While Rika admired her new sniper rifle, Alex decided to give her some time to enjoy the gift and simply sat down on the floor next to her. Lighting a cigarette, he wasn’t in a hurry—dusk was already settling in, and the aircraft carrier was steadily moving toward the Gulf of Siam.

After carefully examining the rifle in every detail, Rika gently lifted it from the case, feeling its pleasant weight in her hands. What surprised her the most was that despite its impressive and slightly grotesque design, the weapon was actually quite light. She couldn’t help but note to herself that her husband had truly put his heart and soul into creating this masterpiece.

For a moment, Rika shifted her gaze from the rifle to Alex. Then, carefully placing the weapon back in the case, she suddenly pounced on him, pressing herself tightly against him and capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. With unexpected strength, she pushed him onto his back, straddling him as she continued to pepper his face, lips, and neck with hot kisses. By now, Alex was completely covered in traces of her lipstick.

“You’re the best husband!” Rika purred in satisfaction, finally pulling away. “If it weren’t for the circumstances, I’d ride you right here and now.”

“That can wait,” Alex chuckled, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “For now, how about testing your new toy? I can see it in your eyes—you’re dying to fire a few rounds.”

Rika grinned widely and nodded eagerly. Getting off Alex, she returned to the case and pulled out the rifle once again. Alex had thoughtfully placed two types of ammunition nearby so she could test both firing modes—standard bullets and special projectiles for the railgun barrel.

Loading the regular rounds first, Rika began scanning the area for a suitable target. However, there was nothing nearby that could serve as a test object.

Noticing her hesitation, Alex nodded toward a buoy swaying in the distance.

Rika followed his gaze and smiled, accepting the challenge. Taking a comfortable prone position, she started calibrating the scope for her first shot.

Alex, seeing how she settled in, decided to take advantage of the moment. Without hesitation, he lay down and rested his head on her thigh, closing his eyes.

“Comfy, pretty boy?” Rika asked, glancing at him over her shoulder.

“Very,” Alex drawled lazily. “Don’t mind me, I’ll just lie here.”

Rika smirked and subtly shifted her hips to make herself more comfortable while ensuring his head wasn’t pressing too hard against her rear. Finishing the calibration, she noted that Alex had equipped her rifle with an advanced optical module that precisely calculated the distance to the target.

Aiming at the top of the buoy, where a small light was blinking, she smoothly squeezed the trigger. A loud shot rang out, and within the next second, the light shattered into pieces.

Rika couldn’t help but note how incredibly fast the bullet reached its target.

“Damn,” she muttered, satisfied as she looked through the scope. “This baby is a beast.”

The sound of the gunshot immediately caught the attention of the entire deck. People turned, seeing Rika lying with the rifle while Alex lounged carefreely on her thigh, smoking.

Earlier, the crew had already noticed Alex carrying Rika over his shoulder, and now they finally understood why. However, the most curious ones decided to approach, eager to see Rika’s new toy up close and understand what made it so special.

As they started getting closer, another shot rang out. Those experienced in marksmanship followed the direction of the barrel and realized Rika was repeatedly targeting the same buoy.

“So, babe,” she asked excitedly, reloading the rifle, “shall we test the railgun barrel next?”

At that moment, Alex was lying on Rika’s soft yet firm backside, enjoying the comfortable sensation against the back of his head. The only thing disrupting his bliss was Zhang Ya’s persistent attempts to pull him down with her hair. The ghostly girl kept tugging at his leg, clearly hinting that it was time to get up, but Alex ignored her. He had no intention of moving until Rika finished testing her new rifle. Even if Zhang Ya kept trying, it wouldn’t stop him from enjoying the moment.

The sound of approaching footsteps made him open his eyes. The first thing he saw was a group of people heading toward them. Leading the way was Lehm with his team, followed by Price, Ghost, and Soap. With them were the girls: Miu, Renka, Kisara, Shigure, Chun-Li, Cammy, Chiquita, and Ada.

The masters from Ryōzanpaku were nowhere to be seen this time, which was strange—they usually showed up for any kind of “fun” event. Alex lazily raised a hand in greeting but showed no intention of getting up.

Rika, noticing the newcomers, gave them a nod before taking another shot.

“I see you’re enjoying yourself to the fullest, kid,” Lehm smirked, glancing at the relaxed Alex.

“You bet,” Alex drawled without even opening his eyes. “What brings you here?”

“We came to see what you guys are up to and why Rika suddenly started shooting at that poor buoy,” Soap replied with a grin. “Though, judging by the looks of it, she got a new rifle.”

“That’s right,” Alex nodded. “I finally found some free time and finished it. Now we’re running tests so Rika can give it a five-star review. Otherwise, I’ll have to recalibrate it for better accuracy.”

The guys nodded in understanding, clearly interested in the new rifle. Alex finally had to move from his “favorite spot,” allowing Rika to properly show off her gift. They stepped closer to examine the weapon in her hands, while the girls sat next to Alex, chatting with him.

As Alex listened to Rika’s boastful explanations about how amazing her new toy was, how easy it was to handle, and how it practically had no recoil, he couldn’t help but smirk. It felt like she had turned into a weapons dealer advertising her product. Or maybe she had just picked up some habits from Koko.

“So, are you gonna make something for us too, or what?” Renka suddenly asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

After her question, all the girls turned to Alex, waiting for his answer. Alex sighed heavily—Ada’s stare, in particular, annoyed him the most. She was clearly hoping to get gear for free, using her “services” as a guide and combat asset in the Corporation’s lab as leverage.

Either way, Alex had already planned to craft weapons and armor for everyone who would be participating in combat, ensuring they had protection against the undead. He saw no issue with it. As for Ada, he’d simply make her equipment and call it “payment” for her services. If she wanted more—she’d have to earn it.

“I was already planning to prepare gear for everyone involved in combat so they could defend themselves against the undead. But everything in its time,” Alex said with a shrug. “As they say—first come, first served.”

“Just admit you’re making equipment for your girls first,” R’s irritated voice rang out. “Stop pretending to be some noble manufacturer—no one believes you anymore!”

Alex turned his head and gave him an empty stare. If he hadn’t been holding Zhang Ya back, she would have tossed the loudmouth overboard by now. At that moment, R felt a chill down his spine, as if something bad was about to happen.

The girls, on the other hand, stared at Alex with interest, waiting for him to continue. Alex himself didn’t deny that he primarily wanted to arm his own girls first. He also had to create a new combat robot to add to the team alongside GIR, MIMI, and Stitch—bringing their total to four.

Mentally calculating how much work was ahead, he realized the best way to get everything done was to use magic, then spew nonsense about technology and act like that was the plan all along.

But then Renka suddenly blurted out:

“So, if I date you, does that mean I get my gear before everyone else?” She nodded, as if realizing something important. “If that’s the case, my mom already approved of our relationship, so I can move in with you.”

Silence filled the air.

Alex blinked.

The girls exchanged glances.

R nearly choked on air.

“Wait… what?” Alex finally asked, staring at her in shock.

He was caught off guard—not just him, but the other girls as well, all looking at Renka with surprise at her bluntness. Of course, he remembered Madam Ma’s words about approving his relationship with Renka, and he wouldn’t deny that he found her attractive. It would be hypocritical to say things were moving too fast—they really had grown closer while she helped him with the carrier’s weaponry.

Renka gazed at him intently, waiting for a response, but with each passing second, her expression grew sadder. Alex noticed.

“Look, I don’t mind,” he finally said. “But are you sure? What about… well, you know who I mean?”

Renka simply waved her hand dismissively, brushing aside any doubts.

“Nothing to talk about. That idiot is still the same softhearted fool. And it’s only gotten worse.”

Miu sighed, confirming her words. The other girls tilted their heads slightly, sensing that a love triangle was involved, but no one was about to explain anything.

Alex nodded to himself, realizing that Renka had completely given up on Kenichi. As for Miu, he wasn’t so sure. She had to figure out her feelings on her own, though he had already given her plenty of advice on the matter. In time, she would understand what she truly wanted.

As for Shigure, he had no doubts that there was mutual attraction between them. But she was like a cat—rarely showing emotions openly, yet finding ways to display her affection. Kisarа was similar—more like a feral cat with classic tsundere tendencies.

“Alright then. I’ll move my stuff into your room later,” Renka declared with a satisfied look.

Alex shook his head.

“Just warn the others first. If you suddenly show up with all your things, some might have questions.”

Renka nodded, still smiling in satisfaction. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex noticed Shigure give a barely perceptible nod as well, and he realized that yet another “cat” had decided to move in. There was no avoiding it. At least he had made the bed big enough.

But then Alex felt Zhang Ya’s slender fingers tighten around his leg slightly—her jealousy causing her to unconsciously grip him harder. If an ordinary person had been in his place, their limb would have already been squashed like toothpaste squeezed from a tube.

“And what about the rest of you…” Alex began, shifting his gaze to the other girls.

“Should we move in with you too? Isn’t that a bit too soon? Maybe we should get to know each other better first?” Chun-Li asked with a smile.

“I don’t…” Alex tried to protest.

“Who would even want to move in with you, you playboy!” Kisarah huffed, her face turning red.

“Hmm… I’ll think about your suggestion,” Chikita added with a sly smile.

“I’m not against it,” Ada drawled, giving him a seductive smile. “The couch I saw looks way more comfortable than that stiff mattress I had to sleep on. I’m a delicate girl, I need a good sleep to keep my beauty. Or maybe, you’ll get something too at night?”

Alex turned his gaze to the blushing Miu and Kisarah, then shot a blank stare at Ada, who was clearly already imagining herself getting cozy. He knew exactly how this would play out.

Ada would show up with her things. Koko would see it. A fight would break out. And until the other girls stepped in, they wouldn’t calm down.

It had already been a struggle to minimize the conflicts between Rebecca and Saya, and between Koko and Rika. Now, a new headache was about to begin.

“Listen…” Alex sighed tiredly. “I was actually talking about your new gear. I understand it’s too soon to talk about feelings. We need time to build an emotional connection and get to know each other better.”

Cammy nodded.

“So, what kind of gear do you want to make for us?”

Chun-Li just smiled, deciding to tease Alex, and from the look on his face, she succeeded a little. Ada, on the other hand, was seriously planning to move in because she wasn’t used to sleeping on an uncomfortable bed. After years of working, she’d always stayed in elite hotels with soft beds, and now she had to deal with something that clearly didn’t meet her standards.

Kisarah, as usual, was shy and didn’t want to show her feelings for Alex, while Miu hadn’t fully figured out her emotions yet. Alex understood this well and wasn’t rushing her to make a decision.

“Just let me know what kind of gear you need, and tell my secretary. Then, I’ll start the design work,” he said with a smile, nodding.

“And who’s your secretary? That girl with long black hair, Brunhilda?” Cammy asked, leaning back and propping herself up with her hands.

“Ha, I’m just kidding, I don’t have a secretary,” Alex chuckled. “Just come up to me and tell me what you need.”

“Hey, stop pushing to the back of the line!” R suddenly protested, hearing Alex discussing the gear with the girls. “You said it’s a first-come, first-served system! You’re doing this on purpose, right? Just because we don’t have breasts, you think it’s okay to shove us to the back?!”

Alex, along with the girls, turned toward the guys, looking at the clearly offended R. He looked as though his childhood friend had suddenly betrayed him and gone off with someone else. Alex just rolled his eyes—if it weren’t for common sense, he would have already let Zhang Ya throw this fool overboard.

But he understood that R was generally a normal guy. He just liked to throw a tantrum. He wasn’t saying all of this out of malice, but more like a joke—as if a friend had suddenly been replaced by a girl.

“Relax, I already know what gear you need,” Alex waved him off. “I’ve got the materials, I just need some time. So stop whining like a baby. You’ll get your weapons and armor, just be patient. Though… Ghost will have slightly different armor.”

“Why exactly Ghost?” Soap asked, intrigued.

Ghost himself, hearing his name, narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Alex, clearly waiting for an explanation. Alex, of course, couldn’t say that Ghost was one of his favorite game characters, or they’d definitely think he was crazy. Although, it seemed some already suspected him of that.

“Look at him,” Alex smirked. “He’s wearing a mask even now. I doubt he’d want to change it for anything else. So, I’ll make him a special helmet.”

“Well… that makes sense,” Soap agreed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Also, maybe Price and Lehm will have different armor,” Alex added, stroking his chin.

“So, what are you going to make for us, huh?” Price smirked.

“What do you think? Distinctive insignia, of course. Basically, you two are the most experienced, and if anything goes wrong, you’ll be the ones to take command,” Alex explained.

“Ugh, looks like my retirement’s been postponed again…” Price sighed, not removing the cigar from his mouth. “I was hoping…”

“Yeah, don’t say it, old man,” Lehm chuckled. “Where’s that retirement we dreamed of? I even saved up for a little house… but no, looks like we’ll have to keep pushing.”

Alex just smiled, looking at the two veterans who pretended to long for peace, but deep down, they clearly weren’t planning on quitting their work anytime soon.

While chatting with the guys, Alex caught a glimpse of Rika, who was already fiddling with her new sniper rifle, trying to figure out how to change the barrel to test the railgun mode.

Alex approached and patiently explained to her how to replace the muzzle attachment and how to adjust the system so everything worked smoothly. Rika listened intently, remembering every detail—after all, this rifle was about to become her new combat companion.

“Hey, Alex,” Soap suddenly asked when he finished explaining. “You said you were a mercenary… How did you work? Did you just show up and deal with the target, or did you act more cautiously?”

The question hung in the air. Alex paused, wondering whether he should tell the whole truth.

Hearing Soap’s question, all eyes turned to Alex. They knew he had been a mercenary in the past, but he rarely talked about his work. Alex paused for a moment, deciding how much he was willing to reveal.

“Actually, it all depended on the client’s requirements,” he said, lighting a cigarette.

“What do you mean?” Renka asked, curious.

“It’s simple. Sometimes the job was to deliver a message, sometimes to make everything look like an accident, and other times I had to act quickly and quietly. But let me make one thing clear: I never took jobs you might think of. No killing ordinary people, no settling affairs over infidelity, no debt collection. Mostly, I hunted scum.”

Alex took a drag, recalling memories.

“One time, my team was hired to take down a gang that was trafficking human organs. Well, I think you can guess how that ended. And there were times when I had to deal with an overly persistent suitor who just couldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“And how did you handle that?” Chikita asked, clearly intrigued.

Alex smirked.

“One well-placed hammer strike to the top of his head—and he became a completely different person. Literally.”

He started sharing different stories from his mercenary career. Even Rika, who had been planning to test her rifle’s railgun mode, set her weapon aside to listen. Alex described how, once, he had pretended to be a maniac so that his assignment would look like a bloody massacre from a horror movie—so much so that the police couldn’t solve the case for a long time. Or how he had accidentally ended up at a meeting between two gangs, got interested in what was going on, decided to observe… and ended up falling down with a rusty beam, landing right in the middle of a gunfight.

Some couldn’t hold back their laughter.

“What about your ‘quiet’ jobs? You used a sniper rifle, right?” Lutz asked, wanting to hear more.

“What’s your longest shot?” Ghost asked, with no hesitation.

“5,168 meters,” Alex answered calmly. “A job on one gang member.”

In the ensuing silence, Soap was the first to speak.

“Are you kidding me?! How the hell did you manage that? The official world record is 2.4 kilometers, and you beat it by two times!”

Alex just shrugged.

“My weapon is capable of a lot.”

He began explaining how he had made that shot, mentioning that Rebecca had been with him at the time. However, when Alex got to the point where his target had just won the underground fighting championship, everyone collectively thought he was a real villain.

“Wait, you seriously shot the guy right after his victory?” Lutz asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Yep,” Alex confirmed without a hint of remorse.

In truth, it was personal. That man was responsible for David’s death, which had caused Gloria a lot of grief. But now David—now Takashi—had a chance for Gloria to see her son again.

The conversation continued, but Alex kept glancing at Rika, waiting for her to finish testing the new rifle. Finally, the first shot from the railgun rang out, and they saw the buoy, which had been the target, literally evaporate.

Rika grinned widely, pleased with her new toy, while the guys exchanged glances, full of envy.

“You’re lucky,” someone grumbled.

Alex smirked, tossed Rika onto his back, and said his goodbyes to the others as he headed back.

Upon returning, Alex found the girls sitting around, bored — they clearly didn’t know what to do with themselves. Rika immediately began showing off her new rifle, causing some envy among the others. Everyone turned their gaze to Alex, waiting for him to provide them with something equally cool.

He didn’t object.

“Alright, speak up, what do you want?”

Rebecca snorted — her inventory was already packed with weapons. But the other girls genuinely wanted to upgrade or at least improve their gear.

Alex looked at Rei, who wanted to modify her spear a bit, and reminded her that he had crafted it himself. Just like he did with Saeko’s katana… well, that one was forged by Hephaestus.

After discussing things, he promised that he would try to get everything done as soon as possible.

“By the way, I forgot to mention something important…”

But before he could finish, Renka and Shigure walked in, carrying their things.

The girls immediately stared at him with questioning looks.

Alex simply shrugged.

“They’re moving in.”

In response, there was a collective sigh — it was inevitable.

However, it turned out the surprises weren’t over.

Following the girls into the room was Ada Wong, arms crossed over her chest.

“I’m not sleeping on that damn hard mattress anymore,” she declared. “So I’m moving in too.”

What happened next was, needless to say, predictable.

Koko tried to kick her out.

Ada wasn’t leaving.

And that’s how another day came to an end.

Now, with Ada, Renka, and Shigure joining them, the loudest noise came from Ada and Koko, who argued over anything and everything — and sometimes for no reason at all. It seemed like these two didn’t even need a particular excuse to start bickering: someone was breathing too loud, someone was walking too loudly — and another argument would break out. Alex periodically took one of them away just to stop their endless squabbles, and the other girls were immensely grateful to him for it.

He never quite understood why Ada and Koko were constantly at odds, or why Ada’s personality seemed slightly different from how it was in her original world. Maybe it had something to do with her having more interactions with people in this world.

Or perhaps it was all Koko’s influence. Regardless, Alex consoled himself with the thought that at least it hadn’t escalated to open confrontation yet — and that was already a good thing.

Thus, they finally reached the Siam Bay, more precisely — the shores of Cambodia, approaching the bay that led to the city of Roanapur. Alex sat at the bow of the aircraft carrier, with Shigure lying next to him, her head resting on his lap. His fingers lazily combed through her hair, while she hummed something softly under her breath, resembling a cat more and more.

After moving in with Alex and the other girls, she had indeed become even more cat-like in her behavior. Her pet, Tachimaru, quickly found common ground with the crazy trio of GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, and now spent most of his time with them.

“Here’s the famous Buddha statue where they used to hang strangers,” Alex noted, raising his gaze.

He couldn’t help but smile. The statue of an old friend.

One of the most notable landmarks in the bay of Roanapur was the giant Buddha statue. And above the only land entrance to the city hung a noose, a reminder to anyone who dared to enter without knowing the rules.

Shigure lazily opened her eyes at Alex’s words but didn’t move her head from his lap. At that moment, he heard footsteps behind him and turned around, seeing Renka and Miu approaching.

After moving in with them, Renka had become much more relaxed, unashamed to show her feelings, and thus integrated into their group without much trouble. Approaching Alex, she kissed him on the cheek with a smile and sat down next to him, leaning on him. Miu blushed slightly at such a display of affection but still settled on the other side.

“We’ve arrived,” Renka said, resting her head on his shoulder. “But why does the city look so… peaceful from a distance?”

“I don’t know, but we’ll find out soon,” Alex squinted, looking at the approaching shore. “We need to gather everyone and prepare for the landing. I don’t know what happened here or what kind of filth is currently occupying the city. Our main goal is to get Balalaika and her people and get the hell out of here.”

Renka nodded, but the feeling that Roanapur was too quiet, even in a zombie apocalypse, still didn’t leave her. Everyone had weapons here — even the children. So why did everything seem so… peaceful?

Alex gently stroked Shigure’s head, nudging her to get up. She squinted in displeasure but eventually lifted her head from his lap. Then they all headed for the captain’s bridge.

Once inside, Alex asked the girls who had decided to go on the mission to start preparing for the landing. They nodded and began changing and checking their equipment.

Approaching the radio, Alex announced a gathering for everyone involved in the rescue operation. Then, grabbing his revolver and power axe, he was finally ready to go.

When the girls finished preparing, he handed Miu, Renka, and Shigure their personal energy shields for extra protection. At the same time, the others were finishing their last preparations.

The group going on the mission consisted of: Saeko, Beatrix, Rebecca, Saya, Rei, and Valmet. Rika preferred to stay on the aircraft carrier to cover them with sniper fire — luckily, her rifle, which Alex had assembled for her, allowed shooting at extremely long distances.

Ada declared that she was too lazy to go anywhere, turned around, and pretended to be asleep. The other girls also decided to stay, considering that the group was already big enough.

Before they set off, Alex asked Yuriko where Balalaika and her people were so that they wouldn’t have to search the entire city. Once he got the necessary information, he and the others headed to the hangar, where their prepared transport was waiting.

After descending, Alex and the girls were once again the last to arrive — everyone else had already gathered. Alex’s gaze swept over the faces of those present. Itami’s group was there in full force; Itami himself looked like he had been dragged here against his will, and the black eye only confirmed this guess. Apparently, this was the work of Shino, who clearly had no intention of leaving the poor guy any choice.

Chikita and her bodyguard team, including Casper, were also there. Upon spotting Alex, Chikita winked at him, and he responded with a light smile. Kota and his girls were already standing together, and nearby were Takashi and Johnа, who had decided to join their group. Lehm and his guys, including Price, Soap, and Ghost, were all present as well. Even Chun-Li and Cammy decided to join them.

“Sorry for being late,” Alex said as he approached the table.

“We’ve gotten used to you being the last one,” Lehm grinned, holding a cigarette between his teeth.

“I can’t help it. Alright, since everyone’s here, let’s get down to business.”

Alex’s gaze swept over the group, lingering on those who had previously worked in the criminal world.

“Our target is Balalaika. I think there’s no need to explain who she is, given your past. Fortunately, she’s a smart woman and wisely set up a hideout.”

“And where is this lady hiding?” Price asked, looking intently at Alex.

“Downstairs, under the headquarters of the ‘Hotel Moscow’ mafia. Their base is under the building. What the situation in the city is right now is unknown. Who survived, who joined the ranks of the undead, how many there are — it’s still a mystery. So, right after landing, we’ll launch a few drones to gather reconnaissance data, and we’ll go from there. But as I always say, it’s better to play it safe in advance. We’ll proceed carefully. As soon as everyone’s ready, we move out.”

The group nodded in agreement and began rechecking their gear, ammo, and equipment.

Alex had a feeling that something was off in this city. He didn’t like unforeseen situations, so he preferred to prepare in advance for possible problems. To avoid a repeat of what happened in Hong Kong, he decided to leave GIR and MIMI on the aircraft carrier.

If the undead tried to attack the ship again or if a group of desperate idiots decided to hijack it, GIR and MIMI would show no mercy. And the masters from Ryōzanpaku would be more than enough to repel any attack.

Alex wasn’t worried about the aircraft carrier, but the situation in the city troubled him. That’s why, right after landing, he decided to use mana to explore the entire city from top to bottom.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep