Looking at Trish and Maria, I could already tell—my subtle manipulation was beginning to take effect.
They were starting to follow my pace. Good. They'd be useful soon.
Without wasting any time, I gave my next command. "Trish. It's time you start training your necromancy. I have a few mutated zombies you can use for practice."
I summoned five mutated zombies, each of them specialized in speed. These weren't Mutated zombie Their movements were jagged, twitchy, and fast—perfect for testing her control.
Trish said nothing.
But she still obeyed.
Her expression was blank as she raised her hand, dark energy seeping from her palm. The moment she attempted to control the first one, her body trembled, and she immediately coughed up blood. Her face paled.
I nodded to myself.
As expected... she's still only at G-rank. Maria was a bit better G+ but both of them were far from combat-ready in terms of what will fighting soon.
To aid their growth, I summoned Fruits that I've gotten in the meteor and had harvested i had gathered from the Fortress earlier.
I handed two to Maria and only one to Trish.
Maria blinked in surprise.
She looked at the fruits in her palm, then glanced sideways at Trish—who had only been given one. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She knew this wasn't just some random snack. These fruits were Something
But she didn't hesitate. She shoved both fruits into her mouth.
Trish, on the other hand, said nothing. She calmly wiped the blood from her lips and accepted the single fruit.
She had clearly noticed the favoritism in how I distributed the fruits. But she didn't complain. Not even a glance of dissatisfaction crossed her face.
Smart girl. She understood something important: This was my choice. And she was still on trial.
A few minutes later, the effects began.
Maria's eyes widened first. A surge of energy rushed through her veins as her body trembled slightly. She had broken through.
Her status had climbed—now an F- rank.
I smiled gently and walked over, ruffling her hair. "Good. You're improving quickly."
Maria flinched at the sudden head pat. She immediately slapped my hand away with a scowl, cheeks slightly red.
I chuckled inwardly.
Still the same, even in this life. Back then, she used to act all superior because she was older than me. I couldn't help but pat her head—and she always scoffed at me, saying I didn't know my place.
Honestly, it was nostalgic. A small comfort in this bleak world.
Maria glared at me as if I were insane.
He smiled after getting slapped... is he a masochist? she wondered. A chill ran down her spine, and she quickly turned away.
Meanwhile, Trish remained focused.
She didn't care about my opinion, nor Maria's breakthrough. Her eyes were locked onto the mutated zombies again. With her newly elevated energy, she tried once more.
This time, something changed.
A black aura flared around her hand. The mutated zombie nearest to her stopped twitching and froze. Its movements dulled. Then its body twitched and fell under her control—partially, at least.
She'd done it.
Her control was sloppy, her expression strained, but it worked. She had successfully bound one of them.
I watched with amusement, not saying a word. Her progress was faster than expected. At this rate, she might become my second most valuable weapon after Noel.
---
The Next Morning...
I woke them early.
With the sun barely rising over the horizon, we started heading back toward the fortress.
As we crested the last hill and the fortified gates came into view, Maria and Trish both froze.
The fortress had transformed again.
It now stood like a bastion from the future. Metal reinforcements, turrets, and newly polished surfaces gleamed in the morning light. The already enhanced structures were now much more look sleek and durable. Even the bathroom, of all things, had been completely Better than a Modern one...
I stretched lazily, yawning. "Yeah. I can upgrade it. Don't worry about the details."
They didn't seem to believe me—but I couldn't care less.
With a simple gesture, I opened the laser gate, and we stepped inside.
"Go ahead and rest," I said casually. "You both did well."
As a reward, I handed each of them a roasted chicken and additional food from my inventory. They stared at the feast like starving wolves.
After all, in this apocalypse, such luxury wasn't just rare—it was practically divine.
A full roasted chicken... was something people would kill for.
---
Inside the fortress...
I caught sight of Noel.
To my surprise, she was laughing and playing with the other five girls—Rhian,Samminah Jasmine,Aria,Lorraine
Huh...? I blinked.
In just one day... they had become this close?
The moment she saw me, Noel's eyes sparkled. She dashed across the room and hugged my waist tightly.
"Brother!" she cried joyfully. "The people you brought—they're kind!"
I looked at the five girls.
Their gazes still held pride and arrogance... but none of them dared say anything in Noel's presence. I sighed inwardly.
These five... at least they can be fixed. Slowly... patiently... I'll keep acting kind, let them drop their guard.
And they won't even notice they're already being used.
---
"Jasmine," I called out next.
She arrived moments later, dressed in her now-clean gothic outfit. Her beauty stood out even more, her aura dignified. Clearly, she had bathed.
The other girls had also freshened up. Their natural beauty returned, highlighted now by clean clothes and radiant skin. The upgraded bathroom—equipped with four defense turrets—had clearly done its job.
I nodded in satisfaction.
"Aria," I said next.
She looked up, startled.
I gestured for both Jasmine and Aria to come with me. They approached reluctantly.
Before leaving, I turned to Noel and smiled gently, ruffling her hair again.
"Try to build a relationship with Trish and especially Maria, okay?"
She blinked in confusion. "Huh? Why?"
"Just do it," I said. She nodded, obediently.
Then I faced Jasmine and Aria.
"No more wasting time. You two are coming with me today. We're going hunting."
My voice was calm—but firm. There was no room for discussion.
The two girls were taken aback. But before they could respond, Trish suddenly stepped forward and tapped their shoulders.
Dark energy swirled in her hand—the aura of necromancy.
The five girls froze in shock.
She had awakened... in just a day?
They looked at each other, stunned beyond words.