"Of course, I remember," Zelda's eyes flashed with hatred. She would never forget that mutated Level 2 zombie that killed her comrades and Brian.
At that time, they didn't have the ability to kill the zombie; otherwise, she would have sought revenge long ago. But what did this man mean by suddenly bringing up that incident?
"That zombie was quite clever. When I approached in the armored vehicle, it must have sensed my presence and hid," Derick explained. If not for that, he would have killed it already.
Level 2 zombies were indeed stronger in terms of evolution, but not by much. A powerful firearm could still take them down. If Zelda and the others hadn't been armed with just a revolver at the time, they wouldn't have been so helpless.
Zelda's face turned pale. Had the zombies already started developing intelligence? Could it be that the virus only brought disaster, and there was no hope for humanity?
"Don't worry, even if they evolve, it's a gradual process. And as they progress, the rate of evolution slows down. They're not as terrifying as you imagine. At least for now, they can't withstand bullet attacks," Derick reassured her, embracing the young girl's delicate body with his hands resting on her soft bosom.
Zelda blushed and felt uncomfortable with such intimacy from a man. She squirmed, but Derick held her tightly in his arms.
"If you want revenge, I can help you. I've brought all the firearms and equipment from the police station's armory in the armored vehicle. They're in the basement of this building."
"Really?" Zelda's face lit up with surprise. She feared not having the opportunity to showcase her skills. While she was proficient, she still relied more on firearms and weapons, unlike Derick, who had a twisted nature.
"Of course. In the future, you can assist in training these women. They haven't even held a handgun before, they need some self-defense abilities," Derick suggested.
Zelda's heart stirred. Was this trust or a test from Derick? He voluntarily entrusted her with managing and instructing those women on firearm usage. Was he not concerned about her becoming a threat to him?
Setting aside Zelda's thoughts, Derick left after making the arrangements, leaving her alone in the room.
On the fifth day since the apocalypse began, chaos engulfed most parts of the Earth. While some semblance of order remained, it could collapse at any moment.
Communication systems hadn't completely failed but were significantly affected. As a last resort, the country even activated an alternate local network to disseminate messages nationwide.
Television broadcasts ceased entertainment programs almost entirely, leaving only a handful of crucial shows focusing on news from around the country, zombie activities, and government announcements.
Derick casually turned off the television, feeling a bit bored. He let out a yawn...
Lisa sat next to the couch, comfortably leaning against Derick's leg. She resembled a spoiled pet, displaying a strong attachment to him.
"Are you here to slack off again?" Derick chuckled as he looked at the girl with a smile on his lap.
"N-no, I just missed my master and wanted to be by his side," Lisa replied nervously.
While Derick had ordered Zelda to be in charge of training the personnel at the base, including teaching them to use firearms and physical conditioning, Zelda took her responsibility seriously.
She worked hard to instruct them in various aspects, and it was starting to show results. Although they weren't highly proficient, they were at least able to handle firearms now.
Derick didn't want the women in his harem to be mere ornaments. With more women in the group, they needed to go out and kill zombies, expand their influence. It was better to start training them now.
There were around a dozen women in the hospital now, but not all of them were interested in learning and training. Only a few, like Judy and Angelica, were genuinely interested in these activities.
Lisa, on the other hand, had a tendency to slack off. However, it was a challenge to teach these delicate girls how to shoot and kill zombies. Compared to men, women were naturally at a disadvantage physically, and their combat abilities were naturally inferior.
Zelda was a special case, but Derick didn't expect them to be highly skilled. He only wanted them to be able to protect themselves.
After all, even the most powerful firearms couldn't compare to the power of supernatural abilities. Derick was particularly interested in abilities that required specific body measurements to activate, the kind of extraordinary abilities that were off the charts.
"Alright, I already know what you're thinking," Derick pinched Lisa's cheek.
"Um... sorry, master. I was wrong," Lisa lowered her head in embarrassment, her little secret exposed by her master.
In reality, she simply didn't like going out every day to kill zombies, getting dirty and facing danger. It wasn't as comfortable as staying by her master's side and receiving his affection.
"You apologize, but are you going to stay idle? What will you do when I'm not around, and you have to face the zombies? Don't you want to be more than just a pretty face?"
"I'm sorry, master. I'll go find Zelda right away," she said, rushing downstairs hastily.
Derick looked at the scene downstairs. The zombies around the small hospital building had been cleared out in the past few days, so it was relatively safe to move around the area.
In the open space, Zelda was instructing a group of women on how to practice using firearms. As the saying goes, marksmen are trained by bullets, and after these few days of training, they were starting to shoot with precision.
Zelda was undoubtedly a great instructor. Although Derick was skilled in marksmanship, he lacked teaching abilities, not to mention the time and patience for it.
Descending the stairs, the women saw Derick approaching and respectfully knelt down. Those who showed disrespect and resistance had been disciplined before. Lisa, Derick's loyal follower, had taught the other women in the base how to be obedient.
There were two women who didn't kneel down. One was Angelica, as it was unnecessary for her to do so, and Derick wouldn't ask his sister to kneel. The other was Zelda, who felt a bit embarrassed and couldn't bring herself to use the word "master."
Although Lisa was displeased with Zelda's behavior, believing that disrespect towards the master should be punished, she couldn't do anything about it since Zelda had been appointed as the training instructor by Derick and had a respectable position.
Lisa had complained a few times, but it didn't lead to any consequences.
Derick wasn't in a hurry. Although this beautiful policewoman hadn't fully submitted to him, she had gradually accepted this way of life. Sooner or later, she would become the best blade in his hands, conquering all obstacles.
"Alright, you can get up now," Derick waved his hand, signaling the women to rise.
"Sister, how is your training going?" Derick walked directly towards Angelica, taking her hand.
Angelica's face stiffened. It was fine for them to have this kind of interaction normally, as they were close siblings. However, being watched by so many women made it difficult for her to maintain her aloof demeanor, causing her to feel flustered.
Lisa, observing the scene from behind the man, found it amusing. She couldn't understand why Angelica and Derick's relationship wasn't simple. There was an indescribable affection between the two, but Lisa didn't fully comprehend it.
While Lisa was enjoying the conversation between her master and admired sister, she felt a resentful gaze from behind. "So, it's this little brat," she turned her head and looked at the petite and adorable Judy, sneering disdainfully.
Lisa had made Judy's life miserable in the past few days, assigning her all sorts of dirty and tiring tasks. Although Zelda had shown her some care, Lisa, together with Angelica, managed the gathering place, so she had the authority to arrange things as she pleased.
Judy had tried to resist, but with her limited skills, her attempts were futile.
She was easily suppressed, and leaving the gathering place would mean she had no means to survive. She could only stay here with resentment...