God Simulator: The Goddesses In The Simulation Are All Real

Linsley slung his rifle back over his shoulder, hefting the crowbar with a satisfied smirk. "You're slipping, Queen. I thought you'd let them put up more of a fight."

Aurielle laughed, her tone laced with playful defiance. "Next time, I'll leave one for you. Consider it charity."

The duo moved with precision, their practiced rhythm making quick work of scavenging the remnants of the player stronghold.

Aurielle grabbed boxes of ammunition, arranging them in her pack with the efficiency of someone who had done this a thousand times.

Meanwhile, Linsley examined the shelves for overlooked supplies, pocketing a small stash of tactical gear.

Aurielle held up a pristine combat knife she'd found, the blade catching a gleam of sunlight filtering through the shattered windows. Spinning it in her hand, she slid it smoothly into her boot. "Now this," she said with a grin, "is practical and stylish."

Linsley glanced her way, raising an eyebrow as his smirk deepened. "Just don't cut yourself showing off."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Please. I'm a professional."

By the time they finished looting, the sun was climbing higher, casting long, jagged shadows through the broken glass. The faint groans of zombies reached their ears, drawing closer with every passing second.

"Let's move before the locals decide we're brunch," Linsley said, gesturing toward the exit.

…

The trek back to their base was uneventful but carried an edge of tension. Zombies shuffled aimlessly in the distance, their silhouettes weaving through the ruins like ominous shadows.

Aurielle and Linsley navigated the terrain with the ease of seasoned survivors, their footsteps silent on the debris-strewn streets.

When they finally reached their base, the heavy steel doors closed behind them with a satisfying clang, shutting out the chaos of the outside world. Inside, the hum of the generator was a welcome sound, a testament to their self-sufficiency.
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Aurielle dropped her pack onto the table with a dramatic sigh, tossing her jacket onto a nearby chair. "Another day, another pile of loot. We're getting dangerously good at this."

Linsley set his rifle aside and leaned the crowbar against the wall.

Sorting through the spoils, he smirked faintly. "Good? Queen, we're professionals. They should start paying us for this."

Aurielle snorted, grabbing a box of shotgun shells and sliding them into their neatly organized stash. "Please. If this apocalypse had a leaderboard, we'd already be at the top—with extra points for style."

Linsley chuckled, placing smoke grenades into the gear locker. "Style's overrated. I'd settle for scaring the hell out of anyone dumb enough to challenge us."

Aurielle paused, eyeing a dusty wine bottle they'd snagged during the raid.

A slow, mischievous grin spread across her face. "Speaking of style, I'm calling dibs on this. Fancy wine for the apocalypse's finest power couple."

…

The evening cast a calm over the base, its usual hum muted by the dim, warm glow of lights strung along the walls.

The dining table—hastily cobbled together from scavenged wood—was adorned with a spread that would have been impressive even before the apocalypse.

Grilled meat, seasoned with spices snatched from the department store, sat alongside freshly baked bread, its golden crust still steaming.

At the center was the pièce de résistance: a faded bottle of wine, the last remnant of some long-forgotten banquet.

Aurielle sat with one leg crossed over the other, her pistols resting on the chair beside her like loyal sentinels.

As she poured the wine into two mismatched glasses, her violet eyes gleamed with amusement. "You know, Emperor," she said with a smirk, "I think this might actually count as a real date."

Linsley leaned back in his chair, his smirk curving into something softer, almost playful. "A real date? Didn't know dates usually involved crowbars and combat knives."

Aurielle let out a laugh that filled the room, warm and rich. She handed him a glass with a flourish. "First time for everything, right? Cheers to us—ambitious, terrifying, and apparently fancy as hell."

Linsley raised his glass, the faint clink of glass against glass echoing through the quiet room.

"To us," he said, his tone laced with a rare sincerity. "And to building something even the apocalypse can't tear down."

The wine was richer than either of them had expected, its bold flavor a sharp contrast to the destruction outside.

Aurielle took a sip, her eyes narrowing slightly in appreciation. "Not bad for something we pulled off a corpse."

Linsley chuckled, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than usual. "You've got a talent for turning chaos into class."

She arched a brow, her grin sharpening. "Damn right. I've been carrying this partnership in the style department for years."

The banter flowed effortlessly as they ate, the tension of the day fading into the background.

Linsley carved a slice of meat with his knife, offering it to Aurielle with an almost teasing formality. "Your Highness."

She accepted it with a smirk, spearing it on her fork. "About time you acknowledged my royalty."

…

As the meal wound down, the nearly empty bottle of wine stood as a testament to the evening—a rare indulgence in a world of scarcity.

Laughter and light conversation filled the room, drowning out the distant groans of the undead outside.

Aurielle reclined in her chair, spinning the empty glass between her fingers, her violet eyes reflecting the soft glow of the flickering candle on the table.

"You know," she said, her tone light but laced with sincerity, "this is probably the most normal thing I've done in years."

Linsley tilted his head, his smirk softening into something more genuine. "Normal? You mean grilling stolen meat and drinking vintage wine while plotting world domination?"

Aurielle snorted, rolling her eyes as she kicked his shin lightly under the table. "I mean sitting here, sharing a meal without having to worry about ration packs, ambushes, or the undead banging on the door. It almost feels… normal. Almost."

Leaning forward, Linsley rested his elbows on the table, his gaze steady as it locked with hers. "If normal means this, then I think I could get used to it."

Her grin widened, soft and unguarded, as she raised the empty glass in a mock toast. "To stolen moments and questionable morals."

Linsley clinked his glass against hers with a chuckle. "And to making this chaos our own."

For a moment, the broken world outside felt distant, their fortress a sanctuary against the storm.