Dinner ended surprisingly early.
That alone felt suspicious.
The Neon Moon still buzzed with life around them:
music drifting through open windows
laughter rolling across crowded tables
servers rushing between customers
mugs clinking endlessly
But the Vixens were already standing.
Bunny stretched dramatically.
Nyxian swirled the last of her drink lazily.
Zee looked warm and sleepy.
Llandra calmly adjusted her coat with regal finality.
Jax blinked.
"…That was early."
"We're tired," Bunny said brightly.
Jax nodded sympathetically.
"That makes sense. Last night was—"
"—a wonderful night," Zee finished softly.
Nyxian smirked into her glass.
"And we thought an early night sounded nice."
Jax visibly relaxed.
"Oh good. Honestly, I agree. We should probably sleep early. Tomorrow's training is going to be rough."
The girls exchanged looks.
Then Nyxian smiled slowly.
"…No one said sleep, Jaxy."
Jax paused.
"…What?"
Zee leaned slightly closer.
"We said we wanted to go to bed."
Jax blinked twice.
Then slowly turned toward Llandra for support.
The elf folded her arms calmly.
"We want you again tonight."
Jax's brain stopped functioning briefly.
"Oh."
Bunny raised one hand proudly.
"I want to be on top again."
The table froze.
Then Bunny added helpfully:
"Having the S-E-X."
Nyxian physically lowered her face into her hands.
Zee squeaked.
Llandra closed her eyes slowly.
"…Bunny."
"What?" Bunny asked innocently.
"Have some tact," Nyxian sighed.
Bunny's ears lowered slightly.
"Sorry…"
Then after a small pause:
"…But I DO want to be on top again."
Jax nearly died.
The nearby waitress walked past at exactly the wrong moment.
She froze mid-step.
Then immediately turned around and walked away pretending she heard absolutely nothing.
Jax stared at the table for several seconds before slowly raising one finger.
"…Check please."
Nyxian burst out laughing immediately.
Morning came far too quickly.
Mostly because very little actual sleeping occurred.
By the time Jax finally escaped the bedroom alive, the Vixens looked:
relaxed
glowing
slightly smug
and dramatically more dangerous
Jax himself looked emotionally exhausted.
Nyxian looked spiritually refreshed.
Breakfast became quieter than usual afterward.
Not awkward.
Just…
comfortable.
The kind of silence that came from closeness instead of uncertainty.
Eventually though, the system screens started appearing again.
More notifications.
More iPoint gains.
More unlocked bonuses.
The girls carefully distributed their new stat points while discussing builds around the table.
Bunny focused heavily into:
Strength
Agility
Durability
Zee invested into:
Mana Control
Healing Efficiency
Intelligence
Llandra optimized almost everything strategically.
Naturally.
Nyxian distributed points like someone decorating a weapon.
When they asked Jax for advice, he mostly gave the same answer every time.
"Choose what helps you survive."
Or:
"Build around your instincts."
Or simply:
"Whatever feels right for you."
Nyxian eventually noticed.
"You really don't want to control our builds, do you?"
Jax looked genuinely confused.
"…Why would I?"
The girls exchanged small glances.
Because in this world—
powerful men usually controlled everything.
Jax simply shrugged.
"Your bodies. Your systems. Your choices."
That answer lingered quietly with them the rest of breakfast.
Later that morning—
training began.
Sunlight spilled across the newly expanded yard behind Brannic's forge.
The area had changed dramatically already.
Wooden barricades.
Raised platforms.
Obstacle routes.
Defensive positions.
Uneven terrain.
Kill corridors.
Jax stood in the center of it all calmly.
And immediately—
the mood changed.
No flirting.
No teasing.
No relaxed warmth.
Jax switched modes completely.
The Vixens noticed it instantly.
This wasn't:
boyfriend Jax
restaurant owner Jax
awkward romantic Jax
This was something else.
Focused.
Sharp.
Dangerously serious.
"Form up," he said calmly.
The Vixens moved instinctively into their normal formation.
Jax shook his head immediately.
"No."
They blinked.
"Again."
They adjusted.
"No."
Again.
Still wrong.
Nyxian finally crossed her arms.
"You're going to need to explain what you want eventually."
"I don't want fixed positions," Jax replied calmly.
"I want adaptability."
He pointed.
"Bunny. Front-left."
Then:
"Zee. Two paces behind."
"Llandra. Rear center."
Llandra frowned immediately.
"Rear?"
"You have the highest battlefield awareness," Jax explained.
"I need you watching what the others miss."
Nyxian tilted her head.
"And me?"
"You move where pressure forms."
Nyxian slowly smiled.
"…I do like the sound of that."
"Again."
They ran the formation.
Five seconds later—
"Stop."
Bunny groaned dramatically.
"What now?"
"You left Zee exposed."
Zee blinked.
"I did?"
"You drifted too wide during movement transition."
Llandra immediately looked toward Zee's blind spot.
Realization hit.
"…He's right."
Again.
They reran it.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The hours passed.
Sweat formed.
Muscles burned.
Frustration grew.
Eventually Nyxian collapsed backward onto a crate dramatically.
"We're already stronger than most adventurers in this city."
Jax met her eyes calmly.
"Not enough."
The answer came instantly.
No hesitation.
No softness.
The Vixens went quiet.
Jax stepped toward them slowly.
"Strength alone means nothing."
He pointed toward Bunny.
"Raw power fails if positioning breaks."
Toward Zee.
"Healing fails if pressure reaches the backline."
Toward Llandra.
"Awareness fails without communication."
Then finally toward Nyxian.
"And talent fails if emotion overrides discipline."
Nyxian's smile faded slightly.
Because she knew he was right.
Jax looked at all four of them carefully.
"I don't need four strong individuals."
The wind shifted softly across the yard.
"I need a team capable of surviving anything."
Silence followed.
Then Jax added quietly:
"With or without me."
That line hit differently.
The Vixens straightened slowly afterward.
Because suddenly—
this no longer felt like ordinary training.
This felt like preparation.
For something.
Something dangerous enough that Jax—
absurdly overpowered, impossible Jax—
still believed they needed to become stronger.
The girls exchanged looks.
Then silently returned to formation.
Jax nodded once.
"Again."
And this time—
they moved differently.