Jax and the Vixens awoke early.
Early for them, at least.
Soft light filtered through the crystal-veined cavern as Jax opened his eyes, the faint hum of mana replacing birdsong. The others stirred slowly—bodies heavy but rested, minds clear in a way they hadn't felt in days.
The mid way hot springs had done more than restore mana.
They had restored resolve.
By six in the morning, they were awake and moving. Quiet kisses and iPoints. Stretching. Equipment checks. Jax brewed strong tea and simple food, while the Vixens handled armor and weapons with practiced ease.
By eight, they were eating properly.
By nine, they were ready.
This wasn't about survival anymore.
This was about conquest.
They moved out together, formation natural, no commands needed.
With Grim and Steed at the front—massive, shadow-wreathed titans whose hooves cracked crystal with every step—followed by Lucy, Fang, and Gryph, and eighty crystal-armored shadow soldiers marching in disciplined silence behind them, the Crystal Cave finally began to feel something it hadn't in centuries.
Pressure.
The floors blurred—not from lack of danger, but from efficiency.
Floors twenty-six through thirty vanished under the shadow army's advance. Monsters rushed forward and were erased. Traps triggered and detonated harmlessly against summoned bodies. Ambushes collapsed before they fully formed.
The Vixens barely needed to fight.
Yet the system never forgot them.
Ping.
Ping.
Ping.
Level notifications chimed relentlessly.
Skills refined. Stats rose. Control sharpened.
For warriors so young—so recently E-rank—the growth was obscene. All of the Vixens were now in their thirties on experience.
Jax smiled as he felt good for his girls' accomplishments.
But when he looked at his system, only disappointment was seen.
LEVEL 1
But as for the Vixens....
Zee felt it first, her mana circulation smoothing into something precise and effortless. Bunny felt it in her legs, in the way her weight and momentum obeyed her perfectly. Llandra's perception stretched further and further, until the dungeon itself felt loud to her senses. And Nyxian—
Nyxian felt recognized.
The deeper they went, the more the dungeon responded to her presence. Monsters hesitated. Shadows lingered. Even Grim and Steed walked closer to her now, flanking her without being ordered.
Jax noticed.
He said nothing.
Floors thirty-five and forty-five attempted to slow them.
Ancient chambers. Ritual halls. Thought trials and historical riddles carved into crystal walls.
They didn't.
Echo handled them.
The shadow ferret—barely a pound of fluff and audacity—vanished into vents, cracks, and exhaust channels, returning moments later with a triumphant chirp as doors slid open.
How a creature that small bypassed magic older than Kingdoms was beyond Jax's understanding.
He accepted it anyway.
Within four hours, they had passed from floor twenty-six to forty-eight.
The Vixens occasionally caught glimpses of Jax vanishing—reappearing moments later with bloodless efficiency—handling threats that never reached the group. Whatever still resisted the shadows… didn't resist him for long.
Then came Floor Forty-Nine.
The space opened upward.
Not a chamber.
A mountain.
Crystal stone rose sharply, forming a jagged ascent of narrow steps and exposed ledges. Wind howled through the cavern, carrying shards of ice and dust. The climb alone was the challenge.
Shadows went first.
Some fell.
Traps claimed bodies—slicing, crushing, disintegrating.
But shadows reformed.
And learned.
Halfway up the ascent, Jax felt the system stir.
SKILL ACQUIRED: SHADOW PROTECTION
You may anchor a shadow within another's shadow, granting protection during moments of lethal peril.
Jax didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The skill settled into him like a promise.
One by one, shadows slipped seamlessly into the Vixens' silhouettes—silent, unseen guardians ready to intercept death itself.
Jax exhaled slowly.
Now… now he could breathe.
Whatever the dungeon tried, it would have to go through him first.
They finished the climb without further loss.
At the summit stood a door.
Massive.
Ancient.
Unmarked.
FLOOR 50. BOSS CHAMBER.
They stopped.
Not from fear.
From understanding.
This was it.
For Jax, this was proof. Proof that his theory held—that the Vixens were no longer E-rank adventurers pretending to stand beside him. They were raiders. Veterans forged under pressure. A team worthy of A-rank challenges.
For the Vixens, it was something deeper.
This was their answer.
They had chosen Jax.
Chosen his path.
Chosen the danger that came with loving a man who walked ahead of the world.
Now they would prove they belonged there.
That their bond—every promise, every vow—had been earned in blood, sweat, and resolve.
Jax rested his hand on Peacemaker.
Behind him, the Vixens took their places without a word.
Grim and Steed lowered their heads.
The shadows stilled.
Whatever waited beyond this door—
It wasn't just a boss.
It was a reckoning.
And they stepped forward together.