Meanwhile...

Darren charged into the supermarket at full speed.

Panic and worry were written all over his face.

His heart pounded violently against his chest.

Just what kind of monster did the Captain run into?

Could even she be in trouble?

The thought alone made his blood run cold.

"Captain Ivy!" Darren shouted at the top of his lungs while sprinting through the enormous supermarket.

His desperate voice echoed through every aisle.

"Captain! Where are you?!"

He searched every corner as fast as he could.

His eyes darted from shelf to shelf.

Every passing second increased his anxiety.

Without realizing it, he sprinted right past the storeroom where the Blare family had gathered.

He never even noticed they were there.

His entire focus remained on finding Ivy.

"Captain Ivy!"

"Darren?"

A familiar voice suddenly called from above.

Darren immediately looked up.

Standing halfway down the staircase was Ivy.

She leaned slightly over the railing while staring at him in complete confusion.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Weren’t you supposed to be guarding the supermarket entrance?"

Instead of answering...

Darren rushed up the stairs.

Before Ivy could react, he grabbed both of her shoulders and carefully turned her around, inspecting every inch of her body for injuries.

His eyes searched frantically.

No wounds.

No blood.

No signs of a fight.

"You’re..."

He blinked repeatedly.

"...You’re okay?"

Ivy frowned in confusion.

"Of course I’m okay."

She gently pushed his hands away.

"Why wouldn’t I be?"

Then she rubbed her temples.

"And would you stop spinning me around? You’re making me dizzy."

Darren stared at her in disbelief.

"You didn’t run into any dangerous monsters?"

"What?"

"Desmond said you were in danger."

His breathing was still uneven from running.

"He looked like he’d barely escaped with his life."

"He told me something happened to you."

Ivy’s expression instantly changed.

"Desmond said I was in danger?"

She slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Why would he say something like that?"

A bad feeling suddenly settled deep inside her stomach.

Without another word, she hurried down the staircase.

Darren immediately followed behind her.

The two of them quickly made their way toward the supermarket entrance.

The moment Ivy stepped outside...

She froze.

Her eyes widened.

The place where her armored truck had been parked...

Was completely empty.

Silence.

For several long seconds, neither of them spoke.

Finally...

Ivy slowly turned toward Darren.

"Isn’t this where we parked the truck?"

Her voice remained calm.

Almost too calm.

"...Or did you move it somewhere else?"

Darren’s face turned pale.

"No..."

His voice came out almost as a whisper.

"This is exactly where we parked it."

He slowly shook his head.

"And I never moved it."

Disbelief filled his expression.

Both of them stood there in silence as the horrifying realization slowly began sinking in.

Just then...

Darren noticed a folded piece of paper lying on the ground.

"Huh?"

He bent over and picked it up.

"There... there’s something written on it."

He unfolded the paper before reading the message aloud.

"’Fuck you, motherfuckers!’"

He paused.

His jaw slowly dropped.

"’...From Desmond.’"

Silence.

A vein popped on Darren’s forehead.

Ivy merely stared ahead for several moments before letting out a dry laugh.

"So..."

She folded her arms.

"That idiot finally showed his true colours."

"He really betrayed us."

Darren’s hands clenched into fists.

His entire body trembled with anger.

"That bastard!" he growled through gritted teeth.

"I actually believed the lie that came out of his mouth."

Ivy remained silent for a few seconds.

Then her eyes turned ice cold.

"Darren."

"Captain."

"I want you to find someone back at the villa who’s skilled at drawing faces."

Her tone left no room for argument.

"Give them a complete description of Desmond’s appearance."

"I want a detailed portrait of him."

"As soon as it’s finished, make as many copies as possible."

She continued walking while issuing one order after another.

"Spread his face throughout every settlement, survivor camp, trading post, and villa we have contact with."

"Announce a bounty."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Anyone inside the villa who captures Desmond alive will receive one hundred contribution points."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"As for survivors outside the villa..."

"They’ll receive supplies worth one hundred contribution points."

A dangerous aura surrounded her.

"From this moment onward..."

"Desmond is officially our number one enemy."

"Right away, Captain!" Darren answered without hesitation.