Chapter 183: Spirit Garden

The Freedom Convoy was now miles away from Rendell City, leaving nothing but an endless, ruined landscape ahead.

For the first few hours, Leo had stayed behind the wheel, tracking the convoy from a safe distance. But after staring at the unbroken road for so long, boredom began to set in.

Leo glanced through the windshield before speaking.

"Storm."

"Can you drive the truck by yourself?"

A digital voice filled the cabin without a second of delay.

"Yes, Master. No problem."

Leo nodded.

"Alright. You take over."

"I’ll sort out some things."

He stood up from the driver’s seat. The moment he let go of the steering wheel, the truck adjusted its own course, falling right into line behind the convoy. Storm had full control.

Leo walked into the rear compartment and shut the door behind him.

He looked around the spacious interior. The recent upgrades had already given him far more room, but he had another card to push those limits further.

Leo pulled out the Spatial Expansion Card. He studied the metallic surface for a moment before calling out.

"System."

"Will the truck be affected if I use this card while it’s being driven?"

"Could an accident occur?"

[Ding!]

[No, Host.]

[The Spatial Expansion Card will not interfere with the vehicle’s driving functions.]

[You don’t need to worry.]

Leo nodded.

"Good."

He activated the card. It dissolved in a burst of light, breaking into countless glowing particles that drifted through the air toward the back. They gathered in a dense cloud between the bathroom partition and the rear doors.

For a brief second, the air sat still.

Then—

WHOOM!

The air in that section warped and bent. The walls appeared to stretch deeper inward, though their outer frames never shifted an inch. A faint glow painted the floor and ceiling as the gap between the bathroom and the rear doors ballooned outward. From the outside, the truck remained the exact same size.

When the light faded, an entirely empty room stood waiting for him. It was about the size of a small bedroom.

Leo looked over the new addition.

"Not bad."

The space was perfect for his next plan.

Leo reached into his storage and withdrew the Spirit Garden Card. Holding it steady, he triggered the activation.

Again, the card broke down into light. But this time, the particles didn’t fade away. They swirled into the center of the new room, growing brighter and brighter until the glare forced Leo to squint.

In a blink, the bare metal floor was gone.

A thick layer of dark, fertile soil took its place. Patches of green grass crept outward from the center of the dirt. Low plants and young vines sprouted from the earth, looking as natural as if they had been rooted there for years.

At the far end, a small, crystal-clear spring bubbled to life. Water trickled down a stack of smooth stones, collecting into a shallow pool at the base.

Even the air shifted. It smelled fresh, like a forest after heavy rain. A faint pulse of energy hung in the room—too weak for an ordinary person to catch, but Leo felt it the second he breathed in.

Aether.

The Spirit Garden wasn’t massive. It was about the size of a small backyard, but it carried an atmosphere no normal garden possessed. The rich soil radiated a faint spiritual presence. The spring water was pure enough to show every pebble at the bottom of the pool, while tiny specks of light danced over its surface.

A scattering of young plants dotted the dirt, and vines curled up a simple wooden frame set against one wall. Right in the middle sat a wide, open patch of soil, left empty and waiting for seeds.

The whole setup was locked inside the back of a moving truck, yet stepping into it felt like crossing into a different world.

Leo walked inside. His boots sank an inch into the soft earth. He crouched down, grabbing a handful of the dirt to inspect. It was dark, loose, and packed with moisture.

Leo rubbed it between his fingers.

"Is this what is called Spirit Soil...?"

He let the dirt fall and walked over to the spring. Kneeling beside the rocks, he dipped his bare fingers into the pool. A cool, refreshing chill rushed up his arm the second his skin broke the surface.

He didn’t need the System to tell him what it was.

"Spirit Spring Water."

Leo looked at his surroundings with a new sense of appreciation. The Aether levels in here were far higher than the air outside on the ruined roads. Just by standing still, he felt his body drawing in tiny amounts of the floating energy.

It wasn’t enough to give him a real boost in strength. But for plants left in this environment for weeks or months, the constant exposure to Aether would trigger massive changes.

Leo paced the edge of the garden, checking every detail. The plants scattered around were all in their early stages. Some were just tiny green sprouts poking through the dirt. Others bore thin stems with only two or three leaves. The card hadn’t magically spawned fully grown Spirit Fruits or rare herbs—it just gave him the perfect place to grow them.

Leo nodded.

"That’s fine."

"Things like this need time."

His gaze shifted back to the empty patch in the center. This would be his planting ground once he hunted down the right seeds.

His thoughts drifted to the Spirit Wine Gourd sitting in his inventory. If he could track down Spirit Banana seeds, generic Spirit Fruit seeds, and some decent Aether Herbs, he could farm the ingredients himself. He wouldn’t have to depend on pure luck out in the wasteland anymore.

And once those crops matured...

He could finally put the Spirit Wine Gourd to use.

Leo smiled.

"This was worth getting."

He took a final look over the green oasis before stepping back toward the metal floor of the truck. This garden wasn’t a quick power-up to make him stronger overnight, but he didn’t care. It was a long-term investment—a renewable, reliable source of supernatural resources. Unlike his combat cards, its value would only grow as the months passed.

Leo nodded, thoroughly satisfied.

"Alright."

"Now I just need some seeds."

He turned his back on the garden and walked out, leaving the vibrant soil behind him.