Free Web NovelChapter 71: Chapter 71 I’ll take her
Just then, the system interface flickered into existence before Ivy once again. The translucent screen displayed the same golden dog from earlier—still in the middle of the road.
But this time...
The dog was no longer barking as loudly as before.
Instead, it let out soft, tired whimpers, its small body slumped as it sat there, stubbornly waiting for an owner who clearly wasn’t coming back.
Ivy’s chest tightened at the sight.
"Oh... you poor thing," she murmured softly, her voice laced with pity. Her brows furrowed as she stared at the fragile creature. "System... there’s a reason you’re showing me this, right?"
Ding!
{My purpose is to display ongoing events across different regions of the city.}
Ivy let out a quiet breath, her gaze lingering on the dog.
"...I’ll take her."
Her voice was firm this time, decision made.
Slowly, she rose to her feet, determination settling in her eyes.
"My children have always wanted a dog," she continued, a faint, bitter smile tugging at her lips. "But they never got the chance... all thanks to their father and his mistress."
Her tone hardened slightly, though the sadness didn’t leave completely.
"Now that one has shown up like this... I can’t just ignore her. If that military man changes his mind later, then fine...he can take her back. But for now..."
Her eyes softened again as she looked at the image.
"I’ll take care of her. Feed her. Treat her."
Ding!
{You are free to proceed, Host.}
Ivy gave a small nod before turning her head toward the sleeping figures nearby.
Aria and Lila were curled up peacefully, their soft breathing filling the room. Little Hope lay beside them, completely unaware of the dangers lurking outside.
For a brief moment, Ivy hesitated.
The journey into the city would take about an hour.
By then, her children would likely be awake.
But she had already prepared their breakfast, and the shelter was secure.
They would be safe.
"...I won’t be long," she whispered under her breath, almost as if reassuring herself.
With that, she turned and strode out of the shelter.
Moments later, she climbed into her armored vehicle, gripping the steering wheel as the engine roared to life.
"System, seal the shelter."
{Command acknowledged. Shelter secured.}
Only then did Ivy press down on the accelerator, the vehicle surging forward as she sped toward the city.
---
The road ahead was eerily quiet.
Too quiet.
But Ivy knew better than to relax.
Not long into the drive, monsters began to appear.
Low-level ones.
Small. Weak. Crawling things that lurked in the shadows of abandoned streets.
To anyone else, they might have been terrifying.
To Ivy?
They were nothing.
Her expression didn’t even change as she ran them down or eliminated them with practiced precision.
Ding!
{+50 points.}
Ding!
{+50 points.}
Ding!
{+50 points.}
"There were only three of you?" Ivy muttered under her breath, almost unimpressed as she continued driving.
Ding!
{Host has received additional rewards: +26 points.}
{Total points: 176.}
{Note: Previous points obtained during training have already been utilized. Current balance stands at 176 points.}
A small smile appeared on Ivy’s lips. ƒrēewebnovel.com
"Nice."
---
It didn’t take long before she arrived at the location shown earlier.
But the moment her eyes landed on the dog...
Her heart dropped.
The dog was no longer sitting.
It was lying flat on the ground.
Completely still.
"...No."
Ivy’s breath hitched as panic surged through her.
She didn’t even bother turning off the engine properly before throwing the door open and rushing out of the armored vehicle.
Her boots hit the ground hard as she sprinted toward the dog.
"Hey—hey! Stay with me!"
She dropped to her knees beside it, her hands trembling slightly as she reached out only to pause.
The dog wasn’t dead.
Its body moved faintly.
"Bark... bark..." freēwēbηovel.c૦m
The weak, broken sound made Ivy’s chest ache.
Relief flooded her, quickly followed by anger and concern.
"Oh, thank God..."
But then she saw it.
Blood.
Its golden fur once bright and beautiful was now stained red around one of its legs.
"A wound...?"
Her expression darkened as she gently lifted the injured leg to inspect it....
"Ghk!"
The dog whimpered sharply, its body flinching in pain.
Ivy immediately loosened her grip.
"Oh...hey, hey... I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry," she said quickly, her voice softening as she tried to soothe it. "I didn’t mean to hurt you..."
Carefully, more gently this time, she examined the injury.
Her brows knitted together.
"It’s a deep cut..." she muttered grimly. "Something sharp... a blade? Or maybe broken glass..."
The wound was still bleeding.
Badly.
Her jaw tightened.
"How did this even happen?" Ivy asked, her tone filled with confusion and frustration as she glanced slightly upward. "I just checked on her through your interface not long ago. She was fine."
Her eyes returned to the dog, concern deepening.
"So how did she get hurt this badly... in such a short time?"
