Master

"You met your end so quickly, Adrian," the mysterious voice echoed in the white expanse. Its tone bore a hint of bewilderment, mixed with mild reprimand. "Perhaps it would have been wiser to join the sect, rather than venturing off alone."

Adrian rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his exasperation. "And deny myself the joy of lazing about? I think not."

He paused, a lazy smirk spreading across his face. "But tell me, oh great and mysterious voice, is there not a world where I can be as lazy as I wish?"

The voice let out a sigh, a sound as vast and ageless as the cosmos itself. "No, Adrian. The world you have been sent to is fixed, unchangeable. It was chosen for you, and it cannot be altered."

Adrian frowned, his mind quickly working on an alternative. "Well then, if I must return to that tiger-infested world, is there not something you can do to... tilt the odds in my favor?"

Silence stretched between them, the pause so long that Adrian started to worry he'd angered the voice. Finally, it replied, its tone laced with resignation. "There is one possible solution... I could alter your fortune, maximize your luck. This way, you could perhaps survive without exerting too much effort."

Adrian's face broke into a triumphant grin. "Now that sounds more like it! Do it, oh mysterious voice. Make me the luckiest man in that world. Then maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to laze around in peace."

And so, the voice did as Adrian wished. With a murmured incantation, it changed the course of Adrian's destiny, infusing him with the highest degree of luck possible. And, once again, Adrian was whisked back to the martial arts world, this time, as the luckiest man alive.

***

In the heart of the forest, a desperate chase was taking place. A young girl, her clothes torn and bloodied, was fleeing from a group of masked men. Each breath she took was ragged and heavy, and the wounds on her body screamed in protest with each leap she made over fallen logs or under low-hanging branches.

Behind her, the masked men gave chase, their raucous laughter echoing through the trees. They moved with ease, their steps light and their faces gleeful. This was not a hunt borne out of necessity, but one born of cruel pleasure. They were enjoying the sport, the thrill of the chase.

The girl's legs threatened to give out any moment, and her vision blurred from exhaustion and fear. She stumbled upon a clearing, and her heart hammered against her ribcage as she saw a figure lounging under a tree, utterly oblivious to her plight.

It was a young man, a stranger, his posture casual and face relaxed as he lazed about under the dappled sunlight. The sight was so out of place, so contrasting to her situation, that it gave her a pause. Her instincts told her that anyone who could afford such leisure in a dangerous forest like this must possess great power.

A flicker of hope ignited in her heart as she dashed towards the stranger, desperate to escape her pursuers. Could this carefree stranger be her unexpected savior?

Startled from his peaceful slumber, Adrian opened his eyes to the panting, terrified girl and a group of sinister masked men. He blinked slowly, taking in the scene with a groggy confusion.

One of the masked men stepped forward, a warning growl in his voice. "Stay out of this, boy," he commanded, his menacing glare pinned on Adrian.

Yawning, Adrian lazily pushed himself up, resting his weight on his elbows. "You can kill each other, for all I care," he replied nonchalantly, his disinterest palpable.

This remark infuriated one of the masked men. His patience snapped, he launched himself at Adrian with a battle cry, his blade glinting dangerously in the sunlight.

But before his blade could strike, a shadow loomed over them, followed by a gust of wind that rustled the forest canopy. With a piercing screech, a giant bird swooped down, its talons extended. In one swift motion, it grabbed the charging man, lifting him off the ground and disappearing into the sky, his screams of terror fading away with it.

Stunned silence settled in the clearing. The remaining masked men watched in disbelief, their cruel laughter replaced by fearful whispers. Even the injured girl stared wide-eyed at Adrian, her hope morphing into awe.

All eyes were on Adrian, assuming the bird's sudden intervention to be his doing. Little did they know that it was not any command of Adrian's that had summoned the bird, but the sheer stroke of his new, untested luck.

The moment the echoes of the man's screams faded into the vastness of the sky, the masked men dropped to their knees. Trembling with fear, they bowed their heads, begging for Adrian's forgiveness. "We... we didn't know, lord..." one of them stammered, his voice hoarse with terror. "Please... forgive us."

Adrian could only let out an annoyed sigh, his desire for a peaceful nap interrupted. "Sure, sure, forgiven, forgotten," he replied dismissively, waving them off. "Now, could you all please disappear? You're disturbing my nap."

The men needed no further prompting. They scrambled to their feet and darted off, their cries of gratitude trailing behind them. Their threat was over, and the clearing was once again filled with the serene sounds of the forest.

At his side, the girl pressed herself closer, her eyes wide with admiration. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice tremulous. She brushed a lock of hair from his face, her fingers lingering against his cheek. "You... you saved me."

But Adrian just huffed, his impatience growing. "Look, miss," he drawled, glancing sideways at her. "I didn't do it for you. That bird... it just happened. Now, if you could move a bit, I would like to get back to my nap."

With that, he reclined back against the tree, his eyes closed once more. To him, all the excitement was nothing more than a series of unfortunate interruptions to his peaceful rest. Little did he know, his lazy adventure was just beginning.

Adrian's relaxation was once again interrupted by the thud of the girl's body as she fell limp beside him. He opened one eye, annoyed at this new disturbance.

Without a word, he pushed himself up and strolled over to a nearby bush. He studied it for a moment before pulling out a tuft of grass. The leaves were a vibrant shade of emerald green, shimmering in the dappled sunlight, their edges intricately serrated.

He walked back over to the girl, dropping the grass into her hands. "Here, chew on this," he instructed, his voice filled with the impatience of someone whose nap had been disturbed far too many times.

The girl's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the grass. It was a rare and potent medicinal herb known as the Three Realms Grass. Legends said that it was blessed with the ability to heal grievous wounds and illnesses.

"Where... how..." she stammered, struggling to sit up. But Adrian simply shrugged, nonchalant as ever, as he lay back down under the tree.

"Just chew it," he said again, closing his eyes. "And do it quietly, if you don't mind."

Without wasting a moment, the girl carefully placed the herb in her mouth, chewing slowly as the bitter taste filled her senses. As the potent essence of the herb began to work its magic, Adrian drifted back into his nap, the forest's tranquility returning once again.