As they walked beside Strax on their way back to Vorah, something suddenly happened. Everything seemed calm, and the spiders had completely vanished, but...
"I think we should hurry back to heal Sylvia," Cristine said, walking ahead of the group.
"Want me to go on ahead?" Yennifer offered.
"No, it's fine, we're close by. And I brought an entire body; it'd be tough for you all to carry it," Strax replied with a smile.
"I'm feeling a bit worn out, so you all go on ahead," Strax added. He was more exhausted than usual, each step weighing heavily on him.
Though his wives were exhilarated by their victory, the laughter and lively conversation faded when he suddenly stopped and raised a hand to his head. The women around him froze, their eyes widening.
"Strax?" Samira called, worry replacing the smile on her face.
Before he could respond, his knees buckled, and Strax collapsed onto the ground. The sight sent a jolt of fear through his wives. Cristine was the first to react, rushing to his side and holding him up, while Beatrice, wide-eyed, tried to assess his condition.
"He's... breathing, but he seems weak," Beatrice murmured, her voice trembling.
"He should be okay; he probably just overexerted himself. Let's get him home and let him rest. It doesn't seem like he's poisoned. He's probably just exhausted," Monica said, examining his body. "Everything seems alright, at least on the surface..."
"Alright, let's lift him," Samira said, helping to support him. On the other side, Cristine steadied his arm.
"But let's still take him to a healer first... we're heading there anyway to make the antidote. He might be poisoned, even though the wound is healed," Monica suggested.
"Alright," Beatrice agreed.
...
...
...
Naturally, the venom issue was resolved quickly, faster than anyone had expected. But as for Strax's diagnosis... well, the doctor didn't quite know what to say.
Strax chuckled softly, still adjusting to the sensation of being awake. "Sorry... this time, it's really the System's fault." He said, and they exchanged looks. "You... were in a coma, or...?"
"I was fighting against a Succubus Queen in a very strange castle in the middle of nowhere..." He said as he adjusted himself in the bed, resting his back on the pillow.
"Damn... I hate this shit." He muttered, massaging his head.
Monica, still with teary eyes, furrowed her brow upon hearing this. "A Succubus Queen? So, while we were desperate, you were playing with a succubus?"
Strax grimaced and let out a soft laugh, still clearly exhausted. "Believe me, Monica, I'd rather be here with you than in that place. It wasn't exactly... a pleasant visit."
Cristine let out a short, nervous laugh and sat beside him on the bed, still holding his hand as if afraid he might disappear again. "What do you mean by 'not pleasant'?"
He sighed, as if organizing his words in his mind before responding. "It was a kind of... update... I had to face four succubi without any cultivation or abilities."
Samira, trying to keep her composure, crossed her arms and stared at him. "So, you were basically in a nightmare while we were here trying to figure out how to get you out of that state? That explains... a lot."
"Ah... such exhaustion..." He muttered, closing his eyes, then he remembered something. Strax looked at her. "Sylvia... did she recover?"
Monica nodded, with a proud smile. "We managed to cure her. The doctor worked hard to find the cure, and we didn't rest until she was out of danger."
"Ah... that's good." Strax said. "You all are angels." He looked at each one of them, feeling a warmth that wasn't just from the reunion but from the bond they had strengthened even in his absence. "I really... don't know what I did to deserve you all."
Samira let out a short laugh and rolled her eyes. "Well, we're still here, so... you must have done something right."
Strax laughed with her, a deep, relaxed laugh that he hadn't felt in months. "I'll make up for the time I was gone. But I want to hear about everything that happened while I was... in another world."
...
...
...
However... As Strax calmly returned to his wives...
"Who are you?" The Three Dragons looked at the small Succubus in the midst of so many large women.