Vampire Overlord's Harem In The Apocalypse

The car jolted violently against the rough asphalt, tires screeching as it sped down the empty road.

Simon gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles, his gaze locked forward, not allowing himself to look anywhere else. His expression remained a carefully crafted mask, emotionless and controlled, but underneath, anxiety gnawed at him.

The feeling was almost suffocating. More than anything, he was desperate to find somewhere safe to stay. Somewhere that wouldn't make him feel like he was constantly on edge.

His thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of crunching behind him. He didn't need to look back to know it was the girl munching on a bag of chips. The sound was irritating, even though he tried to ignore it.

The repetitive crunching of chips made his teeth clench, his patience thinning. But, despite his annoyance, he couldn't bring himself to stop her. She was entitled to eat, especially in this mess they found themselves in.

Simon glanced over his shoulder, trying to keep his eyes on the road while doing so.

The girl was sitting in the back, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the blue screen in front of her.

She was absorbed in whatever she was looking at — most likely the Market server, just like the voice had mentioned earlier.

Her fingers were dancing across the screen, typing quickly. Her expression was focused, but the crumbs of chips scattered around her lips and cheeks made her look strangely... cute.

It was a fleeting thought, one that Simon immediately pushed aside. Not the time, he told himself.

"Hey," he called out, trying to break the silence that had fallen between them.

The roar of the car's engine was all-consuming, but he forced himself to speak over it. "What's that? The Market server you're on?"

The girl looked up, startled for a second, crumbs falling from her lips as she met his gaze.

Her cheeks flushed crimson, her eyes widening in slight embarrassment at being caught off guard. "Yes?" she asked, her voice quieter than usual. She glanced at him, realizing he'd been staring a bit too long. Her blush deepened.

Simon cleared his throat awkwardly, realizing his gaze had lingered on her longer than he intended.

"Hand me a pack of chips too," he said quickly, trying to redirect the conversation and his thoughts.

He hated how easily distracted he was becoming, but damn, the tension in the air was unbearable. He needed something to distract himself, even if it was just a stupid bag of chips.

The girl nodded, her lips curving into a small smile as she reached into her stash of food and handed him a bag of potato chips. "Here," she said, holding it out to him.

He took the chips, nodding in appreciation, but his mind was still focused on the Market server.

It had been mentioned by the strange voice earlier, and he couldn't shake the idea that it might be more important than it seemed. "You on that Market server?" he asked, his curiosity piqued despite the chaos of their situation.

"Yeah," she replied, her voice growing more animated as she swiped the screen in front of her. "There's a ton of people on there. It's this huge network made of some kind of code. More advanced than anything we tried to cook up for Conqueror's Evolution. And damn, there's a lot of chatter going on right now."

Her fingers paused for a moment, her expression turning serious. "People are already trying to trade supplies. Weapons, food, tools. It's a damn goldmine if you can figure out who to trust."

Simon felt a flicker of interest. If people were already forming some kind of network to trade, maybe there was a chance to secure supplies, to get some advantage.

But at the same time, he was wary. How much could you really trust a system like that in a world where betrayal seemed inevitable?

He wanted to ask her more about it — how it worked, who was using it, what kind of resources were being traded — but that would have to wait.

The noise from the engine had grown louder, and something else had caught his attention.

The unmistakable growl of a Zombie echoed from somewhere ahead. Simon's eyes darted toward the rearview mirror, his heart skipping a beat. The sound was unmistakable.

It was close. Too close.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened. The growl grew louder, closer, until it was almost deafening.

It was followed by more distant, guttural sounds. More of them. Zombies.

The woman froze, her eyes widening as she turned toward the sound. Her body stiffened as she instinctively reached for something, anything, to defend herself.

The panic was palpable in the air, and for a split second, Simon's nerves flared up too. But he knew there was no time for hesitation. Not now.

"What was that?" she asked, her voice barely audible over the engine's hum. The sound of the car's roar had become deafening, drowning out everything else.

She was asking a question, but Simon could barely make out the words as the engine roared to life.

Without answering, Simon slammed his foot on the gas. The car shot forward, accelerating rapidly, tires screeching as he pushed the pedal to the floor.

The engine protested under the strain, but Simon wasn't about to slow down. Not with the sound of those Zombies closing in. He could feel the adrenaline surging in his veins, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

"Hold onto something," he said, his voice unnaturally calm despite the chaos surrounding them.

The words felt hollow in the car's noisy interior, but there was no time to waste on reassurances.

The girl's eyes widened in alarm, but she didn't argue. She quickly grabbed hold of the doorframe, bracing herself as the car lurched forward, pushing through the darkened road.

The tires spun on the gravel, kicking up dirt and debris behind them as the car surged ahead.

Simon's knuckles turned white as he gripped the wheel, trying to maintain control while weaving through the dark, desolate stretch of road. The only sound now was the roar of the engine and the occasional rattle of the car as they sped through the uneven terrain.

In the distance, the growls of the Zombies grew fainter, but Simon wasn't taking any chances. He kept his foot pressed firmly on the accelerator, his eyes scanning the road ahead for any sign of danger.

He had to get out of there. He couldn't afford to stop — he needed to find a safe place, somewhere far from the oncoming wave of undead.

The girl was quiet now, her focus locked on the road ahead, her face pale. She didn't speak, but Simon could feel her anxiety, her fear mirrored by his own.

The world had changed overnight, and everything they thought they knew had been thrown out the window.