Chapter 311: Chapter 311: Rain

Ivy remained busy throughout the next month.

Her entire focus was on expanding the base.

Overpopulation was becoming a growing concern, and she knew that if things continued this way, the pressure might trigger riots.

Annie had already reported that several groups had begun murmuring about staging a revolt.

Ivy felt a cold weight settle in her chest.

If a riot breaks out, everything will collapse. Order, safety, resources... it would spiral too quickly.

So the next morning, she began executing her expansion plan.

The first step was clearing zombies from the surrounding areas.

Although she had done this before, it needed to be repeated to widen the livable perimeter.

She brought both her squad and the military unit with her.

It was surprisingly quick. Within six hours, the forces had cleared over ten thousand square meters of land.

Once the area was secure, Ivy ordered both soldiers and civilians to retreat a good distance away.

"Fall back," she said. "No one comes closer until I say so."

Her tone brooked no argument.

She had already instructed her family to arrive ten minutes later. They were the only ones she wanted to witness what would happen next.

When the appointed time came, Helena, Victor, Ember, Felix, Kael, and Silas arrived, eager and curious.

Ember stepped forward. "Ivy, what now?"

Ivy faced them calmly.

"Now I will construct the walls. After that, we will form residential units and housing sectors."

They all nodded, attention fixed on her.

Ivy exhaled slowly and lifted her hand.

The air trembled.

In an instant, tall white walls appeared from thin air, stretching around the cleared perimeter, surrounding the ten-thousand-square-meter expanse.

It was like watching a giant city form in seconds.

Ember covered her mouth, eyes shining in astonishment. Even though she wanted to scream in excitement, she held herself back.

Once the wall was complete, Ivy continued. Buildings began to form: apartment complexes, resource storage rooms, shops, and department offices.

The land around them shifted and aligned into organized blocks, forming a livable district with efficiency and clarity.

When Ivy finally lowered her hand, her breathing was slightly heavier, though she tried to hide it.

She turned toward her family.

Silas, Felix, Ember, Helena, Victor, and Kael all looked at her with visible concern.

"Are you alright?" Helena asked softly. "You look exhausted."

Kael stepped closer, expression tense. "You should rest."

Ivy laughed lightly and shook her head.

"I’m fine. I’ve done this many times. My body is used to it now. You don’t need to worry."

But Helena’s gaze softened with pain. Watching her daughter shape the world with her own hands, alone, cut deeply into her heart.

How much has she endured? How much strength did she force herself to build? How many burdens did she carry silently?

Even Victor and Kael, men who rarely spoke about feelings, looked quietly moved.

The base, with its clean homes, stable food supply, and protective walls, only existed because of her.

Yet Ivy was the one suffering to maintain it.

Helena finally asked the question resting in all their hearts.

"Ivy... why do you shoulder all of this alone? There are other people who could do their part. You don’t have to bear everything by yourself."

Ivy smiled softly. It was warm. But also tired. And old.

"Others cannot help," she said. "In the apocalypse, fear twists the heart. When everything is uncertain, people cling to selfishness because they think it is survival."

She looked toward the horizon, where the sun burned red against the land.

"But not everyone is selfish. There are still those who are kind. Those who protect. Those who care. Even in my previous life... there were people who saved me. Silas saved me. My neighbors tried to look after me. My teachers defended me. Silas’ friend protected me. My best friend stood with me. So yes, there were also ones who betrayed me, used me, and hurt me. But the world wasn’t only made of people like them. There was still humanity left."

The wind flowed quietly around them.

"I am not trying to be a saint," Ivy continued. "I simply want to help enough that others remember how precious kindness is. So that they do not forget that humanity still exists."

Helena looked at her daughter, trembling slightly. "But others may not appreciate it. They may not return your kindness."

Ivy smiled again, this time softer.

"Some will."

She believed it. Deeply. Unshakably.

And she was right.

Because the kindness Ivy gave would change lives.

...........................

Rain was a woman whose heart had been steeped in bitterness since the apocalypse began.

On the very first day of chaos, she discovered the truth she had been too blind to see before: her husband had been cheating on her, and his mistress was pregnant.

Worse yet, when the world fell apart, both of them pushed her toward a group of zombies, hoping she would be torn apart so they could live comfortably without her.

Somehow she was able to escape and even ran far away with her food supplies

What shattered her even more was when her own daughter, whom she had raised and loved, took her food during the escape, leaving her with nothing.

To be betrayed by your own blood... that pain is something no wound can compare to.

Rain survived through pure resentment and stubbornness.

Her new motto was: ’Be aware of everyone they are showing goodwill only to scam you!’

By the time she reached the nearest military base, she was nearly skin and bone.

But fate gave her one final chance; she awakened the ability of super strength.

With her newfound power, Rain was able to tear through zombies with ease.

She collected dozens of zombie crystals each day, but even then, she could not afford much food.

The prices in black markets were outrageous, so high that Rain had wondered whether starving slowly would be less painful.

One day, while wandering around looking for food, she heard whispers of a newly established base, one that exchanged food for zombie crystals fairly. At first, Rain didn’t believe it.