.Unlike the inn in Solmere, this one did not provide room service.
Jax noticed that immediately upon waking.
He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling while the slow rhythm of shared breathing surrounded him. Arms draped across his chest. A leg hooked over his waist. Soft hair tickled his jaw. Bodies pressed close—not in passion now, but in exhaustion earned the hard way.
Carefully, deliberately, Jax untangled himself.
He moved like a thief escaping his own bed, easing fingers from parts of his body he wished to keep in tact, lifting weight inch by inch so no one stirred. The Vixens were utterly spent—muscles relaxed, expressions peaceful, the kind of deep sleep that only came after triumph and release. And they released a lot that night.
He dressed casually, pulling on simple clothes, and slipped out of the room.
Downstairs, the inn was already awake.
The receptionist—a gray-haired woman with sharp eyes and a voice that carried—looked up the moment Jax approached.
"We've had more noise complaints last night," she said flatly, "than we've had in the past six months combined."
Jax smiled easily.
He leaned forward, lowering his voice just enough to feel conspiratorial, and slid four gold coins onto the counter.
"We were tired last night," he said pleasantly. "It'll probably be louder the next few days. This is for the inconvenience."
The receptionist stared at the coins.
Then at him.
She'd been on shift all night. She'd heard the complaints first hand.
Tired, she thought incredulously.
Her mind spiraled with scandalous conclusions she would absolutely never admit aloud. What kind of group exhausted five people like that? And why—oh why—had she never been invited to anything even half that interesting?
She cleared her throat, swept the coins away, and nodded.
"Enjoy your stay."
Jax did.
He stepped out into the street, letting the cool morning air wake him fully. Crystalshire buzzed even at this early hour. Merchants setting up stalls. Workers changing shifts. Shadow beasts moving with tireless efficiency along the road toward the mountain after dropping another load of cargo.
He listened as he walked.
Conversation drifted freely now.
"Those shadows were still working all night."
"I always thought necromancy was vile… but after this?"
"If it works, it works. Look at the record."
"Funny how opinions change when results show up."
Jax smiled.
He ordered breakfast at a nearby pub—a lot of it. Enough to wake the dead, ironically. Stews, breads, fruit, eggs, cured meats. All to go.
As he waited, he watched the town move.
Crystalshire was changing.
By the time the Vixens awoke, the day was already well underway.
They ate together—laughing, relaxed, rested—and for the first time since arriving, there was no urgency pressing at their backs. Outside, the shadows continued their work without pause.
The caravan never stopped.
While the group slept, it moved in quiet cycles—loading crystals, traveling to the warehouse, unloading with practiced precision. Workers rotated in shifts, separating, cataloging, and transporting materials without complaint.
Pophov had been busy.
He'd already selected a dozen men and women from the crowds—those who worked without being asked, who adapted quickly, who didn't shy away from responsibility. He offered them full-time employment on the spot.
Good pay. Real security.
They accepted without hesitation.
Jax's model was working.
Build infrastructure.
Create opportunity.
Let people rise.
Those twelve became the foundation of something larger—project leads, production managers, logistics coordinators. Not just laborers, but leaders. They oversaw the manufacturing of refrigeration units, dimensional storage devices, and whatever new madness Eldrich and Jax dreamed up next.
Their company adopted a simple motto:
The only constant is change.
And instead of fearing it, they embraced it.
Happy workers.
Stable lives.
A system that rewarded effort rather than crushed it.
From the outside, it looked like good business.
From the inside, it felt like purpose.
Jax stood at the warehouse later that afternoon, watching shadows and people work side by side—no fear, no resentment, no exploitation.
This was what he lived for.
Not glory.
Not praise.
But building something that lasted.
Behind him, the Vixens approached, refreshed and smiling, eyes bright with the satisfaction of knowing they were part of something bigger than themselves.
The Crystal Cave was conquered.
The town was thriving.
And the future?
The future was already being built—one careful decision at a time.
Jax watched it all with quiet pride.
Tomorrow, there would be more challenges.
More enemies.
More worlds to change.
But for now?
This morning belonged to them.