Apocalypse King: Recruiting S-Tier Beauties With My Ruler System-Chapter 25: A Zombie Core

A pain spread through the back of my head, disturbing my sleep. I could feel a burning pain spreading through my muscles with each little movement. When I shifted my neck, my hands covered my mouth and suppressed a groan from the sudden sharp sensation that sank into my flesh.

"Ugh..."

With a slow, extended breath, I shifted beneath the sheets to avoid pain.

There was something warm pressed against my shoulder, squishy, and when I reached out, two orbs slipped into my hands.

The moment my hands squeezed the round, plump mounds.

A soft, ticklish breath tickled my skin before it became a faint hum that vibrated against my neck, and my eyes snapped open, realising what they were.

"!!!"

Mu Qinglan curled up beside me, her chest pressed against my arm, completely bare beneath the covers. Her lips pressed against my throat, parted just enough for a thin line of drool and my blood to trail down my collarbone.

For a split second, my mind became pure white.

I flicked the soft nubs pressing against my palms before pulling away instantly as she began to stir.

"Nn..."

Her breathing stopped for a moment, before her mouth opened wide, revealing her white teeth and pink tongue and releasing a long yawn as her sweet breath blew against my face and she started moving.

Mu Qinglan's fingers spread apart and twitched while touching my chest, her long lashes fluttering as they opened, revealing her piercing yet unfocused blue eyes still heavy from her long sleep.

She blinked slowly, squeezing and rubbing my chest with a faint smile on her lips. Shocked, she gasped upon noticing me.

"What...?" Her voice sounded soft and husky.

I watched her quietly, enjoying this rare sight of a nude Mu Qinglan, the ice queen's cut state when she woke up, caught between sleep and easily.

No superhuman, but a normal, vulnerable human.

"Ngh... morning!"

With a slow stretch, trying to hide the pain from the tonic's aftereffects, I slipped out of the bed because I was hungry, and the scent of bacon from the kitchen was too tempting.

However, it felt cold, icy cold.

When I rolled my shoulders, letting out a pleasant groan as the crack of my bones felt amazing, there was a moment of silence as we met gazes again.

"W-Wait—Why are you naked!?"

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I paused about to respond, then glanced down at myself and couldn't help but smile, 'thank god for morning wood...' It was cold as hell!

Then looked back at her and shrugged.

To hell if I knew... I was still at the pawnshop last I remembered.

"I don't even know how I got home..."

Mu Qinglan gazed at me with a befuddled face. Her lips parted for a moment before closing again, what she intended to say dying in her throat.

Her face became red... deep red, before she yanked the quilt and wrapped herself up and cocooned herself in the fabric, rolling on my bed.

"Get dressed!"

I curled my lips and enjoyed the situation while crouching and grabbing my clothes.

"You looked amazing, Boss."

A cheeky response came from my lips as I stood at the window, enjoying the morning sun leaking through. Somehow, the others must have got lucky and found some fresh bacon, something I thought we used yesterday.

I remember hearing Jiang Roulan speaking about a small convenience store beside the pawnshop on the way there...

For now, it was enough with the serum that reduced hunger and other needs.

But the day had only just begun, and I needed to eat.

***

The cheap pans sizzled with oil, cooking with a professional's skill. Shen Yifei swayed her waist while humming as she prepared breakfast in a good mood.

"I hope you're hungry... but John, are you sure you can eat?"

"I'm starving, please give me a big service!"

"I'll have rice and some bacon..."

Mu Qinglan cut in and then huffed, turning away when we met eyes. "Hmph!"

Both Jiang Roulan and Yifei seemed a little clingy and worried about me when I reached the table, and not long after, a shy little cat named Mu Qinglan followed.

"Meow!"

"Yin!"

"Who is this cat?" Jiang Roulan asked while petting its soft, fluffy head.

It seemed to have washed since I last saw it, too.

The moment I called his name, the cat dashed across the table and hopped onto my shoulder and gazed at me with a sad aura. His emotions seemed worried about my health and sorry he didn't help.

'Yin... you saved our lives and helped these women survive.'

I couldn't help but think that without taking that path and having Yin's danger sense, that stage-two zombie would have killed me.

Thankfully, he seemed to understand my feelings to some extent and rubbed my palm with his head before curling up and flicking the back of my neck with his fluffy tail.

Bang!

Suddenly the door slammed open and caused the cat and Qinglan to jump, one clawing my shoulder, the other drawing a blade.

'Where did she get that machete?' I wondered.

"What are you doing?! It's me. Don't threaten me with a blade."

Wang Yun just always made himself seem annoying at the worst times.

"Didn't I tell you not to come inside without knocking?"

Shen Yifei mumbled while stirring a second pan without care as she tossed some rice and started making some porridge without seasoning or bacon.

"Sit down."

"Eh... Ah, yeah, sure."

"So what did you come here for, there must be a reason right?"

Despite her snapping and acting tsundere, Qinglan started to speak to Wang Yun in her cold and heartless CEO mode.

"I..." His eyes darted around the room as if looking for something, though they lingered on the hips and chests of the three women first. Until they finally moved to the machete in Qinglan's hand that glistened in the morning sunlight.

"I want a weapon, since its' dangerous... you won't turn me down right?" He started to stutter after meeting my eyes, but didn't give in, which was a little admirable.

"We're a group... right?"

Snap!

I opened up a bottle of whiskey before pouring some into my mouth. A deliciously hot, silky taste washed out the filth that spread from the pig's mouth. The burning sensation comfortable as the honey and caramel taste soaked into my tongue.

"What have you done so far to deserve one of them?"

"Huh? I am a member of this group too!"

Wang Yun looked at everyone but they turned away—even the breakfast was different for him, given a simple porridge while everyone else had eggs, and bacon too.

"Don't be selfish, we all struggled to get them..." The shameless Wang Yun added, looking at Jiang Roulan's chest once again.

'Oh, she noticed...'

BANG!

Suddenly I almost jumped because Mu Qinglan slammed the table.

Yin also ran away.

"What have you done exactly?! Nothing but cower and piss yourself while shouting your self entitled bullshit!?" Her eyes glowed red for a moment before she suddenly calmed down and swallowed her breath, biting her lower lip.

"Sorry, I'm a little..."

She left the table and vanished into my bedroom... her breakfast hardly touched.

I didn't like the atmosphere, and this was my group, so I let out a long sigh and then grabbed one of the cheap baseball bats lying on the sofa beside me.

"Here, it's better than nothing."

"Huh?"

I tossed the bat and shook my head.

"Next time make sure you knock before coming to this apartment."

Wang Yun snatched the bat, before muttering under his breath...

"Damn sluts... dare insult me."

I noticed that Shen Yifei's face twisted, her eyes became sharp when gazing at Wang Yun's back, because we both evolved, that whipser was clear as day. I shook my head with a frown and left the table.

"I'll see to Qinglan... today let's vote later if we're going out together. Oh and... I'll also tell you both what happened yesterday... about Old Lei."

"Mm..."

"See you."

I couldn't forget that my goal was to recruit Jiang Roulan, but I couldn't leave Qinglan in such a state, and she took priority.

***

When I entered the bedroom, I found her sitting on the edge of my bed, kicking her legs while letting a small green crystal with a milky texture roll around her palm.

[Tutorial Hint: That orb is a Zombie Core!]

"A zombie core?"

However, before I could learn more...

"John!" Qinglan exclaimed with an excited voice the moment she saw me, and that's when I noticed her eyes were red, despite it being daytime!

[Tutorial Hint: During times of emotional instability, her persona may switch!]