When Lux opened his eyes, he found his head nestled between Cai's breasts.
He was still half-asleep, but the softness, similar to that of a marshmallow, felt so comfortable that he decided to remain in that position for a while.
Due to his sensitivity, he could also feel someone hugging him from behind, pressing her body against his, sharing her warmth.
As he listened to the gentle breathing of the two beautiful ladies by his side, the cogs of Lux's brain finally started to turn. The events that happened several hours ago washed over his mind like a flood.
The Half-Elf could feel his cheeks burning in embarrassment, not because he was sandwiched between two peerless beauties, but due to the fact that he only managed to last one round with Cai.
In short, he only did it once each with his two fiances, and for someone who thought that he could handle both of them for 40 rounds, he fell short of his goal by leaps and bounds.
After remembering his one-sided defeat against the High Priestess, Lux decided to be petty and planted a kiss mark on Cai's cleavage, making the young lady's eyes flutter a bit.
But due to how tired she was, her expression returned to normal, and she remained peacefully asleep without a care in the world.
Lux knew that he was being petty, so he kissed the part that he lightly bit a while ago. Cai wasn't the one at fault.
He was just caught off guard by her uncanny ability to milk him dry after doing it once.
'My weakness also came into play,' Lux thought as his right hand caressed Cai's backside, feeling the smooth, plump buttocks that would make most young men howl like wolves.
Perhaps due to Lux's gentle and sweet caress, Cai's eyelids fluttered open.
She then lightly patted the Half-Elf's head in a daze before guiding his lips towards her nipple, treating him like a baby who wanted to drink some milk.
Lux was more than happy to accept Cai's invitation and using his lips and tongue, he started to suckle and play with the pink tip that was starting to get hard.
After making sure that the "baby" was obediently doing what he was supposed to do, Cai once again closed her eyes to sleep.
For some reason, Lux also felt drowsy, and not long after, he once again fell asleep, still suckling the High Priestess' breast.
Two hours later, Lux suddenly woke up after he felt that his surroundings were shaking.
The first thing he saw was his fiance, Iris, who was looking down at him with an amused expression on her face.
The blue-haired beauty was on top of him, and it didn't take long for Lux to realize what was happening.
"Good morning, Lux," Iris said as she moved her hips, giving Lux the strong temptation to grab the two beautiful breasts that were swaying enticingly in front of him.
"Good morning, Iris," Lux replied as he placed his hands on her waist, supporting her body. "I never thought I'd wake up seeing you on top of me like this."
Iris stopped moving her hips and lowered her head to kiss her fiance.
"Last night, I didn't get enough," Iris said softly. "I was hoping that we could do it one more time before breakfast."
"We still have time," Lux replied. "Let's take things slowly."
An hour later, Lux, Iris, and Cai bathed together in order to prepare for breakfast.
The Half-Elf and the blue-haired beauty noticed that Cai was blooming like a beautiful flower, making them wonder if this was the side-effect of her becoming Lux's woman.
"What's wrong?" Cai asked with a smile. "Why are you two looking at me weirdly? Is there something wrong with my face?"
"No," Lux replied. "Actually, you look more beautiful today than yesterday."
"How can that be possible?" Cai lightly pulled the Half-Elf's ear, making Iris giggle.
"But it's true, you know?" Iris commented. "Although you look the same, your aura has changed a bit. It feels more mature."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Although Cai doubted Lux's words, she didn't doubt Iris' comment.
Not long after, all three of them got dressed. The two ladies then went into the next room, where Eiko and Fei Fei had slept for the night.
To their surprise, the two Baby Slimes were no longer asleep and were simply making Blast Bombs as if it was a fun game to play.
The corner of Iris' and Cai's lips twitched as they looked at the pile of Blast Bombs that were on top of the bed.
Both of them knew that if these Blast Bombs exploded, a good chunk of Iris' Residence would be destroyed.
"Ma!"
"Wei!"
Eiko and Fei Fei noticed the two ladies and immediately jumped into their arms, completely ignoring the dangerous bombs that were still piled up on top of the bed.
Naturally, Lux was the one to do the cleanup, encasing all the Blast Bombs inside a Skeleton Bomb, ready to use at a moment's notice.
After his discussion with Garret, he no longer thought that Eiko's and Glee's addiction to making bombs was a problem. In fact, he wanted them to make more bombs, so that when the Divine Army of Light came knocking on their doors, he could give them an explosive welcome that they would never forget.
When Lux, Iris, and Cai arrived at the dining table, Maximilian gave Lux a wink, which the latter returned with a wink of his own.
He had noticed the changes in his granddaughter's temperament and quickly figured out that she had taken that final step, which would bind her Fate to the red-headed teenager, whose aura had changed as well.
Whether Vera and Alexander also noticed that something was different with Cai, they didn't show it on their faces.
They simply asked the teenagers to sit, so that they could have breakfast together.
Halfway through their meal, Maximilian spoke up, telling Lux about the move that his Rowan Tribe was planning to make.
"I will send Rankers to explore the Gate of the Apocalypse," Maximilian stated. "Since Rankers are allowed to enter it, I'm guessing that it isn't something simple. Cai will be going there as well because she feels as if something inside is calling out to her. Don't worry, Hector and the rest of our Elite Warriors are going to accompany her to ensure her safety."
(A/N: Hector is Xander's father. If you forgot who Xander is, he was Cai's protector during the previous dungeon expeditions.)
Lux nodded his head in understanding before shifting his gaze to his stepfather, Alexander.
"Barbatos Academy will also be sending Rankers," Alexander stated. "Alicia will be their leader in this expedition. Henrietta and her Guild Members will also be joining as well. I want them to gain as much experience as possible before breaking through and becoming Rankers themselves."
Henrietta was the Guildmaster of Barbatos Academy's Guild, Serenity. She was now a Peak Initiate, but her Ranker Trial had something to do with the Gate of the Apocalypse.
Because of this, she still hadn't made her breakthrough and was waiting for the Domain of the Fallen to open in order to ascend to the next Rank.
"And Iris?" Lux asked as he held the hand of the blue-haired beauty beside him.
Alexander paused for a bit before nodding his head. "She is going to go as well. I have kept her away from the Sacred Dungeon long enough. It is time for her to participate as well."
Lux held Iris' hand a little more tightly, but he understood what his Stepfather was trying to do.
Neither of them wanted Iris to become a greenhouse flower—one that would easily wilt when taken out to the wild, unable to handle harsh environments.
Although they were overprotective of her, they also understood that holding back her growth would be detrimental to her future and would prevent her from reaching her full potential.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine," Iris said with a smile. "I have gone to dangerous places before. Besides, I have my Guardians to protect me. Also, Alicia and the other Rankers of Barbatos Academy will be there."
Lux nodded. "Don't worry. I know you'll be safe."
"What about me?" Cai asked in a teasing tone. "Aren't you worried about my safety?"
"Of course, I am worried about you as well," Lux replied before holding Cai's hand under the table. "Be safe for me, okay?"
"Okay," Cai replied.
This exchange made Maximilian chuckle, while Vera and Alexander simply smiled.
If not for the reason that his Guild Headquarters was in danger of being discovered by the Divine Army of Light due to their location, Lux might have also accompanied his two fiances.
Even though he wasn't interested in exploring the Gate of the Apocalypse, he wouldn't mind tagging along to ensure their safety.
"When will all of you leave for the Domain of the Fallen?" Lux inquired.
"Two days from now," Alicia replied. "Our preparations are almost finished. The Rankers of the Rowan Tribe and Barbatos Academy will move as one to explore the Gate of the Apocalypse.
"I'm sure that the other Factions are thinking of doing the same thing. After all, if we find valuable resources, we don't want to share them with others. Basically, it's on a first come, first served basis. The Six Kingdoms and our Factions have already talked about this. No one will steal the others' resources, and we will all mind our own business."
Maximilian smirked. "If they try anything funny, I'll make sure that they regret it when they return. After all, we will be monitoring the events that will happen through the artifacts that everyone will be carrying with them."
The Saint of the Rowan Tribe had also warned the Six Kingdoms, as well as the Xynnar War Pact, that anyone who would target his tribe, as well as the members of Barbatos Academy, would receive his wrath.
Knowing how hot-tempered and easily angered Maximilian was, the rulers of the Six Kingdoms warned their members to not antagonize their candidates inside the Gates of the Apocalypse.
