(My dears, I opened a chat on my Patreon, where everyone can chat and ask questions to the Author(Me), and at the same time learn a couple of spoilers for the further plot. And if possible, share your opinion or suggestions for the plot. I will be glad to see you there. Mua.)

Alex decided to repeat the process of cleansing Ada’s mind. The other girls were seriously beginning to suspect that she was losing her mind again, and the influence of the Marker fragment stolen from the lab had left irreversible effects on her psyche. However, Alex knew for certain that he had already removed all traces of the artifact’s influence. But if it made Ada feel more at ease, he saw no reason to refuse her help.

Placing his hand on her head, Alex activated his ability once again. The touch of her hair made him involuntarily note its softness and pleasant silkiness. However, as soon as he thought about it, he immediately felt a sharp wave of hostility behind him.

“Again?” the thought flashed through Alex’s mind.

This only confirmed his suspicions about Zhang Ya’s abilities. In the original story, she had the ability “Heart Link,” which allowed her to hear the thoughts of the person she was connected to. But as far as he remembered, Zhang Ya had only been able to establish this link after healing Chen Ge by using her hair to stitch up a fatal wound in his heart.

Alex felt a light but noticeable tug on his clothing. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of long black hair emerging from his own shadow, gripping his cloak. But the moment he fully turned around, they instantly disappeared as if they had never been there. Instead, a bloody inscription appeared on the surface of his shadow:

“Take your hand off that woman.”

As soon as Alex read the words, they vanished as if they had never existed. He was relieved that none of the girls had noticed. Considering the already tense situation, the last thing they needed was additional worries about a fierce and ruthless ghost girl.

However, Alex was more surprised that Zhang Ya hadn’t attacked any of them yet. In the original story, she tore apart ghosts threatening Chen Ge without hesitation, absorbing them to become even stronger and more dangerous. Later, she found her killer with Chen Ge’s help and turned him into a living doll made of hair, sealing his soul inside for eternity. Then she gifted the cursed doll to Chen Ge.

But what really troubled him was how Zhang Ya ended up in this world. And what had happened to her old world?

The questions demanded answers, but for now, Alex decided not to dwell on them. Especially since his attention was once again drawn to a new inscription, more persistent than the last, appearing on his shadow:

“Take your hands off that woman!”

Sighing, Alex finally completed Ada’s mind cleansing. However, he couldn’t postpone his conversation with Zhang Ya any longer. In the worst case, he could entrust her to Göndul’s care. After all, if anyone could handle a yandere ghost, it was a Valkyrie who shared her views. He still couldn’t return to Orario and entrust Zhang Ya to Freya, and he was sure Zhang Ya wouldn’t want to leave either. Therefore, the decision was made to let Göndul negotiate with the ghost girl.

While he was deep in thought, Ada finally opened her eyes.

“Well, feeling better? Not feeling crazy anymore?” Alex asked with a slight smirk, watching her reaction.

“Very funny,” Ada snapped irritably, glancing at the other girls. “Especially considering they all already think I’ve lost my mind.”

“What did you expect?” Cammy shrugged. “You were looking for a letter that suddenly disappeared, then started insisting it had been in the safe.”

“Exactly,” the others confirmed in unison.

Ada clenched her fists, her teeth grinding in frustration. She couldn’t argue— the disappearance of the letter really did make her question her own sanity. And the teasing from the other girls only amplified that feeling.

Alex watched the situation with a slight smirk, though deep down, he did feel a little sorry for Ada. After all, the infamous letter was currently sitting in his pocket.

It was also fortunate that Zhang Ya hadn’t decided to latch onto any of the other girls. They would have definitely been terrified to discover a ghost residing in their shadows. Though when it came to Rebecca, Alex wasn’t so sure.

A scene instantly formed in his mind:

Rebecca discovers that a ghost is living in her shadow. She grabs a shotgun and tries to blast the shadow. It doesn’t work.

Enter “gremlin mode.”

Rebecca decides to blow up her shadow. Explosion. Result: the ghost is still there.

Gremlin awakening— level two.

Rebecca crafts a weapon capable of killing ghosts. After dozens of failed attempts and a number of destroyed walls, Rebecca becomes a ghost hunter. Eventually, she defeats Zhang Ya, who made the mistake of occupying her shadow.

Alex couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Why do I feel like that’s exactly what would happen?” Reginleif mused. “I have nothing against your fiancée, Rebecca, but she really is a genius when it comes to weapons. Where else would you find a girl who can create bullets that kill gods?”

“Tell me about it, sister,” Skalmöld added with a sigh. “If you give her more time, I’m sure she’ll create something capable of wiping out entire planets. And that’s terrifying.”

“Well, she is a true gremlin,” Alex thought with amusement. “Creating something destructive and then gleefully using it is practically in her blood.”

The Valkyries passionately discussed Rebecca’s impressive talent for crafting deadly weapons. Alex chose not to interfere, knowing full well that when Rebecca got passionate about something, she would see it through to the end, investing all her time and energy into it.

It had been the same in Valhalla when she developed a rune combination capable of completely and irreversibly destroying a god— no chance of resurrection, no risk of a sequel featuring a vengeful villain’s return.

Leaving the topic of the gremlin gunsmith behind, Alex decided to contact Lehm. They were done with the lab; all that remained was to check the lower floors, which resembled a massive storage facility.

For the most part, these areas looked like spacious hangars designed for storing vehicles and various equipment. Alex could have scanned them with magic, but then he’d have to come up with a convincing excuse for why he suddenly changed his mind about going down there personally.

“Yo, Lehm, you guys still alive? Or did you get roughed up and have to drop R to escape from mutants?” Alex asked with a smirk as he reached out.

Meanwhile, in the weapons storage, Lehm and his team were sorting through the found weaponry, packing it into cases to take with them. Leaving such a valuable arsenal behind would be foolish— they’d definitely need it in the future. Each soldier was searching for something useful, either for immediate use or future modifications.

“Remind me again why we need this much firepower?” Soap asked, examining a futuristic assault rifle.

“What do you mean why?” R grinned, tossing an advanced shotgun into his bag. “Our mighty and all-knowing commander clearly plans to break it down for parts and build us some new toys. If you only saw the armor he wants to make for us, you’d be squealing like a schoolgirl at prom.”

“And what kind of armor is it? Is it really that impressive?” Ghost asked, glancing at R.

“Not just impressive. It’s insanely futuristic!” Lutz said enthusiastically. “Picture soldiers from sci-fi movies, armed with high-tech gear and deadly weapons. That’s exactly the kind of armor Alex is making for us.”

“I don’t watch those kinds of movies,” Ghost replied calmly.

Lutz rolled his eyes.

“Then I don’t even know how to explain it to you.”

The rest of the guys exchanged glances, wondering how anyone could not watch such movies. Ghost, however, remained unfazed—he didn’t care what others thought about his tastes and hobbies.

Meanwhile, the discussion about weapons escalated into a heated debate about Alex’s possible plans. Toji, a fan of video games and anime, suggested that Alex might be planning to create plasma weapons. After that, the conversation spiraled into absurdity as the soldiers began throwing out the most outlandish theories.

Lehm and Price, standing to the side, watched the chaos unfold with amused smiles, smoking as they did so.

“Youngsters…” Lehm sighed, exhaling a puff of smoke. “Not like us old-timers who prefer the classics, right?”

“You got that right,” Price smirked.

The two exchanged knowing grins and continued observing the men until the sudden chime of a communicator drew their attention. Lehm, already suspecting who was calling, pulled the device from his pocket. The room immediately fell silent, and all eyes turned toward him.

He answered the call, and as soon as Alex’s voice came through, the soldiers burst into laughter, all of them turning to stare at R. The man in question muttered something under his breath, fully aware of why Alex enjoyed teasing him so much. Everyone knew R simply couldn’t keep his mouth shut and often ended up on the receiving end of “positive reinforcement” from GIR.

Lehm chuckled, shaking his head as he replied with a smirk,

“No, kid, we’re still in the armory. Aside from a few mutants and blood-soaked hallways filled with corpses, nothing noteworthy. How’s it going on your end?”

“Nothing special. Mutant containers, suspicious-looking liquid-filled tubes… You know, just your typical Evil Corporation lab,” Alex replied casually.

“No surprises there,” Lehm scoffed. “So, why the call? I figured you and the girls found something interesting. Or is it a dead end on your side too?”

“Pretty much empty. Unless you count the ramblings of a scientist who blew his brains out after scribbling a bunch of nonsense in his journal. Anyway, we’re done here and waiting for you before heading further down.”

“Got it, kid. We’re wrapping up and will meet you at your position soon. Over.”

“Over. I marked our location on the holograph,” Alex responded before ending the call.

As soon as the transmission cut off, Lehm’s holograph device chimed. He pulled it out, opened the facility map, and saw that Alex and the girls were on the laboratory floor. Calculating the route, he cursed internally—this place was a damn labyrinth of endless corridors, staircases, and platforms. Without a map, one could easily get lost, never knowing where they were or how to escape this godforsaken place.

“You heard the man, guys. Enough stuffing your bags with weapons. Take what we’ve already gathered and move out to the labs. After that, we’re heading straight to the lower levels. I don’t know what exactly Alex is looking for down there, but if he wants it, it must be important,” Lehm ordered.

“Hope he’s got enough gear now to make us some new toys,” R muttered, slinging a bag of weapons over his shoulder. “I mean, the guy somehow managed to make that stealth cloak for Rika Minami. So I bet we’ll get something cool too.”

“Maybe,” Lutz sighed with a jealous expression. “But we’ll be dead last in line. Alex always makes the best stuff for his girls first.”

“What, you jealous?” Wiley smirked. “Jealous that he takes care of his girls? Or jealous that he even has girls?”

“Both,” Lutz sighed again. “Feels like all he has to do is show a little interest, and women start throwing themselves at him. Even our Valmet, who was obsessed with Koko, is now dating him. Damn, I wish I were in his shoes…”

Lehm smirked, enjoying the opportunity to rub salt into Lutz’s wound.

“Well, it’s simple. Just be as handsome, smart, and strong as Alex. Then maybe—just maybe—you’ll get more than one girl.”

The men all burst into laughter, while Lutz could only sigh in defeat, realizing there was no point in arguing.

Hearing Lehm’s truthful words, Lutz sank deeper into despondency, which only caused louder laughter from the others. However, none of the guys could dispute what was said—Lehm had simply voiced the obvious truth.

Though the full truth about Alex remained unknown to them, they had no idea that he was engaged to four goddesses, one of whom was the goddess of love herself. If they had found out, they would likely have gone insane with jealousy. Especially if they had seen Freya—the woman whose beauty was truly divine. Even male gods lost their minds gazing at her, and goddesses couldn’t always resist her charm.

“Ha-ha, very funny, Lehm!” Lutz snorted, crossing his arms. “Doesn’t it bother you that your ex-wife is also showing interest in Alex?”

He pointed a finger at Lehm, but Lehm only grunted.

“We divorced by mutual agreement, so now we’re just old friends. I don’t care who she decides to have a relationship with,” Lehm squinted. “You should think about yourself. With your personality, you, like R, will only find a girl if she has absolutely no other options.”

“Go to hell, old man!” R grumbled, frowning irritably. “And don’t drag me into this! I’m a lone wolf, I don’t need anyone.”

“Yeah, ‘lone wolf,’ who gave advice to a young guy and almost got him thrown overboard by angry girls,” Toji reminded him with a grin, shaking his head.

“Shut up, Toji, or I’ll tell that teacher you’re dating all your embarrassing secrets,” R snapped, glaring at him.

“Alright, guys, enough with the dick measuring,” Lehm sighed wearily. “I don’t want to hear from Alex why it’s taking us so long. The sooner we finish, the sooner we get out of here. And I’m sure none of us wants to stay in this damn complex any longer than necessary.”

Toji and R exchanged glances, reluctantly nodding, but their eyes clearly indicated that their conversation wasn’t over yet.

Lehm shook his head, then looked at Price, who had already grabbed the weapon bag. He followed his lead, slinging the bag over his shoulder and adjusting the strap. Then he grabbed an assault rifle from the table, checked the magazine, and scanned the squad. Everyone nodded, signaling they were ready to move on.

Lehm and Price led the way out.

“Stay alert,” Lehm signaled the others. “We’re heading even lower, and no one knows what’s waiting for us down there. Even though Alex literally punched through several floors, and the girls followed his trail, we’ll still have to go down the stairs.”

He pulled out a holograph, checked the map, and looked around, trying to determine the correct direction.

“We go that way,” he waved his hand and shook his head. “This complex was definitely designed by some kind of crazy person.”

“I already said that,” Soap smirked. “If I didn’t know this was a map of a research center, I’d think it was the damn blueprint of an anthill.”

“Or, more precisely, a human-hill,” Ghost added calmly.

The guys froze and stared at him as though they had just seen an alien.

“Ghost…” Soap said in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to have a sense of humor. I thought you just walked around with a frown and minded your own business. Or do you have a couple more jokes in your arsenal?”

Ghost silently nodded.

“I’ve got one. What do you do in the event of a nuclear explosion?”

The guys exchanged glances.

“And what’s that?” R asked, deciding to play along.

“Hold your rifle with your arms fully extended so the molten metal doesn’t drip onto your boots,” Ghost answered in a flat tone, without changing his expression.

There was a pause.

“Honestly? That was weird,” Soap shook his head.

“Military humor, Johnny,” Ghost explained calmly, continuing to move forward.

Ghost ignored the surprised faces of the guys and moved ahead. The others were still processing his strange sense of humor, but deciding not to linger, they hurried after him.

Reaching the exit to the stair landing, they quickly checked for signs of mutants, zombies, and any other nastiness that might be in their way. Ensuring everything was clear, the guys began descending, staying fully alert. They kept a close watch not only on the doors around them but also on the space beneath their feet—after all, some types of undead could move along the walls.

When they reached the correct floor, Lehm checked the map and nodded to the others, confirming they were in the right place. Cautiously opening the doors, they looked around and, seeing nothing suspicious, stepped into the laboratory area.

“And now?” Mao asked, looking around.

“That way,” Ghost nodded, pointing the barrel of his rifle at a large hole in the wall.

“Of course, how convenient! We won’t even have to wander through this maze,” R smirked.

“Yeah,” Soap snorted. “Since he broke through the floor, why not break through the walls to get to where he needs?”

The others smiled too, no longer surprised by Alex’s antics. Especially the guys from Lehm’s group, since they clearly remembered how Alex had literally torn apart the airport when he came to save Rika. R didn’t hesitate to share that story with Price, Soap, and Ghost, so they could get more familiar with their “emperor’s” methods. The newcomers listened attentively, but without much surprise—it seemed there was nothing that could impress them now.

As they moved forward, R detailed the operation at the airport. Passing by laboratories filled with containers of preserved mutants and other horrors, the group briefly stopped.

“I still don’t get it. Did they artificially breed this crap, or did they just capture them to stuff them into these containers?” Soap asked, pointing his rifle at one of the tanks, which contained something resembling a twisted zombie with tentacles.

“We’ll never know,” Price shook his head. “But it’s better not to touch anything. Who knows if those things are alive or not.”

Everyone nodded in agreement—no one had the desire to check. They continued moving forward, following the paths Alex had made. When they reached the laboratory where he had been earlier, the guys checked the map and headed in the right direction.

When they were only a few corridors away from their destination, they heard Alex and the girls’ relaxed voices. Apparently, they had already been resting and chatting. Deciding not to waste time, the group quickened their pace and soon reached the room where the voices were coming from.

“Well, well, Christmas came early!” Alex said with a smirk as he looked at the newcomers. “Santa himself and his helpers have arrived. And what gifts did you bring me?”

“Take a look for yourself,” Lehm replied, placing his weapon bag on the floor.

The others followed his lead. Alex curiously opened the first bag and began sifting through the contents. Rebecca immediately appeared beside him, eager to examine the new toys.

While Alex and Rebecca were inspecting the weapons, the guys decided to catch their breath. Not wanting to waste time, Alex connected G.I.R. and MIMI to the process. Lehm, sitting next to Valmet, asked about the situation in the laboratories to understand what they had missed. The girl briefly summarized the events, allowing him to piece together the overall picture.

“Well, kid, do you think you can make something useful out of this junk?” Price asked, lighting a cigar.

Alex thoughtfully examined the contents of the bags.

“Hmm… Some of it can be used for parts to build proper weapons. Basically, everything you brought would have eventually been used as spare parts for weapons for my minions,” he replied without much thought.

Everyone stared at Alex, processing his words. He himself didn’t immediately realize that he had just called the people he was planning to hand weapons to “minions.” Valmet, noticing this, cleared her throat, trying to get his attention. Alex turned his head toward her but only tilted it in confusion, not understanding what she meant. The girls, on the other hand, were already laughing.

“Oh, I misspoke!” Alex theatrically raised his hand. “For my loyal companions, who are ready to walk through fire, water, and molten copper pipes to save this world! We will reclaim it from the mutant filth and punish those responsible for the death of humanity! Forward, my minions!”

Valmet rolled her eyes and slapped her forehead—Alex had used that word again. Rebecca was laughing loudly, not even trying to hide her amusement.

Even G.I.R. and MIMI joined in, playfully poking the guys and repeating, “Minions! Minions!”

Saeko covered her mouth with her palm, suppressing a laugh. Chun-Li and Cammy exchanged glances, then smiled, watching the fighters’ sour reactions. Ada just smirked, while Shigure still didn’t understand the joke.

“Are you not ashamed to call us that?” R said, feigning offense. “I thought we were friends, and you call us ‘minions.’ Even Koko wasn’t that cruel!”

“First of all, it was a joke. And second… it was still a joke!” Alex smirked. “If I really wanted minions, I would have gathered an entire army of robots like G.I.R. and tried to take over the world like a real villain. And I’d demand one quadrillion dollars!”

He theatrically placed his pinky on his lips and burst out laughing, like a third-rate antagonist from a cheap action movie.

“The scariest part is…” Lutz mumbled, nervously swallowing. “You’re actually capable of doing that.”

“Heh-heh-heh!” Alex smirked, but immediately became serious. “Alright, enough fooling around. Time to move on. Our final destination is the lower floors, the ones that resemble a hangar.”

The laughter died down. Jokes aside, it was clear to everyone that something dangerous awaited them ahead. The tension relief helped ease the mood, but now they needed to focus on the task at hand. Everyone gathered around Alex, carefully studying the map.

“So, what exactly are you hoping to find there?” Ghost asked.

“Better to say… what I don’t want to find there,” Alex replied, shaking his head.

“And what would that be?” Soap adjusted his bulletproof vest straps.

“I’ll explain when we get there,” Alex answered evasively, retracting the hologram.

Everyone silently nodded, slinging their weapon bags over their shoulders and preparing to head out. Alex was the first to step into the corridor and looked around, checking for any nearby threats. He didn’t want to waste more time—they’d already been in the complex for several hours.

They needed to be sure there was no Red Marker here. And if there was one—destroy it to slow down the Descent process. By removing at least one Marker from the equation, they could buy some time.

When they reached the elevator, Alex didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the doors and pulled them apart with his hands.

“Wait…” R peered inside and shook his head in frustration. “I thought we were taking the elevator since you were heading to it. Are you really going to descend through the shaft again?”

“Stop whining and hook up the carabiner,” Alex rolled his eyes.

“You’re really going to fall like a stone again?” Chun-Li smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What, you want to give it a try? Feel the thrill of free fall?” Alex winked at her.

“Why not?” Chun-Li shrugged with a smile. “After all, we only live once.”

Alex grinned, easily lifting Chun-Li into his arms and stepping toward the edge of the shaft. The moment his hands touched her body, he immediately felt a wave of resentment coming from Zhang Ya—his ghostly shadow, now replacing his own.

“Jealous again?” he mentally addressed her, knowing she could hear his thoughts.

There was no response, but the sense of hostility only grew stronger. Sighing, Alex reminded her mentally that, among all the girls, she was the closest to him, now literally his shadow. A few seconds later, the tension faded, and Zhang Ya calmed down.

Meanwhile, the guys silently watched Alex, who confidently approached Chun-Li as though it were completely normal. No one was even surprised that she so easily agreed to his offer.

“Hold on tight,” Alex warned, pulling the girl closer to him.

“We’re moving forward, don’t make me wait,” he tossed over his shoulder and, without hesitation, stepped into the void.

They plummeted downward at high speed. Chun-Li was enjoying the sensation of flight, fully trusting Alex. Alex, on the other hand, was enjoying something else—how his hands felt against her firm thighs.

“Definitely the best part of the female body,” he thought to himself with a smirk.

Chun-Li’s thighs were even softer than he had expected, yet firm, as though they were made specifically to be held.

Alex landed smoothly, carefully holding Chun-Li so that she wouldn’t get a single scratch. Lowering her to the ground, he heard the others starting to descend from above.

While they were occupied, Alex approached the massive iron doors, effortlessly pulling them apart and stepping outside. He then extended his hand to Chun-Li, helping her out.

“What a gentleman,” she smiled, accepting his help. “Then I won’t mention how you groped my thighs.”

“You already did,” Alex replied with a light smirk. “And I didn’t even try to hide it.”

“So, what do you think?” Chun-Li asked, crossing her arms over her chest, waiting for his comment.

“Soft and firm,” Alex admitted without hesitation. “I’d sleep on them.”

“Maybe another time, if you impress me more,” Chun-Li winked with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

Alex just smirked, not replying. He wasn’t sure exactly what she meant by “impress me more,” and, to be honest, he didn’t know much about her. The only thing he knew for sure was that she worked for Interpol and was hunting the murderer of her parents.

Lighting a cigarette, Alex took a puff while they waited for the others. Once the group was fully assembled and out of the shaft, they headed to the control room. From there, they had the best view of the entire hangar, and it was the perfect spot for reconnaissance.

When they reached the door, Alex quickly hacked the lock and, signaling for them to look around, he entered first. The others began checking the room, including the ventilation shafts, while Alex walked up to a large window that looked directly into the hangar.

What he saw made his face twist in disgust.

“Fuck…” he swore, not even trying to hide his emotions.

To be continued…

+3 Chapters on my Patreon: /GreedHunter

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep