Vampire Overlord's Harem In The Apocalypse-Chapter 49: Acid Rain

If Simon had one thing he dreaded above all else, it was establishing relationships with people that would take him to his demise.

This wasn’t a child’s game; this was the damned Apocalypse. He did not want companions who would abandon him when he first showed any sign of weakness, nor did he want to waste time building relationships in a world where only one thing every truly had value: survival.

What he had to do was take it up a notch — and quickly.

The upper echelons of this crazy new world weren’t going to wait for anyone, and Simon was set to bust into them.

The top ten of the world ranking was a league of its own—untouchable and elite. And he would get there. One way or another.

The next morning, as the cold, stinging air seeped into Simon’s bones, a curse slipped out of his mouth.

He breathed out, watching his breath mist in the air in front of him, but the cold didn’t seem to bother him.

It was an ever-present partner in this post-apocalyptic landscape and he had come to accept it.

Thick, ominous clouds filled the heavens, swirling around as if a storm were to follow.

There was no hint of sunlight, just a woolly grey ceiling overhead that made the whole world feel claustrophobic.

A mournful wind shrieked, perfumed by decay, and Simon caught himself peering across the slum that lay before him.

A living city had turned into a death and graveyard. Once-prosperous stalls lay in pieces, their owners long departed, caught up in the upheaval.

The tall apartment buildings were studded with shattered windows, like the frame of vacant eyes looking out through broken glass.

It seemed like dead sound all over the place. Silent save for the far-off growl of Zombies and the thunderous rumbling of clouds that were ready to unleash their anger.

Simon remained frozen, hands tucked into the worn pockets of his jacket, eyes surveying the scene.

His thoughts were elsewhere, far-off in his mind, some other place. And the world around him? It was just an endless slog, a punishing, unceasing loop of subsistence and progress. But today was different. Today, he had a goal.

He mumbled to himself, "World Ranking." In front of him, a blue holographic screen appeared.

"Number 760, 400 eh? Not so bad," he added, narrowing his gaze at the numbers. It wasn’t the highest ranking, nowhere close, but not so far either.

It was enough to convince him he was on the right track, but not nearly enough to feel comfortable. Not when there were blood-covered hands sitting in the top 10 positions.

The street was littered with the corpses of Zombies, once-menacing figures reduced to mangled flesh.

He had dispatched them so quickly, so efficiently, wasting no time whatsoever. He cast aside the screen blue and created another with a thought.

A red screen appeared before him, rippling with familiar numbers.

[ Hunger: 10 / 100 ]

It was a reminder of the hunger that had taken root in him since he had become a Vampire. Regular food didn’t fill him up, all he needed to take to survive was Blood... food was more of an appetizer in a way.

Simon shut the red screen, already thinking on the next target. The skies above were rumbling, he thought to himself, it seemed like the rain would fall soon.

The air felt heavy like a storm was coming.

He felt the shift in pressure, and his sharpened senses told him that something was about to happen. It wasn’t like the kind of rain he had seen before. It was a little something different. But everything was different in the Apocalypse...

But Simon dismissed the thought. He didn’t have time for distractions. He had to grind, if he was ever to climb a little higher in the rankings.

There was only the top 10 for which he lived. The people up there were titans, terrifying and powerful.

And in order for Simon to survive in this new world, he needed to be just like them. He craved power — raw, unrelenting power. His life depended on anything less.

All of a sudden, storm clouds above him gave way. A drop of liquid splattered on his skin.

Initially it appeared to be yet another droplet of rain, but then Simon’s expression widened in the realization. Steam simmered off his skin as the liquid started to crackle against him. His heart skipped a beat.

Acid rain.

He had seen it in books — not in detail, not very long. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

But this? This was something worse. The droplets were more concentrated, more vicious.

Simon didn’t waste any time, he ran forward.

Still, he couldn’t be careless.

The rain was falling faster and heavier and the hiss of acid hit the ground like a thousand little needles plunging into the air.

Simon’s gaze roamed in search of shelter, but the city was not better off than the rest of the world.

Buildings lay in tatters, and there was nowhere safe to shelter.

He had to get moving, he needed to move... to run... to go anywhere but here, he looked at the Apartments nearby and bit his lips, there was one apartment with an open door nearby.

The burns from his exposed skin was already evident and he quickly repositioned his jacket to cover more of himself. Steam was rising from them, but they were healing all the same.

However as they healed, The hunger gnawed at him, but he had come to learn to ignore it. His Hunger for blood increased anytime his Vampire powers kicked in, especially during regeneration, his hunger would increase slowly but surely.

Simon made a dash, barging into the apartment that he had set his eyes on. He crashed right through the door and barelled toward the wall, only stopping once his back hit it.

The world around him darkened and the storm continued, and Simon was all that remained.

Isolation, but not completely vulnerable. He coughed a bit, looking around in the Apartment – it was a bit dark but his eyes could pick up on it... a figure and then lightning struck.

A Zombie was seated on a table not too far from him, it’s yellow eyes contracting as it stared right into his eyes.