Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Chapter 66

Freya burst into laughter.

Ingrid looked down at herself in horror. Her clothes were filthy, her hair was tangled, and the dried blood around her wounds had left dark stains across the fabric. She had been so focused on escaping the village and keeping Lysander alive that she hadn’t spared a single thought for her personal hygiene. Now that someone had pointed it out, she couldn’t believe she had been walking around smelling like this without noticing.

Then she remembered something important. She had been in a coma for five days.

After waking up, she had barely been given enough time to recover before everything fell apart again. They had been attacked, forced to flee, and chased by terrifying Evolved Ones, leaving her no opportunity to wash herself properly. Even before that, life in the village had been difficult enough that bathing with clean water was already a luxury, and scented soap was something she hadn’t even considered in ages.

Ingrid covered her face with both hands. ’I smell like a fucking corpse.’ Also, Lorna had already warned her that she would smell bad for days. She was so happy about the fact that she had gotten slimmer that she didn’t remember Lorna’s warning about smelling badly.

"I’m sorry," she mumbled through her fingers. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize I smelled this bad. I swear I wasn’t trying to offend anyone."

Freya waved her hand dismissively. "It’s fine! Honestly, compared to some of the guys at the Guild, you still smell a little better. You should see what happens when they’ve been out on an operation for three days without a proper shower. Some of them smell so bad that I think the zombies might actually run away from them."

Ingrid slowly lowered her hands. "That’s supposed to make me feel better?"

"Of course! I’m very good at making people feel better."

"You’re terrible at it."

Freya placed a hand over her heart, looking delighted rather than offended. "See? You’re already feeling well enough to insult me. That’s progress!"

Ingrid couldn’t help letting out a weak laugh. Her nightmare still bothered her, and she felt exhausted down to her bones, but Freya’s ridiculous behavior had managed to pull her attention away from it. She was grateful for that, even if she would never admit it while the woman was standing there looking so pleased with herself.

"Anyway," Freya continued, clapping her hands together, "we’ve arrived at the Hunter’s Guild already, and your companion has been taken to the infirmary. The medical team is looking after him, so you don’t need to panic. Come on, I’ll take you to have a proper bath, and afterward, we’ll go and see how he’s doing."

At the mention of Lysander, Ingrid immediately straightened.

"He’s already here? How long was I asleep?"

"Long enough for us to reach the Guild and get him settled in the infirmary." Freya tilted her head. "You looked so exhausted that I didn’t want to wake you immediately. But now that you’re awake, let’s get you cleaned up first. You can’t go around visiting sick people smelling like you’ve been dragged through a sewer."

Ingrid grimaced. "You really don’t know how to speak gently, do you?"

"I do! I just prefer honesty."

Before Ingrid could respond, Freya reached out and helped her stand. Ingrid’s legs felt stiff after sitting for so long, and she had to hold onto the seat for a moment to steady herself. Freya noticed immediately and moved closer, placing a hand against her arm to support her without making a big deal out of it.

"Easy there," she said, her voice gentler this time. "You haven’t recovered from your injuries yet, so don’t try to act tougher than you feel. If you get dizzy, tell me. I don’t want you collapsing halfway through the Guild and giving everyone another reason to panic."

Ingrid nodded, grateful for the support. Together, they stepped out of the bus. The moment Ingrid’s feet touched the ground, she looked up and forgot all about her terrible smell.

The building standing before her was enormous. She tilted her head farther and farther back, trying to see the top, but the structure seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. It was a skyscraper, with glass walls reflecting the sunlight and rows of windows arranged so neatly that the entire building looked like something out of a futuristic movie. The entrance was wide and imposing, with automatic glass doors and several uniformed people moving in and out, while electronic displays glowed above the reception area inside.

Ingrid’s mouth fell open. "What... is this place?"

Freya stopped beside her and followed her gaze, then grinned when she saw Ingrid’s expression.

"That’s the Hunter’s Guild headquarters. Impressive, isn’t it?"

Ingrid continued staring. The Hunter’s Guild headquarters was a skyscraper. A freaking skyscraper!

She had expected something more like a large fortress they used in ancient times, perhaps a few sturdy buildings surrounded by walls, or maybe a military camp with rows of tents and armed guards. She certainly hadn’t expected a building that looked as though it belonged in the middle of a modern city. The glass, the metal, the automatic doors, and the people carrying electronic devices were all so different from what she had grown accustomed to that she almost felt as though she had stepped into another world.

Back in the village, people had spent most of their days worrying about food, clean water, and whether they would survive another attack. They didn’t have electricity, resources were limited, and most of the things Ingrid had once taken for granted had become luxuries. She had slowly begun to think of the outside world as a place where people probably lived in a similar way, struggling to survive among the ruins of civilization.

In her mind, the world beyond the village had become something close to the caveman era, where people had to hunt for food, make do with whatever they could find, and fight constantly to stay alive. She hadn’t seriously believed that everyone lived in caves, of course, but after spending so long in a settlement with such limited resources, she had forgotten how advanced some places could still be. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Yet here she was, standing in front of a building that looked more modern than some of the places she remembered from before everything went wrong.

"Goodness," Ingrid whispered. "I thought the outside world would be much worse than this."

Freya burst out laughing.

"Worse? Pretty lady, where exactly did you think you were going? Into the Stone Age?" She shook her head, clearly amused. "There are plenty of modern places outside your village. We have functioning cities, hospitals, research facilities, and all kinds of technology. Things aren’t perfect, obviously, but civilization hasn’t disappeared just because zombies started running around everywhere."

Ingrid looked at her helplessly. "I know that now."

"Good! It’s about time you came out and saw something other than trees, ruined houses, and ugly monsters. There’s so much you haven’t seen yet, and I’m going to make sure you get the chance to see some of it."

Freya said it with such confidence that Ingrid couldn’t help smiling. Then, Freya gave her arm a gentle tug.

"Come on. You can admire the building later. Right now, you need a bath so badly that I’m beginning to worry the smell might become permanent."

Ingrid groaned. "You’re never going to let me forget this, are you?"

"Not a chance!"