I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

Uncle Patton stuffed a bag of dried meat into the exoskeleton's storage compartment, filling it completely and even the gaps.

"Don't mistreat yourself over there." Barton patted Ryan on the shoulder, his rough, strong hand slapping him hard.

As Raine looked at the familiar faces and the dry rations stuffed into the gaps of the exoskeleton, his eyes welled up with tears.

He didn't speak, but nodded heavily, then turned and crawled into the steel shell.

After seeing everyone off, Ryan rested at home for the night.

He got up at the crack of dawn the next morning.

"Click—Buzz—"

Once the exoskeleton closes, the power system is reactivated.

On the watchtower of Fernwall Village, the sentry wrapped his sheepskin coat tighter around himself, watching the black figure below.

Renn did not alert anyone.

He controlled the exoskeleton, trying to step lightly on the gravel road, but the heavy machine still made rhythmic thuds.

The wooden gate at the entrance of the village was half open.

After walking a dozen meters, Ryan couldn't help but stop and look back.

In the morning mist, the small village where he had lived for thirty years was quiet, with a few wisps of smoke already rising.

Behind the fence at the village entrance, dozens of dark figures could be vaguely seen standing there quietly, watching him go.

No one spoke, no one waved.

Renn looked away, pulled down his mask, and concealed his expression.

"Full speed ahead."

He silently recited a sentence in his mind.

The exoskeleton's engine let out a low growl, and the hydraulic rods suddenly exerted force.

The black figure accelerated instantly, like a steel cheetah, rushing into the vast morning mist.

Renn ran incredibly fast along the way.

What would normally take a whole day to walk was completed in less than half a day with the help of the exoskeleton.

The outline of Stonebase Town had already appeared on the horizon. Without slowing down, Rein rushed straight toward the abandoned camp.

From afar, he saw that familiar iron gate.

Two figures, both wearing exoskeletons, stood at the entrance; they were the Snow Wolf team members who remained behind.

"It's me, Ryan."

Renn slowed down, stopped at the door, and opened his mask to reveal a face covered in dust.

"laugh--"

The sound of hydraulic pressure venting echoed at the entrance of the barracks.

Raine grabbed the unlock valve on the back of the exoskeleton with his other hand, and with a crisp sound of metal snapping open, the heavy armor bounced off to the sides.

He emerged from inside, steaming hot, his linen shirt clinging damply to his back.

The sentry at the door was "Old Ghost" from the Snow Wolf Team, who was leaning against the door frame smoking. Upon seeing this, he raised an eyebrow and pointed to the room inside with the lights on.

Raine walked into the camp, wiped the sweat from his face, clutched the bag of rations tightly in his hand, and pushed open the dilapidated wooden door.

"Wow. Did you run back with the power valve on full throttle?"

"That thing... runs fast." Ryan stood at the door without moving, unsure of what to do with his hands, his boots covered in mud.

"Don't just stand there, come in and sit down." Lin Mo looked up from the pile of lists, casually pulled over a folding chair, and kicked it to the other side of the table.

The chair legs scraped against the floor, making a screeching sound.

"Now that you're back, let's be frank."

Long Fei cut the peeled apple in half, stuck it on the tip of the knife, and handed it to Renn. He then stuffed the other half into his own mouth and mumbled:

"We have to leave immediately. The main force is packing up their equipment and will be setting off soon."

Ryan took the apple, but didn't eat it; he just held it tightly in his hand.

"I know. The village chief asked me to pass on a message: Fernwall Village will always remember this kindness."

"Affection is affection."

Long Fei sheathed the dagger in the scabbard on his side and pulled a heavy canvas bag out from under the table.

"Clang!"

The bag slammed onto the table, the metallic clanging sound inside heavy and muffled.

Ryan's eyelid twitched.

Long Fei untied the rope at the top of the bag and pulled it down.

Under the dim light, a bag full of silver coins gleamed dazzlingly.

"This is the cash left in the warehouse, about three thousand silver coins."

Long Fei pointed to the bag, then to the locked supply warehouse outside the door:

"The key is with you. Besides the money, there's something else I left for you in the warehouse. Two boxes of spare antibiotics, five barrels of diesel, and some odds and ends we got in the exchange."

"this……"

Ryan nearly dropped the apple in his hand. He jumped up and waved his hands frantically.

"No! This is too much! That box of Moonstone Soil was already incredibly expensive; I can't touch this money!"

"Hey~ sit down."

Lin Mo's voice wasn't loud, but Raine stiffened for a moment and slowly sat back down.

"Although the land deed is in our hands."

Lin Mo pointed to a piece of parchment pressed against the corner of the table:

"But you also know that in this world, a piece of paper can't stop greedy people. If thugs, mercenaries, or other forces try to force their way in, that piece of paper won't do any good."

"I have a knife."

Raine stiffened his neck and patted his waist: "We also have exoskeletons. Anyone who dares to force their way in, I'll fight them to the death."

"Fight to the death? With what? With your bone knife? And this 191?" Lin Mo reached out and grabbed the cloth bag that Renn had placed on the table.

The cloth bag was tied tightly and was somewhat greasy.

Lin Mo quickly untied it, revealing several pieces of hard, dark dried food and a pot of cloudy ale.

"You're planning to gnaw on this thing and guard the gate for us for a month?"

Lin Mo picked up a piece of black bread and tapped it on the corner of the table.

"Knock knock knock".

The sound was as hard as if someone were hitting a brick.

"This...this is quite filling. Everyone in the village eats this."

"That was before."

Lin Mo tossed the black bread back into the cloth bag and pushed the bag of silver coins toward Renn:

"While we're away, you're in charge here. But there's a rule."

Lin Mo stared into Raine's eyes:

"Where we live, we have to pay wages to those who work for us and guard our assets. This money is our funding."

"Funding?" Renn was stunned; the word was unfamiliar to him.

"Yes, funding."

Long Fei picked up the conversation, leaning forward with his elbows on the table, and stared at Renn as he said:

"Take this money, go to town and buy the best meat and the strongest liquor. Get yourself in good shape."

"If someone comes looking for trouble, if you can settle things with money, then use money. If that doesn't work, then use a knife."

Long Fei pointed to Renn's thin shoulders:

"You represent us now. If people see our friend chewing on this kind of rock, we'll lose face. Understand?"

Renn looked at the pile of silver coins in front of him, and then at the meager bag of dry rations.

His Adam's apple bobbed forcefully.

He was a hunter, but he was also someone who was terrified of poverty.

He would never have dared to dream of having this bag of money before.

But now, these two people just threw the money on the table and told him: Take it and spend it, don't embarrass yourself.

"I..." Ryan opened his mouth, his voice a little hoarse, "I understand."

He stretched out his calloused hand and trembled as he grasped the opening of the canvas bag.