Luke finished the last bite of ramen by slurping it straight from the bowl, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and sighed with satisfaction. "Ahhh. I'm full now. Okay Arx, let's see what kind of mess you've got outside."
He washed the cooking and eating utensils he had used, changed into fresh clothes he had just bought from the storage, then walked to the front door, which opened on its own. Luke stepped out into the clearing.
Like inside the inn earlier, daylight revealed the clearing: weeds tangled like claws, patches of wild grass, and broken stones scattered everywhere.
Luke knew customers wouldn't like seeing a dirty, messy place, and besides, he needed to complete the system's 100% cleaning quest. Groaning, he walked toward the garden Arx had told him about, once full of flowers decades ago, now nothing but an overgrown ruin.
The mimic seemed to hum happily, Luke could feel it. Snorting, he opened the wooden gate choked with thorny vines. According to Arx, the place had once been filled with blossoms, but now only brittle stalks remained.
Shaking his head, Luke began working. Halfway through, he uncovered more bones half-buried in the soil, just like those around the inn. Some were small, animal remains, but others were clearly human-sized, making him nauseous.
"Fuck," he muttered, kneeling as he brushed dirt from a skull with the gloves he had bought from storage. "This place really is a monster inn."
Though shivering, Luke forced himself to gather all the bones, including those around the inn, piling them together and burying them in one section of the clearing.
When finished, he marked the grave mound with dry branches stuck into the ground, warning not to dig it up again.
Finally collapsing to the ground in exhaustion, Luke asked aloud, "Hey, Arx. Why aren't there any monsters hanging around here? I mean, bones everywhere, but nothing's come close since I arrived."
The inn trembled even though he was outside, as if Arx was chuckling. Then it answered in Luke's mind, smug and proud.
Luke shuddered. "You're telling me you can shapeshift into anything?"
Luke remembered how the mimic had tried to eat him yesterday, never leaving the spot where he stood.
He shivered again, then realized something important. "So what happens when guests show up? Animals and monsters will know there's something stronger here, right?"
Hearing Arx's dismissive answer, Luke threw his shovel to the ground in frustration. Without guests, how would he earn money to buy food and supplies?
"Unbelievable! I'm running a deathtrap hotel with a mimic that thinks it's Godzilla or something!"
He paced back and forth, ranting, searching for a solution. Earlier he had begun to think this world was fun, thanks to the storage rewards, but now he grew pessimistic again about his fate here.
"I am cooked. Heroes get swords, I get a fucking murder box for a partner."
—
Luke was still ranting when he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. At the edge of the clearing, near the broken wooden fence, something approached.
He raised his shovel, pointing its tip toward the moving figure.
Then he saw it. A small girl, thin-bodied, with messy hair. But as she drew closer, Luke realized what she truly was.
Her eyes glowed red, her clothes torn, and bat-like wings folded against her back. As she neared, horns protruded from her temples, one cracked, the other broken. A succubus, but still a teenager, barely more than a child.
Luke held his breath. The succubus girl's leg was bleeding, her face pale.
When she saw Luke, she collapsed weakly to the ground.
He lowered his shovel slowly, staring at her, torn between fear and pity. "Oh shit. Don't tell me my first guest is a kid succubus," he muttered.
Finally, Luke set the shovel down and walked toward her. She flinched when he stepped on a broken branch, her red eyes locking on him in fear. She tried to back away, wings flapping weakly, but her body gave out.
"Hey, hey… relax," Luke said gently, raising both hands to show he wasn't a threat. "I'm not gonna hurt you."
The succubus girl shook her head, still terrified, her hands pressed against her chest. Her lips parted, but no words came.
Luke knelt at a distance, trying to coax her with a soft voice. "You're bleeding. If you stay out here, you'll die. Let me help."
She didn't answer, her eyes flicking between Luke and the inn behind him, suspicious and afraid.
Luke sighed. "Alright. Fine. Don't talk. Just… don't run when I pick you up, okay?"
He gently lifted her in his arms. The succubus girl was shockingly light, her trembling body pressed against his chest.
—
Inside the inn, Luke laid her on the wooden counter and summoned his storage. A small box appeared after he spent ten silver coins. He opened it.
Inside were bandages, a small bottle of antiseptic, and a bottle labeled alcohol. Luke picked up the alcohol, uncapped it, and sniffed. "Smells just like rubbing alcohol. Good enough."
The succubus girl stared at the strange box and supplies in wonder. Luke noticed her confusion and chuckled. "Weird stuff for you, right? Don't worry, it's medicine for your wounds."
But she pulled her leg back when Luke tried to apply the alcohol. He gently held her leg.
"Hey. Look at me. I'm not gonna hurt you. Just clean the cut and wrap it up. That's it."
Her crimson eyes studied him closely, searching for lies.
Finally, she stopped resisting. Luke cleaned her wound, speaking softly to calm her as she winced.
"Sorry, sorry. I'll be quick."
He wrapped the bandage snugly, then leaned back.
"There. Not perfect, but you'll get better soon."