Read Novel Full Chapter 533: New Currency
Chapter 533: Chapter 533: New Currency
"Don’t even think about it. I want a child of my own before I turn twenty-six."
Silas laughed. "That’s too early, but let’s wait and see."
Ivy rolled her eyes before curiosity sparkled in them again. "If we have a daughter and a son, what would you name them?"
Silas answered immediately, "If we have a daughter, we would name her Eviana or Evie."
Ivy raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
He smirked. "Because then I’d have an Ivy and an Evie. That would be amazing."
Ivy rolled her eyes again, though she could not suppress her laughter. "What about a son?"
Silas’s expression turned indifferent. He shrugged. "It would be better if we didn’t have a son. I’m not really interested."
Ivy burst into laughter. "You’re unbelievably biased. Your orthodox thinking is completely leaning toward having a daughter."
Silas merely hummed in response.
"Fine," Ivy continued, crossing her arms playfully. "But if we do have a son, what would you name him?"
Silas thought for a moment before replying lazily, "Something that starts with S."
Ivy narrowed her eyes at him. "That’s such a half-assed answer."
He chuckled. "What can I do? I’m not interested in discussing a son."
Ivy sighed dramatically.
"If that’s the case, then I will think about our future son’s name. Simon! Since you want it to start with S... so let’s name him Simon."
Silas did not even argue, which made Ivy shake her head in helpless amusement.
The two of them continued talking about random things afterward, their voices soft and relaxed as night deepened around them.
Meanwhile, outside their warm room, the situation was entirely different.
The temperature had begun to change gradually, and with it, people’s lives were shifting as well.
At first, everyone had been thrilled when the unbearable heat finally receded.
The scorching winds that once burned their skin had vanished.
But now, as the cold crept in silently, it seeped into bones and lungs alike.
Frost clung to rooftops in the early morning, and breath turned into pale mist in the air.
People who had once complained about heat now found themselves shivering violently, their fingers numb and lips turning blue.
The only place unaffected by this extreme cold was the SiIvy Base.
Within its boundaries, the temperature remained stable, warm enough to feel like early spring.
Because of that, long lines of people had formed outside its gates.
Even though they were not permitted to enter, they stayed within two meters of the outer walls, unwilling to move farther away.
None of them even considered harming the residents inside.
They had already realized that merely staying nearby brought benefits. The cold felt less biting near the base, as if an invisible barrier shielded them.
Occasionally, merchants from inside would come out and offer food for sale.
There was even a one-time meal distributed by the base to those waiting outside.
For many, that small mercy was enough to keep them staying there, hoping that someday, they too might be allowed to step inside.
It was not some act of kindness from the base. Rather, it was a calculated form of compensation.
Since many of those people had identities that could not be verified, and some might have carried minor criminal records, they were granted permission to remain outside instead of being executed outright.
The arrangement was harsh, but in a world that had already collapsed into chaos, it was still considered mercy.
Of course, those with severe crimes, serial killers or individuals who had murdered two or more people were not granted such leniency. They were executed immediately.
They were not even given a chance to leave the base perimeter.
If they were captured alive, they were thrown directly into the underground prison.
The unspoken message was clear: survival was a privilege, not a right.
The people surviving outside understood this very well.
They had been given just enough opportunity to live, and so none of them dared to act recklessly.
Instead, they searched for ways to prove themselves useful.
They helped carry supplies, cleared debris, reported dangers, and performed small tasks whenever possible.
They had realized one simple truth, so long as they were useful, the base would reward them.
Now that the extreme cold was arriving, they were still managing to live slightly better than others scattered across the ruined cities.
The reason was simple. Although the outside world had become unbearably frigid, the area surrounding the base remained comparatively warmer.
A faint current of heat radiated outward, and the wind there was mild rather than biting.
It created a strange pocket of survivable climate, almost unnatural in its balance.
But beyond that safe radius, the situation was far worse.
There were people who could barely step outside their homes.
The world had swung violently from extreme heat to extreme cold, and now the temperature had dropped to zero degrees.
Those who still wore remnants of their summer clothing found them utterly useless.
Thin cotton could not stop the cold from gnawing into flesh.
Inside the base, however, something entirely different was happening.
A new wave of invention had begun.
Because of the cold, people rushed to purchase warm clothing.
Workshops operated day and night, the rhythmic clatter of sewing machines echoing through insulated halls.
Various fabrics, synthetic blends, reinforced fibers, and even experimental thermal materials were distributed among residents.
It gave people the strange reassurance that, even in the apocalypse, there were still ways to continue living like human beings rather than mere survivors.
At the same time, many noticed another major change.
Previously, zombie crystals had been demanded for nearly everything, functioning as both currency and resource.
Now, the base had implemented a new rule.
Those who went out hunting were forbidden from killing zombies. Instead, they were ordered to capture them alive.
The more zombies a team brought back intact, the more they were paid.
A new type of currency had even been introduced, durable earthen coin credits, lightweight and standardized, easier to control and impossible to counterfeit using old-world methods.