Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Admiration
Martha nodded again. "That is wise. Discretion is key."
That night, Martha thought about her luck. She had once made millions working as a secretary, living a life of luxury.
Now, the world was broken, but she had found another powerful boss to serve.
The new salary was strange...twenty kilograms of rice per month plus accommodation.
And one thousand crystals on top of that. Enough to buy food from the grocery store without fear.
’This is more than survival,’ she thought. ’This is comfort. I will not waste this chance.’
Meanwhile, Ivy finally felt some relief. With Martha handling the processes, she could focus on bigger things.
The next morning, she sat at her desk and stared at her temporal storage blueprint.
’I need to upgrade it. If I want higher-level apartments, I can’t stop here. One living room and one bedroom are not enough for the long run.’
But before she could upgrade, the demand for more housing exploded. More citizens were coming every day, asking where they would stay. Ivy tried to stall, but it was impossible.
With a heavy heart, she used her storage to create one hundred more apartments.
She wanted to stack them on top of the existing buildings, but then she realized something.
’There are no stairs... not to mention an earthquake might shake the foundation, and it might fall down. My superpower hasn’t reached to the point that I can protect against any natural disaster.’
So instead, she spread them out. They weren’t perfectly lined or neat, but they stood tall and solid.
When it was done, Ivy looked over the new buildings. Her chest tightened.
’That was one quarter of my remaining space. My heart aches. But it had to be done.’
The next day, the citizens woke up and saw the new apartments.
A man rubbed his eyes and gasped. "Were these here yesterday?"
"No way," another replied. "They just appeared."
"They’re real," a woman said, touching the wall. "Solid wood... it’s real!"
Like every day, Mayor Daniel had brought some of his men with him. Jonas, Elias, Griffin, Mason, and Victor were following not far behind, chatting quietly.
But today, when they turned the corner and saw the view of Ivy’s base, everyone froze.
"...What in the world?" Jonas whispered, his eyes wide.
Mason rubbed his eyes and blinked. "Wasn’t there like... ten houses before? Maybe twenty?"
"There were," Elias said, staring hard. His mouth fell open. "Now there are... more than a hundred."
The stone walls gleamed under the sun. Dozens of apartments stood tall, scattered but sturdy. It looked like a small city had grown overnight.
For a long time, none of them spoke. Even Daniel himself felt his throat dry.
’I watched her build it from nothing. First bare land, then a fence, then some small houses. And now... this? This is no joke.’
Jonas finally broke the silence. "I want to join that base. I mean it. I want in."
Elias looked at him sharply. "You think you are the only one? I want to join too."
Daniel turned to look at both of them, speechless. His mouth twitched as he stared at their eager faces.
"You two... is this really about the base? Or is this about the pink-haired girl?"
Jonas scratched his neck. "Well... both."
Elias crossed his arms. "I admit it. That girl is... different. Beautiful. Strong. Not like anyone else."
Daniel sighed deeply. He thought of Ivy’s hair, pink like cherry blossoms, flowing behind her when the wind blew.
’I have seen many youngsters,’ he thought.
’But I have never seen someone like her. If only I had a daughter like Ivy. Or a son as capable as her. My life might have been easier. She truly is something else.’
Jonas and Elias stood with shining eyes, clearly thinking of Ivy as well. Mason and Griffin exchanged glances and smirked.
Griffin said, "Ivy is like... if I had a sister like her, I would have lived the best life. I would protect her no matter what."
Victor chuckled softly. "Yeah. Too bad she has no brother. If she did, maybe she wouldn’t have to suffer all this alone."
Mason suddenly clapped his hands. "Then why don’t we just become her brothers? We can protect her like family."
Griffin’s eyes lit up. "Yes. That’s not bad. I would gladly call her sister."
Victor rolled his eyes and gave them a disdainful look.
"Protect her? Please. With her fighting skills, if she even lets you carry her shoes, you should thank the heavens. Brothers? You two would be lucky to be her shoe carriers."
Mason and Griffin both fell silent. They knew he was not lying. Even Daniel could not help but snort at the truth.
’She built all this without asking anyone for help. She carried it all on her shoulders. She is much stronger than she looks. Life really is fair,’ Daniel thought with a bitter smile. "Truly, the heavens are fair."
Jonas frowned and asked, "Mayor, what do you mean, fair?"
Daniel looked at the apartments again.
"Ivy is talented. More than all of us. But look closer. She is always alone. She has no beloved family around her. If she had them, maybe she would not need to work like this. Maybe she would not start from nothing. Talent comes, but she paid with loneliness. That is fairness."
The group went quiet. Each of them thought about what Daniel said. Elias finally nodded. "He is right. She has no one. She carries it all."
Victor scratched his chin. "If I had a sister like her, I would never let her suffer. I would stand in front of her and fight the whole world."
Griffin’s eyes lit again. "Same here. We can still do it. We can still protect her."
But Victor only snorted. "Protect her? With what power? If she wanted, she could squash you with one hand."
The two fell silent again.
Just then, Jonas’s eyes widened. He pointed at a distance. "Look! She is walking toward the base!"