With the gate operational and the Transit Nexus staffed by capable hands, Jax finally allowed himself a day away from construction and contracts.
He and the Vixens headed straight for one of his favorite places in Solmere.
Brannic and Merriweather's forge.
The difference from just a few months ago was staggering.
The shop that had once struggled to stay afloat now buzzed with customers. Adventurers crowded the counters. Apprentices hurried between stations. The rhythmic ringing of hammer on enchanted steel echoed proudly into the street.
Word of mouth had done what gold alone could not.
Quality.
Results.
Reputation.
Merriweather was humming as the door opened. When she saw the Vixens enter, her song turned into delighted laughter.
"Well if it isn't Solmere's favorite troublemakers!"
Brannic emerged from the back workshop, wiping soot from his hands before gripping Jax in a firm handshake that turned into a brief, solid hug.
"You survived," the dwarf grunted approvingly.
"And brought souvenirs," Jax replied with a grin.
He tilted his head slightly.
"I've got quite a few beasts I'd like you to look at. And… a new project. If you think you're up for it."
Brannic's eyes lit up.
Merriweather clapped her hands.
"Oh, we're up for it."
The Materials
They moved to the expanded warehouse behind the forge.
Jax opened his dimensional storage.
And began unloading.
Crystal-armored beasts.
Dense mana-infused hides.
Reinforced skeletal plating.
Rare internal cores harvested from deep dungeon floors.
Brannic's jaw dropped.
Merriweather nearly squealed.
"You cleared an A-Rank dungeon…" she whispered, running her hand across a crystal-plated limb. "And you harvested it properly."
"These materials," Brannic muttered, eyes gleaming, "could redefine our entire line."
Jax nodded.
"Upgrade the Vixens first."
They began discussing possibilities.
Crystal Enhancements:
Llandra's Starpiercer would receive crystal-lined channels along the bow's limbs, allowing arrows to refract light mid-flight — slightly altering trajectory and increasing armor penetration through concentrated mana convergence.
Zee's Sanctaris staff would gain a crystal focus core, amplifying healing output while granting passive light-based shielding that strengthened the more allies stood near her.
Nyxian's Lilith's Kiss whip would be reinforced with flexible crystal threads woven between the dragon-scale segments, allowing it to channel stored mana and briefly solidify on command — turning it into a cutting edge of crystalline force.
Bunny's hammer would be fitted with crystal resonance plates that absorb impact shock and release it in a secondary pulse — doubling concussive force without increasing strain on her arms.
Brannic stroked his beard.
"And Jax?"
Jax smiled faintly.
"I'll think on mine."
He always did.
The Blueprints
Then Jax pulled out something different.
Glowing blue crystals.
Not dungeon-grade.
Not raw harvest.
Refined.
These were mana-concentration crystals — capable of stabilizing structured magical flow.
And with them—
He handed over a rolled parchment.
Blueprints.
Merriweather unrolled them.
Her eyes widened.
Brannic leaned in.
"This…" he whispered.
"These are crystal lattice reinforcement schematics," Merriweather breathed. "This isn't just strengthening metal… this is integrating structured mana circulation into a weapon."
They looked at Jax.
"Two weapons to be precise."
"You designed this?"
Jax shrugged lightly.
"I had help."
They didn't question further.
Professionals recognized genius when they saw it.
Brannic started sketching modifications already.
They were alive with inspiration.
Now to meet up with the fanciest Troll on the Continent.
Once materials were sorted, Jax made his way to the Beast Broker's quarter.
Grathok.
The troll merchant nearly choked on his pipe when Jax began unloading hundreds of monster remains.
Again.
"I really need to stop being surprised by you," Grathok muttered.
Crystal carcasses stacked high.
Fur pelts.
Dense bones.
Preserved organs.
Even specialized glands useful for alchemists.
"You'll keep my crews busy for a month with this alone," the troll said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Grathok was a master of distribution.
Meat to restaurants.
Bone to craftsmen.
Organs to alchemists.
Hide to tailors.
Even waste products sold as premium fertilizer.
Nothing was wasted.
Nothing.
Jax outlined which materials were priority for Brannic and Merriweather's upgrades. Those would be processed first.
The rest?
Marketed aggressively.
Grathok grinned wide.
"I'll delay two other contracts. Your goods take precedence."
Jax chuckled.
"My favorite broker."
Jax leaned forward.
"Speaking of business… I've got a new way for you to transport to Crystalshire."
Jax handed him a polished card.
Transit Nexus — Merchant Priority Access.
"Discounted freight rates for your shipments," Jax said.
Grathok's eyes gleamed.
Crystalshire clients.
Almost instant travel time.
No risk.
Higher margins.
He was already calculating profits.
"I won't advertise how much I'm saving," the troll muttered with satisfaction. "But they will be impressed by delivery speed."
They shook hands.
Grathok paid a four-million gold advance immediately.
Another forty million expected over the coming months once high-tier goods were processed and sold.
And that didn't even include projected profits from Brannic and Merriweather's enhanced weapon line.
Jax estimated nearly eighty million gold over six months from this single expedition.
An A-Rank dungeon wasn't just glory.
It was economic ignition.
Feeding the City
Before leaving, Jax stopped by his restaurants.
New exotic meats would be arriving soon.
He explained preparation methods personally.
"Slow-roast the flank cuts. Spice the crystal-furred ribs. Market it as 'Dungeon Prime.'"
Managers scribbled notes eagerly.
Special menus would roll out the next week.
He also reminded them of the Civic Growth Fund.
Every business Jax partially owned contributed a percentage to infrastructure improvement.
Road repairs.
Market lighting.
Expanded stalls.
Water channel maintenance.
And now—
Construction crews were already visible across town.
Streets widened.
Brickwork restored.
Vendors smiling.
Solmere was no longer surviving.
It was expanding.
The Smirk
As they left Grathok's compound, the late afternoon sun bathed the town in warm light.
The Vixens walked beside Jax.
And they noticed it.
That expression.
That quiet, satisfied smirk.
He looked like a man watching dominoes fall exactly as planned.
Nyxian nudged him.
"You're glowing."
"I am not."
"You absolutely are," Bunny said softly.
Zee smiled knowingly.
Llandra watched him with calm admiration.
Jax looked at the street repairs.
The reopened shops.
The bustling merchants.
The forge smoke rising proudly in the distance.
"It's starting to come together," he murmured.
He nodded once to himself.
"It's really starting to come together."
The Vixens didn't just see a powerful adventurer.
They saw something else.
A builder.
A strategist.
A man who wasn't just conquering dungeons—
He was reshaping cities.
And Solmere was only the beginning.