Luca sat up on his bed, stretched, yawned, and took a mont to ditate.
[SYSTEM ONLINE...]
[Host was unable to complete Tuesday's Daily Quest]
Luca rubbed his sleepy eyes as the System's ssage appeared. "Oh, I totally forgot. I was so sleepy," he muttered, realizing this was the first ti he hadn't finished a Daily Quest. "You did say you give punishnts for failing Daily Quests, didn't you?"
[Yes, host.]
"Alright, so go ahead. I'm curious."
[Are you sure, host? The System can pardon this instance.]
Luca's curiosity won over. He'd never faced a Daily Quest punishnt from the System, and he was intrigued by what it would entail. "Yes, yes. Just give the punishnt."
[Please note: This action cannot be reversed.]
[Issuing...]
[Punishnt for Failing Tuesday's Daily Quest:
-Persistent Dehydration]
[Status: Issued]
[Duration: 3 hours]
Luca blinked, wiping his eyes to make sure he was reading that correctly. The punishnt—persistent dehydration—was there in bold System font. He let out a dry chuckle. "You've got to be kidding . Why dehydration, of all things?" He asked, biting his lips. "Did you deduct any of my attribute scores…?"
[No, host. Your Tuesday Daily Quest did not have Deduction Punishnts attached.]
[Additionally, punishnts are randomly selected from a comprehensive database of punishnts.]
"Wait, you're serious about this persistent dehydration? You know I drink water all the ti."
[Duration: 3 hours]
[Calculating...]
[Your Tuesday Daily Quest Punishnt will last until approximately 8:30.]
Three hours? Really? Luca shook his head, incredulous.
He couldn't believe the System was serious about issuing such a peculiar punishnt. Staying hydrated was vital, especially after his intense workouts—it kept him balanced and energized. The status showed 'Issued,' so he decided to see if it was legit.
Reaching for the water bottle on his nightstand, he took a long drink, emptying it. To his surprise, his mouth still felt parched, and his throat remained dry, like a desert. "No way," he muttered. "This is... kinda cool. But why didn't you issue it while I was sleeping? I could've skipped needing water at night."
[System was offline.]
[Host should begin Daily Routine.]
[System has nullified all liquid intake requirents for Wednesday's Daily Routine. You can now complete Wednesday's Routine without failing due to liquid intake.]
Luca's eyes wandered to a stack of Fijee energy drinks sitting on a small table in his hotel room. The curiosity gnawed at him to know how far this could go. "Even that won't help, huh?" he asked.
[Yes, host. All liquids are included. Your thirst cannot be quenched for the next 3 hours.]
"Wow. I didn't see that coming."
He laughed dryly, a nervous edge to his voice. "I might collapse at the gym."
The thought of skipping today's Daily Routine crossed his mind—there weren't any penalties for missing it. But he pushed that idea away. This was just another challenge, a hurdle to overco. Besides, there was sothing intriguing about pushing through discomfort. It might even turn into one of those stories he'd tell with a proud grin. "Alright, let's do this," he said, rolling out of bed.
Brushed. Dressed. Drove to the facility. Hit the gym.
The workout was grueling, his body screaming for water as every muscle burned and his throat felt like sandpaper. Dizziness crept up on him, making each rep feel like a battle. But Luca embraced the discomfort, determined to see it through.
After what felt like an eternity, he dropped onto a bench, gasping for air, drained beyond belief. "I might die before I even make it to F1," he whispered between shallow breaths, suddenly regretting his earlier enthusiasm for the punishnt. Desperate, he gulped down a bottle of water and even a can of Fijee, but the liquid felt useless, sliding down without any relief, as if his throat and tongue were coated in waterproof film.
Wobbling to his feet, Luca stumbled out of the facility and into his car. Sara, waiting outside, took one look at his pale face and frowned in concern. "Are you okay? You look... drained."
"Just gym fatigue," Luca managed, giving her a weak smile.
Once they returned to the hotel, Luca rushed for a bath, hoping that the steady stream of water against his skin might sohow ease the unrelenting dryness within him. It brought so relief, but it wasn't enough to quench the overwhelming thirst. He avoided eating, glancing frequently at the wall clock, bottle of water already in hand, waiting for 8:30. His foot tapped impatiently on the rug as the seconds ticked by.
[Ding!]
[Punishnt for Failing Tuesday Daily Quest
-Persistent Dehydration]
[Status: Lifted]
Without wasting a mont, Luca tilted his head back and drank deeply from the open bottle, nearly choking in his eagerness. The chilled water rushed down his parched throat, bringing an imdiate, soothing wave of relief. He felt the tension in his shoulders lt away as he drank, each gulp producing a rhythmic sound as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
Luca drained the bottle completely. The cool liquid rejuvenated him, spreading throughout his body and clearing the cloudiness that had weighed on his mind. Satisfaction washed over him as he exhaled. "Ahhhh," he murmured, savoring the taste. Water had never been so heavenly.
He set down the empty bottle on the nightstand with a soft thud, staring at its emptiness with relief. "I don't think I'll miss a Daily Quest again," Luca muttered, taking his gaze to the table where his food was kept. It must be getting cold, he thought.
He stood up slowly, a newfound energy coursing through his limbs as he made his way to the table. Despite knowing it wasn't the best habit, Luca browsed his phone while eating the al, which reminded him of the one he had before the race on Saturday.
He checked the team's travel plans. Everything was perfectly laid out—flight details, hotel reservations in Dubai, and a fully packed itinerary of events. All logistics were in place, ensuring that Trampos Racing was ready for the next step.
Satisfied, Luca set his phone aside and focused on his al. With the flight scheduled for 3 p.m., he had half the day to himself.
Luca planned his next few hours with leisure in mind, involving nothing more than staying put and enjoying the dim comfort of his room. His gaze fell on his laptop charging in the corner, a smile creeping across his face. He indulged in gas and movies, soaking in the rare downti before taking a short nap. The alarm at 1 p.m. jolted him awake, signaling it was ti to prepare for the upcoming journey.
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