Ivy and Darren spent the next few hours clearing out the pig shed completely.

The foul stench of decay lingered heavily in the air as they dragged the carcasses of dead pigs out into an open area of the farm. Once everything had been gathered together, Ivy poured fuel over the pile while Darren prepared the fire.

A few moments later, flames erupted into the sky.

The dead pigs were quickly consumed by the blaze.

Neither Ivy nor Darren spoke much during the process.

After finishing with the pigs, they moved on to the other animal enclosures.

Dead chickens.

Dead goats.

Dead sheep.

Anything that had died during the outbreak was gathered and burned.

By the time they were finished, thick black smoke rose into the sky above the farm.

As for the surviving animals, Ivy wasn’t about to leave valuable resources behind.

The healthy pigs, goats, chickens, and sheep were carefully loaded into the waiting truck.

The process took quite some time due to the large number of animals, but eventually everything was secured.

Meanwhile, Desmond worked diligently throughout the entire operation.

He carried supplies.

Moved equipment.

Loaded cages.

And completed every task Ivy assigned to him without complaint.

At first glance, he looked like the perfect recruit.

However, Ivy wasn’t fooled.

She knew exactly what kind of person he was.

Which was why she decided to perform another test.

While organizing the remaining resources scattered throughout the farm, Ivy openly began storing supplies inside her System Space.

Boxes of food vanished.

Tools disappeared.

Medicine crates were swallowed by empty air.

Bags of feed disappeared one after another.

The scene was bizarre enough to shock any normal survivor.

Darren had long since become accustomed to it.

Ivy watched Desmond from the corner of her eye.

He had clearly seen everything.

There was no way he hadn’t.

Yet surprisingly...

He didn’t ask a single question.

Not one.

His expression remained calm.

His smile remained unchanged.

He simply continued working as though nothing unusual had happened.

A faint smile appeared on Ivy’s face.

As expected.

A cunning fox.

Most people would immediately question what they had just witnessed.

Others would become greedy and ask how she did it.

Some might even attempt to expose her secret.

But not Desmond.

Instead, he chose to remain silent and gather information.

That alone told Ivy a lot about him.

The more dangerous someone was, the more patient they tended to be.

And Desmond was undoubtedly dangerous.

Eventually, the farm was completely emptied of anything useful.

The survivors Ivy and Darren had encountered earlier were still waiting nearby.

None of them dared approach.

They simply watched in silence as Ivy, Darren, and Desmond climbed into the truck.

The engine roared to life.

Moments later, the vehicle pulled away from the farm and disappeared into the distance.

---

After driving for quite some time, the truck finally arrived at its destination.

A grain factory located on the outskirts of the city.

The facility was large and isolated.

Tall buildings surrounded the area, while rusted machinery stood abandoned in various corners.

More importantly...

The location was currently occupied by monsters.

The moment the truck came to a stop, Ivy and Darren stepped out.

The monsters noticed them immediately.

Hideous growls echoed throughout the compound.

Several creatures rushed forward.

Unfortunately for them, they had chosen the wrong targets.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Gunshots echoed repeatedly.

One monster after another collapsed.

Their heads exploded under the overwhelming power of Ivy and Darren’s weapons.

Within minutes, the entire area had fallen silent.

Not a single monster remained standing.

Desmond watched everything from nearby.

Although he maintained a calm expression, a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

Those weapons...

They were terrifying.

Ordinary firearms didn’t produce that level of destruction.

The monsters weren’t simply dying.

Their heads were being blown apart entirely.

The power behind those shots was unbelievable.

Once the battle ended, Ivy and Darren gathered the monster corpses into a large pile.

Soon, another fire was burning.

The monsters were reduced to ashes.

Afterward, they entered the factory and began cleaning it thoroughly.

Broken furniture was removed.

Dust was swept away.

The rooms were reorganized.

Ivy placed a bed inside one of the offices along with blankets, food supplies, drinking water, and various daily necessities.

By the time they finished, the abandoned factory looked surprisingly livable.

Darren finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer.

"Why are we doing this?"

He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow.

His eyes were filled with confusion.

"I think I deserve an explanation at this point, don’t you?"

Ivy glanced at him.

Darren continued.

"You agreed to let him join the base."

He pointed toward the factory entrance.

"But you’re clearly not treating him like a normal resident."

His brows furrowed.

"If he were truly joining the base, we’d be taking him back to the villa where everyone else lives."

Darren shook his head.

"Instead, we’re setting up an entirely separate residence for him."

He sighed.

"So what’s really going on?"

A small smile appeared on Ivy’s face.

"Don’t worry."

Her tone was calm and reassuring.

"I’ll explain everything soon."

Darren studied her for several seconds.

Eventually, he nodded.

"Fine."

Although he was still confused, he trusted Ivy enough not to press further.

A few moments later, the two walked outside.

Desmond was standing beside the truck waiting for them.

As usual, a bright smile rested on his face.

"So," Ivy began, "this is where you’ll be staying from now on."

Desmond blinked.

His gaze shifted toward the factory.

Then back to Ivy.

"Oh?"

"We’ll come back tomorrow," Ivy continued. "The monsters in this area have already been cleared out."

She pointed toward the factory.

"It should be safe."

Her smile widened.

"And I’ll be setting up a protective barrier around the building."

Desmond looked intrigued.

"A protective barrier?"

"Something like that," Ivy replied casually. "Think of it as an invisible repellent. It discourages monsters from approaching."

"Oh."

Desmond released a long sigh.

Then he scratched the back of his head.

"And what about you two?"

His gaze moved between Ivy and Darren.

"Are you staying here with me?"

"No."

Ivy shook her head immediately.

"This will be your residence."

Her smile never faltered.

Internally, however, her thoughts were very different.

Bring you to my real base?

To the villa?

To where my children live?

Not a chance.

Not until I know exactly what you’re planning.

Trusting Desmond blindly would be one of the stupidest decisions she could make.

For now, keeping him separate was the safest option.

To Ivy’s surprise, Desmond simply nodded.

"I understand."