Only two days had passed in the outside world while Ash thoroughly enjoyed his wives.
Which equated to a much longer time for them, but it was still short in comparison to what they were used to.
The palaceâs main chambers had returned to their usual state, the floor transformed into one vast bed draped in silk sheets, piled high with cushions, and dotted with golden lanterns drifting lazily above.
In the center lounged Ash, shirtless, the tattoos on his torso shifting in slow patterns, reclining against a mound of pillows with his arms stretched wide as his women occupied every bit of him like some sort of prized ground.
Sylvie curled up against his left side, her head resting on his shoulder, with her white-green hair fanned out.
Seraphiel nestled into his right side, black-red hair spilling over his arm, cheek pressed to his other shoulder as she breathed softly against his neck.
Aeloris lay sprawled on top of him, her green hair tickling his skin as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Madison sprawled across his lower left leg, chin resting on her folded arms, eyes half-lidded, while Rune leaned against his right leg.
Katherine had staked her claim on his lap, resting her head there. Elysia and Creara, both in their full forms, hovered just above the group.
Morgana floated a few feet in front of the pile, arms crossed beneath her chest, dark crimson eyes drifting from face to face as she silently observed.
Sylvie was the first to speak, her voice languid and content, lips grazing Ashâs chest.
"So..." she murmured, tracing a slow circle around his nipple, "I think itâs time we got back on schedule, no?"
Madison lifted her head just enough to smirk.
"Speaking of that... whatâs the plan for the Middle Dimension?"
Seraphiel let out a soft, needy sound against Ashâs neck.
"I just want to stay here forever..." she whispered. "But... I know thatâs impossible."
Aeloris lifted her head, her gentle green eyes filled with curiosity.
Still hovering, Morgana spoke.
"You already know what I want," she said simply, her dark crimson gaze locked on Ash. "So, how about saving your newest wife?"
Ash smirked at her words and replied with casual ease.
"One question at a time, okay?" he teased, gently running his fingers through Seraphielâs hair.
"First," he said, meeting Morganaâs gaze, "weâll pull you out of nonexistence. I was planning to go there anyway, so we can make that stop before heading into the Middle Dimension."
Then he turned to Madison. "By then, your surprise will be ready." He winked, and she looked at him, completely clueless about what he meant.
One must remember he had witnessed every detail of each of his wivesâ lives. No matter how long ago a wrong had occurred, he intended to see every grievance addressed.
Creara stretched with a yawn. "Well, before we head out... are we putting Seraphielâs pregnancy on hold?"
Her words made the women recall the events of their last session.
"Right, she was indeed begging to be bred," Rune said with a chuckle.
"Looks like weâll have our second heir," Aeloris said, glancing at her longtime friend.
This was actually her first time being pregnant, period. Though Aurelia was her daughter, as mentioned before, she had been created using her Progenitorâs essence.
Ash chuckled, pulling Seraphiel closer. "Yeah, about that... thereâs no need to pause anything. Weâll just let things happen naturally... though this wonât be the second Heir or Heiress."
He began to explain as all eyes locked on himâand if looks could kill...
"Alright, donât beat me up before hearing me out," he said, raising his hands in surrender.
The women already knew about his incarnations, but not about his most recent encounter with them. Taking a brief moment, he laid it out, while above, Elysia and Creara were having the time of their lives at the womenâs reactions.
The room fell silent as they absorbed it all.
Thenâ "Ash!" Aeloris exclaimed, punching his chest as she stood, her petite ass brushing against Katherineâs forehead.
"Hey, watch it! Those bones hurt, you know?" she said, dramatically placing a hand on her head as if wounded.
Aeloris shot her a glance. "Hmph, well, my husband loves these bones!" she retorted before turning back to Ash, who wore his usual easy smile.
"Ash, are you telling me you have two children... and two wives in the Middle Dimension?" she said, punctuating her words with a punch to his chest.
"And you didnât think to check on them before this Land of Weaving nonsense?!"
Sylvie chuckled at her outburst.
"My, my, even after a few thousand years... you still havenât figured Master out?" she teased, as Madison added,
"Exactly, even I know heâd never let his women just die or suffer."
And they were rightâAsh hadnât rushed to the Middle Dimension for several reasons, the biggest being that his women werenât weaklings and werenât in any big trouble.
Not only that, but he also needed more strength before heading into the Middle Dimension, as the situation was far more complicated than he had let on.
"Though things sound bad... theyâre not," he said, sitting up. The women shifted naturally as he wrapped his arms around Aeloris.
He brushed her green hair behind her ears and kissed her before speaking.
"Look, I know all the history of that place, so I have a pretty clear picture of whatâs going on."
Creara waved her hand, and a projection appeared as Elysia began to speak. The image revealed the Middle Dimension of the Ninth Organismâbut it was the 95th Heaven.
There was a clear division of the plane, with five lands encircling one positioned directly at the center.
"Aphrodite and Persephone have been sealed on this central island for a few cycles now. Though sealed, they arenât hindered... they just canât leave, nor can anyone enter," he said, waving his hand once more.
The projection shifted to reveal two figures.
One was a stunning woman with long black hair and pink eyes. The other was a tall, lean man, equally striking, with short red hair and abyssal black eyes.
"Meet Ellyn Eidora and Xeros Thanatos, technically my eldest daughter and son. They managed to break free from the seal and were sent out to grow stronger."
As he spoke, the projection vanished, and with a mere thought, everyone was clothed.
"So, thereâs no need to worry. Weâll get Morgana first, then head out to save them."
He kissed Aeloris once more before turning to the others.
"Shall we?"
She gave a timid nod before speaking, "Now, grab my ass, Husband. "As she spoke, she cast a glance at Katherine.
Ash chuckled and went along with it. In that instant, they all disappeared from the Sacred Dimension.
-----
When the group reappeared, they found themselves in the Lower Dimension of the Eighth.
It wasnât hard at all for Ash to move between Organisms nowâat least, not anymore.
With the Map of Existence, he could track down anything he desired, and with Infinities reaching beyond even the Hyperversal Hierarchy, there was little his Mana Sense couldnât touch.
And that was just in the High Dimensions.
Nonexistence, on the other hand, was... strange.
So strange that Ash was sure it had a real name, something more fitting than just "Nonexistence."
In every Lower Dimension of the Organisms, there were gaps in realityârifts that opened straight into Nonexistence.
That was all he understood from the fragments of knowledge he held.
Now, Ash and his companions stood before one such rift, a tear in the fabric of existence that resembled a raw wound in reality itself.
The sight sent an icy shiver crawling down each of their spines, Ash included. And yet, for some reason, the unsettling presence of it all brought faint smiles to their faces.
"Donât tell me... this place actually has real challenges?" Madison said, her fanged teeth showing.
"Seriously, for this place to make us feel danger... what could possibly be waiting on the other side?" Seraphiel muttered.
All eyes drifted to Morgana, who simply shook her head.
"I donât know either," she admitted. "Iâve been disconnected from my main body for many cycles. The only thing I know is that she was last seen on the 2nd Inversion."
She added with a faint smirk, "Iâm sure sheâs still kicking thoughâsince Iâm here, after all."
Ash glanced at Elysia, perched comfortably on his shoulder, and without a word, she summoned the codex and began to write.
"And so, all information in this Lower Dimensionâhidden or known, lost or foundâwill seamlessly merge into the Primavus Origin."
In the next moment, Ash smirked and blinked once, focusing his thoughts on Morganaâs true form.
As his vision cleared, his smile widened, and he said, "Letâs not waste time, shall we?"