the neat packaging, I nodded and left the apartment grounds without lingering.
It'd take days for results anyway.
With what the guy brought today, they wouldn't venture out until supplies ran low.
So I needed to let them bleed out slowly, right up to the brink of death.
Nothing else to do around here, so heading back to the streets made sense.
'Today, let's stock up on cans.'
On the way back.
Today, I decided to farm canned goods, the pinnacle of preserved food.
My place had plenty sleeping there already, but family was me, Sua, and Yuri Sister—three total.
One more joining soon, so complacency on food was arrogance.
'Could raid houses, but...'
Regular homes yielded fewer than ten cans at best, or zilch—better to hit a mart.
Destination: the small neighborhood mart where I'd shopped Day 1.
Small, but one of the few around, stocked with canned goods in boxes due to long shelf life.
'Tuna cans, ham... Oh, beans too?'
I grabbed the baked beans I personally loved, dubbed 'baked beans.'
Stacking boxes out front, a good pile formed before I knew it.
Three boxes max per trip.
Thanks to 50 Strength, weight wasn't an issue, but volume limits were.
'Gotta bring some for Sua too.'
Recalling her place lacked food, I packed a variety of cans.
Two boxes filled up nicely.
Enough for a woman alone to last two months.
Added a pack of six 2-liter water bottles, maxing my carryable volume.
Wish I had inventory space.
'Come to think of it, I'm still Level 1? Wonder if leveling gives inventory.'
But after killing so many zombies with no level up, it wasn't simple EXP-based.
No guarantee of inventory rewards even then.
Searched the shop window—just as expected, no hits on inventory or dimensional storage.
Eh, it'll work out somehow.
Tossing the pointless worry aside, I hefted the boxes and water toward Sua's villa.
Less than twenty minutes' walk—arrived quick.
Inside the villa, set down the load, and knocked on the door with its broken smart lock remnants.
Knock knock
...
"Sua, it's me."
No stir from the knock alone, but as soon as I announced myself, presence stirred.
A small sound followed, then the front door opened.
Sua peeked through the gap, greeting me.
"Master, you're here?"
She smiled—not too bright, not too small—welcoming me.
Her gaze slid from my face down to the boxes and water I'd set beside me.
Sua's pupils dilated slightly.
"Wow... Our Master's got some serious skills."
"Praise later—let me in so I can bring this inside."
"Ah, I'm blocking the way. Come on in."
Her admiration was nice, but I needed to get inside too.
I ushered the standing Sua indoors, then followed with the load.
Set the boxes and water neatly by the entrance.
"This okay here?"
"Yes... Thank you. But seriously, how'd you bring so much? Zombies were swarming this morning."
"All thanks to your Master's skills. Don't go out just because you think you can handle it—you'll really die."
I said that while settling on the living room sofa after dropping the load.
She wasn't stupid, but just in case.
That "just in case" became needless worry as Sua settled lightly beside me.
"...What do you take me for? And before you came, I saw someone right outside get killed by zombies. No way I'd think something that dumb. ...I don't even want to."
She gave off a vibe of "You doubting me now?"
Of course not.
How could I doubt my possession?
"Wasn't doubting. Just saying don't even peek out of curiosity. Any survivors around still? ...Well, Day 3, so possible."
"...Probably the one I saw was the last. The screams that'd rung out for days cut off when he died."
Sua shot me a slightly sharp glance at my reply but answered honestly.
"Hm... Excluding those hiding like mice, pretty much total wipeout then."
"Pretty much. But it doesn't matter to Master anyway, right?"
"Huh?"
Sua leaned on my shoulder, gazing up softly as she spoke.
"Because Master only needs to care about slaves like me."
Her warm body heat seeped through my shoulder.
Up close, her calm breaths whispered in detail.
Her beautiful face, just looking at it uplifting my mood, filled my view—my dick reflexively hardened.
Sua maximizing her assets to charm me made my lips curl up.
Slaves are enough... Spot on.
Anyone not mine didn't matter what became of them.
I nodded at her words.
"You're right. Caring for my cute little slave like this is plenty."
"Ahnt...!"
Agreeing, I wrapped my arm around her slender shoulder leaning into me and brazenly groped her ample breast.
Not as massive as Yuri Sister's or that other woman, but still overflowing a handful's soft texture enveloped my palm.
Come to think, I hadn't cum once today.
Whether reading my mood or from my swelling crotch...
Sua blushed and leaned into me wordlessly.