Ivy’s leg shot forward.

The kick landed directly against his stomach.

Desmond’s eyes widened.

The next second, his body was launched through the air.

He crashed several meters away before rolling across the ground in a cloud of dust.

Darren blinked.

Even the pigs stopped eating momentarily.

Desmond groaned before slowly climbing back to his feet.

Surprisingly...

The anger on his face had completely vanished.

Instead, he was smiling again.

A very wide smile.

"If you want to join my base," Ivy said coldly while dusting off her hands, "then the first thing you need to learn is how to speak to your captain."

The smile on her face disappeared.

Her gaze became sharp.

"And the second thing is learning your place."

Desmond immediately lowered his head.

"Understood, Captain."

"Good."

Ivy pointed toward a section of the farm.

"If you truly want to join us, stop wasting time talking and start working."

She crossed her arms.

"There are plenty of things that need to be done. Start by clearing the entire right side of the farm."

A playful smile appeared on her lips.

"Let’s see what you’re actually capable of."

Desmond’s eyes immediately brightened.

Rather than becoming discouraged, he looked genuinely excited.

"Yes, Captain!"

He bowed deeply.

"Thank you for giving me a chance."

Straightening his back, he placed a fist against his chest.

"I won’t disappoint you."

Without another word, Desmond turned and sprinted toward the right side of the farm to begin his assigned task.

Watching his retreating figure, Ivy narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

"Wait!"

Darren suddenly called out as he continued staring in the direction Desmond had disappeared.

His brows were knitted tightly together, and a look of pure confusion was plastered across his face.

"Is he even human?"

The question slipped out before he could stop himself.

Darren slowly turned his head toward Ivy, clearly struggling to process everything that had just happened.

"I mean..." he began, pointing toward the direction Desmond had flown moments earlier. "Did you see what just happened?"

His eyes widened slightly as the memory replayed itself in his mind.

"You kicked him."

He paused for emphasis.

"You literally kicked him across the farm."

Darren spread his arms apart dramatically.

"And not just a few feet either. The man practically flew through the air like a cannonball."

The more he thought about it, the more absurd the situation seemed.

His gaze shifted toward the damaged wall nearby.

"When his back slammed into that wall, I honestly thought he was dead."

Darren shook his head repeatedly.

"No, seriously, Ivy. I genuinely thought we were about to bury him."

He walked toward the wall while speaking.

"At the very least, I expected him to lose consciousness."

His fingers traced one of the cracks running across the surface.

"Or maybe suffer internal injuries."

He glanced over his shoulder.

"Or enter a coma."

The disbelief in his voice became even more obvious.

"But instead..."

Darren pointed toward the direction Desmond had run off.

"He stood up."

A brief silence followed.

"Just like that."

His fingers snapped.

"As if absolutely nothing happened."

Reaching the wall, Darren finally got a closer look at the damage.

The moment he did, his eyes widened.

"Whoa..."

He leaned forward slightly.

The wall was covered in cracks.

Large chunks of cement had broken away from the impact point.

Dust still lingered around the damaged area.

Darren stared at it for several seconds before slowly placing his palm against the fractured surface.

A deep whistle escaped his lips.

"Now this is ridiculous."

He turned around to face Ivy again.

"It feels less like a human body hit this wall and more like a truck crashed into it."

His gaze moved across the massive cracks.

"Actually..."

He scratched the side of his head.

"I’ve seen trucks cause less damage than this."

A scoff escaped him.

With both hands resting on his waist, Darren looked back and forth between the wall and the direction Desmond had gone.

The more he analyzed the situation, the stranger it became.

"Something isn’t adding up here."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Either that guy is unbelievably durable..."

He paused.

"Or there’s something very wrong with him."

Meanwhile, throughout Darren’s entire analysis, Ivy remained calm.

She continued pouring feed into the pigs’ troughs without the slightest reaction.

The pigs happily crowded around her, making excited noises as they devoured the food.

To an outsider, she looked completely uninterested in the topic.

However, inwardly, her thoughts were elsewhere.

Let’s see if his loyalty increases now.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

Desmond was the type of person who respected strength above all else.

People like him rarely listened to reason.

They listened to power.

They admired authority.

And they followed those capable of dominating them.

If her guess was correct, today’s lesson would leave a deep impression on him.

Just keep me updated, System.

Let me know immediately if his loyalty changes.

The smile on her face widened slightly.

Ding!

The familiar mechanical voice echoed within her mind.

{Noted, Host.}

Ivy nodded inwardly.