The plan was set in motion. The miracle users were already hiding in their assigned positions, out of Arvani's sight.
"Remember what I told you, filthy woman."
Arvani nodded casually, not too hurt by the nickname. After all, she was wearing filthy clothes.
She and the boy stood waiting for the pack of rabid hounds to arrive. Neither of them tried to start a conversation.
It was only natural. They had only met today. Maybe if Arvani saw him again tomorrow, she'd ask his name, or why someone his age had taken a job as bait.
Not that she couldn't guess the answer. Money. Most people who became 'bait' had problems tied to money.
"Get ready."
The black-haired girl looked toward the direction Kensei was watching. But she didn't run just yet, only when her eyes saw the rabid dogs with her own eyes did she dash forward, right alongside the boy.
Unexpectedly, the boy was slightly faster than Arvani. They sprinted as fast as they could, the howling of hounds growing louder behind them.
Losing one eye didn't affect Arvani too much, but she had to turn her head to the right more often to get a clearer look at the pack. That's when she saw something behind the dogs.
Zombie!
And what's worse? They were running—fast. Arvani glanced at Kensei who was running nearby.
The man only smirked mockingly, as if pleased she just noticed. He had deliberately kept quiet about the zombies. Now, she had no choice but to follow Kensei's earlier instructions.
"I need to warn the others," she thought.
Just as she was about to open her mouth, a strong hand grabbed her neck with murderous intent.
"Don't you dare ruin the mood."
Arvani clicked her tongue in frustration. When she saw the boy reach the two-story house, she shouted.
"Close the door!"
In the next moment, she slipped into the red-painted house Kensei had pointed out and barricaded the door with a dusty piece of heavy furniture. From behind the iron-barred window, Arvani saw four dogs had escaped the trap—and the zombie was pounding on the door of the other house.
"That boy needs help," she thought.
Suddenly, a cold chill crept down her neck. She turned her head slowly, Kensei stood right there, whispering in her ear, voice equal parts teasing and threatening.
"Watch closely. They will betray each other."
A scream outside pulled Arvani's attention. She saw the zombie smash a window, letting three hounds into the house.
The boy's scream and the barking filled Arvani with fear, and she collapsed to the floor.
CRACK!
The sound of wood breaking. Though she couldn't see it, she knew the zombie had entered the house. The boy's scream went silent.
Arvani covered her mouth, hoping her heartbeat wouldn't give her away.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A burst of gunfire heard. The sniper must have finally handled the zombie and the mad dogs.
Thud!
From the sound, Arvani guessed the sniper had jumped down from the second floor. Cautiously, she peeked out the window, holding back her fear. She was sure she'd be kicked off the team.
"You think there was only one zombie?" Kensei's voice returned.
Arvani's eyes widened as she saw a horde of zombies charging into the village.
She leapt backward just as one shattered the window of her hiding place.
The sniper tried to climb a wooden tower to join his teammates.
"Damn it! What the hell are these zombies?! Hey, boss! You never said there'd be this many!"
The sniper shouted in anger. This time, Arvani didn't make the stupid decision to open the door and help him. That would've been suicide.
Right before her eyes, she saw the team kick the sniper off the ladder, leaving him to be devoured alive.
"That would've been you if you'd stepped out earlier," said Kensei.
The zombies surrounded the wooden tower, and the miracle users on top tried to hold them off.
"Pathetic."
Arvani shut her eyes as the tower finally collapsed, overwhelmed from every direction. She ignored the screams of people she'd worked alongside all this time.
Pat!
Kensei lightly tapped her head, easily reaching the much shorter girl.
"So, what will you do now? Warn the city about the zombie attack, or flee to another one? Both come with their own consequences. Warning the city means you'll have to get through dozens of zombies. The second option means you are just waiting until dark and running as far as you can."
A brief image of the old gravekeeper came to Arvani's mind, making her forget the betrayal she'd just witnessed.
"At the very least, I should tell the old man," she said, eyes brimming with tears.
Kensei frowned. "Old man?"
"He's the one who taught me a lot of things. He also helped me understand the Egarta language in the book about you."
Good thing Kensei was good at controlling his expressions. Otherwise, he would've laughed and hurt her feelings.
Honestly, he didn't care at all about what she just said. But he pretended to think.
"If he lives alone far from others, he's probably still alive. Don't worry. Once the zombies reach the city, the mayor won't still be silent and will ask for help from other cities. The old man might survive."
"Besides, your combat skills still suck right now."
Kensei flicked Arvani's forehead lightly.
"Get some rest."
Arvani looked around. The whole house was dusty and covered in cobwebs. Cleaning the bed would make too much noise and attract the zombies.
She grabbed a pillow from the bedroom, flipped it over, and placed it in the living room—just to use as a backrest. She wasn't going to sleep. Not when Kensei might disappear again if she closed her eyes.
The white-haired man, meanwhile, stood near the window, smiling as he watched the chaos outside.
"Psychopath," thought Arvani.
The sun finally set, and Arvani's stomach grumbled, thankfully too quietly for the zombies to hear.
Instead of exiting through the front, she used the back door.
Kensei had explained that these zombies relied fully on hearing. The stench from their bodies and their cloudy eyes indicated they couldn't see or smell properly.
"Shouldn't you go back for now, Kensei?" Arvani asked.
"Three eyes are better than two, but it drains my energy more. Maybe I'll summon you when I need to rest."
In his mind, Kensei agreed with the idea. He nodded slightly.
"Stay away from the subway tunnels when you leave."
The city Arvani lived in wasn't wealthy, so the mayor wouldn't have spent money on tools to repel monsters along the subway lines. Maybe he still believed monsters couldn't dig underground. How outdated.