After their short breakfast, they didn't delay further and rode the Humvee back to camp. However, the entire drive was much quieter than when they were heading out.

"..."

While driving, Axel couldn't help but glance at Eve now and then.

Unlike before, she stared straight ahead as if thinking deeply about something—completely unresponsive to the scenery outside, which had made her so excited earlier.

'Well, I guess I can only leave this case to Maria and the others…'

He might be old and experienced, but women's matters should still be left to the "experts." So he simply continued driving and focused on the road.

Regarding the quest, he had completed it with the waterwheel hut he had made earlier. Not only that, but even his other quest involving killing zombies had been completed last night. This reassured Axel that even without him present, the camp's defenses were functioning properly.

[

Quest Part 1: Stronger Defenses!

Requirements:

- Build 50x Stone Wall Sections

- Build 4x Wall Ballistae

- Defeat 5,000x Zombies

- Defeat 50x Giant Zombies

Rewards:

- New System Function: Concoction

- Emergency Medical Supplies x10

]

The reward had been adjusted as needed. Since the Concoction tab was already unlocked, its functions were instead upgraded. Now, it was possible to concoct two items at the same time! Not only that, but his daily reward included a 10% increase to concoction speed, further boosting his manufacturing capacity.

Thanks to this, despite dismantling half of what he made to sell on the market, his stock of max-level greater recovery potions was steadily growing.

Even though he held back from selling everything, it was undeniable that Axel's contribution to the Interdimensional Shop was significant enough that the prices of the items he handled were steadily decreasing.

'Now, it takes hours before I run out of stock. I guess I'm starting to saturate the market with these items…'

Although something to reflect on, it didn't change the fact that his items remained greatly profitable. By now, his total "liquid" money was approaching 100 billion.

"Look, we're almost home," Axel noted as the large camp walls came into view.

"Oh…"

Eve only murmured that one syllable, then fell quiet again.

Her state looked pitiful, but Axel hardened his heart and ignored it.

Soon, they arrived at the wall.

"SIR AXEL!"

"HEXEL!"

"Princess Eve!"

Even before they could enter, several figures appeared on top of the wall, calling down to them in worry.

Arianne jumped from the wall—almost looking as if she'd leap in front of the Humvee if given the chance—but slipped on the muddy ground and fell face-first into it.

Teruria was holding back tears, staring at the car in relief.

Maria, pale with worry, kept calling Eve's name nonstop.

Axel stopped just short of the fallen, muddy Arianne and disembarked. He walked around, opened the passenger door, and helped Eve out of the vehicle.

Seeing the two safe and sound, Maria finally exhaled in relief—

"Whoa?!"

—before fainting right onto Teruria's small body.

As soon as the tension left her, fatigue from staying up all night crashed down. Teruria struggled but managed to guide her down on top of the wall, laying her on her back carefully.

"We're back," Axel said as he escorted Eve across the muddy ground.

"I'll tell you all what happened later. First, I want a sitrep on the camp last night. What happened? Did we incur any damage?"

Arianne climbed to her feet, trying to wipe the mud off her face and armor. It did little, so she gave up for now. "About that… last night…" She began to relay everything that had happened.

Regarding defense, they had successfully prevented zombies from reaching the camp.

It was the usual routine, even without Axel commanding them—proof enough that the girls had grown used to their roles in battle.

But that wasn't all.

Due to the heavy rain, the ground had softened and turned muddy. This not only made movement difficult for everyone, but it also caused some damage to the workshop, flooding its interior slightly.

It was just as Axel predicted… or so he thought.

"And due to the softened ground, the Tenement Housing tilted slightly."

"…Huh?"

They had just passed through the wall when Axel looked ahead and saw that Arianne's report was true. "It's really tilted…"

At a glance, it looked as though the right side had sunk about a foot, creating roughly a five-degree tilt across the entire structure. Minor, but definitely disorienting for those inside.

Taking in the sight and the surrounding terrain, Axel nodded to himself.

"Alright, let's do an overhaul of the camp!"

It was perfect timing, as he had recently unlocked two new housing functions—Drainage and Waterway.

Using those, he planned three major changes to the camp.

First was adding a flowing river through the middle. This would serve as their water source for daily use—apart from drinking—and could be made using the River Terrain modifier in the Housing Tab by branching off from the Miles River and back.

Second was a "sewer" system.

Not only would it handle waste, but it would also prevent flooding like what happened last night. It would help keep water from weakening the ground too, which was essential if they planned to expand the camp in the future.

Finally, expanding the wall.

If a river was added through the center, the remaining space would feel too narrow to work with.

Of course, such a large-scale change would need approval from the other "residents." Thus, he decided to hold a public meeting with everyone regarding the matter.

"Arianne," he called. "Gather everyone in the middle of the camp in an hour. We need to discuss some things about the camp's future."

Arianne quickly caught the seriousness in his tone and nodded firmly. "I understand, Sir Axel. In an hour, I'll gather everyone. Until then, please rest a little. You look like you haven't slept at all."

"Ah, was it that obvious?"

Axel scratched his head sheepishly.

Of course, it wasn't because he'd been worried something inappropriate would happen—rather, he had acted as the night watch. Axel knew the map indicated monster positions, but it didn't have an alarm or warning function if anything got too close.

Furthermore, animals weren't tracked by it at all.

Many dangers could appear, so he hadn't dared lower his guard.

"Then I'll take you up on that offer and nap for a bit. Wake me when everything's ready... Ah!" But let out a gasp, glancing behind him.

He moved closer to Arianne and whispered.

"Also, please do something about Eve. She's feeling down right now, and I can't cheer her up."

"That..."

Arianne faltered, looking at Eve and Axel, back and forth, a few times, before nodding in realization. "Ah... I understand. Leave it to us, Sir Axel."

"Thanks. I'm counting on you."

Saying that, he headed back to his room, removed his muddy shoes, and collapsed onto the bed, finally closing his eyes to rest.

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