"Rogue! The Taro! Move your ass!" Liam’s roar shook the humid air of the lake. He didn’t wait for a response. Reaching into a pouch at his waist, he pulled out a small, steaming thermos, the metal hot against his palm. He popped the cap with his teeth, the rich, salty aroma of chicken fat, concentrated bone marrow, and wild herbs cutting through the lake’s stagnant scent.

He downed the [Chicken Soup] in one go.

[Effect: +50,000% Melee Resistance | Duration: 24 Hours]

[System Note: "Your skin is now tougher. Physical hits will bounce off like pebbles, but watch out, magic still stings, and you’re still half-naked."]

Elizabeth slammed her boot into the side of the serpent’s jaw, the impact throwing its aim off by a fraction of an inch. A pressurised water jet hissed past Liam’s ear, obliterating a centuries-old tree behind him instead of his head.

"Elizabeth, get clear!" Liam screamed, his muscles rippling as the soup’s buff settled into his marrow.

"I’m keeping its eyes busy, you just do the heavy lifting!" Elizabeth shot back. She landed on the serpent’s back, her claws dug deep into the gaps between its shimmering scales. She wasn’t just hanging on; she was hitting its Pressure Points. Every time the beast tried to coil, she jammed a dagger into a nerve, forcing the monster to hiss in agony and shattering its rhythm.

The serpent screeched and violently snapped its body, flinging Elizabeth across the air. She spun mid-flight, using her momentum to land upright on a floating, jagged chunk of ice.

"ELIZABETH!" Liam yelled, his heart hammering against his ribs.

"Mirra, now! Frost Bind!" Elizabeth screamed, her eyes locked on the beast.

She didn’t wait for a signal. Sprinting across the ice, her boots skidded on the slick surface as her wet dress clung to her legs, outlining every stride. She leapt onto the serpent’s neck and drove her sword deep between two scales. Instead of pulling it out, she gripped the hilt with both hands, leaning her entire weight back. She used the blade as a lever, wrenching the monster’s massive head toward the frost.

"I’ve got him! Hit him now!" she screamed, her face flushed and her pink tail lashing with the sheer effort of holding the beast in place. Her muscles tensed to the breaking point, a display of raw power and pure pettiness meant to show off for the man watching her.

As Elizabeth pinned the serpent with her sword, Liam sprang forward in a final explosive leap. He crashed into the beast’s throat, locking his Basalt Gauntlets onto the scales just above Elizabeth’s position.

He buried his hands into the meat of the serpent’s neck, the [Mana Sear] turning the surrounding water into a bubbling cauldron. The serpent thrashed, its blue eyes wide with the realisation that it had officially been downgraded to "ingredients." As the internal heat reached a peak, Liam saw the muscle rippling under the scales, meat slow-boiled by his own mana and seasoned by the lake’s minerals. It looked like the finest tuna belly on earth.

With Elizabeth bracing the serpent in place with her sword, Liam leaned forward and bit deeply into its neck, shocking the rest of the party into a stunned pause.

[SYSTEM: You have consumed "Raw Serpent Sashimi Belly" (Flash Seared)]

[10,000x Absorption Triggered!]

[Status: You have siphoned "Serpent’s Spite"]

[Buff: 10,000x resistance against water attacks | 200% swimming speed.]

[Party Buff: 500x water resistance | 50% swimming speed (5 Hours).]

The Giant Lake Serpent let out one final, gurgling hiss before its body went limp. The bioluminescent glow faded into a dull, muddy grey. Liam wiped a smear of blue monster blood from his jaw, his eyes glowing with the lingering heat of the battle. The siphoned power rushed through him like liquid nitrogen, cooling his burning muscles instantly.

He stood over the steaming carcass, chest heaving, his bare skin glistening with sweat and lake water. With a grunt of effort, he wrenched a slab of the translucent, energy-marbled "Tuna Belly" free.

"Eat," Liam commanded, his voice a low, commanding gravel.

He moved to Rogue first, shoving a piece into the scout’s mouth before he could protest. Rogue gagged, then his eyes went wide as the buff surged through his veins. He tossed a piece to Mirra, who caught it with a mage’s poise, her eyes lighting up as the water resistance took hold.

Then, he turned to Elizabeth.

She was still breathing hard, her pink hair matted to her forehead, her chest rising and falling rapidly under the wet fabric of her dress. Liam held out a thick, dripping slice of the belly meat. As he pressed the sashimi toward her lips, the serpent’s juices made his fingers slick.

Ellie leaned in, her eyes locked on his with an intensity that made the air feel thin. As she took the meat, her tongue swiped accidentally, but lingeringly, across his thumb and forefinger.

The sensation was like a lightning strike to Liam’s core. His hand twitched, his silver hair shadowing his eyes as a dark, hot flush crept up his neck and across his cheeks. Elizabeth froze, the savoury, mana-rich fat melting on her tongue, her face turning a deep, sunset crimson.

"The... buff," Liam managed to mutter. In a moment of sheer, unthinking heat, he pulled his hand back and licked his fingers where her tongue had just been. He froze the second he realised what he’d done, his internal Mana regulators redlining. "It worked."

"Yeah," Rogue panted, collapsing onto the grass as the system chimes faded. He looked over at the shimmering water on the far side of the cove. "I’ve got a swimming buff? Mirra, you thinking what I’m thinking?"

Mirra looked at the crystal-clear water, away from the gore. The humidity was stifling. "A dip to wash off the grime? I’m in. Liam, you and Ellie can handle the butchering, right?"

Liam didn’t look back. He just grunted, his gaze fixed on the carcass, trying to ignore the way the "Alpha" in him was currently roaring louder than the serpent ever had.

[Party Status: Buffed and Overheated]

[Liam: Level 37 (Status: Heart Rate Elevated / Internal Steam rising)]

[Elizabeth: Level 21 (Status: Tasting the Alpha / 100% Flush)]

[Next Objective: The Butchering... and the Mud.]