Vampire Overlord's Harem In The Apocalypse-Chapter 35: The Pipes

Simon stood in the backyard of the mansion, his eyes scanning the water tank.

It was covered and relatively clean, a stark contrast to the dust-covered exterior of the house.

He had hoped for something more promising, but now, staring into the tank, he couldn’t find anything obviously wrong.

The water inside looked pristine. This was the lifeline for the mansion; water flowed from here through the pipes to the rest of the house, providing the necessities.

"There seems to be nothing wrong," he muttered under his breath, frustration edging his voice.

But Simon wasn’t convinced. The water should be flowing through the pipes into the house without issue.

He had tried the showers when he first arrived, and they hadn’t worked. That alone was enough to suggest a problem with the plumbing.

The kitchen was the most obvious culprit, and the thought of dirty dishes piling up, combined with his hunger, irritated him even more.

"The showers don’t work," Simon continued, pacing around the tank. "Which means there should be a problem with the individual pipes."

There weren’t many pipes connected to the tank. One led to the toilet system, another to the showers, and the last to the kitchen. It should have been a simple fix.

He walked to the side of the tank and followed one of the pipes, his steps slow and deliberate.

The pipe leading to the kitchen was the first one he investigated. As he followed it along the wall, he saw the problem immediately.

The pipe had been smashed open and completely disconnected. It was also clogged with a mass of dust and dirt, a clear sign that it had been neglected for some time. He sighed in resignation.

"Well, I can see what happened to the one with the kitchen," Simon muttered to himself, frustration bubbling to the surface.

He turned to look at the other pipes. The situation wasn’t much better. Each of them had signs of damage or disrepair. The pipe to the showers seemed to be in the worst shape, twisted and half-buried under debris.

"Damn," he cursed under his breath. The situation was worse than he had hoped.

In a different time, in the old world, he could have called a plumber, but that wasn’t an option now. There were no contractors, no services — no safety nets left. The apocalypse had changed everything.

He ran his hand through his hair, frustration mounting. Trust was another issue. Even if there were someone out there who could help, Simon knew better than to let a stranger into his sanctuary.

If there was one thing the apocalypse had taught him, it was that you couldn’t trust anyone — not in the long run.

If anyone knew where his safe zone was, it could be the end. No, he’d have to figure this out himself.

"Well, we can always pail the water with buckets," Simon muttered, trying to stay optimistic.

There was no use in dwelling on things beyond his control right now. The mansion had a storeroom, and in it, he knew there were a few buckets he could use.

It wouldn’t be ideal, but it would get the job done — for now.

"I need some more water to cook a good meal, take a bath, and maybe wash these clothes," he continued, scratching his head.

Water was far too essential to overlook. They had some in the tank, but if it ran out, Simon wasn’t sure what they would do.

Water wasn’t something you could easily replace in this new world. The tank was large, but eventually, it would dry up.

He glanced back at the tank, deep in thought. Even in the best of times, water was precious.

And in this new, chaotic world, it had become a commodity more valuable than gold. People didn’t just need it to survive — they fought over it. The realization hit him like a hammer.

What happened when they ran out? There was no backup plan, no reserves beyond this one tank. No one had the resources to just call in a delivery or find another tank.

"Guess I better start looking for alternatives," Simon mused. Who knew what he’d find if he ventured out? He was certain he couldn’t rely on this single source for much longer.

Sighing deeply, Simon made his way to the storeroom to gather the buckets. Each one felt heavier than the last as he filled them with water from the tank. The task was tedious, and the constant lugging of water back to the mansion felt like it would never end.

But Simon didn’t mind. The job had to be done.

Carrying the first few buckets into the house, he glanced around at the mansion’s quiet, empty rooms. The building was large and felt emptier now. With no other survivors around and no power to speak of, it felt more like a shell of its former self.

He’d hoped the house would offer a sense of safety, a place to escape the madness outside. But in reality, it was just another place in a broken world, where even simple things like water were no longer guaranteed.

He placed the buckets down by the kitchen and the bathroom. The process of collecting the water would take longer than he wanted, but he had no choice. The task at hand was practical, even mundane, but it helped keep him grounded in a world that felt more unstable by the day.

Once the buckets were all in place, he headed to the small stove to cook something simple for himself and Bethany — he didn’t have the luxury of making extravagant meals anymore.

A pot of noodles would do just fine, with a pinch of spice to give it some flavor.

At least it was something to fill his stomach. He longed for the days when things had been simpler. But now, survival was the only thing that mattered.

As he stirred the noodles, he glanced outside, noticing the quiet stillness that had overtaken the mansion. The air outside felt thick, oppressive even. A faint breeze stirred the trees, but other than that, everything was eerily silent.

It was as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

For a moment, Simon allowed himself to relax, taking a long, deep breath. He closed his eyes, but even then, the nagging feeling at the back of his mind refused to let him go.

When the meal was ready, he sat down at the small kitchen table, the warm bowl in front of him offering a small comfort.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough for now.

He ate slowly, his thoughts drifting as he gazed out the window.