Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 89: What Stupid Secrets.

Chapter 89: What Stupid Secrets.

He stopped and turned to face Scarlett, his voice lowering to a near growl. "The choice is yours."

Scarlett remained silent, her heart pounding in her chest as the tension in the room thickened.

What choice? Maya whispered into Scarlett’s ear, her voice laced with urgency. We’re not choosing anything, so let’s get the hell out of here.

Scarlett’s eyes flicked to Louise, whose expression mirrored Maya’s anxiety.

"What should we do, Scarlett?" Louise asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his gaze fixed on her with a mix of curiosity and worry. "Are we accepting their options and agreeing to live by their rules?"

Scarlett’s mind raced. This place is really creepy... but I can’t help thinking we might discover some secrets here, she thought to herself.

Ding!

{If that’s the case, host, then go for it. You’re right, there are several secrets to be discovered here.}

Maya, Louise, Larry, Ethan, and Garvin all had their gazes locked on Scarlett, waiting for her decision. Only Kato stood apart, his sharp eyes trained on Austin, carefully studying every movement he made, while occasionally glancing at the other free citizens bustling about.

After a long silence, Kato suddenly spoke, his voice cutting through the tension. "Of course, we choose to be monster slayers," he said confidently, drawing startled looks from the group.

The group turned sharply to Kato, their mouth slightly agape.

"Are you crazy?" Maya snapped, her voice trembling with anger. "Fine, we’re be monster slayers, but why would we do that here of all places?"

Kato ignored her outburst, a smirk spreading across his face as he stepped forward, folding his arms over his chest. "So, what’s the third rule?" he asked, his tone smug and challenging.

Austin’s lips curled into a grin. "Since you’ve chosen to be monster slayers, you’re now part of my administration," he declared, his voice booming with authority. "It’s been a while since anyone volunteered for this role. I’m impressed."

Maya’s anger boiled over. "I haven’t chosen to be part of your organization," she interjected sharply, her eyes narrowing.

Austin raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. "What exactly should I believe?" he asked, his voice tinged with mock curiosity.

"Just follow whatever I tell you," Kato interrupted with a confident smirk.

Austin chuckled, his gaze shifting back to the group. "Okay then. But let me make something clear. Free citizens here are allowed to be with anyone they choose, but monster slayers... well, that’s a different story. Monster slayers can only be with others like them. And as the leader of this organization, I have a unique privilege, every female here, whether a monster slayer or a free citizen, belongs to me. If I choose a woman as my queen, she is mine alone, and no one else has the right to even look at her."

Garvin’s face contorted with disgust. "The more I hear, the more it sounds like your entire organization revolves around... sex," he said, his voice dripping with disdain.

Austin laughed loudly, his amusement filling the room. "Sex is fun, my friend. That’s why none of the free citizens wear much of anything to make it easy for everyone to see what they want and go for it. Here, we celebrate life: drinking, partying, and yes, sex. Every night is a party, and a party without sex? That’s no party at all!"

Austin’s laughter died down, and his tone shifted to one of stern authority. "Now that you’re part of my team, well, not officially part of my organization yet as you’ll have to prove yourselves. Only after passing the test will you truly rule this place alongside me."

Scarlett’s brow furrowed, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "And what’s this test?" she asked cautiously.

Austin smirked, clearly enjoying the mystery. "That, my dear, is a secret. You’ll find out when the time comes. Patience is a virtue, after all." He stepped toward the door, but not before adding, "There’s a meeting tonight for monster slayers. I expect you all to attend. In the meantime, feel free to move around and get acquainted with the free citizens. If you need to speak with me, just ask one of the members to take you to my office."

With that, Austin strode out of the room, leaving an oppressive silence in his wake.

Maya was the first to break it. "Are we seriously staying here?" she hissed, her voice trembling with frustration. "We could leave and move freely across the world, slaying monsters without being shackled by these ridiculous rules."

Kato chuckled darkly, his gaze locking onto Maya. "Are you that naive?" he asked, his voice low but firm. "There’s more to this place than meets the eye. Staying here will reveal truths we couldn’t discover anywhere else."

Maya rolled her eyes, her face flushed with anger. "What stupid secrets? He’s just a creep with a god complex! Sure, these people seem happy, but that doesn’t mean there’s some grand mystery to uncover." Her gaze swept over the room, lingering on the carefree expressions of the free citizens. "They’re not forced to stay, they’re choosing this."

Kato’s smirk widened. "Fine. If you want to run away and live your life like a caged bird pretending to be free, go ahead. But as for me and Scarlett, I assume we’re staying. We’re going to slay monsters and uncover whatever this place is hiding."

Without waiting for a response, Kato turned and approached a free citizen, a tall woman with a confident air about her. Maya stood frozen in place, her hands clenched into fists, her face a deep shade of crimson.

"Hey, beautiful. Is there a room where someone can rest?" Kato asked, his voice carrying a deliberate flirtatious tone.

The woman smiled, her expression matching his energy. "Oh yes, handsome. Just head up the stairs and choose any room that isn’t already taken by a citizen. Everything you need will be there."

"Alright, thank you," Kato replied, flashing a charming smile. His gaze lingered on her bare body for a brief moment before he turned away and walked towards the stairs.

The group watched him go, their lips twitching in a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

"Great, just what we need," Maya muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. "Kato hitting on the citizens. Why am I not surprised? All men are senseless."

Scarlett chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Relax, Maya. He’s just trying to blend in."

"Blend in?" Maya snorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "He’s practically drooling all over her. What else should I expect? The men here can’t think straight when there are women walking around completely naked. No wonder Kato doesn’t want us to leave. It’s probably been ages since he’s seen a naked woman in person. He’d definitely want a taste, and I’m sure it won’t take long before one of these men ends up breaking a rule and becoming monster food."

Larry, who had been leaning casually against a nearby pillar, raised a hand in mock protest. "Hey, not all men are like that, thank you very much. Don’t lump me in with the rest."

Before Maya could retort, Garvin, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke up. "You know," he began, his voice calm and measured, "I think Kato might actually be onto something here. We do need to get a feel for this place and its people. And if that means getting a little closer to the locals, then so be it."

Maya shot him a sharp look, her eyebrows arching high. "Are you seriously suggesting that we start... hooking up with these people?"

Garvin shrugged, his expression unreadable. "I’m just saying we should keep an open mind. We don’t know how things work here yet, or what kind of information we might be able to gather by earning their trust. Building connections could be key."

Scarlett folded her arms and nodded thoughtfully. "Garvin’s right, Maya. We need to be strategic. If forming alliances with the citizens can help us, then it’s a move we might have to make."

Maya let out a long sigh and threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine, whatever. I’ll play along, but I’m not promising anything. The moment things get too weird, I’m out."

"Anyway," Garvin added, his voice firm but not unkind, "we shouldn’t expect the citizens to just hand over the answers we need. From what Austin said, betrayal is considered a grave sin here punishable by severe consequences. For now, we should focus on laying low and observing. Listen more, speak less. You can learn a lot by just paying attention."

Scarlett gave a curt nod, her voice taking on a commanding edge. "Agreed. Let’s do just that. Austin did mention there’s a party every night, so we’ll have plenty of opportunities to gather information. Until then, we should get some rest in one of the available rooms. We’ll need our strength for whatever comes next."

The group nodded in agreement, the tension between them settling for the moment. Together, they began moving toward the stairs, following in Kato’s footsteps and leaving the noisy chatter of the crowd behind.