Once outside, the others were still eating and drinking happily while celebrating their victory.

“Where’s Darren?” Josh asked while chewing a large piece of meat. “He should call the captain too. The captain needs to eat.”

“He’s discussing something with him,” Ivy replied with a small forced smile as she sat down beside the group. “And the captain already ate earlier. Right now, he just needs rest.”

The group nodded casually without suspecting anything serious before continuing their celebration.

Meanwhile, all the supplies they had brought back had already been unloaded from the truck and arranged neatly on the ground.

There were foodstuffs, canned goods, processed foods, drinks, electronics, batteries, first-aid kits, blankets, medicines, tools, fuel containers, and countless other useful materials.

The amount was so overwhelming that Ivy’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

There were well over a thousand supplies in total.

“Those are everything we brought back with the truck,” Nathan said proudly with a bright smile on his face.

Even Ivy found herself smiling genuinely this time as she stared at the mountain of supplies before them.

"This is nice,” Ivy replied, after which she turned her attention toward Albert. “Kindly give everyone more soda and food, please.”

“Yahhhh!!!”

The group exclaimed happily in unison, their excited cheers echoing through the shelter.

Meanwhile, Ivy couldn’t bring herself to eat among them. It was far too chaotic for her liking. She preferred eating alone while watching a movie, or sometimes eating quietly with her children. Because of that, she just sat there with the group, silently observing everyone.

Anthony glanced at Ivy for a moment before finally speaking up.

“Uhmm... have you ever heard about our base before?” he asked cautiously, his tone serious. “It’s called the Dragon Base. The name was given by the captain himself. It’s much bigger than this shelter of yours... more spacious too. There are lots of rooms, stronger defenses, and more survivors there.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“Why don’t you just join us instead? I mean... we should all head back to the base rather than continue staying here.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the shelter became quieter.

Several members secretly glanced toward Ivy, curious about her response.

Ivy let out a faint chuckle before slowly raising her gaze toward Anthony.

“Will I have meat whenever I want?” she asked calmly. “Freedom? The right to kill people I dislike?”

Her words instantly sent waves of shock through Anthony and the others.

The atmosphere stiffened immediately.

Anthony swallowed hard before forcing out an awkward response.

“Well... you could have meat if we all work together,” he replied carefully. “I mean... you just have to guide us. Tell us which territories to claim and what to do.”

Ivy’s lips curled into a faint scoff.

“Is there even a single piece of meat among the supplies you brought back today?” she asked bluntly. “Since all of you have been living in this so-called Dragon Base, when last did any of you eat meat?”

Anthony lowered his head in silence.

“There’s nothing like meat in the apocalypse anymore,” Anthony finally admitted in a low voice filled with dejection. “Most of the animals died because of the monsters’ toxic smell and the contaminated water sources.”

The others remained silent as well.

Truthfully, they were all still confused about how Ivy managed to gather meat so easily and cook luxurious meals almost every single day.

Fine, she had a farm.

But that still didn’t explain everything.

How had she managed to keep animals alive during the apocalypse?

Most livestock had either mutated, died, or been wiped out by monsters long ago. Yet somehow Ivy still had goats, chickens, and even ponds clean enough for survival.

Not only were the animals alive...

They were reproducing.

It sounded almost impossible.

“Then why don’t all of you join me instead?” Ivy suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’ll eat endless meat here. As you can already see, I have a farm. I rear animals....goats, chickens, and more.”

She gestured calmly around the shelter before continuing.

“I already told all of you to build your own house anyway, which I believe you’ll begin soon enough. So why not join my team instead?”

Her tone became colder and more serious.

“Let’s conquer the apocalypse together.”

The room fell silent again.

“In the future,” Ivy continued slowly, “there will be a complete collapse of order. Independent bases will rise everywhere, each led by powerful individuals. Only the strong will survive.”

Her sharp gaze swept across every member present.

“Bases will eventually start fighting each other for resources, territory, weapons, and food. They’ll attack one another simply to dominate. Large organizations will create the illusion of safety, but in reality, many of them will crumble from within.”

The soldiers subconsciously tightened their fists.

Because deep down...

They knew she was right.

“The apocalypse isn’t a game of morality anymore,” Ivy added calmly. “It’s a game of survival.”

The members lowered their heads in conflicted silence.

Truthfully, many of them had already wished to serve under Ivy. Compared to the Dragon Base, life here felt far better. They had proper meals, cleaner living conditions, warmth, and most importantly...

Hope.

However, Erick was still their captain.

No matter what happened, loyalty still mattered to them.

No one could serve two masters.

That alone made the decision painfully difficult despite how tempting Ivy’s offer sounded.