The More I Invest in My Wives, the Stronger I Become

Chapter 34: A Snowy Night

Sana stared at Daemon as if he had just announced that the sky was falling.

"What do you mean we can’t go back?"

Daemon let out a long sigh.

"That’s because you two entered the Solitary Trial without my permission."

Sana blinked.

Roxanna tilted her head.

Daemon pointed toward them both.

"I only had permission to bring one companion into this dungeon. Somehow, both of you managed to get inside.

that’s a violation."

Sana’s expression slowly turned awkward.

"So... technically, this is our fault?"

"Technically?" Daemon raised an eyebrow. "It is completely your fault."

Roxanna immediately raised her hand.

"Then what exactly is this place?"

Daemon looked toward the endless dungeon surrounding them.

"And how did you get access to something like this?" she continued. "You clearly knew what you were doing when you came here. It doesn’t look like your first time."

Daemon hesitated.

He could explain.

But explaining the System, the Solitary Trial, his Nameless Bloodline, the time dilation, and everything else would take far too long.

And knowing Sana, she would probably develop another headache before he reached the middle of the explanation.

"Look," Daemon said, rubbing his forehead. "I can’t explain every detail right now."

Sana narrowed her eyes.

"Convenient."

"I’ll explain when the timing is right. Trust me."

Roxanna studied him for a moment before finally nodding.

Daemon clapped his hands together.

"Right now, the important thing is that we’re trapped here."

Both women sighed.

"So we need to rest, figure out what we’re going to do next..."

Daemon looked at them.

"And I’m guessing neither of you has eaten anything since you followed me."

Sana’s stomach immediately growled.

Silence.

Roxanna slowly covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

Daemon grinned.

"I’ll take that as a yes."

Sana looked away.

"Maybe."

"Then we’ll hunt a monster and cook it."

Sana immediately pointed at him.

"That is the first sensible thing you’ve said since we arrived."

The three of them made their way toward the dungeon’s exit.

After several minutes, they finally stepped through the enormous stone doorway.

The moment they crossed the threshold, Daemon stopped.

So did the other two.

The environment had completely changed.

Gone was the dark stone dungeon.

Instead, an endless white forest stretched before them.

Snow covered everything.

Trees stood beneath thick layers of frost, their branches bending under the weight.

Snowflakes drifted gently from the pale sky, and a cold wind moved between the trees.

Roxanna stared in amazement.

"This is..."

She slowly extended her hand and caught a snowflake on her palm.

"Snow."

Sana rubbed her arms.

"This place is ridiculous."

Roxanna looked around.

"This is the first time I’ve ever seen snow inside a dungeon."

She crouched and touched the ground.

"It looks so real."

"It feels real too," Sana muttered.

A stronger gust of wind passed through the forest.

Sana immediately shivered.

Daemon noticed.

Her clothes were clearly not designed for a frozen environment. Unlike Daemon and Roxanna, whose clothing covered most of their bodies, Sana’s outfit left considerably more skin exposed.

Daemon frowned.

"We need to make camp."

Sana looked at him.

"Camp?"

"Yeah. The temperature will probably drop even more at night."

Daemon looked around.

"We need fire, shelter, and water."

Sana raised an eyebrow.

"You certainly prepared for everything."

Daemon smiled.

"Of course."

He opened his bag.

"I originally intended to stay here for a few days."

Sana froze.

"A few days?"

Daemon nodded.

"Maybe even a few months."

Sana’s eyes widened.

"Months?!"

She stared at him as if he had completely lost his mind.

Roxanna looked equally surprised, although she seemed far more willing to accept the idea.

"Daemon... you actually planned to stay here for months?"

"Possibly."

Sana placed a hand against her forehead.

"I think you hit your head somewhere inside that dungeon."

Daemon laughed.

"You’re overthinking it."

He pointed toward the surrounding forest.

"There are no humans here. No normal animals either. Only monsters.

That means we don’t have to worry about civilization, other Hunters, or anyone interfering with us."

He paused.

"And there’s another reason."

Sana waited.

"Time works differently here."

Daemon explained the time dilation.

"One year inside the Solitary Trial is roughly ninety days outside."

Both women stared at him.

"So..."

Roxanna’s eyes widened.

"We can spend months training here, and only a fraction of that time passes outside?"

"Exactly."

Sana’s head began spinning.

"Stop."

Daemon blinked.

"What?"

"I don’t want to hear any more secrets."

She pointed at him.

"Right now, I only want food."

Daemon burst out laughing.

"Fair enough."

The three of them quickly divided the work.

Sana went into the forest to search for monsters.

Roxanna gathered firewood and helped Daemon prepare a small camp.

A short while later, Sana returned carrying two strange creatures.

They looked somewhat like rabbits—but they were almost the size of small dogs, with thick white fur, unusually large ears, and sharp little teeth.

Daemon stared at them.

"What are those?"

Sana dropped them onto the snow.

"Monster rabbits."

"That’s... surprisingly straightforward."

"I caught them easily."

Daemon activated Wildcraft Cooking.

A faint glow passed over the meat as the skill analyzed it.

[Wildcraft Cooking activated.]

[Edible monster meat detected.]

[Nutritional value: High.]

[Cooking bonus available.]

Daemon smiled.

"Perfect."

Roxanna joined him.

"What are you making?"

"Something simple."

Soon, the smell of roasting meat filled the snowy air.

Daemon seasoned the meat carefully while Roxanna helped prepare the fire and arrange the food.

Sana finished setting up their shelter.

Unfortunately, they only had one small camping tent.

Roxanna looked at it.

Then at Daemon.

Then at Sana.

"That’s... going to be crowded."

Sana sighed.

"We don’t exactly have much choice."

The snowstorm outside was already becoming stronger.

Sleeping outside would be impossible.

Daemon also melted some snow over the fire and prepared drinking water.

Eventually, the food was ready.

Roxanna placed three portions onto plates and handed them around.

Sana took one bite.

Her eyes widened.

"This is really good!"

Roxanna immediately nodded.

"It doesn’t even taste like monster meat."

She took another bite.

"It tastes like chicken!"

Daemon smiled proudly.

"Wildcraft Cooking."

Sana looked at him.

"Your cooking skills are seriously impressive."

Roxanna laughed.

"Victoria really married a show-off."

Sana smiled.

"Definitely."

Daemon pointed at them.

"Hey, I can hear you."

The snow continued falling.

Sana placed her empty plate down on the snow and looked at Daemon.

"Does Victoria know about this place?"

Daemon shook his head.

"No."

Sana’s expression became serious.

"What did you tell her?"

"I just told her I was going away for a few days."

"And she was okay with that?"

"Yeah."

Daemon smiled.

"She even kissed me before I left and told me to eat properly and get enough sleep."

Both women froze.

They slowly looked at each other.

Then back at Daemon.

Their expressions said everything.

Sana’s mouth twitched.

"You’re ridiculously lucky."

Daemon grinned.

"I know."

Another freezing gust swept through the camp.

Sana immediately shivered.

Daemon noticed.

Without saying anything, he opened his bag, pulled out a thick bedsheet, and wrapped it around her shoulders.

Sana jumped.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Keeping you warm."

"I don’t need it. I’m a Hunter. This is nothing."

Daemon nodded seriously.

"Yes, yes. You’re very strong."

He adjusted the blanket around her anyway.

"Now eat the rest of your food and get inside before you freeze."

Sana glared at him.

"You’re treating me like a child."

"Then stop shivering like one."

Sana’s face reddened.

Roxanna covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

The sight of Sana and Daemon arguing over a blanket was strangely entertaining.

Once everything was prepared, Daemon sat beside the fire and added more wood.

The flames rose higher, pushing back the cold.

He looked around the camp.

For once, there was no battlefield.

No enemies.

No WHA.

No complicated missions.

Just three Hunters sitting together beneath a snowy sky.

Daemon smiled.

"This is actually nice."

Roxanna looked at him.

"Nice?"

"Yeah."

He stared into the flames.

"I usually stay at camps alone."

His expression softened.

"But this time, I’m not alone."

Both women became strangely quiet.

A small smile appeared on Roxanna’s face.

Sana looked away, pretending to be interested in the fire.

Neither of them wanted Daemon to notice how happy that simple statement had made them.

Then—

Ding!

Daemon froze.

The System appeared.

[System Notification.]

[Party Formation Requirement fulfilled.]

[Three participants have been recognized as a temporary party.]

Daemon’s eyes widened.

[Solitary Trial: Team Survival Conditions Activated.]

[Upon completion, all three participants will receive survival rewards.]

Daemon stared at the notification.

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

This is actually great.

Not just him.

Sana and Roxanna would receive rewards too.

He immediately told them.

Both women’s eyes lit up.

"You mean we’ll get rewards too?" Roxanna asked.

Daemon nodded.

"Yes."

Sana smiled.

For once, neither of them asked how Daemon knew.

Later that night, Daemon sat quietly near the fire.

He suddenly received another notification.

[Reward generated.]

[Roxanna Sterling’s affection has increased to 80%.]

[Reason: Genuine happiness generated through recent shared experiences.]

[Nameless Bloodline progression: 11% → 15%.]

Daemon’s eyes widened.

[Bloodline Threshold: 20%]

[Upon reaching 20%, the Solitary Trial exit restriction will be removed.]

Then another notification appeared.

[Team Survival Reward.]

[Shared Recovery Effect unlocked.]

[All current party members recover 30% of stamina and energy.]

Daemon stared at the screen.

Roxanna...

His gaze moved toward her.

She was sitting beside the fire, talking quietly with Sana.

Daemon’s expression became complicated.

He was happy.

But he didn’t want to push their relationship forward simply because the System rewarded him for it.

I need to talk to her.

He didn’t want Roxanna to become someone he pursued merely because she could give him rewards.

She deserved better than that.

Before he could say anything—

Ding!

Another notification appeared.

Daemon’s eyes widened.

[System Notification.]

[Sana Whitlock has officially qualified for the System’s relationship category.]

[Eligible Category: Wife/Girlfriend.]

[Current Affection: 40%.]

[Reward threshold: 75%.]

Daemon went completely still.

Sana?!

He slowly turned his head.

Sana was already looking directly at him.

Her expression was strange.

Not angry.

Not confused.

Something else.

Her eyes seemed unusually intense.

Daemon suddenly felt heat rush to his face.

Why is she looking at me like that?

Sana didn’t say a word.

She simply stared.

Daemon swallowed.

This is bad.

Very bad.

He immediately stood.

"Okay. It’s getting late. Let’s sleep."

Sana continued staring at him.

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she stood up and silently walked toward the tent.

Daemon watched her disappear inside.

Roxanna finished packing the remaining supplies.

"Come on, Daemon."

She pointed toward the tent.

"You should sleep too."

Daemon nodded.

The snow was falling harder now.

He quickly covered the fire and entered the tent.

The moment he crawled inside, he realized there was a problem.

The tent had only enough room for two people.

But there were three of them.

Sana was already lying on one side.

Roxanna took the other.

Daemon stared at the tiny space.

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

Roxanna laughed softly.

"There’s nowhere else to sleep."

After some awkward rearranging, Daemon ended up in the middle.

Sana on one side.

Roxanna on the other.

Both women had their backs turned toward him.

Daemon stared at the tent ceiling.

This is going to be a very long night.

The wind howled outside.

Snow struck the fabric of the tent.

For several minutes, nobody spoke.

Then—

Something moved behind him.

Daemon’s eyes widened.

A warm arm suddenly wrapped around his waist.

Sana.

She pressed herself close to his back.

Daemon’s entire body stiffened.

"S-Sana?"

She immediately whispered near his ear.

"Don’t make a sound."

Daemon’s heart began pounding.

"Why?"

Sana slowly turned toward him.

Her face was only inches away.

Then she placed one finger gently against his lips.

"Roxanna will hear."

Daemon’s breathing stopped for a moment.

His heartbeat became louder.

And from the other side of him—

Roxanna suddenly shifted in her sleep.

Daemon and Sana froze.

Neither of them moved.

Neither dared to breathe.

Then Roxanna’s voice came softly through the darkness.

"...Daemon?"

Daemon’s eyes widened.

Sana’s finger remained against his lips.

And a mischievous smile slowly appeared on her face.