Chapter 376: I will show you

The next morning, Luke woke earlier than usual.

"Mm..." He stretched his arms and yawned, quickly muffling the sound so he would not disturb the others.

Beside him, Laila was sound asleep, her lips slightly parted as the soft sound of her snoring reached his ears.

A smile touched his lips. He gently tapped his index finger against the tip of her nose before lowering his gaze to the other two women.

Ginna slept perfectly straight, as though even the slightest adjustment to her position would somehow be a blow to her pride. And Monica... well, she was beautiful even in sleep.

Her hair had fallen across her eyes, partially obscuring her face. Her soft lips were slightly parted, while her legs rested apart in the comfortable position she had settled into sometime during the night.

Seeing the three of them like this eased something deep within Luke’s heart. All the effort he had put in yesterday, all the danger he had faced and the strength he had pushed himself to find, had ultimately been for this.

To keep these people safe.

And he had succeeded.

’Speaking of last night, I wish there were some way I could thank the fox.’ If it had not been for her, the battle could have taken a far nastier turn. Things might have become considerably more difficult for all of them.

But in the end, Regath and his men had done more than simply being slaughtered. They had helped Luke level up and had even provided him with more than fifty gemstones.

’Speaking of levels... what are my stats now?’

[Level: 3]

[Strength: 40 → 43]

[Speed: 36.5 → 42.5]

[Defense: 42 → 44]

[Intelligence: 30 → 34]

[Gamma: 15000 → 22500/22500]

[GP: 80 → 1080]

[Attribute Points: 0]

[GP Required for Level Up: 2,000]

[Gamma Required for POD Level Up: 23,000 / 10,000]

[Abilities]

1. Echolocation: Level 2 | 60/200 EXP

2. Concentrated Burst: Level 2 | 130 → 200/200 EXP

3. Enhanced Perception: Level 2 | 130 → 200/200 EXP

4. Shadow Walk: Level 2 | 85 → 100/200 EXP

5. Death Scare: Level 1 | 40/100 EXP

6. Ghost Walk: Level 1 | 30 → 80/100 EXP

Luke’s drowsiness slowly faded the moment his eyes reached his Gamma Points.

He had had around thirteen hundred until the previous evening, but nearly half of it had been spent on traps and the killer doll. Then, in an act of desperation, he had purchased the highest-grade potion available for Baldon, only for the expensive investment to amount to nothing.

Luke didn’t regret any of his spending. Not really. Every decision had been made when it mattered, and there was little point dwelling on what could no longer be changed. Still, seeing his GP reduced to such a pitiful amount left him somewhat disheartened.

But now...

’Is it a gift?’

[A reward, host. You deserve it.]

Luke’s lips spread into a smile, reaching from ear to ear.

Now that was more like it.

He had been a little disappointed that he hadn’t received any Attribute Points or GP from yesterday’s quest rewards. He had expected something, especially after everything he had gone through. But it seemed the system had somehow realized what he desired most and compensated him accordingly.

’Speaking of the rewards, I need to check the other ones I got yesterday.’

With that thought, Luke continued reading through the system window. A moment later, however, his expression shifted as he noticed something strange.

’Why are my skill levels stuck even though I’ve reached the required experience points?’

Both <Concentrated Burst> and <Enhanced Perception> had reached their current experience thresholds after being used repeatedly throughout the previous day.

Concentrated Burst was the devastating blow that had left his enemies stunned, making it an ability Luke had relied on several times during the battle. Enhanced Perception, meanwhile, had been active almost constantly, functioning more like a passive sense that kept him acutely aware of everything happening around him.

He couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

Not when a single person sneaking past his defenses could mean the difference between life and death.

The answer made him wince.

[Your Gamma Pod is your limitation, sir.]

"..." Right. Everything came down to his Pod.

He couldn’t exactly blame the system for it, but it was still frustrating to realize that he was repeatedly running into one limitation after another, with the only way of breaking through being a full twenty-four hours of defenseless sleep.

Well, there was nothing he could do about it for now.

’I will figure out something.’

With that thought, Luke quietly rose from the bed and slipped out of the room.

The house was almost unnaturally quiet, and judging by the silence, the others were probably still asleep.

Luke intended to head toward the battlefield and check on the aftermath, just in case his help was needed. After everything that had happened yesterday, he didn’t feel comfortable simply staying behind while there was still a chance something could have gone wrong.

And, of course, he wanted to meet Roxanne too.

’Hopefully, she’s fine.’

However, the moment he pushed the door open, Luke regretted it.

"You are awake."

Luke exhaled a resigned sigh. Unfortunately, Lex had spotted him instantly, leaving him with absolutely no chance of sneaking away unnoticed.

"Yeah." Luke nodded before finally stepping outside.

Lex continued swinging the wooden sword, saying nothing more.

Luke hummed before asking, "Not going to say anything?"

Last night, despite being drowsy as hell from the effects of the potion, Lex had still made sure to let Luke know exactly how displeased he was with him.

Lex paused mid-swing. He didn’t turn to look at Luke as he said, "It’s pretty humiliating that you trusted your friend to protect our family over me."

Luke exhaled a quiet sigh.

"I was wrong to drug you. I should have trusted you more."

Lex shook his head. "I understand your doubt. Ever since you stepped into this world, I’ve been pretty much useless, sitting at home and..." He trailed off, then resumed swinging his sword as though the motion made it easier to leave the rest unsaid.

Luke assumed Lex didn’t want to continue the conversation. He slowly started making his way toward the gate, intending to leave him to his training.

Then Lex spoke again.

"If you get some time one of these days, accompany me on a hunt."

Luke stopped and glanced back.

Lex continued swinging for another moment before adding, "I’ll let you know why I was an inspiration to many hunters."

A faint smile appeared on Luke’s face.

"Sure."