[Ding! You have earned 100,000 KB!]
Ivy’s hand shook as she opened the notification. Her eyes went wide.
"One hundred thousand... KB?" she whispered, blinking again and again.
She rubbed her eyes with both hands and looked once more. The numbers stayed the sa.
"No way. I... I’m not imagining this, right?"
Her mind was spinning. She had never received such a large amount before.
’Who would even send so much? Who could it be? Soone must have been touched enough to transfer such a huge amount. But... who?’
Her gaze slowly turned toward Paul and Linda, who were still standing in front of her, their expressions calm, still unaware of the storm that was raging inside her. Ivy’s lips parted slightly.
’Could it be... them? Their gratitude? Their trust?’
Her heart thudded fast. And just as she was trying to make sense of it, another sound rang in her head.
Ding.
A new ssage appeared in the corner of her vision. Her breath caught.
[Hidden Feature Unlocked.]
Ivy almost dropped her phone in shock.
"What... another one?" she whispered under her breath.
Her eyes were wide, her heart racing. She clenched her fists.
’So it’s true. Real gratitude, the kind that moves people’s hearts, can help unlock hidden features. This... this is too important. If I use this well, I can change everything.’
She wanted to open it right away, but she forced herself to stay calm. She glanced back at Paul and Linda, who were waiting patiently.
’I can’t waste ti here staring at my phone. They need . I’ll look at it later.’
Taking a deep breath, she smiled at them. "Uncle Paul, Aunt Linda, please pack up your things. I’ll take you to a safe place."
The old couple nodded without question. Linda quickly gathered a few clothes and essentials, while Paul carefully put so tools and a small pouch inside his bag. They didn’t take much. Within minutes, they were ready.
Ivy led them to the car and drove toward her base. The ride was quiet, but peaceful. Paul looked out the window, sighing from ti to ti, while Linda sat in the back, silently clutching her hands together.
When they arrived, Ivy parked the car and led them inside the tall building. As soon as Paul and Linda stepped into the apartnt Ivy prepared for them, they froze.
The rooms were bright and warm. The air slled fresh. There was enough space for them to live comfortably.
Linda’s eyes filled with tears. She grabbed Ivy’s hand and squeezed it tightly. "Child... this... this is too much. You are giving us more than we ever dread of."
Paul patted Ivy’s shoulder with his rough hand. "You’re thoughtful beyond your years. Thank you, Ivy."
Both of them were smiling with relief and joy.
Then, Linda slowly pulled out a pouch from her bag. She placed it in Ivy’s hands. It was heavy.
"This is our savings," Linda said softly.
"Gold. We kept it all these years. Please take it. It is our way of showing gratitude. Even if... even if sothing happens to us later, we will never bla you. You gave us a chance to live again."
She had said so because she could notice that Ivy genuinely wanted them to live a good life. However, the mont she entered the base, she knew this base didn’t have any kind of protection.
Neither was it protected by any kind of powerful superhumans. It was enough to tell her that this base might not last long before zombies would rush in and attack them.
Though she knew all of this, she still didn’t tell her worries to Ivy purely because she knew Ivy had tried her best to just protect them and sincerely wanted them to settle down.
Hence, never once did she think about telling Ivy the truth. Paul, too, had similar thoughts to Linda and just smiled at Ivy, who was about to refuse the gold.
But Paul shook his head. "You must accept it. We are old. We may not live much longer. To us, this gold ans nothing. But in your hands, it will have value. You are too generous already, giving us food and shelter. If we don’t repay you in so way, our hearts won’t be at ease."
Linda nodded quickly, tears on her face. "Yes, child. Take it. At least this way, we feel like we have given sothing back to you."
Ivy bit her lip. She truly didn’t want to take it. ’They are so kind. They think of even when they are the ones who need help the most. How can I accept this?’
But seeing the insistence in their eyes, she finally sighed and nodded. "Alright. I’ll take it. But I promise you, I won’t let you suffer here. I’ll protect you no matter what."
Paul’s eyes softened, and he smiled. "We believe you."
The couple then walked into their apartnt to settle down. Linda gently touched the furniture, smiling as if she had found peace. Paul stood by the window, staring outside with a quiet look in his eyes.
’I know,’ Paul thought, ’our ti may be short. Maybe only two or three days. But at least... we will spend it in comfort. And this child... she truly cares. That is enough.’
anwhile, Ivy stood outside the apartnt, holding the pouch of gold tightly in her hands.
Just as she was about to put the pouch away, her phone buzzed. She looked at the screen and saw Silas’s na. Her heart jumped.
Quickly, she picked up. "Why did you call ?"
On the other end, Silas chuckled. "You didn’t even say hello, Ivy. Is that how you greet ?"
Ivy’s cheeks flushed red. "I... I was just curious, that’s why I asked directly. Hello."
His voice was calm and teasing. "That’s better. Anyway, Talia and Daniel want to et you. Do you have ti? If you don’t, I’ll tell them you’re busy."
Without thinking, Ivy replied, "I’m free."
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