Jax still wasn't entirely sure how things had escalated this far.
Agreeing to let Pixelle join the raid had felt reasonable at the time.
Under supervision.
Under strict rules.
Under the very clear understanding that once they entered the World Tree, she would follow orders.
But as Jax watched the Fairy Queen enthusiastically preparing for what she seemed to view as the greatest adventure of her life, he couldn't help wondering if he'd made a terrible mistake.
Apparently, he wasn't the only one.
Pixelle had returned to the fairy village after their conversation and immediately announced that she would be joining Jax and the Vixens inside the World Tree.
Her closest confidant had taken the news considerably less enthusiastically.
A tiny fairy with deep purple hair hovered in front of her, arms crossed.
Lexi.
"You're going where?"
Pixelle puffed out her chest proudly.
"Into the World Tree."
"With Jax?"
"Obviously."
"And the Vixens?"
"Yes."
Lexi stared at her.
"Why?"
Pixelle blinked.
"What do you mean, why?"
"I mean exactly what I said."
Lexi floated closer.
"You've never done anything like this before."
"I have fought things."
"You've attacked things."
"That's fighting."
"Not necessarily."
Pixelle frowned.
Lexi continued.
"These people raid dungeons."
"So?"
"They fight monsters."
"So do I."
"They fight enormous monsters."
"I can become enormous."
Lexi stared at her.
Pixelle smiled triumphantly.
"And Jax will protect me."
Lexi slowly closed her eyes.
There it was.
"And then," Pixelle continued, growing increasingly excited, "I will protect him."
Lexi opened her eyes again.
"Of course."
"And then he'll see me."
"He already sees you."
"No."
Pixelle shook her head.
"I mean really see me."
Lexi sighed.
Pixelle wasn't finished.
"He'll see how powerful I am."
She raised her chin proudly.
"How brave I am."
Her wings fluttered faster.
"How useful I am."
Then came the dreamy smile.
"And he'll want me as his wife."
Lexi stared at her.
"He already has two wives."
Pixelle nodded.
"And two fiancées."
Pixelle nodded again.
Lexi waited.
Pixelle apparently saw no problem.
"If marriage to Jax was your goal, you probably could have negotiated that during the trade agreement."
Pixelle froze.
Her wings stopped.
She stared at Lexi.
"...I could have done that?"
Lexi's expression remained perfectly flat.
"Probably."
Pixelle blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Her mouth opened.
Then closed.
She slowly looked toward the distant World Tree.
That possibility had apparently never occurred to her.
She could have negotiated for what she wanted.
No monsters.
No danger.
No training.
No risking her life.
Just a contract.
Pixelle considered this revelation carefully.
Then shook her head.
"No."
Lexi raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"This is better."
"How?"
"Because then he'll choose me."
Lexi stared.
Pixelle's confidence returned.
"If I negotiated it, he'd only marry me because he agreed to."
"That is generally how marriage works."
"No."
Pixelle waved dismissively.
"He needs to see me fight."
"Why?"
"Because then he'll see what I can do."
She pumped out her chest proudly.
"He'll see that I'm not just a queen."
"I am the most powerful fairy in the village."
Lexi nodded.
That part was actually true.
"And when he sees that..."
Pixelle smiled dreamily.
"He'll fall madly in love with me."
Lexi rubbed her forehead.
"And then I'll be his favorite."
That made Lexi look up.
"His favorite?"
"He can keep the others."
"How generous."
"I like them."
Pixelle shrugged.
"They're very nice."
Lexi continued staring at her.
"But I'll be his favorite."
Lexi had known Pixelle for more than sixty years.
Most outsiders would have been surprised to learn that their young queen was seventy-one.
Fairies lived for centuries.
By their standards, Pixelle was still a very young woman.
And sometimes...
It showed.
Especially when she wanted something.
"This is going to be a disaster."
Pixelle smiled brightly.
"It's going to be romantic."
"Those are not mutually exclusive."
By early afternoon, preparations were complete.
They weren't heading into the World Tree yet.
Today was about registering for a time slot.
Scouting the area.
Seeing who else had arrived.
And learning as much as possible about the competition before their raid began.
The World Tree stood only about a mile from the fairy village, but they took the carriage anyway.
Grim and Steed were harnessed to the front once again.
Jax and the Vixens occupied the main cabin while Pixelle and Lexi hovered nearby.
Roughly two dozen fairy guards accompanied their queen.
They wouldn't be entering the raid.
Neither would Lexi.
But no one outside their group knew that.
Pixelle had insisted that they remain in the normal carriage rather than enter the dimensional space.
According to her, approaching a World Tree was something that needed to be properly experienced.
Jax wasn't entirely sure what that meant.
But it was only a mile.
He wasn't going to argue.
Pixelle flew from one window to another.
"Have you ever seen something so large and amazing?"
Nyxian looked toward Jax.
"Only when his pants are off."
Jax blushed.
Bunny giggled.
Pixelle looked up in shock.
"I really hope you are exaggerating."
Nyxian smirked.
"Only slightly."
The tree was the size of a city. She was exaggerating a lot.
Jax leaned back.
"So this is really happening."
Llandra smirked.
"You sound nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
"You're doing the thinking face."
"I have a thinking face?"
Bunny nodded.
"You definitely have a thinking face."
Llandra smiled.
"You get quieter."
Zee added, "And if you have a pen, you start moving it between your fingers."
Jax looked at them.
"You've all discussed this?"
"No," Llandra said.
Nyxian smiled.
"We just pay attention to you."
Jax wasn't sure whether that was sweet or slightly concerning.
Pixelle zipped between them.
"The raid will be incredible!"
She spun in the air.
"Hundreds of adventurers have attempted it!"
She flew upward.
"Most have failed!"
Then downward.
"Some have died!"
Jax stared at her.
"...You are not helping."
Pixelle giggled.
They didn't need Pixelle to announce their arrival.
The World Tree did that on its own.
As the carriage passed through the last stretch of forest, the trees opened ahead of them.
And suddenly...
There it was.
Jax had already seen the World Tree from a distance.
He had seen it towering above the fairy village.
He had watched its branches disappear into the clouds.
But standing near its base was different.
Much different.
The trunk was enormous.
Calling it a tree almost felt inadequate.
It was more like a mountain made of living wood.
Glowing veins of mana moved through the bark in slow pulses, illuminating enormous ridges and crevices.
Roots thicker than buildings stretched across the landscape before disappearing beneath the earth.
Even the air felt different.
Charged.
Alive.
Zee inhaled slowly.
"You can feel it."
Pixelle smiled proudly.
"I told you."
Jax nodded.
"You did."
Pixelle looked very pleased with herself.
Then they noticed everything around it.
The area near the World Tree had become a temporary settlement.
Dozens of tents.
Wagons.
Campfires.
Makeshift merchant stalls.
Adventurers gathered in groups throughout the clearing.
Some sharpened weapons.
Others repaired armor.
A few trained.
Several groups were eating.
Others were drinking.
One man leaned against a wagon smoking something Jax suspected was either this world's version of tobacco or something considerably more entertaining.
There were humans.
Elves.
Dwarves.
Beastkin.
Several races Jax couldn't immediately identify.
And almost all of them were armed.
"This is bigger than I expected," Bunny said.
Llandra studied the camp.
"World Tree raids attract the strongest adventurers from across the continent."
Jax looked across the gathering.
"Good."
Nyxian glanced at him.
"Good?"
"I wanted to see who showed up."
Llandra smiled.
"So did I."
Grim and Steed pulled the carriage into the clearing.
People noticed.
Two enormous shadow bulls had a tendency to attract attention.
But the passengers created even more.
Jax stepped down first.
Then Llandra.
Bunny.
Zee.
Nyxian.
Pixelle flew out behind them.
Lexi followed.
To anyone watching from a distance, the group had an unusual composition.
Six women.
One man.
Two of the women were fairies.
Several adventurers stared.
A pair of men standing beside a nearby campfire watched them unload.
One frowned.
"That's a raid party?"
His friend shrugged.
"Maybe they're the support?"
The first man looked again.
"All six of them?"
"I don't know."
A third adventurer sitting nearby laughed.
"You two aren't from the United Kingdoms, are you?"
They looked toward him.
"No."
"Why?"
The adventurer nodded toward the group.
"Four of those women are the Vixens."
Both men looked back.
"The Vixens?"
"Those Vixens."
The first man's expression changed immediately.
"...Oh."
His friend studied them again.
Then pointed toward Pixelle and Lexi.
"Who are the fairies?"
The adventurer shrugged.
"No idea."
Across the clearing, the reactions were slightly different.
A female adventurer watched Jax walk toward the World Tree.
"Who's the guy?"
Her companion glanced over.
"Jax Darquebane."
She looked again.
"That's Jax?"
"Apparently."
Jax wasn't physically enormous.
At six-foot-two, he was tall and well built, but this was an adventurer camp.
There were men larger than him everywhere.
A Minotaur near one of the tents made Jax look small by comparison.
Nothing about him physically screamed that his Strength and Endurance were so absurdly high that the System couldn't properly measure them.
But there was something else about him.
Something difficult to explain.
The woman watched him for another few seconds.
"...That explains some things."
Her friend looked at her.
"What things?"
She continued watching.
"Why he's surrounded by beautiful women."
Her friend laughed.
Jax remained completely unaware of either conversation.
He was looking at the World Tree.
More specifically...
At the thing growing from it.
A large platform extended naturally from the base of the trunk.
It appeared to be made entirely from living wood.
Several glowing lines of mana traveled across its surface.
And embedded directly into the center was something Jax recognized immediately.
He stopped.
"No."
Bunny walked up beside him.
"What?"
Jax pointed.
"That's a touchscreen."
The others looked.
A glowing interface floated just above a smooth wooden surface.
Nyxian crossed her arms.
"You're telling me the giant magical tree has it's own system?"
"I don't know."
Jax approached it.
"But if it wants to join our party, I will probably allow it."
Zee laughed.
Jax placed his hand against the glowing surface.
The interface changed immediately.
Letters formed.
WORLD TREE RAID REGISTRATION
PARTY REGISTRATION AVAILABLE
CURRENT ENTRY QUEUE: FOURTEEN PARTIES
Jax looked toward the others.
"Fourteen."
Bunny groaned.
Pixelle immediately looked offended.
Jax touched the interface again.
New words appeared.
ENTER PARTY NAME
He smiled.
That part was easy.
THE VIXENS
The surface pulsed.
Then changed.
PARTY REGISTERED
THE VIXENS
ENTRY POSITION: FIFTEENTH
ASSIGNED ENTRY WINDOW:
6:00 AM — 12:00 PM
FOUR DAYS FROM REGISTRATION
FAILURE TO ENTER DURING ASSIGNED WINDOW WILL RESULT IN FORFEITURE OF POSITION
Jax read it twice.
Then nodded.
"Perfect."
Pixelle stared at him.
"Perfect?"
"Four days gives us time."
"For what?"
Jax looked at her.
"Training."
Pixelle's excitement diminished slightly.
"Oh."
Llandra stepped closer.
"We'll need to learn how you move."
Zee nodded.
"And how quickly you respond to commands."
Bunny smiled.
"And you need to learn how we fight."
Nyxian added, "And how to dodge Bunny."
Bunny looked offended.
"I'm very good at not hitting people."
Everyone looked at her.
Bunny crossed her arms.
"On purpose."
Jax smiled.
"Four days is good."
Pixelle stared at the glowing registration.
FIFTEENTH.
Her eyes narrowed.
"No."
Jax looked toward her.
"No?"
"I'm going to talk to the Tree."
There was a pause.
Jax looked at the World Tree.
Then back at Pixelle.
"About what?"
"Moving us up the line."
Jax stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because we're fifteenth."
"I can see that."
"We shouldn't be fifteenth."
"Fourteen groups registered before us."
Pixelle put both hands on her hips.
"I know."
"Then fifteenth seems mathematically appropriate."
Pixelle ignored that.
"I understand nature magic."
"Yes."
"I can communicate with plants."
"Also yes."
Pixelle pointed toward the colossal World Tree.
"That's a plant."
Jax slowly looked up.
Very far up.
Then back at her.
"Technically."
"So I'll explain the situation."
Zee covered her mouth.
Jax looked toward her.
She shook her head.
Pixelle was already flying away.
"I'll be back!"
Jax watched her disappear toward one of the enormous roots.
He looked at Llandra.
"Does she really think that's going to work?"
Llandra smiled.
"Apparently."
Nyxian shrugged.
"Maybe she should ask for a later time."
Jax looked toward her.
"Later?"
"Six in the morning is too early for a raid."
Nyxian stretched.
"Some of us stay up late."
Lexi slowly looked toward her.
Nyxian smiled.
"What?"
Zee said nothing.
Jax decided he didn't want clarification.
With registration complete, Jax turned his attention toward the real reason he'd wanted to come early.
The competition.
Some of the parties were clearly inexperienced.
He could see it immediately.
Equipment that didn't quite match.
Adventurers who stayed separated rather than together.
People drinking far too heavily considering what they were preparing to attempt.
Others were different.
Disciplined.
Organized.
Experienced.
One group practiced formation changes near the edge of the camp.
Another had maps spread across several tables as they compared notes with adventurers who had already attempted the Tree.
Jax liked that.
People were learning.
Adapting.
Trying again.
Then Llandra stopped.
"Jax."
Something in her voice made him look over.
"What?"
Her eyes were fixed on a group positioned farther across the encampment.
Jax followed her gaze.
Fourteen adventurers occupied a carefully organized camp.
Their equipment alone separated them from most of the others.
Enchanted armor.
High-quality weapons.
Supplies arranged meticulously.
No one appeared drunk.
No one was wasting time.
Some rested.
Some trained.
Others studied what appeared to be maps and notes.
Professional.
Even from a distance they radiated strength.
"The Crimson Vanguard," Llandra said quietly.
"They are the strongest raid group on the continent."
Nyxian smirked.
"They were."
Llandra glanced toward her.
Nyxian's smile widened.
"Until we broke their records."
Jax studied them with renewed interest.
He had heard the name before.
More than once.
When adventurers discussed legendary dungeon clears, the Crimson Vanguard appeared frequently.
Raids thought impossible.
Bosses that had destroyed other parties.
Dungeons where entire groups disappeared.
The Crimson Vanguard went in.
And usually came back out.
Alive.
More importantly...
Successful.
Jax smiled slightly.
"I've wanted to meet them."
Llandra looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because anyone that good probably knows things I don't."
Nyxian sighed dramatically.
"You're supposed to say you're excited to crush your rivals."
"I don't have rivals."
"That's considerably less dramatic."
Jax shrugged.
"Sorry."
The Crimson Vanguard noticed them too.
Several members had already turned toward Jax and the Vixens.
Quiet conversation passed between them.
Then three separated from the group.
The first was a knight.
His armor shone with a faint magical glow, polished silver trimmed with crimson accents.
A long crimson cape hung from his shoulders.
He carried himself with the practiced confidence of someone accustomed to command.
Beside him walked something considerably larger.
A towering figure nearly nine feet tall.
At first Jax thought it was wearing stone armor.
Then he realized—
No.
It was stone.
The creature's entire body appeared carved from dark gray rock, with glowing amber lines running through cracks along its arms and chest.
The third member was a young woman.
Pale.
Dark-haired.
Dressed in clothing that reminded Jax strangely of a gothic school uniform from his own world.
Resting casually across one shoulder was an enormous scythe.
Nyxian leaned closer.
"I like her."
"You haven't met her."
"I like the aesthetic."
"Of course you do."
The three approached.
Jax stepped forward slightly.
Llandra moved naturally to his left.
Bunny to his right.
Zee and Nyxian remained just behind them.
Lexi hovered nearby.
Pixelle was still somewhere attempting to negotiate with a tree.
The armored knight stopped several feet away.
He removed his helmet.
The man beneath appeared to be in his thirties, with short dark hair and the weathered features of someone who had spent much of his life outside city walls.
His eyes moved across the group.
Not dismissively.
Assessing.
Then he smiled.
"Good afternoon."
Jax nodded.
"Good afternoon."
The man placed his helmet beneath one arm.
"Sir Aldric Valen."
He gestured toward the camp behind him.
"Crimson Vanguard."
"Jax Darquebane."
Aldric's smile grew slightly.
"So the rumors were accurate."
"Depends on the rumor."
The gothic woman smirked.
Aldric looked across the four women standing with Jax.
"Llandra."
She inclined her head.
"Aurabelle."
Bunny smiled.
"Zephrial."
Zee nodded politely.
Then—
"Nyxian Nightveil."
Nyxian smiled.
"You've done your homework."
"I make it a habit to know the names of people who break our records."
Nyxian's smile became considerably more pleased.
Jax laughed.
Aldric extended his hand.
"I've wanted to meet you."
Jax took it.
"Likewise."
The handshake was firm.
Nothing competitive.
Nothing performative.
Just mutual respect.
Before either could continue—
A tiny figure slowly floated back toward them.
Pixelle.
Her shoulders were slumped.
Her wings moved with considerably less enthusiasm than before.
Lexi noticed first.
"Oh no."
Jax released Aldric's hand.
Pixelle landed beside him.
He looked down at her.
"How'd it go, Your Grace?"
Pixelle frowned.
"It ignored me."
Jax pressed his lips together.
He tried.
He genuinely tried.
Nyxian did not.
She laughed.
Pixelle glared at her.
Nyxian wiped beneath one eye.
"I'm sorry."
She absolutely wasn't.
Then she smiled.
"Did you ask for a later time?"
Pixelle frowned.
"Why would I do that?"
"Six in the morning is too early for a raid."
Nyxian stretched again.
"Some of us stay up late."
Zee slowly turned toward her.
Nyxian smiled innocently.
Jax once again decided he wanted absolutely no clarification.
Aldric looked between all of them.
The stone giant remained perfectly silent.
The gothic woman stared at Pixelle.
Then at Jax.
Then at the Vixens.
Her expression suggested she was trying to understand what she'd just walked into.
Then back toward the Fairy Queen currently sulking because an ancient divine tree had refused to recognize her.
"So this is Jax and the Vixens,"
Jax smiled at her.
"Most of us."