Zombie Apocalypse: I Have Safe Zone Superpower

Chapter 177: Chapter 177: Oppressive Ivy

”How can she... do so much and yet...” Arthur was stunned and even felt ashamed of the previous accusation he had thrown.

Out by 700 meters? She beat all of them! Some of the soldiers even possessed super strength, yet they were still defeated.

Ivy calmly watched the pale faces of the soldiers and smirked.

She didn’t plan to crush them all in their very first meeting; however, their arrogance needed to be dealt with. One can never claim to be invincible or wise; after all, there is always someone better than your current self.

”Now that the warm-up is over, let’s start with the main exercises.” She announced, not giving them the chance to breathe.

If they have time to gossip, how can they not have the stamina to work out?

The soldiers deeply regretted their initial assumption about Ivy.

Weak and frail? She was a devil in disguise! Whatever she ordered them to do, she did too... crunches, push-ups, pull-ups, plank, even weight training exercises!

The only silver lining was... her beauty and grace. Every moment, every instruction, and every pointer she gave was on point and valuable.

When it was breakfast time, all the soldiers entered an apartment near the walls of the base. The cafeteria had few wooden stools as well as chairs and a counter where a kind old woman named Linda was responsible for distributing food.

”Damn... I never thought Instructor Ivy was so formidable... But what I can’t understand is if she is so well-versed in combat, why didn’t she join the military instead?” Arthur questioned as Linda used a ladle to scoop him a cup of tomato soup.

”Don’t know, but she must have come from a military background,” Maxwell said with certainty. Others couldn’t sense it, but Ivy emitted a heroic aura, as if nothing could scare her...

People who have endured hardships or grown up in the military typically possess such types of auras.

From Ivy’s look, she looked only like a 20-year-old; what type of hell could she even have gone through?

”Man... life is so unfair! She is lucky to have parents who are in the army. Before the apocalypse, she must have attended prestigious universities due to her parents’ connections, and after the apocalypse, she could use the skills taught by her parents! God is truly unfair.” Arthur sighed, his eyes flashing with envy.

Linda, who was hearing their conversation, frowned and intervened, ”She is not from a military background.”

The soldiers who were waiting in line were stunned to hear Linda’s claim and asked curiously,

”Do you know about Ivy?”

Most of them were refugees and didn’t know about the area’s gossip; hence, they have no idea about this mysterious background. They were naturally curious about this instructor of theirs, who was an anomaly even in the apocalypse.

Linda pursed her lips and hesitated between telling the truth or keeping everything secret. But she felt unconvinced at the fact of how that kind child’s hard work was going to be labeled as ’given by her parents.’

”She comes from a middle-class family, and no... she didn’t live a good life because of parents’ connection. She is a smart child. From middle school to university, she had paid for her own tuition fees while handling the household chores.”

”What? Why does she have to pay her own fees? Did she want to be independent and hence refuse her parent’s help?” Arthur questioned feeling there were too many loopholes in the story.

”Hmph! Her parents are biased; they treat their younger son and daughter like precious gems, while she is the dirt. If it wasn’t for ruining their reputation, they might have taken away the school fees she was earning.” Linda snorted; she was getting displeased by this soldier with such a narrow mind.

Linda’s words stunned the soldiers in the queue as well as the soldiers sitting nearby; they never thought that the instructor who looked so arrogant to them and radiated natural confidence had lived such a life.

Though it can’t be called difficult... Miss Ivy definitely struggled during her growing years.

”Anyways, that child’s hard work paid off to some extent; now almost no one can reach her level.” Linda pointed out, her sharp eyes staying on Arthur for a long time, as if insulting him for his earlier assumptions.

Arthur lowered his head in shame. He admitted he had made a mistake.

Even though Linda didn’t tell the whole story, the soldiers were filled with respect for their new instructor. They revered these instructors of theirs who, even after having the same or even worse starting line, fared far better than they.

When the breakfast was over, Ivy noticed a visible change in the soldier’s attitude. They looked at her with more admiration and respect.

Ivy: ??? What’s happening?

Taking a deep breath, she suppressed the curiosity and was about to begin the sparring lessons when Arthur walked in front of her and apologized.

”I apologize for my presumptuous behavior earlier. I even gossiped behind your back; please punish me, instructor.”

A few soldiers stepped forward and followed suit. Though they had their flaws, the primary reason why Ivy chose them was their attitude.

Those who know how to correct their mistake always fare better than those who refuse to see the reality.

”Good. Since you have accepted your mistake upfront, I will show leniency. Run 5 extra laps after the training is over.” Ivy ordered, causing the soldiers who had arrived to shiver, but they nodded.

”Yes, instructor.”

”You should thank your lucky stars, because I was planning to let those who gossip run 20 laps as a punishment. Even their brunch tomorrow would have been canceled and had to be paid from their salary.” Ivy announced in a chilling voice.

There were few things she refused to compromise on, and lacking respect for the instructor was one of them.

She was a teacher in a way, and if they gossip even about their teacher, God knows what kind of attitude they would have for others in private.

In the apocalypse, only those who can trust and form a good team can last long.