After storing away his dirty clothes and putting on a fresh set, Adam realized something important — he really needed a waterproof jacket. Throwing away clothes after just one use was going to become a hassle fast.
Thankfully, he'd had the foresight to pack extra outfits in anticipation of situations like this. Otherwise, he'd be stuck with nothing else to wear.
Leaving the bathroom with his hair still slightly damp, Adam stepped back into the room—only to find Hua and her roommate huddled in the corner, staring at him like he was some kind of monster.
Their expressions were tense, wary—like they expected him to snap at any moment.
Adam sighed internally. He could already guess what kind of thoughts were running through their minds. And honestly, he didn't blame them.
What would you think if a guy drenched in blood and gore suddenly showed up at your door in the middle of a zombie apocalypse?
Yeah. Not the best first impression.
He'd have to earn their trust. And in a situation like this, nothing built bridges better than a hot, hearty meal.
As someone who had lived alone for almost a decade, Adam was confident he could whip up something decent using canned ingredients and ingenuity.
With a plan in mind, he turned toward the two girls and offered a sincere, easygoing smile.
"Are you two hungry? I can cook something for us," he said, tapping the duffel bag leaning against the wall. "I'm feeling pretty hungry myself after all that fighting."
His smile seemed to have some effect—the tension in their posture eased slightly, their eyes no longer as sharp.
Carole opened her mouth to politely decline, but before she could speak, a loud growl echoed in the room, followed by the unmistakable sound of someone swallowing nervously.
Both their gazes shifted toward Hua, who immediately buried her face in her hands, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Adam cleared his throat, trying to pretend he hadn't heard it. "Ahem… Well, I'll get something ready. You two can just relax."
Before Carole could object, he was already moving.
Kneeling beside his duffel bag, Adam pulled out a DIY makeshift pot — an electric kettle with the top removed — and filled it with tap water. He started by boiling a few eggs.
Carole and Hua watched him closely, still guarded but curious.
They kept a wary eye on every step, likely expecting him to slip something suspicious into the food. But half an hour passed without anything strange happening.
They watched as he added instant ramen to the pot, opened a few cans, sliced some spam, dropped in the boiled eggs, added spicy pickled bamboo shoots, fried gluten, and even a few preserved abalones as garnish.
By the end, three steaming bowls of ramen sat before them, looking far better than they expected.
"Here you go," Adam said, handing them each a bowl before sitting down on the empty bed across the room. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and began eating quietly while gazing out the window.
The girls hesitated.
They had seen the whole process. He hadn't added anything suspicious, and he was eating the same meal himself.
After a moment's silent exchange, they both dug in—hesitantly at first, then ravenously.
The flavor was nowhere near gourmet, but after surviving on dry bread and stress, it might as well have been a feast. Warm, savory, filling — it hit all the right notes.
Adam chuckled softly at the sight of the two girls wolfing down their food. But as he turned his eyes back toward the window, the smile slowly faded from his face.
Far in the distance, deep within the city, he spotted movement.
White and pink creatures fluttered like falling petals through the sky — except he knew better. They weren't harmless. His enhanced perception picked up the unmistakable forms of Archangel-class Honkai Beasts.
The weakest of their kind individually — but dangerous in groups.
He watched as the swarm suddenly dove, converging on something on the ground.
"…Could it be a rescue team?" Adam muttered under his breath.
Still frowning, he picked up the pace and finished his meal quickly.
Afterward, as he moved to clean the dishes, Hua stood up.
"Let me… wash them," she said, her voice soft. "It's the least I can do. Thank you… for the food."
Adam nodded and stepped aside, taking a seat again while striking up a casual conversation with Carole.
He asked about what had happened to them during the outbreak, what their plans were from here on, and whether they had any contacts or safe places in mind. The questions weren't just for small talk — part of him was gathering information, while another part simply wanted them to feel at ease.
"I see," he said, after listening to their story. "Well, at least we won't need to worry about food for a while. I brought plenty."
He gestured toward his bag.
Carole's eyes flickered with guilt. "No, Adam… we couldn't possibly impose."
But her voice wavered near the end, and Adam caught the hesitation. After tasting hot food again, going back to dry bread was clearly not appealing.
He laughed gently and stood up.
"No need to worry. I really am just trying to help fellow survivors," he said, moving toward the door. "Unlike you two, I can move freely and find more supplies. So just take it."
He paused, hand on the doorknob. "Also, I'll sleep in a different room tonight. It's inappropriate for a man like me to stay under the same roof with two girls I just met."
With that, Adam opened the door and stepped out, locking it behind him.
He wasn't offended. He understood. Trust couldn't be forced — it had to be earned.
And that was fine. He had time.
In truth, he had no intention of sleeping anyway.
Adam quietly made his way out of the dorm, his eyes fixed in the direction where he had seen the Archangels earlier.
Killing regular zombies had become too easy — his progress was slowing.
To grow stronger… he needed a real challenge.
The Honkai Beasts would do just fine and his System seems to agree with him too.
Objective: Kill 20 Honkai Beast.
Time limit: –
Reward: +1 random physical attribute.
Just before he leaves to complete the task, Adam summons his Hell Butterfly and tasks it with scouting the area for the rescue team. Especially Himeko as he transmitted the image of her to it like how he did with Hua.
———
Half an hour later, inside the building of the shopping district. Adam is still locked in a fierce battle against four Archangels.
He chose to fight inside a building to limit the numbers of enemies and prevent himself from being overwhelmed.
When he first clashed against an Archangel, he realized that their carapace is incredibly tough and if his Asauchi is just a normal steel blade, it would have probably snapped long ago.
To cut through them, he had to infuse Reiatsu into his Asauchi to reinforce its sturdiness and also its sharpness.
After realizing it, fighting these Archangels became much easier. Although not by much either.
To maintain Reiatsu to strengthen his body, Asauchi quickly drained his reserve and the Archangels are simply endless.
No matter how much he cut them down. More will simply appear and replace the fallen one.
He had used more than five Reiryoku Restoration Pills he bought from the System shop and he envied Quincy's ability to pull in energy from their surroundings which gave them an endless reserve of energy.
As his Reiryoku nearing depletion again, Adam abandoned the fight and tried to shake off the pursuing Archangels.
He had long completed his task, killing twice more than the required amounts.
Using his remaining Reiryoku to summon his Hell Butterfly, a portal opened before him and Adam jumped in without hesitation before reappearing inside the familiar dorm's hallway.
Successful escaping danger, Adam sighed in relief before thanking his Hell Butterfly who had landed on his shoulder, flapping its wings weakly as if saying it was tired and hungry.
"Uh… Do you eat nectar like a normal butterfly or…" Adam didn't finish his words as he watched the little thing sucking away his nearly bone dry Reiryoku.
Sighing, Adam asks the Hell Butterfly to teleport him through the door of a random room before he clears out the zombies inside and goes straight to sleep without bothering to remove the corpses.
Being drained of Reiryoku is very dangerous. It felt like the very last drop of energy was drained and his body was tethering at the verge of collapsing then and there despite his body being still energetic.
After all, Reiryoku is soul energy. Having your soul drained dry would mean zero mental energy.
In such a state, Adam is as vulnerable as a harmless baby. Unable to muster even a bit of resistance if anything decides to attack him.
—————
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