Every single day, she revealed something new that made absolutely no sense.

"You all should stop doubting her already," Darren suddenly spoke up with a warm smile on his face.

He looked toward the others before shaking his head helplessly.

"Honestly, after everything we’ve witnessed today, you people still haven’t learned?"

Several men rubbed the backs of their necks awkwardly.

"If she says she’ll provide the tools and guidance, then she’ll definitely do it," Darren continued confidently before turning his attention back toward Ivy. "Alright then. We’ll do it."

The others released long helpless sighs afterward before eventually nodding their heads one after another in agreement.

At this point, following Ivy had somehow become the most reasonable option available to them.

Seeing their agreement, Ivy finally stood up gracefully from her seat.

"Good," she said simply. "Goodnight everyone."

It was already quite late into the night anyway.

The cold breeze outside had grown stronger, and exhaustion could already be seen on everyone’s faces after the intense battle earlier that day.

Without saying much else, Ivy turned around and calmly made her way back into the bunker.

Tonight, she intended to get proper rest. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

*****

The next morning, Ivy woke up early as usual. After finishing all the necessary tasks around the shelter, she stepped outside only to see the soldiers already hard at work on her farmland and the pond. Some of them were expanding the pond while others cleaned the surrounding area and arranged the soil properly.

Ding!

{+200 points.}

{+500 points.}

{Like I already said, since the team members are working for you, you’ll continue earning points.}

That’s right. Thank you, System. Ivy replied inwardly, a satisfied smile appearing on her lips.

Since none of the men had noticed her yet, Ivy quietly delivered several construction materials from her system. Piles of wood, ropes, nails, hammers, roofing sheets, and various building tools suddenly appeared behind her without anyone noticing how they got there.

Only after everything had been arranged did Ivy deliberately clear her throat.

The sound immediately drew the attention of the soldiers, causing all of them to turn toward her at once.

Their eyes widened in shock the moment they noticed the mountain of materials behind her.

"Good morning, everyone," Ivy greeted calmly, a faint smile resting on her face. "These are all the materials you’ll need to build the wooden house, including the roofing supplies and construction tools. I’ve also prepared a guidebook for you. As long as you follow the instructions carefully, building it shouldn’t be difficult."

The team members stared blankly at the supplies behind her, completely stunned.

She really provided everything?

"Good morning, Mrs. Ivy," they greeted respectfully, though their attention remained fixed on the materials behind her.

One of the men lowered his voice and whispered to the others, "She’s incredible. I told you already. Only heaven knows where she keeps bringing all these things from."

"Maybe she has powers too," another soldier muttered thoughtfully. "Like some kind of invisible storage space ability."

"I seriously wish I had her kind of power," another chimed in with a helpless sigh. "Life would be so much easier."

Hearing their whispers, Ivy merely kept a calm expression on her face, though inwardly she was already thinking ahead.

I can’t allow them to keep living inside my compound forever, Ivy thought with a quiet sigh. Some of them are naturally curious, and curious people always end up poking their noses into things that don’t concern them. Building separate housing for them is definitely the best choice.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ivy," Darren finally spoke up with a smile. "We’ll do exactly as instructed."

He glanced at the materials once more before continuing.

"We actually planned to clean the area first before heading out to clear more land today. We were also waiting for your instructions and guidance."

Ivy folded her arms across her chest before speaking again.

"Since Darren has agreed to serve under me," she began casually, "he’ll naturally receive more meat, food, and resources than the rest of you."

He’s smart too so he deserves it. Ivy thought with a light chuckle.

The men exchanged glances immediately.

"I always reward those who willingly work for me and remain loyal," Ivy continued calmly. "The rest of you will still receive proper meals and meat portions, but Darren’s treatment will naturally be better."

Surprisingly, instead of objecting, all the soldiers nodded their heads in agreement almost immediately.

None of them looked dissatisfied.

In fact, they seemed to understand her reasoning completely.

Oh?

Nice.

They’re becoming smarter much faster than I expected, Ivy thought with an amused smirk.

After witnessing everything Ivy could provide, none of them were foolish enough to complain anymore.

In this apocalypse, food, safety, and resources were everything.

And Ivy possessed all three.

"We’ll be leaving now, Mrs. Ivy," Darren said respectfully after a moment. "Which area do you want us to clear today?"

"It’s still the same area as yesterday," Ivy replied seriously. "However, this time you’ll need to go a little farther down the hill. That’s where the monsters are gathering."

Her expression became slightly solemn.

"There are about twenty monsters in total, but five of them are higher-level creatures."

The men immediately became alert.

Even Darren’s expression hardened slightly.

"But don’t worry," Ivy added calmly. "With the weapons you’re carrying now, you should be able to handle them."

That reminder immediately caused Darren to remember something important.

"That reminds me..." Darren said slowly, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "Our guns... they aren’t firing normal bullets anymore."

The other soldiers instantly turned toward Ivy as well, clearly curious about the same matter.

"When we shoot the monsters," Darren continued, "the bullets explode on impact. Wherever the bullets hit, the monsters’ bodies burst apart immediately. It’s more like firing miniature bombs or flames rather than regular ammunition."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"What exactly did you do to those weapons?"

The others also stared at Ivy with burning curiosity.

After all, they had used guns their entire lives.

Yet none of them had ever seen firearms capable of such terrifying destructive power.

Ivy let out a soft sigh before answering.

"Like I told you before," she said calmly, "I’m providing you with upgraded tools."

"They’re still your normal guns, but they’ve been enhanced and modified far beyond ordinary weapons."

Naturally, she wasn’t about to explain anything about the System.

That secret would remain hers alone.

"Enough with the questions," Ivy added firmly. "Just focus on completing the task I’ve given you."

"Yes, ma’am!" the team members chorused loudly.

The soldiers quickly stood up and prepared themselves for departure.

Darren stepped forward slightly and gave Ivy a respectful bow before motioning for the other four men to follow him.

With their upgraded guns hanging at their sides and determination visible on their faces, the group soon left the shelter and headed toward the hill once more.