Read Novel Full Chapter 403: Population Growth
Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Population Growth
There was a terrifying possibility that this entire catastrophe was an act of revenge carried out by that being.
Taking a deep breath, Ivy suppressed the rising shock in her heart. She forced herself to stay calm as the investigation team continued to uncover more materials.
There was only one thing that didn’t fit neatly into place.
The natural disasters.
The extreme heat, the environmental collapse.
Thankfully, due to Bella’s help and Ivy’s own abilities, she had managed to ward off the worst effects for now.
But even so, Ivy knew one thing with absolute certainty.
This apocalypse was far more complex and far more dangerous than it appeared on the surface.
Zombies, viruses, and conspiracies could all be traced back to someone or something. But natural disasters were different.
They weren’t things that could simply be controlled by a single being... or at least, that was what Ivy had always believed.
’Unless... that thing isn’t what I think it is.’
If those beings truly had the ability to control natural disasters, then this world was already finished.
They didn’t have spaceships capable of evacuating humanity into space.
They didn’t have some genius scientist who could construct a refuge that existed neither underground nor in the sky. There was nowhere to run.
No escape.
’If the zombies don’t wipe us out... the disasters will.’
For a brief moment, Ivy even suspected that even if she successfully dealt with the zombie apocalypse, the natural disasters alone would still be enough to destroy the entire world.
Yet her thoughts drifted back to her previous life.
Back then, the disasters had raged in full force for nearly seventy years before slowly stabilizing.
The temperature rose abnormally, though not as violently as now, hovering around sixty degrees Celsius, while the cold grew even more terrifying, plunging to minus one hundred degrees. Cold became so extreme that what once would have been fatal began to feel... normal.
Those who survived adapted.
Superpowers evolved.
Everyone who made it through learned to hide their abilities, honing them just enough to survive extreme heat and unbearable cold.
Thinking of that, Ivy exhaled slowly.
’Please... let it be the same this time.’
Now, standing in this life, she could only hope that, just like before, the disasters would stop escalating around the seventh year.
If she could handle the zombie apocalypse properly, then with her abilities, there was a high chance her base could also survive the natural disasters.
As the investigation continued, Ivy didn’t stop preparing.
She gathered supplies relentlessly, especially medicinal ones. It was during this process that she realized something unexpected.
Her supply-picking superpower had upgraded.
Now, she could wish for medicines far more efficiently.
Not only could she summon saline, but she could also request heat-reducing drugs at the same time, and both would appear together.
However, food was still different.
When she wished for tomatoes, only tomatoes appeared, but all their varieties came flooding in at once. There was no sign of two completely different food types appearing together.
After pondering it for a while, Ivy came to a conclusion.
’Food is being restricted... controlled by something.’
She chose not to dwell on it.
Instead, she focused on expanding her grocery system.
Slowly, vegetables began to appear.
Eggplants. Beans. Peas.
Then cucumbers, sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and even cheese.
Spring onions followed. Scallions too.
The moment those vegetables started appearing regularly, Ivy felt a surge of genuine excitement. Her heart lifted in a way it hadn’t for a long time.
After all, she had once told Silas, "If we’re going to hold a wedding banquet, we’ll need vegetables. A lot of them."
Now, with this supply, she was certain.
They could finally hold that banquet.
She waited. One day passed. Then another.
By the twentieth day, Ivy finally realized something was wrong.
Silas hadn’t made a single move.
It was only then that Ivy learned the truth.
Silas wasn’t avoiding her. Silas was in trouble.
To be precise, it was Silas’s father who was in trouble.
Apparently, Dante had been secretly sending loyal members of his team directly to Ivy’s base. The transfers were quiet and careful but not invisible.
Frank noticed. And the moment he did, he stirred chaos.
Frank publicly accused Dante of planning to abandon the military. Panic spread instantly. The people stationed in the military base began protesting loudly.
"If you’re planning to leave," they shouted, "then leave all the food behind!"
Conflict erupted.
A full-blown fight broke out between the Blackthorn family and the residents of the military base. Amid the chaos, Frank seized the opportunity.
He stole a considerable amount of food.
When Ivy learned of this, fury surged through her veins like fire.
’He’s gone too far.’
Frank had extended his hand where it didn’t belong.
Without hesitation, Ivy activated one of the spies she had planted within the military base.
After all, once she discovered that the military might have planted spies in her base, she had already guessed the truth.
’If they can plant spies in my territory... then I can do the same.’
And she did. Now, it was time to make Frank pay.
Through her spy, Ivy sent word of a secret deal.
Someone was willing to supply Frank with food in exchange for land, gold, jewelry, or anything else of value.
Frank took the bait immediately.
But cautious as he was greedy, he invited someone else into the deal.
The head of the Black Vultures. Cain.
He wanted insurance. He wanted backup. He didn’t want to be scammed.
When Ivy learned about this, her lips curled into a cold smile.
’Perfect.’
In her previous life, the Black Vultures had grown into a cancer that spread across humanity. This time, she intended to rip that tumor out at the root.
Not to mention...
There were people in the Black Vultures she wanted dead with her own hands.
’This is my chance.’
As she finalized her plans, Ivy glanced over reports about her own base.
The population had already expanded to nearly two hundred thousand.
She could say it without exaggeration; her base was now one of the most powerful in the entire region. Even the military didn’t have this many people.