Baron had fought through demonic cleavage traps, evaded a cursed Slime King with a grudge against pants, and even survived being accidentally soul-bound to an ancient scroll that moaned suggestively whenever someone touched it.
But nothing—and he meant nothing—prepared him for this.
Steam rose in wispy tendrils, curling through the evening air like enchanted smoke. The hot spring glowed faintly, lit by enchanted lanterns that danced with illusionary fireflies. Flower petals floated serenely on the surface, giving the impression that someone had prepared this place with a very specific fantasy in mind.
"Just… gonna soak alone. Relax. Unwind," Baron muttered to himself as he stepped onto the wooden platform, clutching a towel and hope.
Then he heard the giggle.
He turned—and froze.
Six girls stood at the edge of the spring, wrapped in scandalously loose robes, each one eyeing him like he was a fresh slice of divine steak.
"Oh," Baron said, with the clarity of a man walking into the final chapter of a dating sim he'd never agreed to play.
"You didn't think we'd let our hero bathe alone, did you?" Aria, the red-haired knight, said smoothly as she loosened her sash.
"Group bathing promotes party bonding," added Selen, the elven mage, adjusting her glasses and revealing way more than magical wisdom.
Roka, the beastkin brawler, just grinned. "I'm here to cause chaos."
Baron backed up. "This wasn't in the quest log!"
"It was," said Lilia, the priestess, holding a scroll. "Look—'Optional Scene: Hot Spring Interaction—+15 Affection, -20 Clothing.'"
"I hate this world," Baron muttered, before being shoulder-checked into the spring by Roka's cannonball.
💡 SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
🔥 Hot Spring Scene Initiated
Steam Level: Optimal
Scandal Meter: Rising
Emergency Escape Towel: Equipped (1 use only)
Nosebleed Immunity: Not Activated
Baron surfaced coughing and sputtering, his towel now alarmingly transparent.
"Why are you all here?" he demanded.
"Steam helps mana circulation," Nyxa said, walking calmly across the water's surface. Her demon tail flicked lazily behind her, and she sat on the water. "And we get to see you squirm."
Selen settled into the water beside him. "The spring enhances spell resonance. I need to test emotional frequencies… through proximity."
"Is that an excuse to get handsy?" Baron asked.
Selen smiled. "It's science."
Baron's situation rapidly deteriorated:
Roka splashed him relentlessly, laughing like a gremlin.
Aria challenged him to a "steam endurance" contest.
Lilia began nervously humming hymns that didn't stop her from blushing down to her toes.
Nyxa conjured glowing water sprites that tried to undress him.
And Selen? She casually reached for his leg, muttering, "For data."
🧠 INTERNAL STATUS CHECK:
Mental Focus: 5%
Libido Suppression Rune: Overheating
Steam-to-Skin Ratio: Unsafe for publication
Just as Baron began formulating an escape plan involving teleportation and divine intervention, something rippled beneath the surface.
The water turned an eerie shade of green.
Petals sank. The steam hissed. Something rose.
A sinister quack echoed through the mist.
"What… is that?" Baron asked, eyes widening.
Selen gasped. "It can't be…"
From the depths emerged a giant glowing rubber duck, eyes lit with eldritch fire. It floated with malevolent intent, radiating cursed bath toy energy.
The Duck of Deception.
⚠️ SYSTEM WARNING:
🦆 Cursed Duck Boss Encounter: Level 12
Special Moves: Quack of Madness, Feather Flurry, Bubble Beam (evil version)
Weakness: Scented Shampoo
Final Form: Inflatable Demon Lord
"Why is there a duck boss in a hot spring?" Baron shrieked, dodging a high-velocity soap bomb.
"Ancient legend," Aria said grimly, drawing her sword from a shampoo bottle.
"I'm not fighting a bath toy!" Baron protested.
"You'd rather we fight you?" Roka cracked her knuckles.
"Fair."
The battle began:
Aria parried bubble blasts with her blade.
Selen launched fireballs that turned the water to fog.
Nyxa summoned shadow tendrils to grab the duck… it popped back like a balloon.
Lilia tried to exorcise it. The duck laughed.
Roka tackled it head-on. The duck countered with a feather storm.
Baron, meanwhile, was trying not to die… or flash the girls when the towel finally gave up.
"Shampoo!" Selen cried, tossing a vial.
Baron caught it—just as the duck charged him.
He smashed it against the duck's head.
BOOM.
Glitter, feathers, and soap exploded across the spring.
The duck melted into a puddle of shame.
🎉 SYSTEM UPDATE:
Boss Defeated: Duck of Deception
Affection Gain: +7 (per girl)
Modesty Preserved: Barely
New Title Unlocked: "Featherbane"
Later, wrapped in a blanket, Baron sat on the deck outside the spring.
The girls joined him one by one.
"That was… absurd," he said.
"You held your own," Aria said, leaning against his side.
"Especially with no armor," Nyxa smirked.
"I thought I was gonna die from embarrassment," Baron muttered.
"But you didn't," Lilia whispered. "You protected us. Again."
Baron smiled weakly. "You're all crazy."
Roka grinned. "We're your crazy."
Selen leaned in close. "Next time, ice bath?"
"NO."
❤️ END OF CHAPTER 4
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