NOVPUBUnderstanding he couldn't stay down any longer, Luka gritted his teeth and yanked the long dagger from the Swamp Tyrant's eye.
It resisted for a moment, embedded deep in the monster's skull, but with a final pull, it came free with a sickening pop.
The long dagger emerged slick with gore—its blade still pierced through the ruined eyeball, which clung stubbornly to the metal.
Clenching the hilt of the long dagger between his teeth, Luka began swimming upward with all the strength he had left.
Both hands cut through the water in desperate strokes, and he kicked hard, unsure of how deep he truly was.
The world around him was darkness—cold, murky, and silent.
Every passing second felt like an eternity, and the fear that the Swamp Tyrant might still be alive, might rise from the depths and crush him in its jaws, gnawed at the back of his mind.
His lungs screamed even more.
The pressure in his chest grew unbearable, his vision flickering at the edges.
Luka didn't know which way was up anymore—only that he had to keep moving.
Then, faintly, he saw it: a pale glimmer above.
A little of light.
Hope surged through Luka, but his body was slowing.
His limbs felt like they were moving through tar.
He was slipping—mind clouded, breath gone, strength fading.
'Just a little more...'
Finally, Luka broke the surface with a loud gasp, water spraying around him as he grabbed hold of the edge.
He coughed violently, choking and retching as water spilled from his lungs. The long dagger had fallen onto the stone floor.
Each breath was a desperate, ragged gulp of air.
With trembling arms, Luka dragged himself up and collapsed onto his back, chest heaving.
Above him, everything seemed to spin, and black spots danced across his vision.
Then, through the haze, he saw shapes—figures running toward him.
Men and women shouting, though their voices sounded distant and distorted, like echoes from a dream.
"He's here! We found him!"
"Get a healer! Now!"
"He's still breathing—barely!"
The last thing Luka saw before the darkness took him was a hand reaching out…
On the outside.
"Young Master…" Serene murmured, her voice barely audible as tears threatened to spill.
Her heart pounded in her chest, anxiety coiling in her stomach like a knot that wouldn't unravel.
Her legs wobbled beneath her, but she refused to collapse.
She had watched every second of the live stream—unable to tear her eyes away, breath caught in her throat.
"Please… be okay," Serene whispered, voice trembling, body shaking.
She clutched her arms to her chest as if to hold herself together.
Snow, the little dragon, nuzzled her gently.
His warm, scaly face rubbed against hers, and the familiar touch brought her a sliver of comfort.
She let out a shaky breath, eyes still fixed on the screen, worry etched deep into her expression.
A short distance away, Charlotte stood frozen, unmoving and silent.
Then, after a moment of stunned stillness, she exhaled slowly.
"…He did it," she said softly, as if trying to convince herself it was real. "He really did it."
Charlotte's gaze locked onto the leaderboard, where Luka's name glowed at the top—alongside a time: 9 minutes and 38 seconds.
"He set a new record…"
One of the maids leaned in and whispered urgently, "Your Highness, now is the time. No one else should claim him— not after this."
Another maid chimed in, equally tense. "This news will spread like wildfire. We can't just stand by and watch."
Charlotte didn't need to be told twice.
"Send a royal envoy immediately. Prepare everything he might need to recover—healing potions, medicine, or whatever. Spare nothing."
She paused, then turned.
"And deliver this message personally… Tell Luka Junker that he has caught my eye, and I wish to speak with him at once."
Suddenly, everyone's eyes went over to Luka being carried out on a stretcher, his unconscious form barely visible as he was rushed through the dungeon's exit and toward the Health Hall.
"…" Charlotte's breath caught in her throat, and for the briefest second, her composure faltered.
"Never mind. I'll speak to him myself."
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ
Luka's eyes slowly fluttered open, the world around him a hazy blur.
His head throbbed, and for a moment, everything felt disorienting.
But gradually, his vision began to clear, and he realized he was sitting up in a small, dimly lit room.
The soft hum of medical machines filled the air, beeping rhythms.
"Where am I?" Luka muttered to himself, glancing around.
He noticed— gray walls lined with machines, their blinking lights. To his side, a window revealing the outside.
His eyes then landed on the familiar figure of his personal maid, Serene, who was sleeping slumped against the bed.
Her face was pressed into the sheets, knees bent awkwardly on the floor.
Her red-rimmed eyes, marked by dried tears, told Luka just how worried she'd been.
Snow, as usual, was deep in his dragon-like slumber.
"Ah…" Luka's mind clicked into place as he took in the situation.
The sight of the health equipment and the presence of Serene finally told him where he was.
He let out a small sigh of relief. "Hopefully, I set a new record at least…" The faintest trace of a smile tugging at his lips.
Serene stirred, her eyes fluttering open.
The moment she saw Luka awake, she shot up like a bolt of lightning, tears springing to her eyes. She threw herself into his arms, squeezing him tight.
"Young master!" Serene's voice was choked with emotion.
"You made me so worried!" She sniffled and began to ramble, her words tumbling out in a rush.
"…" Luka could barely understand them through her sobs.
Sighing, he gently placed a hand on his personal maid's head, feeling the soft strands of her hair beneath his fingers.
"I'm sorry I made you worry, Serene. I'm alright now."
But his words only seemed to make her cry harder, her grip tightening around him as if to hold him together.
Luka's smile faltered slightly, unsure how to handle his personal maid's emotional outpouring.
Despite his previous attempt at comfort, he wasn't sure if he had the right words to ease the storm of emotions swirling within her.
'The best I can do right now is let her get it all out.'
