"Master, the meal is ready," Clarissa said softly.
She wasn't used to addressing Sylas this way, but it was his requirement.
She had to obey.
If she didn't, Sylas would be displeased, and that would be bad for her.
Clarissa knew the pain of hunger and didn't want to experience it again.
Hearing Clarissa call him "Master" brought a satisfied smile to Sylas's face.
The thought of having such a beautiful star as his slave was truly pleasing.
When he arrived in the kitchen, he saw the meal Clarissa had prepared.
Three dishes and a soup—though not much, it looked quite good.
Sylas nodded in satisfaction and said, "You did well. Thank you."
Clarissa was pleased to hear his praise.
Seeing the food on the table gave her a sense of happiness.
In the apocalypse, having a hot meal was indeed a blessing.
"Let's eat," Sylas said.
"Okay," Clarissa nodded and began to eat elegantly.
Having passed the initial intense hunger, she was now more composed, even though she was still hungry.
"You're quite a good cook," Sylas said, after taking a few bites.
While Clarissa's cooking couldn't compare to a professional chef's, it was much better than Sylas's own efforts.
Most importantly, he didn't have to cook himself.
Cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning the kitchen were all tasks Sylas disliked.
Having Clarissa take care of the household chores made Sylas genuinely happy.
After the meal, Sylas brewed himself a pot of tea and sat down to watch short videos on his phone while sipping his tea.
Meanwhile, Clarissa busied herself in the kitchen.
If it weren't for the constant sounds of zombies howling outside, Sylas might have doubted that he was actually in the apocalypse.
It was already dark outside.
The zombies' activity levels had increased significantly.
During the day, zombies were less active and avoided sunlight, barely moving around.
But at night, after the sun had set, they became more active, roaming around in search of prey.
Therefore, nighttime was much more dangerous than daytime.
Survivors were well aware of this pattern.
Thus, they collected supplies during the day and never ventured out at night.
Suddenly, a thought struck Sylas: could he move around at night?
Without the Zombie Aura skill, Sylas wouldn't dare go out at night.
But now, with the Zombie Aura, he wouldn't be attacked by zombies, so he could venture out after dark.
Clarissa finished her chores and walked over, gently sitting beside Sylas, leaning against him.
The two had grown much more familiar with each other, and the initial awkwardness was gone.
Clarissa's attitude towards Sylas had also become more intimate.
"What are you watching?" Clarissa asked softly.
Sylas sighed and said, "Watch this video. It's tragic; people are eating each other."
The video showed scenes of cannibalism, and with no one managing these video platforms anymore, any content could be posted online.
The video was uploaded by a survivor who had noticed his neighbors cooking meat. Curious, he went to check and discovered that the neighbors were cooking human flesh.
He recorded the scene and posted the video online.
Clarissa watched the video, then quickly covered her mouth and began to gag.
"This is disgusting," Clarissa said, feeling sick.
"It's not just disgusting; it's tragic."
"We humans have been driven to the point where we have to eat each other. Isn't that tragic?"
"Think about how you felt when you were starving. If I hadn't come to rescue you and brought you food, would you have considered eating human flesh when you couldn't stand the hunger anymore?" Sylas said slowly.
Clarissa felt nauseous at his words, but she had to admit Sylas was right.
If it came to that point, she might have considered eating human flesh too because of extreme hunger.
"Thank you for saving me," Clarissa said, leaning against Sylas gratefully.
"If you're grateful, when will you give yourself to me?" Sylas asked with a smile.
"Give me a little more time," Clarissa replied softly, watching Sylas's expression.
She knew Sylas was her only support and cared more and more about his feelings.
"Alright, I'll give you time, but don't make me wait too long," Sylas said softly.
"I can give you time, but I also want some interest."
Suddenly, Sylas smiled, and to Clarissa's surprise, he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her.
After a long moment, Sylas finally pulled away.
Neither of them spoke, they simply enjoyed the quiet and warmth of the moment.
"I'm going out to check things. As usual, stay here and don't come out," Sylas suddenly said.
"Don't go out, it's night now. It's too dangerous," Clarissa said quickly.
She knew that at night, zombies became more active and it was much more dangerous than during the day.
"Trust me, I won't do anything foolish," Sylas said with a smile.