Vampire Overlord's Harem In The Apocalypse

Simon stood still for a moment, his mind racing.

Should he go after the group hiding in the shopping mall, or should he return to the mansion where his teammate was waiting?

The pistol he had taken from the young man who attacked him was now tucked into his pocket. It felt heavy, but not nearly as heavy as the decision that weighed on his mind.

A part of him wanted to head back to the mansion.

His teammate, the one person he still trusted in this hellish world, was waiting for him.

There was comfort in that — a kind of stability that had been lost in the chaos.

But another part of him was drawn to the sounds coming from the shopping mall in the distance.

Faint echoes of life. Faint echoes of people who thought they could hide from the horrors that had become their world.

His eyes narrowed, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he made up his mind. He would check it out.

Whatever was waiting for him at the mall, it was better than doing nothing.

Simon's feet made no noise as he moved, his body blending with the shadows that stretched across the desolate streets.

He was familiar with this part of the city — had walked these same paths before.

The once bustling shopping center now stood as a husk of its former self, its windows shattered and its structure coated with layers of dust and decay.

What was once a place of life and warmth now sat in silence, save for the faint sound of movement from inside.

The sky above him was dark — perpetually so in this new world. Thick clouds had settled over the land, blotting out the sun.

The air, cold and uninviting, carried with it the scent of decay. The temperature had dropped sharply, as it often did in the aftermath of the apocalypse, but for Simon, it was hardly a concern.

He was a vampire, and the cold was as comforting to him as the warmth of a human's heartbeat might be to others. It was his sanctuary.

As he approached the mall, he couldn't help but notice the subtle sounds coming from within.

The scrape of shoes on concrete. Muffled voices, not trying very hard to conceal their presence. It was obvious that these people weren't as careful or cautious as they should be.

They didn't understand what it meant to survive in a world like this. They were careless.

'These don't seem like survivors,' Simon thought bitterly, shaking his head as he reached the entrance.

The glass windows of the mall were shattered, making it easy to slip inside, but Simon wasn't concerned with sneaking.

He wasn't interested in playing games. If there were people here, they would either be useful or a problem, and Simon wasn't in the mood for problems. He would deal with them swiftly.

He reached for the door, his fingers brushing lightly against the cool metal handle.

With a slow twist, he eased the door open, the motion nearly silent. His senses were alive, every nerve in his body sharpened, waiting for any sign of movement.

As the door opened just a fraction, he could hear the faint shuffle of footsteps and the sound of something being knocked over — someone was moving in the darkness.

'Let's see how they handle a real threat,' he mused.

Simon stepped inside, the door closing behind him with a soft click. His eyes immediately adjusted to the gloom of the mall.

It was eerily quiet, save for the distant hum of an overhead light that flickered intermittently. The mall had once been a place of life, of enjoyment, of noise and chatter.

Now it was nothing more than a shell, a reminder of a world lost.

He moved deeper into the building, his steps light and purposeful. His senses were heightened; he could feel the air shift around him, the temperature colder in places where the windows had been broken.

And then, just as he was about to round a corner, the sound of a gunshot rang through the air, sharp and sudden.

'Of course,' Simon thought with a sigh, his body already reacting without hesitation.

He didn't need to think about it — his instincts took over. The bullet came flying toward him, but Simon was faster.

His body moved with fluid precision, dodging the projectile as if it had no chance of reaching him. The bullet slammed into the door behind him, the sound of it ricocheting off the metal like a thunderclap.

He didn't even break his stride. His crimson eyes flicked toward the source of the shot.

A group of people stood ahead, their faces hidden in the dim light. They were armed, of course — everyone had weapons now — but Simon wasn't worried. He had no intention of being caught off guard again.

The gunfire had stopped, but Simon could hear the rapid breaths of the people in front of him, their hearts racing, adrenaline flooding their veins. They were afraid, and they should be.

Simon wasn't just some random survivor. He wasn't like them. He had lived far longer than any of these college students had lived, and he had learned how to survive in ways they never would.

With a quick glance at the group, Simon sized them up. There were four of them, all armed with varying degrees of makeshift weapons.

A woman with a crossbow. A man with a rifle. Another man holding a bat. And the last, a younger guy, trembling, his hand clutching a pistol.

They looked nervous, on edge, their bodies tense as they assessed Simon from the shadows.

Simon didn't wait for them to make the first move. He had never been one to hesitate. His gaze sharpened, his focus narrowing to the group in front of him.

His body rippled with unnatural speed as he moved toward them, his footsteps echoing louder now that they knew he was coming.

The younger man with the pistol tried to raise it, but Simon was already upon him. In one fluid motion, he slapped the gun out of the young man's hand, sending it skittering across the floor.