Margo and Sarah stood at the entrance of the bathhouse, exchanging looks before Sarah gave Margo a nudge. "Come on, I really need this," Sarah urged with a laugh. "I can't let Elias alone enjoy this place, it has been eight months."
Margo sighed. "Fine, but don't complain to me if we walk into something... uncomfortable." She couldn't shake off the feeling that there might be some kind of mishap, but she didn't want to deny Sarah her much-needed relaxation.
As they pushed the door open and stepped inside, the thick steam from the bath enveloped them. The room was a large, natural hot spring. The water was crystal-clear, with steam rising from it, and rocks lined the edges. The setting was peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos that seemed to follow their group on the road.
In the water, Elias was lounging against a smooth stone, his arms stretched out. He looked up as he heard their entrance, raising one hand in a welcoming gesture. "Hey, you two. Took you long enough. Come on in, the water's perfect."
As Elias raised his arm, his body lifted just slightly from the water, and in one smooth motion, he rose to stand. In doing so, he revealed his cock, completely unaware of his exposure. Margo and Sarah's reactions were immediate. Both of them turned their heads away, hands flying up to cover their faces.
"Elias!" Sarah shrieked, her face turning crimson. "Put that thing away!"
Margo's voice followed in a much more measured tone, though it was clear she was holding back laughter. "Seriously, Elias? Cover up."
Elias blinked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What? What's the—" He glanced down, and the moment of realization dawned on him. His face flushed, and he immediately dropped back into the water, submerging his lower half beneath the soothing surface. "Oh. Right.
Sorry about that," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Uh-huh," Margo said, rolling her eyes. "What are you doing in the girls' bath anyway?"
"This isn't the girls' bath," Elias replied, pointing over at a sign near the door. "It's unisex. See?"
Both Margo and Sarah glanced over at the sign, where the universal symbols for male and female were printed side by side. Margo raised an eyebrow, while Sarah huffed, clearly still embarrassed.
"I don't think I'm comfortable with this," Margo muttered, turning to Sarah. "Maybe we should come back later when he's done."
Elias shrugged. "Hey, that's your call. But, you know, I'm not going anywhere for a while. I thought we could relax. After everything we've been through, I think we deserve it."
Sarah let out a long, drawn-out groan. "I can't wait any longer. I swear, if I don't get in that bath right now, I'm going to go insane." She took a step forward. "Elias, close your eyes."
Elias immediately complied, raising both hands to cover his face. "Alright, alright. Eyes are closed."
Sarah kept her eyes on him for a moment, making sure he wasn't peeking before finally disrobing and stepping into the water. As her body sank into the warmth, she let out a soft moan of satisfaction. "Oh wow... This feels amazing."
Elias chuckled. "Told you it's good. How about you, Margo? You're the only one left standing. The bath won't hurt you, and besides..." He smirked. "You're supposed to be my protector.
How're you going to protect me from way over there? What if a sea creature attacks me or something?"
Margo glanced down at her foot. "Nothing, just felt... something." She shrugged it off, the slight sting barely registering as pain.
But Elias was already on high alert, his eyes scanning the surface of the water. That's when he noticed it—a faint ripple, moving beneath the water's surface. Something was there. Something fast. And it was heading straight for Sarah.
Without thinking, Elias lunged forward. "Sarah, get out of the water!" he shouted, his voice urgent.
Sarah froze, confused by his sudden change in demeanor. "What—"
Before she could finish, she felt it too—a sharp sting on her thigh. Her eyes widened in shock.
Margo was next. Her body seemed to slow, her limbs becoming heavy as she collapsed into the water.
"Shit," Elias muttered under his breath. He watched as the tiny wave made its way toward him now, the creature clearly not done with its attacks. There was no time to waste. Margo and Sarah were both submerged, and if he didn't act quickly, they would drown.
Elias reached into his inventory and summoned his sword. Flying out of the water, then boiling or freezing it would have been the best and optimal option, but Margo and Sarah were still in there. He had to deal with the creature first.
"[Perception]"
Activating his skill,a strange clarity washed over him. It was as if a third eye had opened, allowing him to sense every movement in the water.He could feel the way the liquid shifted around the creature, visualizing its form in his mind.
It looked like a shark, but with grotesque tentacles instead of fins, and it had no eyes—its sockets were sunken and empty. A deadfish.
Elias gritted his teeth. "A deadfish... great."
As the creature swam closer, Elias tightened his grip on his sword. He knew stabbing wouldn't work; the deadfish's body was too slick, and it could shift its organs to avoid a fatal blow . But that didn't mean it was invincible.
He switched his stance, gripping the sword with both hands. The creature came within range, and with one swift motion, Elias swung.The blade cut through the water with precision, slicing cleanly through the deadfish's slippery hide.
Elias's powerful slash tore through the water, but the force didn't stop there. The sheer intensity of his swing, caused an explosion of energy that reverberated through the bathhouse. The deadfish's body was bisected, but the shockwave sent by the sword cleaved into the rocks surrounding the bath as well.
The stone wall behind Elias cracked with a deafening *boom*, fissures spiderwebbing across the surface. Part of the bath's rock edging splintered and crumbled, chunks of stone breaking loose and plunging into the water with heavy splashes. Steam rose as the hot water sloshed violently, spilling over the bath's rim and flooding the surrounding floor.
A large section of the wooden frame that held up the ceiling groaned under the sudden impact. One of the support beams split, sending a cascade of splintered wood and dust crashing to the ground near the far corner of the room. The ceiling sagged slightly as the structure struggled to bear the weight, and a section of the roof collapsed, leaving an open hole through which the sky could be seen,
The tranquil bath house had turned into a scene of partial ruin, the damage from Elias's strike both brutal and strong.
For a brief moment, the bathhouse was eerily silent, save for the soft splash of water as Elias steadied himself. He exhaled a sigh of relief, watching as the creature's body floated to the surface, lifeless.
But there was no time to celebrate. He immediately dove toward Margo and Sarah, pulling them both to safety, their unconscious bodies cradled in his arms as the water churned around them.