They did not leave immediately.
There was no need.
Unlike the Crystal Cave near Solmere, this Raid Cave did not broadcast its defeat to the surrounding region. No mana flare. No tremor. No sky-light phenomenon announcing its fall.
It simply… quieted.
Which meant they had time.
Two full days before reset.
And Jax intended to use every minute.
The Silent Harvest
The Shadow Army moved like an industrial machine.
No fatigue.
No distraction.
No hesitation.
From the highest chambers downward, they excavated the cave's mana veins with surgical precision. Crystals of blue, white, violet, and rare prismatic variants were carved free and transported through dimensional pathways to the caravan.
The dimensional tear that had allowed Frost Giants to escape gradually sealed itself as the mana density dropped.
Without the cave's upper reserves feeding instability, the breach collapsed inward.
No more giants would walk the mountains.
Perhaps not for years.
Inside the caravan, life was far more comfortable.
The Vixens celebrated.
Food.
Drink.
Laughter.
Jax monitored crystal intake rates through his system while occasionally stepping away to issue new deployment orders.
But mostly?
They rested.
They had cleared fifty floors in under ten hours.
They were allowed to enjoy it.
Return to Frostveil
Two days later, they descended the mountain road.
The caravan glided smoothly behind Grim and Steed, whose massive forms drew wide-eyed stares from every patrol on the outer watch.
Frostveil's gates opened before they reached them.
Word had already spread that the Vixens had returned from the cave.
What had not yet spread was what they had done.
That revelation would arrive with them.
Behind the caravan, shadow units dispersed along the mountainside, gathering medicinal frost-bloom herbs and rare alpine flowers required for side quests. The shadows worked without misstep, without slip, without fear of cliffs or cold.
They did not rush.
They did not err.
They harvested perfectly.
By the time the caravan entered the city proper, commerce was already alive.
The dimensional gate Jax had installed days earlier was functioning beyond projections. Merchants moved between Solmere and Frostveil in record numbers. Wagons unloaded spices, preserved meats, textiles, and tools from warmer climates.
Frostveil — once isolated — now buzzed with trade.
And then Jax delivered something bigger than commerce.
The Guild Hall
Guild Master Willvard "Billy" Hornfell was waiting.
The older goat-kin stood upright behind his desk, hands clasped behind his back, beard hanging neatly from his chin. His curled horns framed eyes that had seen decades of mountain winters.
The Frost Giant heads were laid out before him.
Massive.
Undeniable.
Real.
Silence stretched.
Billy stepped forward slowly.
"You cleared it."
Not a question.
A statement struggling to reconcile itself.
"Yes," Jax replied evenly.
Billy circled the trophies.
"The Argent Vanguard reached forty-two last summer," he said. "Four days inside. Fourteen members. They withdrew."
His eyes lifted.
"You're telling me your five-person A-Rank party completed fifty floors in one day."
The room felt heavier.
Bunny crossed her arms proudly.
Nyxian leaned casually against the wall.
Zee and Llandra stood composed.
Jax did not posture.
"Facts are facts," he said calmly. "We're not here to diminish anyone else. We finished what we started."
Billy studied him.
Long.
Carefully.
"It is both unbelievable and entirely believable," Billy admitted. "I see the proof. The giants are dead. The crystals are real. The mana density reports confirm the collapse."
He exhaled.
"And yet…"
He didn't finish.
There was something about this group.
Something unnatural.
Something precise.
Something inevitable.
He had felt it the day he met them.
And now it stood in front of him again.
Bunny Causes Problems
The tension broke abruptly.
"I want in!" Bunny suddenly declared.
Before anyone could stop her, she marched out of Billy's office and into the tavern section of the guild.
Billy blinked.
Nyxian grinned.
"This should be good."
Within moments, Bunny was seated at a large wooden table surrounded by men who looked like they wrestled avalanche boulders for sport.
Muscles stacked on muscles.
Thick fur cloaks.
Scarred forearms.
Nyxian slammed a pouch of gold on the table.
"Fifty gold says my girl here can beat any of you in arm wrestling."
Chairs scraped instantly.
A giant of a man — easily triple Bunny's size — stepped forward first.
They locked hands.
Nyxian counted down.
"Three. Two. One. Go!"
Nothing happened.
The man strained.
Veins bulged.
Sweat formed.
Bunny didn't move.
Her elbow remained planted.
Her wrist perfectly upright.
The tavern grew quiet.
"Are you using magic?!" the man gasped.
A local mage in the crowd scanned the table.
"No active magic."
The giant roared and pushed harder.
Bunny smiled sweetly.
Then she lowered his arm in one smooth motion.
The table shook.
The crowd erupted.
"How are you that strong?!"
Bunny beamed proudly.
"I train every night! I put all my points into strength, agility, speed, and Sexual Endurance—"
"BUNNY!" Nyxian snapped instantly.
Bunny blinked.
"Oh! I meant endurance. Just endurance."
The tavern stared.
No one understood a word she'd just said.
Which was perfect.
Secrets intact.
Three more challengers tried.
Three more lost.
Gold changed hands.
The tavern roared with laughter and cheers.
Billy stood in the doorway watching.
And something shifted in his assessment.
At first, he had assumed Jax was the axis.
Now?
He reconsidered.
Perhaps it truly was the Vixens.
Perhaps the Level One man was simply clever enough to attach himself to a phenomenon.
A brilliant merchant riding the coattails of powerful women.
Billy stroked his beard thoughtfully.
That explanation was far safer.
Far easier.
And far less dangerous to contemplate.
A Reputation Cemented
By nightfall, Frostveil buzzed with a different kind of energy.
Not just commerce.
Not just tourism.
Legend.
The Vixens had cleared what Argent Vanguard could not.
In one day.
The town would remember that.
And towns talk.
Jax stood on the balcony of the guild later that evening, looking over Frostveil's lights.
Snow fell softly.
Behind him, laughter echoed from inside.
Billy joined him quietly.
"You have changed this town in less than a week," Billy said.
Jax didn't look at him.
"It was ready for change."
Billy studied him from the side.
"You will bring more than trade to places you visit."
It wasn't praise.
It wasn't accusation.
Just observation.
Jax finally glanced at him.
"Only opportunity."
Billy nodded slowly.
But in his heart, he knew.
Opportunity didn't usually walk into your town wearing dragon armor and leave behind dead Frost Giants and economic revolutions.
Something else was happening.
And he would watch carefully.
Very carefully.
Because whether he understood it or not…
History had just passed through his gates.