"Anyways, after you wash up, can I ask you for a favor?" Luka asked. He couldn't even make eye contact with his older sister.
"A favor?" Kai rubbed her chin with her free hand, glancing away for a few seconds before looking back at him.
"Of course! Anything you want, I'll do!"
Little stars seemed to sparkle in her black eyes as she took an eager step forward.
Luka instinctively stepped back. "All I need you to do is hit me…" He spread his arms wide.
"Huh…?" Kai's mouth fell open in shock. "Me? Hit my little brother?" She pointed at herself.
"Impossible. Simply impossible!"
Turning away dramatically, she started walking off.
"Never in a million years would I do such a thing! Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go wash up."
Luka sighed in defeat as he walked to his door and pushed it open. "Seems like I'll have to ask someone else…"
With that, he closed the door.
Kai, walking down the hall, suddenly shuddered, a chill ran down her spine.
'Did my little brother become a masochist while I was gone?! I hope not… or else Mother would be cursing me from beyond the grave!'
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ
"Hey, Snow, you still alive?" Luka glanced around his room but saw no sign of the little dragon.
Everything was exactly as he had left it—untouched, undisturbed.
"Where did that little bastard go?" He muttered, searching under the sheets, the bed, and every possible hiding spot.
But Snow was nowhere to be found.
"Damn, this is bad…" Luka exhaled sharply, removing his quiver and letting it drop to the floor.
Placing his hands on his waist, he tried to suppress a sigh.
"I should've seen this coming the moment I left him alone… Guess I have to go find the little bastard."
Without wasting another second, Luka turned around, opened his door, and stepped out.
He began making his rounds, stopping every maid and staff member he saw.
"Have you seen a tiny dragon?"
"Anyone spotted a runaway lizard?"
No luck.
But Luka wasn't giving up just yet.
However, as time dragged on, his irritation grew.
Every passing minute only fueled his frustration.
'This is the last time I leave that little bastard alone…' Luka swore internally.
Now outside, he let the wind sweep against his skin, the rain that had begun falling earlier soaking his clothes, yet he paid it no mind.
His focus was elsewhere.
He had to find Snow.
Moving, Luka's sharp eyes scanned the estate grounds, his impatience bleeding into every step he took.
His search led him to the back of the estate, where he caught sight of a medium-sized wooden structure, steam billowing from its rooftop.
'A bathhouse?'
Just as Luka was about to dismiss it, a sudden chorus of high-pitched screams rang out from inside.
Luka's body tensed. 'Screaming?' His brows furrowed.
'Did my older sister miss some stragglers?'
His first instinct was to assume enemies were lurking.
If there were monsters he wanted to handle them personally.
Killing monsters meant XP!
And so, Luka's heartbeat quickened, not out of worry but from the thrill of potential XP.
With no weapon in hand, he was more than fine using his fists.
Wasting no time, he bolted toward the bathhouse.
With one powerful shove, he flung the wooden door open, the impact making it slam against the wall with a loud thud.
Luka barely registered the small cubby-like entrance, pushing past a fabric divider with force.
And then—
He stopped dead in his tracks.
Before him, a steaming bathhouse sprawled out, its waters rippling slightly from the sudden commotion.
Half-submerged in the water, a group of maids stared at him, wide-eyed and frozen in shock.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
"YOUNG MASTER—!?"
The shout came from Serene; her face going red as she sank lower into the water, her green hair clinging to her damp skin.
Only her head remained visible, her expression of embarrassment.
Luka, however, ignored Serene and the sea of blushing, exposed maids.
His eyes locked onto a small, lazy figure floating idly in the water.
It was Snow…
Luka's blood boiled.
"YOU LITTLE BASTARD—SO THIS IS WHERE YOU'VE BEEN—?!"
He never got to finish.
The moment his furious voice echoed through the bathhouse, the maids all let out fresh screams, their shock turning to panic.
A barrage of objects rained down on Luka—wooden buckets, bars of soap, and anything else within reach.
WHACK!
A bucket struck his forehead.
THWAP!
A soap bar smacked against his cheek.
Luka gritted his teeth, throwing his arms up to shield himself as the relentless assault continued. "Wait! Wait! Wait!"
The maids showed no mercy.
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 13 / 14!]
Another bucket—
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 12 / 14!]
The barrage didn't stop.
If anything, it got worse.
The force of their combined assault pushed Luka back step by step.
"Dammit—!! STOP THROWING SH—OW!!"
Another bucket nailed him right in the ribs, making him stumble.
Snow, still floating lazily, cracked one eye open, watching the chaos unfold with a smug look.
Meanwhile, Luka could only curse his luck.
He had charged in expecting a battle—just not this kind.
Luka's foot caught on a small rock, and before he could react, he lost his balance.
"Ah—"
THUD!
He crashed onto his back, his body smacking against the wet floor as he stared blankly at the wooden ceiling above.
The air left his lungs in a sharp oof, but before he could even register the pain—
WHACK!
BANG!
THWAP!
The relentless barrage continued.
Buckets, bars of soap, and even loofahs rained down upon him.
Luka's arms were at his sides, stunned from the fall, leaving him completely exposed to the vicious assault.
He groaned, eyes unfocused, as more and more projectiles struck him from every angle.
It was as if the universe itself had decided he was no longer welcome in this world.
He could only listen, his soul seemingly leaving his body, as the mechanical voice in his head kept announcing.
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 11 / 14!]
'OW!'
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 10 / 14!]
'Are they aiming for my face on purpose?!'
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 9 / 14!]
'Agh! That one hit my ribs!'
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 8 / 14!]
'Seriously?! Who the hell throws a SOAP DISH!?'
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 7 / 14!]
At this point, Luka had given up resisting.
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 6 / 14!]
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 5 / 14!]
[Ding! You took damage! HP: 4 / 14!]
The attacks finally slowed, and Luka exhaled shakily.
'Why in the living hell is this damaging me!? How is that possible!? How weak is my body!? Fuck, that's right—my Strength is at 1, so my body is ridiculously weak…'
His vision blurred slightly as he lay sprawled out on the floor, questioning every choice that had led him to this moment.
And then—
[Ding! Daily Quest Completed: (Damaged)]
[+2 Attribute Points]
Luka blinked.
He let out a dry, wheezing laugh. "Pfft… Hahaha…!"
He was in pain.
Yet, somehow, he felt victorious.
'At least I got my daily quest done…'