After the group from the military base arrived to pick up the rescued survivors, Alex and the girls watched as people were seated in the transport to be safely delivered to the base.

Among the survivors were women, children, and the elderly. The henchmen of the Corporation had been capturing everyone indiscriminately, and as Alex reviewed the memories of the mercenary captain, he saw the fate that would have awaited these people if not for a series of horrific coincidences. Specifically, the fact that these thugs had decided to capture him as well, without realizing who he truly was.

The memories he had read from the captain weighed on him, making it difficult to suppress his anger. But aside from that, Alex realized that in the Corporation’s branch where these henchmen had come from, there was a fragment of the Marker, and the scientists were conducting experiments that could only be described as immoral and monstrous.

They were trying to control the process of turning people into Necromorphs. The captain’s memories allowed him to see laboratories filled with containers containing all sorts of these creatures—from ordinary ones to child Necromorphs.

Seeing this through another’s eyes was revolting. However, Alex also learned the name of the person responsible for these horrific experiments. Judging by the memories, the scientist leading the research had already completely fallen under the Marker’s influence.

His insane speeches and actions left no doubt that he had completely lost his mind. And this information only added to Alex’s headache—it was unknown how many people this deranged experimenter had already turned into Necromorphs. Alex didn’t even want to think about what would happen when that entire army of monsters broke free from the lab.

He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples.

“What did you learn from that guy to make you sigh like that?” Valmet asked, leaning against him.

“I learned that I’m about to get an even bigger headache,” Alex replied with a weary smile. “Remember when I said that sooner or later, shit was going to hit the fan in even greater volumes? Well, that moment is practically here.”

Valmet frowned, trying to recall when he had said something like that. Suddenly, it hit her—Alex had warned about this back in Tanegashima when he was deciphering those strange inscriptions in the clinic. He had mentioned then that at some point, the situation in the world would get much worse, and there would be no way to avoid it. The realization made her frown even deeper.

Shigure, who had been silently observing their conversation, tilted her head slightly, trying to understand what they were talking about and why Valmet’s expression had become so serious.

“And what exactly is supposed to happen?” Valmet asked, narrowing her eyes grimly.

“Remember those creatures we encountered in the clinic?” Alex said slowly. “Well, the idiots from the Corporation are keeping a damn army of the same kind of monsters. And you don’t even need to guess to know—they’re going to break free soon, and that will just be the beginning.”

Valmet let out a heavy sigh and pressed a tired hand to her forehead. She didn’t even want to imagine a whole horde of Necromorphs roaming free. The mere thought of how many of these creatures could be hidden in the Corporation’s underground facilities terrified her. These monsters were incredibly resilient, and killing them was extremely difficult.

Shigure tugged on Alex’s shirt, wanting to clarify the details. He turned and briefly explained the situation. Upon hearing it, Shigure nodded silently, her expression also growing darker.

“Alright, ladies, I think that’s enough for today,” Alex sighed, settling onto his motorcycle. “Let’s head back. I need a break from all this shit.”

Valmet, sharing his sentiment, decided there was no point in continuing to scavenge for supplies or inspect the area. She sat behind him, thinking only that a drink wouldn’t be a bad idea—to clear her head of all these nightmarish thoughts.

Shigure settled in front, leaning her back against Alex’s chest. Once the girls took their places, he started the engine and headed back to the military base. He had a tried-and-true method of getting rid of unnecessary thoughts—work. Any kind, as long as it kept him from thinking too much about everything that was happening.

The return to the military base went smoothly, except for the moments when they had to divert from their planned route to avoid leading a horde of zombies back with them. Alex figured the number of undead had increased because of the gunfire at the agricultural store, courtesy of the Corporation’s thugs. Now, some of the roads leading to the base were practically clogged with walking corpses aimlessly wandering around.

Fighting zombies had started to bore him. At first, it had been fun, but the more he encountered them, the more annoyed he became. Alex had even stopped coming up with creative ways to kill them just for entertainment. Right now, his main goal was to finish working on the aircraft carrier and move on.

Valmet, sitting behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist, occasionally glanced at his face. She noticed the weariness in his gaze, as if he was getting sick of everything happening around him. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she decided to distract him from his thoughts. Alex immediately felt her touch, turned his head, and smiled at her.

As they approached the base gates, Alex honked to signal for them to be opened. Once inside, he dropped Shigure off first and said goodbye to her, not forgetting to hand over the underwear she had picked out earlier. Then he headed toward the bunker, as he hadn’t seen the rest of the girls around. They had likely decided to take a day off and were just lounging on the soft couch.

Turning off the engine, Alex and Valmet dismounted. Opening the motorcycle’s storage compartment, he pulled out several bags filled with underwear for the girls, took Valmet by the hand, and they started descending the stairs.

Already on the stairs, they could hear sounds coming from the bunker—judging by the voices, the girls were watching a TV series.

When Valmet realized they had dared to watch a show without her, her face instantly darkened. Her irritation only grew when she recognized which series they were watching. Alex also frowned slightly—his eye twitched.

Descending further, they found the girls comfortably sprawled around with snacks in their hands. On the large screen, Supernatural was playing. They were so engrossed in watching that they hadn’t even noticed Alex and Valmet’s return.

“I see you’re having fun, girls. So much so that you even decided to watch the show without us,” Alex said, drawing their attention.

The chatter died down. The girls slowly turned their heads and met Valmet’s stern glare and Alex’s smirking face. Guilt immediately appeared on their expressions.

Unlike Valmet, Alex wasn’t too bothered. He had rewatched this series multiple times and could skip an episode or two. But for Valmet, this was a betrayal.

Walking up to the table, Alex placed the bags on it. Seeing that he wasn’t going to press the issue further, the girls sighed in relief, though the guilt still lingered.

“What’s in the bags?” Rei was the first to break the tension.

“What do you mean? You asked me to bring you underwear. So here it is. You can check them out, but I’m warning you now—I picked them according to my taste. If you don’t like the colors, you’ll have to deal with it,” Alex said, scratching his nose.

The moment he mentioned “underwear,” the atmosphere in the room instantly changed. The girls bolted from their spots and rushed toward the table.

Alex didn’t even have time to react before he was pushed aside, nearly knocked off his feet. His eye twitched again—this time at how greedily they pounced on the bags like a pack of starving beasts.

On the other hand, he was pleased with his foresight—he had labeled the bags in advance so no one would mix up their sets.

While the girls curiously sorted through the purchases, Alex decided to have a snack before getting back to work. Sitting in a chair, he took out his phone and opened the blueprints for the aircraft carrier. He examined his plans for the carrier and began thinking about where to start.

Although this type of aircraft carrier had a system that would shut down all systems when energy consumption reached 30%, leaving a backup for the remaining power, one advantage was that there were no planes to remove.

On the other hand, the planes’ parts and weapons could also be used. After a quick thought, Alex decided to replace the energy system first, then focus on the armament. He also needed to consider protection for the raid teams. He had two options for armor for his people but hadn’t yet made up his mind.

However, he was interrupted before he could think much further.

Rika suddenly sat down on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and looking into his eyes with a smile.

“Thanks, handsome. Mwah!” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Alex smiled, hugged Rika around the waist, and adjusted her to sit more comfortably. The girl squealed in surprise when he lifted her, but once settled, she pressed herself against him.

“Get off him, Minami. You’re not the only one here, and Alex isn’t just yours,” Koko hissed through gritted teeth.

“Mind your own business, Hekmatiyar. Can’t you see I’m hugging my future husband? If you’re jealous, you can go stand somewhere else and not look,” Rika waved her off.

As soon as she said that, Koko’s anger flared, and she immediately tried to drag Rika off Alex’s lap. Alex wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry in this situation. He could feel Rika holding tightly to his neck while Koko desperately tried to pull her away.

The other girls just watched this familiar scene, not even attempting to intervene. They had long gotten used to the constant bickering between Koko and Rika—and it wasn’t much different between Rebecca and Saya.

“Alex, maybe next time you go to the city for supplies or a reconnaissance mission, you could pick up some swimsuits for us?” Shizuka suddenly asked, pressing a finger to her lips. “We’re going to be sailing on the sea anyway, so we might as well sunbathe.”

“Shizuka, my love, we’re not going on vacation,” Alex replied calmly.

But as soon as he met Shizuka’s gaze, he realized he had lost. That puppy-dog look… Alex had long noticed that the girls had some innate talent for using it to get what they wanted, and he had never been able to resist.

Sighing, Alex stopped Rika and Koko, who were still struggling, then scanned the rest of the girls as if asking for their opinion. In response, they all nodded in unison.

“Alex, you want to see us in swimsuits, so it’s the best option,” Yuriko said with a sly smile, sensually trailing a finger over her lips. “Plus, you’ll be able to rub sunscreen on us.”

The other girls nodded in agreement with Yuriko’s words and began exchanging glances, realizing they were all thinking the same thing. Possibly, not just about sunbathing.

“Well, since you all want it, who am I to refuse?” Alex shrugged with a smile. “You’ll have your swimsuits. Want a pool on the aircraft carrier? You’ll have a pool. Anything my girls want.”

“Hooray! You’re the best!” Shizuka exclaimed joyfully, skipping over to Alex and showering him with kisses.

“Why do we need a pool on the aircraft carrier?” Saeko asked, slightly tilting her head in mild surprise.

“Who knows? But it sounds cool!” Rei answered enthusiastically. “Just like those super expensive yachts I’ve seen in movies about rich people! They always have pools on the decks. And we’ll have an entire aircraft carrier with a pool!”

Alex was at a loss for words at her logic. He wanted to say something but couldn’t—after all, he had just proposed the pool.

The other girls nodded in agreement with Rei. Indeed, the aircraft carrier was over 300 meters long, which not only allowed for a pool but also plenty of other useful things. Alex began thinking about how else to use the ship’s free space. When he asked the girls for suggestions, they started offering different ideas.

One suggestion was to allocate part of the space for small agricultural plots, to try growing some crops and see which ones would thrive.

Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise but admitted that it was a great idea. He even mentally added it to his to-do list to make sure he didn’t forget.

“Alright, girls, relax. I’ll take care of the aircraft carrier. We don’t want to stay here longer than we need to,” Alex said, preparing to leave. “And Coco, don’t forget to call your brother. Let him know we’re already in Okinawa.”

“Oh, right! I completely forgot about him!” Coco slapped herself on the forehead.

Alex shook his head, waved to the girls before leaving, and with a slight smirk, headed off. He wasn’t surprised at all that Coco had forgotten about her brother. Throughout their journey to Okinawa, it was Alex who had contacted Kasper more often, though in most cases, Chikita answered the calls.

Humming to himself, Alex walked out of the bunker and headed to the docks to continue working on the aircraft carrier. According to his calculations, if nothing distracted him, he would finish quickly. The main tasks were to replace the power system, upgrade the weapons, and slightly remodel the living quarters so that couples could live together without disturbing the others.

On his way to the docks, he greeted the people he passed with a wave. Soon, something in the distance caught his attention: GIR, MIMI, and Stitch were playing with the kids. Judging by how the little ones were running after each other, they were playing tag.

“GIR, MIMI, Stitch, we’ve got work! Follow me!” Alex called out loudly to the trio of troublemakers.

As soon as his voice echoed through the area, the robot dog, mini-android, and blue experimental monster immediately stopped their game and hurried to him, eliciting a chorus of annoyed children’s voices. Alex simply smirked, listening to the indignant protests, and continued on his way.

When he and his assistants arrived at the docks, they found that everything needed to begin the work had already been prepared. The trio had clearly worked ahead.

Sitting at the table, Alex opened his laptop and connected the holographic projector, displaying the aircraft carrier’s upgrade plan. Sighing, he thoughtfully gazed at the blueprint. If he had more time, he could turn it into a full-fledged Helicarrier. However, even with magic, he could do that right now… but that would definitely raise unnecessary questions.

“Alright, my little helpers, let’s start with replacing the power system, then we’ll focus on the weapons,” he said with a smile, addressing GIR, MIMI, and Stitch.

Alex opened the blueprint for the new reactor. The old nuclear reactor was unacceptable—it was a primitive and unsafe solution. So, he decided to replace it with a more compact but powerful unit.

GIR and MIMI were tasked with disconnecting and dismantling the old reactor, while Alex and Stitch would handle assembling the new one.

Turning on music to make the work feel less tedious, Alex and his little assistant enthusiastically got to work. The new reactor was compact and easy to transport, which would prevent unnecessary problems during installation. All the necessary parts were available, and it was just a matter of putting everything together.

While GIR and MIMI were dismantling the old system, Alex and Stitch had already assembled half of the new reactor. They even danced a little to the music, creating an impromptu show. At one point, Alex used a tool as a microphone and sang along, fully immersed in the process.

When the music quieted, he heard applause.

Turning his head, Alex saw the guys from Lehm’s group standing in front of him.

“Bravo! You could already hold concerts!” R remarked with a smirk.

“What are you guys doing here?” Alex asked, setting the tool aside.

“We decided to see what you were up to, and it turns out you’re putting on a whole show,” Lehm laughed.

Alex smirked, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.

“Since you’re here, I can show you something. I was just about to get your opinion.”

“Oh? What’s that?” R asked, intrigued.

Alex didn’t answer but instead opened his laptop and began searching for the old blueprints for the protective armor he had once designed but hadn’t yet had the time to create. The guys gathered in a semi-circle around him, watching attentively as he displayed the designs on the screen. His opinion was important to him, as they would be the ones wearing this armor.

The first model Alex showed was standard infantry armor from the Imperium. It looked simple and didn’t restrict movement, but it didn’t inspire confidence in terms of protection.

“I don’t want to embarrass you, Alex, but this armor doesn’t exactly inspire trust,” Lehm chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Well, as you say. I’m just showing available options,” Alex shrugged.

He opened another project, this time the Titanfall pilot armor. This option looked far more technological and had numerous advantages. The armor allowed for wall running, sliding on surfaces, and was perfectly adapted for urban combat. Its design ensured excellent maneuverability, and the built-in energy shield could block shots from the plasma weapons used by modified zombies.

When the guys saw the concept, their eyes widened in surprise. They knew Alex was a genius in the technical field, but they hadn’t imagined how far his developments had come.

“Dammit, this is amazing! I’d pay any amount of money to get armor like that,” R said with admiration in his voice.

“Don’t say…,” Lutz nodded. “If I had seen someone in that armor before the zombie apocalypse, I would’ve run away without a second thought, just to avoid getting into trouble.”

“You’re not alone. I wouldn’t want to mess with someone wearing that gear either,” Wiley agreed.

The guys enthusiastically discussed the armor, sharing their thoughts and impressions. Alex just smirked, knowing they’d already made their choice. Now, they would have to learn how to use the gear, but he was confident they’d figure it out.

“Well, it looks like the decision’s made,” he said, throwing his arms behind his head and leaning back in his chair.

“Dammit, yes! But here’s the question: how long will it take you to make at least one of these armors? And how many copies are you planning to make?” R asked, voicing the question that clearly interested everyone.

“I’m planning to make sets for each member of the raid groups. As for the time… I think it won’t take long. I’ve got three excellent assistants. If everything goes according to plan, by the time we get to China, we’ll have enough armor,” Alex replied thoughtfully, stroking his chin.

“Isn’t that a bit too fast?” Ugo frowned. “You know, this armor looks very advanced. It’s hard to believe it can be assembled in such a short time.”

Alex just waved it off, signaling not to dwell on it. After chatting with the guys a little longer, he returned to work. They got the hint and decided not to distract him. Before leaving, Alex reminded them about the training in the evening. Once the guys left the docks, he motioned for Stitch, and they got back to work.

Alex turned on the music and focused—he wanted to finish the reactor today so that he could focus on the weapons in the coming days and leave Okinawa as soon as possible. Additionally, he realized it was time to start training his students in chakra control, including Alice, Malka, and Honoka.

While Alex and Stitch were working, they didn’t notice when Koko arrived at the docks. She had brought food so he could have a snack during the break. Seeing how focused he was, she decided not to disturb him and simply placed the containers on the table.

Glancing at his armor project, Koko became intrigued and sat at the table, studying the blueprints. The more she read into the details, the more amazed she became at what Alex was capable of. She didn’t doubt for a second that he could bring this project to life—everything he developed somehow became real.

Alex continued working but soon decided to take a break. Putting down his tools, he turned around and saw Koko fully immersed in studying his projects. Walking up to her, he looked over her shoulder and noticed that she had opened a folder with weapon designs—the ones he created out of boredom. Some of them had already been built and were just collecting dust in his inventory, while others he never finished. Maybe in the future, he’d find the time to bring them to life.

“What are you looking at?” Alex asked, placing his hand on her head.

Koko turned to him and smiled mischievously.

“I still can’t believe how smart my future husband is. How the hell does your mind work to come up with such things?”

Alex only smirked and, without warning, lifted her up and sat her on his lap. Koko laughed out loud and snuggled up to him. He’d heard that question many times before—many girls had asked him the same thing. They were all curious about how his mind worked and where the ideas for his weapons came from. Of course, he couldn’t exactly tell them that half of these concepts were born from his twisted imagination, and the other half were borrowed from video games he once played.

“Trust me, you don’t want to know. My head is pure chaos… and a bunch of voices that talk to me all the time,” Alex said with a smirk, tapping Koko on the nose.

She immediately squinted her eyes and asked suspiciously:

“Voices? Female ones?”

Alex froze. For a moment, he lost his words, and the Valkyries in his spiritual space also quieted down, realizing that Koko had instantly noticed an important detail. But what surprised him the most was that she had clearly shown signs of jealousy.

“Koko, how would I know if they’re female or not?” he tried to dodge. “You hear your own voice in your head, right? Now think about this: does it sound the same as the voice you speak out loud? Or maybe it’s a little different?”

Koko frowned.

“Wait, what? What voice in my head? What’s my voice got to do with this? Wait…” She froze, realizing that now she was unwittingly listening to how her thoughts sounded. “Damn it, Alex! Now I can’t stop thinking about it! What the hell have you done?! You’re supposed to love me, not mess with me!”

Grabbing him by the collar, Koko began shaking him back and forth.

“Hahaha, it’s your fault!” Alex laughed. “Now you can ruin everyone’s mood! Just ask them the same thing, and no one will be able to answer!”

“You idiot!” she squealed, continuing to shake him. “How am I supposed to stop thinking about the voice in my head?!”

Alex just kept laughing, enjoying her reaction.

Alex just smiled and didn’t say anything. When he first thought about it, the question almost drove him crazy. And now, this dangerous weapon was in Koko’s hands.

But Koko wasn’t ready to give up. Anger burned in her eyes, and she continued shaking Alex, demanding an answer. Alex, still smiling, decided to put an end to it. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

Koko, still fuming with anger, bit him on the shoulder as payback. Alex only smirked, kissed her on the top of her head, and, ignoring her protests, calmly went back to his food.

As he enjoyed the taste, he felt completely satisfied. However, Koko quickly realized that her bites had no effect, so she decided to find another way to get back at Alex. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t manage to provoke him. Finally, surrendering, she pouted like an offended child.

Seeing her puffing out her cheeks, Alex couldn’t help but smile. He gently cupped her cheeks and pulled her closer, then kissed her tenderly.

Koko immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, deciding to enjoy the kiss. When their lips parted, all her anger had vanished, leaving only a satisfied smile.

After finishing his meal, Alex looked at Koko, but she, grinning, took the food tray, leaned in, stole another quick kiss from him, and, with a playful smile, walked away.

Alex just shook his head, returned to his work, and turned the music back on.

To be continued…

+3 Chapters on my Patreon: /GreedHunter

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep