The cool evening breeze brushed against Klaus’s face, pulling him out of his deep meditative trance.

’Sigh... That was a good test.’

He slowly opened his eyes, blinking away the lingering white glow of his Soul space.

The sun had long since set over Galen Town replacing the bright afternoon sky with a dark canvas of scattered stars.

He uncrossed his legs and stood up from the manicured grass of the training yard.

His muscles felt relaxed and energized by the new reserves of mana pulsing through his veins.

Out of pure curiosity, Klaus channeled a tiny fraction of his energy into his eyes.

’Thermal Perception.’

The world around him drained of its natural colors.

The dark stone walls of the Forest-Edge Compound turned a deep, freezing blue, confirming the stone held zero body heat.

He turned his gaze toward the main house. Through the thick walls, he could see four distinct, glowing silhouettes of bright red, orange, and yellow clustered together in a single room.

’They’re in the kitchen?’

Klaus cut off the mana supply with his vision returning to normal.

He dusted off his trousers and walked up the stone path, pulling open the oak front doors.

The moment he stepped into the foyer, the rich aroma of roasted meat and spices hit his nose.

Klaus followed the scent through the living room, stopping right at the edge of the kitchen archway.

He leaned against the wooden frame, crossing his arms as he took in the scene before him.

It was a picture of harmony that he honestly never expected to witness.

Taula stood at the large wooden island in the center of the room.

She held a sharp kitchen knife, rapidly dicing a pile of fresh vegetables with surprisingly flawless precision considering all she knew how to do was smash.

Zephyra stood right next to her at the enchanted stove. The royal was wearing an apron over her new clothes, carefully stirring a massive pan of scrambled eggs while Taula offered her gentle pointers on temperature control.

Over by the sink, Mirela was cheerfully washing a set of porcelain plates, humming a soft tune under her breath.

Serra sat at the edge of the counter, meticulously sorting through a small pile of dried tea leaves and herbs, preparing a fresh brew for the evening.

Nobody was fighting... Nobody was screaming and nobody was trying to assert dominance.

Klaus watched them. Taula laughed at something Zephyra said, bumping her hip playfully against the royal’s side as Zephyra smiled back, tossing a pinch of salt into the pan.

’Are they possessed?’ Klaus thought, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. ’Did a squad of Death Cultists infiltrate the compound and replace them with doppelgangers while I was outside?’

He almost activated his Thermal Perception again just to make sure they were actually human, but he held back.

A strange warmth settled into his chest instead.

’I... I like it.’

He realized, right then and there, that he genuinely liked them. He liked having them around.

These girls were amazing... and they made his life lively, Taula... Mirela... Zephyra... all of them, in this world where he had been reincarnated as a Trash mob, he had a real home and family.

They were the girls.

"Is the food almost ready?" Klaus asked aloud, making his presence known and all four girls turned toward the archway.

"Master!" Mirela beamed, quickly drying her hands on a towel.

"Hubby!" Zephyra cheered, abandoning her pan for a second to wave at him with a wooden spatula. "You woke up! I’m making dinner!"

"Go sit at the table, Klaus," Taula added, scooping her diced vegetables into a bowl. "We will bring everything out in a minute."

Klaus nodded, walking into the adjacent dining room and taking a seat at the head of the long mahogany table.

A few moments later, the girls emerged from the kitchen, carrying platters of roasted meat, fresh bread and a massive bowl of Zephyra’s signature scrambled eggs.

They all took their seats.

Taula deliberately sat on his left, while Zephyra sat on his right while Serra and Mirela took the seats across from them.

Taula grabbed the serving spoon, scooped a huge mountain of eggs, and dropped them directly onto Klaus’s plate.

"Eat up, Klaus," Taula insisted, pointing at the food. "Zephyra made these just for you... She is an amazing cook, the texture is perfect. You are so lucky she made these."

Klaus paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. He slowly turned his head to look at the blond-haired warrior.

Taula was giving him a bright encouraging grin, acting like the ultimate wingman for the woman she had been glaring daggers at just a few hours ago.

He turned to look at Zephyra.

The royal was blushing profusely, her gray eyes staring down at her lap as she smiled innocently twirling a lock of black hair around her finger.

Klaus set his fork down.

"What’s going on?"

"What do you mean?" Taula asked, batting her eyelashes in a rare display of innocence.

"You two fought a literal tug-of-war over my arms earlier today," Klaus pointed out. "Now you’re hyping up her cooking skills. Did you hit your heads while I was sleeping?"

Taula laughed, waving her hand dismissively.

"We just had a nice chat, that’s all! We came to an understanding. Teamwork is important, right? Now eat the eggs before they get cold!"

Klaus was deeply suspicious.

He knew Taula’s competitive nature, and he knew Zephyra’s possessive streak.

Whatever deal they had struck in this very dining room while he was meditating, he was sure it involved him but the food did smell incredible. He scooped up a bite of the eggs and ate them.

They were actually delicious.

"Wow," Klaus admitted, looking at Zephyra. "These are genuinely good."

Zephyra’s blush deepened. "Thank you, Hubby."

Across the table, Serra took a delicate sip of her freshly brewed tea, hiding a small, amused smile behind the porcelain rim.

She set the cup down onto its saucer and cleared her throat, pivoting the conversation away from the domestic weirdness.

"So," Serra began, looking at Klaus. "Are we heading to the dungeon tomorrow, Boss?"

Klaus swallowed his food. "The World Dungeon?"

"Yes," the blonde healer nodded. "We left off at the twentieth floor before things became complicated."

"You know Klaus, Serra’s right," Taula agreed, taking a bite of roasted meat. "But the twentieth floor is easy peasy... We can surely get up more floors the next time we go there."

Klaus remembered the fight and it had been chaotic.

Taula had been forced to throw her axe at the ceiling just to deal with the spiders, Serra had to split her holy beams to manage the wolf pack, and Mirela nearly shot him in the back with her magic.

’I also have some spins for the Wheel...’ Klaus thought with a sigh as he ate. ’But I’m on vacation right now... I don’t want to bother pulling for new items or reading long skill descriptions today.’

He would simply spin after this small vacation was over... he could get a shit ton of items that easily.

Testing out the raw power of his newly amplified Soul Mana in a controlled environment, however?

That sounded like a perfect plan.

"Why not?" Klaus agreed casually, cutting into a piece of roasted meat. "A quick raid won’t hurt.. We can clear the twentieth floor and see what the lower levels look like."

"Alright Master..." Mirela cheered softly, raising her hands. "I get to practice with my new staff..."

The rest of the dinner passed in relative peace, filled with casual banter, future plans, and Taula continuously complimenting Zephyra every time the royal so much as passed the salt.

Once the plates were cleared and the kitchen was cleaned as exhaustion settled over the group.

Klaus stretched his arms over his head, feeling his spine pop.

"Alright," Klaus yawned, pushing his chair back and standing up. "I’m going to bed... Room five is mine so you can call if something happens. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Boss," Serra smiled, heading down the hallway toward her own room.

Klaus walked down the warmly lit corridor.

He reached the sturdy oak door with the number five carved into the frame.

’It’s been a long day and I need sleep...’

Klaus grabbed the brass doorknob and turned it but before he could even push the door open, a strong hand clamped securely around his wrist.

Klaus turned his head and Taula was standing right beside him.

She had already changed out of her regular clothes and was wearing a simple, thin cotton nightgown that clung to her athletic frame... He had chosen it for her.

"Wrong room," Taula said, her green eyes flashing with a playful determined glint.

"No, I specifically chose this one," Klaus argued, trying to pull his wrist free.

Taula didn’t listen. She stepped forward, dipped her shoulder, and smoothly swept Klaus off his feet.

With the terrifying strength of an Aura user, she easily hoisted him up and threw him directly over her shoulder like a sack of flour.

"Hey!" Klaus protested. "Put me down!"

"Nope!" Taula hummed happily, carrying him down the hallway.

She marched straight past his chosen room and stopped in front of the massive double doors of the Master Suite.

She didn’t bother using the handle; she just kicked the door open with her bare foot and walked inside.

The cavernous room was bathed in the soft silvery light of the moon shining through the giant glass window.

Taula walked over to the monstrous, king-sized mahogany bed and unceremoniously dumped Klaus onto the mattress.

He bounced on the plush springs, groaning as he scrambled to sit up. He looked around. He wasn’t alone.

Zephyra was already in the bed, sitting up against the headboard in a slinky black nightgown.

Serra was lying near the far edge, reading a small book while wearing a modest white sleep shirt and Mirela was curled up at the foot of the bed, already half-asleep, clutching a fluffy pillow to her chest.

How did they get here so fast?

"What is this?" Klaus asked, looking at the assembled group.

"It is a big bed, Hubby," Zephyra purred, patting the empty space next to her. "It would be a waste for us to sleep in separate rooms when we could all fit here."

Taula crawled onto the mattress. She bypassed Zephyra entirely and claimed the spot right next to Klaus’s left side.

The woman slipped under the thick crimson comforter and immediately wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face against his chest.

"You are really warm... Klaus," Taula whispered, her voice losing its boisterous edge and becoming incredibly soft.

Klaus froze.

The physical contact was direct as he could feel the steady beating of her heart against his ribs.

He looked down at the warrior and she had her eyes closed with a content smile resting on her lips.

Her grip on him was firm, holding him anchored to the bed, clearly refusing to let him escape back to room five.

He looked over at Zephyra, expecting the royal to throw a fit of jealousy. Instead, Zephyra just smiled, shifting closer to his right side and resting her head on his shoulder.

Klaus realized he was trapped.

He let out a long, defeated sigh with his shoulders relaxing into the mattress.

He didn’t try to fight it.

Klaus just laid his head back against the plush pillows, staring up at the dark wooden canopy above them.

The room was quiet for a few minutes filled only with the soft sounds of breathing and the rustle of Serra turning a page in her book.

"I never had this growing up..." Zephyra murmured softly, breaking the silence. "In the royal palace, my bedroom was enormous, but it was always empty. I had dozens of guards standing outside my door, and maids who would only speak to me if spoken to. It was lonely... I used to read stories about commoners having sleepovers with their friends, whispering secrets in the dark."

She tilted her head, her disguised black hair brushing against Klaus’s neck. "This is nice... I like this a lot better than the palace."

Taula shifted against Klaus’s chest with her fingers gently tracing a slow soothing pattern against his side.

"Well I don’t remember much about my own past," Taula added. "But as a Top ranked Adventurer that’s A-Rank, it’s really hard to find friends... especially with how strong I am since everyone usually avoids me but I’m glad I met Klaus and then all of you..."

"You know Boss, it’s a proven fact," Serra spoke up from the edge of the bed with her calm voice drifting over the blankets.

She didn’t look up from her book, but a fond smile touched her lips. "Physical proximity to trusted companions lowers the heart rate, reduces stress mana in the nervous system, and promotes a deeper more restorative sleep cycle. What we are doing right now is tactically advantageous for tomorrow’s dungeon raid..." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Klaus let out a soft chuckle. "Where the hell did you get that?"

"The book I’m reading of course hehe~ I started learning about this stuff after the Goldfishes died." She replied, flipping another page.

Right... After they had gotten to the Moonstone Residence, the Goldfish that they had won died. Apparently they were done like that by the owner to keep people coming back for more.

Down at the foot of the bed, Mirela let out a soft adorable snore, burying her face deeper into her pillow.

Klaus looked down at Taula.

The blond warrior looked peaceful and he rested his hand on her head, lightly stroking her hair.

"I like having you guys around too..." Klaus said. "It’s better than sleeping in the dirt."

Taula nuzzled closer into his chest, a soft, happy sigh escaping her lips. Zephyra wrapped her arm over his stomach, her breathing evening out as she drifted off and Klaus closed his eyes.

His new life was undeniably bizarre but right now, he wanted this to last forever.

’Maybe it will...’ He thought.

...

The next day, the air grew noticeably colder the deeper they ventured into the Galen Town World Dungeon.

Klaus and the girls materialized on the twentieth floor as the damp stone walls of the cavern dripped with wetness and the glowing moss covering the ceiling provided the only source of natural light.

They stood at the top of a wide, descending stone staircase and up front laid the boss room.

Klaus remembered this room perfectly.

The chamber was silent for a moment then, a growl came from the shadows near the back wall.

The boss had respawned.

The Were-Hound stepped out of the darkness.

"AWOOOOOOOO!" The Were-Hound threw its head back and released a deafening howl that shook dust from the ceiling, asserting its dominance over the territory.

From the dark holes in the cavern walls, dozens of smaller red eyes began to glow as the Direwolf pack was waking up.

Above them, the stone ceiling began to shift and click as the giant camouflaged spiders unfurled their rocky armored legs once again.

The girls tensed up immediately with the relaxed atmosphere of the morning vanishing in an instant.

"Alright," Taula grinned, reaching behind her back to grip the long handle of her massive two-handed axe.

She stepped forward with her aura flaring to life around her body as she was eager for a rematch. "I’ll take its head off this time before it can jump away. Serra, keep the wolves off my back!"

"Wait..." Klaus interrupted calmly.

He reached out, resting a hand on Taula’s shoulder to stop her advance. He stepped past her, walking down the first few stone steps.

He didn’t want a drawn-out fight.

He didn’t want to rely on the girls to clear the room, and he didn’t want to waste time dodging claws or watching Taula get covered in spider guts again.

He wanted to test the true raw power of his Soul Mana in a live combat scenario against a durable target.

Klaus reached down to his hip and drew his iron sword and the metal scraped smoothly against the leather scabbard.

He locked his eyes onto the roaring Were-Hound as he reached deep into his core and called upon his new strength.

A brilliant pure white light erupted from his body. The aura coated his skin, illuminating the dark cavern like a flare.

The shadows retreated instantly as he channeled the energy directly down his arm and into the hilt of his weapon.

The dull iron blade instantly transformed, absorbing the white light until the edge sparkled like master-crafted steel.

The Were-Hound stopped howling and it bent its knees, preparing to lunge.

Klaus wanted to be perfectly accurate... He channeled a sliver of mana to his eyes.

’Thermal Perception.’

The cavern turned freezing blue as the spiders on the ceiling and the wolves in the walls appeared as distinct swirling pockets of red heat but Klaus focused entirely on the massive Were-Hound.

The beast was a blazing inferno of yellow and orange, its massive heart pumping hot blood through its chest cavity.

Klaus mapped the perfect trajectory in his mind, drawing a line straight through the thickest cluster of heat in the monster’s torso and he cut off the vision skill with the normal lighting returning.

He focused a dense swirling pocket of wind mana directly beneath his boots and the air cracked as Klaus vanished from the stairs.

The distance between the staircase and the wall was covered in seconds.

The wind of his passage kicked up a storm of dust and loose pebbles, throwing the charging Direwolves off balance before they could even leave their caves.

He appeared directly in front of the massive Were-Hound.

The creature didn’t even have time to blink, let alone raise its massive claws to defend itself.

Klaus pivoted his hips transferring all of his forward momentum into his arms, and swung his glowing white blade in a devastating horizontal arc.

The sword met no resistance.

The Soul Mana-infused edge glided through the boss like a hot knife through melted butter.

Klaus followed through with the swing, coming to a sliding halt several feet behind the monster and he stood up straight, lowering his sword.

For a single heartbeat, the cavern was dead silent... The spiders stopped clicking and the wolves stopped growling then, the top half of the nine-foot-tall Were-Hound slowly slid backward.

The massive torso detached cleanly from the waist, falling to the stone floor with a heavy thud.

A fountain of dark blood erupted from the bisected lower half before the thick legs finally collapsed inward.

The boss was dead in one single hit.

Klaus stood over the ruined corpse. He reached his free hand out, placing his palm over the massive, severed head of the beast.

[Ding!]

[Soul Harvested: Tier 2 Were-Hound]

[Soul banished to the inner domain.]

A faint invisible wisp of energy pulled away from the corpse and sank into Klaus’s palm.

The girls standing at the top of the stairs couldn’t see the soul transfer, nor could they see the massive stone statue of the beast that just materialized inside his inner world next to the petrified snake.

All they saw was Klaus casually touching the kill.

The moment the boss died, the dungeon mechanics took over.

The remaining Direwolves whimpered, retreating back into their holes, while the giant spiders scrambled deeper into the ceiling cracks terrified by the overwhelming display of power.

Taula stood at the top of the stairs with her hands slowly falling away from her heavy axe as her jaw was hanging wide open.

She had fought this exact boss multiple times before so she knew exactly how fast it was and how durable its hide was.

Klaus flicked his wrist, sending a line of dark blood splattering across the cavern floor, and smoothly sheathed his iron sword.

The white glow of his Soul Mana faded, returning the cavern to its dim natural lighting.

He turned around, looking up at the dumbstruck girls standing on the staircase.

"Let’s go up... to the next floor." Klaus said simply.