Chapter 41: You're quite skilled are you?

where they were all waiting for us. They looked at us with a mix of hope, curiosity, and fear.

"Alright, who wants to take care of cooking, medicine, crafting, and other tasks?" I asked, scanning the crowd. Four women stepped forward, raising their hands. They looked eager and willing to learn new skills.

"And who will stay and train to become soldiers?" I asked, looking for volunteers. Three women stepped forward, nodding their heads. They looked brave and determined to fight.

"I assume that those women who didn't choose anything chosen to take care of the farm and animals correct?"

They nodded as they step forward and go to their group, which is lead by Jenny.

"Alright, those who have chosen to be soldiers will be given these weapons," I said, showing them the array of weapons. "As you show improvement and loyalty, you'll be granted better weapons. You'll also receive more food than the others, considering the risks you'll be facing. That's the new rule here now."

The group absorbed the new information, some looking relieved while others seemed to contemplate the implications of my decision.

"H-hey..." one of them hesitated for a moment, "How come the women have the right to chose? Why can't we choose what we want to do?" He asked, sounding discontented.

"Yeah, he's right!"

"It's unfair!"

I sighed, knowing this would happen. I had to explain my reasoning to them.

"Now, now, I did ask you all to write down your occupation the other day. Two of them stood out as useful - Jacob, the engineer, and Roy, the vet," I explained, pointing at them.

Jacob and Roy stepped forward, each with their own concerns. "Um... Souta, right? Though I wrote engineer, what I actually specialize in is electrical engineering. I'm afraid you might have mistaken me for a civil engineer who builds houses," Jacob clarified.

I nodded, taking in the information. "I see... that's still useful enough. We have a lot of electrical devices and machines in our base. You can help us maintain and improve them."

Roy gave a confident nod, appreciating the opportunity. "And I'm a vet, not a doctor. I can treat animals, but I'm not sure about humans," he said.

I smiled, reassuring him. "Don't worry, human bodies and animals are mostly identical, right? So I'll put you in charge of the medical tasks here. You'll also help us take care of the animals we have in our farm."

I then addressed the group again, trying to calm them down. "You all don't have to worry. As soldiers, you'll be part of our team, and you'll have a say in our decisions. You'll also have the opportunity to kill the zombies that threaten our existence. You'll be heroes, not slaves." I then glare at them.

"You all are men, and you should have the pride to protect the weak women noh? That's our duty as a men!" I shouted then

I looked at the retired mercenary, who was standing in the corner.

I walked over to him, handing him a pistol. "I'll be expecting great things from you. You can call me Souta."

He took the pistol, examining it. He looked at me with a smirk. "Oh? Why would you give me a pistol? Aren't you afraid that I might shoot you as soon as you turn around?" He asked, jokingly.

I matched his smirk, not backing down. "You wouldn't do that, you know fully well how powerless you were in the past few days. Even if you kill me now, you won't get anything, just me being dead, and you being shot after you shoot me. And you know fully well what will happen to your people when that happens, right?" I said, confidently.

He laughed, appreciating my challenge. "You're a smart one, I'll give you that. Call me Roger," he offered his hand for a handshake.

I took his hand, feeling his grip. "Okay, Roger, I'll be counting on you," I said, sincerely.

With the preparations complete, I informed them that we would return the next day to deliver food. They nodded, understanding the deal. We boarded the trucks, along with the women and children who would join us, and headed back to the mansion.

I showed the new arrivals to their rooms, where they could rest and settle in. The previous night, they had slept on the living room floor, with the girls taking turns to watch over them. They looked tired and grateful for the hospitality.

I also introduced Jenny as their leader. She is a kind person. She welcomed the newcomers warmly and explained their duties, the others who is in charged to take care of them also did so.

We had lunch together, enjoying the fresh and delicious food. Jenny approached me with a concern.

"Souta, the food for the animals is running out. We've been using the dead crops as a substitute, but they won't last long. And we need the dead crops for fertilizers too," Jenny informed me.

I contemplated the situation. We needed to find more animal food soon, or our livestock would starve. "If that's the case, we should loot a nearby village first. If they don't have animal food, we'll head to the shopping district."

Amy, who was sitting next to me, perked up. She was curious. She really loves to explore new places and find new things. "Are we going to the shopping district?" She asked, excitedly.

I explained, "Not immediately. It's too dangerous for us right now. We need more manpower, so we'll spend the next three weeks training everyone before we attempt to loot the shopping district."

Amy nodded, understanding the risk. She was still eager to go, but she was also willing to wait. "Alright!" She said, cheerfully.

After lunch, we spoke to the new arrivals and asked them if they knew of a village with skilled hunters. All of them pointed to a village near the forest, a few kilometers away from theirs.

Intrigued, I planned for us to visit the village in the next three days. Maybe we could recruit some hunters to join us, or if there's none, we could still loot their supplies. Three days passed quickly, and we prepared for the journey, loading into three vehicles—a motorcycle and two trucks.

Before going to our destination, we stopped by the farm, where the men were staying. We gave them their food and checked on their progress. They looked bored and restless, but they were also improving their skills.

Roger, the retired mercenary, noticed our equipment. He was the most cynical and defiant among them. He had a sarcastic and challenging tone. "You seem to be well equipped. Are you going somewhere?" He asked, casually.

I gave him a cold stare, warning him "Don't you think doing something funny" I said with a cold stare at him

He laughed, "Like hell I would, you already expect this, that's why you came here first, and you wouldn't leave your base wide open"

"Hmp" it was a bluff, I need more man power for the journey, and left the mansion wide open as I walk away and continue their journey.

We drove for about an hour until we reached the village described by the women. It was a small village nestled near the forest. It looked peaceful and quiet, but we knew it was infested with zombies. We parked our vehicles near the entrance and took a break for lunch. We ate some canned food and drank some water, replenishing our energy.

After lunch, we ventured deeper into the forest, following the road. We had to be careful, as zombies could be hiding behind the trees or bushes. We proceeded cautiously, keeping our weapons ready.

As we delved further into the forest, the number of zombies increased. We encountered some slow zombies, who were easy to kill with our knives and axes. We also encountered some fast zombies, who were more agile and dangerous. We had to use our guns to shoot them down, but we also had to conserve our bullets.

Finally, we reached the village we were seeking. It was a small village with a population of less than 500. It had a few shops, a school, a church, and a lot of houses. It looked like a normal village, except for the blood and corpses everywhere.

We exited our vehicles and faced a swarm of zombies. They had sensed our presence and came out of their hiding places. They were hungry and aggressive, and they attacked us without hesitation.

We swiftly engaged, employing our combat skills to stab, slice, and shoot the undead. We worked as a team, covering each other and taking out the zombies one by one. The zombies this time seemed to have a lot of fast zombies. That's why we had no choice but to use our guns.

After approximately half an hour, most of the zombies had been eliminated, and we began looting the houses. We split into three groups, each taking a different direction. We searched for anything useful, such as food, water, medicine, weapons, and tools.

Within a short time, we found two guns in one of the houses. They were a revolver and a shotgun, both in good condition. We also found some bullets and shells, which we added to our ammo supply.

We continued our search, and after looting around ten houses, we found five more guns. They were three shotguns and two hunting rifles, all in decent condition. We also found two air guns, which were not very powerful, but could still be used for hunting small animals. And we found five daggers, which were sharp and handy. We used the airguns in the past but mostly aiming at their eyes which is soft.

"This is quite a haul," I remarked, pleased with our findings. We had increased our firepower and our weapon variety. We could use these weapons to train the new recruits and to fight the zombies.

While I complimented our progress, a zombie suddenly appeared behind me. It had been hiding under a bed, and it lunged at me with its teeth bared. Nana swiftly shot it down with her crossbow, hitting it in the head.

"Thanks, Nana. You saved me," I said, grateful for her quick reaction.

"You're welcome, Souta. You're getting better with that crossbow, Nana," I commended her.

She smiled, proud of her skill. "It's because my teacher is good at teaching," she said, referring to me.

I had taught her how to use the crossbow, as she had shown interest in it. She had a good eye and a steady hand, and she had improved a lot in a short time. She was becoming a valuable member of our team.

Amidst our loot, we stumbled upon a large house. It was bigger and fancier than the other houses, and it had a sign that said "Chief's House". It looked like the house of the village leader, or maybe the richest person in the village.

Amy, who was curious and adventurous, asked, "Is this the chief's house?"

Shana, who was logical and analytical, replied, "Maybe, maybe not. It could be a trap, or it could be a treasure. There's only one way to find out."

She walked towards the house, ready to explore it. We followed her, curious and cautious. We hoped to find something valuable, or at least something interesting.

We broke through the gate and entered the house, which had two floors. It was the largest and fanciest house in the village, and it belonged to the chief. We hoped to find something valuable, or at least something interesting.

We explored the first floor, encountering a lone zombie. It was slow and weak, and we quickly dispatched it with a knife. However, we found nothing of value. The first floor was mostly empty, except for some furniture and clothes.

We moved on to the second floor, hoping for better luck. I opened a door and discovered a group of people hiding, ready to fight. They were not zombies, but survivors. They had barricaded themselves in the room, hoping to escape the undead.

One of the men pointed a pistol at me, demanding, "Hands up!"

I complied, raising my hands. I didn't want to start a fight, but I also didn't want to give up. The man ordered his companions, "Search him."

Two men approached me, confiscating my weapons. They took my gun, my knife, and katana. However, I smiled confidently.

Meanwhile, Steff swiftly climbed up the house and sneaked into the room through the window. He caught the group by surprise, causing a child to scream. He grabbed the child and held a knife to his throat. He warned them, "If you don't want this child to die, put your guns down."

Shana and the others entered the room, pointing their guns at the group. They had heard the scream and came to help me. They outnumbered and outgunned the group. Only one man still held a weapon.

He was the man who had pointed a gun at me. He looked at me with a defiant glare. He refused to surrender.

I sensed an opportunity, and I ran towards him. I delivered a kick to his stomach, making him drop his gun. He groaned in pain, and I knocked him out with a punch. The others swiftly restrained the remaining individuals.

I singled out the man who had pointed a gun at me, slapping him to wake him up. He regained consciousness, acknowledging my tactics.

"You're quite a young man, aren't you? For a kid to detain me like this," he said, smirking.

I looked at him closely. He was not a hunter, but a soldier. He had a military uniform, and a dog tag. He was experienced and skilled, but he was also arrogant and stubborn.

"Let me guess, you dressed like this for them to follow you noh? After all with a military they would surely attract by it thinking it is the right choice" I said and he smirk again.

I decided to make him an offer. "Okay, enough bullshit, I can see that you know what you're doing. For being just a soldier, you're quite knowledgeable." I inquired.

The man laughed and responded, "Why thank you" he said smiling

I decided to cut to the chase. "I want to make this easier for you guys. I want you to work for me," I proposed. "In exchange, I'll provide you with food, safe shelter, and weapons. How does that sound?"

The man looked at me with interest. He seemed to consider my offer. He asked, "From the sounds of it, it seems you've already offered this deal to a few people, huh?"

I grinned. "Yes, you know the retired mercenary in the next village? He's already working for me."

The man laughed again. "That guy? I know him. He's an old friend of mine. Alright, if he's really working for you, then I'll join as well."

Surprised, I asked, "You two know each other?"

"We used to work for the same person in the old days," the man revealed.

I untied him, feeling curious about his past. "Well, nice working with you. My name is Souta. Roger will fill you in on everything when we get there," I introduced myself.

"Alright, my name is Rex," the man—now known as Rex—responded.

Fan fuct, Souta already know that there's an ambush because of the one zombie on the first floor, the zombie was a indicator that if he reacted people from the second floor will get ready for the people who will come.