Prospective Employees

"Alright, alright… don't shoot!" Viper shouted, his voice trembling.

"We were just illegal parking attendants before… but then zombies appeared, and wild beasts tore through the city. We met Boss Roger and became part of his group," Viper explained quickly, spilling all the information without hesitation.

Adam narrowed his eyes. "Tell me about Roger's group," he demanded, yanking Viper's hair harder, forcing him to speak more clearly.

"Boss Roger formed a group called the Doomsday Army, sir. They recruit anyone willing to join them. They loot resources and… save people." Viper's voice faltered at the end, clearly hiding something.

Adam's gaze sharpened. "What kind of person is Boss Roger? Is he really a savior?" he asked, his tone filled with suspicion.

Viper hesitated, but when he saw the gun barrel shift slightly toward him, he quickly opened his mouth.

"Boss Roger has powers, sir! He can control fireballs! He also…" Viper swallowed hard, reluctant to continue, but in the end, he gave in.

"He orders us to find women… to be his playthings."

The bald man beside him shot Viper a shocked look, but the pain in his body kept him from saying anything.

Adam could only shake his head, taking a deep breath before stepping toward the back of the room.

Viper, now released, felt a brief moment of relief—only for it to vanish instantly.

His gaze met the bald man's, and in that split second, terror washed over the bald man's face.

Srekkk!

In an instant, Viper's head was split open. Blood sprayed through the air as his body collapsed with a dull thud.

"Arghhh!"

The two women hiding in the corner screamed in horror, shutting their eyes, unable to witness the gruesome sight.

Still standing beside Viper's lifeless corpse, Adam flicked the blood off his machete before shifting his gaze to the bald man.

He took a slow step forward.

"You asked me something earlier, didn't you?" Adam's voice was cold. "Have I ever had a woman?"

The bald man shivered, his face drained of all color.

"N-no… Please… Kid, I beg you…" he whimpered, his eyes wide with terror. He finally understood—he had insulted the wrong person.

Adam smirked faintly. "Relax… how does it feel to live without that 'precious thing' you bragged about?"

Without waiting for an answer, he swung his machete.

Srak!

The bald man's scream tore through the air. Blood gushed as his body convulsed in agony.

"No!!!"

"Please!!"

A few more slashes later, Adam finally felt satisfied.

He glanced at the man's face, now twisted in fear and agony, before delivering the final blow.

Srekkk!

His head split from the right ear to the left, dropping to the floor with a heavy thud as blood pooled beneath him.

Adam exhaled slowly, his eyes locked onto the corpses before him.

"How can people be this vile?" he wondered.

The world was already falling apart, yet there were still those who made it worse.

"Has the apocalypse stripped people of all morality?"

But as that question surfaced, another thought crept into his mind.

"Am I any different from them?"

His grip on the machete tightened slightly.

He paused, staring at his faint reflection in the pool of blood.

Then, he exhaled sharply, brushing the thought aside. "No. I'm just cleaning up filth."

Even as a lingering unease settled in his chest, he forced himself to remain firm.

This world had already collapsed. If he wanted to survive, he had to get used to the new rules of the game.

His expression returned to its usual calm, unaffected look as he turned to the two women, who were still trembling in fear.

With a softer tone, he approached them.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice gentler than before. His eyes scanned their bodies, checking for any serious injuries aside from the bruises on their arms and necks.

Hiks…

The two women sobbed, clinging to each other as their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

"Thank you, sir… Thank you…" the older woman rasped, her eyes still wet with tears.

The younger girl beside her nodded, still hugging her mother tightly.

"Thank you so much…" her voice trembled, as if she still couldn't believe they had survived.

Adam remained silent, giving them time to recover. He knew that words wouldn't do much in a moment like this.

After a while, he reminded them, "Don't forget, the baby is still behind the desk."

The older woman flinched before quickly rushing over to check on her child.

Meanwhile, Adam stepped toward the window, scanning the outside.

He remained vigilant in case anyone had been drawn by the gunfire.

The streets were still eerily quiet—only smoke and dust swirling under the dim light.

Occasionally, distant explosions rumbled through the city, their tremors faintly shaking the ground.

His gaze dropped to the pistol still in his grip. The condition was solid—no visible damage.

[ Pistol ]

A small firearm that shoots high-velocity projectiles. Designed for close-quarters combat with accuracy dependent on the user.

Remaining bullets: 4

Adam clicked his tongue.

"Only four bullets left, huh?" he muttered, slightly regretting the ones he had used.

But then, his mind drifted back to the System Store's Market—the same place he had seen Viper's weapon.

I need to recruit workers.

He turned to the two women.

They were now sitting in the corner, still trying to calm themselves after everything that had happened.

The older woman was nursing her baby, who had finally woken up. Fortunately, the infant remained silent, not crying.

Adam tucked the pistol into his waistband and strode toward them.

His eyes narrowed.

Where's that 'HR Appraisal Eyes' skill the system promised? Was it just a scam?

But just as he was about to test it again, a transparent panel suddenly materialized in his vision—right beside the older woman.

[Prospective Employee - Grade C]

Name: Serina

Type: Agriculture - Beginner

Condition: Exhausted

Loyalty: 85%

Skills: (Farming - Level 0): Can cultivate land, plant, and tend crops with slightly increased efficiency.

Unique Bonus:

(Farmer's Touch): Crops she tends grow 10% faster than usual.

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Grade C?" he muttered.

His gaze flickered back to the woman.

"So your name is Serina, huh…" he thought.

This system was more advanced than he expected—it could even detect a person's name automatically.

Then, his eyes shifted to the younger girl.

Sure enough, another analysis panel appeared beside her.

[Prospective Employee - Grade C+]

Name: Amel

Type: Trade & Negotiation - Beginner

Condition: Hungry, Anxious

Loyalty: 75%

Skills: (Basic Trade - Level 0): Understands buying and selling concepts, able to negotiate for slightly better deals.

Unique Bonus:

(Business Instinct): Can assess item values more accurately and occasionally secure better trade offers.