The Special Requirement

The moon hung high, casting silver ripples across the ocean. 

Lucas gripped the claw hook's joystick, his eyes bloodshot from hours of staring at the waves. Aria sat cross-legged nearby, the pink fishing rod twitching in her hands. Their stats flickered in the corner of their vision—Hunger and Sanity itching lower by the minute.

Lucas' Status

Hunger: 52/100

Sanity: 45/100

Aria's Status

Hunger: 40/100

Sanity: 35/100

"This is torture," Aria muttered, yanking the rod. The line snapped back, hauling up something. She grimaced. "[Soggy Boot x1]. Wow. Useful."

Lucas didn't look up. The claw hook scooped a cluster of seaweed. "[Seaweed x3 → Cloth x0.3]. We'll hit 200 Wood by next year."

Aria chucked the boot overboard. "Let's switch. My arms are numb."

They swapped spots without another word. Aria jammed the joystick forward, snatching a floating barrel. Lucas cast the line, praying for anything edible.

[03:17 AM]

The Love Siren's deck was a graveyard of rotten planks and shredded cloth. Aria shifted uncomfortably in her repaired tank top. 

The tight fabric pressed her chest flat, making every deep breath a struggle. Her old sports bra - never meant for hours of nonstop action - dug into her shoulders, leaving angry red marks. She tried adjusting the straps discreetly, but the underwire poked her ribs.

Lucas glanced over just as she huffed in frustration. His eyes snagged on the way her tank top stretched dangerously across her chest. The repaired Sailcloth patches strained with every movement, the neckline dipping lower than either of them wanted to admit.

She was doing the claw controls, which only made things worse, pushing her cleavage up until the lace trim of her bra peeked through the torn neckline.

Wood: 82/200

Cloth: 49/100

"Almost there," Lucas said, pretending he's not noticing the view. 

Aria glared at the claw hook. "If I grab one more seaweed bundle, I'm jumping into the Mist."

The fishing rod jerked. Lucas stumbled, nearly dropping it. "Whoa—big one!"

Aria spun. "Don't lose it!"

[Item Acquired: Navigator's Lucky Outfit (Quality: Quirky)]

[Effect: +30% Resource Gathering Speed when worn. Bonus to Sanity!]

The outfit lay crumpled on the deck—a lace-trimmed corset the color of sea foam, paired with thigh-high leather boots and a skirt so short it might as well have been a belt. Aria poked it with her toe like it might bite.

"Is this a joke?" she hissed.

Lucas cleared his throat, cheeks burning. "It's… uh. The system says it boosts gathering speed."

Aria snatched the corset, holding it up. The fabric shimmered under the moonlight, sheer enough to see through. "I'd rather lick the deck." She hurled it into a corner.

Lucas said nothing. He picked up the rod again, avoiding her glare. Don't push. Let her decide.

For the next hour, they worked in tense silence. The claw hook scraped up rotten wood. The fishing rod snagged another eyeball fish. Their hunger meters dipped dangerously:

[Luca's Hunger: 52 → 44/100]

[Aria's Hunger: 40 → 32/100]

Lucas watched the discarded outfit flutter in the breeze. The system's promise glowed in his mind: 30% faster. They'd starve before hitting 200 wood at this rate.

Aria slammed the joystick, missing a floating crate. "This is useless." She kicked the claw hook, then winced, clutching her foot.

The sudden movement made her chest bounce painfully against the constricting bra. Aria grimaced, reaching behind her back to adjust the clasp. For one dangerous second, the strained hooks popped loose before she quickly snapped them back into place.

Lucas' head whipped around at the metallic snap sound. His face turned tomato-red as he realized what almost happened. Aria's death-glare could have melted steel.

"One word," she growled, tugging her tank top straight. "Just one word and I'll feed you to the next monster."

"We could… try something else," Lucas said carefully.

Aria whirled. "Like what? Wear that… that lingerie and prance around? So Global Chat can laugh harder?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to!" She stormed to the railing, gripping it until her knuckles whitened. "I'm not a joke, Lucas."

Lucas nodded, keeping a respectful distance. The Black Mist was a distant smudge now, but its threat lingered. "You're not. But this ship? This system? It's rigged. We play its game or die."

Aria's shoulders slumped. "I hate this."

"Me too."

[Affection +2 (Current: 43/100)]

By dawn, their progress was pitiful:

[Wood: 103/200]

[Cloth: 67/100]

Aria stared at the numbers, her stomach growling. She hadn't eaten since the chocolates. Luca's hands shook as he reeled in another love letter—Convertible to Cloth x10, but useless without food.

"We're not gonna make it," she muttered.

Lucas followed her gaze to the Navigator's outfit, now crumpled near the mast. "There's another way. We'll find it."

"How?!" She threw her hands up. "Even if we do get the wood, the next upgrade requires a—a brassiere! This whole ship's designed to humiliate us!"

Lucas stepped closer, his voice steady. "Then we outsmart it. You're the best navigator here. We don't need some skimpy outfit to prove it."

Aria blinked, caught off guard. "I… what?"

"You outran the Mist. You fought that grub. The system's just noise." He kicked the corset aside. "Forget the buff. We'll grind the hard way."

[Ironheart Charisma Activated!]

[Experience: 9/10]

[Charisma +2 (Total: 8)]

Aria's scowl softened. She stared at the corset, then at their dwindling supplies. "But… 30% faster…"

Lucas stepped closer, hands raised like he was calming a wild animal. 

"This ship is a pervert, okay? From that stupid dance it forced us into, to this... this bra requirement. But I'm not." His ears turned red, but he held her gaze. "I won't force you to wear anything you hate. Ever."

Aria blinked. His nervous fidgeting looked genuine, not creepy. 

"Then what's your brilliant plan? Starve?"

"I don't know. But that's not the reason for me to corner you." He swallowed hard. 

Aria's eyes narrowed.

To be honest, she did not think Lucas had it in him to say something like this. She had thought he was just a innocent, awkward (and a bit lame) virgin that stumbled upon this weird ship.

But maybe, he had more in him that she realized.