Alex looked at the box containing the implant, and from its appearance, he immediately realized that this was definitely not something meant for ordinary people—it looked like something straight out of the military industry. Understanding this made him glance at Gloria with surprise as she held a military-grade implant. To confirm his suspicions, he decided to step closer.
"Could Gloria have somehow gotten her hands on an implant intended for military use?" Alex thought warily as he approached her. "She must know that holding onto something like this without the ability to protect it—or herself—is dangerous."
As Gloria stared at the case, memories of her son surfaced once more. It was for him that she had obtained this implant, hoping to sell it and pay for his education. Feeling Alex's presence near her, she turned to face him.
Seeing his intense gaze on the case, Gloria guessed that he was curious about the implant's appearance. Although she was only partially right—Alex was not just interested in the appearance but also in the origin of what he suspected was military technology.
"Curious to see what it looks like?" Gloria asked, handing the case to Alex.
"Yeah, a little, but there's something else that's bothering me more," Alex said, eyeing the simple silver case thoughtfully.
"You can check it out while I get ready," Gloria responded, handing him the case before heading to the bathroom.
Alex placed the case on the coffee table near the couch, silently hoping he was wrong and that this wasn't a military implant. Slowly, he opened the box, revealing a strange red device inside. He began examining it, trying to figure out its functions, but as he expected, there were no instructions.
As Alex studied the implant, he noticed a system designed to inject some kind of liquid, which immediately raised red flags. Shifting his focus from the injection system, Alex concentrated on the device itself and realized it was meant to be attached to the spine.
Then it dawned on him: the liquid was likely injected directly into the spine, granting the user special abilities. What those abilities were, however, remained a mystery.
When Alex finally found the manufacturer's label on the implant, his suspicions were confirmed. It bore the name of a company tied to the military-industrial complex. He smirked wryly.
"Gloria, you've really gotten yourself into trouble with this implant," he muttered, staring at the company name.
The name "Militech" didn't sit well with Alex, and he decided he needed to find out more about them. He carefully placed the implant back into the box and closed it, pondering how this could affect future events.
As he reached for his phone to check information about the company, Gloria emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. She saw him closing the case and became curious about what he thought of the cyber implant.
"So, what do you think of my cyber implant?" she asked, sitting down on the couch next to Alex.
He paused for a moment, thinking about how to respond. The implant looked impressive, but there were too many questions: how many of these could a person use at once, what risks were involved in installing it? Alex didn't know all the specifics, but one thing was clear—it was serious business.
"Impressive piece of tech, but I'm more interested in what it's intended for," he said, looking at Gloria.
She thought for a moment, trying to explain it to someone she assumed didn't know much about technology.
"It enhances reflexes and allows you to move faster," Gloria explained, trying to keep it simple.
Alex listened carefully, realizing that she considered him somewhat uninformed in such matters. But her explanation helped him fully understand how the implant worked.
"So, this implant attaches to the spine, and the injector releases a liquid that speeds up brain activity, slowing down the perception of time as if the world around you is freezing. It also enhances reflexes, allowing the body to react as fast as the brain works. Did I get that right?" Alex clarified, looking at Gloria.
She stared at him in surprise, realizing that he grasped the technology far quicker than she had expected. Gloria looked at Alex with astonishment, not expecting him to understand how the "Sandevistan" worked and figure out how to install it so quickly. Now, she began to doubt if Alex was truly from a world of magic—his knowledge of technology made her rethink things.
"Are you really from a world of magic?" Gloria asked suspiciously, studying Alex closely.
Alex sighed heavily. He understood why Gloria assumed that his world was behind in technological development. Even he sometimes missed modern technology.
"Yeah, from a world of magic," he confirmed, shrugging. "I've just made things way cooler than this, so I don't find it surprising that I understood how it works right away."
Gloria put her hand on her forehead, trying to imagine what he could have created that would surpass this implant. The thoughts her imagination conjured scared her.
Alex noticed her pale expression and guessed that she was likely imagining something incredible and terrifying. He couldn't blame her—in most worlds, magic only existed in fairy tales and legends.
"Gloria, I'm more interested in where you got this from than how it works," Alex said, eyeing her with curiosity. "I could start making things like this in my workshop whenever I get one."
Gloria looked at Alex with disbelief, as if he were a mythical being straight out of ancient legends.
"What do you mean, 'where from?'" she asked hesitantly.
"When I examined the implant, I noticed the company's name—Militech. They definitely don't make products for ordinary people," Alex nodded toward the case lying on the table.
Gloria averted her gaze, unsure how to explain that the implant had been obtained illegally. The thought that Alex might be disappointed in her actions frightened her. But Alex quickly picked up on her hesitation and understood that she feared his opinion of her.
"Listen, Gloria," Alex said with a kind smile. "I don't care how you got it. You told me you did it for your child, and I'm not here to judge you."
"I'm only worried that someone might start looking for this thing, and they could trace it back to you," he added more gently, trying to reassure her.
Alex's words had an effect. Gloria felt relief, realizing that he wasn't going to blame her. He was just concerned for her safety. This made her think again that Alex was too kind for such a brutal city full of blood and violence. She didn't yet know that standing before her was a chaotic personality capable of creating havoc if he believed someone deserved punishment.
"I work as a nurse at a hospital. When I arrived at the scene of a murder, I found this implant there. Then I contacted a friend who offered to buy it," Gloria admitted, gathering her courage.
Alex decided to check later if anyone was looking for the implant and, just in case, prepare for possible consequences if it had been stolen from someone. In the worst case, he could use destructive force, despite the risks.
"Alright. I'll figure something out in case they do trace it back to you," Alex muttered, rubbing his face, deep in thought.
Gloria watched him, unsure of what to say. He had taken her problems upon himself and was ready to protect her, even though he didn't have to.
"Are you sure you want to get involved in this? I won't blame you if you change your mind. Besides, you said you can't use your magic right now," Gloria asked, concern in her voice, as Alex continued rubbing his face.
Alex lowered his hands and looked at her seriously, causing Gloria to glance away, unable to meet his gaze.
"I said I'd protect you, and I will. I don't need magic to deal with anyone who comes after you," he reassured her with an encouraging smile.
Gloria didn't know what to say. She was used to a city where no one helped without a reason. People died here daily, and no one wanted to take on the responsibility of protecting someone they barely knew. Was Alex really an exception?
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Gloria asked, still seeking confirmation.
"Of course, I promised, so I'll do it," Alex replied with confidence, shrugging. "I can't leave someone as kind as you. And if anything happens, we'll just distract them by having the 'Cult of the Spaghetti Monster' invade the city," he added with a wide grin, as if anticipating something fun.
Gloria gave Alex a confused look. His strange smile and mention of some mysterious cult only deepened her doubts.
"The Cult... of the Spaghetti Monster?" she repeated cautiously, unsure of what to expect.
Alex's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. He was about to introduce her to the mysteries of the "cult" but decided it was better not to scare her for now and offered a simpler explanation.
"It's nothing serious. My family and I just... reformed bad people. We even had a special task force chasing us," Alex explained with a smile, clearly enjoying the memory.
Gloria was stunned by his words. At first, he had seemed serious and mature, but now he was showing a strange, almost childlike side. Maybe their actions were well-intentioned, but if a special task force was after them, it was far more complicated than he made it seem.
"If it wasn't serious, why was a task force chasing you?" Gloria asked, eyeing Alex suspiciously.
"Oh, the people we punished were just whiners. They love to complain about every little thing," Alex shrugged with a smirk.
Gloria placed a hand on her forehead, trying to make sense of his explanation. She couldn't fully understand his motives. But in the end, she decided to leave it for now.
"Alright, let's drop it for now. I still need to bring the chrome to my friend," she said, trying to distract herself from the strange conversation. "Are you coming with me or staying home?"
Alex thoughtfully stroked his chin, debating whether he should go out and meet the people who, according to Gloria, might offer him work.
"I'll go with you. If the city's as dangerous as you say, I'll protect you if anything happens," he said, standing up from the couch.
"And how exactly are you going to protect me?" Gloria asked, looking at him skeptically.
Alex opened his inventory and pulled out a few items.
"With this," he replied, showing two pistols: one black, the other white. In his other hand, he held a strange revolver with two barrels and a blue rose on the side.
Gloria stared in amazement at the weapons in Alex's hands. Her doubts about him being from a magical world grew stronger.
"Those are pistols and a revolver... Where did you get them if you're from a magical world?" she asked the obvious question.
"I made them myself. Just because I'm from a magical world doesn't mean I can't create things like these. Besides, they are magical, so it's all good," Alex replied calmly, raising an eyebrow.
Gloria sighed and raised her hands as if surrendering.
"Aren't you worried that others might find out they are magical weapons?" she asked, still concerned for his safety.
"Everything's fine. Ordinary people can use them too. The bullets are replenished with magic, so no one will know," Alex assured her with a confident thumbs-up.
Gloria looked at him skeptically but decided not to dwell on it. She watched as Alex reached back into his inventory and pulled out a holster. Deciding to help, she approached him.
"Let me help," Gloria offered, assisting with adjusting the holster on his shoulders.
Alex accepted her help and adjusted the straps so they wouldn't interfere with his movements. After moving around a bit, he holstered the pistols.
Checking to make sure it didn't restrict his movements, Alex drew his weapons a couple of times quickly to ensure everything was working perfectly.
"Heh, I always dreamed of having these pistols when I first saw them. And now my childhood dream has come true," Alex thought, smiling like a child while holding the pistols.
Gloria saw his childlike behavior and could only shake her head.
"Let me help you with the other holster," she said, noticing how Alex was smiling like a kid at a fair.
"Sure, thanks for the help," Alex replied, handing the holster for the Blue Rose to Gloria.
Gloria took the holster and began securing it to Alex's belt while he tried not to move. She finished, dusted off her hands as if she had done an excellent job.
"Now you're ready," Gloria said, nodding her head.
"Hmm," Alex said thoughtfully, adjusting the holster for the Blue Rose, which hung behind his belt.
Alex carefully placed the revolver into the holster. After drawing and returning it a few times, he checked to make sure it wasn't obstructing anything. Satisfied everything was in place, he checked once more and prepared to leave.
"Are you going out dressed like that?" Gloria asked, pointing at Alex, who was only wearing a t-shirt and was strapped with weapons.
"Oh, right," Alex confirmed.
He reached back into his inventory and pulled out a dark blue coat modeled after Nero's clothing from DMC 5. After putting on the hooded coat, he decided to check how quickly he could draw his weapons while wearing the outerwear. Once done, Alex turned to Gloria to get her opinion.
"So, what do you think?" he asked, expecting Gloria to inspect the coat.
"I'd say it has a very interesting design," Gloria honestly admitted, examining Alex's coat and its combination with the rest of his outfit.
Alex smiled in response.
"Well then, show me where we need to go," he said, turning to Gloria.
"He's already scheduled a meeting, and we're expected," Gloria replied, heading toward the door.
Alex followed her out of the apartment and waited as she closed the door. He was curious about how people here locked doors. The answer came quickly: it was a simple sensor lock requiring a fingerprint and biometric data.
But it seemed things weren't that straightforward, as such locks are easily bypassed, and it was likely the apartment owner just connects to the lock and closes the door themselves.
Gloria nodded at Alex and headed for the elevator to go downstairs. After waiting for it to arrive, they began descending. Alex watched as the numbers on the display gradually decreased until the elevator reached the first floor. But instead of opening, the elevator began descending even lower.
Alex thought, "We're probably heading down to the parking garage," as he noticed the display showing -3.
The elevator doors opened, and Gloria stepped out. Alex followed closely behind until she stopped, seemingly remembering something.
"What happened?" Alex asked, catching up to Gloria, who had come to a halt.
Gloria looked at Alex, unsure of how to respond. Amid recent events, she had completely forgotten that her car was currently out of commission.
"My car is broken, and I completely forgot about it," Gloria admitted honestly, sounding embarrassed.
Alex looked at her and couldn't understand why she was so embarrassed. Given everything she had been through, it wasn't surprising that she had forgotten about the broken car.
"It's okay. You've been through a lot. It's not surprising you forgot," Alex said, trying to reassure her.
Gloria shook off her embarrassment and started thinking about how to get to the meeting quickly.
"So, how are we getting there?" Alex asked, looking at Gloria, who was deep in thought.
"I think we'll use the subway," Gloria replied, heading towards the elevator.
Alex looked at Gloria in surprise. He was struck by the fact that a city this advanced still had a subway, and he was curious about what it looked like.
"I wonder how it compares to the subway in my old world", Alex thought, catching up to Gloria.
When they stepped outside, the first thing that caught Alex's attention was the building they had exited. His first thought was that it resembled a human anthill more than a typical high-rise.
"Strange building," Alex muttered, looking up.
Gloria noticed Alex's gaze at the building and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"I think this building looks more like an anthill than a residential building," Alex replied, turning to her.
"You're right, it does," Gloria nodded, understanding what he meant.
She didn't argue, knowing that many people see such structures as merely cold and faceless.
"Where to next?" Alex asked, pulling out a cigarette to light.
"The subway is not far, and then we'll head to the meeting place," Gloria answered, moving forward.
Alex followed her, looking around like a curious child. Despite living in a modern world, this city was on another level of development. Gloria noticed his behavior and thought with a smile," I wonder how old he is?"
When they reached the subway station, Gloria paid for the entrance and led Alex inside to wait for the train. While they waited, Alex lit another cigarette, scanning his surroundings.
Just like in his previous world, many people were engrossed in their phones—more accurately, their HUDs, as indicated by their glowing eyes. It seemed more convenient, as they didn't have to look at screens and accidentally bump into passersby.
"Nothing changes. People are still glued to their screens." Alex thought with a crooked smile, observing the crowd at the station.
He stood next to Gloria, keeping an eye out in case there were pickpockets in the area as well. Alex carefully scanned the people until his attention was drawn to a girl who stood out sharply from the rest.
She had white hair, with a strand of bangs dyed in rainbow colors. He couldn't make out the color of her eyes since she was too far away, but her appearance was clearly eye-catching.
Noticing Alex's silence, Gloria decided to find out what he was thinking.
"Did you see something interesting?" Gloria asked, turning to him.
Alex looked away from the girl and at Gloria.
"Not really, just thought I saw something," he replied, taking a drag from his cigarette.
When he looked back in that direction, the girl was already gone, and Alex decided not to search for her, continuing to scan the area.
Gloria realized that Alex was not being entirely honest but chose not to press the issue. Suddenly, she remembered she had forgotten to ask him one thing.
"You never said how old you are," Gloria said, drawing Alex's attention once again.
Alex hesitated, unsure of how best to answer. Time was a strange thing, and figuring it out wasn't easy. He decided to give the age he had used in the Danmachi world.
"I think I'm 18," he said uncertainly, exhaling smoke through his nose.
"You think? That's not how it works," Gloria said, surprised by his vague answer.
Alex leaned in closer and whispered quietly, "I'll tell you later when there aren't so many people around."
Gloria nodded, understanding that Alex was hinting at something sensitive, and decided to continue the conversation while they waited for the train. She was eager to learn more about him and tried to avoid questions related to magic. Alex talked about his life but carefully avoided mentioning monsters or battles with gods. He left out many details, but Gloria picked up that his work resembled that of a mercenary—only in a magical world.
When the train finally arrived, they boarded, and Alex stood close to Gloria to prevent anyone from getting too close. She looked at him, not understanding his excessive vigilance, as she often took the subway without problems.
"What are you doing?" Gloria asked, puzzled.
"Just in case there are pickpockets here. I don't want you to have anything stolen," Alex replied, carefully watching the passengers.
"You're being too paranoid," she smirked, seeing no need for such caution.
"Well, paranoia is one of my 'quirks'," he admitted with a slight grin.
"And how many of these quirks do you have?" Gloria asked, raising an eyebrow in interest.
"Heh, you'll find out over time," Alex said with a smile, not wanting to reveal all his peculiarities just yet.
Gloria didn't comment further on his behavior and turned to the window. The train sped forward, and Alex, observing the passing buildings and streets, couldn't help but notice how advanced this city was.
"Almost like my old world, only everything here is much more high-tech," he thought, looking at the view outside.
The subway ride seemed dull to him, and Alex began to wonder if it might have been faster if he had just run, taking Gloria with him. Suddenly, he noticed out of the corner of his eye the same girl he had seen at the station.
She was weaving through the passengers, skillfully snatching items that fell from their bags. Alex continued to watch her without intervening, keeping a close eye on what was happening. He was curious about what these items were and why she was collecting them.
Noticing that Alex was focusing on something, Gloria decided to ask.
"Did you spot something interesting?" she asked, giving him a light poke in the back.
Alex turned around, slightly flustered.
"Well, how do I explain this…" He stepped aside slightly, giving Gloria a chance to see what he was watching.
Gloria looked in the indicated direction and noticed the girl with white hair moving among the passengers.
"Hmm, that's Lucy," Gloria said quietly, recognizing the girl.
Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at her in surprise.
"You know her?" he asked.
Gloria paused for a moment and decided to explain.
(A few words from the author: I'm not actually sure if Gloria knew other members of Main's group, but I thought about it a bit and decided it was quite possible.)
"Yes, we know each other. She's part of Main's group," she replied, watching as Lucy approached.
"Is she the one we're meeting?" Alex asked, glancing at the case in Gloria's hand.
"No, that's for Main," Gloria explained, pointing to the case. Then, with a slight smile, she added, "Why do you ask? Do you like her?"
Alex just smiled in response, hiding his thoughts.
He wasn't sure how to answer Gloria's question. Lucy was certainly his type, but having only recently arrived in this world, he wasn't rushing into relationships. Moreover, he felt that he should first discuss it with his family.
"She's beautiful, but now isn't the time for relationships," Alex admitted honestly, keeping his eyes on Lucy.
"Why do you think so?" Gloria asked, clearly intrigued.
"Well, for one, I'm under your care right now, and for another, I have neither money nor an apartment. You can figure out the rest," Alex said with a light sigh, hoping his mana would recover quickly so he could exchange something for money.
Gloria considered his words and realized he was right. Although, considering he was a magician, she thought he'd find a way to earn money quickly. However, in this world, money wasn't so easily obtained, especially if one didn't get involved in dubious affairs.
Meanwhile, Lucy, slowly approaching Gloria and Alex, finally spotted the familiar face in the crowd. Seeing Gloria, she was surprised to run into her here and remembered her recent loss. Lucy sympathized with her grief and, having finished her business, made her way toward her.
"Gloria, it's good to see you," Lucy said as she got closer.
"I'm glad to see you too, Lucy," Gloria replied with a faint smile.
Lucy, noticeably distressed, looked at her with sadness in her eyes.
"My condolences for your loss," she said quietly.
"Thank you, Lucy," Gloria replied with a sad smile that only slightly eased her pain.
Noticing the young man next to Gloria, Lucy turned her attention to him. The tall guy with black hair, wearing a dark blue coat with a hood, stood out among the other passengers. From under the coat, she could see the holster straps, and his rainbow-colored eyes immediately caught her gaze. Lucy felt that he was clearly different from the usual residents of this city, as if he didn't belong here.
Gloria, catching her gaze, smiled and decided to introduce them.
"Lucy, this is Alex. We met under quite unusual circumstances," Gloria said.
"Hey!" Alex greeted with a light smile and a raised hand.
"Nice to meet you," Lucy replied, slightly tilting her head.
She continued to study Alex, who seemed to be completely out of place in this world. But what fascinated her the most were his eyes, which were mesmerizing and gave her a strange, captivating feeling.
To be continued…