Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Pregnancy Issue
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We returned to Our Mart with the humans we'd captured at the Sports Center.
On the way back, two survivors who weren't paying attention got bitten by zombies, nearly turning our haul of captives into zombie chow in an instant.
Even with full focus, protecting such a large group was impossible. Two or three people? Manageable. But dozens moving together? There were limits to how well we could shield them all.
'Our numbers have spiked again. Once we're back, I need to tally everyone properly and reorganize the roster... Hand it off to Moon Geun-oh and Ha Jin-seong.'
Let those two handle forming the leadership team and running things smoothly. If I micromanaged every detail, my head would explode.
I just wanted to dominate these people as excellent labor and slaves. Fine-tuning and ruling a swelling group? Not my style.
Yeah, I wanted to step back, sip the honey, and relax. That's why I slaved away hunting slaves and clearing out obstacles.
Apocalypse or not, I dreamed of endless sex without a care. Of course, the world wouldn't let me—endless toil instead. But we'd taken down that ominous choker this week. Maybe some peace now?
'Speaking of which, we're over a hundred now. Peddler confirmed?'
This slave hunt had swelled our ranks enough to call us a proper survivor camp. Over thirty regular class players, and with non-awakened included, nearly a hundred.
A hundred people meant weekly peddler visits for sure. Arming up with their wares would make us stronger than levels alone.
Leveling felt tougher each day. Time for gear to carry us beyond raw stats.
'Oh, right—the update mentioned weapons and jewel merchants...'
Encounter the peddler three-plus times, accumulate 100,000 coins, hunt ten-plus named monsters, and kill one ghoul. Then weapons and jewel merchants appear randomly.
Slaves had piled up our coins way past 100k. We'd cleared ten-plus nameds around the mart. One ghoul down. Just one more peddler meet.
Hitting a hundred should summon one. That'd make three encounters—cue weapons and jewels. Frequent trades would fortify the camp massively.
'And unlike others, I can hit the black market... Hate going back to that madhouse, but the rare stuff's worth it. Time to reunite with Cheshire too.'
Skipped this week's black market. Aim for next.
Lost in thoughts, we reached the mart. I handed the new slaves to the welcoming Ha duo, then pulled aside the hidden classers: the Beast Tamer and Possession Warrior for chats.
"Your summon died, so you need a new contract?"
"Yes... When my summon dies, I recontract with beasts from the spirit realm. Affinity resets from zero... Can't call anything right now. B-but it's a late-bloomer job! It'll be useful, I swear! P-please... Spare my life..."
"Got it. Stop sniveling."
The Beast Tamer, Im Jin-su, needed time.
"How long till you're battle-ready?"
"At least a week..."
"Fine. Work hard."
"Yes!"
I reattached his tendons with Rising Flesh. If I could reattach fingers, why not a tendon? Im Jin-su drooled and shuddered in agony, of course.
"So. You grow by killing people?"
"Yes..."
"Eating souls?"
"Yes."
"Just curious... Do souls have a taste?"
"Huh? No... Souls don't taste like anything. It's absorption, not literal eating..."
"Ah... Got it."
Kashnax devoured them so savorily, I wondered. But Possession Warrior Lee Hoon stared like I was insane.
"Does it have to be living people? Zombies obviously won't cut it?"
"Yes... Dead ones don't yield souls, no matter how many you kill. Has to be... alive. Minimum requirement. Humans have been most effective so far."
"So anything alive works?"
"Tested on rats and pigeons... It works, but effects are weak. And... that Merhere lady? Fighting her made me vomit half my stored souls... I'm way weaker now."
"Ah... Hmm..."
Lee Hoon puked up half his souls from the Merhere brawl. Hoarding them took effort, but she pounded him mercilessly, forcing regurgitation.
"Alright. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir."
His muscled frame slumped, soul-loss depression hitting hard. Like a gym rat feeling muscle atrophy live. Hope it didn't turn clinical...
'Oh, right...'
Today was Moon Geun-oh's first religious gathering. Sports Center raid distracted me. But Demagogue skills? Propaganda mastery. He'd handle it.
"Now then..."
I headed to the third-floor women's restroom, where my girls gathered. Hee-sun Noona summoned two undines, stockpiling water for leisurely baths.
For reference, Noona maxed her low spirits: two undines, one salamander. I could summon salamanders too, but not while out—so she contracted one.
Especially this week with my absences. Future black markets or outings might require it.
'Come to think... Back from black market, dream world trip... Sports Center fight...'
All that crammed into days. No wonder exhaustion hit hard. Overwork plain and simple.
'Surviving this ruined world... is brutal...'
Shitty office drone days blurred by identically, weeks flying. Now? Weeks felt like months. Time density differed. Packed with daily bullshit, no hamster-wheel routine. Every day abnormal—exhausting.
"Oppa, come on. Water's readyyy."
"Oh... Everyone's already in?"
"Yeah. Hurry and wash up, Master. A bit cramped, but warm feels great."
"Jun-ah. Want Noona to scrub your back?"
"Oh, yes please."
Portable tubs filled the restroom for our numbers. While we were out, non-awakened uncles demolished stalls and toilets, installing tubs.
Third-floor women's was exclusive—pre-notified for our nine only. No slaves allowed.
I showered off blood before tubbing. Hee-sun Noona pressed her chest to my back, scrubbing fatigue away.
"Haah..."
Tub soak drew a natural sigh.
Relaxing, I pondered relaying my Ha-rin talk: Slave Brand removal or not.
'Would A-ram really not tell A-reum I killed Han Taeyang? That's the unknown.'
If A-ram spilled, things would get awkward.
Han Taeyang and A-reum were close-ish. If she learned I killed him... She might bolt. A-ram follow.
'That... No...'
Eun-ji or Hee-sun Noona wouldn't leave. Hwa-young bore a superior yin seal over any brand—fully enslaved, trustworthy. Ye-won-i likely stays. Merhere's mine obviously.
'Trouble's A-reum and A-ram...'
Much angst. I probed casually.
"Girls."
"Yeah, Jun-ah."
"Listening, Oppa."
"Master... Curious? Spit it out."
"Ah, yeah. So... Ha-rin can't get the Slave Brand anymore."
My reveal startled Eun-ji, who eyed Ha-rin perking ears from her tub.
"What? What does that mean? So Ha-rin's the only one without a brand now?"
"Uh... Yeah..."
"Eun-ji unnie... That's how it is."
"Whoa..."
Eun-ji suddenly pitied Ha-rin intensely.
What was that look? Pure sympathy.
"Ha-rin-ah... No more sloppy creampie sex with Oppa then?"
"Huh?"
Flustered Ha-rin.
Eun-ji's lips twitched up.
Victory smirk? Like pinning Ha-rin—ears, tail, image-changed success—underfoot.
Squashing the budding sapling, rising first-wife candidate... True female's smile.
"W-wait, unnie. No, Lord. What the hell? What?!"
Ha-rin panicked at me. Then 190cm Merhere, legs dangling from cramped tub, chuckled.
"Simple, Ha-rin. Slaves get Master controlling fertility. You're no slave now... Contraception time. Tough break."
"Wha...? Huh? Huuuh...?"
Ha-rin glitched. Hadn't considered it.
Me neither.
'Oh... Slaves only toggle breeding... Creampies with Ha-rin need pills now. Or condoms. Damn.'
Oral contraceptives, not morning-after? Raid pharmacies anyway... But when stockpiles expire? No factories...
"U-um... Anyone tried birth control pills? Never have... How? Track days too? Oh no..."
Ha-rin floundered. Married Hee-sun Noona raised a hand.
"I've done it—know the drill. Don't worry, Ha-rin. It'll be fine."
"Ah... Hee-sun unnie..."
Noona soothed babbling Ha-rin.
'Trust my ass... No creampie sex? Unacceptable. Keep Slave Brands active...'
Pregnancy: unforeseen blind spot. No brands meant contraception headaches.
"Um... Anyone here want their Slave Brand removed?"
I lobbed the ambush question into the gloom.
"No way."
Ye-won-i instant no.
"Me neither."
Half-melted A-ram no. A-reum eyed reactions... Hee-sun Noona shook head fast.
"Creampie sex with Oppa? Better as slave. Poor Ha-rin..."
Eun-ji still teased.
"Hmm... Pregnancy now? Overwhelming. Stabilize base first. Build a house somewhere nice? Then fine. I can assist births—no worries."
Merhere painted bright futures, post-childbirth. Midwifery skills too—pregnancy and fetal care. Ex-angel knew everything. Useful.
"Hehe... Tough for you all. Yin seal's easier. Controls fertility at will. Didn't know?"
Amidst, Hwa-young stood, stroking her belly seal smugly. Merhere coughed, eyes averted. Envy.
I didn't know that either. Blindly creampieing Hwa-young daily... She managed solo.
"For real, Hwa-young?"
"Yup~ Even Oppa didn't? Pay more attention!"
"Ah... Sorry. Sorry."
Convo flowed. Imagining pills/condoms flipped them against removal.
I treated them well—no abuse. Brands weren't huge burdens.
A-reum, seeing all want brands, just watched. Lewd talk reddened her; she submarined.
"But Jun-ah..."
"Yeah, Noona."
"Birth control... Shelf life's about two years from manufacture, right?"
"So after two... Potency gone?"
"Not fully... But expired's risky."
"Haah..."
Must plan fast. Before pills run out: Build apocalypse-proof stability for kids. Or alternatives.
'Evil gods might know? Gods still...'
Asked immediately.
[Hm? Pregnancy? Why ask me? Think I'm human?] 'Ah... Sorry...'
[Offer more tribute instead.] Kashnax snapped—why ask her? Divine wrath terrifying; quick apology.
Next, Indicron. Braced for scolding.
[Hmm... No clue. Only fissioned. Kyseria was part of me that way.] Indicron reproduced via self-splitting. Solo proliferator.
'Th-then... Ebony Cockroach is... your child...?'
[He was human once. Peered too deep into the abyss, tumbled here. Aquonas? Something. Yeah.] 'Huh? Ebony Cockroach... was human?'
Recall: Contract text said "tumbled into the abyss." Literal fall.
[Yep. Smart for low cost—human origin. I brokered our meeting. Using well? Be grateful always.] Indicron enabled first Ebony Cockroach meet... My most versatile card. Lately, default summon for crises.
'Whoa... Thank you, Indicron...'
[No biggie. Don't take tentacle's words to heart. He's blocking good gods' gazes since the raid.] Raid: Paladin Lee Han-seok-led good god pawns assaulting the mart. Kashnax saved me pre-Justice Rod head-smash. Her tentacles' warmth—unforgettable maternal embrace.
Erased any Kashnax grudge.
[Scrying attempts spiked lately. Even Myriad Ghost Realm meddling now. Wolf-girl's fault, probably. Two affiliates under a cultist? Rage-inducing.] 'Ah...'
Hee-sun Noona's druid and Ha-rin's classes tied to Myriad Ghost Realm gods. Interest surged.
'Kashnax grumbles but supports from shadows.'
Her tribute nagging? Now clear.
'Blocking good gods... Now Myriad Ghost Realm too...'
Sacrifice a young one soon. She loves fresh humans.
Then Botamilli chimed slyly.
[Hey, cultist.] 'Ah... Botamilli...'
[Contraception? Ask the peddlers.] [They'll guide you. Sages, they are.] 'Yes... Understood. Thanks.'
Ask peddlers about contraception...?
'Right. They sell everything. Might know solutions.'
We soaked longer, then exited. No immediate fix—ponder later. Peddler advice secured; wait for appearance.
Hours till midnight Monday. Rooftop prep time. Possible all-nighter—eat hearty dinner.
'Choker's gone... Technically Dullahan-made, but zombies shouldn't raid us this time.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Such thoughts as we set camp on the roof, awaiting the new update.