Chapter 75: One With the Pack

The entrance of the dungeon had changed greatly as there was no longer a pressing need to hide his existence. It had become a goliath construction of pillars and arching rooves like the entrance to a grand temple.

Styx carved variously statues of eldritch monsters with long winding tentacles that had light dimmer aur arrays hidden within them. This was just a more advanced light array which included a sunlight sensor and more precise control mechanism. The final product was that dim balls of light of a dark violet hue floated in the underside of those tentacles in various spots, creating an uncanny hue to the entrance of the dungeon.

In order to lure people in, he also created treasure chests and carvings of world shattering weapons. Gold-colored stones also faintly flickered under the light as if foretelling large amounts of gold.

The girls were completely accustomed to monsters by now, so they all had unhesitatingly asked if they were to give birth to such a thing in the future.

Styx was currently lying on his back on a large picnic blanket alongside all his girls.

They were currently outside the dungeon or at least, outside of the dungeon entrance. Kale was lying down with her head on his thigh while also holding her twin sister Klair in her grasp, whom had closed her eyes peacefully and was half asleep with her head also on Styx's lap.

Elena occupied the other side while also holding Styx's hand in both of hers, entwining their fingers together.

Therina and Fiore were cooking on a set up table to the side while Niah fought with the two to cook her own dishes with the ingredients.

Beatrice sat to the side with a strict expression but her overflowing desires and constant glances towards the girls lying on Styx gave away her true feelings.

Even Aura was present, although she was currently watching the girls who were cooking with a fierce gaze. Even Styx slightly dreaded thinking about her thoughts on cooking.

"Come lie down," Styx commanded to her, whom immediately leaned over and quickly pecked him on the lips before settling her head down on his chest and feeling the rhythmic movement as he breathed in and out.

"It feels like forever since I have seen the stars like this, but…"

"But what?" Fiore came over with several platters of various foods balanced on her arms and placed them on the blanket.

Styx sat up and disturbed everyone's lying position as they desperately clung onto him and made the action of sitting very difficult.

"But… these aren't the stars I remember. I could once point out all the constellations even with a blindfold on, but that has been replaced by this foreign starscape. While I wonder what kind of civilizations the intergalactic empires out there are like and the marvels of space, these stars just aren't home."

Fiore wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and pulled his head into her large bosom as she hugged him tightly.

"Our home is with you, and wherever you are. Are you not home, if you have created your own?"

Fiore's words were pleasant to hear and brought about many tender feelings in the girls, but Styx just shook his head.

"That is true, but no home can ever replace one's origins."

"Yours did."

Fiore's shoulder length light grey hair brushed the side of his face as she leaned around him and kissed him on the lips.

"Then perhaps I need to work a little harder."

Styx smiled helplessly and pulled the light grey haired dark elf into his lap, his hand shamelessly sliding down her shirt from the collar and wrapping around one of her breasts. His fingers dug into her soft yet springy pillows and she blushed deeply but held her hand over his and pressed it tighter against her breast,

"No fair!" Kale complained before grabbing his other hand and shoving it against her breasts over her clothes.

Elena looked at her own mostly flat chest and simply sighed in defeat. Therina also made a similar motion while Niah instead cupped his face in her hands and kissed him, allowing Styx to invade her mouth with his tongue.

"Enough," Therina grumpily said and pulled Niah off of Styx one handed while helping set up all of the dishes. "There will be enough time for that later, don't let the food go cold."

Styx chucked before reluctantly letting go of Fiore and Kale's breasts with one final squeeze.

Aura, who had been left out of the fun before, commandeered sitting in Styx's lap while they begun eating. Nobody tried steal her spot, as despite her friendliness, was in fact the most unreasonable out of them all.

"Aura, get me two of the garnished hortican meat slices and some corn relished salad."

Styx passed his plate to the world defying wolf-eared beauty who's sitting position stopped him getting his own food.

Aura's tail, which was wrapped around his waist, squeezed slightly as she leaned forward and placed two slices of the mana rich meat on the plate and another one in her mouth. She hummed lightly while giving Styx back his plate.

Styx wrapped his hands around Aura and slid them up her shirt and tight wrapping them around her stomach in an embrace. She slightly shifted her head in response in a seemingly casual way, but completely rested her head against Styx's intimately.

Feeling emboldened, he slyly pressed his fingers down her perfectly smooth abdomen and towards her waist. Unlike usual, she didn't give him a warning and allowed to him to carry one. His fingertips reached her waistline and began to press under the elastic holding her current skirt up when Styx and the girls heard faint rustling coming from the bushes followed by footsteps.

Aura's ears shot up and immediately captured the movements of the thirteen mercenaries, nine of which were of the Second Step, heading this way. She also captured Styx's hands in her own and stopped them going any further.

All the girls were alert and silently glared at the mercenaries as they appeared near them with their own light devices lighting the area around them.

"Well, what do we have here?" The party leader, a gruff bald man with bronze skin and emitting a sense of danger asked. "A bunch of helpless ladies lying around in the woods waiting for men to appear. Boys, pinch me to make sure I'm not dreaming."

The other gruff looking men laughed uproariously in response, equally as amazed at the scene before them as the one before. They saw Styx sitting with the girls, but they deliberately disregarded him and focused on the women instead.

Styx's and the girls' moods instantly soured and glared at the mercenaries.

"Are you looking to die?" Therina asked in a voice so cold the air seemed to frost over.

"Hahahaha, lass, just you isn't enough to kill us."

The girls were only lightly armed as it was a recreational event, but they still had some weapons. Therina drew her soulium curved dagger and flashed towards the nearest adventurer.

A Second Step Defender casually intercepted her with his large shield and was surprised when the soulium dagger penetrated through the reinforced alloy.

"Girl, that's a good dagger, did you earn that in the dungeon?"

The mercenary chucked and shoved Therina away with the shield, forcing her to fly through the air.

"Foolish humans," Styx stated as he stood up and glared at him. "Not only did you desire my women, but you even dare disregard me."

"And who are you supposed to be? You appear to be the weakest person here? Shut up and wait for us to deal with you."

Without any warning, a mercenary lurking in the shadows flicked his wrist and the cold glint of steel flickered towards Styx's eye. Everyone saw as the light from the stars reflected off the cold blade, yet were unable to do anything.

Aura, who was still standing in front of Styx, moved her arms so fast nobody saw it move, only suddenly catching the flying bade with her bare hand.

The assassin seemed to sense something and panicked. He tried to hide behind a tree and escape, but Aura emotionlessly threw the knife back at him.

The steel alloy blade turned to molten slag due to air resistance as what remained turned into a shockwave of air that caused everyone to stumble. What remained of the blade passed through the tree and sent splinters everywhere before immediately doing the same to the mercenary's torse, only this time it was blood and bone which went flying.

The mercenary instantly died and their group turned to stare at Aura in fear and panic.

"Just kill them," Styx commanded the wolf-eared girl who released a light grown before giant phantasmal purple claws tore through the fabric of reality itself and turned all the mercenaries into broken pieces.

"There have been a lot of these people invading as of late," Beatrice mentioned with some concern. "Is it due to the bounty the duke posted up at the local guilds?"

"Yes, it is precisely that. These people are crazy and will do anything for money, even throwing their lives away. Well, it is because they are crazy that they grow strong enough to do crazy things. I need to get closer to the duke to find out what's happening and how to react to it."

"How will you do that?"

Styx looked at Therina, who's terrible expression immediately got worse.

"I don't want to!"

"Didn't you say you could do this?"

"…"

"I need you to go back to Lagoon Porter City and get closer to him. Now that you have your new abilities, it should be even easier."

Therina reluctantly nodded her head but also asked, "Can I go in the morning?"

"Of course."

~~~~~

⠀

Styx lay on the center of his bed with all the girls sprawled around in whatever way they found comfortable. Everyone wore cotton pyjamas, but buttons easily came undone and tantalizing smooth skin was shown as clothes became disarrayed.

"Aura, come join us, you are basically already mine too, so it's about time you slept with everyone," Styx spoke directly into the wolf-eared woman's mind.

The wolfgirl in question was currently curled up in the refinery factory next to a magmaforge, close enough she could enjoy the heat stored within.

When she heard Styx's voice, she was reluctant but eventually conceded with an "okay".

She appeared in Styx's bedroom not long after and looked at all the girls either asleep or half asleep. Therina and Fiore had occupied his sides tonight and were very content with legs crossed and in Therina's case, half her body reaching over his to sleep.

Aura had difficulty deciding where to lay and eventually found Therina's position to be envious so she slyly moved her off Styx and took her position.

Styx didn't mind and Therina wasn't disturbed so it was let slide. The beautiful wolf eared woman nuzzled her head on his chest as his own hand moved up her top and casually trailed up and down her smooth back.

He found the wolfgirl silently looking up at him with her eyes that were so dark even light seemed to be sucked inside of them.

"What is it?"

Aura just continued to look at him without answering, so Styx just smiled and closed his eyes. His hand slowly moved down her back before continuing on its path and sliding down the back of her pants.

The wolfgirl didn't resist, and instead pressed her body weight against him more as he scratched and rubbed the base of her tail just above her ass. She seemed to deeply enjoy it as she shook her hips to match his actions and her tail tightening around his leg like a python, so Styx continued to do it.

Eventually, his avatar was overcome with fatigue, so he stretched his hand down further and took full grasp of her plump ass, holding her tight against his body while sleeping, his main dungeon core self then continuing to monitor and manage the dungeon.