Leveling Up Wives In The Apocalypse

"I wish to apply," one of the male survivors stood up the moment Mathew's words rang out. "I wish to become a hunter," he said, looking straight into the young man's eyes.

'Why do you wish for that?" Mathew then asked, leaning his head to the side as a small smile emerged on his lips.

"I... huh?" The student initially failed to answer, taken aback by the sudden question. "Didn't you want five volunteers?"

Mathew's smile grew just a tiny bit bigger than before.

"That's true," he said, nodding his head. "But that doesn't mean I'm willing to accept everyone," he pointed out, leaning his head over his other shoulder. "That's why I will ask again. Why do you want to join the hunting squad?"

This time, the first volunteer didn't answer right away. He moved his eyes to the side instead, raising his arm to scratch the side of his head.

"I..." Mathew's former classmate then opened up his mouth, only to fail to properly explain himself. Yet, before long, he moved his eyes back before locking them right on Mathew's face. "Early bird gets the worm, doesn't it?"

Mathew raised his eyebrows upon hearing the answer. He then inhaled some air through his nose...

Only to end up laughing out loud.

"Hahaha..." he didn't hold his laughter back at all. "Well, you are right, I will give you that," he finally admitted as he raised his hand to wipe a single tear from his eye.

"Does that mean..." the man was quick to push the topic, unwilling to let it go now that his hunch was confirmed.

"First off, what's your name?" Mathew asked, ignoring the question that his former classmate failed to finish.

"Oh, come on!" the man protested, leaning his head to the back. "We were together in the ping pong group in the first year and now you claim you don't know my name?" he protested. Yet, seeing how Mathew remained silent and motionless, the guy quickly conceded.

"It's Frank," he said.

"Good," Mathew finally opened his mouth again. "While I can't say you will be chosen yet, I will make sure Carol will consider your candidacy," he promised only to turn his eyes away from Frank and move them back to the rest of the survivors. "Is there anyone else interested in this job?"

This time, however, no further volunteers came forth.

"I see..." Mathew muttered, lowering his chin as he took some time to think. Yet, when he raised his face again, all the sympathy and kindness disappeared from his expression, replaced by a cold, emotionless look. "Then, I guess you guys should know that if I won't have at least four more volunteers, I will personally pick the people I believe are suited for the task."

Despite Mathew's threat, no one dared to raise their hand, stand up or apply for the job in any other way.

"I see..." Mathew then repeated himself, only to shake his head. "One last thing before things will get ugly," he stated right as his lips twisted in an evil grin. "Look at the people around you. The guys to the left, the girls to the right," Mathew suggested, ignoring the fact that the survivors before him didn't really follow any arrangement when gathering on the spot.

Thankfully, despite their reluctance to accept the risky job, they at least followed Mathew's words.

"Is this really necessary?" Nadia whispered in a hushed voice, one just loud enough for Mathew and only Mathew to hear.

"It is," Mathew replied. "If they don't get their act together now..."

"Then they will never have a chance to survive?" Nadia completed his words.

Mathew nodded his head without saying a word, only for Nadia's expression to turn into one of doubt.

"I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to accomplish with this," she then said. "You want them to band together? To fight for survival?" she asked, looking straight into Mathew's eyes as if attempting to find some answers there.

"I don't want them to do anything," Mathew replied, no longer keeping his voice low. "They have to grow up and take the reins of their life," he explained. "And at a current rate, they are all going to die in two weeks tops."

Mathew's logic was simple. With the rate at which the zombies evolved and grew in power, it was only a matter of time before the fortress barrier would be insufficient to keep them at bay.

'The very fact that I can improve the level of this barrier is enough evidence to back up this claim,' he thought, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

Because of how distressing it was, Mathew was currently out of options.

Everything he said, every seemingly stupid order that he just gave was nothing more but his bid at buying more time.

'If no one else comes forward, I won't have any other choice but to start picking them at random,' he thought, doing his absolute best to keep his face free of the signs of emotions that stormed in his soul.

"What's cooking in here?" a new voice suddenly entered the scene.

Mathew turned around, only to see Carol and Norbert returning from their tiny exercise. The girl was sweating all over as if she just finished a damn marathon... Yet, despite the obvious hints of how exhausted she was, she had a wide smile of satisfaction on her face. Coupled with the firm grip in which she held her spear as if it was some sort of mage's staff, Mathew couldn't help but be genuinely impressed by the power of her entrance.

Yet, as Mathew's eyes moved over to Carol's brother...

'Why is he terrified?' Mathew couldn't help but ask, only having his habit of keeping silent about his thoughts to thank for not letting this question out of his mouth. His surprise died out soon after, leaving him with the only logical answer to the question. And as Mathew's eyes gravitated toward Carol again, the realization struck him.

'Is she so powerful to make Norbert, someone who saw more than any of us, look like a frightened puppy?'

Mathew then shook his head, stopping himself from getting sidetracked.

"I'm picking the people for your unit," Mathew then explained as he answered Carol's question. "I expected at least some of them to have balls so that I could give you some choice..." he said, only to shake his head in exasperated disbelief.

"But they are all pussies who only know how to act strong around those weaker than them," Carol concluded before Mathew could even reveal the progress of his task. Then, an evil grin appeared on her lips as she stepped forth, passing by both Mathew and Nadia only to stop a single meter away from the first line of survivors.

"Not all of them," Mathew managed to say right as the girl raised the blade of her spear to point it out at the crowd and opened up her mouth. "We have one real volunteer," he then added, beckoning at Frank to stand up.

"Him?" Carol asked. She then turned her eyes to the one volunteer who took the hint and stood up. "Well, he will do. Then," she muttered only to start moving the tip of her spear around, pointing at different people in the crowd, seemingly at random. "You, you, you and you," she said, not wasting any time carefully thinking about the selection process. "From now on, you are under my care," she said only to turn around and look at Mathew. "Is that enough?" she asked.

"We still need to pick the leader for the workers, someone whom you will borrow your strength to give him authority to oversee all the work," Mathew said, only for a cheeky smile to appear on his lips. "But worry not," he added as he turned his eyes towards a specific junior of his that caught his attention yesterday."I already have someone in mind."