Primordial Villain With A Slave Harem

Quinlan stepped through the [Warp Gate] with his boots crunching against stone as the battlefield vanished behind him.

He arrived at the Consortium Stronghold, the location he told his girls to retreat to, together with Veil Walker Rynne and her army before he went to get Black Fang.

The sight that greeted him was one to remember.

Vex sat slumped against the wall. Her usually sharp posture was entirely gone. Sweat plastered strands of white hair against her pale face as her chest rose and fell shallowly.

He could feel it without even looking at her systemic interface using his slave status spell; she had poured every last drop of mana into him through their cursed bond, bleeding herself dry to keep him standing.

And yet…

When her half-lidded eyes found him, when recognition dawned that he had returned alive… her lips curved into the most radiant smile.

Fragile, trembling, exhausted beyond belief… and still, dazzling. Quinlan felt his chest tighten despite his own battered state. Even like this, she was mesmerizing.

He felt like patting himself on the back and declaring he truly had the best taste in women, but he was too tired to crack jokes right now. After all, even using [Master's Link] was difficult as it consumed mana.

He wasn't exactly on 0 due to his mana regeneration, which was doubled thanks to the boons of his visit to Zhenwu, but still.

Quinlan was tired. Incredibly so.

Though what he knew for certain was that he would ensure to shower the woman in his affection once they found themselves at home - or, frankly, it didn't even need to be at home or in a bed.

Just give him a bit of free time and he'd get the job done.

He wasn't a picky man.

As Quinlan dialogued about his awesomeness inwardly, the rest of his girls rushed toward him.

Blossom and Serika were first, both nearly tackling him in relief before reigning themselves in at the last second as their eyes darted to the woman in his arms.

Lucille hovered just behind them. Her axe was long gone, but her grin was feral, victorious. She knew what kind of incredible feat her husband had achieved, even if he hadn't told them the details just yet.

And Seraphiel… Quinlan didn't even have time to get a word out. His bombshell of an elven healer was already in motion, with her staff snapping down with practiced motions, and golden radiance flooded the air as her spells began to mend torn flesh.

"I'll live," Quinlan interrupted within mere moments of her first spell landing. He pulled her focus out of her fervent healing before she burned herself out on him. After all, Quinlan knew he was not the only one with severely lacking reserves. All his girls were spent or nearly spent.

To that end, he had to ensure the one needing healing the most received her attention first. He tilted his head toward the broken body in his arms. "See to her first."

At his words, Seraphiel's glowing eyes sharpened. She visibly wanted to argue, to say she cared much more about ensuring the love of her life doesn't die, no matter how small the chances of that were.

But seeing the look in his eyes, Seraphiel understood that he wasn't exactly asking for her opinion on who should be healed. He wanted her to save Black Fang, even if it endangered his life.

"…" She exhaled sharply but turned the full force of her healing onto Black Fang, deciding to obey his wishes.

Quinlan called Liora forward as well, the Ascendants' second healer.

The human stood opposite Seraphiel with a staff already igniting with soft white light. Elf and human worked in perfect tandem, weaving restorative magic over the woman who had nearly bled herself into the afterlife.

Finally allowing himself to breathe, "Help me sit, please…" Quinlan said weakly, and the two holding him, namely Blossom and Serika, lowered him to the ground with utmost care beside Vex.

Quinlan allowed the weight of exhaustion to wash over him. He leaned his head back against the wall with a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, wanting to use a few minutes to recover his bearings.

Ayame and Serika stood a few paces away, watching him with their usual warrior's eyes. Then, as if on cue, the samurai and the Solar Fist grinned in perfect sync.

"He looks beyond exhilarated," Serika decreed with a voice that was laced with amusement.

Vex turned her attention to her man the moment Quinlan was eased down beside her.

Without a single second wasted, the Hexwitch leaned her head against his shoulder as though she had been waiting for that single moment all along - which she was.

Her eyes drifted shut, and her entire body melted with quiet relief. For the first time since she had had to let her lover make a risky attempt to save Black Fang, who was surrounded by the entire Scarlet Lilies squad, the woman allowed her body to rest.

Her man was back. Safe. In her hold.

Peace, tender and fragile, settled over her.

Until Ayame's voice cut straight through it. She nodded at Serika, visibly agreeing with the redhead's words, then added her own thoughts into the mix:

"The encounter must've been a lot of fun," the samurai had said, smug and sharp. "Our battle junkie of a lover seems more fulfilled than after a full night spent in our presence."

Vex's eyes snapped wide open. She tilted her chin up toward Quinlan. Her voice came quickly and held a lot of undertone to it.

"I don't like the sound of that. Is it true?! Hubby!"

"Haah…" Quinlan immediately let out an exhausted, wry sigh and forced one eye open, only to meet Ayame's foxlike gaze staring smugly back at him. An upward curl played at her lips, her entire expression full of fun.

At his expense.

The woman was fully aware of what she was doing.

"… Someone wants a spanking," he muttered weakly.

Somehow, that only made Ayame look smugger. She didn't even bother replying, just raised her brow higher as if daring him to make good on his words.

Meanwhile, Vex's distress spiked thanks to his silence regarding the matter. Her brows knitted together, and her voice was filled with entirely unnecessary jealousy.

"So it's true? You… you find fighting hot and dangerous women to the death more fun than… than spending time with me?!"