Chapter 200: Printer

Grandpa Jiro folded his arms, completely unfazed. "Brat, don’t pin this on me. Everyone here is a witness. You were the one who wanted to sneak off and hunt."

Rex’s jaw tightened. "That’s not how I remember it."

Grandpa Jiro snorted. "Be prepared for what happens when we get back."

Rex let out a weak, awkward laugh. "Ha... ha... ha..." He glanced back into the tree line. "Actually, I haven’t finished exploring this place yet. I think I’ll stay a little longer and satisfy my curiosity."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? This forest is pretty dangerous. The beasts here are strong. I just fought one and couldn’t gain the upper hand. Atlas was almost gobbled up by a snake, too."

Rex’s confidence vanished. He glanced at Atlas for confirmation, and the large man gave a solemn nod. Rex scratched his chin, his eyes darting back and forth between the woods and the group.

"Ah... On second thought... It’s probably better if I satisfy my curiosity another day."

He turned around and started walking away. After a few paces, he looked back over his shoulder.

"What are you guys waiting for? Come on. Didn’t you hear him say this forest is dangerous?"

Everyone stared at him in silence. Grandpa Jiro let out a weary sigh, while Leo simply shook his head.

"Atleast help some of the injured ones ."

The group began making their way back toward the camp, with Atlas hauling the two massive boars and the rest supporting their injured companions along the trail.

The group returned to camp, where survivors were busy sorting supplies, preparing food, and repairing gear. Looking up as the team arrived, several hands paused their work.

Jenny called out, "Someone, bring the medical supplies! We have injured people!"

A survivor rushed off and returned carrying bandages and medicine, accompanied by Valentine, Cyrus, Aldina, and Nina.

Valentine approached Jenny. "What happened?"

Jenny gave a short recap of their encounter at the spring—the mutated snake and the strange fish that attacked them.

Valentine turned toward Rex.

"I gave you one job, and you still managed to mess it up."

"Wait, I can explain—"

"I’ll deal with you later."

Rex shut his mouth.

Meanwhile, the convoy’s nurse set to work on the wounded men. Because Leo’s Intimidation had forced the fish to let go early, she could clean the bite marks without tearing the skin further.

After examining their hands, her shoulders eased.

"The wounds aren’t too deep. The bleeding has stopped, and I don’t see anything unusual so far. Let me know if you experience numbness or any other strange symptoms."

With the injured being cared for, Valentine looked over at Leo.

"Thank you for rescuing them. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if you hadn’t arrived."

"Don’t mention it," Leo replied. "I’m a member of this convoy now. I just did what was expected of me."

He turned to Atlas. "Come on. We need to deal with the boars."

Only then did Valentine notice the thick timber resting across Atlas’s shoulders, with two massive boar carcasses hanging from either end.

"You actually managed to hunt something?"

"Two of them!" Atlas announced proudly. "Big Brother and I hunted them together!"

Valentine offered the beasts an impressed look before Leo started walking toward his truck.

Before Atlas could follow, Nina jogged over.

"Big Brother Atlas, are you feeling better?"

Atlas smiled warmly. "Yeah! I don’t feel hungry anymore."

Nina blinked in surprise. "What happened? How did you get cured?"

Atlas opened his mouth to reply, then remembered his promise to Leo. He scratched his head, looking away.

"Ah... I went into the forest, and somehow I got better."

What a terrible liar, Leo thought to himself. Still, Atlas had kept his word, and Leo wasn’t about to leave him struggling.

"We did something that helped him recover," Leo explained. "He promised not to reveal the details, so please respect his decision."

"Of course!" Nina said. "As long as he’s better, that’s all that matters."

Valentine nodded, addressing the group. "Nobody is to pressure Leo or Atlas for an explanation. Respect their choice." Her gaze locked onto Rex. "That includes you."

Rex pointed a finger at his chest. "Why am I always singled out? What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Someone who abandoned the convoy members in the forest," Valentine said. "And I haven’t decided on your punishment yet."

She thought it over for a brief moment, a slight smile touching her lips. "When we have enough water, you’ll wash everyone’s clothes."

Rex stared at her in disbelief. "No way!"

"We’ll see what you say when the time comes."

Leo walked past him and patted his shoulder.

"Sounds like a good idea. I’ve got a pile of dirty clothes waiting, too." He offered a brief smile. "Good luck. I’m counting on you."

Rex watched him walk away. "This convoy is full of monsters..."

Grandpa Jiro burst out laughing.

At the truck, Leo gestured for Atlas to drop the load.

The timber struck the ground with a heavy thud, and Leo cut the ropes freeing the boars.

Nina ran over and bowed toward Leo.

"Thank you for helping Big Brother Atlas. I wanted to repay you, but you never seem to need anything I can offer."

"Actually, there is something you can do for me."

Her eyes lit up. "Really? What is it?"

"Can you make me a printer?"

"A printer?" Nina considered it for a moment. "I should be able to. What do you need it for?"

"I have my reasons."

Nina didn’t push further. "Alright! I think I have most of the materials. I’ll get started right away!"

She trotted off to check her supplies.

Leo returned to the boars and pressed his knife into the hide. The blade scraped across the surface without leaving a mark; their skin was far tougher than he expected.

Coating the metal with Void Edge, the blade sliced through the thick hide easily, allowing him to skin the first boar.

Atlas watched with wide eyes. "Wow, Big Brother!"

Leo kept working in silence.

Grandpa Jiro walked over and extended an open hand. "Got another knife? I’ll handle the second one."

Leo tossed him a spare. Heat radiated from Jiro’s grip, warming the metal so it slipped smoothly through the tough hide.

Rex hovered nearby, his eyes drifting toward the growing piles of meat. Neither Leo nor Jiro paid him any mind.

Half an hour later, both boars were completely skinned.

Leo carved off a large section of meat and set it aside. "The rest belongs to Atlas."

Atlas stared at the remaining meat. "All of it?"

"You need it." Leo then nodded toward Grandpa Jiro. "Give the old man some for helping you."

"Okay, Big Brother!"

"Let Nina manage the rest. If she’s busy, ask Valentine for help." Leo shot a warning glance at Rex. "And don’t hand it over to anyone else. Especially him."

Rex’s mouth dropped open. "Hey! Why do you always make me sound like some shady criminal?"

Grandpa Jiro burst into laughter again.

Atlas nodded without hesitation. "Okay!"

Rex threw his hands up in disbelief. "You’re not supposed to agree that quickly!"

Leo shook his head and headed back to his truck, leaving Rex complaining while Jiro continued to laugh.

Once inside Storm, Leo wrapped the piece of meat in plastic and stored it in his Void Pocket. He never quite understood how the space worked, but time seemed frozen inside—nothing ever spoiled, staying as fresh as the moment it went in.

With that done, he looked down at his bloodstained hands.

"Storm, prepare some warm water for a bath."

"Yes, Master."

He shed the Robe of Shroud, unbuckled his tactical armor, and stripped out of his dirty clothes before stepping into the bathroom.

Warm water streamed from the showerhead, washing away the blood and grime accumulated over the day.

As he rinsed his hands, his thoughts drifted back to the battles. His opponents were growing stronger, and his current skills were losing their edge. Unlike the enemies in Rendell City, these creatures wielded unpredictable abilities that were hard to counter. Even his Void techniques had their limits.

I need to train harder.

To survive in this world, he couldn’t let his strength stall.

Leo dried off, pulled on a set of light clothes, and took a steady breath before stepping out of Storm.

The camp buzzed with activity, but he ignored the noise and walked over to a nearby tree. Sitting cross-legged in its shade, he closed his eyes and let his breathing slow to a steady rhythm.

"Now, let’s recall the training I did in the Void Dimension."

He focused his mind, retracing the techniques and lessons he had forged there.

The camp buzzed with activity, but he ignored the noise and walked over to a nearby tree. Sitting cross-legged in its shade, he closed his eyes and let his breathing slow to a steady rhythm.

"Now, let’s recall the training I did in the Void Dimension."

He focused his mind, retracing the techniques and lessons he had forged there.