Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Building a Refuge
Jax left Manaia with her new rainbow python coiled around her wrist and raised his voice so everyone could hear. He told them he had finished inspecting the cave behind the waterfall. The walls were as tough as iron, and the mountain holding it up was massive, making it a nearly impregnable natural refuge. Underground, it would be extremely hard for any forest beast to ambush them.
A group of beastmen returned carrying makeshift baskets filled with brightly colored fruits. One of them, a green-scaled dragonoid, set his load down in front of Jax.
"Leader, there are plenty of fruits around... but we didn’t dare go too far. It feels like something is watching us from the forest," he said.
Jax nodded calmly, crossing his arms.
"You did well. There are too many hidden dangers here. Better to be cautious than die foolishly."
Zela stepped forward, picking up one of the fruits and eyeing it suspiciously.
"What if they’re poisoned?"
Jax held it for a moment in his hands, closing his eyes to sense its energy. Then, without a word, he bit into it and chewed slowly.
"No poison. Just wild fruit. Bitter, but edible."
The others exchanged looks, then quickly started trying the fruits one by one. Within seconds, their murmurs of hunger were replaced by the crunch of bites.
Manaia sighed, sitting on a rock.
"At least we can fill our stomachs while figuring out how to build a proper refuge."
Jax nodded, glancing at the waterfall.
"Exactly. Now let’s talk about fortifying this place."
After eating a bit, several leaders from other races approached. The air was thick with fatigue, but also determination.
A rock golem thumped its own chest, the sound echoing through the cavern.
"We don’t have any system materials. Everything will be by hand. But these walls are as hard as steel; I can shape them if you order it, leader."
A catman raised his voice, his tail twitching nervously.
"If we’re going to live here, we need wider hallways and separate areas for resting, training, and storing food."
A blue-scaled female dragonoid added,
"My people and I can melt the weaker rocks with fire to clear space faster. But we’ll need water to cool them, or the mountain might become unstable."
Jax listened silently, nodding occasionally. Finally, he raised his hand.
"Alright. We have no points to spend, so everything will be done with our own hands. Split into teams: golems, dig the main tunnels; dragonoids, melt and reinforce; beastmen, watch the surroundings and bring more food. No one works hungry."
Immediately, the place buzzed with activity. Golems began pounding the walls with massive fists, dislodging stone blocks dragged out by dogmen. Dragonoids exhaled controlled flames, melting parts of the floor and creating a red glow inside the cave. Manaia and Jax’s women helped however they could: Lira and Elnara, the archers, guarded the entrance, while Anya and Karely reinforced weak spots with minor spells.
Riven growled every time a tunnel fragment collapsed, carrying the larger pieces alone, as if venting her rage on the stones. Jayde, the catwoman, slinked through the shadows, marking safe paths so the children wouldn’t wander into dangerous spots.
"Faster, move that rock!" Jax shouted from the center, directing everyone. "This place won’t build itself. I want a central hallway wide enough to move freely, and three side tunnels: one for sleeping, one for storage, one for training."
The golems finished carving a main passage nearly twenty meters long. The echo of each strike still lingered when Jax raised his hand to stop them.
"Enough here. If we leave the entrance this open, any beast could walk in. We need to reinforce it."
A dogman carried an enormous log on his shoulders, sweating profusely.
"Leader, we brought several of these trees! They’re so tough they feel like iron, but together we managed to cut them down."
Zela ran her hand over the wood, clicking her tongue.
"This is tougher than many walls. If we angle them correctly, it’ll be almost impossible for any beast to knock down the entrance."
Riven dropped a stone block to the ground, sending dust flying.
"We can secure them with these stones. I’ll make sure they don’t budge an inch."
Manaia, still holding the rainbow python, examined the entrance calmly.
"If we reinforce too much, we might trap ourselves inside. We’ll need an alternate exit."
Jayde appeared from the shadows, smirking.
"I found a side tunnel we can widen. It’ll serve as an escape route if the worst happens."
"Perfect," Jax said, crossing his arms. "Divide up. Zela and Riven, secure the beams. Jayde, widen the side tunnel with the golems. The rest, fetch more logs. I want a natural wall here."
Work began immediately. Catmen dragged logs, dogmen lifted them by hand, and golems pounded stone to create slots for the beams.
"More to the left, more to the left!" Zela shouted, sweating but smiling fiercely.
"Hold it steady, I’ll nail it with stone!" Riven roared, pressing a block over the base of a log until it was perfectly secure.
A dragonoid exhaled soft fire over the wood-stone joints.
"This will make it even stronger. No one will move it."
The sound of laughter mixed with the clamor of work. The children ran around carrying small branches, thinking they were helping. Kai tripped over a root and almost dropped his load, making Orín and Ren burst into laughter.
When the last beam was in place, Jax stepped forward and pushed it. The log didn’t move an inch.
"Good. Let whatever comes, this entrance won’t give."
Everyone cheered, not just for the log, but because they finally felt a safe home.
With the cave secure, they moved on to the big campfire. Jax arranged stones to contain the flames.
"Perfect, this is where the main fire will be," he said. "I want everyone seated around it safely."
Nara, with Kai and Orín helping, brought the fruits collected earlier.
"Here, we’ve got some fruit," she said, handing them out. "But I also brought some python meat. Hope you’re ready for something special."
Zela raised an eyebrow.
"Nine-colored python meat? This is gonna be interesting..."
"Yeah," Jax replied, amused. "Cook it well. Nobody wants surprises."
The girls arranged the meat on hot stones while Nara tended the fire.
"It’s a bit tough, but if we cook it slowly, it’ll be juicy," Nara explained. "Just help me keep the fire and turn the pieces occasionally."
Meanwhile, the kids ran around gathering fruits and cleaning leaves to use as plates. Jax sat near the fire, watching everyone work together and enjoy the moment after so many days of chaos.
"Never thought cooking giant beast meat could be so... relaxing," Riven said, turning a piece over the coals. "After everything we’ve been through, this feels almost like a picnic."
"Yeah," Manaia said. "Even though it’s dangerous outside, here we can feel a little safe."
The aroma of cooking meat filled the air, mixing with the sweet smell of fruit. Everyone took small bites, laughing and chatting, gradually reclaiming a sense of camaraderie.
"Jax, try this!" Lyra shouted, holding up a perfectly golden piece. "I promise it’s edible."
Jax took a bite, smiling broadly.
"Delicious. You really know how to survive and enjoy it."
The fire crackled at the center of the clearing, illuminating tired but content faces, with the waterfall cascading in the distance as a constant backdrop.
"Remember those five years floating in the air?" Jax asked, kneeling. "For you, it was amazing. But for me... everything is new. I see the world differently now. I can feel things—I can almost hear what you think when you pray to me."
Everyone went silent, wide-eyed. They hadn’t expected him to perceive more than the energy they gave.
"You can really hear us?" Manaia asked, incredulous.
"Yes," he replied. "I can sense your intentions, your desires, even what you imagine. That’s why we can try new things."
They started experimenting, sending telepathic messages to each other. Curiosity and laughter filled the air.
Suddenly, Jayde, the catwoman, lowered her gaze and focused her mind on him. A thought traveled directly into Jax’s head:
"Take my virginity, I’m the only one you haven’t pierced with your big, thick, juicy [organ]. Everyone brags about how good it feels, and I’m the only one you’ve left out."
Jax raised an eyebrow, surprised but amused. The other girls giggled nervously and exchanged teasing comments.
"Well, looks like we’ve got someone very honest in the group," Jax said, smiling. "This... definitely makes telepathy practice a lot more interesting."
Everyone suddenly went quiet, their faces turning bright red as the realization hit—they couldn’t hide their thoughts from Jax anymore. Every little feeling, every desire, flashed before him without censorship or control. The girls fidgeted, whispering to each other, trying to cover their blushes, while Jax leaned back slightly, a satisfied smirk on his face, clearly enjoying the moment more than he should. The warm glow of the fire highlighted the mixture of embarrassment and mischief dancing in their eyes.
The fire continued to burn, shadows dancing on the cave walls. Amid laughter, murmurs, and whispers, the night went on, and everyone felt closer than ever—not just as a group, but something... deeper.