Chapter 324: Good old days
The bedsheet lay crumpled in the corner by the time Zuri finished getting dressed.
Luke had already put his clothes back on. Looking at her, he said, "Try to step outside once in a while. I know the burden you carry is overwhelming, but life only moves in one direction. The only choice we have is to keep walking."
Zuri lowered her gaze for a moment before giving a quiet nod. "You’re right. I’ve spent enough time trapped in my own thoughts. It’s time I started living again."
Luke gave a small hum. "Maybe you should go hunting someday. I know the forest is the last place you’d want to return to, but the poison can only be suppressed by taking another dose."
A faint smile touched Zuri’s lips as she looked at him. "You speak with such maturity that, if your words alone wouldn’t be enough for me to tell it’s you in a crowd."
Luke joked, "Well, something else now might."
Her face turned a bit red as she was reminded of what they had been doing moments ago.
"Lord, save those jokes for when we’re alone." She gave him a light shove, her face still refusing to lose its rosy tint.
He has changed so much, saying such things with so much ease that it felt she was the younger one here.
Luke laughed as he stepped outside, only to stop in his tracks.
"Hmm? Eavesdropping now?" he asked, raising a brow at the blue-haired woman standing outside.
Dalia blinked at his sudden appearance before quickly explaining, "I just came out as well." Her room was just next to Zuri’s, that’s why they stumbled upon each other like this.
Luke studied her for a moment, then glanced back into the room. Zuri had gone completely still.
Her concern was unnecessary. Luke had kept his senses on their surroundings the entire time. He would have noticed if anyone had been listening.
He gently closed the door behind him.
"I thought you were heading out with Laila. Did the plan change?" There was a trace of disappointment in his voice.
With Dalia, Laila would have been able to relish some good moments. And being away from those with whom she shared the trauma could be good for her mental health too.
Dalia shook her head. "No. We’re leaving now. She had something to help Mother with, so I waited."
Luke nodded in understanding before pulling out a small pouch filled with toras.
"I don’t need it..."
"Not for you." He cut her off with a faint smile. "I know your mate can provide for you again. This is for Laila. While you’re out, buy her whatever catches her eye. And..." He leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper. "...get something sweet for yourself too, if you don’t mind."
Straightening up, he shrugged. "The last time I checked, we’d grown a lot closer. So I figured you wouldn’t mind."
A warm blush spread across Dalia’s cheeks as memories of those unforgettable days resurfaced in her mind.
Her reaction drew a smile from Luke before he turned and walked farther into the house.
A faint murmur drifted in from outside. Curious, he glanced through the kitchen window and spotted Gustav speaking with Lex.
He wasn’t trying to listen in, but a few words about guarding the house reached his ears.
Lex seemed to be denying what Gustav suggested but the old man appeared determined.
"Is the old man actually taking the job?"
Gary had been recruiting practically everyone, regardless of their abilities, in preparation for tomorrow.
Calling it an event would be too generous. If things went wrong, it would become a nightmare.
Even so, Gustav was a far better choice than someone who had never faced death before. Gary would undoubtedly pay him for the work.
’I suppose he just wants something to keep himself occupied.’
With that thought, Luke left the window behind and headed deeper into the house.
As he passed his room, the sound of cheerful conversation reached him. From the voices alone, he recognized Ginna and Monica.
He chose not to go inside. The moment he did, their attention would shift entirely to him.
The two friends had only recently reunited after so long apart. They deserved some time to catch up without interruption.
[Host, when do you plan on raiding the next floor?]
The system’s question came out of nowhere.
’Hmm, not tonight. I’m taking the night off. Tomorrow isn’t the day to risk getting injured.’ He paused for a moment before asking, ’Do you think I should undergo the evolution before the raid or afterward?’
[It makes no difference, Host. Your recent growth is more than enough to dominate the next floor, even without the blessing or the evolution.]
Luke nodded to himself.
’True. At my current strength, I feel like I could even take on a Level Three beast. But then again... I’m excited to go through the evolution.’
He knew he sounded like a child waiting to unwrap a long-awaited gift, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling. Every instinct told him that the evolution would bring changes far greater than a simple increase in strength.
[Host may use the dungeon’s six-hour time dilation to let the Pod evolve.]
’Hmm... I considered that, but wouldn’t it consume a huge amount of Gamma Points?’ he wondered.
To do that safely, he would first have to expand the duration of the resting zone. Lying unconscious in the middle of a forest crawling with beasts sounded far more dangerous than evolving here in the village.
For that reason alone, the idea remained nothing more than a passing thought.
I should think about it later.
He had something more pressing in his hands. He was running low on potions and herbs to make them and also, he needed to refine the gemstone he got from Manbaru as well.
’A little trip to the forest wouldn’t hurt.’
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A/N:- Thanks for reading. Hopefully, the story doesn’t feel slow. I am adding events one after another while making sure to have enough SOL Chapters.