Since Ivy refused to reveal exactly where they were going, Darren had no choice but to drive the truck to the location she directed him toward.

The journey lasted for quite some time.

Throughout the drive, Darren repeatedly tried to get information out of her.

"Come on, Captain. Just one hint."

"No."

"A tiny hint?"

"No."

Ivy simply took another sip of her drink and looked out the window.

Darren groaned dramatically.

Eventually, the truck left the main roads and entered the western suburbs.

Several minutes later, they arrived at a large breeding farm.

Rows of animal pens stretched into the distance.

Large barns stood scattered across the property.

Broken fences could be seen everywhere.

The place looked abandoned.

More importantly...

It looked wrong.

The moment Darren stepped out of the truck, he immediately regretted it.

A powerful stench assaulted his nostrils.

The smell was so terrible that he instinctively covered his nose.

"What the hell..."

He took several steps backward.

The air itself felt contaminated.

The odor of decay lingered everywhere.

Flies buzzed continuously through the area.

Darren placed a hand on his waist and released a long sigh.

"Fuck! We’re here to fight monsters."

Ivy climbed out of the truck and glanced toward the farm.

"Oh no."

Darren’s shoulders dropped.

"We’re here to deal with rotten animal carcasses and probably human corpses as well."

Fuck!

"The number of dead animals and humans continues increasing every day," Ivy explained seriously.

"Many people died during the early stages of the apocalypse."

She gestured toward the farm.

"The same thing happened to countless livestock."

A heavy sigh escaped her lips.

"Some corpses turned into monsters."

"Others didn’t."

Her expression darkened.

"And those that didn’t are simply rotting."

Darren swallowed hard.

"I don’t like where this is going."

"If they’re left untouched for too long, they’ll eventually create major health problems."

Ivy looked toward the distant barns.

"The earth can naturally absorb some of the decomposition over time."

She paused.

"But not all of it."

The seriousness in her voice made Darren’s stomach churn.

"If nobody handles these corpses properly, diseases and plagues could eventually spread."

For several seconds, Darren remained silent

The man rubbed his face.

"Honestly, I would rather fight a hundred monsters."

Before Ivy could respond, movement suddenly caught her attention.

Several figures emerged from the bushes nearby.

Ten people.

Both men and women.

Most of them carried hoes, machetes, shovels, and makeshift weapons.

Several others were dragging sacks filled with supplies.

Judging by the contents, the supplies had likely been recovered from vehicles or victims who had died in the area.

The newcomers quickly noticed Ivy and Darren.

Their attention immediately shifted toward the truck.

One of the men whistled.

"Well, look at that."

The group slowed to a stop.

The man pointed toward the vehicle.

"Are you here for the supplies too?"

His words immediately caused the others to become alert.

"We heard a supply convoy was attacked around this area," another survivor explained.

"Apparently the people transporting the resources got overwhelmed by monsters."

Several members of the group nodded.

"Most of the survivors fled."

"Some didn’t make it."

"That’s where these supplies came from."

The first man looked at Ivy’s truck again.

His eyes practically sparkled.

"That truck would be really useful for transporting everything."

He lowered his voice.

"Very useful."

Then his gaze shifted toward Darren’s rifle.

Immediately, his expression stiffened.

The same thing happened when he noticed Ivy’s weapon.

A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"They’re dangerous."

His voice became barely audible.

"A few bullets are all it takes and we’ll end up as corpses too."

Several nearby survivors quietly nodded.

Nobody looked eager to start a fight.

Eventually, a bald-headed man stepped forward.

He appeared older than the others.

More importantly....

He seemed to be their leader.

A friendly smile appeared on his face.

"Hello."

He raised his hands peacefully.

"It’s nice meeting you here."

The man pointed toward himself.

"My name is Stephen."

Ivy studied him quietly.

Stephen swallowed nervously before continuing.

"How about we cooperate?"

He gestured toward the sacks of supplies.

"We can share the resources we’ve gathered."

His smile widened slightly.

"There’s no need for conflict."

The man pointed toward the truck.

"You help us transport everything, and in return we’ll split the supplies."

He paused briefly.

"Fifty-fifty."

Stephen looked hopeful.

"Sounds fair, right?"

Several members of his group nodded.

For a few moments, Ivy remained silent.

Then she finally spoke.

"We’re not interested."

The smile instantly froze on Stephen’s face.

Several members of his group blinked.

"What?"

Stephen forced a laugh.

"Perhaps you misunderstood."

He pointed toward the supplies.

"I’m offering half."

"We’re not interested."

The response came just as quickly.

Stephen’s smile twitched.