Abyssal Grub

The water exploded in a spray of foam and ink. 

A creature burst onto the deck—a writhing mass of slime and tentacles the size of a large dog. Its body pulsed with glowing green veins, and a single yellow eye bulged from its center. Dozens of smaller tentacles squirmed where its mouth should be, dripping thick, tar-like saliva.

[Enemy: Abyssal Grub (Level 1)]

[Health: 50/50]

Aria stumbled back, her boots slipping on the wet deck. The creature lunged at her, a tentacle whipping toward her legs. She jumped sideways, her tank top riding up to expose a strip of toned stomach. The tentacle smashed into a barrel, splintering it into soggy chunks.

"What is that thing?!" Lucas yelled, grabbing a rusty harpoon from a storage rack.

"Lunch," Aria growled, though her face paled. She ducked as another tentacle swung at her head, her ponytail whipping across her face. Her chest heaved under her damp tank top as she scrambled behind the mast.

Lucas jabbed the harpoon at the creature. The blade skidded off its rubbery hide. The Grub hissed, spewing a jet of acidic slime. Lucas dove behind a crate, the slime sizzling holes through the wood.

[Ship Durability: 190 → 185]

Aria grabbed a plank and swung it like a bat. WHACK! The wood splintered against the Grub's body, but the creature barely flinched.

[Enemy Health: 50 → 48]

"Weak spots! Aim for the eye!" Lucas shouted.

"No kidding!" Aria snapped. The Grub's tentacles lashed out, wrapping around her waist. She gasped as the slimy limbs squeezed, her tank top stretching taut against her chest.

"Let go, you freak!" She stomped her boot down on the creature's eye.

SQUELCH.

[Critical Hit!]

[Enemy Health: 48 → 32]

The Grub screeched, releasing her. Aria staggered back, her shirt torn at the shoulder. 

[Aria's Health: 100 → 95]

Lucas charged, harpoon raised. The Grub spun, slamming a tentacle into his chest. He crashed into the mast, the air knocked from his lungs.

[Luca's Health: 100 → 90]

"Stay down!" Lucas shouted, steadied himself, and grabbed the harpoon. He lunged, stabbing at the Grub's eye. The creature dodged, but the blade sliced through two smaller tentacles. Black ooze sprayed across the deck.

[Enemy Health: 32 → 25]

The Grub thrashed wildly, its remaining tentacles smashing into the ship's railing. Wood splintered, and the Love Siren tilted dangerously.

[Ship Durability: 185 → 170]

Aria's boots slid on the slime-covered deck. Her chest bounced with every stumble, her torn shirt barely containing her. 

"Distract it!" Lucas tossed Aria a metal bucket.

Aria banged the bucket against the mast. "Hey, ugly! Over here!" Her shirt ripped further, exposing the curve of her bra.

The Grub's eye swiveled toward her. Lucas leaped onto a crate, raising the harpoon high. 

"Eyes up here, squidface!" He plunged the harpoon down.

The blade pierced the Grub's eye. The creature let out a gurgling shriek, its body convulsing. 

[Critical Hit!]

[Enemy Health: 25 → 0]

The Grub collapsed into a pile of bubbling sludge. Lucas yanked the harpoon free, panting. Sweat dripped down his neck, his heart raced rapidly.

[+20 XP to Lucas and Aria!]

[80 XP till next level!]

[Loot Dropped: Slimy Core x1, Tattered Sailcloth x3]

Lucas stared at the loot, then at Aria. His eyes flickered to her exposed skin before he forced them upward.

"You okay?" he asked, cheeks burning.

Aria stood panting, clutching her torn tank top.

The ripped fabric sagged dangerously, barely clinging to her curves. Every breath made the torn edges slip further, revealing the pale swell of her breasts and the dark lace of her bra.

"Peachy." She knelt beside the Slimy Core, trying to hide her embarrassment. "This thing's gross. What's it for?"

"Crafting, probably." Lucas checked the journal. "[Slimy Core] can be refined into some sort of potion. We wouldn't know until ship level 2. [Tattered Sailcloth] can be used to restore ship durability or patch clothes at the crafting table."

Lucas looked at the ship's mast with concern. "We should repair the ship first. The mast looks cracked."

Aria's eyes narrowed. 

"And what about me? You want me to walk around half-naked?"

"I didn't say that! But the ship's durability is down to 170. If another monster attacks—"

"I'M under attack right now!" She yanked the torn fabric, which only made the rip widen. Aria froze as the neckline slid off one shoulder, exposing her entire bra strap.

[Affection -2 (Current: 34/100)]

Lucas flinched. "Okay, okay! We'll fix your clothes first!" He hurried to the crafting table, avoiding the dangerous territory of her glare. 

The Captain's Journal flipped open automatically:

[Basic Clothing Repair]

Materials Needed:

- Tattered Sailcloth x1

- Existing Garment

Aria stomped over, arms crossed over her chest. The motion pushed her breasts together, creating a cleavage that made Lucas's throat go dry. "Well? Fix it."

"I need your shirt," he muttered.

"What?"

"To repair it. The system needs the original garment."

Aria's cheeks flushed crimson. "You expect me to take it off? Here?!"

Lucas pointed to the mast. "Use that. I'll turn around."

She snatched the Sailcloth and ducked behind the mast. Lucas faced the ocean, listening to the rustle of fabric.

"Don't peek," she warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he lied.

The sound of Velcro ripping made him flinch. 

Lucas squeezed his eyes shut. Think about ship repairs. Think about cannons. Think about—

THUD.

"Ow! Damn mast—"

He spun instinctively.

Aria stood half-hidden behind the screen, her bare back to him. Smooth skin glistened under the sun, her waist curving inward before flaring into hips that filled her cargo pants perfectly. The torn tank top dangled from one hand.

She glanced over her shoulder. "EYES SHUT, LUCAS!"

He whirled back, heart pounding. "S-sorry!"

[Affection -3 (Current: 31/100)]

The system wasn't merciful.

Aria tossed her balled-up tank top at Lucas. It hit his face, warm and faintly floral-scented. "Hurry up."

He scurried to the crafting table, trying not to imagine her waiting behind the screen.

The tank top looked even worse up close—shredded by tentacles and stained with monster sludge. Lucas added the Sailcloth and wood. The table whirred, stitching the fabrics together with glowing pink thread.

[Basic Tank Top (Repaired)]

Quality: Decent

Effect: +1 Defense, Moisture-Wicking

"Done!" Lucas called, holding the shirt at arm's length.

Aria's hand snatched it from behind the screen. More rustling. Then a frustrated groan.

"It's too small."

"What?"

She stepped out, and Lucas's brain short-circuited.

The repaired tank top technically covered her—barely. The Sailcloth patches strained against her bust, the neckline cutting deep across her cleavage. Every breath made the fabric ride up, exposing a sliver of toned stomach.

"You shrunk it!" Aria accused, yanking the hem downward.

"I didn't! The system must've used the default size—"

"Fix. It." Aria ground out.

"We need another Sailcloth," Lucas said weakly. "But we only have two left."

"Then use both!"

The second repair attempt produced a marginally better fit.

Aria threw a wooden plank at him. "Is the system trying to make me look like a pirate stripper?!"

[Tattered Sailcloth Remaining: 0]

Lucas wiped sweat from his brow. "Last option—upgrade the crafting table. It requires…" He trailed off, paling.

"What? Tell me!"

"We need to upgrade the ship to level 2 first."

"Then you better hurry up!" Aria stomped off, leaving a flustered Lucas.