"Get in," Liam rumbled, his voice still vibrating with the remnants of the [Primal Hunger].

He didn’t wait for a response. He waded deeper until the glowing water hit his waist, then his chest. Steam continued to roll off his skin in thick, white plumes, creating a localised fog that made him look like a ghost in the moonlight.

"I am not... I am not getting in there with you," Elizabeth hissed. She was standing on the edge of the shore, her white dress clinging to her in a way that made her feel more exposed than her plate armour ever did.

The mud from their "rumble" was drying on her skin, but the heat in her cheeks was only getting worse.

"Suit yourself," Liam said, his back turned to her. He dipped his head back, soaking his silver hair in the glowing liquid. "Lose the EXP. Lose the level lead. I’m sure the other guilds would love to know my partner was too flustered to take a bath."

Elizabeth let out a sound that was half-growl, half-sob. Her pride tangled with helplessness. Liam knew precisely how to unsettle her. He was a tactical machine, twisting her own pride into a chain she couldn’t break. With a sharp, shaky breath, she stepped into the water. The jolt of cold startled a gasp from her and, as the Font’s magic surged warmth through her, her humiliation morphed into reluctant resolve.

"This doesn’t change anything," she muttered, wading in until she was a few feet away from him. "You’re still a jerk. And you still owe me an explanation for... for that."

"I owe you a meal," Liam corrected. "The Serpent’s heart is high in iron, good for your recovery stats."

"YO! IS THIS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH?!"

A sudden splash shattered the tension. Rogue came flying off the bank, doing a cannonball that sent a wave of glowing water over both Liam and Elizabeth. He surfaced a second later, his eyes wide as the level-up bar in his vision started to climb.

"Holy shit, bro! I’m gaining 80 EXP a second! If I stay in here for ten minutes, I’ll hit Level 45!" Rogue started paddling frantically, his energy at an all-time high. "Wait... why are you guys so close together? And why is the water around Liam literally boiling?"

"Because he’s a freak of nature, Rogue," Elizabeth snapped, her words cutting sharp to mask her embarrassment. She scrubbed glowing droplets from her face, each swipe more forceful than needed as she fought to keep control over her expression.

"Or maybe he’s just happy to see me?" Rogue joked, then immediately paled as Liam turned a slow, glowing red gaze toward him.

"Rogue," Liam rumbled.

"Yes... bro?"

"If you don’t use this time to scout the underwater, I will use your daggers to fillet that carcass back there."

Rogue didn’t stay to argue. He took a deep breath and dived under the glowing surface, his shadow disappearing into the depths.

"And then there were three," a sultry voice purred from the shore.

Mirra suddenly appeared from the shadows of the shoreline, having left Rogue behind to scramble over his new loot. She didn’t bother with a grand entrance; instead, she simply stepped out onto a flat rock, her armour already discarded.

She stood there for a moment in nothing but her lace-edged underwear and panties, the blue glow of the lake tracing the mature, athletic curves of her body. Her lion ears flicked with pure, predatory glee as she took in the sight of Liam’s steam-shrouded frame and Elizabeth’s vivid scarlet face.

"You know, Liam," Mirra said, her voice a sultry purr as she stepped into the water. "Sharing a bath is a very big step for a party. Usually, people wait until the third act for this kind of fan service."

"It’s an efficiency maneuver, Mirra," Liam said, his voice flat, though he raised a single, sharp eyebrow at her lack of attire.

"Mmhmm. Efficiency,"

Mirra floated closer, her red hair fanning out like a bloodstain on the glowing surface. She stopped right between them, the water rippling around her. She leaned in, her golden eyes scanning Liam’s face before she reached out and playfully poked Elizabeth’s burning cheek.

"Don’t look so panicked, sweetie," Mirra laughed, a rich, throaty sound that echoed over the quiet lake. "I only tease Liam. Sadly, you’re not quite my taste, but it is certainly fun to play with both of you. Besides..."

She stretched her arms above her head, the movement shifting her weight in the water in a way that made Elizabeth look away in a flustered hurry.

"...I’m enjoying this EXP time far too much to let it go to waste. Though" she winked at Liam, "watching you struggle to keep that composure is a very close second."

Liam stood like a statue, the glowing water reflecting in his dark eyes. He was trapped between a furious partner and a lioness who treated social boundaries like suggestions, his internal temperature still hovering in the danger zone.

"Eleven minutes of EXP left," Liam said, his voice a low, warning growl, "shut up and level."

Liam simply took a deep breath and vanished.

He dived straight down, his massive frame cutting into the glowing water with a violent surge. The resulting splash was a deliberate, heavy wave that drenched both Elizabeth and Mirra, effectively cutting off whatever tease Mirra had been about to drop.

Below the surface, the world was a silent, pulsating blue, like liquid sapphire and the lake bed was covered in glittered rocks, probably old scales from the serpent boss; luminous fish were darting in and out of the weeds and rocks.

Focus, Liam. Focus.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

EXP Absorption: 82 FPS (Fragments Per Second).

Current Rate: Optimal.

[SYSTEM TOOLTIP: THE MULTIPLAYER DEBUFF]

Condition: High-Tension Environment.

Description: You are currently in a lake of liquid gold with a roommate who wants to kill you and a Step-mom who wants to eat you.

Advice: Stay submerged. If you stand up now, the "visual data" will cause a server-wide crash and a massive spike in your "Toy Boy" rating.

[Goddess Hestia’s Note]: "I’m taking screenshots. Mirra is a menace, but honestly? I like her style. This ’Locked Gallery’ is going to fund my next three divine banquets!"