Now, facing the reality that the resources left by her parents were being taken by a stranger, the girl felt a deep sense of distress. Anyone in her position would feel the same.
"You're young, probably still clinging to naive ideas," Stel said, crouching in front of the girl and grabbing her hair, lifting her head.
"Let me tell you something, this is the apocalypse. There's no such thing as morality or law."
"Your family's stuff? As long as you can't stop me, it's my stuff. Understand?"
Stel's voice was like thunder, crashing against the girl's fragile heart. Coupled with the way he yanked her hair, she didn't dare to resist.
"You're bullying me!" the girl cried out, her sobs loud and desperate.
"From now on, everything here is mine. Whenever I need something, I will come and take it. I might allow you to stay here, but if I ever find out you're hiding resources, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Stel drew his steel knife, pressing the tip against the girl's forehead. The cold touch of the blade made her feel as if she was plunged into an icy abyss, chilling her to the core.
The threat of the knife made the girl immediately compliant. Realizing that throwing a tantrum wouldn't work, especially against a man like Stel, she knew she had to submit.
"I... I promise, please don't hurt me..."
That's more like it!
Hearing her response, Stel retracted his knife, satisfied. But as he glanced at the girl, he noticed the enticing glimpse of her chest, stirring a wave of desire within him. Her complexion was fair, indicative of a well-off upbringing. Owning such a large supermarket suggested a significant income, and she exuded a sweet fragrance.
Such a sight made Stel pause for a moment, his mind momentarily distracted.
The scent was utterly captivating, instantly ensnaring Stel's attention.
"But, I can give you another option," Stel suddenly released her hair, his tone softening.
"What option?" the girl asked, her voice trembling.
"Become my woman and use your body to satisfy all my needs."
What?!
The girl's expression was one of shock.
"Being my woman comes with many benefits, the most important being that you'll be able to live safely."
Living safely—those words were simple, yet in this apocalyptic world, they were an immense temptation. However, the girl had never been touched by a man before. Her upbringing taught her that her chastity was more important than her life.
"No, I can't!" she suddenly started shaking violently, her hands clutching her chest.
"I can't agree to that condition!"
Seeing her firm refusal, Stel's interest waned considerably. Forcing someone wouldn't be enjoyable, and it might backfire.
"Suit yourself. You're the one choosing to die."
Stel let go of her, stood up, and walked away to continue selecting meat from the freezer. The girl, still fearful, straightened her disheveled clothes. Despite her fear, she felt fortunate that Stel hadn't killed her.
After a while, Stel gathered the necessary supplies for himself and Elsie. As he headed towards the supermarket exit, he heard the girl's voice behind him.
"Wait...!"
What does she want now?
Stel turned around, his patience wearing thin, and frowned at the interruption.
"What's the matter now?"
"My name is Trista... You haven't told me your name yet."
Trista... Stel felt the name sounded somewhat familiar. He thought about it but couldn't recall where he might have heard it before. It could also be that the girl's name was just common enough to trigger his memory.
"Stel."
"Stel..." Trista moved her soft lips, whispering Stel's name. The man who instilled such fear in her had a name that sounded clear and pleasant.
"By the way, the big lock on the supermarket door has been broken by me. When I leave, I'll chain the door shut. You can stay here, but if you try to escape, you'll never be able to come back. Understand?"
Stel intentionally added weight to his words, causing Trista to shudder. In this apocalyptic world, supplies were the most important thing. Trista had thought about escaping, but where could she go that would be safe? Ultimately, she would end up in the clutches of zombies. Although Stel had discovered her hideout and taken a lot of supplies, the supermarket was large. They couldn't consume all the food before it expired.
"Yes, yes..." Trista nodded repeatedly.
Stel gave her one last scrutinizing look, still feeling uneasy. Holding the meat, he quickly walked out. He placed the meat on the tricycle and chained the supermarket door shut.
"Hopefully, this woman won't cause any trouble before I return."
The surrounding zombies had been mostly cleared out by Stel. There shouldn't be any immediate threats to the supermarket. However, Stel still felt a bit worried. Other survivors like him might stumble upon this supermarket. Trista was too weak to offer any real resistance.
If this indeed happened, then his opponent would be another human. Stel tightened the chains on the door a bit more for psychological comfort.
"Vroom, vroom—!"
He drove off on his tricycle, once again opting to take a longer route to avoid the big truck. Ten minutes later, Stel arrived at the apartment building.
To Stel's surprise, during his absence, the number of zombies around the apartment building seemed to have decreased. The previously crowded entrance now had some open space. Stel sighed in relief, grateful for the easier access.
He drove the tricycle right up to the entrance. Since his and Elsie's apartment was on the third floor, Stel had to carry the supplies up bit by bit.
"Damn, should I consider moving to a first-floor apartment next time?" he wondered. But then he thought, living on the first floor might expose them to random zombie intrusions, not to mention the stench. Upon reflection, the third floor seemed the best choice. Unfortunately, he couldn't call Elsie down to help him with the supplies. So, he had to do it all himself.
"Fine, I'll treat this as today's workout," Stel muttered.
He used sacks to carry as many supplies as possible, making trips up the stairs and stacking the goods outside his apartment door. He repeated this process until the tricycle was empty. The exertion felt equivalent to doing a hundred push-ups in one go, leaving Stel slightly sweaty.
After checking all the supplies, he felt like something was still missing.
"My bag!"