Its body twisted unnaturally, guttural sounds escaping its throat as it struggled against sothing unseen.
The crowd instinctively stepped back, fear gripping their hearts.
Then slowly... the transformation began.
The decayed skin regained color. The grotesque features softened.
The monstrous form... beca human. A stunned silence fell over the crowd.
The man, now human, looked around weakly, his eyes filled with confusion yet faint awareness.
A soft, almost fragile smile appeared on his lips as he saw the people around him.
Then, as if exhausted beyond limit, he slowly closed his eyes.
The silence shattered. Everyone rushed forward at once.
"I need that antidote!"
"Give it to ! I want 10 of these."
"Move aside! Hey, at least let have 50 of it!"
Chaos erupted as people fought desperately, their greed and desperation overwhelming everything else.
Many people rushed forward, grabbing the antidote in trembling hands, their breaths uneven with desperation.
Others, however, did not move toward the shelves at all.
Instead, they turned toward Ivy.
One by one, they dropped to their knees.
The dull thud of knees hitting the cold floor echoed faintly through the store.
"Thank you..."
"If it was not for you, we would not have survived..."
So of them bowed their heads deeply, their voices shaking with emotion.
A few even broke down halfway through their words, tears slipping down their faces as relief finally overca the fear they had been suppressing for so long.
Ivy stood there, montarily still.
’I should not feel anything... this is just part of the plan,’ she told herself.
Yet, sothing warm stirred faintly in her chest.
That night, her dining table was filled.
Various dishes, so simple, so carefully prepared, were placed neatly, each carrying the faint aroma of effort and gratitude.
From fried rice to broth and even cucumber salad and egg drop soup.
Ivy looked at the table, a soft smile forming on her lips despite herself.
’I was not supposed to enjoy this...’
But she did. The next day, Ronak returned.
This ti, he was not alone.
A massive boat approached from a distance.
It was almost the size of a small cruise ship, its surface packed with survivors.
In truth, this vessel was sothing Ivy herself had created during the earlier days of the flood.
Back then, by the ti it had been completed, the waters had already receded, making it useless at the ti.
And yet...
’Who would have thought I would need it here...’ she mused quietly.
As the boat docked, more and more people stepped off, their movents cautious at first, then gradually filled with urgency.
They made their way toward the new building.
The mont they entered, their expressions changed.
Relief replaced fear. Hope replaced despair.
"There is... a place to stay..."
"And food..."
Their voices trembled, but this ti, it was not from fear.
It was from overwhelming gratitude.
One by one, they turned toward Ronak and fell to their knees.
Ronak imdiately raised his hand, shaking his head. "Do not thank . This is all because of Ivy."
All eyes shifted toward her.
Ivy offered a gentle smile, her voice calm and steady.
"Tonight, everyone will be provided food for free. Eat well, rest well, and then you can think about what cos next."
The words struck deeply.
So of those who had been holding themselves together finally broke down completely.
"We... we had already given up..."
"It was too hard..."
"We will repay you soday... we promise..."
Ivy only smiled softly.
’I do not need repaynt,’ she thought quietly. ’I only need the points... and they are already coming in.’
And indeed, they were.
As nearly a thousand people entered the tower and settled in, the KB points surged rapidly.
She observed quietly and soon noticed that more than ten floors were still empty.
Her gaze shifted toward Ronak.
He nodded imdiately, understanding her intent without needing words. "I will go again."
Ivy raised her hand slightly, stopping him. "There is no rush. You should rest first."
Ronak shook his head, his expression firm and serious. "Even if I want to rest, I cannot. If we delay even a second... soone out there might die."
Ivy fell silent for a mont.
’He is... truly sincere,’ she realized, a faint trace of admiration appearing in her eyes.
She did not stop him again.
’Perhaps... I should give him sothing in return later,’ she thought, a subtle plan forming in her mind.
After Ronak left once more, Drake stepped beside her.
He watched Ronak’s departing figure before speaking, his voice softer than usual.
"This is the first ti I have seen him this enthusiastic since the apocalypse began."
Ivy let out a small chuckle. "Maybe it is because he is finally receiving appreciation."
Drake nodded slowly.
"You are right. He has always helped others... used everything he had... but no one ever truly acknowledged it. This ti... people are expressing their gratitude openly. It ans a lot to him."
Ivy simply smiled, her eyes calm.
Drake looked at her, sincerity clear in his gaze. "Thank you."
She gave a faint nod before turning toward the tower.
"Ivy," Drake called out.
She stopped and glanced back.
"Is there anything I can do?"
Ivy thought for a mont before replying, "Promote the zombie virus antidote as much as you can. That would help a lot."
Drake nodded without hesitation. "Understood."
With that, Ivy entered the tower. She had deliberately left a room for herself.
She began cultivating using the zombie crystals.
Ti passed unnoticed until she finally stepped out again, heading back toward the grocery store.
That was when she noticed them.
Two figures. A woman and a girl.
Their clothes were soaked, clinging to their bodies, droplets of water still falling onto the floor beneath them. Their faces were pale, their breaths uneven.
’They crossed the flood... on their own? ’ Ivy’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of surprise appearing within them.
A faint sense of admiration followed.
’That kind of determination... is rare.’
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