Barbosa’s men pushed past Liam’s party, heckling as they went. They looked at Elizabeth with mocking pity. One of the Ruby Eyed elites smirked at Elizabeth. "Hey, Liz, you could’ve joined any real guild with those stats. Instead, you’re following a guy who fights with a kitchen timer? Sad."

Liam didn’t say a word; he just stepped back, his eyes narrowing as he watched the Ruby Eyed "professionals" charge the ghouls.

"Liam, we can’t let them..." Elizabeth started, her face flushed with fury.

"Let them," Liam rumbled, crossing his massive arms. "They want the lead? Let them take the heat."

The Ruby Eyed squad engaged the six ghouls with the sloppy desperation of men who had forgotten that ’death is real.’ They burned their high-cooldown skills early, screaming as they hacked at the undead.

Barbosa was swinging his sword wildly, his ’Elite’ form crumbling into amateurish hacking.

But these weren’t normal ghouls. As Barbosa’s sword got stuck in a ghoul’s ribcage, another undead leapt onto his back.

"HELP! GET IT OFF!" Barbosa shrieked, his ’Guild Leader’ persona vanishing as he felt the cold, wet teeth of the ghoul sink into his neck armour.

River Soul tried to cast a fireball, but his hands were shaking so hard the spell fizzled, the mana backfiring and singeing his own eyebrows. "It’s not working! The cooldown is different! The weight is different!"

The Ruby Eyed "Elites" were being swarmed by the "trash" they had just heckled, which was now the only thing standing between them and a very permanent end.

Liam sighed, a low, bored sound. "Elizabeth, Rogue, Mirra noir and Berry, please show them what a proper party looks like."

Elizabeth didn’t need to be told twice. She moved like a lightning strike. With a roar of pent-up frustration, she slammed her shield into the ghoul on Barbosa’s back, sending the monster flying thirty feet into a pillar.

Noir and Berry moved in a blur. Berry didn’t just attack; she used Barbosa’s bent-over back as a stepping stone, her tiger claws shredding a ghoul’s face mid-air. "Excuse me, ’Professional,’" she hissed as she vaulted over him.

Noir followed, her Cheetah speed so high she appeared as a golden streak; she carved through three ghouls in under two seconds, her daggers moving with surgical precision.

Liam stepped toward the remaining Elite Ghoul, the largest of the bunch. It lunged at him, sensing the immense mana in his blood. Liam didn’t even draw his sword. He caught the ghoul’s arm, and with a grunt of effortless strength, he swung the entire monster around like a sack of flour, slamming it into Barbosa’s chest.

CRACK.

Barbosa hit the ground, his breath leaving him in a wheezing "oof" as the massive Elite Ghoul was pinned against his chest. He looked up, coughing bone-dust, to see Liam standing over him. The heat radiating from Liam was so intense that the condensation on Barbosa’s high-grade plate armour started to sizzle and hiss.

"You said you were taking the hall," Liam rumbled, his voice like grinding tectonic plates. "You’re doing a great job. Mostly with the floor-cleaning."

The Elite Ghoul, still pinned between Liam’s grip and Barbosa’s chest, snapped its jaws. Liam didn’t flinch; instead, he activated one of his hidden trump cards.

[Skill Activated: Invincible (Level 40)]: Total immunity to all damage for 35 seconds. 30m CD]

A golden, crystalline shimmer coated Liam’s skin. The ghoul’s claws scraped against his neck, but instead of drawing blood, they shattered like glass against diamond. Liam didn’t even blink. He simply reached down, his hand closing around the ghoul’s skull.

[Skill Activated: Mana Sear]

A blinding white light erupted. The ghoul’s head didn’t just explode; it was vaporised into a fine, aromatic mist. Barbosa shrieked as the excess heat singed his eyebrows, the smell of burnt pride and... fruit? filling the air.

Liam released the now-headless corpse. To everyone’s horror, he didn’t move on. He reached into the neck of the steaming ghoul, pulled out a translucent, glowing chunk of essence-infused marrow, and popped it into his mouth.

He chewed thoughtfully while the Ruby Eyed Guild watched in stunned, nauseated silence.

"Wow," Liam said, his eyes widening slightly. "Lychee flavour. That’s surprisingly refreshing."

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: NEW DISCOVERY!]

[Recipe Unlocked: Lich-World Lychee Tea]

Ingredients: Purified Ghoul Marrow (Elite), Frozen Ectoplasm, Dried Taro Root. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Effect: 10,000x Recovery Speed on wounds inflicted by Undead-type monsters.

Description: A sweet, floral tea that makes the rot of the undead feel like a distant memory."

Liam reached down, his hand closing around the ghoul’s skull while it was still on top of Barbosa.

[Skill Activated: Mana Sear].

A blinding white light erupted. The ghoul’s head vaporised instantly. Barbosa shrieked as the excess heat singed his hair, the smell of burnt pride filling the air.

"Next time you push my party," Liam said, leaning down until his silver eyes were inches from Barbosa’s terrified face, "I won’t just let the ghouls bite you. I’ll make sure you’re the main ingredient in the next stew I serve the fan club. And they really hate overcooked meat."

Barbosa couldn’t even speak. He just lay there, trembling, as Liam’s party walked past him.

[Stressed_prazai_]: "OMG Peak! Barbosa just got used as a footstool!"

[NotSharkie]: "Liam didn’t even use a weapon. He used the mob TO hit the guild leader. Absolute savage."

[Daisycatt]: "Look at Elizabeth’s smirk. She’s so proud of her, man. Also, Berry’s tail is wagging so hard she’s practically hovering."

[SYSTEM TOOLTIP]:

[Condition]: Guild Pride Shattered.

[Status]: Harem Synergy: 90% (The shared joy of bullying Barbosa has brought them together).

[Liam’s Internal Logic]:

The Ruby Eyed leader has a very high ’Stupidity’ stat. It must be a hidden debuff.

Berry is still wagging her tail. I hope she doesn’t knock the stove over.

The marrow from that elite ghoul has a smoky aroma. Perfect for a base stock.

[Goddess Hestia’s Note]: "Liam, you glorious, oblivious powerhouse! The girls are practically vibrating from the adrenaline. If you don’t offer a ’Group Huddle’ for ’Security’ tonight, you’re missing the best part of the raid!"