As Max was looking at the gold bar, Which most others considered "Utterly worthless" with great interest he kept receiving curious glances. At first they thought the guy simply had a loose screw but the bandit girl wasn't stupid either, She was a former merchant and by now had determined that it had value to him. 

She didn't understand why or how but Alice could make a decent guess. After all, It is common knowledge that there was once a time where gold was actually worth something, which made her wonder which type of world he lived in, Apparently one where a shiny metal had a worth. Here copper was worth more since some people could at least make bullets with it.

 

Max, however, soon found himself having a problem. His gold bar had a marking on it, A serial number, which was quite problematic..... He didn't know whether such things would be checked, and if they did, where would it be tracked to in his own world? He did know you could sell unmarked gold; it was legal, and having it marked wasn't enforced by law, but he knew nothing about marked gold.

 

More importantly, He didn't know what bringing marks of this world to his own world would do. After all, What would happen if two gold bars had the same mark? He didn't know, and he honestly didn't want to find out, At least not the hard way. So, He decided that he wanted that mark gone before bringing them to his own world... Which he didn't know how to do.

 

So he was quick to ask.

 

"Any chance I can get this mark off or remold it?"

 

Alice once again could make a good guess, but this weird question even left the bandit girl dumbfounded; she, however, was quick to attempt to answer her new boss.

 

" I don't know anything about metallurgy, but it shouldn't be too hard to get someone that does at the nearest survivor base as well as the required materials. The nearest survivor base has one of the few water sources in this area, and considering its location, it is often used as a traveling point between cities. Although the cities own production capabilities are limited it does produce some basic weaponry as well as ammunition. Although you probably won't be able to get a production line, Even if you have money since that requires connections. Not weird considering those being able to produce stuff would want as few others as possible to have that ability. But just getting something to meld stuff with should be alright, I think. "

 

Having his first question in regards to how to somehow make the gold bar usable fixed, He was quick to want more of it, so he eagerly looked at Hannah and asked.

 

"Where did you get this, Hannah?"

 

Hannah was quick to answer him.

 

"There's a bink, No.... Bank? I think it's called bank in the city. I got it out of one of the rooms."

 

Max shifted his gaze towards the bandit girl for further clarification, who answered although a little reluctantly.

 

"The droids in the bank are still active; when shit started going down, the government started to militarize important government properties such as banks, Hospitals, Museums, and other such locations. At least, that's what scavenged data centers say.... They thought the world would sooner or later recover, so the banks, as well as the data center within, were extra heavily fortified. The security program is still running to this day, which makes the area a safe zone, and unlike the hospital, the bank only had worthless stuff. The hospitals got attacked for their high-tech equipment, and the bank, yeah...."

 

She paused for a second before continuing.

 

"The bank is now pretty much a safe zone. The droids don't get hostile as long as you don't attack them or damage any of the property. This means the area is still pretty clean and nice; there's even a maintenance droid cleaning shit up... So, It's a good location to do bussines.... Our Sl, Hannah, I mean Hannah, is rather pretty, so we tried renting her out there a few times. The VIP rooms are especially nice, and the droids don't really block anyone going up there, so most of the... Customers took Hannah there for their.... Bussines.. She must've gotten the bar there. The vault itself isn't accessible. We're gonna need some serious firepower to blow it or some specialized people, although I doubt the droids would let anyone access the system. We also don't know if that are all the bots or if there are actual ones inside the vault on standby or whatever."

 

Hannah didn't give much reaction to the fact that the bandit girl was telling Max about how she was whoring her out. To her, It was still pretty normal, and it was until just recently that she wasn't an object anymore, so she wasn't really used to it. All she knew was that she could do whatever she wanted now; as a free person, at least that's what she assumed after hearing Max's explanation. So since she didn't have to do such things anymore, she simply didn't, not because she hated it, Just because she didn't really feel anything when doing it anymore. Someone doesn't drink water when he isn't thirsty; He drinks when he feels like it. Even if he can drink whenever he wants, he simply doesn't if he doesn't feel thirsty. Hannah basically felt the same way about sex. She wasn't really into it but didn't hate it either; if Max were to ask her, she'd do it after all she did for her. It's just that Max didn't really want to after all that had happened to her, for her own sake, that was.

 

Max considered the way the bandit girl treated Hannah absolutely wrong but didn't say much against it. It was a cruel world, and it would be rather messed up if he forced his morals on her now, especially since he didn't say much earlier and was happy to have sex with her when she offered herself up. Even if he tried pointing it out or berated them, it wouldn't change anything in their thought process except the fact that they would hide more stuff from him. So he decided to avoid the entire topic; however, Within his heart, he simply couldn't look at the bandit girl the same way he did at Alice, even if he accepted her body when she offered in such a manner. Contrary to how he felt with the bandit girl, With Alice he felt a lot more, Although he didn't have any true romantic love for the girl he did consider her more then just a friend. He also took a liking to her in both a sexual and nonsexual way. Unlike with the bandit girl, whom he only felt possessive over after having sex with her, that didn't mean he would act upon that feeling, though. In the end, if she truly wanted to go for a different man, he wouldn't stop her, although he wasn't sure whether or not he could accept both her and said male in his group in a healthy manner or if they'd had to split ways.

 

"I want to check those rooms out later on. Do you guys have any more slave collars?"

 

Max was pretty sure they didn't since Alice would've otherwise informed him, but he still decided to ask, and just as expected, the bandit girl gave him a firm.

 

"No."

 

Max wasn't surprised and simply spoke.

 

"That's a problem. I don't really trust Mr rapist or your little bandit friend; you, on the other hand, are collared. Do you trust that man with your life? If he does something, I'm gonna take you down with me."

 

To which the girl quickly replied.

 

"God no, I trust him when there's mutual profit and someone prettier than me around to keep his lower half entertained. If I didn't have Hannah, he would've likely attempted to push me down sooner or later in a period where the profits weren't as high."

 

Max simply gave her a nod of acknowledgment; his options were limited if he couldn't put a slave collar around their necks. He sure as hell wasn't gonna trust them with a gun. He didn't really feel like killing them, either. If at least Hannah was mad at them for the way they treated them, he could've allowed her to take vengeance, but she simply didn't care. She considered all that normal, and sometimes, he felt like the weird one out here. He didn't really feel like punishing someone for something he considered wrong when the victim herself didn't care.

 

So, in the end, he decided to simply drop it, Not that he had much right to complain since he happily fucked the bandit girl when she pushed the right buttons.

 

"Very well, I don't trust them, but I think killing them is a waste besides.... Hannah apparently isn't mad at them, and if the victim herself... Doesn't want vengeance I don't really feel like I should enact that for her. So I'll put the three of you to better use."

 

Hannah simply shrugged while Max looked at the female bandit girl.

 

"Since you already offered your body up, I'll take you up on that offer. As naive as I might sometimes be, I received a good sex education from the place I came from, Even some experience. So, although you are free to try to manipulate me with your body, It's pretty useless. I also want you to stop the adorable girl bullshit. You are a bandit who used Hannah as a mere tool. The adorable act is nice in the bedroom, but I don't need it outside of it; the bandit is more useful for me there. I'm gonna use you for combat purposes too, although to a lesser degree than the males...."

 

Although Max felt zero love towards the girl and didn't truly consider her his, he still felt a slight possessiveness since she offered herself up to him. Most males had a tendency to be a little more favorable to those they had sex with. Combine that with someone literally offering themselves up to you beforehand, and you are where Max is now.

 

The other two males were just as bad as she was. It's just that she had gained Max's fondness with her body, and she has also proven more useful information-wise. Although to be fair, The rapist never had the chance to talk, while the other bandit male simply refused until it was too late.

 

Max knew this was nepotism, but he could honestly live with it; the girl knew this and was quick to thank him. However, this time, it was in a more blunt manner Since he had asked her to drop the act.

 

"I appreciate it; just let me know when you want me and how; as long as there isn't too much pain, I'll happily play along."

 

Max gave a nod towards the girl. She had a strong appearance, which made dominating her extra satisfying for him. He however had no doubt that she would stab him in the back if given a more profitable opportunity.

 

"We'll tape the other two guys and take them with us until we can buy some slave collars. We'll go to the bank first to see if we can find some more gold and then to the city. I want to see whether it's better to settle there or create a place of my own..."

 

Alice responded to him.

 

"Although living in New Haven is certainly a possibility since the city is founded on the principle of complete neutrality, I'm not sure if it's the best. In the end, it's ruled by a council, Pretty much the few elites that own the majority of the city, be it the production or properties. If you, as a food trader with such high-end goods, come there to stay, they might see you as a threat. On the other hand, If you live somewhere else but are only there for trade, they'll likely see you as a merchant with heavy backing. You can also do more in your own place, whether that be setting up your own production line or creating your own security forces. Do that in the city, and they'll look at you as someone that's expanding their power, and since they're already sharing with one another, they wouldn't want an extra person taking a cut of the pie."

 

Max gave her an understanding nod.

 

"Very well....."

 

Max thought for a while before he asked.

 

"You guys said the hospital was militarized as well, right? Naturally, it got raided and looted, as you all explained, but what about the structure itself?"

 

Both Alice and the bandit girl flashed a look of understanding before Alice spoke up.

 

"That's right, The structure itself should be reinforced; a hospital also has tons of rooms you can use for various purposes, from storage and med bays to barracks. It should have a canteen as well as a secured storage area for the more expensive drugs and stuff. It's likely raided, but still, The layout should still be there, and if you can repair it all..."

 

Max got a little hyped up before he soon calmed down.

 

"If it's that good, Isn't it claimed already?"

 

Alice, however, quickly chipped in, " It's too expensive to hold..."

 

Max didn't fully get it, but the Bandit girl was quick to add.

 

" The nearest water source is owned by New Haven, and they charge about one small crystal for a liter. Considering the fact water from rivers or other sources is pretty much free except for the boiling, which probably takes 1 unit of energy (1/10 of small crystal) a liter if you have the equipment for it. Since they boil it in mass, it's probably cheaper for them, Yet they still pretty much charge ten times the price it would cost someone to boil it themselves. So yeah, Holding that hospital is quite expensive, and instead of fixing it all up, it's less likely people would use those funds to invest in a base elsewhere...... Is that a problem for you?"

 

The girl wasn't being sarcastic. She was genuinely curious about the strange male with such wonder-goods; he didn't know much based on her observations and was quite literally rich as far as she was concerned. She assumed he came from a different continent, and considering how he was able to share what she considered precious resources with a slave, she guessed he must have some type of supply line or something of the sort.

 

Max simply flashed a playful smile at the little former merchant-turned-bandit and said.

 

"Don't you worry about it; you focus on your job, and I'll take care of your meals and drinks."

 

The girl put her elbows on the table and leaned her head on top of her hands. She leaned forward a little more than necessary to ensure Max could take a peek at her breast, and she spoke.

 

"Very well.... Boss, just let me know if you need any work done."

 

Max gave her an appreciative nod but didn't further comment on it; He knew she was just trying to ferment her position in his life and ensure she wasn't easy to replace. Or at least, Had enough favourability to be kept around and enjoy the luxury she knew Max had to offer.

 

Max gave a look at Hannah and asked.

 

"What about you, Hannah? I said you could stay with us as long as you wanted, but would you like to work for me? Of course, I don't mean with your body; based on what I heard, you had basic combat skills, right? It'd be great if you could help me out with those slaves. Do you think you can..... Bind that man that raped you up for me? As we've already discussed, you've been thought wrong in the past. Using your knowledge and hurting other human beings when necessary isn't always bad."

 

Max wanted to know where Hannah stood and if she truly didn't care or was just putting up a brave front. He also needed to know if he had to arrange cover for her if something happened or if she could defend herself, Unlike Max, who could only point and shoot, Probably hit something at close range but wasn't able to do much over longer distances when things such as bullet drop had to be taken into account. Was she like him, or could she be compared to the more experienced Alice, who could shoot and adjust her aim depending on whether or not she hit someone? Even if she ended up being unable to aim properly like Alice, if she hadn't been traumatized and could hold a gun, she could at least point and shoot just like Max could.

 

Hannah cutely looked at him before responding, " If it's for you, Sure. " Max couldn't help but smile. She was adorable indeed.

 

"If you do really well, I'll give you a lollipop later on."

 

Thinking back at what he just said, he realized he could've used a better word choice, but something like " candy " would've sounded wrong to a modern man such as himself as well. Luckily, Hannah didn't ponder on it as much as he did and only gave a genuine smile.

 

"Yes, please"

 

Hannah already took the lead and made her way over to the tape that still lay on the table; she took it and made her way towards the bathroom. The bandit male in the bathroom was quite surprised at the fact that their slave got their collar removed and was now coming towards them. He hadn't noticed Max, who waited outside the room and wasn't in sight, so he was quick to order her.

 

"Slave, Get me a firearm and remove these bindings."

 

Hannah, however, didn't respond and simply stated.

 

"Come, mister. Also, it's Hannah now."

 

Hannah grabbed the man by the arm, and after he tried resisting, she released it. The man thought he had won and was quick to threaten her.

 

"Worthless piece of shit, I'm gonna beat you again if you don't listen."

 

Hannah, however, didn't release him to let him go; no, she considered his hair to be a more effective handle, so she simply grabbed that and somehow managed to pull him up by it quite forcefully.

 

"AGHASD, cRAzy BITCH"

 

Hannah, however, didn't put it to mind; She has been cursed countless times and quite literally lived as an object for the majority of her life. Instead, she simply continued pulling him out, Dragging him out of the room by his hair, which quite surprised Max. Not only because of how brutal she could be but also because he didn't think the small girl would have the strength to pull something off. So curiously, He made his way over to the girl and put his hand under her shirt, Going for her abs to check out if she had any strong muscle underneath.

 

Hannah, however, thought he wanted something else, so he released the bandit male's hair and instead moved his hands towards her shorts, Unbuttoning them while asking.

 

"Changed your mind after all?"

 

Max, however, finally realized how it must look towards the girl and was quick to clarify.

 

"No, I still don't plan on taking advantage of you. It's just that I wanted to check if you had used any strengthening vaccine or something like that."

 

His gaze shifted towards the Bandit girl who noticed it as well and said.

 

"No idea. I never paid for anything like that, and if I knew she had something like that, I would've likely traded her for an equally beautiful slave and some extra crystals..."

 

Max dryly commented.

 

"I see you've been listening to my honesty request; consider it appreciated."

 

He still thought the girl was rather messed up, but at least she was being honest with him now; He could appreciate that much.

 

His gaze shifted to Hannah once again.

 

"Have you ever got anything injected into you?"

 

Hannah looked at him with a curious gaze and responded.

 

"Besides the whitish sticky goo males release when they feel good? No, Not really."

 

Max gave her an awkward nod of understanding before gesturing to the male on the ground who was trying to crawl away from them while they had their conversation.

 

Hannah released the button of her jeans with slight disappointment. She didn't know why she felt that feeling or what it exactly was... She felt something similar when her stuff was taken from her a third time. By then, she had first gotten to know this emotion. She had expected it to be taken, yet when it still happened, she wasn't happy with it.... Disappointment.

 

Perhaps it was because Hannah had always been an object, Cumdump, Onahole, Sex slave, etc. So she has always been used for that purpose, and plenty of males were happy while using her, but now this man she looked up to was picking another woman over her, Even though she offered herself up. This left her with a weird feeling in her body, Something she hadn't felt before.

 

So, seeing the male Max made her responsible for trying to make his escape. She considered him a good outlet for this strange emotion she didn't enjoy. She made her way over and grabbed him by the hair, Pulled him over, and threw him down. She then simply stomped down upon the place males always liked to be licked, which made them feel good. She once accidentally bit a little too hard into it and was beaten quite brutally, so she knew it was a sensitive place.

 

It, however, was more effective than expected. She was surprised as she heard the male let out a high-pitched scream; even Max couldn't help but grab his own sack for a moment while thinking.

 

'Where did our adorable girl go to?'

 

It flabbergasted him how she could be so adorable, Clueless yet smart and brutal at the same time depending on what they were talking about or doing. Either way, No matter how the male cried and begged, Hannah paid her no mind and simply continued to manhandle or, in this case, womanhandle. Him. He soon had his chest wrapped up in a tape-like cocoon, and once that was done, he got the other male. After all, She only pulled this one out because he was on top of the male Max originally asked her to get.

 

The other male didn't resist her, considering the unnatural scream he had heard earlier; every fiber of his being just told him not to make the same mistake. While Hannah simply pondered.

 

' It seems this method is quite effective against males. Would it be just as effective against females? '

 

While Hannah was analyzing and considering the effectiveness of such brutal methods in quite an innocent manner, she continued to drag and tape up the other male until Max had both males On their knees in front of him. They had a tape cocoon around their chest, but their legs and everything they needed to move around were still free. Hannah joined them, Getting on her knees in front of them. She opened her mouth and cutely asked.

 

"Please."

 

Max almost misunderstood her intentions until he quickly remembered.

 

'That's right, The lollipop'

 

He put his hand in his pocket and once again repeated the same trick. Unwrapped the lollipop and put it against her lips. She opened her lips and took the lollipop inside; Max, however, was waiting for her to take the lollipop's stick from his hand. Hannah, on the other hand, as a former slave, was used to only take the item after the other person released it. Seeing Max not release the item, she didn't think of taking it out of his hand herself. Instead, she started to directly put her lips around it while licking and sucking the tasty object.

 

She looked extremely seductive because she genuinely enjoyed the lollipop, So she got a lot of saliva inside that mouth of hers and eagerly licked the object. Swallowing down the overflow of her saliva while she did so. Max, at this point, honestly didn't know whether she was doing it intentionally or not. Either way, he didn't want to waste more time on erotic matters and simply released the lollipop, after which Hannah was quick to take it.

 

Max reminded her once more.

 

"You don't have to lower yourself in front of me anymore Hannah, Your a free woman."

 

Hannah gave him a nod but didn't really do anything with the information he had given her. She had lived like this her entire life like this, so it was unreasonable for her to suddenly shift habits that she had developed.

 

Max gestured for the bound-up males to stand up, which they both tried, but the one previously kicked clearly needed some support. Max, feeling a soft tingling in his own sack from the brutal display earlier, decided to help his fellow male out by lifting him up. Afterward, he moved forward and asked.

 

"Shall we go, gentlemen?"