Once he finished the discussion with Mallow and their abrupt lunch, Luca returned to Trampos' base.
As on every free day, engineers were hard at work in the garages, while Trampos marshals lingered around the corners, exchanging casual banter. However, the core members of the team were nowhere to be seen—likely resting in the staff buildings.
Avoiding unnecessary conversations, Luca climbed the stairs to his accommodation. His stomach was full, thanks to the bacon meal he had sniffed out earlier. He didn't want to think about the price—it had been far from reasonable. Mallow, shameless as ever, insisted Luca foot the bill.
It was only 2 p.m., but the overcast sky and the heavy atmosphere made it feel like evening. Sighing, Luca stepped into his room, pausing in the doorway to survey it. Everything was just as he'd left it—tidy, orderly, but to his eyes, utterly uninspiring.
I really need to get the hell out of here, he thought bitterly, beginning to undress. He knew this setup wasn't fitting for someone in his position. His career was progressing steadily, yet his accommodations didn't reflect that. Even Victor, for all his reserved role, had his own house.
If he wanted to establish a profile worthy of respect and admiration, he needed to elevate every aspect of his life. A serene, spacious environment wasn't just a dream—it was a necessity. A place for himself, for friends, and eventually, for family. And if he ever wanted to attract and keep the kind of girlfriend he envisioned, he had to break free from this surrounding of insignificance.
Luca decided to relax by sitting on the foot of his bed as he removed his footwear.
[Daily Quest has been issued!]
Oh? Something fun at least. What's it?
[-·-JOG AROUND THE NEARBY 1000-METER TRACK TEN TIMES-·-]
[DURATION: COMPLETE BEFORE 10PM]
[This will help enhance your cardiovascular endurance and improve your stamina.]
"Uhm? Don't you think you should be targeting my Strength and Intelligence so I could get them to 20 as soon as possible?"
[Daily Quests are one of the System's features that are randomly selected. System provides host with sessions that target Attributes.]
[Reward for Completing Tuesday Daily Quest: (EXP)
[Consequence for Failing Tuesday Daily Quest: Punishment
Luca's gaze drifted toward the track visible through his window. He figured it might look strange if he just put on his full gear and some earpiece and began jogging deep in the afternoon. Instead, he decided to postpone the session, aiming for a more comfortable time—perhaps around 7 or 8 p.m., well before the 10 p.m. deadline.
After getting a sense of his surroundings, Luca relaxed on the bed, staring at the ceiling while mentally replaying the significant events that were going on in his life. His thoughts drifted to the conversation he had with his mother earlier that morning. She and Sophia were traveling to Cambridgeshire, eager to secure Sophia's admission to a prestigious university. While the odds were slim, Luca trusted in Sophia's natural intelligence—surely some of their parents' brilliance lingered in her.
Thinking about Isabella, Luca realized how little they'd communicated since their encounter in Birmingham. His mind wandered to Mr. Schafer, reflecting on how the man was handling the fallout of his title being stripped. Luca figured Miles and his agenting team must have dropped Schafer by now, which was bitterly ironic given Schafer's instrumental role in shaping Miles Bellingham's career.
Luca picked up his phone and scrolled through his messages and call logs. Hesitating for a moment, he tapped the call button and dialed Isabella's number for the first time.
The call connected and was answered almost immediately, though to Luca it felt like an eternity.
"You. You finally called me, mm?" Isabella's vibrant voice emerged from the speaker, jolting Luca into a seated position on the bed.
He was lucky to have called her at lunchtime when she was free. Isabella was now part of an unofficial innovation group for single-seaters and related equipments, and she typically worked her mind just as much as she worked with hands too.
Right after her engineering school ambitions didn't go as planned, Isabella still sought for activities still in the field of motorsport instead of taking a whole different course as many advised. Now part of 'Grid Edge', a small group of freelance and contracted innovators specializing in racing-related equipment, Isabella felt fairly comfortable while still helping her father battle with everything.
Luca did his best to focus the conversation on her even though Isabella kept asking about him and his endeavors.
She mentioned it has always been quite a dream for her not to repair four-wheelers, but make them, and this included all kinds of four-wheelers, single-seaters most especially. Whether it was the engine or chassis itself, Isabella seemed determined as she kept saying she'd change the nature of Formula driving someday.
Just as their conversation was growing deeper in depth, Isabella announced she was twenty minutes past her lunchtime and needed to get back to work.
Luca responded with understanding, and they scheduled another call for the following day. After ending the call, he set his phone down and stood from the bed, surprised at how much time had passed.
Feeling bored, Luca weighed his options: dive into the comics he'd bought but never read, study more telemetry data from past races, or watch the races themselves.
He opted for the latter, reasoning he'd have plenty of time for comics after the season wrapped up. Plus, he needed something to help him pass the hours until dusk, when he planned to tackle his Daily Routine quest.
Grabbing his headset from the desk, Luca slipped it over his ears and powered on his laptop. Once the Bluetooth connection was established, he navigated to one of his bookmarked folders filled with recordings of past races.
Just as excited as he was after watching the Mandalora MP of last two seasons, Luca wanted to experience the same thrill again. He opted for last season's finale, Portimão MP which was held in Portugal. He planned to watch both F1 and F2 and see how Max Addams lifted his F2 world champion trophy on that final evening.