Unfortunately, he regretted having such determination. Staring at the market list before him, Leon felt his jaw clench.

[Three-Star Skeletal Whip - 13 Blue Essence Crystals]

[Three-Star Saiyan Whip-blade - 16 Blue Essence Crystals]

[Three-Star Bladed Whip - 10 Blue Essence Crystals]

'Expensive!'

Everything was too expensive! He had exactly thirteen third-level crystals with him, enough to buy the Skeletal Whip. However, buying that meant he would be bankrupting the whole shelter. Buying the Bladed Whip would be inefficient. From the lower cost, he could already tell that it wasn't as good as the Skeletal Whip.

Slowly, his agitation faded into an odd calmness.

'Strange. Why was I worried about bankruptcy? We could simply kill more third-level creatures in the future.'

Normally, his eyes would have widened at the thought, but his heart remained unmoved by the realization. He also realized this anomaly, but was helpless against it.

Standing behind him, Anna immediately sensed the change in his demeanor. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she remained silent.

'He's been behaving more humanly lately. However, it doesn't relieve me but makes me uneasy.'

To her, it felt like the inhuman part of him was only temporarily dormant, waiting to be unleashed.

Unaware of her thoughts, he picked the thirteen crystals, then tossed them into the crucible after selecting the first option.

The weapon appeared before him instantly, coiled up on the ground. It resembled a whip made from the spine of a monster, several sharp bones protruding from the sides. He turned to Anna, then gestured for her to pick it up.

She stepped forward, then grabbed the hilt which closely resembled that of a saw. After scanning through its skills, a flash of surprise appeared in her brown eyes. She turned to Leon, giving him a look of gratitude.

"Thank you."

Leon gave her a nod, "It was worth it."

After all, a genuine smile had appeared on her face. It was rare for Leon to see her smile. Taking a step closer, she reached out towards his head.

Leon didn't move, allowing her to touch him. She brushed aside his bangs and rubbed the blue crystal on his forehead. It felt smooth and cold, as if it was something alien. She didn't mind, though. Still rubbing his crystal, she lowered her head.

"You're still the same." Her whisper reached his ears. "When you came to rescue Cassie and I, when you trained me, when you started the shelter, when you risked severe injuries to save Amelia… you're still the same. You're still Leon White—my friend."

Leon blinked, stunned by the unexpected confession.

'Friend…?'

He had no friends. Except for Vlad whom he hadn't seen since the apocalypse began, he had no other friends. Even Mira was just an acquaintance. Yet, as he looked at Anna, whose head was lowered, an inexplicable feeling gnawed at his unresponsive heart.

For the first time, he didn't see her as someone irrelevant, as Cassie's friend, as a talented lady, or as a convenient ally. Instead, he saw her as a friend.

"This is… strange."

He said calmly, then did something his mind deemed impulsive and irrelevant. His arms spread wide, then enveloped Anna's figure. He had hugged her in the past, but this time, it felt warm—like a lit piece of firewood in the winter.

Inhaling the scent of her blonde hair, he remained motionless, quietly enjoying that warmth.

...…

Later, Leon called Ye Ming to the armory, then gave him the black armor he got from the Lucky-Spin Machine. The armor was strangely adjustable, expanding slightly to fit his frame.

'Even though I'm already a Level 2 Smith-Weaver, I can't create something like this yet.'

This didn't dishearten him, but made him realize there was still room for growth.

"Haha! You really gave me a pleasant surprise, Boss Leon. I'm impressed."

The bearded man smiled and patted Leon's shoulder, expressing his gratitude. Before Leon could leave, Cassie arrived, her axes stained with blood.

Leon glanced at the weapons once, then asked, "Humans?"

The blonde girl nodded, her expression showing irritation.

"Some disgusting perverts wanting to scout the shelter. They even dared to invite me to join them."

Ye Ming chuckled, hiding his nervousness. The blood dripping from her weapons proved that she had killed them. Even now, he wasn't that nonchalant about claiming a human life.

"Ho? They must have courted death. Frogs lusting after swan meat. Hmph!"

Both siblings gave him a strange look, but didn't comment on his words. That way of speaking was peculiar to the Chinese, even becoming cringe but popular lines in novels.

Leon turned his attention to his little sister, then he picked up the other equipment he had gotten from the Lucky-Spin Machine.

Cassie's eyes widened as he presented the humongous, one-headed battle-axe to her. The weapon was beautiful, the mix of silver and yellow reflecting in her eyes.

"Happy Birthday."

Cassie's eyes further widened, and she looked at him in shock. After living several months in the apocalypse, she had even forgotten her own birthday! It was a shocking and hurting realization that made her heart clench. Yet, Leon still remembered and even presented her a gift.

This made her remember the past three years she had spent with him. Whenever they were both on break, they'd spend as much time as possible together, traveling around the city and having fun. Those memories made her eyes tear up and she rushed at him.

Embraced tightly by his crying sister, Leon didn't immediately move. Instead, he cast a subtle gaze towards Ye Ming.

The man immediately understood and gave him an encouraging smile before leaving, making Leon puzzled. He wasn't trying to confess to a girl, or what was Ye Ming thinking?

With the siblings alone in the armory, Leon finally reciprocated her hug. He gently patted her head while she wet his clothes with tears.

Finally, after a while, the sobbing ceased and she looked up.

Her clear blue eyes, wet with tears, tugged a string at Leon's heart.

"Stay with me for the rest of today, okay?" She pleaded, "Like we used to do."

Leon would have refused since he still needed to do some things, but his emotions won over logic. He gently nodded, then waited for her to step back.

Unfortunately, she didn't. Instead, she clung to him tighter, burying her face in his chest. Exasperated but amused, Leon proceeded to lift her in a princess carry. Like that, they stepped out of the armory.

'Thankfully, everyone is aware of our relationship. Else…'

Leon couldn't imagine the looks he'd get for carrying a young lady with a blushing face. Even though he didn't care about other people's thoughts, public sentiment was still dangerous.

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