Infinite Game - Start With SSS Rank Class

Chapter 231: The lake beneath the dome

The clear water surface swayed gently.

The moment Rover stepped into the lake, a cool sensation immediately enveloped him up to his waist. The water here was so clean it was nearly free of any impurities. Under the soft light from the metal dome above, each small ripple reflected pale blue streaks of light, making the entire lake look like a massive jade stone placed in the center of the manor.

Selina was the first to swim over to him.

She already had a figure as flexible as a hunting cat, and once in the water, that suppleness and agility became even more apparent. Her wet hair clung to her neck and shoulders. Her eyes curved slightly, and the smile on her lips carried that very familiar teasing quality.

"Master, why are you looking so serious?" Selina swam a circle around Rover, her fingertips lightly skimming the water’s surface, deliberately flicking a few drops onto him. "We’re just checking the water quality."

Rover looked at her.

"Does checking water quality require surrounding me?"

Sunako immediately swam over from the side, both arms wrapping around one of his, her face redder than usual but her voice still trying to maintain seriousness. "Of course it does. Great Lord Rover is the Owner. Your perception matters greatly. If you feel the water’s cold, we need to note it. If you feel it’s warm, we also need to note it. If your spirit feels at ease, then that proves this place is very suitable for a long stay."

Elith stood not far away, water up to her waist, her black hair slightly wet, cold gaze fixed on Sunako. "You’re talking nonsense."

Sunako turned to look at her. "But it sounds very systematic."

"It doesn’t."

"At least it sounds very responsible."

Elith was quiet for a few seconds, then finally looked away, as if unwilling to keep arguing with her.

Rilia had originally only intended to check the water briefly and stop. But after Selina pulled her in deeper, she was already standing in it. Compared to Selina and Sunako’s forwardness, Rilia was clearly more reserved. Her face stayed cold, shoulders and back straight, but her gaze occasionally drifted away from Rover, making her usual coldness carry a rare touch of understated softness.

Nanoe was the last to step in.

She didn’t rush toward Rover, only walked slowly through the water, each step sending small ripples spreading outward. Unlike Selina who was all wild energy, Sunako who was both shy and bold, Rilia who was cold but awkward, and Elith who was quietly reserved, Nanoe carried a mature quality that was dangerously compelling. She didn’t need to do much. She just stood there, her gentle gaze resting on Rover, and that alone was enough to make the air around the lake feel a little warmer.

Rover’s throat felt slightly dry.

The lake water was clearly cool.

But he felt the temperature around him rising.

Selina caught his reaction. The smile on her lips deepened. She suddenly swam backward, then flung water toward Rover.

Splash!

Water splashed across his chest and face.

Rover blinked, then opened his eyes to look at her.

Selina tilted her head, her expression innocently fake. "Slipped."

Sunako immediately followed her lead.

Splash!

Another wave hit Rover’s shoulder.

Rover turned to look at her.

Sunako blinked, face red but still very serious. "I slipped too."

Elith looked at both of them, then silently raised her hand.

Splash.

A smaller but very precise stream shot straight at Rover’s chin.

Rover paused.

Elith said calmly: "Slipped."

Selina immediately burst out laughing.

Even Rilia curved the corner of her lips slightly.

Rover looked at the three of them, and finally his gaze settled on Nanoe. "Are you planning to slip too?"

Nanoe smiled and walked slowly toward him. "I don’t need to slip."

The moment she finished speaking, she raised her hand and placed it on Rover’s chest, then gave a gentle push.

The motion wasn’t forceful.

But Rover hadn’t been on guard against Nanoe.

And Selina and Sunako had already swiftly grabbed both his arms from either side.

"You two..."

Rover had barely opened his mouth when Selina laughed and said: "Master, if you’re in the water, you have to play properly."

Sunako flushed but still tried to chime in: "That’s right, Great Lord Rover. This is the lake inspection ritual."

"There’s no such ritual." Rover said.

Nanoe answered gently: "There is now."

Then all three pulled together.

Splash!

Rover was yanked backward into the water.

Water shot up in all directions.

Selina laughed so hard she nearly couldn’t stop. Sunako laughed while coughing softly after getting splashed in the face. Rilia stood nearby watching the scene, her face still calm, but her gaze clearly far softer than before. Elith said nothing either, just slowly stepped back a little to avoid getting caught up in the underwater chaos.

But Selina had no intention of letting her off.

"Elith, you’re standing too far back."

Elith looked at her.

Selina swam around to behind her, the smile on her lips dangerously wide. "You’re already in the water, so you don’t get to pretend it doesn’t involve you."

Elith stepped back half a step. "I’m in the water."

"Not enough."

Selina had barely finished speaking before she grabbed her hand.

Elith reacted fast, but this time Sunako surprisingly coordinated from behind. Both pulled at once. Elith immediately lost her balance and fell into the water.

Splash!

When she stood back up, her hair was completely soaked, a few strands plastered to her pale, cool cheeks. Elith looked at Selina and Sunako, her gaze still calm, but the air around her shifted noticeably.

Sunako immediately sensed this was bad.

"Wait, I only helped just a little."

Elith said nothing.

She only raised her hand.

A stream of water shaped by spider silk arced through the air, then poured straight down onto Sunako’s head.

Splash!

Sunako let out a small shriek.

"That’s not fair! You used a skill!"

Elith replied calmly: "You didn’t forbid it."

Selina laughed so hard she held her stomach.

Rilia watched them playing, and finally waded a little deeper into the lake. Sunako noticed and immediately spun around, eyes lighting up.

"Great Lady Rilia, help me!"

Rilia looked at her coldly. "I’m not getting involved."

Selina immediately swam around to behind Rilia, laughing: "Once you’re in the water, you don’t get to stay on the sidelines."

Rilia turned her head.

But it was too late.

Selina and Sunako grabbed her arms from both sides. Rilia’s instinct was to use force, but using too much would hurt them, so her motion hesitated for just a moment. That single moment was enough for Selina to pull her off balance.

Splash!

Rilia went into the water too.

When she stood back up, her wet silver hair clung to her shoulders, and her cold face wore a rarely seen look of mild bewilderment.

The air went quiet for a second.

Then Sunako immediately backed away.

"I feel like I just did something very dangerous."

Rilia slowly turned to look at her.

Sunako immediately hid behind Rover.

"Great Lord Rover, save me."

Rover looked at her, then looked at Rilia advancing step by step.

"I think this is something you have to take responsibility for yourself."

Sunako’s eyes went wide. "You’re abandoning your loyal handmaiden?"

"You pulled me into the water."

"That was for the greater good."

Before Rover could reply, Rilia raised her hand. A wave of cold water immediately flung straight toward Sunako. Sunako yelped and scrambled away, but still ended up soaked. Selina found this even funnier, laughing louder, then kept pulling Rover further into the playful fray.

In the quiet lake, laughter gradually filled the air.

At first it was only Selina and Sunako.

Then Nanoe was laughing too.

Rilia was still quiet, but no longer kept her distant air from before. Elith, though reserved, occasionally used spider silk to redirect water back at Selina whenever she teased her.

Rover ended up surrounded in the middle.

Not that he couldn’t get free.

But he didn’t want to.

After so many battles and heavy secrets, the scene before him felt slightly unfamiliar, but also very comfortable. These women had followed him through danger, had fought, had endured pressure, had stood beside him facing things beyond comprehension. Right now they were just laughing in a lake, using this brief stretch of time to forget the fog, the monsters, and the frightening secrets buried beneath this spaceship.

Nanoe swam over to him.

She didn’t tease like Selina, nor was she noisy like Sunako. She just quietly stood before him and reached out to wipe a drop of water from his cheekbone.

"Rover."

Her voice was very soft.

"Mm?"

"This doesn’t feel bad, does it?"

Rover looked at her.

Light from the dome fell across the water’s surface, reflecting up onto Nanoe’s gentle face. In that moment, Rover suddenly remembered what she had said earlier.

Rest a little.

He still had far too much to do. The Anchor Generator needed repairing. The manor needed checking. The warehouse outside still had supplies to transfer. Room 2705 needed managing. The secrets about his father, the prison, the Unnamed Explorer still had no answers.

But right now, he didn’t need to think about any of that.

Rover reached out and wrapped his arm around Nanoe’s waist, drawing her closer.

"Not bad at all."

Nanoe smiled.

Selina let out a very quiet whistle from the side.

Sunako covered her face, but deliberately spread her fingers to peek.

Elith looked away, but didn’t leave the lake.

Rilia quietly cleared her throat, gaze drifting to the water’s surface.

Rover saw their reactions. The corner of his mouth curved up.

The atmosphere around the lake gradually shifted.

The playfulness was still there, but between the clear ripples, the way their eyes looked at Rover was no longer purely teasing. The distance was being closed bit by bit. Selina swam over and leaned against his shoulder. Sunako, red-faced, still took hold of his hand. Elith stood closer in silence. And Rilia, despite trying to maintain her cool, ultimately didn’t step back either.

Nanoe looked at all of them. Her smile softened further.

"Rover, tonight we can rest here."

Sunako immediately lowered her head, her voice quieter than usual. "The house is so big, there are plenty of rooms..."

Selina said with a grin: "But who says we need that many rooms."

Sunako flushed scarlet.

Elith glanced at Selina but didn’t argue.

Rilia looked toward the meadow, the rims of her ears slightly red.

Rover looked at each of them one by one.

The desire within him, already stirred up by those bikinis, was becoming even harder to contain. But more than the direct heat of it, what moved him more was the feeling that none of them wanted to leave his side. In a place that was just room 2705, no outsiders, no prying eyes, they could fully let down their defenses.

Selina leaned close to his ear, voice carrying a smile. "Master, how much longer are you planning to stand in the water?"

Rover looked at her.

Selina blinked, her smile growing bolder. "Or do you want to keep inspecting the lake?"

Sunako said quietly: "I think we’ve inspected enough."

Nanoe gently took Rover’s hand.

"Then let’s head back."

Rover said nothing.

He just looked at all of them for a moment, then nodded.

Everyone gradually left the lake.

Light from the dome fell across the meadow, stretching their shadows along the soft ground. The drip of water from hair and skin, Sunako’s soft laughter, Selina teasing her, Elith’s quietness, Rilia’s pretense of cool composure, Nanoe’s gentle smile. All of it blended together, making the manor inside the spaceship feel, for the first time, like a place where people truly lived.

Rover picked up his coat but hadn’t had time to put it on before Selina pulled his hand.

Nanoe walked on the other side.

Sunako followed behind, face red but steps not slow.

Elith and Rilia exchanged a glance, then finally fell in behind them in silence.

The whole group headed back to the large wooden house.

The door closed behind them.

Outside, the lake quietly reflected the light from the dome.

Inside the house, the sound of footsteps and low voices gradually faded up the staircase.

The first night in the secret manor began in a way far gentler than anything Rover had ever anticipated.