Chapter 120: yellow bus
After finishing his collection of the nucleus crystals, Leo turned to leave. Before stepping out of the apartment complex, however, he removed the Robe of Shroud and Reaper’s Gauntlets. He opened his Void Pocket and placed both items inside.
The system’s voice chimed in his mind.
[Host, may I ask what you are doing again?]
"Hiding them." Leo closed the Void Pocket. "I have a conflict with the military. They don’t know my face, but they know the descriptions of the robe and gauntlets. I don’t want them connecting me to those items."
The system remained silent for a moment before responding.
[Host, there is no need to remove the Robe of Shroud.]
[It is an Epic-grade item. As long as you will it, the robe can change its appearance into an ordinary jacket.]
[The robe also provides excellent defensive capabilities. The System recommends that the Host wear it at all times for safety.]
Leo raised an eyebrow. "It can do that too?"
[Host, you cannot compare an Epic-grade item to ordinary equipment.]
Leo called forth the Robe of Shroud. He put it back on and closed his eyes. Focusing his mind, he sensed the faint connection between himself and the fabric. He willed it to change.
The dark material covering his body rippled. It shrank and reshaped itself, transforming into an ordinary black jacket.
Leo opened his eyes, his gaze brightening. "So it really can..."
The system, however, poured cold water over his excitement.
[Host, the System sincerely hopes you will not start doing cosplay after discovering this feature.]
Leo’s expression darkened. "Forget it." He ignored the comment. "Tell me how many cards I obtained this time."
[Ding!]
[A total of 17 cards were obtained.]
[All are Common and Uncommon Resource Cards.]
Leo nodded. "Resource cards are fine too." He glanced toward the exit. "Alright. Let’s go back."
By the time Leo returned to the camp, Danny had finished cleaning up the corpses. The area was unusually quiet. Danny and his family were nowhere to be seen, presumably resting inside their tent.
Leo climbed into his truck and looked around the interior. After a moment, he fell into thought.
"I need heavier weapons." His gaze settled on his existing equipment. "I don’t know whether the military will even sell that kind of firepower."
He shook his head, pushing the thought aside. There was no point worrying about it now.
Then—
Grrrrrr...
Leo’s stomach growled. He paused. "It seems I need to eat. All that excitement made me forget about food."
He recalled the Resource Cards he had obtained earlier. Taking them out, he inspected them one by one. Most contained food: rice, meat, fish, and water. A few even held alcohol, candy, and chocolate bars.
Leo looked outside. The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon.
"I don’t feel like cooking. And it’s getting late. Let’s just give Linda some food to prepare."
He took out a protein bar and a pack of compressed biscuits, eating them in a few bites to settle his stomach for the moment. Then he grabbed a basket. After releasing several food cards, he packed the supplies and headed outside.
He didn’t see Danny or his family. Leo frowned. Where did they go? A faint sense of worry crept into his chest.
He approached their tent just as Danny stepped through the flap. Danny spotted him right away.
"Sir, do you need anything?"
Leo raised the basket. "No. I brought some food."
Danny nodded in understanding. "Alright. I’ll tell Linda." He turned back toward the tent. "Linda!"
A moment later, Linda stepped outside with Lily clinging to her hand. She smiled politely when she saw Leo.
"Thank you, sir." She took the basket and carried it toward the campfire to begin preparing the meal.
Leo glanced toward the tent. "What happened? Why are all of you staying inside? Is something wrong?"
Danny shook his head. "No, sir. We’re just being more careful after what happened earlier."
Leo nodded. "That makes sense. But instead of hiding inside a tent, you should focus on becoming stronger. Strength is the ultimate shield."
Danny nodded seriously. "Yes, sir."
Leo remembered something else. "What happened to the stuff I gave you? Did you use it?"
Danny’s expression turned slightly awkward. "Yes, sir. But nothing happened. Is there a problem?"
Leo shook his head. "No." He reached out and patted Danny on the shoulder. "It all depends on luck. Don’t lose hope. All I can tell you is to be patient."
Before Danny could respond, a small figure darted toward Leo. Lily grabbed his leg and looked up at him.
A brilliant smile broke across Leo’s face. He bent down and picked her up. "Hey, little one."
Lily giggled as Leo gently tickled her nose. He pulled out a packet of candy and waved it in front of her face.
"Look what I have here. But this is only for good children." He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, is Lily a good girl? You didn’t make trouble for anyone, did you?"
Lily bobbed her head. "Lily good. Very good."
Leo smiled. "Alright. Then this is yours."
He held out the candy, and Lily snatched the packet from his hand. Leo gently placed her back on the ground. The little girl ran toward Linda, waving her prize in the air.
Leo watched the scene with a faint smile.
Then—
His expression hardened.
Void Sense.
A faint disturbance caught his attention. Leo turned his head toward the source.
A yellow bus was parked some distance away. Its windows were heavily tinted. To an ordinary person, there was nothing unusual about it.
But Leo sensed something. A slight movement. A shadow shifting behind the dark glass.
His eyes narrowed. He turned to Danny. "Whose vehicle is that?"
Danny followed his gaze. "That’s one of the Freedom Convoy’s vehicles."
Leo’s expression remained neutral. "Are any of their members in the camp?"
Danny shook his head. "No. Everyone went out earlier." He paused before adding, "Miss Nina was waiting for you this morning, but she was summoned for some work."
"I see."
Leo looked back toward the yellow bus. The faint disturbance remained. Something—or someone—was definitely inside.
Without another word, Leo started walking toward it.