The moment they crossed the threshold, the Crystal Cave revealed itself.
It was nothing like the dark, damp caverns Jax expected.
Crystals grew directly from the stone walls and ceiling, branching outward like frozen lightning. They pulsed softly with mana, providing more than enough light—yet somehow managing to cast deep, jagged shadows between the glow. Bright and ominous at the same time.
The air smelled faintly of musk and minerals, but there was no moss. No algae. No signs of plant life.
The cave was alive—but sterile.
Too clean.
Jax stepped forward first.
"Formation Alpha."
The team shifted instantly.
Jax led from the front, Peacemaker resting loosely in his grip.
Bunny moved just behind him, hammer held low but ready.
Zee stayed centered, already weaving low-level protection spells that layered quietly over the group.
Nyxian took fourth position, Lilith's Kiss coiled and alert.
Llandra sealed the rear, Starpiercer drawn, eyes scanning shadows without pause.
They advanced slowly.
Every step deliberate.
Fifty yards in, movement stirred ahead.
A shape detached itself from the shadows.
Low to the ground. Broad shoulders. Too smooth in motion.
"Contact," Llandra said calmly.
The creature stepped into the crystal light.
A wolf—massive, angular, its lower jaw formed entirely of jagged crystal that refracted light with every movement.
Jax raised a hand.
"Llandra. Meet our guest."
He paused.
"Light it up."
From the rear, Starpiercer hummed.
A flame-infused arrow screamed down the tunnel and struck the beast square in the skull.
The impact lit the corridor in fire.
The wolf collapsed—and the illumination revealed more.
Ten more shapes rose from the darkness behind it.
Nyxian's eyes widened. "Crystal Jaw Wolves."
Jax tilted his head. "Subtle."
His System activated.
CRYSTAL JAW WOLF
Rank: D
• Enhanced crystal mandibles
• Double damage against metal armor
• Resistant to physical weaponry
• Weak to magic-based attacks
"Good to know," Jax muttered.
He stepped forward.
Peacemaker left his hand in a smooth, controlled throw.
The double-bladed dragon sword spun end over end—white veins igniting as it passed through the pack.
Eight wolves were cleaved in half before they could react.
The blade curved midair and returned.
Two wolves leapt after it.
Bunny didn't wait.
She surged forward, swung once—
BOOM.
Both wolves were smashed flat against the cave wall, crystal jaws exploding like shattered glass.
Silence returned.
Too quickly.
Jax exhaled. "Clear."
They moved in.
As the bodies dissolved into mana mist, Llandra glanced at him. "Are you collecting them?"
"Yes," Jax said.
He extended his free hand.
"But first—"
His shadow stretched unnaturally across the cave floor.
"Arise."
The shadows peeled themselves off the corpses.
Eleven wolves stood again—now forged from darkness, eyes glowing faintly violet.
Bunny froze.
Zee sucked in a sharp breath.
Llandra stiffened, bow lowering a fraction.
They knew Jax could do this.
Nyxian had told them.
But knowing and seeing were very different things.
The summons had been effortless.
Casual.
Controlled.
Zee swallowed. "Are… are we using them to fight?"
Jax shook his head. "No."
He looked at the shadow wolves.
"Trash mobs."
He pointed back toward the cave entrance.
"Break crystal growths near the entrance. Separate by type. Start with structural nodes."
The wolves moved instantly.
No hesitation.
No resistance.
They began tearing crystals from the walls with surgical precision.
Jax turned back to the group.
"We'll use anything worthwhile," he said calmly. "But cannon fodder slows us down."
The silence stretched.
Nyxian was the only one smiling.
Then realization hit Jax.
He winced. "Nyxian… I didn't even give you the chance."
She tilted her head. "To claim them?"
He nodded. "I'm sorry. That was careless."
She studied the fading mana where the wolves had fallen.
Then shook her head. "It's fine. I didn't feel a pull. No connection."
She smiled faintly. "You have to defeat something to dominate it. And I need a bond to extract it. These didn't resonate."
Jax relaxed. "Good."
They moved on.
The first floor barely slowed them.
More Crystal Jaw Wolves.
Lesser crystal crawlers.
Ambient threats that would have overwhelmed an E-rank party.
Jax dissected the floor with ruthless efficiency.
Enemies fell. Shadows rose. Orders were given.
Extracted summons were repurposed immediately—mining crystals, clearing debris, hauling resources toward the entrance.
They reached the end of the floor far faster than expected.
A wide chamber opened before them.
At its center stood a massive wolf—twice the size of the others. Its crystal jaw was darker, denser, etched with glowing veins.
It snarled.
Bunny cracked her knuckles. "That one looks bigger."
Jax glanced once.
"Take it."
The fight lasted seconds.
A coordinated strike.
No fanfare.
The beast collapsed.
Jax extracted it automatically, sending the shadow off to work.
Then—
A massive stone door groaned open.
Stairs descended beyond it.
CONGRATULATIONS
YOU HAVE CLEARED FLOOR 1 OF THE CRYSTAL CAVE RAID
They stopped.
Zee frowned. "Wait… cleared?"
Llandra turned slowly. "That last one…"
Nyxian blinked. "That was it, wasn't it?"
Jax checked the System.
One C-rank extraction.
He looked up.
"…Huh."
They'd killed the boss.
And hadn't even noticed.
Jax glanced at the timer.
Fifteen minutes.
He smiled faintly.
"Well," he said, stepping toward the stairs, "I suppose it gets harder now."
The cave did not answer.
But deeper inside—
Something stirred.