Mysterious Massage Master, Absolute Domination of Joint Techniques, and the Midnight Pig Slaughter Scene

The Lu family dining table was brightly lit.

Lu Ren shuffled to his chair almost like a zombie. The tendon on the back of his thigh felt like a rusted steel cable; every time he bent his knee to sit, it triggered a system-level red alert.

[System Notification: Your Stamina Bar has been permanently reduced to zero. Current Status: Crippled.]

"What happened?" Mother Lu came out of the kitchen with a plate of braised pork, looking at her son's strange posture. "Did you get into a fight at school?"

"No, Mom." Lu Ren picked up his chopsticks, his hands trembling. "This is... a medal of honor. To conquer that high-difficulty Instance called the 'Volleyball Club,' I paid a physical price."

"Speak human." Lu Jianguo peeked out from behind his newspaper.

"Overtraining, leg cramps," Lu Ren confessed honestly.

Mother Lu actually smiled, putting meat on his plate as she said, "That's good, that's good. You used to just hide in your room playing games after school, and now you're finally moving your body. I heard it was that girl Yazhi who called you to go? That's right, boys need to have masculinity."

Lu Ren shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth, thinking, You have no idea what kind of monsters are in there. That's not masculinity, that's Asura's killing aura.

"However," Lu Jianguo put down his newspaper, adjusted his glasses, and his gaze swept over Lu Ren's stiff legs, "since it was strenuous exercise, if it's not treated promptly, when you wake up tomorrow morning, lactic acid buildup will make you understand what 'living is worse than death' feels like. That kind of soreness is like having a hundred ants doing a tap dance in your muscle fibers."

Lu Ren shivered, and the braised pork on his chopsticks almost fell.

"Dad, dear Dad." Lu Ren put down his bowl, his eyes sincere. "Since you understand so much, you must have a solution, right? Were you also a hidden top player in your youth?"

"Cough." Lu Jianguo gave a tactical cough, his eyes drifting. "While I can't operate it myself, I know the theory. Stretching and massage can effectively remove lactic acid."

"That's great!" Lu Ren's eyes lit up. "Come on, Father, it's time for your mountain-like fatherly love to show! I don't have money to buy stamina recovery potions, so I'll rely on your 'Great Rejuvenation Technique.'"

Lu Jianguo waved his hands repeatedly, looking disgusted. "Go, go, go. With my old arms and legs, how can I massage you? Besides, my strength might be off, and I might end up crippling you."

"Then what do we do?" Lu Ren despaired. "Am I just going to wait to die and turn into a stiff corpse tomorrow morning?"

Lu Jianguo smiled mysteriously and lowered his voice. "Although I can't, I know someone who can. And they're a professional."

"Who?" Lu Ren asked warily. "Don't tell me it's Old Man Wang next door? His hands are only good for setting bones for dogs."

"Don't worry, absolutely reliable." Lu Jianguo pointed upstairs. "You go take a hot bath first, open your pores, and relax your muscles. Then go back to your room and lie on the bed and wait. I've already scheduled this master for you, and they'll be here soon."

Lu Ren was skeptical.

But his current condition was too bad. Let alone a master, he'd even be willing to try a veterinarian.

"Okay." Lu Ren stood up with difficulty, shuffling towards the bathroom like a penguin. "For tomorrow's Instance, I'll risk it."

Twenty minutes later.

Lu Ren finished his bath, wrapped in a towel, and returned to his bedroom with unsteady steps.

The hot water had indeed relieved some of the pain, but the deep, aching soreness still clung to his bones. He collapsed onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow, spreading out like a starfish, waiting for the arrival of the mysterious master.

This plot progression, why does it feel a bit like a 'special service NPC' in an online game?

Hope it's a gentle healer, definitely not a violent DPS type...

"Click."

The sound of the doorknob turning.

Lu Ren didn't look back and said muffledly, "Master, please come in. My leg mainly has issues with the biceps femoris and gastrocnemius. Go easy on me, my current level is low, and my defense is zero."

The footsteps were light, seemingly belonging to an agile character.

Immediately, the mattress dipped slightly.

A familiar scent of body wash with a hint of citrus entered his nostrils.

Lu Ren's eyes snapped open. This scent... was wrong! How could it be exactly the same as Yazhi's scent?

He struggled to prop up his upper body and turned his head to look.

"!!!"

Kiyosawa Mashiba was sitting cross-legged by his bed, wearing a loose pink loungewear set, her ponytail casually tied behind her head. She held a bottle of liniment for bruises and sprains, a "terrifyingly friendly" smile on her face.

"Good evening, classmate Lu Ren."

Lu Ren was so startled he almost rolled off the bed, but the sudden movement instantly pulled his strained thigh, making him wince in pain. "Hiss-- Why is it you?! Where's my 'professional master'? Where's my hidden NPC who can bring the dead back to life?"

"Far away, yet close at hand." Yazhi shook the medicinal oil in her hand, the sound of the liquid sloshing inexplicably terrifying. "Uncle Lu just texted me, saying you urgently need 'special care.' Coincidentally, I'm here."

Lu Ren's eyes widened. "You know massage? Since when did you learn that skill tree?"

He and Yazhi had grown up like two peas in a pod; he knew all her abilities. Other than her pudding-eating speed being number one in the whole server, when did this girl ever learn medical skills?