Zombie Surge: My Ascendancy In Wasteland

Chapter 6

Sofia thought that after reconciling with Eric, her life would finally settle down. She believed she wouldn't have to worry about money or any other troubles again.

That illusion shattered the moment John cornered her at the bottom of Eric's building, just as she was about to deliver the supplies she had worked so hard to gather for Eric.

The delivery driver, sensing trouble brewing, backed away to a safe distance. Before leaving, he had told John, "You can do whatever you want with the woman and her stuff, just don't damage the truck. That'll get us both in trouble."

Now, on a quiet weekday afternoon with few pedestrians around, Sofia reluctantly climbed out of the passenger seat under the sharp, threatening gazes of John and his cronies. She inched along the side of the truck until she was face-to-face with John.

John's sneer was full of contempt as he approached her, his hands stuffed casually into his pockets. "The driver told me about your little call earlier. I was wondering why you've been ignoring me these past few days. Turns out you've gone running back to that worthless screenwriter."

He leaned closer, his tone taunting. "Didn't you say you looked down on him after he got into trouble? You gold-digger. Let me guess... he's got money again, hasn't he?"

Sofia nodded fearfully, unable to meet his gaze.

John raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "Enough money for you to ghost me? Huh. He's got some nerve. So, tell me, in your mind, what's our relationship status now?"

Sofia stammered, her voice trembling. "C... Can we just end it? I'll pay you back later, I promise..."

Slap!

A bright red handprint bloomed on her cheek as she stumbled back against the truck. Then, with a vicious grin, John punched the side of the truck just inches from her head.

"End it? On what grounds?" he snarled. "I've spent a lot of money on you, and now you think you can just walk away? You think it's that easy?"

Sofia trembled, her lips quivering as she tried to speak, but no words came out. Her silence only seemed to fuel John's anger.

"By the way," he said, "what did you just call me?"

"John?" she whispered.

John's expression darkened as he grabbed her throat, his grip tightening until her feet nearly left the ground.

"Wrong answer. Try again."

Sofia choked, unable to speak.

"What do you call me?"

"Master, I'm sorry... Master."

Only then did John's lips curl into a satisfied smirk. He loosened his grip, letting her collapse back against the truck, gasping for air. "That's better," he said, his tone smug. "A few days away, and you've already forgotten your place."

"Until I say it's over, our relationship will never end. Got it?"

Just then, the rumbling sound of a truck echoed through the street. John instinctively began to turn his head toward the noise, but before he could fully react, Sofia broke free from his grip, bolting toward the truck.

"Eric! You're finally here! Save me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

When Eric and Cormac arrived, they saw John choking Sofia. Eric felt a flicker of satisfaction deep inside. But he couldn't let that show.

First, he needed to keep up appearances for Sofia, manipulating her further. Second, John's presence demanded seriousness.

Eric and Cormac exchanged a quick glance before stepping out of the truck, their movements tense. Both of them took in the sight of Sofia, tear-streaked and trembling.

"Sofia," Eric said, his voice sharp, "didn't you tell me you had nothing to do with John? Why is he after you now?"

"Honey, I don't want anything to do with him! He's just obsessed with harassing me!"

On the other side, John didn't even flinch at Sofia's lies. He kept his glare locked on Eric, his eyes full of hatred. "You sleazy screenwriter, still using this woman to get what you want, huh?"

Eric shoved Sofia aside, stepping forward to face John, the man who had once killed him. His voice turned cold and mocking. "I've been using her for a while now. She's well-seasoned at this point. When you used her, did you taste my leftovers? Did it make you feel special?"

John, already furious from Sofia's betrayal and Eric's taunts, snapped. With a growl, he grabbed a stick from the ground and charged straight at Eric.

Eric had been waiting for this. He gripped a crowbar in one hand, holding it in plain sight, but his real weapon—a stun gun—was hidden under his jacket, ready for when John got close enough.

Despite his preparation, a knot of fear twisted in Eric's stomach.

He couldn't shake the memory of his previous life when John had led a group into his home and nearly beaten him to death.

That raw, terrifying strength was burned into Eric's mind, and even now, he felt a flicker of that same dread.

But before John could get too close, Cormac stepped in.

Moving with the precision of a trained soldier, Cormac intercepted John's charge effortlessly. Before John could even react, Cormac swung his baseball bat with brutal force, striking John square in the abdomen.

John doubled over, saliva flying from his mouth as he gasped for air. He instinctively raised his stick to retaliate, but Cormac was faster. With another quick swing, he knocked the stick clean out of John's hands.

Without hesitation, Cormac dropped his bat and closed the distance. His fist slammed into John's face with a sickening crack, followed by a powerful kick to his stomach that sent John staggering backward. He then grabbed John, executed a flawless takedown move, and slammed him into the ground with enough force to leave him completely immobilized.

Not only were John's lackeys stunned by what they had just witnessed, but even Eric found himself confused—though not because of Cormac's fighting skills.

Cormac was undeniably skilled, but Eric's confusion stemmed from something else entirely. Based on his memories, John's combat abilities had been far beyond those of an average person. In his previous life, John had been able to overpower men with ease, especially someone like Eric, who had no real fighting experience. Yet here he was, taken down by Cormac in just two moves.

And then it hit Eric—John's physique.

In his past life, John had been a walking mountain of muscle, his body more impressive than a professional bodybuilder's. But the John standing before him now was strong, sure, but in a normal way—nothing extraordinary, nothing that would make him stand out in a crowd.

Eric's mind raced. 'What's going on? Could such a drastic change have happened in just over a month?'

'Did the apocalypse somehow affect John's body? Is it similar to how I have reincarnated?'

Before Eric could think any further, John staggered to his feet and retreated back to the safety of his gang's circle.

"Get them!" John barked, ordering his men to attack Eric and Cormac. But none of the ten or so lackeys moved. They had all seen how easily Cormac had taken down their boss, and the fear in their eyes was obvious.

"Bunch of useless cowards," John spat. He turned his glare back to Eric. "Remember this, Eric. I'll let you off today, but as long as you're in Baroville, don't think you'll ever live in peace! Even if you manage to make a comeback, I'll ruin you again—just like we did the first time!"

At this, Cormac gave Eric a questioning look, his expression unreadable. Eric, however, froze in place, stunned by the unexpected revelation. John's words hinted at something Eric hadn't considered before. It seemed John had been involved in the false accusation of leaking trade secrets that had destroyed his career in his previous life—or, at the very least, he knew something about it. But before Eric could press for answers, John turned and fled, his gang following close behind.

Eric then turned to Sofia, who was still standing near the truck, her neck red from John's earlier grip. "Did you get all the supplies? John didn't damage anything, did he?"

Sofia, who had just started to calm down, immediately perked up. Her voice turned soft and coquettish as she rushed to respond, "Honey, why don't you ask about me? John gave me such a hard time just now."

Eric responded dismissively, "Sofia, I feel bad too, but our main goal right now is to gain Auntie's trust. Without that, how could we possibly be together?"

He gestured toward Cormac. "Look at him. If my aunt didn't give me such a good bodyguard, John would've killed me just now."

Sofia pouted, her voice taking on a fake sweetness that barely masked the resentment and malice beneath. "Fine..."

Eric ignored her entirely and turned his attention to the truck, starting to check the supplies with Cormac.

Normally, Eric wasn't the type to worry about details. Sofia had always handled the food and daily essentials, and he had trusted her to take care of things. But the betrayal he'd suffered in his previous life had made him far more cautious and alert.

Fifteen minutes later, his caution paid off.

Sofia stood nearby, nervous, as Eric went through the items. It didn't take long for him to notice several expensive, important items missing from the haul. To make matters worse, many of the brand-name products he had specifically requested had been swapped out for cheap knockoffs.

Eric was speechless for a moment. He glanced at Cormac, giving him a look that said everything without words. Cormac immediately understood, setting down the supplies and turning to confront Sofia.

Over the past two days, Eric had told Cormac everything about his situation with Sofia. It had been a way to vent his frustrations.

"Sofia," Cormac said sharply, his voice filled with authority, "what's the meaning of this? Are you trying to fool Mr. Whitman with this junk?"

Sofia's face turned pale as she frantically shook her head, her voice rising in panic. "I didn't! I wouldn't dare! There were just so many things to buy... I ran out of money!"

"Bullshit!" Cormac snapped, cutting her off. "You think we haven't looked into you? This isn't about money—you just didn't want to spend it!"

He stepped closer, his tone growing colder. "Let me make one thing clear. Don't think Mr. Whitman can protect you. Around here, only Madam's words matter. So don't try to be clever. Got it?"

"Y-Yes... I understand..." Sofia stammered.

"If you still want to be part of this family," Cormac continued, "then go buy the items you were supposed to get. Right now."

Hearing this, Sofia looked like she had just been granted a pardon. She nodded rapidly and hurried off to purchase the missing supplies.

Eric clicked his tongue in amusement as he watched her scurry away. "How absurd. Turns out some decent women are willing to be slaves behind closed doors for what they want."