When everyone dispersed to pack their belongings, Alex realized he, too, needed to gather everything and leave nothing behind. First on his list was the workshop. If anyone who moved into this apartment later discovered a storage room hiding a space the size of an entire floor, it could lead to unwanted consequences.
Ignoring the noise from the kitchen, where it seemed MIMI and GIR were causing a ruckus, Alex rose from the couch and headed for the door to his workshop. Placing his hand on its surface, he channeled mana into it. A bright light glowed from the cracks in the doorframe before fading, leaving behind what looked like an ordinary storage closet. On the floor lay a small black cube.
«Done,» Alex muttered, tucking the cube into his inventory.
He thoughtfully rubbed his chin, pondering what else needed to be done before their departure. Suddenly, it hit him—he had completely forgotten to check on Hanako and her brother, Yorinobu, who had miraculously survived the stadium incident. Despite the effects of the Outer God's avatar, Yorinobu hadn't suffered severe physical consequences. Alex smirked, thinking Yorinobu was a truly lucky guy.
Heading upstairs, Alex walked to Hanako's room. Knocking lightly, he entered and saw her sitting beside her brother's bed, watching over his unconscious form.
«Yo, he's still out cold, huh?» Alex asked, pulling up a chair beside her.
Hanako turned her head to meet Alex's gaze before returning her attention to Yorinobu.
«Do you think he'll wake up?» she asked softly, not taking her eyes off her brother.
Alex stared at Yorinobu's soul with a serious expression. His core was severely damaged, covered in cracks like glass on the verge of shattering. Without sealing those cracks, the chances of recovery were slim. Yorinobu was in a vegetative state, his survival already bordering on the miraculous. A regular person exposed to an Outer God either dies or loses their soul entirely. Alex couldn't fathom how Yorinobu had avoided such a fate.
«He's unlikely to wake up naturally,» Alex finally said. «And if he does, it'll probably be as a madman or a vegetable.»
Alex's words made Hanako exhale deeply. Over the past two months of living under the same roof, she had learned much, including the truth about who was responsible for her brother's condition. Yet, she still held onto hope, and that hope's name was Alex. She knew how powerful he was, even if she didn't fully grasp the limits of his abilities.
«Can you heal him? Or at least ease his condition?» she asked, her voice tinged with hope.
Alex thought about it, shrugged, and replied, «Yeah, I can.»
«Thank you,» Hanako said quietly.
«No need for thanks,» Alex replied, waving off her gratitude. «You're Gloria's friend, which means I'll help you. Consider it compensation for dragging you into all this mess.»
Hanako wanted to say something more but found herself at a loss for words. Over the past two months, she had grown close to Gloria, seeing her as a friend. From Gloria, Hanako had learned that Alex rarely accepted gratitude, brushing it off as unimportant.
Alex stood up from the chair and approached Yorinobu, examining his soul more closely to understand the full extent of the damage. He could already see the cracks in Yorinobu's core, and now he needed to carefully repair them to avoid any long-term consequences.
Placing a hand on Yorinobu's head, Alex's palm began to glow with a soft green light.
When the light in Alex's hand faded, he examined Yorinobu's core once more to ensure it had fully healed. This was Alex's first time healing a core instead of destroying it, so he was especially careful to be delicate during this initial attempt.
Hanako noticed Alex remove his hand from Yorinobu's head and start inspecting him. Panic quickly bubbled up inside her, fearing the treatment had failed.
«Well? Is he okay?» she asked, unable to hide the slight panic in her voice.
Alex stopped examining Yorinobu's core and looked at Hanako's anxious face. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at her reaction. With a sigh, he reminded himself that women were emotional creatures, often finding reasons to panic regardless of their age.
«Yeah, everything's fine. This was my first time healing a soul, so I'm just double-checking to make sure it went smoothly,» he said, trying to reassure her.
Hanako let out a relieved sigh after hearing his confirmation.
«When will he wake up?» she asked cautiously, her voice calmer now.
Alex quickly calculated how long it would take for Yorinobu to regain consciousness. By his rough estimate, it would be a couple of hours, give or take.
«About a couple of hours, maybe a bit longer,» Alex replied, scratching his chin. «I've restored his soul, but his body is still recovering from what it went through, so he needs some time to wake up.»
«I see,» Hanako said with a sense of relief, leaning back in her chair.
Alex checked Yorinobu's condition one last time to confirm the process had gone smoothly. Satisfied, he returned to his chair, lost in thought about what needed to be done once they returned to Orario.
«What are you planning to do next?» Hanako suddenly asked, turning her head toward him.
Snapped out of his thoughts, Alex looked at her.
«We're leaving—moving to my world, to be precise. As for what comes after… I don't know yet,» he admitted honestly.
The mention of moving practically blew Hanako's mind. She knew Alex wasn't from this world but hadn't expected him to leave it so soon.
«So, everyone's leaving?» she asked with mild curiosity.
«Yeah. I can't leave them here. In my world, they'll be able to live peacefully. Here, there's always the risk of some cyberpsycho breaking into the house or something even worse happening,» Alex said with a faint smile.
«That's a shame… I enjoyed Gloria's company,» Hanako sighed with a hint of regret.
Alex thought for a moment, then reached into his inventory and pulled out a small phone. Handing it to Hanako, he caught her completely off guard.
«Here. If you ever feel bored, you can use it to contact Gloria and chat,» Alex said with a smile.
«Contact her?» Hanako stared at the phone in her hands, bewildered by the idea.
«Yeah, this phone works even between worlds,» Alex explained.
«Thank you… This is truly a valuable gift,» she said, gripping the phone tightly.
Alex waved her off, acting as though it was nothing.
«What about you? What are you planning to do next?» he asked.
Hanako took a moment to think.
«I'll take over managing Arasaka. The company has been through a lot, but I don't want its story to end on such a tragic note,» she said confidently.
Alex smiled approvingly, pleased with her decision.
«Good choice. What kind of reforms do you have in mind?» he asked with genuine interest.
Hanako began explaining her ideas, including changes to company policies and new initiatives focused on helping people. Alex listened attentively, occasionally offering suggestions related to technology and potential expansions into space exploration. However, when he mentioned colonizing the Moon and Mars, Hanako just rolled her eyes.
«Easier said than done. In reality, that would take decades,» she said with a smirk.
Their conversation was interrupted by Rebecca, who suddenly burst into the room.
«Hey, you here? We're all ready, just waiting on you!» she said, impatiently tapping her foot.
Alex glanced at the clock and realized he'd gotten carried away with the conversation. He turned to Hanako.
«Do you want to stay here with your brother or watch the transition?»
«I'll come. I want to see it with my own eyes,» she replied, rising from her chair.
Alex shrugged and then scooped Rebecca into his arms. She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder. Heading downstairs, Alex saw that everyone else had already gathered.
Alex's girls were storing their things in their inventory, while GIR and MIMI, including Valerie looked like they were heading to a resort rather than another world. Meanwhile, Main and Dorio were standing next to a pile of bags, and Pilar and Falco had also prepared their gear. Falco, however, looked a little depressed, as if he didn't want to leave this world behind.
«Everyone ready? Hold on for a couple more minutes,» Alex said, signaling that he had some last-minute tasks to take care of.
Under the watchful eyes of the group, Alex, with Rebecca still clinging to him, teleported to the parking lot to retrieve his car, motorcycle, and Falco's van. Alex figured the team would likely continue working together in other worlds.
Rebecca, experiencing teleportation for the first time, covered her mouth with one hand, worried her dinner might try to make an exit. Alex gently patted her back in an attempt to calm her.
«Forgot to mention, you should hold your breath—it's always like this the first time,» Alex said with a smirk.
Rebecca rolled her eyes at his joke and bit his neck in retaliation. Alex just chuckled and headed to where their vehicles were parked. After confirming everything was in order, he stored the car, motorcycle, and van in his inventory, satisfied that nothing was left behind. This time, Rebecca reacted quickly, holding her breath before the teleportation.
When they reappeared in the living room, curious eyes turned toward Alex.
«Where'd you go?» Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow.
«Picking up the vehicles. No way I'm leaving my beauties behind in this world. Also grabbed Falco's van—I think it might come in handy later,» Alex replied, giving her a thumbs-up.
Falco brightened at this, clearly happy not to leave his van unattended.
«So,» Alex addressed the group, «do you want to keep your implants or start fresh, like regular people?»
The girls quickly decided to part with their cyberware, realizing it wouldn't be useful in a world of magic. Pilar took one last look at his golden implants, sighed, and decided he could always get something similar again. Falco just shrugged, and Dorio agreed without hesitation. Main sighed wistfully and admitted he'd already been planning to reduce his chrome after retiring.
«Alright then, relax,» Alex said, activating his healing magic.
He asked Hanako to step aside to avoid getting caught in the spell. Once she complied, a magical circle lit up beneath Alex, encompassing everyone. Their bodies glowed with a soft green light, and relieved sighs echoed through the room. Ignoring the sounds, Alex focused on the spell.
When the healing process ended, a dull clang of falling metal resounded as their implants were shed.
«Well, gotta say, this feels pretty nice,» Main noted, stretching and flexing.
«No kidding! I'd forgotten what it's like to fully feel your body,» Dorio added, raising her arms in a stretch.
«Goodbye, my beauties. I'll miss you,» Pilar muttered wistfully, holding his golden implants against his cheek.
Alex asked how everyone else was feeling. Lucy admitted that the sensation was strange but not unpleasant. Gloria noted that her skin felt softer, almost like it had been renewed. Kiwi simply nodded, saying she had gone through this before. Rebecca waved it off, stating that all she cared about was being able to shoot big guns and didn't give a damn about implants.
«Well then, say your goodbyes to Night City. Our next stop is Orario—the city of adventurers and dungeons,» Alex announced in an upbeat tone.
Gloria glanced at Hanako, wanting to say a proper goodbye. But before she could approach, Hanako reassured her that she had a phone and they could stay in touch, so there was no need for farewells.
Everyone took a final look at the streets of Night City, silently saying their goodbyes and preparing for a new adventure. Those gazing at the illuminated streets and the night sky above the city bid their farewells in their own way. Each had their own thoughts, having spent a long time in this city where they found friends and comrades who became like family.
It was now time to part ways with this city, eternally stained with blood and death. After their silent goodbyes to the shared memories tied to Night City, they turned to Alex, signaling they were ready to move on.
When everyone was ready, Alex summoned Yamato, slashed through the air, and opened a portal.
«Grab your stuff and follow me!» he commanded, heading toward the glowing portal.
Alex and Rebecca, still clinging to him, stepped through the portal. They found themselves in a familiar forest—the place where Alex's journey in this world had begun. Following close behind, GIR, MIMI and Valerie burst out of the portal and immediately started acting like tourists, taking pictures of everything they saw. Alex shook his head with a smile and waited for the others.
Rebecca took a deep breath of the fresh forest air and sighed contentedly.
«Finally, air that doesn't reek of chemicals and exhaust,» she said, savoring the moment.
Next, Gloria emerged from the portal, looking around in awe at the tall, green trees as if seeing them for the first time. Lucy and Kiwi followed, instantly sensing the difference between this world and their old one.
Main and Dorio came out hand in hand, enjoying the quiet serenity of the forest. Falco followed, inhaling deeply and breaking into a wide grin. Last to come through was Pilar—well, more like he flew out, landing face-first in the dirt in a spectacular fashion.
Alex smirked, guessing Pilar had been too scared to step through and had leaped in with his eyes closed.
«So, where are we now?» Main asked, glancing around. «Not that I'm complaining—fresh air, trees... This place is like paradise for us, choomba.»
Everyone nodded in agreement. Rebecca hopped off Alex's arms and began exploring the area with childlike curiosity, her movements resembling a kid's first time at a park.
Gloria walked over to Alex, took his hand, and smiled softly. Alex felt the warmth of her palm and returned the smile, glad she found the place comforting. Lucy crouched down and touched the grass with her fingers, as if checking to see if it was real.
«Incredible... It's like a dream,» she whispered.
At that moment, the clicking of GIR's camera filled the silence, distracting everyone from their thoughts. The robot was methodically photographing everything around, while MIMI and Valerie pointed out what should be captured. Alex rolled his eyes and addressed the group:
«We're in a forest not far from the city. Didn't want us to suddenly appear in the middle of the streets and cause a commotion.»
«Ha, so what are we waiting for? Let's go check out your fantasy city! And the girls too!» Pilar said eagerly, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Alex gave him a disgusted look. «Pilar... ugh.»
Rebecca mirrored her brother's tone and gave Pilar a disdainful glance. Noticing their expressions, Pilar dramatically turned away, put his hands behind his head, and started whistling. The group laughed, ready to move on. Alex, gathering everyone's belongings into his inventory, declared:
«Much better. It'll be easier to go without the bags.»
Noticing that everyone was ready, he continued: «Alright, let's stop by one place first. They have great food, you'll like it.»
The mention of food instantly energized the team. Alex, summoning Chastifol, turned it into a cushion to sit GIR, Valerie and MIMI on, preventing them from escaping and «finding adventures.» The group began their journey. Along the way, everyone except Alex acted like tourists, marveling at the beauty of nature. When a caravan passed by, Falco was immediately taken with the idea of driving such a vehicle. Alex quickly put a stop to it:
«That's too slow. And don't forget about the bandits; they're here too.»
Upon reaching the city, the group froze, staring at the enormous tower that stretched into the clouds.
«Hey, choomba, is that a dungeon?» Main asked, pointing at the tower.
«Yep, that's the one,» Alex nodded. «But the dungeon goes down, and this is Babylon. It used to just be an entrance, but later people built the tower. Now gods live in it, there are shops, and even Hephaestus has his own store there.»
«A shopping center combined with apartments?» Kiwi teased.
«Something like that,» Alex smirked. «But the apartments are insanely expensive. It's cheaper to build a mansion.»
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at him with interest. Lucy, holding Alex's hand, asked:
«How much does such a mansion cost?»
«Well, if I remember correctly, you'd need to buy land and hire builders. On average, it'll cost around 20 million valis,» Alex estimated.
«20 million?!» the group exclaimed, stunned by the amount.
Alex took a golden coin from his inventory to show them the currency. Main took it in his hand and turned it over:
«Is this gold?»
«Yep. But 20 million isn't such a huge sum if you know how to earn it. But let's take it one step at a time. Right now, we need to get into the city,» Alex said, pointing toward the gates.
Walking through the gates into the city, the group finally arrived in Orario. Everyone eagerly looked around, especially GIR and MIMI, who were taking pictures of everything they saw, clearly behaving like tourists. The group's clothing immediately drew the attention of the city's residents: it was too unusual, unfamiliar, and completely out of place with the local traditions.
«Alex, why are people looking at us like that?» Gloria whispered, getting close to his ear.
Everyone, including Gloria herself, could feel the intense gazes of passersby. The group involuntarily stopped and looked at Alex, waiting for an explanation.
«Look at your clothes, and it'll be obvious,» Alex smirked, pointing at their outfits. «To them, you're like new exotic animals in a zoo. Until you change your clothes, these stares will follow you everywhere.»
The group quickly glanced at their outfits and then at the locals' clothing. The difference was obvious. They realized they would need to change their wardrobe to avoid standing out so much.
Continuing their walk, Alex began to talk about the places to visit in the city, focusing on restaurants and street food.
«Is that all you know about, places with food?» Lucy remarked dryly, rolling her eyes.
«Just that Hestia loves good food,» Alex shrugged. «We've checked out all the decent places.»
The mention of Hestia immediately reminded the group of the tattoo on his back – the emblem of that goddess.
«You mean that Hestia, the one with the emblem on your back?» Falco asked, glancing at Alex.
«Yeah, that one. I'm part of her family, or rather, her captain,» Alex confirmed.
As they moved on, they headed toward the «Mistress of Fertility» restaurant, which Alex had praised as the place with the best food. Gradually, the group began to get used to the locals' stares, but the quiet whispers of adventurers still made them uneasy. One strange word kept cropping up: «Demon King.»
The group, almost as if on cue, turned their heads toward Alex, who, unfazed by the whispers, was calmly describing the city. Feeling their gazes, Alex turned to them, tilting his head slightly.
«What?» he asked, confused.
«Do these adventurers know who you are?» Dorio asked, looking at him with interest.
Alex smirked, noticing that the question had piqued everyone's curiosity.
«No, they don't know. 'Demon King' is just the title I've been given,» he explained.
«What's a title?» Rebecca asked, tilting her head.
«A title is like a nickname that gods give to adventurers,» Alex began to explain. «The easiest way to get a title is to level up. A harder way is to perform a heroic deed. But the gods love giving ridiculous nicknames. When I got my first title, I went on a crusade against the families of those gods to settle the score.»
«And what title did they give you?» Gloria raised an eyebrow.
«Something like 'Mad Rookie,' or something like that. But they quickly changed it to 'Demon King.'»
The group burst out laughing.
«Why did they call you that?» Lucy asked through her giggles, still holding his hand.
«Because on my first day, I reached the 10th floor of the dungeon, and the next day, I killed a Monster Rex with one strike,» Alex answered dryly, trying not to delve into the unpleasant memories.
«Is that even hard?» Rebecca asked curiously, tugging on his arm.
«For a beginner adventurer, yes, very hard. Usually, people gather entire teams to defeat a Monster Rex,» Alex explained.
Seeing that the group still had questions, Alex patiently answered them, though with a hint of irony. Rebecca was only interested in the dungeon because she wanted to shoot monsters, while Lucy and Kiwi wanted to learn more about magic and how to study it. Alex explained two main ways to acquire magic: the first was to be born with a natural predisposition, and the second was to gain magical abilities through leveling up.
When the difference between these two methods came up, Alex clarified: those who are born with a predisposition find it easier to learn spells, while magic gained through leveling up is usually limited to just one or two skills. After the explanation, Lucy and Kiwi nodded, deciding they would ask Alex to teach them magic when the time was right, although they understood his teaching methods could be tough.
Upon reaching the «Mistress of Fertility» restaurant, Alex noticed the waitress standing at the entrance. Her presence clearly pleased him, which didn't escape the girls' attention. They became curious as to why Alex was so warmly reacting to this girl. Sneaking up, Alex tried to surprise the waitress.
«Anya-nya, hi!» he said cheerfully.
The waitress quickly turned around, frowning.
«I told you: not 'Anya-nya,' just 'Anya-nya!'» she complained, but upon seeing Alex, her expression softened.
«Alexya-nya, you're back!» she exclaimed happily.
«I'm back,» Alex confirmed with a smile. «How have you been, Anya-nya?»
«Not again! I'm Anya-nya, not Anya-nya!» she grumbled, puffing her cheeks.
Alex laughed loudly, teasing Anya. His group watched this exchange with interest.
«Alex, who is she?» Rebecca asked suspiciously, squeezing his hand tighter.
«This is Anya-nya, and this is my group,» Alex replied, introducing them to each other.
Anya looked at Alex's companions, then at Rebecca, who still hadn't let go of his hand. Smiling, she greeted everyone.
«Did you bring them here to eat-nya, or were you just passing by-nya?» Anya asked, tilting her head thoughtfully.
«To eat, of course. Is Ryu working today?» Alex asked.
«She has the day off-nya,» Anya said, fluttering her ears.
Alex nodded and asked to check if there was a free table.
«That's strange,» commented Main, adjusting his glasses.
«What exactly?» Alex asked.
«Her 'nya-nya,'« Rebecca interjected, shrugging.
«You'll get used to it, you'll see even stranger things here. Now, let's go, and let's grab a table. And don't pay attention to what might happen once we go inside. And guys, don't try to flirt with the waitresses, because they'll easily tie you in knots. Especially you, Pilar; in this world, girls are way more dangerous than you can imagine,» Alex warned, laughing at Pilar's flustered expression.
The group couldn't quite understand what Alex meant about what might happen once they entered, but they shrugged and followed him. As soon as Alex's foot crossed the threshold of «Mistress of Fertility,» a rolling pin flew straight at his face, bouncing off with a dull thud.
When the rolling pin hit the floor, the noise caught the attention of the patrons, who first looked at the furious Mama Mia and then at Alex, the target of her flying rolling pin. But as soon as the patrons saw Alex, they quickly moved away, and everyone in Alex's group noticed it.
Having taken a rolling pin to the forehead, Alex's eye started twitching.
«Is this how you greet your guests?» Alex rolled his eyes. «Mia, you're going to be out of money at this rate.»
«Disappeared for months, and now you come back with some strange company, and you're complaining?» Mia huffed, gripping a frying pan.
Rebecca eyed her suspiciously, but noticing that Alex was speaking to Mia like an old friend, she relaxed. After exchanging a few words with Mama Mia, Alex found a table, but there wasn't enough seating, so he had to create a few extra chairs.
For GIR and MIMI, he had prepared child-sized chairs with footrests. While the group was placing their orders, Alex continued to banter playfully with Mia, happy to be back in this place.
To be continued...