"Alright then... noted," Ivy said quietly.
With that, she sat down on the edge of her bed, her body finally allowing itself a mont of rest after everything that had just happened.
For a brief second, silence filled the room.
Then—
Ping. Ping. Ping.
Ivy’s eyes twitched slightly.
"What now?" she muttered, her voice laced with mild frustration as she rubbed her temple. "Can’t I have a mont of rest?"
Instead of answering her directly—
The system responded in its own way.
The interface materialized once again in front of her.
But this ti... it wasn’t nus or items.
It was a live feed.
A wide view of the city.
Ivy’s posture straightened instantly, her exhaustion fading as her eyes sharpened.
Several military vehicles had just pulled up outside a section of the territory.
They ca to a halt in formation.
Doors swung open.
Ard personnel stepped out swiftly, their movents precise and coordinated, rifles—AK-47s—already raised.
Gunfire erupted almost imdiately.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Bullets tore through the air as they fired at incoming monsters without hesitation.
The growls of the creatures mixed with the deafening sound of gunfire. The stench of decay seed almost tangible, even through the screen, while terrified survivors clutched their heads and scread, overwheld by the chaos.
"Hurry up!" one of the soldiers shouted, waving urgently. "Move! Move!"
A van stood nearby, its back doors wide open as survivors scrambled inside, tripping over themselves in desperation.
Then—
"Bark! Bark!"
Ivy’s gaze shifted.
A dog.
Its fur was golden, though slightly dulled with age. Still, there was strength in its build, experience in the way it moved.
Without hesitation, it lunged at a monster, clamping its jaws around the creature’s arm and dragging it down with surprising force.
The soldiers handled the rest, bullets finishing what the dog had started.
For a mont, there was coordination.
Efficiency.
Teamwork.
Soon enough, the area—City A—was cleared of monsters.
But Ivy’s eyes narrowed slightly.
She knew better.
It wouldn’t last.
More would co.
They always did.
The soldiers seed to understand that too.
Without wasting another second, they began retreating.
"Fall back! Everyone in!"
The rescued survivors were shoved into the van as the soldiers quickly boarded their vehicles.
Engines roared to life.
And then—
They left.
Ivy blinked.
Her gaze snapped back to the screen.
The dog...
Was still there.
"What?!" she exclaid, rising slightly from the bed, disbelief flashing across her face. "They’re not taking the dog with them?!"
On the screen, the dog barked loudly and ran after the departing vehicle.
Its paws hit the ground hard, chasing desperately.
But the distance only grew wider.
The vehicle didn’t slow down.
Didn’t stop.
Eventually the dog slowed.
Then stopped completely.
It stood there for a mont...
Before slowly sitting down in the middle of the empty street.
Alone.
Its ears drooped slightly, its posture heavy with sothing that looked far too close to sadness.
Ivy’s jaw tightened.
Ding!
{It was a rescue operation conducted in City A.}
{Their primary objective was not to rescue all survivors.}
{They were searching for a specific individual. When they failed to locate her, they proceeded to evacuate any remaining survivors encountered.}
Ivy’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Huh? And who exactly are they looking for?" she asked, her tone sharper now.
Ding!
{The daughter of their commanding officer.}
Ivy exhaled softly.
"Oh... I see."
Her gaze flickered back to the dog.
"Then why leave the poor dog behind?" she asked, her voice quieter now, tinged with sothing softer. "What is it supposed to do now?"
Her brows furrowed.
"It’ll just end up as food for monsters when they co back..."
Ding!
{The dog has been abandoned.}
{It belongs to the daughter of the commanding officer.}
{Since the daughter was not found, the dog is considered unnecessary.}
{If the daughter is presud dead, then the dog holds no further value.}
{From their perspective, allowing it to perish is acceptable.}
"What?" Ivy’s voice dropped.
Her hands clenched tightly at her sides, anger flashing across her face.
"Do they think the dog doesn’t miss her owner too?" she snapped, her eyes blazing now. "Why should it be punished just because they couldn’t find her?!"
Her breathing grew heavier.
"That makes no sense."
She shook her head, her frustration rising.
"By that logic, their boss’s daughter should be considered useless too since they haven’t found her!" she continued sharply. "Does that an she deserves to be abandoned as well?!"
Her fists tightened even more.
"That’s just cruel."
Her gaze returned to the screen.
To the dog.
Still sitting there and waiting.
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