Ivy exhaled slowly.
"Even if that is true," she muttered, her voice tinged with frustration,
"I still feel like you are hiding sothing from . If you just tell the reason, then maybe I can act more effectively... and maybe I can listen to you without all these unnecessary doubts clouding my mind."
’Why does he always speak in half-truths?’ she thought.
But the temporal storage offered no clarification, its silence now feeling deliberate rather than neutral.
Ivy let out a slow breath, rubbing her forehead as if she could physically push away the irritation building inside her.
"Fine," she murmured under her breath, her tone carrying a trace of resignation. "If you are not willing to tell the truth, then I will not keep the KB points."
The mont those words left her lips, the atmosphere shifted.
The temporal storage’s voice returned, sharper this ti.
[If you do not need the KB points, then I will simply take them away.]
Ivy’s eyes widened, and a spark of anger ignited within her.
"Why are you even eyeing my KB points?" she snapped, her voice rising despite herself.
"I am not giving them to you, and I am not throwing them away either. I will keep them. Fine... you win."
The silence that followed was heavier than before, almost smug.
Then suddenly, sothing changed.
Her points began to surge.
Ivy blinked, her irritation montarily replaced by confusion as she felt the numbers rising rapidly, like a flood breaking through a dam.
"What...?" she whispered, her heartbeat quickening.
’Did I trigger sothing? Or... is this coming from sowhere else?’
A realization slowly dawned on her.
"It must be from the other location..."
As if confirming her thoughts, the temporal storage spoke again, its tone calr now.
[The other grocery store has earned points... in the millions. More and more people are being drawn there. You should act quickly. This could beco a major pillar for human survival in that region.]
Ivy’s eyes glead faintly. ’This is an opportunity... a huge one.’
Without wasting another second, she moved to negotiate. "I do not have one trillion points but I want to unlock the teleportation feature," she stated firmly.
The temporal storage responded almost instantly, as if it had been waiting.
[Then I will give you a discount. Five hundred billion.]
Ivy checked her current balance, watching the numbers climb but still far from that absurd amount. A faint scoff escaped her lips.
"At most, I can give five billion. Not a single percent more."
[Forget it,] the temporal storage replied flatly. [I should not have suggested anything.]
Ivy’s lips curved into a slight smirk, her irritation now turning into calculated negotiation.
"If you do not help , you will not gain anything either. How about this... whatever points I earn during this period, I will share twenty percent with you."
[Forty percent,] the temporal storage countered imdiately.
Ivy clicked her tongue softly. "Twenty-five percent. Not a single percent more."
[Thirty percent.]
She paused, her fingers tapping lightly against her arm as she weighed the decision. ’It is still a lot... but if this works, the return will be far greater.’
"Fine," she finally agreed. "Thirty percent it is."
’It should not be that big of a loss... right?’ she reassured herself, though a faint doubt lingered at the back of her mind.
The mont the deal was sealed, a subtle shift coursed through her surroundings.
The teleportation function unlocked.
The first thing Ivy did was inform Silas.
He stared at her, stunned, but that shock quickly twisted into worry and irritation.
"Why do you even need to leave?" he demanded. "So what if that place is in danger?"
His words carried a selfish undertone, one he did not even try to hide.
Ivy could not help but laugh inwardly.
’This is the sa person who would be ready to fight anyti for his own nation... and now he is lecturing about priorities?’
Aloud, she spoke calmly,
"If I earn enough KB points, they will definitely be useful in the future. Even if I do not need them now, I will need them later."
Silas shook his head, disappointnt evident in his expression. "You really know how to get on my nerves."
Ivy offered a wry smile. "That is just how I do things."
The next day, she packed a few essentials.
Just as she turned to leave her room, Silas followed closely behind her.
Watching her, he hesitated before asking, "Can I co with you?"
Ivy imdiately directed the question to the temporal storage.
[No,] it replied without hesitation. [I do not have that kind of power. Sending you alone is already a gamble. It will cost a significant amount of points. If you fail to generate enough in return, it will be a loss.]
Ivy sighed softly. "Fine... I understand."
Turning back to Silas, she shook her head.
He pouted slightly, crossing his arms. "This must be that selfish temporal storage again."
The temporal storage’s voice flared with irritation.
[Watch your words, or I will remove you from this place entirely.]
By now, it had developed a distinct personality, sharp, reactive, and easily annoyed, especially when it ca to Silas.
Silas rely grinned, clearly unbothered.
Ivy sighed, shaking her head. ’He can be so childish when he wants to be...’
After saying her goodbyes, she activated the teleportation function.
In the next instant, the world twisted.
Then...she appeared.
Ivy found herself standing in the grocery store in Ronak’s base.
Then the people around her noticed.
A few shoppers froze mid-step, their eyes widening in shock as they stared at her sudden appearance, their gazes filled with disbelief and unease.
There was silence for a brief mont before the entire crowd suddenly erupted into chaos.
"Who are you?" soone shouted, their voice sharp with suspicion.
"What are you doing here?" another voice demanded, louder than the rest.
Ivy imdiately raised her hand, her expression calm despite the rising tension.
"I know Ronak and Drake," she spoke clearly, her voice steady enough to cut through the noise. "I half-own this grocery store."
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