Alex stood, deep in thought about where to start. He knew he needed to set up defenses for the adventurer settlement and reinforce the floor to prevent destruction in case the Dungeon Guardian appeared. He also had to protect Hestia in case the villain decided to take hostages, as a typical villain would.
Meanwhile, Ais patiently waited for Alex to make a decision, not taking her eyes off him. Meeting Alex had stirred new, unfamiliar feelings within her. She couldn't quite understand what she was feeling, but every time she saw Alex, she wanted to touch him or hug him. Her heart told her she needed to stay with Alex at that moment, to be near him.
Ais watched Alex's pensive face, and her desire to hug him grew stronger. When he was in his child form, it somehow became easier for her to imagine hugging him. But every time she tried to make that move, something held her back, though she couldn't figure out what.
While Ais struggled with her emotions, Alex had already decided on the first steps to prepare countermeasures against the group of failures who had chosen to attack this floor.
"I think I'll start with the house's defenses and then move on to the other tasks," Alex said, returning to his adult form.
"Ais, are you sure you want to come with me?" he asked, looking at her.
"Yes, I'm fine," Ais replied, not taking her eyes off Alex.
"It's just that what I'm about to do is pretty boring. There's nothing interesting about it," Alex warned.
"I'm used to staying up late, so it's fine," Ais said, stepping closer.
"Alright then. Follow me," Alex agreed, heading to the back of the house. Ais nodded and walked beside him.
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Don't be shy, I'll try to answer," Alex offered as he knelt to draw runes for the house's protection.
"What is love?" Ais suddenly asked, kneeling beside him and watching his work.
"What is 'love'?" Alex repeated, freezing for a moment.
The question caught him off guard. Love was a complex and multifaceted feeling, and explaining it in a few words wasn't easy. Alex nearly messed up the rune but quickly composed himself and finished drawing it.
"Ais, love is something everyone understands differently. There are different kinds of love: love for family, love for friends and comrades with whom you fight side by side," Alex began to explain, moving to another spot near the house. Ais followed him, waiting for more.
"What kind of love do you want to know about?" he asked, kneeling again to draw another rune.
"The kind you have with your goddess," Ais answered, not taking her eyes off him.
"You mean romantic love?" Alex clarified, turning to her. Ais nodded.
"That kind of love can also be different, depending on the person who feels it," Alex said, looking into her golden eyes.
"To put it simply, when you love someone, you always want to be near them, hold their hand, hug them," Alex continued. "You want to kiss the person you love and do other little things that bring joy. All of this can be called love for a particular person."
"And what is that strange feeling when you see the person you love with someone else?" Ais asked, following him.
"That's called jealousy, and it's very dangerous. Jealousy can destroy any relationship. If you combine love and jealousy, the desire to be with someone can turn into a desire to possess them, to the point where you might want to lock the person you love in a room so they can't escape," Alex replied, making Ais reflect on her feelings.
"Actually, it's not worth thinking too much about it. Feelings are not something that can be easily explained or imposed. You have to figure them out for yourself," Alex said, standing up and stretching since he had finished with the house's protection.
Ais nodded absently, trying to sort out her feelings. Alex slowly walked towards the settlement, wanting to enjoy the peaceful moment before the upcoming battle. Ais followed behind, lost in her thoughts, but as she looked at Alex, she felt a desire to take his hand. She caught up to him and, overcoming her hesitation, gently took his hand. At that moment, a new, pleasant feeling, different from what she had felt when holding his hand in his child form, arose in her chest. She liked this new sensation.
Alex glanced at Ais and noticed her courage. He began to think that Ais was gradually figuring out her feelings.
"This could be called progress," he thought, and smiled faintly.
Alex and Ais walked through the forest, holding hands and enjoying the moment. They were unaware of a shadow trailing behind them, observing their actions. Alex was aware of the presence of a stalker and even had an idea of who it might be, but he didn't rush to reveal them, preferring to enjoy the walk with Ais.
When they approached the settlement, which was still bustling with the large number of gathered adventurers, Alex decided to create a projection of the area to determine the best places to set up protective runes. Ais, not letting go of his hand, watched as he carefully examined the projection. At that moment, she leaned closer to him, following her feelings. Alex marked the places on the projection where the runes would be most effective and least vulnerable in battle.
"I think I've figured it out. We can move on," Alex said, removing the projection and noticing how close Ais was to him.
"Mmm, let's go," Ais nodded, unwilling to distance herself from him.
"And I think our little stalker can come out now," Alex added, turning around.
A girl appeared from behind a tree—it was Tiona, and her face showed embarrassment at being discovered. She had just wanted to see what Alex and Ais were doing and couldn't resist following them. But upon seeing them holding hands, her curiosity got the better of her.
"Hehe. I've been discovered," Tiona said, embarrassed as she stepped out from behind the tree.
"I spotted you as soon as we left the camp," Alex replied with a crooked smile.
"Well, I just didn't want to interrupt your little date," Tiona said, looking down shyly.
"It's a date?" Ais asked, turning to Alex.
"Yes, it's a date," Tiona said, not giving Alex a chance to respond. "If you're walking through the forest together holding hands, it can be called a date."
"So, we're on a date? But I haven't won yet," Ais said, tilting her head in surprise.
"You don't have to win a competition to go on a date," Tiona explained, looking at Ais, who clearly didn't understand the simple things.
"Not necessary?" Ais asked, looking at Alex, who was watching the whole interaction.
"Basically, she's right. But what competition and prize?" Alex asked, looking at the girls.
"You said yourself that the one who wins could go on a date with you," Tiona reminded him, having completely forgotten what Alex had actually said.
"Oh. I said I'd grant the wish of the one who kills the most monsters, not about a date," Alex sighed, placing a hand on his forehead.
"Oh, oops. I seem to have gotten confused, but the essence remains the same," Tiona said with a silly smile.
"Alright, as you say," Alex responded, not wanting to get involved in the details. His job was to motivate, and the girls could sort things out themselves.
"Well, enough wasting time. I still need to finish setting up the protection on this floor," Alex added, heading towards the settlement.
Alex walked towards the settlement, holding Ais's hand, which she refused to let go of and stayed beside him. Noticing the moment, Tiona decided to take his other hand and join the walk. However, Alex did not enter the settlement but started to circle it along the perimeter to set up the protective runes.
When they reached the first point where the rune was to be set, Alex faced an unexpected problem: his hands were occupied with the girls, who were not planning to let go. Ais watched in surprise as Alex did not start drawing the runes, while Tiona, noticing his difficulty, only smiled but also did not let go of his hand.
"Girls, come on. I need at least one free hand," Alex said with a crooked smile, looking at Ais and Tiona, who stubbornly held onto him.
"I don't want to," Ais said firmly, refusing to let go of his hand.
"I'll let go only if Ais does," Tiona added with a sly smile.
"And what should I do with you two?" Alex asked, continuing to look at the girls who were unwilling to step back.
"Who knows," Tiona shrugged.
"Well, you…" Alex began, but sighed wearily, which brought a triumphant smile to the girls' faces.
"Alright, let's do this," Alex said, gently freeing himself from their grip. The girls puffed up, disappointed that they couldn't keep holding his hand.
Not wanting to waste time, Alex lifted Tiona onto his back. She, surprised, wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, understanding that Alex had decided to handle things his way. Then he took Ais's hand, and her face immediately brightened with joy.
"Is this better?" Alex asked, addressing the girls.
"Yes," they replied, pleased with the outcome.
"Now I can continue my work," Alex said, squatting down to draw the first rune.
"This seems a bit inconvenient," Alex admitted, realizing that the position wasn't the most comfortable with one girl hanging on his back and the other holding his hand.
"Well, you chose this position yourself. Blame only yourself," Tiona teased, whispering in his ear. Alex just gave a crooked smile and resigned himself to the situation.
"Alright, as you say. I need to finish up with this settlement quickly and then set up runes all over the 18th floor," Alex said wearily, finishing the drawing of the rune.
After completing the first rune, Alex moved to the next location. He knew the job would be much easier if the girls weren't hanging on him, but his kind heart wouldn't let him refuse them. All this time, Tiona entertained herself by blowing in his ear or playing with his hair but knew not to disturb him when Alex was focused on drawing the runes, doing it only when they moved to another location. Alex didn't mind her antics as long as they didn't interfere with his work.
When he finally reached the last location near the settlement, his face relaxed.
"This seems to be the last place," Alex said, finishing the last rune.
"What will you do next?" Tiona asked, continuing to play with his hair.
"Now comes the most unpleasant part," Alex replied, looking at the ceiling.
"What part?" Ais asked, also looking up at the ceiling dotted with crystals that seemed to glow like stars in the night sky.
"Ugh. Now I need to place runes throughout the floor so that it doesn't collapse during the battle," Alex sighed wearily, realizing the tedious work that awaited him.
"I think you'll manage," Tiona said, giving him a thumbs-up, which she practically shoved in his face, causing a twitch in Alex's eye.
"Alright, now get off me. I need to have a smoke to focus on the work," Alex said, removing Tiona from his back and freeing his hand from Ais.
"Hey, that's not fair. Besides, you don't need to step away from us just to smoke," Tiona protested.
"Cigarettes have an unpleasant smell, and I don't want your clothes to smell like tobacco," Alex said, conjuring a pillow to sit on and smoke.
As Alex sat and smoked, he paid no attention to the girls' pouty faces, clearly unhappy about losing the chance to be close to him. Meanwhile, he was contemplating how to correctly set the runes to protect the floor from collapsing. Observing the mana flows, Alex noticed their direction and realized that the Dungeon Guardian would indeed appear. Now he knew where the Guardian would emerge from, so the first reinforcement point was found; he just needed to determine other key points.
Tiona, irritatedly glancing at Alex, could not hide her displeasure. Ais, on the other hand, patiently waited for him to finish smoking so she could hold his hand again. Alex completed his thoughts, finished smoking, and stood up from the pillow. He understood that he needed to hurry, as there was a lot of work to be done, and it was important to finish it before dawn.
"Alright, ladies, we need to hurry up, so I'll work faster," Alex said, causing the girls to tilt their heads in confusion, trying to understand what he meant.
"What do you mean by 'hurry'?" Tiona asked, approaching closer.
"It means I'll start working faster," Alex replied, lifting Tiona and placing her on the pillow. "Come on, Ais, you hop up too."
"I can run alongside you," Ais offered, unwilling to let go of his hand.
"Sorry, but that would be inconvenient," Alex said, gently freeing his hand from her grasp and placing her on the pillow next to Tiona.
"Did you figure something out?" Tiona asked, noticing Alex's urgency.
"Kind of. I saw the mana converging in one spot and realized we're running out of time," Alex explained, heading towards the first point.
"Did you find out where the Guardian will appear?" Tiona asked, keeping a close watch on him.
"Yes, if my eyes are correct, it will appear quite soon," Alex replied, quickening his pace. The pillow with the girls followed him obediently.
"Where exactly will it appear?" Tiona clarified, holding onto the pillow to avoid falling.
"Over there," Alex pointed. "We have about eight hours until its appearance, and in that time, I need to cover the entire floor with protective runes."
"You mean the Guardian will appear right there?" Tiona asked, pointing to the indicated spot.
"Exactly. The mana is gathering at that point," Alex confirmed, stopping at the first location.
"But how is that possible?" Tiona wondered, not understanding how the Guardian could come from that spot.
"Sometimes the most inconspicuous places turn out to be the most dangerous," Alex answered, finishing the work at that point and moving on to the next.
"Will you make it in time?" Ais asked, watching Alex confidently move forward.
"I think so. It will take about five to six hours to complete the work. The most challenging part is the runes on the walls," Alex explained, arriving at the next point.
Time flew by as Alex set up runes throughout the floor. The girls, tired from watching, fell asleep on the pillow. Alex, seeing them, decided not to wake them, understanding that they needed rest. Even if they said they were fine, a good sleep would never hurt. He moved around Rivira, trying to finish his work as quickly as possible. However, rune work required special care to ensure everything functioned correctly. Alex hoped that with the appearance of the Guardian, the mana flows in the dungeon would stabilize, thereby enhancing the effect of the runes.
Despite his speed, there were still many places where runes needed to be set up. As Alex finished a major portion of the work, he sighed wearily, realizing how mentally draining the task was. Looking up at the ceiling, he noticed the crystals beginning to glow brighter, signaling the approach of dawn. When the light from the crystals was bright enough to indicate morning had arrived, Alex had just finished inscribing the final rune on the wall. The rune flared briefly and then vanished, blending seamlessly with the wall.
Rubbing his tired eyes, Alex understood that his work was complete, but a battle with the Guardian and possibly another god intervening still awaited him. He looked at the peacefully sleeping girls and decided to take a moment to relax by having a cigarette. Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine what lay ahead in the coming battle. However, pushing those thoughts aside, Alex flicked the cigarette butt away and headed to the camp to send Finn's team to the surface for assistance.
Arriving at the camp, Alex noticed that some people were already awake and preparing breakfast. After greeting them, he made his way to his temporary home on the 18th floor. The Loki family, busy with preparations, greeted Alex but were taken aback when they saw the floating pillow carrying Tiona and Ais peacefully asleep.
Once inside the house, Alex began waking everyone up to prepare for the upcoming events. The first to wake was Lily's group, followed by Asfi, who emerged from her room with disheveled hair, indicating that her night had not been the easiest. Hestia, rubbing her eyes upon waking, ignored everything around her and headed straight for the source of the food's aroma. Finally, Hermes appeared with a broad smile, which puzzled Alex—how could this god remain so calm in such a situation?
When everyone gathered outside, Alex sat with them and began discussing the plan.
"Alex, what's our plan?" Finn asked, watching as Alex sipped his coffee.
"Everything is already prepared," Alex replied with a nod. "Once you finish eating and gather your things, I'll send you to your estate."
"Why to the estate and not to the first floor of the dungeon?" Bette asked, puzzled by the decision.
"Because those idiots know you're in the dungeon. If you appear near Babylon, they'll become more aggressive," Alex explained. Finn nodded in agreement with his reasoning.
"I'll send you to the estate, and you'll wait there for the attack to catch the enemy off guard," Alex continued, clarifying his plan. Finn understood that Alex wanted to use the element of surprise.
"So finish your breakfast and pack up; we don't want to waste daylight," Alex said, pouring the remaining coffee into the fire.
The Loki family quickly finished their meals and began packing up their tents and gear. Once they had everything they needed, they were ready to depart.
"I'm counting on you," Alex said, shaking Finn's hand.
"We won't let you down, don't worry," Finn replied with a smile, returning the handshake.
Alex watched as the Loki family vanished, then turned his attention to those who remained.
"Listen up. I've already set up defenses around the house and the settlement where the adventurers are gathered," Alex began, drawing everyone's attention. "So stay within this boundary to avoid leaving the barrier. This includes you too, Hermes," he added, pointing at the god.
"Me? But I didn't do anything!" Hermes exclaimed, pointing to himself.
"Yes, you. Because I know you love sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. If you die in the dungeon, there's nothing I can do to help you," Alex replied, making Hermes' face darken.
"Bella and Asfi will protect the gods while the others fight the monsters that might appear," Alex continued, laying out his plan.
"I won't let you down!" Bella said firmly, saluting like a soldier.
"I'll do my best, but don't expect me to hold back if Hermes gets annoying. I might just toss him outside the barrier," Asfi added with a smile, causing Hermes' face to turn pale and his teeth to chatter in fear.
"Just kidding," Asfi said with a grin, but Hermes clearly didn't believe her.
While Alex was giving orders and assigning tasks, Ryu approached him, wanting to show him something important before the battle.
"Alex, could you come with me?" Ryu asked, looking at him.
"Of course, I don't mind," Alex replied, beginning to follow her.
"I want to show you a place," Ryu said, taking Alex's hand and leading him forward.
Alex and Ryu walked together, and he was already guessing where she was taking him. On their way to the place where her comrades were buried, they stopped so Ryu could pick some fresh flowers for the graves. When they arrived, Alex saw a small hill covered with rusted weapons and wilted flowers. Clearly, Ryu had brought them here to honor her friends.
"Ryu, what is this place?" Alex asked, turning to her.
"This is where my comrades died. Their graves," Ryu answered, holding Alex's hand tighter.
"Is this why you left being an adventurer?" he asked gently.
"Yes. When our group was in the dungeon, we were ambushed by 'Evilus,' and all my friends died," Ryu replied, her voice full of sadness as she continued to look at the graves.
"That must have been really hard for you," Alex said softly, looking at her sad face.
"They were more than just friends to me. They were family. And it was all because of the gods who wanted to do evil just because they could," her voice trembled with repressed anger.
"I'm sorry, Ryu. I probably can't understand your pain since I've never lost anyone. But I'll be here to support you," Alex said, hugging her to make her feel protected.
"Thank you for being here with me," Ryu replied, hugging him tightly.
"Why are you thanking me? We're in love. It's my duty to support you in moments like this," Alex said, gently kissing her on the head, trying to comfort her.
"Even so, I'm still grateful," Ryu whispered, lifting her head to kiss him.
"Maybe you could introduce me to them since you brought me here?" Alex suggested after the kiss.
"Of course, follow me," Ryu said, heading toward her comrades' graves.
Ryu began to tell Alex about each member of the Astraea family. Her words were filled with both sad and happy memories from when she was part of that group. A smile appeared on her face—something genuine for the first time in a long while, as she finally came to terms with the loss of her comrades. Ryu had always blamed herself for not being able to save them, even though Goddess Astraea had never held her responsible. Alex listened attentively, occasionally asking questions or laughing at the funny stories from the Astraea family.
"So, was it Alice who said that if a guy can hold your hand, you should never let go?" Alex asked, looking at Ryu, whose smile had grown even more genuine after sharing her story.
"Yes, that was her. When I was part of Goddess Astraea's family, I always shooed away guys who tried to get close," Ryu replied, gripping Alex's hand even tighter.
"And that guy turned out to be me," Alex said with a broad smile.
"Though it was a coincidence," he continued with a smirk.
"Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it was fate," Ryu said, looking into his eyes.
"Well, who knows? If everything could be explained by fate, then we might as well stay home and wait for happiness to come knocking at the window or fall right into our hands," Alex replied, shaking his head.
"As they say, if fate gives you a chance at happiness, you have to fight for it," he added with a wise tone.
"Pretty wise words from someone who can be a fool," Ryu remarked with a smile.
"I can say wise things, but it has to be the right moment. As for the moment for foolishness, it's always available," Alex said, laughing.
"Well, as you say, my wise guy," Ryu replied, leaning against Alex and continuing to look at her comrades' graves.
They stood in silence, enjoying the tranquility of the place. If she had the chance, Ryu would have wanted to bring her comrades back to life to introduce them to Alex. She imagined how Alice would likely be stunned by this turn of events—Ryu finding a lover. The thought brought a smile to her face. As Ryu pondered her friends, Alex was formulating a wild idea in his mind. He wasn't sure of the consequences, but he knew that if this plan succeeded, Ryu would no longer be sad.
"Ryu, listen," Alex began, drawing her attention.
"What's going on?" Ryu asked, breaking away from her thoughts.
"If I said I could bring them back, how would you react?" Alex asked carefully, not wanting to scare her.
"What do you mean by 'bring back'?" Ryu asked with a tense voice.
"I mean that I can bring them back to life," Alex said, and Ryu's eyes widened in surprise.
"But you yourself said you can only bring back those who have died within three seconds," she replied, looking at him.
"This situation is much more dangerous and complicated. But if you want me to bring them back, I can do it," Alex said firmly, taking Ryu's face in his hands to make her look into his eyes.
"I..." Ryu began, but she was interrupted by a loud noise.
Just as Ryu was about to respond to Alex, the 18th floor shook with an earthquake. The walls began to tremble, and crystals fell from the ceiling. Alex frowned, irritated at being interrupted. Couldn't that stupid Dungeon Guardian wait a bit longer for him to get Ryu's answer? Watching the Dungeon Guardian appear, Alex gritted his teeth in anger. He vowed to quickly deal with this issue and return to his conversation with Ryu.
To be continued...