Chapter 281 A whore?

The snow continued to fall fiercely throughout the night.

The wind howled outside, striking against the windows and walls of the building with frightening force.

The temperature had dropped so drastically that even the thick blankets covering everyone now felt as though they were barely there.

The cold seeped through every possible opening, making even the strongest soldiers curl themselves into tighter positions beneath their blankets.

Ivy shifted restlessly in her sleep.

Her body trembled slightly as she instinctively wrapped both hands around herself, trying desperately to preserve whatever warmth remained in her body.

"So cold..." Ivy murmured sleepily, her brows furrowing as she curled herself into a smaller position beneath the blanket.

She shivered again before mumbling in a drowsy voice,

"Can you... come and close the window and light up some firewood to keep me warm?"

Just then, she opened her eyes.

For a few seconds, she remained still, staring blankly at the ceiling as she tried to remember where she was. She eventually pushed herself into a sitting position and let out a long yawn, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she gazed around the room.

The soldiers were still sleeping peacefully.

Some were wrapped tightly beneath their blankets, while others had their backs against the walls, their exhausted bodies finally getting the rest they desperately needed after everything they had gone through.

Only a few soldiers remained awake.

They were the ones guarding the door, taking shifts throughout the night to ensure that no unexpected danger approached the building.

Ivy quietly observed them for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

I thought I was actually in a world where everywhere was still peaceful, only to realize that I’m living through the apocalypse.

The thought made her sigh again.

No matter how much she prepared, there were still moments when she found herself missing the peaceful world that no longer existed.

She eventually pushed herself to her feet and stretched her stiff body.

Carefully, she made her way toward the exit.

The soldiers guarding the doorway noticed her immediately, but none of them stopped her.

Instead, they simply watched as she walked past.

There was no reason for them to worry.

The entire floor had already been cleared of monsters, and besides, this was Ivy they were talking about.

She was a captain.

A powerful one at that.

If anyone should be capable of protecting herself, it was definitely her.

Therefore, they didn’t think there was any need to escort her.

Ivy continued down the corridor until she reached the toilet, which was located a short distance away from the room where everyone was sleeping.

She stepped inside and quickly relieved herself before walking over to the washbasin.

Turning on the tap, she began washing her hands.

Just then...

"Just who does she think she is, though?"

A woman’s irritated voice suddenly came from deeper inside the toilet.

Ivy’s hands paused beneath the running water.

"She’s been acting all fierce and mighty since this mission started," another woman complained. "It’s as if the rest of us don’t even exist. We totally became invisible, even though we’re also warriors from Diamond Base."

"I fucking hate her," another woman spat.

Ivy remained silent.

She simply stood in front of the washbasin, listening.

"She’s Captain Ivy, and so what?" the woman continued bitterly. "Does that give her the right to be so pompous?"

Another woman scoffed.

"Exactly. Just because she’s a captain doesn’t mean she can look down on everyone else."

The first woman lowered her voice slightly before adding,

"Now that I think about it..."

She paused dramatically.

"Is she Commander Erick’s whore?"

The other two women immediately burst into laughter.

"Probably."

"Maybe she’s Captain Darren’s whore too."

"That would explain why she’s been favored so much, no doubt."

Their laughter grew louder.

Ivy’s expression remained completely calm, but her eyes gradually became colder.

"There’s a difference between a woman actually having the ability to rise through the ranks and a woman using her body to secure her position," one of the ladies continued mockingly.

"Exactly!" another agreed. "Some women know how to use their faces and bodies better than their abilities."

The three women burst into another round of mocking laughter.

"A whore?"

Ivy repeated under her breath while a scoff escaped her lips.

She slowly dried her hands and turned around.

She hadn’t expected to hear such nonsense first thing in the morning but just before she could do anything, footsteps sounded from the corridor outside the toilet.

A male soldier appeared, worry clearly written across his face.

The moment he spotted Ivy standing there, his expression eased slightly.

"Are you okay, Captain Ivy?" he asked as he approached. "I came to check on you."

He glanced toward the toilet before continuing.

"I was waiting outside the door, but I couldn’t stand it anymore after hearing those words about you. Those girls were loud as fuck."

Ivy looked at him calmly.

Before she could reply, however, the three women who had been badmouthing her finally walked out of the toilet and their conversation came to an abrupt stop the moment their gazes fell on Ivy, all three froze.

Their faces drained of color.

"Y... you..."

One of the women stammered, her finger slowly rising until it pointed directly at Ivy.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice trembled. "Since when have you been here?"

The other woman stared at Ivy as though she had just seen a ghost.

"Are you a ghost or something?" she blurted out. "How come there wasn’t even a sound when you came in?"

Ivy slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Since when have I been here?" She repeated the question with a scoff. "Are you worried about whether I heard what you were saying?"

The three women exchanged nervous glances.

Ivy took one slow step toward them.

"Or perhaps you’re worried that I heard the part where you called me a whore?" Her voice remained frighteningly calm. "Commander Erick’s whore..."

She paused.

"And Darren’s whore?"

The three women’s bodies visibly stiffened, their faces became even paler.

Ivy folded her arms across her chest.

"You seemed to enjoy saying it when you thought I wasn’t listening."

She took another step forward.

"And now you’re suddenly afraid?"

None of them answered as their earlier confidence had completely disappeared.

"And am I a ghost or something simply because I didn’t make any noise?" Ivy continued, letting out another scoff.

"You should blame yourselves for being so immersed in your gossip that you failed to notice when someone walked into the toilet."

"I flushed the toilet."

Then she pointed toward her hands.

"I washed my hands and you still didn’t notice me."

The women’s eyes widened in horror.

They suddenly realized just how long Ivy must have been standing there.

The male soldier’s expression darkened.

"I’ll deal with them."

He immediately stepped forward, anger flashing across his face but before he could move any further, Ivy raised one hand.

"I’ll deal with them myself."

She then slowly rolled up her sleeves while the three women instinctively took a step backward.

"Captain Ivy, we...."

PUNCH~