Chapter 173: next destination

Leo nodded after hearing Valentine’s story. Silence hung in the air for a moment before Valentine turned to face him.

"What is your next destination? Where are you going?"

Leo stayed quiet for a few seconds, then shook his head. "Well, I don’t have a destination in mind." He glanced down the empty road ahead. "I’m thinking of going wherever the road takes me."

Valentine smiled. "I know Rex already asked you this, but if you haven’t decided where to go, why don’t you join our convoy? You can travel with us for a while. And if you feel that this isn’t what you’re looking for, you can always leave."

Leo considered the offer. Traveling with the Freedom Convoy made more sense than wandering alone. They had reliable companions, good information, and resources. There was just one detail to confirm.

"After offending the military, are you sure you want me to join?"

Valentine offered a knowing smile. "Even before today’s incident, we didn’t have a good relationship with the military. This time, our goals just happened to align."

Leo studied her face before giving a single nod. "Alright. I accept your offer." He glanced over at his truck, Storm. "Let me finish cleaning up here. Then I’ll join you at the camp."

"Alright," Valentine agreed, turning to address the rest of the group. "Everyone, after what happened today, I think it’s better if we leave this place as soon as possible. Let’s return to the camp, load the supplies, and move out."

The others murmured in agreement and began packing up. Rex lingered behind and stepped over to Leo.

"Dude, I’ve heard about how terrifying that gun is." He eyed the Rune Revolver resting in Leo’s grip. "Were you really planning to kill the colonel just now?"

Leo lifted the weapon. "Oh, this?" He looked it over. "This thing is empty. It doesn’t even have any bullets."

Rex blinked. "Seriously?"

Instead of answering, Leo leveled the barrel at Rex’s chest and pulled the trigger.

Click.

The chamber was empty. Leo lowered the gun. "I was just trying to scare him."

Rex stared in disbelief. "You pointed an empty gun at a military colonel?"

"The colonel may look calm and collected," Leo said. "But people who act as though they’ve already accepted death are often the most afraid of it."

Rex scratched his head. "Are you sure about that?"

Leo ignored the question. "I was only trying to frighten him." He stared in the direction Adrian had gone. "But if things had turned into a fight, I’m confident I could have taken all of them down."

Rex eyed the revolver again and took a measured step backward. "Hey, even if it’s empty, why are you testing it on me? What if there was ammunition inside and you simply forgot?"

Leo met his gaze with flat, calm eyes. "Then consider it your bad luck."

Rex opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out.

Valentine called out over her shoulder. "You can reminisce with him later. We still have work to do." She waved toward the camp. "Come on. Let’s go."

Rex let out a heavy breath and followed her. Before walking away completely, Valentine looked back.

"See you at the camp."

"See you," Leo replied.

Left alone, Leo turned his attention to his truck. The area around Storm was mostly clean, with only a few tools and loose items left on the ground. He gathered the scattered pieces, packed the tools away, and loaded everything into the back. Satisfied that nothing was left behind, he climbed into the passenger seat.

He glanced over at the driver’s side. "Alright, friend. Let’s go."

Leaning across, he started the engine, letting the familiar rumble of Storm fill the air. A moment later, he steered the truck toward the camp.

The Freedom Convoy’s camp was a hive of activity when Leo arrived. People hurried about, loading supplies, checking vehicles, and organizing gear for the journey. Among the rushing crowd, Rex was the only one standing still, his hands resting in his pockets as he watched the others work.

Leo couldn’t help wondering if Rex had somehow convinced everyone that supervising counted as work.

Leo pulled Storm up and parked directly in front of him before stepping out.

Rex caught his eye and threw up a hand in greeting. "Yo, you came."

Leo nodded. "What’s our next destination?"

Rex pointed toward the workers hauling boxes. "Nina had a breakthrough with one of her inventions. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the battle."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Can she make it again?"

"She can," Rex replied. "But we don’t have the materials she needs. The military was already reluctant to supply us with those materials after seeing what we’re capable of." He shrugged. "And after what happened today, I seriously doubt they’ll be willing to give us anything anymore."

Leo nodded thoughtfully. "So where are you planning to get the materials?"

A wide grin spread across Rex’s face. "We’ve decided to head to Central City."

"Central City?" Leo had never heard the name before.

"Yeah," Rex said. "It’s a little far, so the journey is going to take some time. But before the apocalypse, Central City was the world’s largest industrial hub. Factories, research facilities, manufacturing plants... that place had almost everything." He rubbed his chin. "There should still be plenty of useful materials left there."

Leo gazed back toward the main road. "Assuming no one has already taken them."

"Exactly." Rex snapped his fingers. "That’s why we’re heading there as soon as possible. Before another group captures the area and starts monopolizing all the resources. We’ll take whatever we need."

Leo nodded. "How long are you planning to stay there?"

Rex shrugged. "Probably quite a while. Nina needs time to rebuild her invention, and while we’re there, we might as well search the city for anything else that could be useful."

"So when are we leaving?" Leo asked.

Rex scratched the back of his head. "We were originally planning to leave tomorrow morning. But after what happened with the military..." His playful tone dropped into something more serious. "We decided to leave today."

Leo scanned the busy convoy. People were packing up fast, not willing to waste a single minute.

Rex’s familiar grin returned. "Anyway, enough talking. Come on."

Leo looked at him. "Where?"

Rex gestured toward the camp. "Let me introduce you to everyone properly. You’ve already met most of them, but now that you’re officially traveling with us, you should get to know everyone."

Leo gave it a brief thought before nodding. "Alright."

He fell into step behind Rex, taking the time to observe the bustling camp as they walked.