Chapter 112 Strip for the devil Iv

Chapter 112: Chapter 112 Strip for the devil Iv

"What do you think?" Luna’s question immediately stunned the citizens watching them. Several mouths fell open—they couldn’t understand what they were seeing. She was supposed to run toward their leader’s feet. That was what every other woman had done. Nobody remained stubborn for long in Malcolm’s presence. Eventually, fear always won—they bowed, begged, apologized, or did whatever they were told because they knew what happened to people who challenged the rulers of the supermarket. But Luna wasn’t doing any of that. Instead, she stood there with disgust and irritation written all over her face.

"You want me to bow down to you because of what?" Luna asked coldly. She looked Malcolm up and down. "Because you’re some lord of an abandoned supermarket filled with frightened people? Is that what made you feel like a god?"

A collective gasp moved through the crowd. Nobody spoke. Nobody dared. Luna, however, didn’t seem to care. She watched as Malcolm slowly folded his hands. The muscles beneath his armor tightened, and his expression darkened. Unexpectedly, he seemed to be the one getting affected by her words—and that was weird as hell. Luna had expected him to simply laugh at her. Instead, every little insult seemed to strike somewhere beneath that terrifying armor.

Interesting.

Malcolm’s expression tightened. Her last words had clearly gotten under his skin, but he still didn’t break. Neither did Luna. If he wanted to see who would break first, then she was more than willing to play.

"Oh, you still think I’m playing?" Malcolm’s voice became dangerously calm. "Then let’s demonstrate something for your men." He slowly raised one hand. The ground beneath Luna’s companions suddenly shifted, and a deep rumbling sound travelled through the floor. Then came the growling. Luna’s eyes immediately sharpened—the sound was familiar. Very familiar. Then the smell reached her—rot, decay, dead flesh.

Her expression changed. "Zombies." The word escaped her lips.

The ground cracked open on the other side of the hall, and several creatures began crawling out. Their bodies were twisted, their movements unnatural, and their mouths opened as they growled hungrily toward her men. Malcolm smiled. "Watch your men get torn apart." He paused. "Or tell me what you people want."

There it was again—another choice. Talk or watch them die.

Luna’s lips slowly twisted into a malicious smile. "You can go die right up your own ass because you’re not getting a damn thing from me." Her voice was cold. "And I’ll promise you one thing." She stared directly at him. "I’m leaving this place with your head."

Malcolm shrugged. "Good luck with that, girl." His voice was almost amused. "Because I’ll paralyze you before you even get close."

One of the zombies suddenly crawled toward the nearest man. Luna’s eyes followed it—Adrian. The zombie lunged. Adrian moved quickly enough to avoid its teeth, the creature snapping at empty air as Adrian immediately jumped backward.

Luna’s eyes narrowed. Something was wrong. These weren’t the zombies she knew. The zombies she had encountered before were fast—dangerously fast. But these were different—faster, more coordinated, and their attention remained locked on her men. They were looking at them with an almost starving hunger. That shouldn’t have been possible. Their eyes were dead, so how were they tracking their targets so accurately?

Luna’s mind raced. Samples? Experiments? An evolved strain? She couldn’t put her finger on it. But whatever these creatures were, they were dangerous. And Luna couldn’t afford to gamble with her men’s lives—not even for the sake of maintaining her plan.

"Stop!" Her voice thundered across the hall.

A zombie suddenly lunged toward Rowan. Rowan was already bleeding on the ground—his arms looked as though they had been dislocated from the earlier attack, but he was still trying to fight against the creatures surrounding him. His teeth were clenched, his body struggling against their grip. The people around them watched, especially the women carrying the batons—they looked almost entertained.

Luna’s gaze became colder. Malcolm’s eyes narrowed—the second-in-command also looked toward her. They had both noticed the change. Luna had been defiant for so long, but now she had finally told them to stop. Malcolm’s gaze shifted toward Rowan, then back to Luna. A realization slowly crossed his face. "So it’s him?" His voice was almost thoughtful. Then a psychopathic smile spread across his face—his mask trembled slightly with the force of his laughter. He had found something. A weakness.

While Malcolm stared toward Rowan, the young women who had previously been lined up hurried toward him. They surrounded him and began attending to him, massaging his shoulders and arms while he maintained an almost completely expressionless face. Malcolm’s eyes never left Luna.

"Now, first of all..." His voice was calm. "I want you to declare yourself my bitch." He paused. "I know I asked you a question earlier, but let’s leave that for another day."

He was deliberately trying to humiliate her—he wanted to see her pride crumble, he wanted her to kneel, he wanted everyone watching to see her submit. But Luna didn’t give him that satisfaction. She simply looked at him with an expression that was completely dead—almost empty. It was the kind of expression that made Malcolm’s interest grow instead of disappear.

"Girl, are you deaf?" His smile widened. "You told me to stop." He gestured toward the zombies. "If you don’t do as you’re told, I’ll direct the entire horde toward the one with black hair." His gaze shifted toward Rowan. "The one groaning in pain." His smile became wider. "I can see how much he affects you." He laughed. "You can keep acting all tough, but everyone has someone who can crack through their skin." His eyes returned to Luna. "And I’ve finally discovered who yours is." He laughed like a maniac.

Luna remained still. Then her lips slowly curved. "Don’t flatter yourself." Her voice became smoother. "I’m telling you to stop so we can have this discussion somewhere private." She paused. "Intimately." Malcolm’s eyes narrowed. Luna gave him a seductive smile. "Isn’t that what you crave the most?" She tilted her head. "Having me all to yourself?"

Malcolm stared at her. For a moment, he didn’t speak. Then he laughed. "You must think I’m a fool." He leaned back. "You think I’ll take you to my private chamber when I know almost nothing about you?" His voice hardened. "Impossible." He pointed toward the group. "You’ll all strip here." Luna’s eyes narrowed. "I’ll search you thoroughly before I make any move." His grin returned—he looked pleased with himself, as though he had just cracked some complicated secret code.

But Luna still wore that same cocky expression. She had expected this. She was already aware that her companions had given her the signal—if she couldn’t get them out of the situation soon, they would use their powers. That would ruin everything. She didn’t want to leave this place without raiding it completely. There were supplies here, weapons, equipment, information, and possibly answers. She wasn’t going to walk away simply because the inhabitants had chosen to place their lives in the hands of a tyrant like Malcolm. She would use the situation to the very end.

"You don’t have to prove your masculinity by making me strip in front of everyone." Luna’s voice remained calm. "Just scan us." She gestured toward the men. "Can’t you do that?" Malcolm stared. "We aren’t awakened with special abilities." She shrugged. "We don’t have weapons either." Her smile widened. "So carry on."

Her confidence was so jarring that even Malcolm seemed momentarily struck. Luna continued, "Obviously, under normal circumstances, you can’t afford me." She tilted her head. "But if you really want to see me strip, then do it like a capable man."

Another jab at his masculinity. Malcolm’s eyes hardened, but he nodded. Fine. If she wanted to play that game, he would play it his way. He would make sure she regretted every word eventually.

"Ladies, scan them." He pointed toward Luna and the others. "Find out what’s with them." His eyes shifted toward the black-clad bodyguards. "Use the ninjas too."

The bodyguards immediately moved. They rushed toward Luna’s companions. The zombies had already been driven back and were now standing farther away, still growling while the guards approached with scanning devices. One by one, the devices were moved across their bodies. The guards carefully scanned their clothing, their limbs, their chests, and everything they could detect.

Luna watched, her expression remaining calm. Her clothing was one of the reasons she wasn’t worried. The outfits she had prepared for herself and her men were made from the highest-tier SSS-class accessories available to her. They didn’t merely provide protection—they cloaked their essence. Their abilities were hidden from external detection. Their clothing could also camouflage itself into different colors and appearances, preventing anyone from realizing that they were wearing specialized equipment. Their weapons were hidden within the outfits. So even with the constant scanning, nothing suspicious appeared—no dangerous energy, no obvious weapons, no powerful awakened signature. Nothing.

When the scanners finally passed over Luna, the device remained silent. The guard checked it again. Still nothing.

Malcolm smiled. "Now that’s sweet." He stood. "Follow me." His voice dropped. "I’m going to make you scream for everything you’ve said to me." He stepped down from the platform. "And girls like you deserve to be taught a lesson." His enormous aura exploded outward. The entire crowd shuddered.

Luna felt it too. She deliberately allowed her body to sway. Unlike the others, she wasn’t actually affected by the suppression—the equipment she had prepared protected her. But she couldn’t let Malcolm know that. So she forced herself to look dizzy. She swayed from side to side like a drunk insect. It was humiliating. Extremely humiliating. But she endured it.

Men are so easy to predict—especially arrogant men who loved being in power. Give them a tiny challenge to their masculinity and they would immediately try to prove themselves. Malcolm was no different. And if he really took her through that door... he would die by her hands.

"Are you sure about this, boss?" The second-in-command stepped forward. "She might be trying to deceive you."

Malcolm stopped. He slowly turned his head, his eyes landing on the giant. The man’s body immediately stiffened. "Never question my decisions again, brainless pup."

The second-in-command lowered his head. "Yes, boss."

Malcolm turned around and continued walking. Luna followed behind him. She kept her steps unsteady, continuing the act. Then, without turning her head completely, she glanced toward Rowan, then Kai—a tiny wink.

Both men caught it. Kai’s expression changed immediately. Rowan’s eyes narrowed. They understood. Luna was giving them a signal. Wait. I’ll give you the sign. And when I do... her eyes briefly moved toward the surrounding guards. Attack anything around you.