Chapter : 689

Sayma walked up to the crates. She began inspecting the medical supplies. "The masks contain specialized charcoal filters. They will scrub the toxic particulates from the air. We must ensure a perfect seal around the edges."

Naomi nodded firmly. She turned her attention back to the rest of the courtyard. She checked the supply list on her clipboard. Her small smile vanished . The strict, tense vanguard leader returned.

Naomi looked across the grassy yard. Her green eyes locked onto a figure sitting in the corner.

Risa sat alone on a small wooden supply crate. The sweet pink-haired healer wore her standard clothes. She hugged her brown teddy bear tightly against her chest. She did not talk to anyone. She did not smile. She just stared blankly at the ground. She looked tense. She was silently brooding.

Naomi's jaw tightened. She felt very stressed.

Naomi cared about Risa. She wanted the young girl to be safe. But Naomi was also the leader of the frontline fighters. Naomi was responsible for keeping everyone alive. Taking a highly unstable, emotionally volatile magic user into a lethal poison swamp was a massive tactical error.

Naomi glared at the silent, brooding girl. The glare was not hateful. It was full of protective anxiety. Naomi worried that Risa would panic. Naomi worried the vines would erupt. Naomi worried that Risa's presence would get them all killed in the Wastelands.

The tension in the courtyard was high. Nobody spoke loudly. The air felt thick with nervous energy. The 13th Unit prepared to board their transport. They prepared to face the worst environment in the entire empire. The mission to the 5 Wastelands was officially underway.

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The large imperial transport vehicle rumbled down the dirt road. The vehicle looked like a massive metal box on wheels. It possessed thick armor plating on the outside. Small, narrow windows lined the sides. The engine hummed with a constant, low vibration.

Inside the transport, the 13th Unit sat on two long metal benches. The benches faced each other. The ride was bumpy. The metal walls rattled.

Ken Eliot sat near the back of the transport. He wore his baggy navy blue pants. His white shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He sagged his shoulders as far as they could possibly go. He stretched his legs out and crossed his ankles.

He placed a massive dark green canvas bag onto his lap.

He reached down and grabbed the zipper. He pulled the zipper open. The sound echoed in the enclosed space.

Ken reached his hands inside the bag. He pulled the sides wide open. The bag was stuffed to the top. It did not contain extra ammunition. It did not contain medical bandages. It did not contain survival gear.

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The bag contained a literal mountain of junk food.

There were crinkly bags of sour cream and onion potato chips. There were brightly colored boxes of chocolate cookies. There were long plastic tubes of gummy worms. There were three large bottles of sugary soda.

Ken smiled a massive, goofy smile. He looked at his beautiful collection of snacks.

"This is a flawless inventory," Ken announced lazily. He pulled out a bag of potato chips. "I am prepared for this trip. I have achieved the perfect balance of salty and sweet. I am a tactical genius."

Naomi sat directly across from him. She wore her dark combat pants and a sleek green shirt. Her bright red hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. She rested her hands on her lap.

She looked at the giant pile of candy in his bag. She looked at his , untucked shirt.

Naomi did not scowl. She did not yell at him. A very warm smile spread across her face. She let out a soft, musical sigh.

"Ken, we are going to a highly toxic wasteland," Naomi pointed out gently. She leaned forward. "We are going to search for a missing legendary artifact. The Emperor gave us a direct command. Why did you only pack junk food?"

Ken popped open the bag of potato chips. The plastic ripped loudly. He reached inside and pulled out a large, curved chip.

"Junk food is the most important part of any road trip," Ken explained casually. He tossed the chip into his mouth. He chewed it slowly. "This is basic cartoon logic, Naomi. Before the main characters enter the final boss dungeon, they always ride in a vehicle together. They talk about their feelings. They eat snacks. It builds team morale."

"We are not in a cartoon," Naomi chuckled softly. She reached across the small space. She playfully tapped his knee. "You cannot fight mutated monsters with a chocolate bar. You need actual protein. You need proper supplies. You are not taking this mission seriously at all."

"I am taking my digestion very seriously," Ken argued. He offered the open bag of chips to her. "Do you want one? They are very crispy. I bought the extra large family size."

Naomi shook her head, but her smile grew wider. "No thank you, slacker. I ate a real breakfast this morning."

Laxmi sat next to Naomi. The fire user wore bright orange pants. She leaned over and looked into Ken's canvas bag. Her golden eyes widened in excitement.

"I want a snack!" Laxmi cheered loudly. She pointed at a specific red bag. "Are those the extra spicy chips? Hand them over! I want to burn my tongue! It is great practice for my fire magic!"

Ken quickly pulled the bag away. He hugged the canvas bag against his chest.

"You cannot have the spicy chips, Laxmi," Ken refused lazily. "These are my emergency rations. If I run out of snacks, my energy levels will drop to zero. I will pass out on the ground. You will have to carry me through the poison swamp."

Zinia cracked her knuckles loudly. The strong earth mage sat near the front of the transport. She wore her sturdy combat gear.

"Nobody is carrying you, Ken," Zinia laughed a deep, booming laugh. "If you pass out from eating too much sugar, we will just leave you in the dirt. You can sleep in the mud."

"That sounds uncomfortable," Ken mumbled. He grabbed another potato chip. "Mud ruins my cheap shoes. I will stay awake. I promise."

Ira sat perfectly still next to Zinia. Her pale face showed zero emotion. Her robotic voice cut through the rattling noise of the transport engine.

"Statistically speaking, an all-sugar diet provides a very brief spike in energy," Ira stated flatly. She stared blankly at Ken. "This is followed by a massive, unavoidable physiological crash. Your physical reaction time will decrease by thirty percent. You are actively sabotaging your own combat effectiveness."

Ken tilted his head. He looked at the ice-cold water mage.

"I do not need combat effectiveness, Ira," Ken reasoned smoothly. "I am just a background character. Background characters do not fight. We just stand in the corner and look surprised when the shiny magic happens. We provide reaction faces for the camera. It is a very important job. It requires zero cardio."