Chapter 69: THE TRAINING BEGINS

GRID LIONS HQ

“You did a good job, kid. I’m proud of you.”

The captain hailed Alexander, slamming a firm hand onto his shoulder while smiling brightly. It was the first genuine smile Alexander had ever seen on his uncle’s face, and he felt a strange swell of pride at having drawn it out—a warm feeling rising in his stomach, foreign and almost uncomfortable in its unfamiliarity.

“I wouldn’t have lived with myself knowing that our bloodline had just been erased from the face of the earth. My time was over. My body must’ve rotted months ago… but you—you have all the time in the world.”

“I just did what the goddess told me. Besides, the job isn’t over. She said I’ll start my training tomorrow.”

He said it aloud to steady himself, to keep from believing he had accomplished something great enough to justify rest.

But the truth was undeniable—he had done extremely well. Midworld nearly descended into violent chaos, and yet with nothing more than a single, wide-reaching address to the people, Alexander had calmed them. In a matter of minutes, what had been spiraling into unrest settled into heavy, trembling silence.

The news about the last game—the game that would send everyone out of Midworld—spread like wildfire. And where blame had once burned in their chests, hope now flickered. The kind of hope only Alexander could anchor them to, just as the goddess had planned.

Click!!!

The door opened.

The fat elf, one of the captain’s advisors, stepped in wearing the same goldfish robe as always. His eyes fixed on the captain, wordless but urgent, silently conveying that he was needed elsewhere.

The captain caught on immediately.

His tone shifted, sharpened with haste when he turned back to Alexander.

“Alright, I’ll leave you to rest up. I need to sort something out. We’ll talk when I’m back… make yourself comfortable.”

The captain exited, and Alexander’s eyes followed him out of the meeting room.

Surprisingly, the fat elf did not escort him. Instead, he remained inside, standing by the door, leaving the two of them—who had never properly spoken—alone together.

Alexander felt it instantly. A tightening in the air.

Even without words, he could tell the elf had something to say. And the fact that he had waited for the captain to leave meant whatever it was did not belong in official records.

Slowly, the elf smiled—a thin, devilish curve of the lips—as he began walking toward Alexander.

“The whole world sees you as a hero,” he began.

“The boy who gave everyone the very salvation they failed to grasp in their lifetimes.”

He circled him, voice smooth and heavy with false admiration, like a vulture drifting around wounded prey. The praise was suspicious—too deliberate, too indulgent—but Alexander did not react. His focus sharpened instead, senses heightened.

“But I see you as you really are…” the elf continued softly. “So take it from an admirer—tread carefully in these woods, or you’re going to lose your step and fall.”

He leaned closer, lowering his voice until his mouth hovered by Alexander’s ear, as though even the walls were forbidden from hearing.

“I know you killed the captain’s brother… your father.”

Jamie’s heart skipped violently in his chest. His eyes widened, all life draining from them in an instant.

Impossible. How did he know? No—impossible. If the captain missed it, how could his mere advisor uncover the truth? No… he’s lying. I have to stay calm. If I react, he’ll think he’s right.

He tried to steady his expression, to force his face back into neutrality—but it was useless. Every effort failed. His body had already betrayed him.

“You work for me now… mmmh, hahaha.”

The elf’s laughter rolled out lazily, indulgent and pleased, like a villain savoring the final turn of a master plan.

Suddenly—

Boom!!!

Four massive explosions tore through the sky.

The shockwaves shattered the windows of the Grid Lions HQ, glass bursting outward in violent sprays, along with countless other buildings across the district. The air trembled.

Alexander lowered his head instinctively. So did the fat-robed elf.

When they looked up again, the sight was horrific.

Four towering plumes of dark smoke spiraled into the heavens, slowly thinning to reveal what lay behind them.

Giant ruptures.

Not pipeline holes.

Portals—bleeding with unstable magical energy.

On the streets below, people froze. Shopkeepers, bar patrons, vendors, passersby—every face tilted upward toward the unnatural scars splitting the sky. It was the stillness of a world awaiting invasion.

“What the fuck was that?” Alexander muttered, stepping toward the shattered glass—the only boundary that had separated inside from out.

“The Reincarnation Windows,” the elf whispered, his voice trembling just enough for Alexander to catch it.

“Whatever caused those explosions isn’t normal. Those were the doors that sent chosen souls to Midgard and Midworld… and right now, those doors have been blasted shut.”

“Oh shit…” Alexander breathed. “That means no one else will come to Midgard and Midworld.”

The implications settled over him like a weight.

No more spirits forced into the cycle.

No more arrivals destined for slaughter, betrayal, suffering.

No more repeating the same pain.

…

A DESERT IN ASTRO.

The commander rested her hands gently over defeated Jamie, his body still trembling from the aftermath of the battle.

“It’s okay, kid. I need you to understand something—this fight isn’t going to be easy. Our kind has fought this battle for centuries, and every time we fought for freedom, we lost.”

She spoke like a parent explaining a brutal truth to a broken child.

“But there is a prophecy in the old books—that a savior would one day rise for our kind. So we waited. Years and years… and no one came.”

Confusion struck Jamie. This was history he had never heard before—revelations layered over exhaustion.

“So we demons decided to create our own demon lord. We searched among countless candidates… until it narrowed down to you.”

She pointed to his chest, to his heart—signifying the moral compass he clung to even in bloodshed.

“Other than your morals, there is another reason we chose you above all the others.”

Jamie’s curiosity burned through the shaking in his limbs.

“You are strong. But under the right guidance… you could be unstoppable.”

“Jamie, my guy.”

A familiar voice echoed behind him, sending a cold rush up his spine.

Is that who I think it is?

He turned.

There he stood—Castor. Confident, composed, dressed in a tailored suit like the demons around them.

Jamie’s heart lurched. Words abandoned him.

He rushed forward and hugged him, tears spilling freely.

Castor was the only familiar presence in that world—the only piece of home left. It was only natural that he clung to him the moment he appeared.

“So you’re a demon?”

“Semi. Just like you.”

“Man… I can’t believe this. All this time…”

“Yeah. I was tasked with overseeing everything about you since Midgard. Even the moment you glitched… everything.”

“What kept you so long, Castor?” the commander asked, the lieutenant’s mind still recovering from the overwhelming surge of power he had unleashed.

“I needed to blow up a few things before I came here.”

“And how did it go?”

“Successful as ever. It’s me, you know—I always get the job done in style.”

“Jamie, meet your new teacher. Castor.”

Jamie smiled brightly through the remnants of tears. Castor had trained him before, helped him reach Red Sun. He could only imagine how far he would ascend under his full guidance.

Castor lowered his head slightly, hands tucked into his pockets, looking like a jazz musician moments before a flawless performance.

“We’re going to do great things together. When I’m done with you… no one will even dare to mess with you.”

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