Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Chapter 56

Ingrid’s knees nearly gave out the moment the woman said those words. She stumbled to the ground, still held securely in Lysander’s arms, and struggled to catch her breath as the fear that had kept her moving finally caught up with her.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, she could feel her heart pounding so hard that it almost hurt. Lysander lowered himself beside her without letting go, his injured body trembling slightly from the effort, but his attention remained fixed on her face.

"Ingrid, are you hurt?" he asked, his voice low with concern as he checked her over. His purple eyes searched hers, and the worry in them made Ingrid feel a little guilty for how frightened she had become.

"I’m fine," she managed to say, taking another deep breath. "I’m just scared out of my mind, that’s all. I thought we were going to be impaled by those trees, and I don’t think my heart can take another surprise like that." She glanced toward the two strangers, who seemed far more interested in the approaching monster than in the people they had just rescued.

’ Host, those two are members of the Hunter’s Guild,’ Lorna suddenly announced in her mind.

Ingrid almost jumped. She had been so focused on the strangers that she had nearly forgotten Lorna was still there.

’Can you tell me everything you know about them. I want to know whether we can trust them.’ Ingrid said in her mind, curiosity dancing in her eyes. She could also feel curiosity from Lysander.

’The woman is Freya Calisto, a Level Four Zombie Hunter commonly known as Cheshire Cat amongst her ranks and even above, she’s quite famous. She is a Jaguar Beastman, belonging to the third batch of Beastmen who awakened after the initial zombie infections. Her nickname comes from the long scar extending across her lips, which makes her appear to be smiling even when her expression changes.’

Ingrid looked at the woman more carefully. Now that Freya had turned slightly toward the monster, Ingrid could clearly see the scar stretching across her lips, pulling the corners of her mouth into a permanent-looking grin.

It gave her an unsettling appearance, especially when combined with the bright, excited gleam in her eyes. There was something distinctly feline about her features, from the sharpness of her gaze to the way her body seemed poised to spring forward at any moment, and Ingrid could almost imagine a jaguar hiding beneath her human skin.

’The scar was self-inflicted ,’ Lorna continued. ’ Her parents attempted to sell her into a marriage arrangement, and Freya mutilated her own mouth to make herself undesirable to the intended buyers. She developed a fever after the injury, and after recovering, she awakened during the first major wave of zombie infections. She killed the three zombies who killed her parents with her bare hands before joining the Hunter’s Guild, where she advanced through the ranks at an unusually rapid pace. She’s quite violent.’

Ingrid’s expression changed as she listened. She had expected the scar to come from an accident or a fight, but the truth was far more disturbing than she had imagined. Freya had deliberately injured herself to escape being sold by her own parents, and somehow, she had survived long enough to become one of the most formidable hunters in the guild. Ingrid couldn’t help respecting her, although she also wondered what kind of life could turn someone into a person who smiled so brightly while facing a monster like that.

’What about the man?’ she asked inwardly, shifting her attention to him.

’His name is Jowe, and his nickname is Dart, owing to his exceptional accuracy with firearms. He is a Lynx Beastman and has an extremely high record of successful shots. He is the nephew of one of the Hunter’s Guild’s senior officials and was originally being trained to take over the guild. However, the guild master found his long lost daughter and began preparing her to succeed him instead.’

Ingrid glanced at Jowe again. His appearance carried the quiet sharpness of a lynx, with alert eyes, defined features, and an expression that suggested he was constantly measuring the distance between himself and everything around him. His movements were controlled, and he held the Barrett M82 as though it were a natural extension of his body. The red tassel and four bells hanging from his belt matched the decoration on Freya’s weapon.

’Interesting,’ Ingrid thought, watching them carefully. ’One has a tragic past and the personality of someone who enjoys danger, while the other seems like the sort of person who would complain if someone breathed too loudly beside him.’

A loud crash interrupted her thoughts as the giant Evolved One finally emerged from between the trees. Its massive body dragged broken branches along the ground, and its glowing red eyes locked onto the four people standing in its path. The creature roared, shaking the leaves from the surrounding trees, but Freya didn’t retreat. Instead, her eyes lit up with such excitement that Ingrid briefly wondered whether the woman was actually sane.

"Jowe! Look at that thing!" Freya shouted, pointing her mace toward the approaching monster. "This is the first giant zombie I’ve ever seen in person, and it just happens to show up in a place we’ve been ordered to destroy. Isn’t that interesting? I wonder how many times I can smash it before it stops moving!"

Jowe’s expression darkened as he adjusted his grip on the rifle. "Stop getting excited and look at its body properly. We have no idea what caused it to grow to that size, and we don’t know what abilities it has. This is a new variable, Freya, so don’t charge at it without thinking. If you underestimate it just because you’ve never seen one before, I’ll be the one who has to drag your reckless body back to the guild."

Freya turned her scarred mouth toward him, her grin stretching wider. "You worry too much, Dart! If I spent all my time thinking about every little thing that could go wrong, I’d never get to enjoy myself. Besides, look at it! One side of its face is practically falling apart, and its bones are sticking out everywhere. Does that look like something that can keep up with me?"

Ingrid couldn’t help interrupting them. "Actually, it’s not as intelligent as the other zombies." And even less intelligent as the Evolved ones, although Ingrid didn’t say that out loud. She didn’t want to reveal anything about the Evolved Ones since even the Hunter’s Guild doesn’t know anything about it. It’ll make a lot of eyes be on them.

"It hasn’t spoken once, and its movements are strange. Some of the bones on its body look like they’re coming loose, and one side of its face seems to be melting away. I think someone might have created that thing in a lab rather than it evolving naturally."