"Th-Thank you, Big Brother... for inviting me to dinner."

Atlas scratched the back of his head, a sheepish, childlike smile breaking across his face.

Leo caught sight of this and paused, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. The hesitant tone of the guy’s voice and the sheer, innocent vulnerability in his expression made it painfully obvious that something was fractured within Atlas’s mind.

Yet, Leo chose not to linger on it. He wasn’t one to pry or judge. Simply gesturing toward an empty spot, he gave a curt nod.

"Sit."

The brief invitation was enough to light up Atlas’s entire face.

"Okay!" he chirped happily, dropping onto the ground without a care in the world.

While Atlas settled in, Nina quietly drifted back over to reclaim the stool she had abandoned moments earlier. She moved with practiced nonchalance, acting as if the previous drama had never existed, carefully angling her body to avoid Leo’s line of sight.

Leo, however, wasn’t letting her off that easily.

He kept his gaze anchored right on her. Nina could feel the weight of his stare like a physical heat, and the longer the silence stretched, the deeper the crimson flush crawled up her neck. It became an unbearable game of chicken; she sat entirely frozen, not daring to even glance in his direction.

Watching the silent comedy unfold, Grandpa Jiro let out a low chuckle. He turned his weathered face toward Leo, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Kid," the old man rumbled softly. "Give the girl a break. She’s already embarrassed enough."

In truth, Leo harbored no grudge toward Nina. It was just that, looking at her , an undeniable urge to tease her a little further took hold.

Defying her expectations of another sharp-tongued remark, he reached out and gently rested a hand on her head, giving it a light pat.

"There," Leo said, his voice dropping its usual edge. "No need to be so nervous. I was only teasing you."

Nina stiffened beneath his touch. Her mind had already braced for impact, expecting a sarcastic jab. To hear something so unexpectedly gentle instead caught her completely off guard. The lingering sparks of her anger evaporated in an instant. Lowering her head to hide her face, she quietly muttered, "Th... thank you."

Across the fire, Rex’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Whoa," Rex gasped, pointing an accusing finger at Nina. "Did a ghost possess you or something? You’re acting way too normal."

Nina’s lips twitched in irritation. She shot him a glare that could melt iron, but she chose to hold the urge to retort .

As the campfire flared, the shifting light illuminated the rest of Rex’s face, revealing a prominent, angry bump swelling on his forehead. Leo caught sight of it. A faint, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"That new hairstyle suits you," Leo remarked dryly.

"Hahaha," Rex deadpanned, his own lips twitching now. Recognizing a losing battle when he saw one, and acutely aware that pushing the issue would only yield more embarrassment, he wisely pivoted the conversation toward the old man. "Old man, I heard the Captain went out again. Where did he disappear this time?"

Grandpa Jiro’s expression soured instantly, the jovial mood vanishing behind a scowl. "That moron went off to do another good deed. He even dragged the Ice Girl along with him."

Rex offered an awkward, sympathetic laugh. "Well... you know how he is . No use freting over it "

As he spoke, Rex’s gaze drifted, catching the gleam of a weapon resting just behind the old man’s back. His eyebrows shot up. "Oh? You got yourself a new sword?"

Instantly, Grandpa Jiro’s irritation vanished, replaced by an unmistakable aura of pride. With a fluid, reverent motion, he unsheathed the blade.

The pristine metal caught the dancing campfire light, sending sharp reflections rippling across the campsite. He ran his calloused fingers gently along the flat of the blade, admiring it as if it were a priceless relic.

"I finally got this beauty from the military," Jiro murmured, a dark satisfaction in his tone. "I traded those alien corpses for it."

Rex blinked, the math not quite adding up in his head. "Wait. Weren’t those corpses supposed to be exchanged for supplies?"

Grandpa Jiro’s movements stopped. He slowly turned his head, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. Holding the magnificent sword loosely in one hand, a terrifyingly pleasant smile spread across his face.

"You brat..." Jiro purred softly. "How about I test this sword on you first? Then you can tell me whether it’s a useful supply or not."

A bead of cold sweat broke out on Rex’s forehead. He bolted upright, hurriedly raising both hands in a gesture of absolute surrender. "Hahaha... Old man. Can’t you take a joke?"

With a quiet, metallic click, Grandpa Jiro calmly slid the sword back into its scabbard. "Oh. So you were joking. I thought you’d finally grown some balls and forgotten who you’re talking to."

Breaking the sudden tension, Nina looked at the old man, her voice grounded in the harsh reality of their situation. "But Grandpa... we still need to stock up on supplies if we’re going to continue our journey."

This time, Grandpa Jiro’s attitude took a complete 180°turn .

The stern look on his face disappeared, replaced by a warm smile as he looked at Nina.

"Don’t worry."

He lovingly admired the sword in his hand before saying,

"Now that I have this baby, I’ll go hunt a few more aliens tomorrow."

"Problem solved."

Rex couldn’t help replying out of habit.

"You make it sound like aliens are cabbages being sold in the market."

"As if we’ll just run into one wherever we go."

Grandpa Jiro slowly turned his head. His sharp eyes locked onto Rex.

"Did you say something?"

Rex immediately shook his head.

"Nothing."

"Nothing at all."

Before the argument could continue, the flap of the nearby tent was pushed aside.

A sleepy little figure walked out while rubbing her eyes.

"Mama..."

"Dina rady..."

Danny quickly stood up and picked Lily into his arms.

Returning to the campfire, he smiled awkwardly.

"This is my daughter, Lily."

The moment Nina saw the little girl, her eyes sparkled.

"She’s so cute!"

She spread her arms with an excited smile.

"Can I hold her?"

Danny smiled and gently placed Lily on the ground.

"Go on."

Lily looked at Nina for a moment.

Then she turned around...

And walked straight toward Leo.

Before Leo could react, the little girl climbed into his arms.

Startled, Leo instinctively caught her.

Lily buried her little face against his chest, refusing to even look at Nina.

Nina’s cheerful smile instantly disappeared.

Her face scrunched up in disappointment.

Linda smiled apologetically.

"Sorry."

"She’s a little afraid of strangers."

Nina could only pout.

"Hmph..."

Soon, the meal was finally ready.

Linda served everyone a bowl.

The lively chatter around the campfire gradually quietened as everyone began eating.

Halfway through the meal, Leo noticed Atlas quietly staring at his bowl.

All the meat in it was already gone.

Although Atlas clearly wanted more, he looked too embarrassed to ask.

Leo glanced at his own bowl.

Without saying a word, he picked up every piece of meat from his portion and placed it into Atlas’s bowl.

Atlas looked up in surprise.

"B-Big Brother..."

Leo casually replied,

"Go ahead."

"I’m already full."

Atlas’s eyes immediately brightened.

"Thank you, Big Brother!"

Like an innocent child who had just received his favorite treat, he happily continued eating.

The others quietly watched the scene. None of them said anything. Not long afterward, dinner came to an end.

Leo stood up from his chair. He gave everyone a simple nod before walking toward his truck.

One after another, the others also returned to their own sleeping places.

Inside the truck, Leo locked the door before letting out a tired sigh.

The lively atmosphere outside instantly disappeared, replaced by complete silence.

He walked to the table and sat down.

With a wave of his hand, the Origin Card appeared in his palm.

Next, he took out all the cards he had obtained from the aliens and neatly arranged them on the table.

Looking at the small pile of cards before him,

He muttered to himself,

"Now then..."

"Let’s see what we’ve got."