WOULD YOU LIKE TO NAME YOUR NEW SUMMONS?
Nyxian didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The System pulsed once—waiting.
"…Grim," she said, glancing toward the beast on her left.
"And Steed."
The moment the names left her lips, power answered.
Purple and black mana erupted from the fallen Grimsteeds like twin storms breaking loose from the earth itself. Crystal armor cracked apart and dissolved into drifting fragments while shadow flooded inward, reshaping flesh, muscle, and bone.
When the light finally settled, two massive shadow beasts stood before them.
Smaller than before.
Deadlier somehow.
Steam rolled from their nostrils. Their eyes glowed violet beneath heavy armored brows. Darkened crystal veins pulsed through their bodies like molten energy trapped beneath skin.
The air vibrated with pressure.
Nyxian took an involuntary half-step backward, wings flickering nervously into existence.
Then reality crashed into her all at once.
She turned immediately toward Jax.
"I—I'm sorry," she blurted out. "I didn't mean to overstep. I just… it felt right and I wasn't thinking and—"
Jax was staring at her.
Not angry.
Not upset.
Honestly?
He looked impressed.
"You just summoned an A-Rank beast," he said slowly, sounding equal parts stunned and proud. "On your first real attempt."
Nyxian blinked.
"The only other thing you've ever extracted was an E-rank—maybe F-rank—shadow ferret."
Echo immediately puffed out his tiny chest.
Jax looked down at him.
"…Who is clearly Triple-S rank in cuteness, ingenuity, and clutch saves."
Echo squeaked triumphantly and slapped Jax's raised hand in a perfect high-five.
Nyxian laughed despite herself, tension draining from her shoulders.
Jax, meanwhile, was already thinking ahead.
He didn't need emotional resonance to summon shadows.
He never had.
He commanded them through authority, not connection. Whether that came from his overwhelming mana reserves, his abnormal System privileges, or something deeper still… he honestly didn't know.
But Nyxian?
She needed something else.
Emotion.
Meaning.
Choice.
And somehow that made what she'd just done feel even more impressive.
"There are eighty crystal soldiers back there," Jax said after a moment, gesturing behind them. "B-rank. Resistant to physical and magical damage. Extremely useful. Want to try?"
Nyxian immediately shook her head.
"No."
She hesitated briefly before adding,
"I don't feel anything from them. They're… empty."
Then she looked at him directly.
"They're yours."
Jax nodded once.
He didn't argue.
Instead, he raised one hand and summoned the fallen crystal soldiers in a single sweeping command.
Shadow after shadow rose from the battlefield behind them—uniform, disciplined, silent.
An army.
The System offered naming prompts repeatedly.
Jax dismissed every single one.
These weren't companions.
They were infrastructure.
Useful.
Dangerous.
Replaceable.
And B-rank soldiers like these would be invaluable moving forward.
As for the original Grimsteed bodies, Jax stored them carefully inside his inventory for later use. Grim and Steed watched calmly as he did so, neither disturbed nor confused by the process.
They trusted Nyxian.
That was enough.
The next chamber was… unexpected.
The cavern opened into an enormous natural bathhouse carved directly into crystal and stone. A massive spring filled the center of the room, fed by an underground river that shimmered with flowing mana. Steam rose gently from the water, warmth rolling through the cavern like a calming breath.
Jax frowned immediately and activated Inspect.
HOT SPRINGS OF THE CRYSTAL CAVES — MIDPOINT REST FLOOR
Most adventuring parties rest here.
Beasts are not known to inhabit this level.
"…Huh."
They had entered the Crystal Cave shortly after sunrise.
Now, judging by Jax's internal clock, it was nearing five in the evening.
Nearly nine hours underground.
Even with their momentum, fatigue had started creeping in around the edges.
"Alright," Jax said finally, lowering his guard slightly. "This floor is considered safe. We'll rest here."
The Vixens froze.
Then—
"You're serious?" Bunny asked immediately.
Jax nodded once.
"You've earned it."
Cheers echoed through the cavern.
Nyxian was already halfway toward her bag.
"I am absolutely getting in that water."
Jax set up camp with practiced efficiency while the others changed—or in Nyxian and Bunny's case, barely pretended to.
Cooking supplies unfolded neatly onto crystal stone. Ingredients emerged from storage. Water heated. A controlled fire crackled softly nearby.
Meanwhile, the Vixens disappeared into the spring.
"…You didn't even bring bathing clothes?" Zee asked as Bunny cannonballed into the water.
Bunny resurfaced proudly.
"I brought confidence."
Nyxian slid into the spring beside her with a content sigh.
"And poor decision-making."
Llandra pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Those are not mutually exclusive."
Jax wisely chose not to look too closely in their direction.
Mostly because the armor they wore somehow covered more than the "bathing outfits" they'd apparently decided were acceptable.
Magic armor continued making absolutely no sense to him.
He stirred the stew slowly.
"The springs supposedly restore stamina and mana," he called over his shoulder.
"They also restore my faith in civilization," Nyxian answered immediately.
A few minutes later the group emerged relaxed, refreshed, and faintly glowing from restored mana saturation.
Zee stretched luxuriously near the fire.
"Not bad for an E-rank party," she said softly.
Bunny grinned.
"Understatement of the year."
"Helps that Jax is here," Llandra added calmly.
Jax shook his head while adjusting seasoning.
"It helps," he admitted. "But eventually? You all could've done this without me."
They didn't fully believe him.
But they loved that he did.
Dinner ended up being excessive.
Rich stew layered with Crystalshire spices and Solmere herbs. Thick cuts of meat so tender they practically dissolved. Fresh bread warmed beside the fire.
The kind of meal that made exhausted people go completely silent while eating.
Which they did.
The warmth of the springs.
The victory over the Grimsteeds.
The growing weight of the shadow army behind them.
It all settled slowly into something deeper than confidence.
Momentum.
By seven, they were leaning comfortably against one another near the fire.
By eight, Nyxian stretched dramatically across Jax's lap and declared, "I believe the cave deserves to hear how thankful we are for surviving."
Bunny immediately nodded.
"Very thankful."
Zee turned bright red instantly.
Llandra calmly sipped her drink.
"…Subtle as always."
Nyxian smirked.
"I'm a succubus. We don't level subtlety."
Jax sighed the sigh of a man who already knew resistance was pointless.
"iPoints?" he asked dryly.
"iPoints," the Vixens answered together.
Echo squeaked in approval from atop Grim's back.
And somewhere deep within the Crystal Cave—
the walls were about to hear a very different kind of battle cry tonight.