Therefore, Oliver considered it wise to take precautions whenever possible. Better to avoid conflict altogether rather than trying to win battles he cannot afford to lose. Even though he was confident he could defeat any opponent if need be, it would cost him dearly to wage war. He had no intention of doing anything foolish unless absolutely necessary.
Besides, he needed to focus on more important matters first. Like creating an army to defend against attacks from the living dead. With enough numbers, he could overwhelm any opposition and force them to surrender. Oliver doesn't want to create an army of people he can't trust so his plan was to do the same thing he did to Elisa on other people and slowly increase his numbers. Until then, he decided to keep experimenting with Elisa.
"Elisa, you can stop crawling and barking now."
"O-okay."
"But you will still be my adorable little slave."
"Yes, master!" She said enthusiastically.
"Good girl."
***
A month passed since Elisa had begun serving her master. She had quickly adapted to life as his property. Her loyalty remained unshakable despite having undergone brainwashing. When Oliver ordered her to fetch something, she ran right back to him. If he commanded her to stay silent, she stayed quiet. At night, when he turned off the lights, she curled up beside him and fell asleep instantly.
And he was happy. Really happy.
His relationship with Elisa was unique in a sense. From the very beginning, she had served him completely without question. No matter how cruel he got, she obeyed him without complaint. And that pleased him tremendously.
She believed that everything he did was for the sake of protecting her. That was why she cared about his safety above all else. Since she felt responsible for keeping him alive, she worked tirelessly to protect him. Of course, she enjoyed it immensely.
Being loyal to her master made her feel special and worthwhile. She found pleasure in pleasing him. Most importantly, she loved him.
There was nothing like the unconditional affection of a devoted follower. As long as Oliver treated her well, Elisa vowed to follow his commands and do whatever he required of her. She promised to devote herself entirely to his service until the bitter end—no matter how awful or dangerous it might get. This was true devotion.
For Elisa, there was only one man. One leader. Oliver.
Now that she belonged to him, he could use her however he liked. He had complete power over her body, soul, heart, and mind.
"Elisa, we are going hunting. We are out of food." Oliver announced as soon as breakfast ended.
"…Okay," She replied reluctantly.
"This will be your first time out in a month." He reminded her gently.
"Y-yes." She answered in a low tone of voice.
"Don't worry," He assured her. "We won't go far away. I promise."
***
The pair walked along a trail leading deeper into the woods. They moved carefully so as not to disturb nearby wildlife. Once in a while, Oliver stopped to check behind to ensure that both parties were staying close together.
Then a low growling was heard in a bush behind them. Then a person-formed shadow was seen coming out of a rustling bush. A closer look revealed it to be disgusting. In addition to having no jaw, it was pale and almost rotten in appearance. Its skin hung loosely from its skull.
"It's a zombie, grab your knife, Elisa," Oliver whispered urgently.
Even before hearing him say those words, Elisa already grabbed the kitchen knife strapped to her stocking-clothed thigh. Although the weapon was small and dull, it should prove sufficient against such a creature. Still, she couldn't help being nervous. Zombies were scary, even more so when they came creeping out of the bushes. The mere sight sent shivers through her spine. Yet, she steeled her nerves and prepared for combat.
Her hands trembled ever so slightly, but she kept calm. She knew this was part of her training.
Before long, the zombie emerged from the foliage and charged toward them.
In response, Elisa swung the blade wildly at the approaching undead.
Blood sprayed across the ground as the sharp tip pierced flesh and bone.
Its movements slowed as blood loss weakened it.
With great effort, the monster continued to advance.
Eventually, Elisa stabbed its head again and again until finally, it collapsed lifelessly on the forest floor.
"Good job, my dear slave." Oliver congratulated.
He knelt down by the zombie's side and examined it.
"Looks like it was bitten recently," He noted.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that several teeth marks were visible on its neck. Someone must have attacked it here earlier today. Now that he thought about it, zombies often wandered around aimlessly searching for prey. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that it happened somewhere near where he last saw it.
While he was examining the corpse, Elisa approached it cautiously.
"Be careful! Don't touch it!" He warned her. "We don't know exactly how the disease spreads."
"Sorry, master," She apologized.
Noticing that, he laughed lightly. "Come on, let's move on."
After a while of hunting they succeeded in hunting a deer.
Together they returned home.
***
Back at the house, they cleaned themselves up and ate dinner.
Once done eating, they settled in front of the fireplace for warmth.
Elisa lay down next to Oliver who sat cross-legged. She snuggled up against him for comfort.
That evening, Oliver pondered upon things. His thoughts drifted towards the future. How many years ahead would he live? Where might he find himself five, ten, or twenty years hence? For starters, he didn't intend to remain holed up forever in his apartment. Eventually, he intended to explore beyond his borders and expand his territory. There were plenty of places left unexplored just within his current region. He also hoped to eventually discover ways to cure the plague that afflicted humanity. But most importantly, he wished to continue learning how to better harness his newfound powers.
What kind of world might emerge after he died? Who would survive in his absence? Will mankind rise anew or fall to ruin? Could he leave behind an enduring legacy? Was there a way for him to save everyone from the threat of extinction? These were questions that he mulled over endlessly.
Of course, none of that mattered much if he wasn't able to secure victory over the undead.