Chapter 355: New traps and sudden quest
Returning home, Luke spent some time with his family around the dinner table before finally excusing himself.
"Where to?" Monica asked as she helped Ginna clear the dishes.
"Just making sure we’re properly secured for the night." Luke glanced toward the door. He had to browse through a few new traps from the store that he wanted to try out. With a decent stockpile of Gamma Points, there was little reason not to spend some now rather than regret being unprepared later.
Given how events had unfolded so far, Luke wouldn’t be surprised if Kalish sent his forces tonight, especially with his wife manipulating him and his son’s emotional state pushing him toward retaliation.
If that happened, Luke needed to be sure that his family was safe before he went on a killing spree.
He liked Ilya, yes. She had a great personality, and she was a capable fighter. But nothing came before his family.
So he needed to be prepared.
"After you finish, can I help?" Monica asked, excitement already creeping into her voice.
That smile alone erased what little resistance he had left.
Luke smiled and nodded. "Sure. Bring some water and a few dry cloths when you come out."
Monica looked even more excited, though Luke had no idea why.
"It won’t take me long," she promised.
Luke nodded before stepping outside.
A long breath escaped him as the cool night air brushed against his face. Under the moonlight, everything somehow felt more peaceful.
The food in his stomach seemed to digest almost instantly as a fresh surge of energy coursed through his veins.
Under the moon, sleep was practically optional.
Luke simply didn’t get tired anymore. His stamina was constantly replenishing, leaving him with an absurd amount of energy at all times.
The ultimate cheat code.
"Now, system, tell me. What are the new items you mentioned?"
The shop has been updated, the system informed him.
Luke’s eyes immediately lit up. He was eager to see what new options had become available.
[These are the new additions to the list of traps:
1. Illusion Trap: Creates a mirage around the perimeter, causing intruders to wander through the area without finding their way in or out. Unless they possess a perceptory skill, locating the true entrance would be extremely difficult.
Cost: 200 GP
2. Ice Mines: Stepping on these underground mines triggers a burst of icy waves that strike the intruder and anyone nearby. The ice rapidly freezes upon exposure to open air, making it capable of severely restricting or completely halting the movement of those caught within its range.
Cost: 50 GP per unit
3. Poison Orbs: These can be triggered from within the perimeter or configured to activate automatically when someone enters their range. The funnels release orbs filled with a paralysing poison that cannot be negated or resisted, even by individuals with exceptionally high endurance.
Cost: 100 GP per funnel
4. Armed Bot: An intelligent combat bot equipped with an assortment of weapons. Once instructed to guard the perimeter, it can annihilate an entire unit within minutes.
Cost: 500 GP per unit.]
Luke was stunned.
Truly stunned.
He had expected the shop to offer improved versions of the traps he was already familiar with. Instead, the new additions were on an entirely different level.
He was used to trap wires, alarm bells and, at most, electrical fences.
Compared to those, these weren’t even the same category.
An illusion that could make intruders wander aimlessly.
Mines capable of freezing people in an instant.
Poison that could ignore even monstrous endurance.
And an armed bot capable of wiping out an entire unit on its own.
Luke stared at the list for several seconds.
The shop had not merely upgraded his traps.
It had turned his home into a potential death zone.
Then he crossed his arms and read the description of the final item once again.
’What kind of bot would it be? A robot?’
[It would appear as a wooden training doll, with all of its weapons concealed within its body. Depending on the opponent it faces, the bot can wield swords, maces, crossbows, and even sorcery to a certain extent.]
[Host, there are three grades of bots, and you are currently viewing the primary grade.]
[Higher grades will unlock in due time. However, the host must ensure that he has sufficient Gamma Points to afford them.]
Luke could already imagine it.
If even the base model cost several hundred Gamma Points, the higher-grade versions would undoubtedly demand a fortune.
And truthfully, these bots might be the best defensive measure he could have asked for.
Just imagining a few of them stationed around his yard, backed by the new traps he could now purchase, brought an unfamiliar sense of relief to Luke.
For the first time in a long while, he could picture his family sleeping peacefully without him constantly wondering whether danger was waiting outside their door.
It was the sense of security he had been searching for all this time.
But there was one problem.
"Gamma Points. I only have a little over twelve hundred."
Luke frowned.
He couldn’t afford to purchase every trap and drain his entire reserve. He needed to keep at least five hundred Gamma Points untouched. That amount was enough to purchase a high-grade potion, which could easily become the difference between life and death in an emergency.
In situations like these, having five thousand GP felt so mouthwatering.
"System... why don’t you give me any quests these days?"
[Host... once again, the conversation has returned to your tendency to remain in one place rather than explore the world.]
"...."
Luke fell silent.
Right.
More exposure meant more opportunities. More places to explore meant more chances to encounter people, monsters, conflicts and, ultimately, quests.
He couldn’t exactly blame the system for his lack of opportunities when he had been spending most of his time in the same place.
He was at fault here.
"Luke?"
He heard a familiar voice behind him.
Turning around, he found Lex approaching the house alongside Gustav.
Luke was about to respond when a notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Quest generated.]
[Task: Help your family survive the night.]
[Reward: 300 GP]
"...!!"
Luke’s eyes widened.
Help his family survive the night?
For a moment, he couldn’t even process the reward.
He had been desperate for Gamma Points only moments ago. Under normal circumstances, receiving a new quest would have been a reason to celebrate.
But this was different.
The moment his family’s survival became the condition, the excitement vanished.
His expression hardened.
’If the system generated a quest like this... then it means...’
Something massive was about to happen tonight.
As the two men approached, Gustav looked at Luke with a puzzled expression.
"What are you doing out here?"
Luke frowned and returned the question.
"Did you two finish your patrols?"
Lex hummed before shaking his head. "No. We just came back to eat. We’ll head out again once we’ve rested."
Gustav chuckled.
"Gary would chew our ears off if we slacked. We need to keep patrolling throughout the night."
Luke’s eyes darkened.
The moment the words left Gustav’s mouth, he moved.
Thud!
"Luke?!"
Gustav’s expression turned to panic as Lex collapsed onto the ground, knocked unconscious by a single strike from his son.
Luke barely spared his brother a glance as he advanced toward the older man.
"I’ll explain everything tomorrow."
Thud!