The stairwell between Floors had always been safe.
Predictable.
Quiet.
And after the chaos of the Thorn King's defeat, that silence felt earned.
Jax exhaled slowly as they reached the landing.
"This is a good place to stop."
No one argued.
With a movementof his hand, he reached into his system and summoned both dimensional tents.
The kitchen tent unfolded first—expanding outward. Inside the dimensional space was a fully stocked culinary haven that still made Pixelle stare every time she saw it.
The second tent opened beside it—warm light spilling out, housing the bedroom, bath, and the softly steaming hot spring within.
Jax immediately got to work.
Knives moved.
Flames danced.
Ingredients appeared from storage and were transformed into something far beyond what a "raid meal" should ever be.
Pixelle hovered near the cooking station, practically vibrating.
"Seriously… who eats like this inside a raid?"
She took a bite of the first dish Jax handed her.
Her wings froze mid-flutter.
"…This is illegal."
Bunny laughed.
"Oh sweetie, you haven't even seen Jax get serious yet."
The group settled in.
Food.
Drinks.
Laughter.
Then the hot springs.
The warm, enchanted water soaked into their muscles, easing tension they hadn't even realized they were carrying.
Nyxian stretched lazily.
"Mmm. I could stay here forever."
Bunny leaned back with a sigh.
"Jax, massage."
It wasn't a request.
It was a demand.
Jax shook his head, smirking.
"Yes, your highness."
One by one, he worked through the group—loosening shoulders, easing tension, helping them recover.
Zee melted into the water under his hands.
Llandra tried to stay composed… and failed halfway through.
Nyxian, of course, made it unnecessarily difficult for him. Constantly moving his hands to more and more sensual places.
By the time he finished, they all looked far too relaxed to continue the raid.
And when they finally moved into the bedroom…
Sleep was not high on anyone's priority list.
The night faded out in warmth, closeness, sceams and quiet laughter.
Morning came quickly.
And with it—confidence.
They were stronger.
Faster.
More in sync than ever.
By the time they stepped into the portal…
They were ready.
Floor 48 opened into open sky.
Or at least, something that looked like it.
Massive tree branches stretched outward in every direction, forming a jagged network of natural bridges.
Wooden planks had been laid across them—thin, uneven, and completely lacking any kind of railing.
And the wind—
The wind was violent.
It howled through the branches in relentless bursts, causing the bridges to sway dangerously with every step.
Nyxian took one look and immediately grabbed Jax's arm.
"I think I'm going to hurl."
Bunny froze mid-step.
"If she hurls, I'm going to hurl."
She turned slowly to the others.
"And with this wind… it's going to get all over everyone."
Pixelle gagged.
"Oh no—don't describe it!"
Zee sighed and raised her staff.
Sanctaris glowed.
A soft barrier formed around the group, dampening the wind just enough to stabilize their footing—and their stomachs.
"Stay close," Zee said calmly.
"That helps… a little," Nyxian muttered, still gripping Jax tighter than necessary.
They moved carefully across the first bridge.
Then the second.
By the third—the largest span—they heard it.
A distant screech.
Then another.
Jax looked up.
"Air threats."
He raised a hand.
"Gryph."
The shadow gryphon burst into existence above them, wings spreading wide against the storm.
Several shadow gargoyles followed—creatures Jax had collected from earlier raids, perfectly suited for aerial combat.
"Keep the bridge light," Jax added. "No heavy summons."
The sky answered with lightning.
Then the Thunder Hawks descended.
Massive birds crackling with electricity, their wings slicing through the storm as bolts of lightning fired from their beaks.
One dove straight for the group.
Gryph intercepted it mid-flight.
The impact echoed like thunder.
Claws tore through feathers and lightning alike.
The hawk spiraled downward into the abyss.
More followed.
Llandra stepped forward.
Starpiercer sang.
Arrows shot upward in rapid succession, each one finding its mark despite the wind.
Jax drew Infernal Requiem.
Twin gunfire cut through the storm, each shot precise, controlled, devastating.
A hawk broke through the aerial defense and dove low—
Bunny moved.
She stepped off the bridge.
Air Walk activated.
She spun mid-air.
"TAUNT!"
Flames erupted around her.
Her hammer—Titanfall—ignited as she swung in a full arc.
A swirling tornado of fire burst outward, catching multiple hawks and sending them spiraling into the storm.
Nyxian whistled.
"Okay… that was hot."
They pushed forward.
Between bridges, new enemies emerged.
Small, glowing figures darted through the storm.
Lightning Sprites.
Fast.
Erratic.
Deadly.
Nyxian grinned.
"Finally."
Lilith's Kiss split into two.
Dual whips cracked through the air with surgical precision.
Each strike lashed multiple sprites at once, poison magic spreading through their forms.
They flickered.
Then dropped.
Vanishing into the void below.
The crossing took time.
Four full hours.
Careful steps.
Constant wind.
Relentless attacks.
For the first time in a while, they weren't rushing.
They were surviving the environment as much as the enemies.
Then came the final bridge.
And the final guardians.
Storm Serpents.
They slithered across the wood like living lightning rods—massive, scaled bodies coiling and uncoiling with terrifying speed.
Each one rose to Jax's height… meaning their full length stretched far beyond that.
Lightning crackled along their bodies.
Gryph and the gargoyles engaged from above.
Distracting.
Harassing.
Keeping them from focusing entirely on the bridge.
Jax stepped forward.
"Let's end this."
He and Bunny both moved off the bridge.
Air Walk activated simultaneously.
Jax surged forward.
Peacemaker spun into his grip.
The first serpent struck—
He sidestepped mid-air and cleaved straight through its body.
Bunny followed.
Titanfall came down like a meteor.
The impact shattered another serpent's skull against the bridge.
Lightning burst outward.
The remaining serpents lunged.
Jax twisted, flipping through the air and firing Requiem point-blank into one's open maw.
It exploded backward.
Bunny laughed.
"Last one!"
She launched herself forward—
And brought Titanfall down with enough force to split the final serpent in half.
Silence followed.
The storm still raged.
But the path was clear.
Ahead of them—
The staircase to Floor 49.
Nyxian immediately dropped to her knees the moment they stepped off the bridge.
"I am not moving."
Jax raised an eyebrow.
"You were just fighting fine."
"That was adrenaline," she said, holding her stomach. "This is reality."
Bunny sat down beside her.
"…I still feel it."
Pixelle landed nearby.
"…I'm going to throw up."
Zee calmly reinforced a small barrier around them.
"Do it over there."
Llandra crossed her arms, watching the storm.
"…Let's eat first."
Jax nodded.
"Agreed."
The tents came out again.
Lunch was prepared.
And as the group recovered…
Nyxian sat very still, refusing to move her head even slightly.
"If anyone says the word 'bridge' again…"
She pointed weakly.
"I will personally end them."
Jax smirked.
"…We've got a lot more floors to go."
Nyxian groaned.
And didn't move an inch.