Kaiden grinned. "You really think they'd do that from seeing me hug my mother? No, you don't. Stop running~"

He reached out to pull her back into the hug, only for her body to dissolve into a swirl of black smoke.

The shadows rippled near Naira and Lira's stretcher, and Vespera reformed there, back in her usual composed self. The transition from maternal awkwardness to regal poise was so smooth it looked entirely unnatural, as if turning into shadows allowed the woman to reset her heart.

Dark tendrils of shadow curled beneath her fingertips, lifting the unconscious woman with gentle precision. "What about the girl?" she asked.

Naira glanced toward Kaiden. He smiled and nodded. "Go. You can see my dungeon later if you want, but for now, I know you want to stay by her side."

The girl's eyes softened in gratitude. "Thank you…!" she murmured, bowing lightly to Vespera. "Please allow me to go as well!"

The darkness swelled around them. In a blink, both mother and daughter were swallowed by the shadows, gone without a trace.

Kaiden exhaled quietly while rubbing the back of his neck as the night air settled once more. "Still gives me goosebumps, this woman…" he muttered.

He turned toward the dungeon gate. The crowd had thinned now, with the tribe slowly disappearing through the swirling portal one group at a time.

Kaiden smiled at the sight and began walking forward with his hands slipping into his pockets.

Minutes passed by. Everyone entered. Just as he was about to finish the procession, the air behind him stirred again.

The shadows rippled.

Vespera was back.

"That was quick."

Vespera didn't respond. Her crimson eyes were locked on the gate. There was a rare flicker of intrigue behind her cold composure, the kind of interest only something truly unusual could spark.

Kaiden followed her gaze and, with an amused grin, swept his hand in a grand, exaggerated gesture. "Well then, Mother, seeing you can't wait to step inside, I won't hold you up. Welcome to my new home. Feel free to make yourself comfortable."

Without replying, Vespera stepped forward. Her figure slipped into motion, soundless, her long coat fluttering behind her as she entered the swirling gate. Unlike the natives, she showed utterly zero reservations about stepping into a swirling mass of doom.

Kaiden followed close behind.

…

The shift between worlds was instantaneous. One moment, cold night air; the next, a vast cavern of obsidian stone.

They emerged inside the dungeon's safe zone.

Kaiden exhaled, taking in the sight with a proud heart. It might not have been the most welcoming of home entrances, but that was the point. In this world, especially for people like them who were surrounded by danger and hidden enemies at all times, such a sight warmed the heart. A strong and reliable defense at home told him that he and his lovers could sleep soundly tonight.

He smiled when his eyes found the girls in question already scattered across the area, hard at work.

Aria and Bastet were stationed near the entrance, each holding a palm-sized crystal disc that shimmered with golden light. A few meters deeper inside, Luna, Nyx, and Calypso mirrored them with identical devices. The five of them moved in coordinated efficiency, running the crystals over the newly arrived natives.

Vespera's sharp eyes followed the motion. "Artifact scanners," she observed.

"Yeah," Kaiden nodded. "We figured the government agents might get cute, maybe slip a few tracking artifacts or scrying tokens onto the natives before they entered. So we decided to be one step ahead."

The monarch's gaze shone with approval. "Never trust them more than you absolutely must."

"Exactly," Kaiden replied, fully in agreement.

Kaiden and the girls knew that they couldn't risk bringing unscanned outsiders into their home. Those things that they were holding cost a fortune, but it was worth it.

He smirked while watching Bastet expertly sweep her device along a man's sleeve while Aria handled a crying child with surprising tenderness.

As soon as Aria and Bastet stepped through, they opened their awakened interfaces, hit the marketplace tab, and threw a good few Chronos at the best anti-surveillance artifacts available. These items could detect not only top-tier artifacts, but old-world tech as well, like micro-cameras.

Aria and Bastet even scanned themselves, unsure if one of the government agents was quick-handed enough to place a spying object on them. The chances of it being the case were low, but one could never be cautious enough, especially with the fact that maybe they could apply it from afar, being kept in mind.

Luna then stepped up to Kaiden with her lips tugging into that teasing little smirk she wore when she felt happy. The scanner disc hummed softly in her hand.

"Hold still," she said before running the artifact up and down his body like a security officer.

Kaiden lifted his arms without protesting the check.

The disc gave a *ping!* sound and turned green. "You're clean."

Kaiden tilted his head toward his right, toward the woman standing perfectly still. "Good. Now do her."

Luna instantly froze. "… Really?" Her voice dipped in disbelief. "You want me to scan your mother?"

Vespera's red eyes narrowed. "Do you truly think I'd allow a government hound to place something on me?" Her tone sounded insulted by the very notion. It wasn't that she vehemently objected to a security scan, but more so that she didn't like her son's attitude.

Before Kaiden could reply, another figure stepped up from the side with hips swaying, tail flicking, and horns faintly glowing. Calypso. The demoness pressed the scanner against her palm.

"My darling's word is law in this place…" she purred, sauntering right up to Vespera. "Even for the mother-in-law."

The air went cold.

If Vespera was uncooperative before, now she almost turned into a terrorist threat at the border security.

Vespera didn't move an inch, but the surrounding shadows rippled, crawling like black mist over the cavern floor. Her gaze met Calypso's with lethal calm.

Calypso, for her part, didn't flinch. Despite being far weaker than before due to accepting getting nerfed so that she could remain by the side of Kaiden, she refused to lower her eyes. Dominance wasn't just about strength; it was about presence, and she wasn't about to let anyone, not even his mother, claim superiority in her home.

Why?

Because the demoness instinctively understood that no wife wanted to live in a home where her mother-in-law's words were treated as gospel.

No woman wanted to live in the shadows of their man's mother. And to ensure it did not happen, now was the time to step up and establish the pecking order, the demoness thought.

As such, the two women locked eyes.

Vespera, despite not being one bit combative until now, responded to the perceived and very well articulated thoughts of the demoness by making a stance of her own.

It was no longer about being scanned, not at all.

But about two stubborn women who refused to yield even when it came to such a nonsensical matter.

Seeing that his jest might've gone too far, Kaiden quickly stepped in by placing a hand on Calypso's waist and gently pulling her back. "Stop before someone gets murdered. I was just joking. I know very well that my mother's clean."

Vespera's glare moved to him instead, clearly not appreciating his jokes. She then parted her lips. "I was right. Your sense of humor is truly leaving a lot to be desired."

"… Maybe you've got a point."

With that, the bad tension disappeared as if it never existed to begin with.

And just like that, it was time to traverse the pathway, introduce the natives to their new home, and his mother and sister to his domain. Although Kaiden didn't know it yet, when he sat himself on the Abyssal Lord's Throne this time, something shocking awaited him!

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