Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Moonjewel Base
But then she remembered the woman who had slipped her the note. Miley.
Her grip on the scooter handles tightened.
’She asked me for help. She must be suffering so much to beg a stranger like that.’
Her voice was quiet, almost guilty.
"When we are settled at Moonjewel Base and have struck a deal with the base leader of Moonjewel Base, we should return and deal with the Twilight Base people."
Silas frowned. "What do you mean?"
Ivy explained about the note and how Miley had secretly begged her.
Silas’s face darkened at once. He already knew who she was talking about.
"Miley," he muttered.
Ivy nodded. "Yes. She is trapped. We cannot just leave her."
Silas’s eyes narrowed. He remembered his own meeting with Austin, and his voice was laced with slight rage.
"Austin is too ambitious. If I had stayed with him longer, I might have killed him."
’What exactly did Austin do to make Silas this angry? He rarely shows such wrath.’
Though Ivy couldn’t see Silas, her curiosity-laced words told the itch of wanting to know everything in her heart, "Silas... did he mention human trafficking?"
Silas’s eyes flickered, but he did not answer right away. Ivy, on the other hand, kept thinking.
’It could be human trafficking. Or worse. From what I remember of my last life, soon the world will descend into chaos. There will be human trafficking, cruel experiments, women being traded, families torn apart, even cannibalism and looting. The first and second years of the apocalypse are pure hell. The ugly nature of humans will reveal itself.’
Silas finally broke the silence. "No. He was talking about a drug he is trying to develop."
Ivy tightened his grip on the handle. "A... drug?"
Silas gave a short nod.
"Yes. A strange serum. It gives someone super strength for five to ten minutes. But then..." His voice lowered, grim. "...the man becomes useless after just one use."
Ivy’s expression cooled.
She remembered clearly. In her past life, around this exact time, there had been shocking news about a so-called miracle serum.
A potion that claimed it could give anyone a superpower. People rushed to buy it. But the truth was cruel.
It was not a gift. It was a death sentence.
’Yes... the serum looked like it gave strength, but in reality, it drained away the person’s life. The body would push itself to the limit once and then collapse. It was more like a death serum than anything else.’
She shivered. In her last life, many soldiers and common citizens had died because of it.
Later, the military and other bases banned the serum completely after seeing how dangerous it was. Still, it spread through the black market.
Even the way it was made was evil.
’To make it, one needs the power crystal in the mind of a superhuman. They dig it out, melt it, and add chemicals to preserve the power inside. If it came from a teleporter’s crystal, the serum gave teleportation. But most people died instantly because their bodies could not handle it.’
She remembered how the Ravencroft family had once thought about buying it. Isla had wanted to try.
But the Ravencroft family was too poor. They could not afford it.
Later, when the truth came out, they had actually rejoiced that they had been "too poor" to die from poison.
Now Ivy’s face turned pale.
’But this serum... It wasn’t created here; it was created in my country. How can Austin have it in this place, so far away? Or did the serum was everywhere in the first place...’
Various thoughts churned in Ivy’s mind.
Silas’s eyes were cold.
"Austin wanted me to help him gather special chemicals. He thinks with my power, I can get them easily. He also said if I worked with him, he would not force me to fight the zombie king outside Twilight Base. And... he promised he would help us find the people you want to meet."
Ivy felt her heart skip a beat, but then she nodded slowly.
"You did the right thing," she whispered. "Even though I long to see those people, I will not meet them by walking on the dead bodies of many. We will not join him."
Silas gave her a firm nod, relief flashing in his eyes.
Though he knew his decision was the correct one, somewhere in his mind, Ivy’s approval was more important.
Not long after, they finally arrived at Moonjewel Base.
From afar, it looked smaller than Twilight Base but more orderly.
The walls were patched with metal sheets, and the gates were guarded with weapons in hand.
Outside, the scene was almost the same as Twilight Base. Refugees. Beggars. Children with hollow eyes. Families holding bowls, calling out weakly for food.
The moment Ivy and Silas arrived on the scooter, people noticed.
At once, a crowd swarmed closer. Some reached out, tugging on Ivy’s sleeve.
"Beautiful sister, please give us food!" a young boy cried.
"Just one bite, miss! Please!" a woman begged, clutching her arm.
Ivy couldn’t look away from the desperation-filled eyes; it was as if someone had placed a 1000 kg boulder on her head.
But before she could react, Silas’s cold voice cut through the air.
"Stand back."
His strong presence and powerful aura made even the most desperate survivors tremble.
He pushed them away firmly, yet without hurting them.
"Whatever you want," Silas said calmly, "speak from a distance. Do not touch her."
The refugees froze, then slowly stepped back, fear in their eyes. None dared to push further.
But someone in the crowd was braver.
A woman with messy black hair tied in a bun, her face covered in dirt, stepped forward.
Despite her tired state, she was strikingly beautiful.
She looked Silas up and down, her eyes brightening.
"You... you must have enough to enter the base, right? If not, they will throw you out."
Silas’s face was calm. "You don’t need to worry about me."
The woman’s lips curved in a sly smile. She seemed to understand that Silas had resources.
Without warning, she lunged forward and threw herself onto him. "Take me with you!" she cried. "I will serve you as a slave if you let me in!"