"Big brooo! I'm hungry..."
"Big Bro! Do we have bread?"
"Big bro! Is dad back yet?"
Luck closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he forced a smile and faced his younger siblings. He just came back from work and brought bread for his siblings using the money he made from street fighting. However, because he can only buy one for each of them, his siblings were not satisfied and wanted more.
"Morning, I only brought three for you all, so don't look for more. We don't have much money..." He ruffled the little girl's hair and the kid just pouted and nodded her head.
"Yuan, our dinner's almost there, so just hang in there, 'kay? And Kiel, Dad won't be coming home tonight... Mom too," Luck spoke. His two other siblings mumbled, 'Aww...' Before they all became quiet.
Luck Aster is an 18 years old teen who fights for money. He's in a street fighting battle ground and is only called when someone challenges him. As of now, he's known to be the strongest, but because of that title, everyone's afraid of him and refuses to engage in a battle with him. He only earns money if someone initiates a fight against him.
Additionally, because they only live in the slums, the money he won is just enough for their family's weekly budget. So, he still needs to plan out where he's going to use the money he got from street fighting.
Luck went to the only chair in their house and took a seat there. It's an old rocking chair that was left to them by his grandmother. It's already so old, but can still be used because of its metal properties.
The teenager closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.
'What a life…' He thought.
'If only we were rich, my siblings won't have to make that face everytime I fail to give them food…' Luck imagined himself standing in front of a huge mansion in the middle of his parents, and his siblings playing tag within the garden behind the house.
'My siblings also deserve to have that kind of life...why is it not given to them?' He can see his siblings swimming in a pool from the mansion of his imagination, and it was enough to make him smile.
'I can only imagine these things that are impossible to happen,' Luck smiled sadly as he sighs in disbelief.
He opened his eyes and raised his right arm, staring at his bruised hand that he got from the fight earlier.
'Despite being known as the strongest, I still can't make money properly...all because the people here are so weak and cowards that they didn't want to fight me at all,' Luck shook his head and put down his hand as he rocked the chair.
'Lucky those who are at the top of the pyramid. I wonder what kind of food they serve on their table, and how many meals they eat in one day?' Luck's fantasies include his whole family eating in a private restaurant bought by him.
In his imagination, he's a reliable big brother and son who can buy anything for his younger siblings and parents. Giving donations to slum areas and to some orphanages. Sponsoring scholars, being a college student, earning a degree, and becoming a business man whose office is at the top floor of a huge building. He chuckled, causing his younger siblings to look his way.
"Is big bro alright?" His younger sister, Morning asked. His two younger brothers shrugged their shoulders.
"Maybe his head got hit earlier in his battle?" Yuan said, unsure.
"Woah--that must've hurt," Kiel answered.
"I can hear y'all," Luck spoke.
"Yikes!" His siblings flinched as they all started playing with each other again while giggling quietly.
Luck smiled as he turned to his siblings.
'At least, there's still happiness in this tiny household,' He stood up and stretched his body as he yawned.
"I'll sleep for a moment. Wake me up at Six O'clock," Luck said, heading to the thin foam lying just beside the rocking chair.
"Yesss!" The three younger siblings answered.
"And make sure not to go anywhere, got it?"
"Yeeeeees!"
•••
"Big Bro! Big Bro! There's someone outside, he's looking for you!" Luck slowly opened his eyes, feeling the shaking of his body caused by his younger sister.
"Morning, what's the problem?" He asked, lifting his body from the thin foam he slept on. Luck rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"I told you! Someone's looking for you outside!" Luck creased his forehead and stood up. The little girl grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards their door. Luck yawned and inserted his right hand under his shirt and scratched his sides.
"There---there he is, and he looks really rich!" Luck's ears get larger when he hears the word 'rich', and he felt like his consciousness was fully awakened by that one word.
Luck walks fast towards their door, as if he's already running.
'Rich? Some wealthy person decided to come here and look for me? Are they going to ask me to work for them?' Luck thought. His heart beats fast as he approaches their door, and when he did he saw his two younger brothers in front of the door, looking at someone.
He also noticed that a lot of people from their neighbors are outside their own houses just to see the person who arrived in front of the Aster Household's small house. Luck turned his head to the luxurious looking black car on the side. It's long and it seems to have many seats inside.
'Dang, that car looks cool...'
Luck thought, before finally looking at the guy who's been standing in front of him. The guy looks handsome with his dark brown suit and pants. His shoes are also shiny, and they look brand new. His blonde hair is fixed to have bangs on both sides leaving his middle forehead to be exposed, and even his sunglasses look really expensive. His skin is pale, as if it has never touched any dirt ever since he was born.
"Greetings, Luck Aster. It's an honor to finally meet you," he removed his sunglasses and his slanted gray eyes looked like they were crafted with diamonds. Luck smiled and walked towards the guy. He stretched his arm as he looked at the man.
"I am Luck Aster. It's nice meeting you, Sir," Luck introduced. The guy glanced at his hand and only nodded his head. Causing Luck to slowly put his hand down in shame.
"My name is Ethan Evander, and I am sent here to persuade you about something," Luck kept smiling at the guy, which confused the person in front of him. Still, he continued to talk.
"I would like to invite you within my vehicle to talk about it. Will you consider listening to--"
"Absolutely! Oh, can we also bring my siblings? Our parents aren't home so I have to watch over them," Luck asked. It's true that he has to watch over his siblings because of his parents' absence, but his goal is to let them experience riding such a cool vehicle.
Luck placed his hands on top of Yuan and Kiel's head, while Morning wraps her right arm on Luck's left leg.
The man in front of them glanced at his siblings before nodding his head.
"Not a problem. Let's go," Ethan answered before walking towards his car. He opened the door of the driver seat and grabbed his keys. He tapped the tiny controller hanging with his keys and the door of the passenger seats opened up.
"W-woah! Are we going to get inside, Big brother?" Morning asked. Luck nods his head and pushes Kiel and Yuan gently, so they can enter the car. When both kids did, Morning also followed, and Luck as well.
After they are all seated, Ethan casually gets inside and takes a seat across Luck and his siblings.
"The kids...there's a small room at the end of this vehicle, there is food as well. Can you ask them to go there? I want to talk with you alone," Ethan started. Luck turned his head to his siblings who were also looking at him.
Ethan said 'food', and these kids are still hungry for not being able to eat properly at all since earlier.
"Are you sure, Sir? My siblings haven't eaten yet, so they might..."
"I'm quite sure. They can eat everything they want, and it won't bother me," Ethan replied. His face stayed blank as he said those words, showing that he really didn't care even if all of his food gets eaten by some stranger kids.
"Big bro..." Yuan called, tugging his shirt.
Luck smiled. Feeling happy.
"Alright then, y'all can go. Yuan, watch over your younger siblings, 'kay?" Yuan nods his head before he holds Kiel and Morning's hands. They all faced Ethan and then bowed at him. The guy's blank expression changed to a surprised one.
"Thank you very much, we will always remember your kindness!" Yuan spoke.
"Thank you very much!" Both Kiel and Morning added. Ethan's face strangely turns soft for a moment, until he clears his throat and his face turns serious again.
The kids carefully walk towards the said location as they roam their eyes around, and are mesmerized by the interior design of the car. It's like they are in the living room of a house because of the frames, medals, and different hanging stuff within the car.
Luck watches his younger siblings being amazed by the surroundings and couldn't help but smile.
"Now, let's start with the business, Mister Aster," Luck turns his head to Ethan and nods at him. Ethan stretched his hand in front of Luck and spoke again.
"Apologies for ignoring your hand earlier, I simply had to act in order to deceive those who are watching me. Once again, I am Ethan Evander. The heir apparent of the Eden Law Firm," Ethan said. Luck accepted his hand.
"I'm confused, but nice to meet you. You seem like a big deal of a person," Ethan smiled a bit.
"I wish I wasn't. Anyway, the very reason I am sent here is to bring you with me, it is to include you to one of our expeditions concerning the mysterious tower that appeared a month ago," Ethan spoke after pulling away his hand from Luck. He clasped his hand together and leaned his chin on his clasped fingers with his elbows resting on top of his knees.
"Mysterious tower?" Luck asked. Ethan nodded his head.
"It mysteriously appeared behind the building of Eden and… it's menacingly creepy. My father, knowing that it will affect our business, asked several men to destroy this tower. However, they failed to do so, due to reasons that the tower is made of something hard---we have no idea which stones it is made of, but even the strongest mineral used was broken when it was slammed to the tower's." Ethan answered. Luck furrowed his brow, his face showing interest and curiosity about this tower that Ethan is talking about.
"And so, we decided to send some people. However… they were found dead… just outside the huge gate of this tower. Their bodies are wrinkled, and it looks like their life energy was sucked out from them," Ethan added. The guy in front of him listens carefully, causing Ethan to feel relief.
"That's why we decided to find people who can fight and have battle experiences after we realized that this tower is not just any ordinary tower. It's dangerous, this tower is absolutely perilous. It is now branded as the 'Tower of Hell'," Luck leaned on the seat's back and crossed his arms.
"The reason you're here is to recruit me?" Luck asked. Ethan nodded his head without any hesitation.
"You said it is dangerous. I can't do that. I have younger siblings who are yet to reach their ten's---"
"Of course, it is not without reward. It's a life-threatening exploration after all. My father---the President of Eden Law Firm had decided to give five-hundred million to the very person who will come out alive, as well as house and lot within our city, and if you died within the Tower, your family will still receive huge amount of money for compensation," Luck blinked for a couple of times as he tilted his head. His expression is shocked, with widened eyes and a silly smile on his face.
'Five-hundred million...'
'House and lot...five-hundred million...house and lot... compensation money...'
Luck gulped and fixed his composure. Clearing his throat and crossing his arms as he closed his eyes. Ethan felt nervous to hear Luck's answer, he stared at him intently.
'This is a great opportunity, but like he said… It's life-threatening. This tower is perilous… but that's such a huge amount of money! I can fight well and even earned the title of the Strongest Street Fighter within our town...so…' Luck opened his eyes and turned his head to his little siblings who seemed to be enjoying cakes in front of them.
Their smiles are so wide, and all of them are happily talking. Their body movements, like swaying their legs, clapping their hands, and the likes shows just how happy they are.
'If I do come back...that'd mean that I'll be able to provide my family with the best life they could have...Mom won't have to work as a maid within that despicable household, and Dad won't be selling illegal drugs and gets arrested many times…'
Luck's hands slammed on the soft seats of the car.
'And even if I died...they'll still get money for compensation...hah...I couldn't be any happier,'
He took a deep breath and faced Ethan, with determination written all over his face. Ethan felt relieved after seeing Luck's expression.
"Challenge accepted,"
Ethan smirked and nodded his head.
"Very well, Luck Aster,"
***