After Alex explained why adventurers were being sacrificed to these cursed walls, the group broke out in a cold sweat, and the gods froze in shock, their mouths agape. They understood what the loss of a soul meant. Souls don't disappear without a trace—after death, a person enters the cycle of reincarnation to cleanse and be reborn in the mortal world. If they continued to feed adventurers to the wall, it could disrupt the balance in the world. Although Alex found out that there weren't many victims, the corruption had still spread and started to gain consciousness. It was like a larva being fed to hatch from its cocoon and wreak havoc. Alex realized that the crystals Erebus possessed were merely fragments of a sinister entity. These fragments were small but could already cause significant damage if allowed to grow unchecked. He decided that when the time came, he would need to prepare countermeasures against the being aiding Erebus and his followers.
"Alex, why are you standing there? We need to go get the girls," Hestia said, noticing Alex had once again drifted into deep thought.
"I'm just thinking about how to deal with the one pulling the strings, hiding in the shadows, and watching all this," Alex replied, lighting another cigarette. It was all getting on his nerves—he just wanted a peaceful life.
"Do you know who's behind this?" Hermes asked, looking at Alex, whose face was furrowed in concentration.
"I have suspicions, but I hope I'm wrong," Alex said with a crooked smile.
"What does that mean?" Asfi asked, not understanding why Alex was speaking in riddles.
"It means that it's better not to know who's behind this for now. It won't help you and will only make things worse," Alex said, raising even more questions among the group.
"I don't understand," Asfi said, wanting to know the answer.
"As one philosopher said, 'Ignorance is bliss,'" Alex replied, looking at the girl who was eager to learn more.
"Knowing won't do you any good. Even if you find out who this enemy is, what will it do for you?" Alex continued, not breaking his gaze from Asfi.
"Knowledge of such a being will only make you worry more. This enemy is not someone the beings of this world can deal with," he said, staring at the ceiling.
"Is the enemy hiding behind the scenes really that powerful?" Hermes asked, losing his playful demeanor.
"He's so powerful that you can't even imagine. But I don't understand why he's here or what his goal is," Alex said, and Hermes frowned at his words.
"But I hope it's just my paranoia and that these losers are being helped by some other idiot who stumbled upon the dark crystals by accident," Alex added with a tired sigh.
"So, you're saying you're not sure who's helping these villains?" Ryuu asked, looking at Alex, who sighed again.
"That's exactly what I mean. In the vast multiverse, there are plenty of things that can have the same effect as these crystals did on the dungeon walls," Alex said, hoping his paranoia wouldn't be confirmed.
"What do you mean by 'multiverse'?" Hermes asked, his eyes lighting up with interest.
"Not again. Didn't we just talk about the villain hiding behind the scenes?" Alex responded, not wanting to delve into multiverse theories.
"That's not important. Since you've started talking, don't stop now," Hermes said, beginning to act like a spoiled child. Hestia, seeing that Hermes was pestering Alex, reached for her shocker, intending to bring the noisy god to his senses.
"Alright. But let's talk as we walk so we don't waste time—we've already been delayed with clearing the corruption in the dungeon," Alex said, starting to move forward.
The group noticed that Alex was heading towards the room of Goliath, which had an exit to the 18th floor, and they followed him. Everyone was curious to learn more about the multiverse theory and the phenomena related to it. Alex walked silently, thinking about how to explain everything in a way that would avoid stupid questions. But after some thought, he realized that questions would arise no matter how hard he tried.
"Alright, ask what you want to know. If I have an answer, I'll try to explain," Alex said, turning to Hermes, who immediately caught up to him.
"What does the multiverse mean?" Hermes asked, walking beside Alex, while the whole group perked up their ears, eager to learn more. Only Hestia lay calmly on the pillow, as she already knew the answer.
"To put it simply, the multiverse is an infinite space where countless worlds and universes exist. It would take an eternity to visit each one of them," Alex explained, trying to make everything clear. But instead of clarifying the situation, he only raised more questions.
"Could you be more specific?" Asfi asked, quickening her pace to keep up with Alex.
"Alright, imagine that this world is a tree. And each version of this world is just a branch on that tree," Alex continued, looking at Asfi, who nodded, indicating that she understood.
"Let's take Hermes as an example," Alex said, pointing at Hermes.
"Me?" Hermes asked, pointing at himself.
"Yes, you. If each branch is a version of this world, then there are many versions of Hermes. For example, in one of them, Hermes is a girl, in another, a villain, and so on," Alex explained.
"I'm a girl? Heh-heh-heh, that would be awesome," Hermes began to laugh, fantasizing about it and completely ignoring the mention of being a villain, which caused disgust among the girls in the group.
"If that's clear, imagine that there are billions of such trees, or even more. And each tree is a separate world you can imagine," Alex said, causing the group's eyes to light up.
"So, the turtle you mentioned could also be from such a world?" Ryuu asked, recalling Alex's words.
"Exactly. I want to visit that world to talk with Master Oogway," Alex said, eager to meet the wise turtle.
"You're telling me there's a turtle with great wisdom, and you didn't share this with me?" Hermes exclaimed, snapping out of his fantasies, grabbing Alex, and starting to shake him.
"Stop it, or Hestia will give you another dose of 'positivity,'" Alex warned, pointing to Hestia, who was staring intently at Hermes and already reaching into her bag.
"Ahem… Sorry. But what about the other worlds?" Hermes apologized, stepping away from Alex but continuing to keep an eye on Hestia, who still had her hand on her bag.
"There are many worlds, from the simplest ones without magic or other wonders to those where heroes and villains exist. And don't forget, there are worlds inhabited by beings capable of destroying entire worlds and galaxies," Alex said, noticing how Hermes' eyes began to shine at the thought of a world filled with heroes.
"If there are worlds full of heroes, does that mean there are also worlds full of villains?" Asfi asked, looking at Alex, waiting for an answer.
"Exactly, Asfi. If there's a world where a person is a hero, then in another version, they might be a villain," Alex confirmed, and Asfi sighed proudly.
"If we try to explain why someone destined to be a hero becomes a villain, we could say that their personality is shaped by events that take a different path," Alex added, offering a more detailed explanation.
"Are you saying that someone destined to be a hero encountered different events that turned them into a villain? Did I get that right?" Asfi asked, surprising Alex with her insight.
"That's exactly right, Asfi. I'm impressed that you figured it out so quickly. Here, have a candy," Alex praised her and handed her a candy as a reward for her quick thinking. Asfi looked at the candy in confusion, not understanding why she received it, but decided to try it and found it to be incredibly delicious.
"Let's not forget that our personality is shaped by the place we live in and the people around us," Alex continued, trying to sound wise.
"So, Hermes is a pervert because he hung out with other perverts?" Hestia joked.
"I'm not so sure about that. Maybe he was already a pervert, and that's why he befriended others like him," Alex replied uncertainly.
"What do you mean I'm a pervert? All men are like that!" Hermes exclaimed, grimacing, which made Asfi struggle to hold back her laughter.
"Take Alex, for example. He's 100% a pervert; he just hides it well," Hermes said, causing everyone to stare intently at Alex.
"Don't lump everyone together. Wanting to kiss or touch someone I love doesn't make me a pervert. I always try to keep my distance from girls I'm not in a relationship with," Alex countered, and Hestia started nodding, recalling that Alex had never behaved inappropriately.
"Who are you trying to fool? I can see by your eyes that you're a pervert," Hermes declared, pointing a finger at Alex's face.
"I'll say it again: if a guy has inappropriate desires toward his partner, that's perfectly normal. If he doesn't have those thoughts, then he probably has a problem," Alex said, pushing Hermes' finger away from his face.
"How did we go from talking about different worlds to perversions and other nonsense?" Asfi asked, looking at her god, who continued arguing with Alex.
"I don't know," Ryuu replied, shaking her head.
While Hermes and Alex continued to argue about who was more of a pervert, the rest of the group silently watched them, wondering how the conversation had taken such a turn. Hestia just smiled sheepishly, realizing that she was partly to blame for this. They were already approaching Goliath's chamber, but Hermes wouldn't relent, insisting on his point, while Alex kept countering him. Alex didn't deny that he liked beautiful girls, but he had no desire to invade their personal space. He believed that everything should develop naturally.
When the group reached Goliath's chamber, they saw a huge crystal left behind after its death. Alex immediately decided to take it, considering it an easy profit. Then they approached the blocked entrance leading to the 18th floor, and Alex quickly cleared the path. Everyone began descending.
On the 18th floor, they were greeted by an incredibly beautiful and peaceful scene. The ceiling was adorned with huge crystals that illuminated the entire floor. Trees and rivers were everywhere, and blue and azure crystals of various sizes reflected the light, filling the forest with a pale blue glow. The high ceiling was studded with crystals of two colors: white, resembling the sun, and blue, reminiscent of the sky. Alex admired the beauty, considering this place the most beautiful he had ever seen.
Noticing how the crystals were gradually dimming, Alex realized that the glow depended on the time of day, and evening was approaching. Hestia, having jumped off the pillow, walked over to Alex, took his hand, and leaned against him, wanting to enjoy the moment with her beloved. Ryuu came from the other side and also took Alex's hand. For her, this place was associated with unpleasant memories, but now, being here for the first time with someone she loved, she just wanted to enjoy the beauty with him.
At that moment, they all forgot about their worries and possible dangers. They only wanted to enjoy this beautiful place.
"I don't want to interrupt your romantic moment, but we need to move on," Hermes' voice broke their moment.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're like a cork in a barrel?" Alex asked with a stone-cold face, looking at the smiling Hermes.
"No, this is the first time," Hermes replied with a wide grin. Alex's desire to punch Hermes grew with every passing moment, but while he was considering this, someone else had already taken action.
"Aaaaaa!" Hermes screamed as he received a jolt of positive energy. Everyone turned to Hestia, who had stealthily approached him and zapped him with her shocker.
"Hestia-sama, why did you do that again?" Asfi asked, looking at Hermes, who had lost consciousness once more and was emitting white smoke.
"To let him know that interrupting a romantic moment isn't acceptable. You have no idea how hard it is sometimes to just be in silence and enjoy such a moment," Hestia replied with an annoyed tone.
"Did she pick that up from you?" Ryuu whispered to Alex, who nodded in response.
"Maybe. Or maybe she was always like that, and there just wasn't a reason for her to act this way," Alex said with a shrug.
"I don't think Hestia-sama was like this. It's all your fault," Ryuu insisted, accusing Alex.
"Why does everyone say that Hestia changed because of me?" Alex raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
"Because I heard that Hestia-sama used to be a kind and sweet goddess, but now she's different. Recently, I've seen her zap Hermes with a shocker twice," Ryuu said, looking at Alex, whose lips started twitching.
"That's not true. The first time I accidentally caused trouble, Hestia wanted to shake the soul out of me. She, like me, knows how to hide her true nature," Alex responded wisely, nodding his head.
"That's because you were at fault, and she wanted to punish you," Ryuu countered, not accepting his point of view.
"Why am I at fault? I just wanted to enlighten the uneducated adventurers and lead them to the light of the 'Flying Spaghetti Monster'. It's their fault they didn't want to believe," Alex declared, trying to justify himself.
"You admitted that you caused trouble, and now you're denying your guilt," Ryuu said, squinting at him.
"It's all sophistry," Alex waved his hand, not wanting to continue the conversation.
"Alright, we need to find the other girls," he said, trying to avoid further discussions.
Alex used his ability to locate members of his family and found them in an open area near the forest. There was another group nearby, which Alex quickly recognized as Loki's family. He guessed that the girls had probably run into them while fleeing from monsters.
Alex, distracting his group from discussing the unconscious Hermes, led them towards Loki's camp. Seeing that no one wanted to carry Hermes, he sighed wearily and dragged the noisy god by his leg. Asfi, with wide eyes, couldn't understand why Alex did this, as he had previously carried Hermes on his shoulder. But after thinking a bit, she realized that Alex was acting this way because Hermes had interrupted the romantic moment. Smiling, Asfi silently followed the group, not judging his actions.
As Alex approached Loki's family camp, he heard laughter and conversations from people sitting around the fire. He was relieved to see that the girls from his family were in good condition, but soon irritation took over as he noticed how carefree they were enjoying themselves. Hestia, seeing the laughing girls, also felt a wave of irritation. She had been worried about them all this time, and now it turned out they were just sitting and laughing. Hestia was about to rush over to them with reproaches, but Alex stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking his head. A smile appeared on his face that did not bode well.
One of Loki's family members noticed Alex and his group approaching and, with a friendly smile, pointed them out to the others. The entire camp turned to face them, and when they saw Alex's smile, the conversations immediately ceased. Loki's family members began to look sympathetically at the girls from Hestia's family. In turn, they looked around in confusion until they noticed that everyone in the camp was looking in one direction. When they saw Alex's smiling face, their first thought was to run.
"Don't even think about running," Alex said, keeping his eyes fixed on the girls who were trying to retreat unnoticed. But from the start, his gaze was focused solely on them.
"Good evening to you too. Isn't it a wonderful day?" Alex asked with a smile as he approached the group. His words sent a chill through everyone in the camp. Loki's family couldn't shake the bad feeling they had looking at his smile. But when they saw Alex dragging the unconscious Hermes by his leg, their anxiety only grew.
"Why have you come, Alex?" Finn asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Well, to start with, members of my family were attacked by mutated monsters because of a group of idiots who tried to take on more than they could handle," Alex replied, getting closer and letting go of Hermes's leg, who was being ignored by everyone.
"If I hadn't gone down into the dungeon, I wouldn't have known that someone in your team had improperly set up the alarm system. Because of that, the whole structure collapsed," Alex continued, lighting up and surveying the camp.
"And the most interesting thing is that because of this idiot, a lot of problems arose in the dungeon that I had to solve," he added, shifting his gaze to one of the amazons, who flinched under his stare.
"So it was you who irresponsibly approached your work?" Alex asked, looking at Tiona, who was avoiding his gaze.
"But I set up the cube you gave our group correctly," Tiona tried to defend herself.
"Hmmm. Well, that's no longer important," Alex said, making Tiona sigh with relief.
"But you can't avoid a lecture on irresponsible behavior," he added, causing Tiona to tense up and nervously look around for help. However, none of her comrades dared to intervene, not wanting to share in the consequences.
Alex took a seat in a free spot, wanting to gather his thoughts and finally calm his nerves after ensuring the girls were okay. Every time he saw walls covered in corruption, his tension grew. The last wall, with signs of a struggle left by adventurers, had made a particularly strong impression on him. Although Alex tried to hide his emotions, inside he was deeply concerned for the girls. Once he arrived on the 18th floor and felt their presence, his worry eased, and he was finally able to relax a little and enjoy the calm of that floor. Everyone around nervously watched him, sitting silently and thoughtfully smoking, not taking their eyes off the floor.
The girls from his group did not give up their attempt to escape and were about to execute a tactical retreat when their way was blocked by the small goddess, who stood with her hands on her hips, watching them intently. The girls had no choice but to surrender and return to their places.
"Um, Alex, I don't want to interrupt your thoughts, but what exactly happened?" Finn asked, trying to distract him from his grim thoughts.
"Well, in short, the alarm system malfunctioned, and there were a lot of mutated monsters in the dungeon," Alex replied, shifting his gaze to the group, which started exchanging confused looks.
"Didn't the girls mention the ants and other monsters to you?" Alex asked, looking at the puzzled faces of those present.
"They only mentioned the ants that chased them to the boss room, and that was all," Riveria answered on behalf of the group.
"So, you didn't encounter any mutated monsters on your way?" Alex asked, looking at the girls, behind whom Hestia stood with a frowning expression.
"N-no, there were too many ants, and we couldn't deal with them. So we decided to hide, luring them to Goliath," Lily explained their group's plan.
"So, no orcs, minotaurs, or tigers?" Alex clarified, noticing how the girls quickly shook their heads.
"It's strange that they didn't encounter anyone," Asfi noted, sitting down beside them.
"Indeed, it is strange," Hestia agreed, looking at Alex, who was again lost in his thoughts.
"Are you saying there were other monsters besides the ants?" Finn asked, eyeing Alex warily.
"Not just ants. This time it was much worse, and if I hadn't been worried about the girls and gone into the dungeon, your group definitely wouldn't have returned," Alex said, surveying everyone in the camp.
"Are you joking?" Bette asked skeptically.
"Well, the situation turned out to be worse than I anticipated," Alex sighed, shaking his head.
"So what should we do now?" Riveria asked, looking at him anxiously.
"I've already dealt with that problem. But most likely, an attack will be organized on this floor tomorrow. There are too many adventurers gathered here right now," Alex noted, checking the number of people on the 18th floor.
"What do you mean by attack, and what do adventurers have to do with it?" Finn asked, trying not to think about the worst-case scenario.
"Alright, I'll explain. But first, I'll try to contact Freya," Alex said, pulling out a communication device.
Alex took out the communication device from his pocket and tried to establish contact with Allen so that he could pass it on to Freya and she could hear the upcoming conversation. Once the connection was established, Alex called Allen, who answered the call irritably. Allen was displeased with having to watch the Daedalus Street all day, where absolutely nothing had happened. But Alex was indifferent to his irritation and asked him to pass the device to Freya. After a brief pause, Freya called back, and her first question was:
"My dear, are you okay? Did you find the girls?" Her caring tone brought a warm feeling to Alex's heart.
"I'm fine, just mentally exhausted from everything I saw today," Alex replied.
"Now it's clear why you sound so tired," Freya gently remarked, sensing his exhaustion despite the distance.
"So, what happened in the dungeon that made you decide to call?" she asked, wanting to know the details.
"If I had to sum it up in two words, it would be 'Total Crap,'" Alex said, and the faces of the group members grimaced at his words.
"Dear, I understand that you're tired, but I need details," Freya said calmly but insistently.
Alex began to recount what had happened in the dungeon and what his group had faced while he was searching for the girls.
As Alex spoke, the faces of those who were unaware of the events began to pale from what they heard. Freya remained silent throughout the recounting, but Alex knew she was very upset. Finn clenched his fists, realizing that if Alex hadn't come to the rescue, his group might have suffered serious losses. Tiona, feeling guilty for what had happened, began to blame herself, but her sister tried to comfort her, saying it was not worth dwelling on.
After finishing the story, Alex looked at everyone present, seeing how their faces had paled, understanding the danger they could have faced if not for Alex's intervention.
"Dear, what should we do about this situation?" Freya finally asked.
"We need to start preparing. I will make some arrangements here, and you should go back to my place and ask Hephaestus to find the golden box in my workshop," Alex replied after a moment's thought.
"What do we need it for?" Freya asked.
"Inside that box is a useful item that will help you catch the idiot when the monster attack starts," Alex explained.
"But how can monsters attack in the city? I checked the entire Daedalus Street and found nothing," Allen, who had also been listening, intervened.
"Under Daedalus Street is an artificial labyrinth that has been built for many years. It leads to the mid-levels of the dungeon," Alex replied, and the listeners were stunned by this information.
"So what if there's an artificial labyrinth?" Allen asked in confusion, not understanding the problem.
"Are you joking? Use your brain and think," Alex replied irritably.
"They might be capturing monsters from the dungeon and causing them to mutate," came Ottar's voice from the communication device.
"You're right, Ottar. And I don't know how many monsters they have right now. Because we didn't encounter a single monster on our way," Alex said, and everyone began to contemplate various possibilities.
"Alex, do you have any guesses as to why they're capturing so many monsters and conducting all these manipulations?" Hestia asked, sitting down next to Alex.
"I have no idea, as the dungeon can spawn monsters almost indefinitely," Alex shook his head.
"Maybe they're trying to summon the Dungeon Guardian in this way?" Riveria suggested with a hint of doubt.
"Dungeon Guardian?" Alex asked, looking surprised at Riveria.
"The Guardian appears only when the dungeon sustains significant damage. But that was a long time ago, and it's only recorded in the records," Riveria explained, not being entirely sure.
"No, it's quite possible. If it's a Guardian, then it's much stronger than any monster. And if that's the case, they want to capture it," Alex said, deep in thought.
"And what's the plan of action?" Finn asked.
"Freya and Loki will monitor the surface and can help. I've left them items that will be of immense assistance," Alex said, and everyone nodded, understanding the plan.
"And what about us?" Lily asked.
"On this floor, I will do everything necessary to repel the attack and protect those who think too highly of themselves," Alex said, and his words made everyone wince, realizing that some adventurers indeed overestimate their abilities.
Alex began to explain what needed to be done on this floor. But first, he needed to give the girls a lecture on the importance of constant vigilance and prepare a sleeping area. After all, Hestia would be fussy again, demanding to sleep on a soft bed and refusing to sleep in a tent. Alex sighed wearily and lit a cigarette, thinking, "I'm too old for this shit."
To be continued...