Morning arrived quietly.
For once, the world did not feel like it was pressing in.
Jax woke to warmth on all sides—arms draped across his chest, legs tangled with his, the steady rhythm of breathing from four women who had long since stopped pretending personal space mattered. Bodies were intertwined like an impossible knot, the strong scent of satisfaction still lingering in the air.
The tension of the previous days was gone.
Burned away.
Nyxian stretched lazily, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips, while Llandra rested with her head against Jax's shoulder, calm and grounded. iPoints were earned early. Whatever doubts had followed them on the road had been worked loose the night before—not through words, but through connection. Through trust.
By the time they finally rose, the nervous energy that should have come before an A-rank dungeon was conspicuously absent.
Breakfast was shared downstairs in the inn's common hall—quiet, filling, unremarkable in the best way. No one lingered. They checked out without ceremony, fully aware they wouldn't be returning for several days.
Two weeks' worth of supplies were loaded.
Not because they doubted success.
But because they respected the cave.
The record still stood: an S-rank party, four days.
Jax had no intention of taking that long—but arrogance was not preparation.
The caravan rolled out of Crystalshire under a pale morning sky, the mountains casting long shadows across the valley roads. The Crystal Cave loomed ahead, its entrance carved into the mountain face like a wound that never healed.
Jax parked the caravan with deliberate precision, its rear aligned perfectly with the cavern mouth. He opened the back and expanded the storage dimension, leaving the empty space yawning wide behind them—ready.
He worked methodically.
Food was set out for the Draft Behemoths. A controlled fire was built nearby. The massive creatures were untied and allowed to settle, Jax's Enhanced Charm skill smoothing any unease the looming cave might have stirred.
Finally, he cast Barrier with Alarm, sealing the caravan and its surroundings in a veil of silence and concealment.
Only then did he turn back.
The group dressed in near silence.
This wasn't fear.
It was focus.
Jax donned his dragon-scale armor, the material flowing into place like living metal. Over it, he wrapped himself in the black trench coat Merriweather had crafted—self-repairing, ever-clean, and blessedly dramatic.
It didn't boost stats.
But it made a statement.
A far cry from the brightly patterned "vacation dad" outfit he'd worn days earlier.
The Vixens followed suit.
Each of them armored.
Each of them deadly.
Jax still hadn't gotten used to it—the way magic armor ignored common sense. Gaps that should have been vulnerabilities weren't. Curves were accentuated, movement unrestricted, protection absolute.
Magic didn't care about modesty.
Or logic.
Only results.
They assembled at the foot of the cave.
Stone jutted outward like crystalline fangs, mana pulsing faintly beneath the surface. The air itself felt different here—thicker, aware.
Jax stepped forward.
The Vixens formed a parallel line behind him.
Bunny rested Earthshaker against her shoulder, grounded and eager. Llandra's posture was relaxed but alert, Starpiercer already humming softly. Zee stood calm and centered, Sanctaris radiating steady warmth. Nyxian twirled Lilith's Kiss once before letting it coil lazily at her side, Echo perched on her shoulder like a shadowed crown.
Jax opened his System.
The space around him seemed to hold its breath.
He reached inside and drew out Peacemaker.
The double-bladed Dragon Sword emerged with quiet authority—red-scaled metal catching the light, white veins glowing faintly as if remembering the flame that forged it. He rested the blade tip against the stone.
That was the moment.
The Vixens felt it.
They had seen Jax fight barehanded.
They had seen him dismantle men, beasts, and monsters alike.
But this—
This was intent.
This was him taking the cave seriously.
Confidence settled over them like armor within armor.
The cave entrance stirred.
Five stone panels jutted from the rock face, faintly glowing.
"Hands," Jax said calmly.
Each of them placed a palm against the stone.
The cave reacted instantly.
Mana flared, reading signatures, counting participants, locking identities into the system. Somewhere deep within, a timer awakened.
This dungeon would remember them.
The stone gate shuddered.
Slowly, inexorably, the entrance opened.
Cold air poured out, carrying the scent of crystal dust and something older—something alive.
Jax lifted Peacemaker.
He did not look back.
"Let's set a new record."
Together, they stepped forward.
And the Crystal Cave closed behind them.