Chapter 532: Big Mike's BBQ & Buffet

Chapter 532: Big Mike’s BBQ & Buffet

Soon after, Ethan and the crew continued on their way, heading toward Monroe’s territory—Saint Gaia City.

“Boss, I’ll lead the way!” Lil’ D offered, his voice full of confidence. He’d been running guerrilla ops in this area for a while and knew the terrain like the back of his hand. With him as their guide, getting lost wasn’t a concern. In fact, he even knew a few shortcuts that didn’t show up on any map.

Before long, they emerged from the forest and found themselves facing a road leading into the city.

The pavement was surprisingly intact, though tall weeds lined both sides. Debris had been pushed off to the edges, keeping the road itself clear.

That was no accident—this route was a key supply line for transporting “food” between settlements, so it had been deliberately maintained.

Lil’ D had staked out this area before, but since it was so close to Saint Gaia City, it was risky. Eventually, he’d decided it wasn’t worth it.

Not far ahead, they could see the crumbling remains of old buildings scattered across the barren landscape—ghosts of the world before everything went to hell.

“Boss, if we keep following this road, we’ll hit the outskirts of Saint Gaia City—specifically, Saint Launce Township. It’s basically a livestock farm,” Lil’ D explained. “They don’t just pen up humans there—they’ve got people raising chickens, cows, all kinds of animals.”

“Oh…” Ethan nodded thoughtfully. Figures. If it’s just about harvesting meat and blood, livestock’s a faster, tastier option. More variety, too.s were mainly kept for growing crystal cores and for labor. After all, zombies weren’t exactly great at delicate tasks.

Take animal husbandry, for example—one slip-up and the livestock could get infected, wiping out the whole herd and turning them into zombie beasts.

Chris and Oliver were deep in conversation, clearly shaken by what they were hearing.

“Damn, Monroe’s got it all figured out,” Chris muttered. “He’s got humans raising livestock, then he drains the humans too. Dude’s double-dipping.”

“Yeah,” Oliver agreed, nodding. “Looks like a whole new ecosystem’s taken shape since the apocalypse. Only now, humans aren’t at the top of the food chain anymore.”

Chris shook his head and sighed. “Honestly, it’s just the same old exploitation. End of the world or not, the ones getting screwed are always the working stiffs.”

He paused, then added with a bitter laugh, “Back when I had a job, my boss ran me ragged. Late nights, endless overtime, busting my ass on projects. Then I got sick—real sick. Before I could even finish filing my insurance claim, they laid me off. Just like that. Savings gone, health shot, no severance, nothing.”

Brandon chuckled. “Damn, that’s rough. But… you ever think maybe it wasn’t all the company’s fault? Like, were you really pulling your weight? Did you get along with your manager?”

Chris rolled his eyes. “Oh, so it’s my fault now? I wasn’t good enough, didn’t work hard enough, so I deserved it? That what you’re saying?”

Then he raised an eyebrow, switching gears. “What about you, Brandon? What’d you do before the world went to shit?”

Brandon shrugged. “Me? Just a regular office guy. Coder.”

Chris’s eyes lit up like he’d just solved a mystery. He nodded rapidly. “No wonder you’re still alive and kicking. You’re the chosen one, man. Even the apocalypse didn’t have the heart to lay you off.”

The group chuckled, trading jabs and stories as they walked. But Ethan’s eyes were fixed on the horizon. Just past Saint Gaia City lay a small suburban town—probably crawling with humans… and vampires.

“Lil’ D, hang back at the edge of the forest. Stay alert and wait for my signal.”

“Got it, no problem,” Lil’ D replied with a sharp nod.

He was leading a horde of thousands of zombies—way too conspicuous. If they got spotted now, it’d blow the whole operation.

Ethan planned to scout ahead with Mia and the others first, get a feel for the situation.

With that, he led the small group forward.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before they reached the outskirts of the town. The air was thick with human presence—but even more so with the scent of vampires.

This place was way bigger than the settlement run by the Lucien family. No surprise, considering it was right next to Monroe’s stronghold, Saint Gaia City.

There were no fences, no guards. They didn’t need them. No one dared attack this close to the core, and they weren’t worried about humans trying to escape either. That’s the kind of confidence that came from being untouchable.

Ethan and the others slipped in without a hitch.

The streets were bustling, packed with people. But a lot of them looked pale, weak—drained.

Their group stood out, clearly American, and plenty of eyes followed them as they passed. Some curious, some suspicious.

And then there were the vampires—watching them with cold, predatory glints in their eyes.

Gulp.

Chris’s lips were dry as sandpaper. He swallowed hard, his neck stiff with tension, too nervous to let his eyes wander.

“Uh… are we really just gonna stroll in here like this? Feels kinda reckless.”

“What’s the big deal?” Brandon replied casually. “It’s just a suburban town, not the heart of some zombie hive.”

“If you say so…” Chris muttered, clearly unconvinced. From the outside, the town looked surprisingly normal—almost boring. There were shops, restaurants, even a few street vendors. It had that old-world, pre-apocalypse vibe, like a slice of the past frozen in time.

But that was the scariest part.

Beneath the ordinary surface lurked monsters—literal ones. For regular humans, this place was a death trap dressed up like a postcard.

Chris scanned the street, and his eyes caught on a group of women standing along the sidewalk. They were dolled up to the nines—tight clothes, plunging necklines, legs for days. Blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, tall and curvy. They oozed sex appeal, and it was hard to look away.

“Uh… what are they doing?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

“Streetwalkers,” Oliver said, nodding toward the row of gaudy buildings behind them. “That’s the red-light district.”

Chris followed his gaze. Neon signs flickered above the doorways, casting a lurid glow over the crowd coming and going. “Wait, seriously? There’s a red-light district here?”

“What, thinking of checking it out?” Brandon teased with a smirk.

“No, no, no! Hell no!” Chris shook his head so fast it was a blur. “I’m a respectable guy, alright? No way I’m going into a place like that.”

But the real reason was less about morals and more about survival. This town was crawling with vampires, and the mutated virus they carried was insanely contagious. One wrong move, and you could end up infected—or worse.

He reminded himself, again and again: the more tempting something looks, the more dangerous it probably is. Lust was the easiest way to lose your grip on reality. He’d made that mistake before. He wasn’t about to make it again.

Brandon gave him a sidelong glance, a little surprised.

Huh. Maybe the guy actually learned something.

As they passed, the streetwalkers smiled and waved, throwing flirty glances and whispering things under their breath. But Ethan and the others didn’t even blink. Eyes forward, no reaction, they walked straight through.

“Let’s find a place to lay low and get a read on the area,” Ethan said calmly.

“Got it,” Mia replied, and the rest nodded in agreement.

Just then, Sean came to a stop, squinting at something across the street. He pointed. “What about over there? Looks decent.”

They all turned to look.

It was a small two-story building that stood out from the rest of the rundown storefronts. The place looked surprisingly well-kept. A glossy poster of a sizzling steak hung by the door, and the windows were plastered with signs advertising “Hot Dog + Fries Combo – Special Today!”

But the most eye-catching part was the faded sign above the entrance, still legible despite the wear:

Big Mike’s BBQ & Buffet

“Looks like an American joint,” Oliver said, narrowing his eyes.

Chris raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. “A legit American-style diner? In a hellhole like this? That’s… surreal. Feels like I’m hallucinating.”

Oliver shrugged. “Burgers are everywhere, man. Not that weird.”

“I knew I smelled barbecue,” Sean said, licking his lips and patting his stomach. “Let’s check it out. Maybe they’ve got real BBQ and fries.”

Honestly, it was the perfect cover. A group of Americans walking into an American-style deli wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. And more importantly—they might be able to pick up some local intel inside.

Ethan gave a nod. “Let’s go.”

And with that, the group headed toward the diner.

…