After the group took the photo against the backdrop of the Arasaka building, Alex, satisfied, examined the picture with a wide smile. He thought to himself that if he had done something like this in Orario, the goddesses would already be lecturing him, forcing him to clean up the ‘fruits of his art.’ But in Night City, the city of opportunities and chaos, he didn’t have to worry about such consequences.

Looking up at the glowing inscription ‘ Glory to the Flying Spaghetti Monster!’ on Arasaka Tower, Alex realized that no one else in this city would dare to pull off something like this. Only he managed to execute such a trick. In his imagination, he already pictured the faces of Arasaka’s leadership when they would have to deal with the aftermath of his joke.

«I don’t mean to distract you from admiring your masterpiece, but let me just say this—you’re probably the only madman in this city capable of something like that,» Falco smirked, standing next to him and also looking at the tower.

Alex turned to him with the same wide smile. He knew that such tricks were only possible in a tech-saturated world, but he already had a plan to infect all the billboards in the city with a virus, making the same phrase appear everywhere. However, he decided to keep this idea to himself for now, in case anyone tried to interfere with his fun.

«As they say, if you want something bad enough, you can achieve anything,» Alex replied with a light laugh.

Falco wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words. Alex was right: the key was finding a reason to keep moving forward. Kiwi simply shook her head, observing their conversation. She still couldn’t understand how someone with such a chaotic nature as Alex could be a secret agent.

He seemed more like someone who would gladly burn down the whole city and enjoy watching it go up in flames. Alex looked at his «creation» again, then thought it was time to leave. The photo was taken, and if he wanted, he could always pull the same prank again and annoy Arasaka even more.

«Alright, time to bail before we get caught,» Kiwi said dryly, looking at Alex and Falco, who were still chatting.

Alex turned to her and agreed. She was right—there were no guarantees that Arasaka wouldn’t track them down. Even though he ran through the alleyways and avoided cameras, the technology in this world allowed people to be found from the slightest traces.

Alex didn’t want Kiwi to hack into Arasaka’s terminals, knowing that her actions would leave traces, even if she tried to erase them. That’s why he entrusted this job to GIR. As Lucy once told him, in the virtual world, GIR appeared as a chaotic bundle of data, resembling a virus.

Alex and Falco exchanged glances and agreed with Kiwi. They descended to the car, and Alex, not hiding his satisfaction, tossed GIR onto the backseat and settled into the passenger seat himself, letting Falco drive.

Kiwi, exhausted after the intense day, sat in the back and closed her eyes, trying to relax. For her, this day had been extremely stressful—she never thought she’d one day invade Arasaka and live to tell about it. Closing her eyes, she glanced at Alex, who was sitting in the front, thoughtfully staring out the window.

She knew he kept many secrets, but after one of their candid conversations, she had lost the urge to ask questions. She had enough secrets of her own that she wasn’t planning to share with anyone. Now, she decided to wait—Alex would tell her when the time came.

Alex, leaning out the window, lit a cigarette, enjoying the cool breeze. The medicine he had prepared for Maine had been ready since the first day. He modified the potion recipe similar to those he had seen in Orario, adding elements for healing and restoration. Before his reincarnation, he had no idea how these potions worked, as most authors didn’t bother explaining.

He had to figure it out on his own. No one had mentioned whether these potions worked on brain damage or mental disorders, so Alex created a more powerful potion capable of repairing the brain damaged by Maine’s cyberimplants.

Problems with the brain are the most complex, requiring precise knowledge, and without understanding how it works, healing is nearly impossible. Fortunately, the internet was full of information that provided a foundation for creating the potion.

Falco, driving the car, glanced at Alex, who was leaning out of the window, and asked a question that had been bothering him for a while.

«Are you sure this medicine will help Maine?» he asked, drawing Alex’s attention.

Alex turned to him with a light but confident smile.

«Yeah, it’ll work. Or do you think Arasaka wouldn’t have developed something similar to control their elite guards?» Alex said with a confident smile.

Seeing the certainty on Alex’s face, Falco decided to trust him. Alex returned to enjoying the wind and started thinking about the next world he might visit. Maybe it would be something involving a school or something similar to DanMachi, just to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

But knowing himself, Alex realized that no matter where he ended up, it might all end with him being called a demon king and having a hero sent after him. That thought even amused him—pretending to be a real demon king just to fight a hero and give him a couple of black eyes.

They quickly arrived at the base. Falco parked the car in the garage, and everyone began getting out of the vehicle. Before Alex could even register what was happening, he found himself in a tight embrace, lifted off the ground. He was initially startled, but when he saw Dorio’s face filled with relief, he relaxed.

The moment she saw Alex, Dorio rushed to him, hugging him so tightly that no one had time to react. Alex merely smirked and decided to make a joke to lighten the mood.

«Help! A strange lady is trying to kidnap me!» he yelled, still hugging Dorio.

Everyone watching the scene was initially confused, but then burst into laughter when they heard Alex call her a strange lady. The relief that Alex and the others had returned after the Arasaka mission finally found release.

For Dorio, Alex was like a crazy younger brother, and she held him tightly. But upon hearing his words, something inside her snapped, and she hugged him even tighter, as if she had decided to squeeze the life out of him for that comment.

«Help! Now this lady is squeezing the soul out of me!» Alex cried out when he felt her grip tighten.

The group laughed again as they watched Dorio «try» to strangle Alex with her embrace. However, when she felt that Alex was like a stone wall, she finally let him go.

«You little brat, didn’t anyone ever teach you that it’s rude to call girls ‘aunties’?» she said with a smile, looking at him.

Alex just snorted and, looking at her as if she were being silly, replied, «First of all, you’re the one who hugged me out of nowhere. I was just defending myself. Second, I’m practically a married man. It’s rude of you to be hugging me like that!» he said, counting on his fingers.

After those words, everyone glanced at the three girls standing nearby. Lucy and Gloria blushed slightly, while Rebecca puffed out her chest with pride, as if to say she didn’t mind. Pilar, unable to resist, whistled to embarrass his sister, but immediately received a punch to the stomach and curled up on the floor in pain again. Dorio smiled, realizing that Alex was joking to ease the tension.

«Thank you, Alex. Really, thank you for doing this for Maine. Even if the medicine doesn’t work, no one will blame you. You’ve already done so much to help,» she said, placing her hands on his shoulders.

Alex patted her hand, showing that she shouldn’t worry too much. He didn’t consider it anything significant. In the worst case, he could use magic to fully restore Maine in a new body. Even if that revealed his secrets, he’d just accept it as inevitable.

«It’s fine. It wasn’t difficult. Besides, Maine’s like an older brother to me, one who likes to act cool but always ends up in awkward situations. And you don’t need to thank me—this was purely my selfish desire. So it’s better to think of it as just a coincidence,» Alex said with a slight smile.

Dorio understood that Alex didn’t want to accept the gratitude and hugged him tightly again.

«Don’t say it like you did this accidentally. Maine always said he wanted to make you his successor if something happened to him. You deserve thanks for stepping up to help him,» she said, pulling Alex into another hug.

Alex returned the embrace, patting her on the back.

«By the way, about the successor thing—let me just say, no. I don’t want to lead this crazy gang. I’ve got enough problems of my own,» he added with a shake of his head. «Now, enough of this mushy stuff. Time to give our patient his shot.»

Everyone nodded, realizing they needed to test the medicine Alex had brought. Dorio gave him a pat on the shoulder and headed inside. As he passed, Falco put a hand on Alex’s shoulder and nodded silently. Pilar gave Alex a high five as he walked by and nudged Rebecca towards him.

Alex spread his arms, inviting her into a hug. She immediately jumped on him, clinging like a koala. Alex lifted her slightly, then looked over at Lucy and Gloria. They came over and joined the hug, and together, they headed into the house.

«There wasn’t any actual medicine, was there?» Rebecca asked, looking into his eyes.

Alex shook his head, signaling that there wasn’t, but he decided not to reveal just yet what he had found in Arasaka’s lab. That conversation could wait until they were home. The girls nodded, choosing to hold off on their questions for a more appropriate moment.

They entered the room where Maine lay. Everyone was already waiting for them. Dorio sat beside him, holding his hand. The way her fingers trembled showed just how nervous she was. Everyone was anxiously waiting for the results. Alex pulled a vial with a strange green liquid out of his pocket.

«Well, here we go. Let’s leave this great mission to our best doctor—GIR,» he said, handing the vial to a small robot that jumped off his leg.

GIR grabbed the vial, pulled out a large syringe from his pocket, and filled it with the liquid. Then he glanced at Maine. Nimbly hopping onto the couch, he swiftly flipped Maine onto his stomach and began pulling down his pants.

«Damn it, GIR, you need to inject it at the base of the spine, near the neck, not in the butt!» Alex shouted, grabbing GIR by the head.

Everyone in the room froze, shocked by GIR’s speed and skill. If Alex hadn’t stopped him in time, they would’ve seen more than they wanted to. Gloria just sighed heavily and shook her head. GIR looked at Alex, raised a finger, and gave an «OK» gesture, signaling that he understood. Alex let him go, and GIR, jumping onto Maine’s back, plunged the syringe into his spine. After finishing, he immediately leaped into Gloria’s arms and snuggled up there.

Dorio turned Maine onto his back, and everyone waited for the medicine to take effect.

A moment later, Maine’s eyelids twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes. At first, he felt like he’d been hit by a truck. Everything hurt. The first thing he saw was Dorio’s worried face, where he caught a glimpse of relief in her eyes. Then he looked around and saw that all his friends were nearby. His attention returned to Dorio, but now she looked angry, clenching her fists as if she was preparing to strangle him.

«Well, I see you’re awake. What do you remember?» Alex asked, drawing Maine’s attention, though Maine was still staring at Dorio.

Maine turned his head toward Alex, trying to say something, but his throat was dry, and all that came out was a rasp. Dorio quickly handed him a glass of water so he could wet his throat and answer. After taking a few sips, Maine finally spoke.

«I remember us going to the range, and then… nothing,» he replied, frowning. «Why are you asking?»

Alex sighed, realizing the medicine had worked but that the memory of the episode had been wiped out. Maybe that was for the best. He grabbed a chair and sat next to Maine’s bed.

«After you went to the range, you, old bastard, decided to show off how tough you are,» Alex began, «and then you had a cyberpsychosis episode. You went berserk and started attacking everyone until I got there and slammed you into the ground.»

Maine’s eyes widened as he glanced at the others, searching for confirmation. Their expressions made it clear Alex wasn’t exaggerating. Realizing he had pushed himself to that point and endangered his friends’ lives, Maine sighed, casting a guilty look at everyone.

«What now? Turn off most of the chrome?» he asked, looking at Alex.

Alex sighed but didn’t need to respond—Dorio spoke up first, now much calmer.

«You don’t need to turn off the chrome. Alex and Kiwi stole a drug from Arasaka that saved you. You’re fine, but you can’t install any more implants. If it ever gets worse or you start having symptoms, tell us right away so we can figure something out. If Alex hadn’t brought this medicine, I’d have considered putting you down for everyone else’s safety,» she added with a stern tone, staring at Maine.

Maine looked at Alex and Kiwi, who was standing to the side, in disbelief. He couldn’t believe they had taken such a risk for him. Tears welled up in his eyes.

«Why… why did you do this? You should’ve just left me. There was no need to risk yourselves for something that might not have even existed,» he muttered.

Seeing the tears in Maine’s eyes, Alex understood that he had been a good leader, always putting his friends first, even at the cost of his own life. But Alex still thought Maine had acted recklessly by installing an implant that pushed him to the edge.

«Don’t think too much about it—it was a one-time deal,» Alex said with a friendly smile. «If you don’t get your act together, I’ll rip your spine out through your ass.»

Everyone flinched at those words, spoken with such a friendly smile. Even Maine nervously swallowed and, barely suppressing a shiver, asked, «You’re joking, right?»

Alex shook his head, pulled out his phone, and started looking for something on it. When he found what he was searching for, a wide grin spread across his face, making Maine involuntarily flinch.

«And here’s a little something for prevention. Look, here you are, sticking out of the ground like a flower,» Alex said, showing him a photo of himself standing next to Maine’s legs sticking out of the ground.

Maine looked at the phone screen and immediately recognized his legs. A question popped into his head: why are they even sticking out of the ground? But Alex was already showing the next photo.

«And here’s GIR with a syringe, sticking you with a sedative right in the butt,» Alex added with a smirk.

Maine looked at the second photo, and his face twitched with displeasure. The whole thing looked ridiculous: first, he was somehow slammed into the ground, which now explained why he felt like he’d been hit by a truck. But what outraged him the most was the enormous syringe in GIR’s hands.

«So, you even had time to mock me,» Maine grumbled sourly, glancing at the rest of the group, who were barely holding back their laughter.

As the tension in the room eased, the atmosphere became more relaxed. Alex chuckled, listening to Maine’s complaints, and decided to teach him another lesson.

«Tell me, Maine, have you ever felt like you were being turned inside out?» Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

«No, why do you ask?» Maine replied, surprised and looking at Alex warily.

Alex gave him a mysterious smile and, without warning, jabbed the syringe straight into Maine’s arm. Maine flinched as the needle pierced his skin. Before he could ask what was happening, he felt a terrible pain spreading through his entire body. He couldn’t scream—the pain was too overwhelming. It felt like all his muscles were simultaneously tearing and twisting.

«What did you do?» Dorio shouted, grabbing Alex by the collar.

Alex calmly removed her hands and explained, «It’s my personal medicine. It’s supposed to reduce the strain on his body from the implant. With this, he’ll be able to use the Sandevistan without risking another episode. I did it to relieve the pressure on his body.»

Dorio calmed down a bit and glanced at Maine, who was writhing on the couch from the spasms, drenched in sweat. His clothes were sticking to his body, and everyone in the room was now looking at Alex with newfound understanding.

«How long will this medicine extend his life?» Dorio asked worriedly.

Alex thoughtfully stroked his chin. «Not by much. This is a trial version, a diluted one. But even this will allow him to use the Sandevistan up to four times a day at full power. If he doesn’t overdo it, maybe even up to six.»

Dorio nodded, realizing that might be enough. She knew Maine wouldn’t listen and would recklessly use the implant again. The other team members bombarded Alex with questions, some wondering why Maine was in so much pain.

«It hurts because his body is getting rid of all the toxins. When the process is over, he’s going to smell like he was dunked in a vat of filth,» Alex shrugged indifferently.

After Alex’s words, everyone began to notice a faint but quickly intensifying unpleasant odor emanating from Maine. The sweat dripping from his body had turned black and sticky, as if it were seeping out unnaturally. No one was in a hurry to leave—everyone was curious about what would happen next when the process finished.

Several minutes passed, filled with continuous agony for Maine, but soon his body stopped convulsing, and he lay exhausted on the couch, staring vacantly at the ceiling.

It felt as if he had been put through a meat grinder several times, all the while being beaten with a stick to force him back into the machine. He turned his gaze to Alex, but he didn’t even have the strength to get angry.

«Well, it looks like you’re done. But you definitely need to wash up now,» Alex said with a smirk. «You smell worse than a homeless person who hasn’t bathed in years.»

Maine’s face twisted at the comment, and he finally noticed the disgusting smell coming from his body. However, he didn’t have the strength to even get up, let alone go to the bathroom. He still felt terrible pain, although it was gradually starting to fade.

«Since he can’t do it himself, I guess his beloved, Dorio, will have to help him,» Alex added, glancing at the girl who was covering her nose with her hand, a look of clear disgust on her face.

Dorio shot a glare at Alex, realizing he was throwing her under the bus again. No matter how much she loved Maine, the last thing she wanted to do right now was touch him. But realizing there were no other options, she reluctantly helped him get up and led him to the bathroom. Before closing the door, Dorio shot Alex a look full of indignation, as if he were a traitor.

«Well, we can head downstairs and chat while Dorio cleans up Maine,» Alex said with an innocent smile.

Everyone laughed at Dorio’s unfortunate fate and decided to follow Alex since the smell in the room had become unbearable. They had stayed only to see what would happen to Maine, but now that the process was over, there was no sense in enduring the smell any longer.

Alex rushed to the exit first, unable to stand the nauseating odor, followed closely by the others, barely holding back their gag reflexes. Once downstairs, they opened the windows, letting in fresh air to get rid of the stench. Some even felt sorry for Dorio, who had to stay close to the source of this nightmare.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep