Cherreads

Chapter 25 - Chapter 25- Hand

Julian's eyes fluttered open to the pale light of dawn filtering through the broken city skyline. He felt the steady rise and fall of Aya's breathing beside him, her face serene in sleep, her hand still resting lightly on his chest.

For a brief moment, he allowed himself to watch her peaceful expression, but then a spike of worry cut through the calm, he had fallen asleep while on watch.

He sat up carefully so as not to wake Aya and scanned the surroundings. With a thought, he activated his Domination skill, reaching out to the zombies he had stationed in the shadows around their campsite. He checked every angle, the perimeter was still clear. No threats had approached in the night.

That was careless, he scolded himself silently. I can't let my guard down again. We don't know when something stronger than zombies will attack.

A soft chime echoed in his mind, and a virtual panel flickered before his eyes.

[Domination Quest Progress]

Objective: Aya Claint

Kiss her neck: 3/3 (Complete)

Creampie: 5/5 (Complete)

Take her Virginity: 1/1 (Complete)

[Aya Claint – Domination: 100% – COMPLETE]

Congratulations! You have completed the quest.

[Reward will be granted.]

Julian's gaze snapped down to Aya. Faintly visible just above her navel, peeking from under her shirt, was the Slave Mark, proof of their bond.

Another notification flashed.

[Slave Aya has acquired: Eagle Shoot : Drastically increases accuracy when using bows or ranged weapons.]

Julian's eyes widened. A second skill? I thought people could only awaken one…

As he stood, the others began stirring in their tents. Clarissa peeked out first, hair slightly tousled, and gave him a soft smile. "Good morning, Julian."

Emma emerged next, stretching with a sleepy yawn. She eyed him with a teasing smirk. "Morning… but next time, could you two keep it down? Some of us were trying to sleep."

Veronica followed, arms crossed and looking annoyed. "Seriously, I thought a horde of zombies was attacking with all the noise you two were making."

Julian regarded them evenly, an eyebrow raised. His tone came out flat, but with a hint of amusement. "Are you jealous?"

Their eyes widened simultaneously, cheeks flushing red.

"N-no!" Clarissa stammered.

"D-don't be ridiculous!" Emma snapped.

"Who'd be jealous of that?!" Veronica shot back, voice a pitch too high.

Julian's eyes glinted with dark intent. Without another word, he stepped forward and firmly took the hands of all three girls. Their protests died on their lips as he guided them back toward the largest tent.

A moment later, muffled giggles, gasps, and the unmistakable sounds of intimacy began to rise softly into the morning air, blending with the distant, eerie moans of zombies drifting across the ruined city.

The morning sunlight filtered down on the group as they sat in a circle, sharing a modest breakfast. The four women looked utterly spent, cheeks still faintly flushed and eyes heavy from their intense morning with Julian. Meanwhile, he ate calmly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Between bites, Julian checked his notifications and noticed a new skill had unlocked.

[New Skill Acquired: Energy Infusion, restore your partners' stamina and energy through intimate contact.]

He smirked to himself. So that's why they could keep up for so long… or maybe it drained them instead of restoring them. Still, this skill could be useful in the future.

"Aya, does your body feel… strange anywhere?"

Aya blinked, cheeks reddening slightly. "Um… there's a bit of pain… down there," she admitted softly, glancing away.

Julian exhaled "I… might have been too rough."

Aya shook her head quickly, her hair swaying. "No, it's okay. Really..."

Then her eyes widened as she checked her status screen, gasping softly. "I… I have two skills now…"

Julian looked at her with a small, proud smile. "It might be because you had two natural talents, but only one had awakened before. Thanks to my Domination skill, your hidden potential surfaced."

Aya's gaze turned to him, wonder and gratitude shining in her eyes. "So… it's because of you…"

Julian nodded, his expression calm but firm. "Yes. And with both your skills, you'll be even more important to the team."

After they finished eating, Julian signaled for everyone to pack up. "Let's move out."

As they walked through the ruined streets, Clarissa pulled out her smartphone, tapping the screen in frustration. "No signal… I guess I was hoping for a miracle."

Julian glanced back at her. "The cellular towers probably went down when the city fell into chaos. Either the power grid collapsed or the infrastructure was damaged, maybe both."

Veronica snorted, flipping her hair. "No wonder no one picked up when I tried calling my family."

Julian paused, his curiosity piqued. "Where do they live? We can look for them on the way."

Veronica hesitated, then looked away. "They're overseas."

The rest of the group stopped in their tracks, eyes wide.

"You're really half-foreign?" Emma blurted out. "I thought that was just some made-up rumor!"

Veronica's eyes flared. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you worried about them?"

Veronica crossed her arms with a confident huff. "They'll be fine. Our house has more guns than some police stations."

Emma's eyes widened even more. "Oh my god…"

Their conversation drifted into playful banter, easing the tension as they continued their march through the eerie, abandoned neighborhoods.

Eventually, they arrived in front of a modest, two-story house, Aya's home. Aya's hands trembled as she reached for the doorknob, but Julian stepped forward, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Careful. Let me go first."

Julian pushed the door open slowly, katana at the ready. The house was eerily quiet, each step creaking across the polished wooden floors. They searched every room, but there was no sign of anyone. No blood, no bodies.

Aya's knees buckled, tears streaming down her face. "They're gone… I was too late…"

Julian crouched down beside her, his voice low but resolute. "Don't lose hope yet. There are no signs of a struggle here. No blood. No signs of a zombie attack."

Clarissa knelt beside a doorway, running her fingers over some faint scuffs on the floor. "Look at these marks, looks like bullet casings were here. And these footprints… big, heavy. They look like military boots."

Julian's eyes hardened. "That means they were evacuated by the army. Your family might still be safe."

Aya's sobs turned into gasping relief. Emma wrapped her in a warm hug, whispering comfort as Aya clung to her.

Once Aya calmed down, the group gathered in the living room.

Julian addressed them firmly. "Next, we head to Emma's house. From there, we'll make our way to the military base. It's our best shot at finding safety, and Aya's family."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Before they left, Aya wiped her eyes and led them to a locked storage room. "There's some equipment here that might help us."

They packed several boxes of tools, cooking tools, and survival gear into Julian's Inventory. Once everything was secured, they stepped out into the morning light, determination shining in their eyes.

Their journey continued, toward Emma's home.

They moved carefully along the cracked asphalt streets, weaving between burnt-out cars and overturned barricades. The city around them was a husk of its former self, quiet, yet pregnant with danger.

Suddenly, guttural groans echoed from the shadows. Shapes shambled out: a small horde of zombies, maybe ten or fifteen. At first, they looked like regular walkers, until something larger stepped forward.

It was a towering figure, nearly eight feet tall, its flesh blackened and pulsing with dark veins. Both its arms had fused into a pair of massive, curved blades, jagged, bone-like scythes dripping with black ichor. Its eyes glowed faintly red.

Julian narrowed his eyes. "That… looks like a mutated zombie. Everyone, battle positions!"

Clarissa's eyes flashed. She spread her arms and began lifting debris and loose stones with her telekinesis, floating them around herself like a protective halo.

Emma ignited her hands with swirling, concentrated flames, her breath steadying as she prepared to strike.

Aya readied her bow, pulling an arrow with fluid precision, the tip glinting in the morning light.

Veronica's golden aura erupted around her. "Enchantment: Speed Boost!" she called, buffing herself first, then Julian.

The regular zombies lunged forward. Julian dashed to meet them, his katana a blur of steel and shadow. He weaved between their grasping hands, each swing severing limbs and splitting skulls with clean, practiced strikes. His shadows danced around him, forming sharp tendrils that skewered zombies trying to flank him.

"Clarissa, keep the big one occupied!" Julian barked.

Clarissa raised both hands, and a pile of broken concrete slabs shot forward, slamming into the mutant zombie's legs. It staggered but roared, slashing its massive bladed arms to shatter the telekinetic projectiles.

"Emma, now!" Clarissa shouted.

Emma charged, flames condensed around her fists. She leaped high, hammering both blazing hands into the creature's chest. Superheated fire exploded point-blank, forcing the monster to stagger back, shrieking.

Aya's eyes narrowed, breathing slow and measured. She fired a volley of arrows, each one piercing the foreheads of regular zombies with pinpoint accuracy. Blood misted the air as her shots thinned the horde.

The mutant recovered, swinging its scythe-arms with terrifying force. Julian ducked low, shadows swirling beneath him, and zipped behind the monster. "Veronica, now!"

Veronica rushed in, enchanting Julian's blade with a shimmering red aura. "Enchantment: Piercing Strike!"

Julian's katana flashed crimson. He lunged, his blade plunging deep into the mutant's chest, severing its spine. The creature roared, flailing wildly, but Clarissa pinned its limbs with a psychic grip. Emma moved in again, pouring another torrent of searing fire into its gaping wounds.

Aya took a deep breath and loosed one final arrow. It flew true, punching through the creature's eye and deep into its brain.

The mutant zombie's body shuddered violently, its roar cutting off with a gurgle as it toppled to the street, dead at last.

For a moment, the world was still.

But as they gathered, Julian noticed something glinting inside the mutant's split-open torso. He stepped closer, frowning, a severed human hand was lodged in the beast's gut, its flesh fresh, as if torn off moments before death.

Clarissa and aya gagged and looked away, face pale. Emma and Veronica turned, eyes wide with disgust.

Julian's expression hardened. They're not just spreading infection anymore… they're hunting us.

Julian picked up the crystal, and it pulsed faintly with a deep crimson glow, almost like a heartbeat.

He held it carefully, feeling a subtle warmth radiating from its surface.

Without hesitation, he slid it into his inventory with a silent command. The crystal shimmered once before vanishing into the dark space of his personal storage.

He looked up, eyes scanning the empty streets, senses sharp. "Let's move," he said quietly. "We can't stay here."

The group pressed on, but exhaustion was clear on their faces. Julian took note of every heavy step and ragged breath. When they came upon a small, empty house with boarded windows and an intact roof, he raised a hand.

"Let's rest here," he ordered.

They moved inside, tense and silent. Julian summoned his dominated zombies outside, ordering them specifically, patrol the perimeter, kill anything that approached, and raise an alert if they sensed danger.

Inside, Veronica's eyes lit up as she twisted a rusty faucet and found water still ran, though weakly. "There's water here!" she exclaimed, almost childishly excited.

They each took turns washing off the blood and grime of the battle. When they finished, Julian took the initiative, using his Energy Infusion skill. One by one, he drew each of his partners into a quiet moment of intimacy, channeling revitalizing energy into them, feeling their fatigue melt away, replaced with warm sperm, and steady strength.

When they were done, the girls and julian fell into deep, peaceful sleep.

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