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"My room's on the second floor. Help me up."
Asuka said this to Julian.
She was feeling a little better now, but her whole body still ached and felt weak.
Instead of helping her walk, Julian simply hoisted her over his shoulder and headed upstairs.
Asuka was instantly annoyed.
She clearly said help!
And he carried her?!
He was obviously doing it on purpose!
Being carried like this was way too embarrassing. Her chest was pressed against his back, and he had one hand gripping her thigh.
But she had no strength to resist right now. She could only endure it.
Julian carried her up to the second floor.
Asuka's room looked nothing like a typical girl's bedroom.
The walls were covered in posters from popular games and anime.
On the desk sat a large 4K monitor and a transparent water-cooled PC case.
In front of the sofa was an 80-inch TV, and on the floor were a Nintendo Switch and a PlayStation 4.
Even more ridiculous, there was an arcade machine sitting in the corner.
"A complete gaming geek."
Julian tossed Asuka onto the bed.
"Alright. You can leave now!" Asuka said, already feeling much better and putting her guard back up.
Julian stroked his chin, deep in thought.
Mafuyu and Hana both called him Master.
But Asuka still had a strong will of her own.
It seemed like just drinking the red stuff wasn't enough to make her as obedient as his two followers.
Or maybe… only zombies became obedient to him?
He'd need more time to study that.
"Hey!"
"This is a girl's room!"
"What are you still doing here?" Asuka stretched her arms and legs as she sat up.
Finally, she could move again.
"I'm just handling after-sales service," Julian said."Come on, let's test whether you got stronger."
He picked up the PS4 console from the floor and tossed it straight at her face.
Asuka instinctively threw a punch.
BANG!
The PS4 dented inward instantly and dropped to the ground, completely wrecked.
"My PS4!!!"
Asuka cried out in pain.
She hadn't even finished The Last of Us yet!
But right after that, something hit her.
She had just punched a PS4 hard enough to dent it.
Had she gotten stronger?!
"Come on, try punching this fridge."
Julian pushed the small refrigerator in her room over in front of her.
Asuka's heart started racing.
After playing so many games, she'd often fantasized about having powers that normal people didn't.
And now… it was finally happening.
She gathered all her strength and threw a punch.
BOOM!
The mini fridge went flying across the room and smashed into the 80-inch TV, shattering it.
And on the fridge door was a deep fist imprint.
"My TV!!!"
Asuka looked like she was about to cry again.
No more PS4 meant she could still play Animal Crossing on the Switch.
But now the TV was gone too!
Holding the console in her hands while playing was exhausting!
Still…
The strength in her body was completely real.
Excited, Asuka ran to the wall and grabbed a massive axe hanging there.
"Holy crap… isn't that Gorehowl?"
Julian stared at the giant one-sided axe.
Another World of Warcraft collectible.
"Ha! I can actually lift Gorehowl now!"
Asuka excitedly swung the axe around.
The weapon was made of refined steel and weighed nearly 50 pounds. A rare collector's item.
Before, she could only touch it because she couldn't lift it.
But now she could swing it with ease!
So this was power!
"For the Horde!"
Asuka gleefully spun the axe around.
CRASH!
The arcade machine was smashed to pieces.
Asuka froze.
It suddenly felt like she and Julian were just tearing her house apart together.
The axe wasn't even sharpened, but it still packed ridiculous force.
Watching from the side, Julian started feeling tempted.
His Tang sword worked well, but after too many fights the blade would start to chip.
And sharp weapons were harder to maintain than blunt ones.
"I say, young lady, how about giving me that axe?"
"You're pretty good with the crossbow anyway."
"Not a chance!"
Asuka flicked her ponytail and lifted her chin.
She had finally gained the strength to wield Gorehowl. No way she was handing it over!
With this axe, she could even go out and fight zombies.
"An RTX 2080 Ti. And I'll find you another PS4."
Julian revealed his trump card.
"Wait a second…"
Asuka suddenly thought of something. She dropped the axe and ran out of the room.
Not long after, she came back dragging a massive hammer behind her.
"Help me…"
She said between breaths.
The hammer was even heavier than Gorehowl. She couldn't lift it and had to drag it across the floor.
"Doomhammer?"
"You really are a die-hard Horde fan…"
Julian sighed.
This was Thrall's Doomhammer, the legendary weapon of the Horde chief.
And judging by the weight, this one was no joke.
Julian grabbed it and lifted it with both hands, testing the weight.
It was heavy. At least 100 pounds.
"This is a custom 1:1 replica!"
"It cost me over 5,000 dollar!"
Asuka looked pained.
Not because of the money.
But in this world now, getting another custom piece like this would be impossible.
If she could actually lift it, she would never have handed it over.
"Don't forget my 2080 Ti and PS4!"
Asuka reminded him.
"Fine. If I find them, I'll bring them to you."
After saying goodbye, Julian carried the hammer downstairs.
He'd have to stay in contact with this rich young lady.
First, she clearly had money.
Second, he wanted to study his abilities more closely.
Julian returned to the central courtyard of the villa district.
Most of the supplies had already been unloaded.
He walked to the driver's seat, tossed Doomhammer inside, and grabbed several packs of beer.
"Here. These are for the property staff."
He handed the beer to the young security guard Shiro.
They had helped unload the truck, so they deserved something.
"Thanks, bro!"
Shiro happily accepted the beer.
This guy really treated them well!
Cucumbers, bananas, beer… he always remembered them.
Unlike some of the villa owners who treated them like servants.
"Mafuyu, get in. We're leaving."
Julian waved at Mafuyu.
The two of them drove out of the villa district.
"Mafuyu, see that island over there?"
"We're moving there soon."
Julian spoke to her through the walkie-talkie.
"Really?!"
"It looks beautiful!"
"Can we go check it out?"
Mafuyu sounded thrilled.
Before the apocalypse, a seaside island resort like that was something she could never afford.
"Sure."
Julian thought for a moment.
They had already wasted some time at Asuka's place, so moving supplies today might be too late. Might as well do it another day.
The two trucks drove across the bridge toward East Lake Island.
There weren't many zombies left on the bridge.
Most had probably fallen into the sea or wandered away.
Soon, they arrived on the island.
After a quick tour, Mafuyu was practically glowing with excitement.
Just thinking about living somewhere this amazing made her giddy.
"Master!"
"That villa bedroom faces the ocean!"
"Let's go take a look!"
Her eyes sparkled as she pulled Julian toward a cliffside villa.
After working so hard today…
It was about time for a little reward.
"....."