Lintang City, a large city with low corruption, governed by a Miracle user who had lost both legs in an accident. The mayor understood that if the funds for the wall construction hadn't been embezzled, he and his companions wouldn't have had to risk their lives defending the wall against monster migrations.
So when word of the zombie outbreak reached him, he acted swiftly: deploying an extra protective field, barricading the city gates, and enforcing patrol schedules for Miracle users and Hunters alike.
He welcomed refugees and the poor who typically lived outside the city walls, housing them in simple apartment blocks with basic amenities.
Arvani had no plan. When she arrived at the gates, she was immediately checked by officers to see if she was free for any infection.
When they asked her name and place of origin, Arvani stayed silent. She didn't know whether to tell the truth or lie.
Telling the truth would lead to more questions. Her continued silence led the officers to assume she was mute.
"Look at that pitiful girl. Who's going to protect her?"
"You're right. She's just so miserable."
To make it short, Arvani was escorted to the 8th floor of a public housing complex, the highest and quietest floor.
She also received some clothes, food, and water to last five days.
Despite the three day journey through dangerous zones, Kensei hadn't shown any interest in training Arvani, unlike what happened in typical fantasy stories. He only spoke when he felt like it.
"They're too kind." The first words Arvani uttered in a long time.
She looked around and stepped toward the small balcony used for hanging clothes.
'This can't be free. Maybe after a month, if I don't get a job, they'll kick me out.'
Flop!
The young woman collapsed into the bed. It would be difficult for her to find a decent job. She had no ID card despite being 20 years old, no diploma, and, most importantly, no birth certificate.
'Ugh. Should I sell myself? No, that'd be dangerous if I got too many customers. Maybe there's some manual labor I can do.'
Her daily life afterward wasn't very exciting, wake up, shower, eat, walk around the housing complex.
By some twist of fate, Arvani ended up with a friend. Once again, despite pretending to be mute, she had a friend.
It was a woman, curvy enough to catch the attention of most men, with long maroon hair and brown eyes. She was also an excellent doctor, her name was Mariposa.
"Hola, Arvani~ What a beautiful morning to go back to sleep, right?"
Mariposa came knocking again. As soon as Arvani opened the door, she barged in without asking permission. Thankfully, Kensei hadn't been making any trouble in her subconscious lately.
Thud!
The doctor flopped on to Arvani's bed and hugged the bolster.
"You know, Arvani, I heard a rumor from my patients that the government has finally started suppressing the zombie outbreaks. Have you heard of Gotan City?"
Arvani froze mid sip from a cup of water. That was the name of her hometown.
"The mayor of Gotan is currently being detained for suspected corruption. The money meant for wall defense was squandered, and the city nearly fell to the zombies."
Cold sweat trickled down Arvani's forehead. She was worried about the old man who had taken care of her.
"Fortunately, the Special Defense Department acted quickly. Many citizens were saved, and the city managed to survive."
Arvani sighed in relief. She pulled out a pack of instant noodles and began cooking.
Mariposa went quiet. Perhaps she'd fall asleep soon. She'd already said everything she came to say.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Just as Arvani was about to wash her dishes, she heard a knock at the door. She finished what she was doing and walked over.
Through the peephole, she saw a tall man wearing black sunglasses, a black leather jacket, and a plain white shirt. He smiled politely, as if he knew she was watching him.
Still wary, Arvani opened the door.
"Hello, my name's Arbi. I'm looking for a woman named Mariposa. Is she here?"
Arvani pulled out a small notepad she kept handy, filled with commonly used words and phrases.
'Who are you?'
Reading her writing, Arbi scratched the back of his neck nervously.
"Ah, I'm her coworker. I swear."
Arvani examined him from head to toe. Then she flipped a few pages and showed him another word:
'Wait.'
Arbi nodded and waited patiently outside. A moment later, there was a loud thump and the whimpering voice of a woman Arbi knew all too well.
Bang!
The door flew open. Arvani stood there, visibly annoyed. On the floor behind her was a whining doctor.
"Come on, Kim Tayoon~ Be my boyfriend~"
This was one of Mariposa's bad habits, her sleep-talking was intense.
Arvani shot a sharp glare at Arbi, one that clearly said: Take her. Now.
Arbi chuckled softly. He hoisted Mariposa up like a sack of rice and bowed apologetically.
"HUAAAA! DON'T TAKE ME AWAY FROM MY BELOVED!"
Suddenly, Arvani vanished into thin air.
Arbi panicked.
"What the heck did you do to her, Mariposa?!"
Still half-asleep, Mariposa mumbled something incomprehensible.
"Hmmm... You can't take my boyfriend~"
"She's not your damn boyfriend, you're crazy woman! Where the hell did you send her?!"
Snoring filled the air. Mariposa had fallen back asleep.
Arbi ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He was terrified that the girl had ended up somewhere dangerous.
But then, a message came through from his boss.
The message said the black-haired girl Mariposa had accidentally sent away was now in his office.
Arbi sighed in relief.
He threw Mariposa over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and headed down to the first floor.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, in northern Lintang City, in a three-story Victorian-style house...
Arvani, who had just been teleported into an office, found herself face-to-face with a young man, early twenties, messy brown hair, and piercing yellow eyes that seemed to stare into her soul.
Just as she was about to write something in her notebook, the brown-haired man spoke up.
"Would you like to join my guild?"
Arvani shook her head.
"I see. Then have a seat and wait for Arbi."
He gestured toward a single chair near his desk. Arvani sat down, trying to figure out why she had ended up here.
It was obvious now that Doctor Mariposa was a Miracle user and likely a member of this man's guild.
The TV in the room played a news segment about the death of a member of one of the great noble families. Though he was from a branch family, the main family wouldn't let this go unpunished.
They were now hunting the killer, a man wearing a red rabbit mask that covered his face from the nose up. A thin red veil hung below it. He wore a beige blazer over a black shirt and pants, and carried a black handkerchief.
Arvani studied the killer's body posture carefully.
Her gaze shifted to the brown-haired man sipping coffee and reading a manga.
"You're the Red Rabbit, aren't you?"
Cough!
The man almost choked on his coffee. His yellow eyes locked onto her.
"How did you know?"
Arvani gave a stiff smile. "Just a guess."
"..."