Apocalypse’s S-Class Zombie 3

Episode 3

“What, you’re a Hunter?”

The hand of salvation came from an unexpected place. Red Hair had spotted the Hunter Watch on my wrist.

“So you weren’t a civilian. That explains it.”

Brown Hair also checked my wrist and nodded in understanding.

“That’s right. A civilian wouldn’t even think about leaving the house.”

I offered a nonchalant smile, genuinely grateful to my watch for its significant contribution today. It had been useless until now because my stats and skills had never changed, but today it was proving its worth, from confirming my race to serving as identification.

“You must be quite strong to have come in here alone.”

But it wasn’t time to breathe a sigh of relief yet. It seemed he still hadn’t completely let go of his suspicions. Although he didn’t say it directly, I could guess what he was going to say next.

‘You’re strong, so why were you being chased by zombies?’

I racked my brains. After a brief deliberation, I put on an embarrassed expression and opened my mouth. It had to look so pathetic that he wouldn’t dare ask any further.

“If only I were a strong Hunter… I ended up here because I was running away from the zombies. It’s safe as long as you don’t get bitten, even if you get hit a couple of times, right? I’m a Tank, so I’ve got plenty of stamina.”

I lifted my arm, emphasizing my tattered clothes. Although the wounds underneath had all disappeared, the bloodstains from when I was attacked and the torn fabric remained, making me look quite pathetic.

“That’s right. No Hunter worth their salt would be chased by mere zombies.”

Red Hair chimed in, agreeing with me, and I couldn’t help but frown. He wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t exactly something I wanted to hear to my face.

I turned my gaze slightly and glared at him, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Mr. Yoon Jinwoo, that’s rude.”

Even when Brown Hair reprimanded him, Red Hair just shrugged as if asking what he had said wrong. The most infuriating part was that there was nothing wrong with what he said.

“I apologize for my guild member’s rude remark. Instead, we’ll escort you to your destination.”

Brown Hair smiled in agreement, seemingly deciding to set aside his suspicions for now. The cautious tone in his voice when he added, “We’ll escort you,” was evident.

He knew I couldn’t handle the zombies alone, but it was as if he was worried about hurting my pride by pointing it out.

‘There are still people like this.’

The world was in turmoil with Gates and zombies. It wasn’t common to find someone who still possessed compassion and consideration for others. I was a little touched by the kindness I hadn’t experienced in a long time and was savoring the warmth when the unwelcome guest interrupted again.

“Hey, we don’t have time, so answer quickly.”

This Red Hair was the epitome of today’s harsh society. From the annoying things he said earlier to everything else, there wasn’t a single thing I liked about him.

‘Who is he to talk down to me?’

“I’m not talking to you, am I? Just wait a minute.”

It was Brown Hair who was surprised by my prickly response. He seemed taken aback by my 180-degree change in attitude compared to when I was talking to him. It was a reaction I had often experienced.

‘Be kind to those who are kind, and treat those who are rude the same way back.’

Surprisingly, Red Hair didn’t react much. He just ran his hand through his hair as if frustrated that the conversation wasn’t progressing.

It seemed like he wasn’t trying to pick a fight, he was just naturally rude. It wasn’t like I felt any better knowing he didn’t mean any harm, but there was no need to go out of my way to fight him.

‘I’m not in the mood to teach manners in this situation.’

Ignoring him was the best course of action. I stopped glaring at the rude guy and turned my attention back to the polite man.

“I don’t have a particular destination. Actually, I was hiding until I got so hungry that I had no choice but to come out.”

When I even added a slight smile, the man looked even more flustered than before, but he quickly regained his composure and returned to his usual gentle demeanor.

“Then I’ll share some of mine with you. Our guild can still produce its own food. How many people are with you?”

Could a person be this kind? I couldn’t help but stare at him with my mouth slightly agape at his next words. Offering to share his food, especially in times like this?

I struggled to suppress the desire to inflate the number of people with me so I could get a little more food. I wasn’t exactly a saint, but I had enough conscience not to take advantage of someone so kind.

“It’s just me. Just enough food for one person is enough.”

But for some reason, my honest answer seemed to shock him, and he froze.

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, so, you’re saying… you’ve been living alone all this time since the zombies appeared?”

“It’s not just since the zombies appeared, but since the Gates opened. I’ve been living alone since a few months after I awakened.”

The man seemed to have come to his senses and stammered as he asked me again, but at my answer, he closed his mouth tightly once more.

The man, who was looking at me as if he had witnessed something that shouldn’t be, fell into deep thought for a moment before carefully opening his mouth again.

“I… I’m actually the vice guild master of a guild. If you don’t mind, would you be interested in joining our guild?”

“What?”

For a moment, I was speechless and just stared at him. It was a sudden proposition. It was Red Hair who reacted first. He protested with an incredulous look on his face.

“Are you crazy? She clearly doesn’t meet the guild’s entry requirements. Do you have any idea what people will say if you just accept her?”

He was right. The fact that they could produce food in this situation meant that they were a fairly large guild. They must have at least one Caster who could supply enough energy, and enough guild members to handle exploration, defense, and other tasks. Self-sufficiency in food production wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

‘There’s no way there wouldn’t be an uproar if the vice guild master parachuted someone in.’

But to that obvious statement, the man who had been nothing but polite finally erupted in anger.

“Mr. Yoon Jinwoo, are you saying we should just leave her here alone in this situation?”

His expression was as cold as ice, a stark contrast to his usual gentle smile.

‘Is this how he felt when he saw my change in attitude earlier?’

If so, I understood why he was so flustered. Because that’s exactly how I was feeling right now.

The man called Yoon Jinwoo scratched his head as if annoyed. His faded red-dyed hair became disheveled.

“Ugh, whatever. If the vice guild master insists on taking her, what can I say? Just be aware that people will talk.”

Yoon Jinwoo shrugged without further protest. It was an unexpectedly docile attitude. Then again, the only person who could overrule the vice guild master of a large guild in a one-on-one situation was probably the guild master themselves.

When the noisy one finally shut up, the man turned back to me with a gentle face. His eyes, with their faint double eyelids, curved into a crescent shape as he smiled.

“Please don’t mind what Mr. Yoon Jinwoo said. With new types of monsters like zombies appearing, it’s important for us to secure as many guild members as possible.”

“Ah, yes…”

I trailed off, a little flustered. As if realizing something from my reaction, the man’s expression changed slightly.

“Ah, that’s right, we haven’t introduced ourselves yet. My name is Kim Sunghyun.”

“I’m Seong Eunha.”

“Actually, it’s quite a distance from here to our guild. And I’m a Dealer, and Mr. Yoon Jinwoo here is a Healer. We thought it would be a great help if you could come with us, Ms. Eunha, since you’re a Tank.”

The man spoke in a calm and collected voice. I swallowed my admiration for the umpteenth time at his breathtaking thoughtfulness. If kindness were a person, this would be it.

They were strong enough that they didn’t need a Tank. Just now, in that battle, didn’t the two of them wipe out all those zombies?

His words about needing a Tank were obviously a lie to spare my feelings.

‘How did this softie become a vice guild master?’

Anyway, it wasn’t a bad offer for me. Judging by his behavior, it didn’t seem like he was actually planning to use me as a fighter. At most, I would probably end up working as a farmer or something.

In a world plagued by monsters and zombies, being able to make a living through peaceful farming was an incredibly appealing idea.

“I’d be happy to help in any way I can.”

At my shameless reply, Yoon Jinwoo let out a chuckle. Even I, the one who said it, felt a little embarrassed by how blatant it was, but Kim Sunghyun just smiled brightly as if genuinely grateful.