CHAPTER 277: WAR ECONOMY

Thanks to the open minds of Siwan and Roulan, we avoided the worst imaginable situation. Now with some time to think alone.

We could barely count the number of cores gained from the horde. I agreed to share the lesser cores with the Jiang Clan, but all the soldiers who lived in the base became my subjects after I reached my current rank. So their power was my power.

"Well, let’s see..."

[Inventory]

Stage One Cores - 4,500

Stage Two Cores - 5,000

Stage Three Cores - 620

Stage Four Cores - 212

Stage Five Course - 12

The number of cores after giving a considerable amount to both Jiang Luo and Jiang Siwan surprised me, whether I sold them for a massive amount of ZKP or saved them to help grow a large force of powerful superhumans. The world was my oyster, so to speak.

"Everyone looks so relieved."

Thanks to our survival, Jiang Luo gave most of the guards and workers several days off and extra rations. Because Siwan asked for help, I used my SKP to purchase a vast amount of seeds, grains and other valuable things.

After ranking up, I could make the entire district a safe zone now, which helped a lot.

Although a secure fortress against the undead, if humans or armed forces were to move north or south, the Jiang Complex would suffer greatly. The defences only protected the eastern entrance, and the west bordered a mountain range.

"What should I do now...?"

I’ve felt lost ever since we defeated the horde, and that strange Xeno-Type escaped almost like I’d lost my direction and goal.

Maybe I was being stupid.

[John, is everything alright? Your Mood has suddenly plummeted.]

Yeah.... just a little tired.

Ever since the zombies appeared, I couldn’t relax—no time to gather myself without having to face another issue or problem.

[You should take some time off]

System Sister, maybe I can take time off when the others are here, safe and sound.

[....]

I knew I was burning at both ends.

However, this was just how things needed to be; if I stopped... then who would guide them?

"Let’s go, I should prepare to leave."

Despite surviving together and facing the horde, I didn’t plan to take everyone with me. Once I left, it would be much easier to return, thanks to killing the horde. However, I couldn’t forget about the Xeno-Type born from Lao’s body. That thing might just linger nearby or stalk powerful humans like before.

The hallway flickered and buzzed with a dull light, giving a kind of survival horror atmosphere, while no other sound existed.

I almost felt like the last human on Earth.

Tap Tap Tap

My footsteps echoed, and the breeze from an open window blew across my body, bringing an autumn chill. When alone like this, I would sometimes imagine myself as a protagonist or someone special to make time speed up or forget my nerves.

A foolish pastime.

Ironically, I now found myself imagining being a regular guy, living a boring, mundane life without zombies.

"Leader!"

"Captain!"

Two voices called out to me from behind, Deng Hua and Chen Xun, their chests wrapped in bandages and a few around their arms. "Oh, it’s you two... I hear you fought hard to protect Liang Qiu!"

"Ah man... don’t bring that up."

Chen Xun nodded to follow up on Deng Hua’s complaint, their faces showing an awkward smile; it seemed their relationship with her wasn’t causing issues. Though I couldn’t understand them, it seemed she was the dominant partner of their group.

"Off to meet Liang Qiu?"

"Y-Yeah... but Xun is meeting a girl from this base, it seems he—"

"W-Wait, don’t speak about that!"

Chen Xun covered Deng Hua’s mouth as the injured pair started to wrestle in the corridor, causing the carpet to get messy. I just watched their scuffle as they hurled insults at each other, which made me smile. This kind of thing was what I missed.

A sense of society.

"Stop fighting, come on. If Xun’s got a date, why mess his already average face up?"

I pulled the two apart and wrapped my arms around their shoulders.

We left the corridor as the two spoke about the battle and how the other parts of the walls struggled. It surprised me to hear Deng Hua’s worries; he always seemed quite resilient and immune to this kind of thing.

That’s when he turned to me and showed a strange smile.

"I’ve started training in the mornings with Liang Qiu and Zhou Xue... we realised our shortcomings and that without your help we’d have died by now, boss."

"Me too! I’ve decided to focus on crossbows, instead of normal bows, because I lack the accuracy and talent!" Chen Xun followed up, showing the heavy crossbow slung over his back, not something I bought from the System but... an item the Jiang family handed out.

"I see... Maybe I should learn from you two."

Since we started moving, I stopped training my body and trying to improve without the System’s help.

To see these two making such efforts was quite the wake-up call.

"As if you need to."

"Yeah, boss... you’re so strong, how will we ever catch up?"

"Xun, Hua... if we don’t keep striving to survive, those things will eventually out-evolve us."

While speaking to them, I would upgrade them for the first time. Not just them, but also everyone under my command, to at least an A-Tier for their own growth and safety, as well as my own.

I tapped the System screen and found the items needed to make Chen Xun and Deng Hua S-Tier, including the bone washing marrow and other tonics that might help. Of course, I bought enough for Liang Qiu, Liang Mei, and Zhou Xue.

As for Li Ya and TanWei... I would upgrade their bodies later.

I couldn’t even sneer at the ZKP earned from the horde battle. With a few clicks, I purchased dozens of the required items and tapped Deng Hua and Chen Xun.

"You two, since you want to be strong, then here have these." I handed the marrow washing and another tonic that helped men with stamina and endurance. "Only take one of these, the extra marrow washing is for Liang Qiu while the other medicine is for any males that catch your eye, I trust you both to find members for our team."

The two accepted the satchel of vials and potions; it might have seemed strange a month or two ago, but now they took them with a smile.

"Boss..." Deng Hua clenched the vial so hard his knuckles turned white. "We won’t waste this. Not a drop."

Chen Xun gave a quick bow, almost sheepish. "I’ll... make sure Liang Qiu doesn’t kill me before I finish it."

"Just make sure to take them in private; the effects can be a little extreme. Have her watch over you both." I chuckled, clapping their shoulders firmly. "Just remember, power isn’t the goal. Survival is. Power without focus will only get you killed faster."

As we walked further down the corridor, the faint noises of recovery filtered through the walls: laughter, groans of the wounded, pots clanging as they cooked meals. It was fragile, but it was life.

Not long after, we reached the girls’ rooms.

And yet, the ache in my chest reminded me of reality. Power, resources, people, all of it meant nothing if I grew complacent. That thing we fought at the end, Lao, no, the Xeno-Type, had slipped through our fingers. It wasn’t gone. It was waiting, adapting.

If it returned stronger, if another like it appeared...

I clenched my fist until the screen flickered faintly before me.

[Subjects: 593/600]

[Baron of the Wastes — Stage Five]

Too many relied on me now. Every laugh, every word of trust, every glance full of expectation pressed against me like weights hung on my back.

But maybe that was fine.

Maybe that’s what kept me.

"Boss?" Deng Hua’s voice broke my thoughts. "You’re spacing out again."

I exhaled slowly, forcing a smile. "Sorry, I was just thinking.... thinking about the future and what we should do from here."

We reached the branching hall, and they gave quick salutes before parting ways. I watched them go; the vials clutched like treasures in their hands, and with a smile, I felt a sense of pride, watching them rush off into the corridor.

They were growing quickly and maybe, just maybe, the pair of them might survive and remain beside me for a long time.

The faint autumn breeze drifted in through a broken window, carrying with it the smell of ash and the distant rot that was normal for this world... Was I changing? I worried...

The horde was gone, and we survived the night. But the shadow of the Xeno lingered and made me feel a sense of danger wherever I might go.

Did I need to defeat the Xeno-Type to get over this?

And until I cut it down with my own hands, rest would remain a luxury I could never afford.