Alex continued chatting with the girls about various topics, but the main conversation revolved around the new people who had joined their group. A lot of attention was given to the martial arts masters from Ryozanpaku. Shizuka, with a satisfied smile, didn’t miss the chance to boast that she had been right about their appearance. Sasaki, Hayato, and Apachai really did look like mighty giants—massive, muscular, and intimidating like gorillas just by their presence.

“Alex, that girl who carries a long katana and has a mouse on her head… Is she also a martial arts master?” Koko asked with genuine curiosity.

“You mean Shigure and her pet, Tachimaru?” Alex clarified, noticing Koko nod in confirmation. “Yeah, she’s quite dangerous. If it weren’t for Akisame, who adopted her, you could confidently say she’s a serious threat. The only thing that holds her back is her commitment to the principle of the ‘Merciful Fist.’ Her swordsmanship has reached such a level that she can strip the skin off you with a single movement—and you wouldn’t even notice. On top of that, she’s skilled in handling multiple types of bladed weapons.”

“What about the others?” Valmet asked. “And don’t tell me you don’t know. I’ve been with you for just a week, and I already understand that you’re not the type to leave anything unnoticed.”

Alex grimaced at her remark. It wasn’t his fault that his habit of knowing everything about people made him gather as much information as possible. This was simply due to the fact that events could unfold very differently across various universes. That’s why he preferred to verify everyone, especially people like the masters from Ryozanpaku. Who knew? Maybe they were only pretending to be kind and noble mentors, while in reality, they were hiding sinister intentions.

A multitude of examples flashed through Alex’s mind of how such things had happened in other worlds. For instance, he recalled a manga about heroes where protecting people was an official profession, and there were even schools for future saviors.

In that world, there was a hero who had become the symbol of peace—but who could guarantee that in another universe, this symbol of good wouldn’t turn out to be a villain? And that his greatest enemy, on the contrary, wasn’t the true hero trying to expose the fraud? Thoughts like these were exactly why Alex wasn’t in a hurry to trust the masters of Ryozanpaku and continued observing them.

Meanwhile, Saeko and Beatrix had taken a keen interest in Shigure. The idea of a girl who had reached incredible heights in swordsmanship intrigued them, and they decided to speak with her. However, they had yet to realize that Shigure was a woman of few words. She rarely spoke, and even when she did, it was usually just a couple of words before she fell silent again.

While the girls discussed Shigure, Alex brushed aside unnecessary thoughts and began explaining the martial arts that each master from Ryozanpaku specialized in. In the midst of his story, Alice suddenly appeared. She had a bright, happy smile on her face, and her hair was a mess, as if she had been swept through a hurricane.

“Alice, what happened to you?” Brunhilde asked curiously, noticing her disheveled appearance.

“Uncle Apachai is so fun and kind! He was tossing us into the air, and it was amazing!” Alice announced joyfully.

Alex couldn’t help but smile. However, the girls, upon hearing Apachai’s name, exchanged glances, unsure of who he was. Sensing their confusion, Alex clarified,

“Apachai is that big, gentle giant. He’s great with kids. It comes from his past—back in the underground arena, he always protected children.”

At that moment, the girls recalled the large man with a kind face who looked a bit goofy but radiated an incredible warmth.

Before Alice could run off again, Brunhilde reminded her to be careful not to get hurt. The girl nodded and disappeared in an instant. The Valkyrie just shook her head with a light smile.

Brunhilde sighed, thinking that it was better for Alice to befriend other children than to fall under the influence of GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, who would undoubtedly try to impose the strict rules of the Imperium on her. Alex, catching her glance, immediately understood what the Valkyrie was thinking. He also didn’t mind if Alice, at least temporarily, forgot about her desire to grow up and become a Sister of Battle.

Alex continued talking about the Ryozanpaku masters and their martial arts. However, the main question the girls kept asking was who among them was the strongest.

Without hesitation, Alex answered, “Hayato, without a doubt. He’s not called a legendary master for nothing. His strength shouldn’t be underestimated.”

If Alex could make an accurate comparison, he would place old man Hayato on the same level as Ottar, Freya’s loyal bodyguard. However, if they were to fight, Hayato would most likely emerge victorious. After all, he had far more experience in battles against humans, and his martial arts were perfected.

“By human standards, Hayato can undoubtedly be called one of the strongest. A man who reached such heights without superhuman abilities, relying solely on hard work and talent,” Alex concluded.

Finishing his explanation about the martial arts masters, Alex lazily pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. He still had a few hours left, which he could spend resting or doing something else before the evening training session.

He really didn’t feel like getting up from his Valkyrie’s lap—Brunhilde was running her fingers through his hair so pleasantly that he would have fallen asleep long ago if not for the conversation with the girls. However, Alex remembered that he hadn’t even started working on the rifle design for Rika, and the materials were still lying untouched in his inventory. He doubted he could come up with a believable excuse if someone asked why he hadn’t begun yet.

Lazily rising from Brunhilde’s lap, Alex took a deep breath, shaking off the last traces of drowsiness, and decided to finally get to work. Brunhilde, noticing that he had managed to overcome his laziness, didn’t try to stop him.

Stretching and yawning, Alex sat down at his desk and opened his laptop. The first thing he did was scroll through the archives, hoping to find useful notes that could make part of the project easier.

“What are you up to, handsome? Don’t tell me you’ve finally decided to build a rifle for your favorite girl?” came Rika’s teasing voice from behind.

Alex turned his head to her with a smile.

“Not yet. Right now, it’s just a project. But, as I’ve said before, you’re going to love it. You can watch if you want.”

Rika narrowed her eyes, thinking for a moment, then grinned widely. Stepping closer, she shamelessly sat on his lap, casting a playful glance at the other girls before sticking out her tongue. The look in her eyes sent a clear message: Tonight, Alex is mine.

Alex just smirked, adjusting her position on his lap to make her more comfortable, then returned to work. Briefly explaining the sniper rifle he planned to create, he noticed that the other girls had also started listening.

The project involved a modular system that would allow for barrel changes, effectively switching the weapon’s firing mode. Alex took inspiration from the weapons in Doom, where the Doom Slayer could swap out weapon parts, transforming them into something entirely new. He envisioned Rika’s rifle having two modes: one barrel designed for special rounds and the other converting the weapon into a full-fledged railgun.

“Wait a second!” Saya suddenly shrieked. “You’re planning to make something this absurd for Rika?! How did you even come up with this? And how are you going to fit all that into one rifle?!”

“Why are you freaking out again, Pinky?” Rebecca drawled lazily, shooting her a mocking glance. “Isn’t it enough that GIR and MIMI are constantly running around us? Those two are way more advanced than any rifle Alex wants to make.”

Saya opened her mouth to argue but immediately fell silent. Rebecca was right. GIR and MIMI were far more advanced pieces of technology than any rifle. Realizing this, she could only pout like a sulking child. However, quickly pulling herself together, she moved a chair closer and sat beside Alex and Rika, who was still comfortably perched on his lap.

Saya never missed a chance to learn something new, so she always observed Alex when he worked on his laptop. Seeing that the argument had died down, Alex returned to designing, commenting on each step. Saya even pulled out a notebook and started jotting down notes, recording every interesting detail.

Alex watched her with a slight smile as she diligently wrote down his explanations. It reminded him that he, too, often used a notebook to record his crazy ideas. However, since the rifle was meant for Rika, he was more interested in her opinion.

Most of Rika’s suggestions were rejected, but one of her ideas—to add a cloaking system similar to the one built into her cloak—turned out to be quite useful. The moment Alex incorporated this function into the project, he was rewarded with a kiss from Rika.

She didn’t hesitate in Saya’s presence. Smirking, she grabbed Alex by the collar and pulled him in, pressing her lips against his. She even allowed herself a bit more than usual, slipping her tongue into his mouth.

Saya’s irritated huff made her pull away.

Rika just snickered, throwing her a mischievous glance before hugging Alex contentedly and settling back on his lap, ready to continue watching his work.

Alex returned to working on Rika’s sniper rifle. However, within an hour, the project was finished, and there was still plenty of time before training. So he loaded up the blueprints of the aircraft carrier stationed at the military base in Okinawa.

Deciding not to waste any time, Alex immediately began sketching concepts for his next project involving the carrier. However, as soon as he pulled up the blueprints, Saya instantly figured out what he was planning. And, as always, a barrage of questions followed from the pink-haired girl.

Alex even thought that she would make a perfect friend for someone like Hermione. And he already had a feeling this wouldn’t end well—either they would argue endlessly, trying to prove who was smarter, or their joint research would one day result in Hogwarts burning to the ground.

But Alex had no real plans to visit the Harry Potter world. If he went there, he’d be stuck for at least five years, and that didn’t suit him. The only reason he might drop by was to fulfill a childhood dream, nothing more. Though, perhaps he would still end up there if an avatar of Nyan-Nyan had taken root in that world… or if he suddenly felt like taking a vacation. Other than that, the world didn’t interest him much.

The aircraft carrier project turned out to be quite time-consuming. By the time training finally rolled around, Alex had only managed to finish a small part of what he had planned. But he wasn’t too concerned—there was still a whole week left before reaching Okinawa, so he had plenty of time. If it weren’t for the risk of exposing his abilities, he would have gladly turned the carrier into a full-fledged floating island.

Sighing heavily, Alex closed his laptop and rubbed his tired eyes, trying to relax a little. Rika was peacefully asleep on his lap—the work he had been doing was far too boring for her.

Saya, noticing that Alex had finished, took off her glasses and began massaging the bridge of her nose.

“It’s time for training,” Brunhilde reminded him, patting his shoulder.

Alex stretched, loosening his muscles. The moment he moved, Rika immediately woke up, squinting sleepily and looking around, trying to figure out where she was.

“Training’s starting. If you want, you can keep sleeping,” Alex explained to her.

But Rika just shook her head, yawned sleepily, and lazily stretched as she slid off his lap.

Alex glanced at the girls who weren’t participating in the training and asked if they wanted to join. They just waved him off, citing a sudden wave of laziness. Alex didn’t push them—let them rest. Together with Saeko, Rei, Valmet, and Beatrix, he headed for the deck where his students were supposed to be gathering, ready to embrace the “power of youth.”

Before heading out, Alex decided to change—wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts during training wasn’t the most convenient. Opening his bag, he took out a fitted black t-shirt and pants. This time, he decided to “cosplay” Gojo’s look when he fought Sukuna.

The girls noticed Alex changing and curiously watched him as he picked his clothes. To complete the look, he threw on his old haori, the one Tsubaki had made for him back in Orario. He hadn’t worn it in a long time, fearing it might get damaged or torn, since it was his only haori.

When he finished changing, the girls admired his new outfit. The black and red haori, decorated with a spider lily pattern, combined with Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s earrings, gave Alex a very striking appearance.

“So, what do you think?” he asked, spinning around so the girls could get a better look at his outfit.

“Better without the clothes. But damn, you look hot in that outfit,” Rika said with a satisfied smile.

“My husband, you look like a true samurai,” Beatrix added, nodding approvingly.

“And again, with the black and red tones… but it suits you insanely well,” Yuriko said, eyeing him from different angles.

The other girls also shared their opinions, but they all agreed on one thing: the outfit suited him perfectly. Alex smiled, accepting the compliments. In reality, he had long been used to wearing the same clothes, but he decided to change because the girls wanted him to.

Not lingering any longer, he waved at Saeko, Rei, Valmet, and Beatrix, inviting them to follow him. Beatrix was practically glowing with happiness, holding his hand tightly. Alex smiled, recalling their first meeting when she had called him a samurai. Now, he really did look like a warrior, though in a more modern style.

Stepping out of the control room, Alex saw that everyone had already gathered and was only waiting for him and the girls. Among the crowd were not just his students but also those who had decided to simply watch the training, passing the time. In the crowd, he spotted the masters from Ryōzanpaku, including Miu, Renka, and, of course, Kenichi, who had already been “trained”—meaning subjected to brutal torture—by his teachers.

Alex’s students watched Kenichi’s suffering and couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, but deep down, some wondered: who was actually more brutal in their training? After all, if Kenichi just looked tired, they, after training under Alex’s guidance, felt like reanimated corpses after their lessons.

“Yo, I see everyone’s here,” Alex said, drawing their attention.

Everyone turned at the sound of his voice, and in that instant, the guys couldn’t help but grimace. Even in a new outfit, Alex still looked far more attractive than they did, which was particularly frustrating. Alex, catching their displeased glances, merely sneered, further lowering the morale of the male half of his team. Meanwhile, the girls practically glowed with delight, admiring him. Saeko, Rei, Valmet, and Beatrix quickly exchanged glances and silently agreed: at the next opportunity, they’d discuss with the others how to prevent more girls from getting interested in Alex.

“I see you changed your outfit… but the color scheme remains unchanged,” R remarked with a smirk as he eyed Alex up and down.

“Envy in silence, R,” Valmet retorted sharply. “If you were even half as handsome as Alex, maybe you’d actually have a girlfriend instead of the pathetic lonely life of a dog wandering aimlessly.”

Valmet’s words struck a blow to R’s pride, and he immediately became gloomy. The guys patted him on the back in consolation, but their amusement was evident—she had shut him down so skillfully.

Alex shook his head, ignoring the scene, and took his usual position from where he observed the training. Saeko, Rei, Valmet, and Beatrix joined the others and began their warm-up. As the students stretched, Alex turned his gaze to Kenichi. The boy was literally weighed down with heavy objects, looking like a guy who had gone shopping with a girlfriend and was now forced to carry all the bags.

“Young Alex, may I ask, what is the purpose of training your people?” Hayato unexpectedly asked, approaching.

“To make sure they can run away in any situation,” Alex replied seriously, nodding wisely.

Those who were warming up immediately froze. Everyone stared at him in complete confusion. Even the Ryōzanpaku masters looked at him as if he were some strange creature. They couldn’t wrap their heads around why anyone would train people to… run away.

“Wait… You mean to say that all this time you’ve been training us so we could run away?” R asked suspiciously.

“What did you think?” Alex raised an eyebrow. “Or did you think I’d just let one of you go out and fight zombies and mutants with bare hands?”

“Um… Isn’t that the point of studying martial arts and all that?” Tohji asked uncertainly.

Alex rubbed his nose tiredly, watching his students, who looked at him as if he really intended to teach them how to fight zombies in hand-to-hand combat. He couldn’t understand why they were so dumb.

With regular zombies, you can still manage, but mutated creatures, especially those modified by the Evil Corporation… And what about necromorphs? Fighting them hand-to-hand is like voluntarily putting yourself under their claws and saying, “Tear me apart, and I’ll pretend to resist.”

“Do you really think I’ll send you to fight zombies with your bare hands? Maybe I should just feed you to them right away, so we don’t waste any time?” Alex asked, tiredly staring at the group.

“Well, I was just asking, no need to feed us to zombies right away…” Tohji mumbled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

“Fighting zombies hand-to-hand is a direct path to infection. All it takes is a single drop of infected blood entering an open wound, and you’re done for. And considering zombies rarely travel alone, fighting them without weapons is pure madness,” Alex explained, looking at them as if they were complete idiots.

To make his point, he brought up Saeko, Rei, Valmet, and Beatrix—women who fought zombies using cold weapons but never relied on their fists and legs as their primary means of attack. He explained in detail that he was training his people not for fighting zombies, but to survive if they ever found themselves in a dangerous situation. Their training focused on speed, endurance, and evasion skills, so they could avoid death when facing large mutants or getting caught in a crowd of the infected.

The masters from Ryōzanpaku listened carefully to his explanation, realizing that Alex was simply increasing his people’s chances of survival. After all, escaping from a horde of zombies wasn’t easy, but with training, their chances could be significantly improved.

“Don’t martial arts masters have that energy called Ki?” Tohji suddenly asked, pulling out a manga from his jacket and showing one of the pages.

Alex slowly turned his gaze to the manga in Tohji’s hands, his eye twitching with irritation. The others stared at Tohji like he was some kind of weirdo. The Ryōzanpaku masters nodded, confirming that they used Ki in their techniques, but the Ki Tohji was talking about clearly differed from their own energy.

Intrigued, the Ryōzanpaku masters decided to listen to what Alex had to say about it. They even paused Kenichi’s training, knowing that sooner or later he would also need to master Ki. Miyu and Renka stopped their exercises, eager to hear the explanation since they were raised in a family of masters and were familiar with Ki firsthand.

“The Ki you’re talking about is different from the one used in real combat,” Alex said, glancing at Tohji.

“Then, perhaps you’ll explain it to us, oh great master, who knows the answers to all questions?” R said sarcastically.

“Fine, but only during training. Now—handstand, one hundred push-ups,” Alex commanded, waving his hand.

Discontented sighs were heard, but as soon as the characteristic electric crackle sounded, everyone immediately took the handstand position and began doing push-ups. Alex, with a satisfied smile, placed his hand on G.I.R.’s head, his loyal robo-dog, who was excellent at motivating people to train.

The Ryōzanpaku masters glanced again at the mechanical dog, trying to understand what kind of creature it was, but Alex paid no attention to their reaction. He was already thinking about how to explain the difference between the types of Ki.

“Alright, I’ll briefly explain what Ki is, how to acquire it, and the different types,” Alex said, preparing to explain.

“Young Alex, it seems you possess far greater knowledge than you appear at first glance,” noted Hayato, leaning on the railing.

Alex smiled and nodded. Hayato noticed that Alex wasn’t denying what he had said and decided to listen carefully. If Alex missed something or left out an important detail, he would add his own insights when needed.

“To begin with,” Alex started, “there are three ways to unlock the Ki center and begin using this energy. The first is the easiest, but at the same time, the most labor-intensive. It’s constant training and the improvement of one’s skills. At some point, your Ki center will open on its own.”

He gestured to the martial arts masters, inviting them to confirm what he had said.

“Alex is right,” Akisame nodded. “Unlocking the Ki center can be achieved through long and persistent training.”

“The second method is more difficult, but at the same time, easier. You need someone to help you unlock your Ki center. This is typically done by masters when they see that their student has made sufficient progress and is ready to move on to the next stage of training. However, this method comes with risks. If done carelessly, the consequences can be quite unpleasant.”

“Can I ask?” Kenichi raised his hand. “What exactly are the consequences if the master makes a mistake?”

“This method is considered risky because, without the proper skill, a person can end up crippled,” Akisame answered for Alex. “The consequences can vary, from complete paralysis of the body to less severe problems that can be fixed over time. But if you don’t know what you’re doing, the risk is too great.”

Alex nodded, confirming Akisame’s words. Indeed, the person unlocking the Ki center for another must be completely focused throughout the entire process. A mistake could lead to irreversible consequences. However, for Alex, this wasn’t a complicated task. Ki and chakra—both energies exist in every person’s body, but they are difficult to unlock without proper guidance.

“And the third method?” Mao asked, having finished his handstand push-ups.

“Well, the third method doesn’t apply to you,” Alex smirked. “It’s for those who are born with an already unlocked Ki center. It’s a rare occurrence, but among us, there are two such people: old man Hayato and his granddaughter Miyu. That’s why they’re so strong.”

This information shocked Miyu’s friends, especially Kenichi. Miyu just shrugged with a kind smile—she had never hidden this; it was simply that those around her hadn’t known what Ki was. Unlike her, Renka was upset, realizing that Miyu had once again gone far ahead.

The Ryōzanpaku masters listened to Alex with interest, especially after he accurately identified the nature of Hayato and Miyu’s strength. They moved closer but still kept an eye on Kenichi, who continued to train.

“I see you know this as well,” Hayato said thoughtfully, scrutinizing Alex. “Young Alex, can you tell us how you figured that out?”

Alex looked at the students, who were standing with their ears wide open instead of continuing their training. He pointed to the next exercise, and only after making sure they had started it did he continue.

Akisame, Sasaki, Kensei, and Shigure approached him. Meanwhile, Apachai was enthusiastically playing with the children, who had already grown fond of him and were now playing video games together. Miyu, also intrigued, moved closer, and Hayato, seeing this, simply sighed. Renka also joined, abandoning her training, leaving Kenichi to suffer under the workload.

Meanwhile, Tachimaru skillfully jumped from Shigure’s shoulder onto Alex’s head and made himself comfortable there, ready to sleep.

“I take it you’ve already asked the elderly Agatsuma couple what they think of me?” Alex asked before continuing.

“Eiichiro said that you’re the heir of the first person who created the breathing styles and that you master all 14 styles,” Kensei answered.

“Well, that makes explaining easier. To put it simply, it’s clear from old man Hayato and Miyu that their Ki center was opened from birth. This directly indicates their immense potential in martial arts.”

In reality, Alex had only briefly glanced at the bodies of each Ryōzanpaku member, as he was genuinely curious about the muscles of people at such a level. When he was in Valhalla, dealing with the aftermath of Ragnarok and introducing a new system, he had to interact with various historical figures and gods.

Over time, he had trained his eye to determine the potential of the human body—how capable a person was in martial arts, whether they had innate talent or were driven solely by indomitable will.

Alex even considered sending Takashi to be raised by Hercules, but that was a matter for the future.

When he finished explaining how he came to the conclusion that Hayato and Miyu were born with their Ki centers already open, there were no more questions. Alex had laid everything out in detail, clear and understandable.

“Very thorough and interesting, young Alex. I never would have thought of it that way,” Hayato said respectfully, nodding his head.

“And what martial art do you practice? Well, aside from sword techniques and those threads?” Renka suddenly asked, clearly intrigued.

Kensei immediately looked at his daughter with suspicion and was about to intervene to stop her from getting too close to Alex, but Renka simply waved him off, showing no attempt to hide her curiosity. The other masters were also intrigued by Alex’s abilities and looked at him expectantly.

“Actually, I never studied martial arts or trained with masters,” Alex answered calmly, shaking his head.

“Wait… what do you mean you never studied or trained?!” Sasaki asked in disbelief, giving Alex a scrutinizing look.

Sasaki couldn’t believe it, as Alex’s body was perfectly developed for martial arts. Even the other masters started looking at him with a hint of suspicion.

“How do I put this without offending anyone…” Alex awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“Just say it already. We’re all adults here, and we won’t be offended,” Kensei said impatiently.

“Well… to put it simply, I just don’t need to practice martial arts. My body is built in a way that I can replicate any movement I’ve ever seen. If a martial artist needs years of training to reach mastery, I can do the same just by glancing at it once. And I’ll do it even better.”

Alex looked at the Ryōzanpaku masters, embarrassed, waiting for their reaction.

“You’re not joking, are you?” Renka asked in shock.

Alex shook his head, confirming that he was telling the truth.

The martial arts masters stared at him as if he were their greatest enemy. In their eyes, there was a mix of awe, shock, and a slight hint of fear.

Alex merely shrugged. It wasn’t his fault how he was born. Initially, he had asked his Father for a specific power, but it seemed that he had been given a few “bonuses” in his body. Essentially, Alex possessed the same gift as Adam, created to mimic the gods. However, Adam’s body couldn’t withstand long-term strain, causing him to suffer from the side effects of overexertion. Alex’s body, on the other hand, was different—it was more perfect and had no such limitations.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep