After Alex destroyed Sergey and Alexander Gaydar, who had chosen to side with the Minister of Monoliths, he was finally convinced of one thing — this was exactly why there were no demons within the Slavic Empire’s territory.

It was all because these lands had long been under the secret control of the Minister. Sergey had merely been a temporary figure, a pawn used to expand the Minister’s influence in the region. The Minister himself remained in the shadows, never lifting a finger — his loyal puppets did all the work for him, accelerating the collapse of the world on his behalf.

With a grim smirk, Alex realized that the Corporation of Evil had splintered: one part had joined Davot, while the other had become fanatics worshiping the Marker. If before, the Minister of Monoliths and Davot were playing a cold chess match, now they were openly stealing each other’s pieces — as if competing to see who could destroy more.

Alex couldn’t help but compare the two to spoiled children squabbling over toys in a giant sandbox, while humanity — reduced to helpless ants — struggled desperately to survive. An ironic smile flickered on his face. Neither of them wanted to compromise or share — the sandbox belonged to them, and everyone else was just an annoyance.

“What’s with that face?” Revy suddenly slapped him on the shoulder. “You look like you just heard a bad joke.”

“It was a bad joke,” Alex replied with a shrug. “Sergey thought he was all-powerful… and died like a regular weakling. Nothing new.”

“Makes sense,” Nobuna nodded in agreement.

“He was always like that,” Koko chimed in, her voice tinged with irritation. “When I was shipping weapons here during the civil war, he tried to boss me around. In the end, I told him to go to hell and helped Svetlana instead.”

Alex wasn’t surprised. If there was anyone one shouldn’t threaten, it was Koko. He was even sure she’d sold weapons to Svetlana at a discount just to spite Sergey. Honestly, the guy was lucky Koko hadn’t been in a bad mood at the time — otherwise, he wouldn’t have lived to see today. Koko was the kind to hold grudges and strike back whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Not wanting to waste any more time talking, Alex headed across the field with the three girls toward the bunker where Svetlana was hiding. He wanted to wrap up his affairs in this country as quickly as possible and move on. In particular, he was intrigued by a mysterious island where Wesker had set up shop. All Alex knew about the place was that it housed an old, abandoned laboratory where Wesker and his team had taken refuge.

As they passed the burning wreckage of a helicopter, Alex glanced at the remains of the two Tyrants that Rebecca and Rika had destroyed. Finding nothing of interest, he looked away and continued walking. Their advance across the field felt more like a casual stroll than a high-stakes mission to rescue and evacuate survivors.

A little farther on, they finally spotted the outline of a massive hangar with heavy metal gates. Alex and the girls immediately knew — this was the place. There wasn’t another building in sight.

“Weird bunker,” Revy muttered, studying the structure. “Why is it above ground and not underground?”

“It’s probably not just a bunker,” Koko replied, pointing at the wide steel doors. “Looks more like an old command complex where they stored missile supplies. These gates were likely used to bring in large rockets.”

“She’s right,” Alex nodded. “Fields like this were often used as covers for missile silos. And if this complex was built many years ago, there’s a good chance we’re standing right above one. That means the risk of falling through is pretty high — so watch your step.”

The girls glanced down, considering Alex’s words about a potential missile silo right beneath their feet. Almost simultaneously, in perfect sync, as if on command, they all took a cautious step away from Alex. None of them wanted to risk suddenly falling into a silo.

Alex, noticing how the girls had jumped away from him in unison, twitched his eye involuntarily. Not wanting to make a circus out of it, he simply shrugged and walked ahead. Now, the girls were walking carefully, eyes fixed on the ground as if they were crossing a minefield.

He understood Nobuna’s caution—she didn’t know the full extent of his abilities—but the fact that Koko and Revy had done the same thing slightly hurt his pride. Choosing not to dwell on it, Alex continued forward. If he was going to fall, so be it. At least he’d end up inside the bunker… even if it meant dropping into a missile silo.

Seeing how confidently Alex moved ahead, the girls followed him one after another, like chicks trailing behind a duck. In that moment, Alex smirked—he really did feel like a mother duck leading her ducklings to some great destiny.

They kept walking until Alex suddenly stopped. The girls, following closely behind, bumped into his back one after another.

“Ouch! Why’d you stop?!” Koko complained, rubbing her nose.

Alex said nothing, silently pointing ahead. The girls peeked over his shoulder—and immediately froze.

Out of the forest, behind the bunker, slowly emerged a massive infected bear. Its body looked like chunks of flesh had been torn off while it was still alive, and rusty barbed wire was wrapped around its torso. But the most terrifying thing was its sheer size—it was at least three times bigger than a normal bear. A real monster, a four-legged tank.

Alex, never losing his sense of humor, took out his phone and snapped a picture—for the memories. It wasn’t every day you saw an infected bear of that size.

“He’s huge…” Nobuna breathed. “He could swallow me whole.”

“Not just you,” Revy snorted. “He could gobble me and Koko up in one gulp. Three for the price of one.”

“I definitely don’t want to be eaten. So, Alex… I choose you!” Koko slapped his back theatrically. “Go take care of the beastie!”

Alex felt her pushing him insistently. He turned and met her eyes. She wore an innocent yet mischievous smile as she continued nudging him forward. He stared at her blankly, but eventually gave in—well, if they’d chosen him, he had no choice but to play the role of a battle Pokémon.

Behind him, Koko, Revy, and Nobuna cheered him on. In his communicator, he heard Rika and Rebecca laughing as they watched the scene from an elevated position through their sniper scopes.

Alex smirked to himself. If he was going to be a Pokémon, then at least he’d be a legendary one. He walked toward the bear. It hadn’t noticed him yet and was still wandering near the bunker gates.

As he got closer, Alex whistled. The creature’s massive head slowly turned toward him. The bear growled and charged with a roar, rushing its fresh prey.

Alex calmly waited for it to close the distance. When it was near enough, he delivered a powerful upward kick, aiming to send the mutant flying… but he slightly overdid it.

The bear exploded.

Its body burst into a bloody firework, showering everything around with chunks of flesh and gore. Only the hind legs hit the ground with a dull thud—everything else had turned into pulp.

“Well, I just wanted to send it flying…” Alex muttered, staring at the bloody mess. “Guess it came out a little flashier.”

He turned around and gave the girls a big thumbs-up.

Koko, Revy, and Nobuna ran up to him and, unable to contain their emotions, stared at the remaining paws lying next to Alex.

“Why do I feel a little sorry for it?” Koko said quietly, looking at the bear’s remains.

“If you feel sorry for it, you shouldn’t have sent Alex to fight,” Revy snorted, rolling her eyes.

Koko shot Revy a meaningful look but chose to remain silent. Another problem was solved, which meant they could finally head to the bunker entrance. Alex, however, wasn’t particularly surprised by the encounter with the infected bear—given the land here, he had been expecting something like this.

Reaching the massive iron gates, Alex and the girls stopped.

“So how do we get inside? Or at least contact the people in there?” Revy asked, looking around.

“Good question… one I don’t have an answer to,” Alex said, also starting to look around. “Maybe there’s an intercom hidden somewhere here? Though… I doubt it.”

“Do such old bunkers even have intercoms?” Nobuna asked skeptically, glancing at Alex.

He simply shrugged. He wasn’t sure either. But, deciding not to waste any more time, the whole group began to search the surroundings for any possible way to communicate with those who might be inside.

As Alex had suspected—no intercom in sight. So, the only logical question remained: how did Svetlana and her people get inside? Alex guessed that she might have a control panel for the doors, otherwise, they wouldn’t have gotten in.

“No intercom. Now what? Should we just knock and hope someone hears us?” Revy smirked, leaning against the iron gates.

“Why doesn’t Alex just kick the door down? He’s strong,” Nobuna suggested, turning to him.

Koko and Revy simultaneously glanced at Alex, and, surprisingly, the idea seemed quite reasonable to them. Even Alex didn’t argue—this was way easier than hoping someone would hear them.

Of course, he could call Svetlana… but he doubted she’d be able to answer right now.

Without further hesitation, Alex walked up to a small door in the gates—just the right height for a person. He placed his palm on the metal and pressed lightly. The iron obediently began to bend inward. With a sharp increase in pressure, Alex kicked the door down, then turned to the girls and threw them a short phrase:

“Well, now we can go in.”

The girls approached and peered inside. It was pitch dark behind the door—nothing was visible. But everyone noticed: the gates were very thick, clearly designed for serious protection.

Alex stepped over the threshold first—just in case there were traps inside the bunker. Thanks to his vision, he could see well even in the dark and immediately realized that he had entered a hangar with military equipment.

The girls followed him inside.

“It’s so dark you can’t see a thing…” Koko muttered, squinting into the darkness.

“Maybe they’re saving electricity?” Nobuna suggested.

“Or everything here is so old that nothing works anymore,” Revy concluded with a shrug.

“Well, let’s check. I knew I should’ve brought GIR with us… But oh well, we’ll manage without him,” Alex grumbled, sighing.

Looking around, he noticed something resembling an electrical panel and approached it. Without much ceremony, he ripped off the cover, peered inside, and pulled out a few wires. After fiddling with them a bit, he connected the contacts—and the hangar was flooded with bright light.

“A real man of all trades,” Revy said with a smirk, watching what was happening.

“And you’re still surprised at how lucky you are with your future husband,” Alex declared proudly, straightening his shoulders.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re amazing. Now, let’s find the entrance or the way down to the bunker,” Revy waved dismissively, not wanting to continue the topic.

Hearing Revy’s words, Alex theatrically clutched his chest, as though he had been deeply offended. His exaggerated reaction made Koko and Nobuna laugh. Revy, however, remained unfazed—just watching him as he put on his one-man show. Realizing he hadn’t gotten the reaction he wanted, Alex straightened up and smirked.

Deciding to split up, Alex and the girls began their search for the bunker’s entrance. They searched every corner of the hangar in hopes of finding a panel, switch, or at least something that might resemble a hidden mechanism. However, Alex quickly concluded that it would be easier to use a mana pulse to track the hidden structure beneath the ground rather than blindly running around the hangar.

But before he could do that, the silence was broken by Nobuna’s excited shout:

“I think I found it!”

Alex, Koko, and Revy immediately made their way to her. She was standing by an old, dusty control panel. Even through the thick layer of dirt, they could see that someone had recently touched it—by the fingerprints left behind.

“It looks like you need to enter the right combination to open the passage,” Koko said, wiping the dust off the surface.

Alex frowned, not wanting to waste time on trial and error. He simply ripped the panel cover off and began messing with the wires. A few moments later, there was a short circuit, and a low mechanical hum filled the hangar. Alex and the girls stepped back from the panel and watched in surprise as the central part of the floor began to slowly lower, revealing a passage.

Crouching down, Alex peered inside and noticed that the corridor already had lights on.

“Looks like this is it,” he said, and began descending first, with the girls following him.

The corridor turned out to be long and continued deeper underground. As they looked around, they continued on their way, having an easy conversation. The talk mainly revolved around who and why would build such deep bunkers with miles-long passages.

Finally, they reached a fork in the path.

“So, which way now?” Koko asked, looking around.

“To the right,” Alex said confidently, nodding in that direction.

“How do you know? What if we need to go left?” Revy questioned, pointing the other way.

“It’s written on the wall,” Alex calmly replied, pointing to a sign. “Left leads to the missile silos, right leads to the command center and barracks.”

The girls turned their gaze to the wall and saw faded signs with inscriptions in the language of the Slavic Empire. After confirming that Alex was right, they stopped arguing and turned to the right—toward the command center.

“And how many languages do you actually know?” Nobuna asked, shifting to a more personal tone.

“A lot,” Alex replied with a slight smile.

Nobuna skeptically raised an eyebrow, clearly unsatisfied with such a general answer. Her curiosity took over:

“Can you be more specific?”

Alex paused for a moment, then started speaking to her in several different languages—one after another, as if playing a game. Nobuna was impressed, though she tried not to show it.

When they reached another massive door, the whole group stopped. Alex looked up, surveying the structure.

“More iron doors. Do they have some kind of fetish for them?” Revy said irritably.

“This is a bunker. Iron doors here are like bathroom doors: a must,” Alex replied with a smirk, already grabbing the edge to open it.

Pulling it toward him, Alex strained to open the heavy metal doors. They creaked as they opened, clearing the way forward. Without wasting any time, he and the girls moved down the new corridor. As they proceeded, doors started to appear along the walls, leading to various rooms.

Out of curiosity, they decided to check the first room they came across. Opening the door, they found a simple utility closet—mops, buckets, and cleaning equipment. With an indifferent expression, Alex slammed the door shut, and the group continued on their way.

They hadn’t walked for long before Alex was the first to hear sounds. He stopped and gestured for the others to join him, pointing ahead. Listening closely, the girls also picked up distant voices. Koko flinched—one of the voices she recognized immediately. It was Svetlana.

Without wasting another second, they quickened their pace. The closer they got, the clearer the voices became. Finally, Alex cautiously peeked into the room, which appeared to be the command center. His gaze immediately found Svetlana Belikova—her confident posture and cold stare marked her as the leader.

However, what he saw next made him stop in confusion. In the room were people he recognized instantly—characters from the METRO universe, specifically from Metro: Exodus. This stunned him. Among them were familiar faces: the stern Melnik in military uniform and beret, his daughter Anna, and next to them—none other than Artyom, the main protagonist.

“Commander, are you sure we can trust these people? Will they really come to our aid?” Melnik asked, doubt in his voice, dressed in military attire.

Alex immediately recognized the voice—standing before him was Colonel Melnik himself. Anna stood slightly to the side, while Artyom, silent, observed what was happening. The other soldiers were spread out across the room, listening attentively.

“This universe continues to blow my mind,” Alex thought. “If characters from Metro managed to cross over and become part of this new story, then it means far more timelines are intertwining here.”

All eyes were fixed on Svetlana, who seemed to carefully weigh each word.

“Colonel Melnikov, I don’t want to remind you, but we don’t have much of a choice. Especially considering that Sergey still hasn’t found us,” she replied calmly, with a restrained and confident tone.

“I didn’t mean anything bad, Commander. It’s just… trusting a weapons dealer is a questionable decision,” Melnikov muttered.

“Dad, I don’t want to remind you, but it was thanks to this weapons dealer that we were able to overthrow Sergey and end the civil war,” Anna interjected, giving her father a serious look.

“Your daughter is right, Melnikov,” Igor added with a smirk. “If it weren’t for the timely delivery, we wouldn’t be here now.”

Meanwhile, Alex and the girls stood in the doorway, watching the entire exchange. He gave them a brief glance, then with a sly grin, mentally suggested:

“I bet you how long it will take for them to notice us?”

Koko, Nobuna, and Revy, picking up on his mood, giggled and joined the unspoken game. Alex lazily pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his teeth. But as soon as he struck the lighter, the flash of fire and the smell of smoke immediately drew everyone’s attention in the room.

The soldiers instantly grabbed their weapons and aimed them at the uninvited guests. The girls shot Alex reproachful looks—he seemed to have done it on purpose.

“Don’t mind us. You can continue your discussion about when we’re actually going to rescue you,” Alex said calmly, exhaling a plume of smoke, not paying any attention to the guns aimed at him.

Svetlana looked at him with interest. That voice… it seemed familiar. She turned her gaze to the girls beside him—Koko’s white hair left no doubt. She understood everything.

“Lower your weapons,” she ordered calmly. “These are the ones who were supposed to come for us.”

Svetlana’s people shifted their gaze to her, and she nodded, signaling that everything was fine. After that, the weapons lowered, and Alex and the girls calmly entered the room. Approaching the table, Alex casually sat on its edge, folding one leg beneath him and resting his cheek on his hand.

“You were not so easy to find. Who would’ve thought you were hiding out in such a backwater,” he said with a lazy smirk.

“So, you’re the Alex I spoke to recently. And it’s been a while, Koko Hekmatyar,” Svetlana said, shifting her gaze from Alex to Koko.

“Indeed, it’s been a while. I think the last time we crossed paths was during the civil war,” Koko replied with a light smile as she sat down beside Alex.

“Where are the rest of your people?” Melnikov asked, not taking his eyes off Alex.

“What exactly do you mean?” Alex asked lazily, tilting his head slightly.

“Weren’t you supposed to come with a large group to evacuate us?” Anna added, standing beside her father, who leaned forward slightly, shielding her with his body.

“Oh, that. There are six of us. The others are combing the area for supplies. Two are currently on a high point, observing the situation,” Alex explained in the same calm tone.

“You’re telling me there are only six of you? To get us out of here? That’s nonsense,” Sam said with a smirk, leaning on the table.

Alex didn’t even bother to respond. The girls exchanged glances and also didn’t think it was worth saying anything. Svetlana, sensing their silent stance, restrained her urge to ask more questions—she herself was curious about who this Alex was and how he became Koko’s husband.

“Alright, gather up,” Alex stood up from the table and stretched. “I’ve already done my daily quota of movements. I want to get back to the aircraft carrier and enter lazy mode.”

Svetlana silently nodded and immediately gave the order. The people began to move, filling their backpacks with rations, weapons, and ammunition. Alex almost reminded them that they probably wouldn’t need most of this, and they’d be better off taking more warm clothing, but then he decided against it. He just watched the group bustle around, well aware of each of these people.

Koko walked over to Svetlana, deciding to exchange a few words. Though they hadn’t seen each other since the end of the civil war in the Slavic Empire, they kept in touch. Svetlana even continued to order weapons from her through reliable supply channels.

Meanwhile, Revy unceremoniously reached into Alex’s pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and, leaning against him, closed her eyes.

“I hope you didn’t bring a tail with you, or any undead?” Svetlana asked suspiciously, looking at Koko.

“A tail? Well, if you’re talking about the undead that were wandering the fields and the infected bear at your door—Alex dealt with that,” Koko replied calmly, nodding towards Alex.

“Do you remember Sergey? He’s responsible for the fall of the capital. I don’t know how, but he learned to control a horde of undead… He’s no longer human. Even Gaidar and his men turned to his side,” Svetlana’s voice trembled with fury.

Koko glanced at Alex, Revy, and Nobuna with an awkward smile. Alex just smirked in response. These people were afraid Sergey would find them… Meanwhile, Sergey himself lay in the field, chopped into hundreds of pieces, unable to regenerate or resurrect.

“Don’t worry, Sergey won’t bother you anymore,” Alex said cheerfully.

“Why are you so sure?” Svetlana asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Because he’s now…” Revy took a drag and lazily finished, “…broken into pieces and peacefully fertilizing the earth.”

Svetlana turned her gaze to Koko, and she silently nodded, confirming Revy’s words—Sergey really had died by Alex’s hand. Only then did Svetlana exhale in relief.

After these words, everyone in the room first looked at her, then shifted their gaze to Alex, who was calmly holding Yamato. Their eyes were full of doubt. Alex didn’t look like the kind of person who could handle someone who once tore tanks apart with his bare hands as if they were made of paper.

“So how did you kill him? With a samurai sword, like a real Japanese?” Igor asked with a smirk, mocking Alex.

“Something like that,” Alex responded lazily, hopping off the table. “Now, since you’ve all gathered, let’s move. I want coffee and a horizontal position.”

Nobuna and Revy immediately got up and followed him. Alex, gesturing for Koko to join him, headed towards the exit. The girls quickly followed, and then Svetlana’s group hurried after them. He didn’t want to waste any more time and quickened his pace, eager to leave the dungeon as soon as possible.

Following the familiar route, the group emerged into the hangar. Svetlana’s people were hastily loading gear, rations, and weapons into the transport.

“Where’s your vehicle?” Anna asked, noticing that Alex and his companions were just standing there, not in any rush to join.

“On the other side of the field,” Alex replied, looking at her. “The field was crawling with undead, so we had to walk.”

“Dammit… Who knocked this door in?” Sam muttered, stopping by a steel door with a huge dent in it.

“Oh, that. I did,” Alex said calmly, shrugging. “We couldn’t find an entrance, so we had to improvise.”

Everyone stared at him in disbelief. The girls watched with smirks on their faces, enjoying the confused expressions on the others. And they hadn’t even seen what Alex was truly capable of yet.

A couple of men approached the door and, feeling the dent, began guessing how he had done it. Noticing their attention, Alex cleared his throat, drawing their gaze. He raised his hand and made a simple motion—a push. That was enough to cause a new wave of shock.

“Hey, handsome, are you done over there?” Rika’s voice came through the earpiece.

“Did something happen? Did you attract a horde or, God forbid, something worse?” Alex asked lazily.

“No, not exactly. But you absolutely have to see this. It’s something else,” Rika chuckled.

“Did you knock Santa over out of boredom?” Alex smirked.

“Better than that. But you really need to see it for yourself,” she replied, and there was an unmistakable joy in her voice.

Alex furrowed his brow, intrigued. Deciding to check out what had happened, he stepped outside. The others followed him.

What they saw left most of them in shock. In the field stood a giant, repulsive creature resembling the final stage of Nemesis’ mutation—uncontrollable, grotesque, constantly changing.

“What the… hell is that?!” Damir gasped, not believing his eyes.

“It looks like the Tyrants we killed mutated,” Alex commented calmly, looking at the monster. “During the mutation, they absorbed all the undead bodies lying in the field. Including Sergey and Gaidar.”

“And how the hell do we fight this? Or at least how do we escape from here?!” Svetlana asked in a panic.

“Why run? Let Alex deal with it,” Koko said with a smirk, nudging her husband with her elbow.

“And how is he planning to deal with it? No offense, weapons dealer, but that thing is huge,” Melnick said, giving Koko a skeptical look.

“Hey, old man, watch your words. Don’t insult my wife, or you’ll get hit with a stick,” Alex said, looking at him with an icy smirk.

Koko smirked at Melnick, then playfully hid behind Alex and whispered.

“Old man, don’t anger my husband.”

Not intending to waste any more time, Alex raised his hand and waved at her. The next second, two muffled shots rang out— and the mutated monster’s massive limbs were blasted off with dull thuds, embedding themselves in the ground.

The mutilated carcass let out a piercing wail that made everyone instinctively cover their ears. Without wasting a second, Alex lunged forward, jumping into the air and finding himself right in front of the presumed head of the giant mutant. In a lightning-fast movement, he drew Yamato and delivered a crushing strike, cleaving the beast in two. Landing on the ground, he didn’t take any risks—deciding to finish the abomination off, he formed a seal.

“Fire Style: Fire Destruction,” he said calmly.

A massive stream of flames erupted from his mouth, hitting the monster’s carcass like a wall of molten heat. The fire instantly consumed the flesh, incinerating everything in its path. Within seconds, all that remained of the horrifying creature was a pile of ash, smoldering in the wind.

Casting one last glance at the ashes, Alex turned and made his way back to the group. He was starting to miss the days when people couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw him in action. Now, everyone who knew him closely simply enjoyed the spectacle, no longer surprised by his feats.

“This… what the hell just happened? He breathed fire?! And burned that giant thing?” Igor asked, his face stunned as he pointed at Alex.

“Oh, believe me, you haven’t even seen half of it,” Revy replied with a smirk. “On the aircraft carrier, you’ll ask the guys what else he’s capable of.”

“Hah! Did you see the battle in Korea? After Alex was done, there was nothing left of the city,” added Nobuna with the same expression on her face.

Svetlana turned her gaze to Koko, a confused question in her eyes.

“Who even is your husband?”

Koko smiled and shrugged.

“On the aircraft carrier, everyone jokes and calls him ‘The Demon King.’ And believe me, I won’t have enough time in a whole day to tell you everything about Alex.”

Svetlana paused for a moment. It was hard to tell if Koko was joking, but the expression on her face spoke for itself—she was serious.

Meanwhile, Alex approached Koko, wrapped his arm around her waist, and rested his chin on the top of her head.

“Well, what are we standing around for, mouths hanging open? Never seen ninja techniques before?” he said with a lazy grin.

“I think I’m dreaming… I’m just going to head back to the hangar,” Damir muttered, shaking his head as if trying to shake off the illusion.

The others silently followed him, pretending as if nothing had happened—no one seemed fazed by how Alex easily cleaved the monster or incinerated it with flames from his mouth.

Alex, Koko, Revy, and Nobuna exchanged glances and laughed. The reactions from the others still gave them genuine amusement. It wasn’t every day that you witnessed such demonstrations of power.

While the others gathered, Alex contacted Rika and Rebecca, asking them to head over—it was time to return to the aircraft carrier.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep