The sudden change astonished Stirling. He instinctively tried to break free. But his arms felt clamped like iron tongs, they couldn't move at all. His heart sank.

  I haven't thought about it yet."

  "You should rest for one more day or two. With broken legs, your slow walking makes it very difficult to reach the safe zone alive." Old Larry jumped up, he took the old woman and smiled at Stirling.

  "I'll do as you say, Mr. Larry." Stirling calmed down, answered, and handed back the wooden tray, now empty of black bread.

  The old woman relaxed when she saw Stirling had finished the black bread on the plate. She sat down again, but she stared at Stirling, fearing he would escape right now.

  "Excuese me, I'll return and rest," Stirling says, looking uneasy under the old woman's pale gaze. He then limps into his small room.

  Old Man Larry and the old woman shared a glance. Then, they stood up and tiptoed to the wooden door, peered through the crack.

  Stirling lay back in bed, wrapped in the blanket. The two shared blank looks, then slipped back to the dining table.

  "He seems to have discovered it," the old man says.

  "So what? We're going to the temple in two days, so there's still time," the old woman replies disdainfully

  "I went out this morning to ask around. It was Old Maxim's family that died last night," Larry says, his face blank.

  "The last trip to the temple, they didn't have enough offerings, so they didn't get enough lamp oil." The old woman chuckled.

  "Let's go! The boy drank polluted water, so he will not trouble us." With that, Old Larry stood up, and the old woman followed him out the door.

  They locked the outside room with a rusty chain. Then, they walked away in a certain direction.

  Indoors, Stirling, lying in bed, opened his eyes when he heard the lock. Using his arms, he propped himself up with effort and sat. He listened with great attention, confirming that the two old had left. Then, he took his time getting out of bed.

  Stirling was not going to vomit what he had eaten that morning.

  First, the room was too small; there was no place to hide his vomit. If those two old people discovered the smell, they would be mad immediately.

  He was already out of oil. Without food, he could get weaker, which would hurt his plans.

  Stirling sat on the edge of the bed, glaring at the wooden door in front of him, his mind racing.

  Stirling rubbed his chin, pondering for a while. He then removed another small piece of wood from the bed, broke it in half, and stacked the pieces in a cross pattern.

  He then shredded a small piece of bedsheet, twisted it into a rope, and tied it to the ends of the horizontal plank.

  Stirling cut thin wooden strips from the plank. He then joined them with the contraption he had made, trying to create a crossbow.

  Stirling thought for a few seconds and then dug his fingernail into the plank to carve the word "mechanism." He looked at his simple gadget with worry, hoping the enhancement prompt would return. This time, Stirling was not disappointed. A familiar message popped up in front of him straightaway.

  "Current enhancement consumes a lifespan of 30 days. Enhance?"

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Stirling pumped his fist with excitement, but he fell into deep thought.

  Without hesitation, he chose yes. "Enhancement successful, remaining lifespan: 8 years and 2 days."

  Soon, a beam of light wrapped around the simple crossbow on the ground. After a breath, the light faded away. It revealed an object with a very different shape.

  [Exquisite Mechanical Crossbow]

  It is made of fine iron. This has a traction cord and poison-tipped arrows. It's a superb weapon for plunder and robbery!

  Stirling's face lit up with joy at the object, which had a beautiful design. This high-end object left a powerful impression on him. Despite the pain in his leg, he rushed to it.

  Stirling touched the cold killer on the ground. His heart raced with excitement. This enhancement could actually materialize anything he desired. It was the ultimate magic, the ultimate master!

  With this, Stirling picked up the crossbow from the ground in a hurry and hid it under the bed.

  Stirling needed to hide it. The space under the bed failed to conceal anything significant. Besides, there wasn't a better place to put such a conspicuous item.

  A faint smile played on Stirling's face. He removed another piece of wood. Then, he used the same process to craft another crossbow.

  The enhancement consumed 29 days this time, one day earlier than expected, perhaps because the repeated process reduced cost. It surprised Stirling.

  In a few minutes, Stirling had crafted two crossbows. Although it had consumed two months of his lifespan, he now felt a sense of safety he had never had before.

  Stirling mutters to himself as he gazes at the crossbow hidden beneath the sheets under the bed. His gaze then sweeps around the room, finally settling on the ground near the door.

  Stirling pondered. Then, he broke off another wooden plank. He walked to the door, bent down, and dug in the soil with it.

  The couple couldn't afford tiles, so their room had black soil on the floor. It gave a natural feel.

  So, soon, Stirling dug a small, shallow pit in front of the door with a wooden board. He then tore off a dozen wooden strips from the block he was holding and inserted them into the pit. Finally, he tore off a small piece of the bedsheet and covered the pit with it.

  A trap so simple it couldn't be simpler, a trap of mere symbolic significance, done.

  Stirling glared at the hole in the ground. Sure enough, a moment later, the enhancement prompt reappeared.

  "Current enhancement consumes 60 days of its lifespan. Please choose Yes or No."

  Stirling, overjoyed, immediately chose "Yes."

  "Enhancement Successful. Remaining Lifespan: 7 Years, 10 Months, 7 Days."

  The next moment, Stirling's eyes flashed. When the light faded, the obvious trap by the door disappeared. Flat ground replaced it.

  [Elaborate Trap]

  A skillful hunter must understand how to craft a trap. This trap is a masterpiece that stands out in its striking uniqueness. Trust it, and no prey can escape.

  Stirling stared at the smooth ground, not believing a trap lay beneath it. The thought sent a chill through him.

  Imagine the fate of the old couple who rushed in at high speed and fell into this trap. Stirling immediately felt a chill in his crotch and couldn't help but clamp his legs together.

  Stirling looked around the small room, pleased. He climbed back into bed and waited in silence.

  After some time, rattling chains echoed outside the door. Then came the familiar wheezing of Old Larry.

  The old man's heavy breathing showed he had high physical exertion during this trip. This made Stirling curious.

  What on earth was this couple doing out there?

  "Little Brother?"

  As soon as Old Larry entered the house, he called out to the inner room, and then Stirling's voice rang out:

  "Is Mr. Larry back?"

  "Yes, we are."

  Hearing Stirling's response, Old Larry's face relaxed in an instant. The old woman next to him seemed a little anxious. She glanced at the hatchet in the corner and tried to walk over.

  But the old man grabbed her and whispered, "The temple will discount the price if the meat isn't fresh. Wait until the night."

  The old woman nodded with a stiff motion. She grabbed her things and walked into the kitchen next door.

  A little later, the sky darkened. The light coming through the window became disturbingly black. Old Larry could not wait to stand up and walked over to the window, lowering the shutter as he always did.

  "We're running low on lamp oil. But it is lucky to get fresh supplies soon."

  The old woman noticed the commotion and murmured.

  "Hush."

  The old man glared at the old woman, then glanced at Stirling's door. Seeing no movement, he says, "This kid hasn't been out all day. I'm afraid he's figured it out."

  "Hehe, a jumping fish is more valuable." The old woman shrugged, revealing her dry yellow teeth as she chuckled.

  "Drug him tonight." Old Larry fished out a small bag from somewhere and then tossed it to the old woman and said,

  "No, I want to eat some more. Such fresh meat is precious now." The old woman chuckled with an unusual tone and shook her head.

  "Exactly." Old Larry laughed too, and then both of the laughter gradually died down. Only the oil lamp on the table cast an oppressive dark red glow.

  As night fell, Stirling, who had been lying in bed silently, shuddered and opened his eyes all at once.

  Yes, that disgusting breathing sound has returned.

  In the dark, Stirling gritted his teeth. He calmed himself, then turned and stared at the wooden door.

  Stirling's eyes also reflected tension, madness, and anticipation under the dim moonlight.