Something from the author -

Before this Chapter begins, I would like to thank my reader Scsr_87 for following and reading my novel.

It may not seem like much, but your support genuinely motivates me to keep writing and continue this story.

Thank you for being here, and I hope you’ll continue to enjoy the journey.

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After arranging everything neatly, Leo decided to call it a day.

Lying on the bed inside the truck, he stared blankly up at the ceiling. His mind was spinning with everything that had happened.

The Robe of Shroud.

The Rune Bayonet.

The rune textbook.

Every single item was a priceless treasure. But looking at them only made him realize one harsh truth .

He was still too weak.

He had come to understand the logic of his powers . The stronger the enemy he killed, the better the rewards he would get. And the better the rewards, the faster he would grow. Everything depended on strength.

Until now, he had been too cautious. He had always chosen the safest path, avoiding risks whenever he could.

There was nothing wrong with being careful, but this world didn’t give people the luxury of time. If he kept moving at this slow pace, he would never catch up with the monsters that were growing more powerful every single day.

His mind drifted back to William.

If he had been stronger, or if he had been willing to take a few more risks, maybe the tragedy that had happened to William’s family could have been avoided.

Leo slowly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"I have to become stronger."

"No matter what."

With that thought firmly etched into his heart, exhaustion finally caught up to him. He closed his heavy eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Leo bolted upright in bed.

"Haa... Haa..."

His breathing was ragged, and cold sweat drenched his shirt. His heart pounded violently against his chest as he tried to shake off the nightmare.

It was a dream, but it felt more like a buried memory.

In the dream, he saw his younger self around ten years old. The boy was laughing and playing with two little girls under the warm afternoon sun. One of the girls looked about his age, while the other was much younger, only seven or eight. They were chasing each other, completely happy.

Then, the scene shattered.

The laughter vanished, replaced by a horrific silence. The youngest girl was lying on the cold ground, completely motionless. A dark pool of blood was slowly spreading beneath her tiny body.

Leo closed his eyes tightly and rubbed his aching forehead. He sat quietly in the dim light of the truck, crossing his legs to take slow, deep breaths. It took a while for his racing heart to finally calm down.

Once he felt steady again, he picked up the book from yesterday. Following the instructions, he began to practice the breathing technique and the physical movements. He forced his mind to focus entirely on the training, letting the hours slip by.

About two hours later, a soft sound broke his concentration.

Knock. Knock.

Someone was knocking on the truck door. Leo stood up, wiped the sweat from his face, and opened it.

Linda was standing outside. She looked nervous, while clasping her hands together.

"Sir..." she said softly. "We’re about to prepare breakfast. Should I make your portion too?"

Leo didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned around and walked back into the depths of the truck. A minute later, he came back out carrying a bundle of fresh vegetables, a bag of rice, and a carton of milk. He handed the food over to her.

"Use these."

"Make a larger portion for me."

Then, he glanced toward the nearby tent where Linda’s family stayed. "As for the milk... Keep it for your daughter."

Linda’s eyes widened, and she instinctively tried to push the food back. "Sir, this is too—"

But Leo didn’t wait for her to finish. He turned around and pulled the truck door shut.

Linda stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door. She let out a helpless, bitter smile, tightly gripping the ingredients before walking back to the tent .

Inside the truck, Leo walked over to the water extractor. The storage drum beneath the machine was almost full to the brim, and the purified water was about to overflow.

He poured the crisp, clean water into a bucket. Grabbing a fresh set of clothes, he walked into the small bathroom. After everything he had been through over the last two days, a proper bath was exactly what he needed.

After freshening up, Leo had just finished changing into a clean set of clothes when another knock sounded on the truck door.

He walked over and opened it.

Standing outside was Danny, holding a large bowl filled with rice, vegetable soup, and several chunks of meat.

"Sir, breakfast."

Leo simply nodded.

"Thank you."

Taking the bowl from Danny, he closed the door and returned inside.

The meal was simple. Once he finished eating, Leo washed the bowl before setting it aside.

Then he began preparing for today’s hunt.

He first put on the Ranger Tactical Armor.

Piece by piece, he secured every buckle and strap until the armor fit snugly around his body.

Next, he opened the military supply trunk.

Picking up his rifle, he checked the chamber before loading a full magazine into it.

He then packed several spare magazines into the pouches around his waist.

After that, he took out several combat knives he had obtained from yesterday’s Common and Uncommon Cards.

One by one, he secured them inside the sheathes attached to his armor.

Only then did he turn his attention to his card belt.

He carefully rearranged the cards inside it.

Food Cards ,Medicine Cards and Ammunition Cards.

He grouped them neatly according to their purpose so he could access them immediately during battle.

After confirming that everything was in place,

Leo finally picked up the Epic Card.

With a thought, he released it from its card form.

A flash of purple light filled the compartment.

The next moment, a dark hooded robe appeared before him.

It resembled the long hooded overcoats once worn by assassins during medieval times on Earth. The robe reached almost to the wearer’s ankles, while the deep hood was large enough to conceal most of the face beneath its shadow.

Its design was simple and elegant, without any flashy decorations or patterns.

At first glance, it looked no different from an ordinary traveler’s robe.

Nothing about it suggested it was an Epic-grade piece of equipment.

Leo reached out and picked it up.

The robe felt surprisingly light in his hand, almost as if it weighed nothing.

Curious, he drew one of his combat knives and slashed at it.

Clang.

The blade glanced off the robe without leaving behind even the slightest scratch.

Leo nodded in satisfaction.

It seemed the description wasn’t exaggerating.

He put on the Robe of Shroud and pulled the hood over his head.

The robe naturally settled against his body as though it had been tailor-made for him.

Looking at his reflection, Leo couldn’t help but feel that he looked like an assassin who had just stepped out of the shadows.

It was the equipment card he had purchased from the system store yesterday.

(Rare Card – Reaper’s Gauntlet)