After returning home, Alex, Yuriko, Koko, Brunhilda, and Saya joined the rest of the girls at the table to share the results of their brief meeting. When it was revealed that the boring and exhausting task of building the settlement was finally complete, joyful smiles appeared on the girls’ faces.

Rebecca looked especially relieved — that kind of routine was a real nightmare for her. She never enjoyed building anything except her own weapons, and she had no patience for monotonous, meticulous work. Every time her nerves gave out, she either broke something or started swearing loudly, cursing everything and everyone around her.

Upon hearing the plans for the future, the girls began listening more attentively to what Alex had in mind. When dinner came to an end and the dishes were cleared and washed, everyone moved to the living room, while the kids, as usual, ran upstairs to play. Alex briefly glanced as Anya, Alice, Nobukatsu, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch headed to the second floor, carrying a new board game invented by GIR and MIMI.

Leaning back on the sofa, Alex fell into thought for a moment. His knees were already occupied by Rebecca and Rory, who shamelessly tried to push each other off in an effort to be the only one sitting on him.

“So, when are you planning to catch the second priest?” asked Kiriko, sipping coffee from her mug. “It’s been a week, and you still haven’t gone after that second mummy.”

“Haven’t decided yet,” Alex replied calmly, resting his chin on Rory’s head. “After Deag’s death, the remaining two are surely on alert now. Of course, I could teleport right behind him, but that would speed things up, and that’s the last thing I need right now. Some of my plans aren’t ready yet.”

“So you’re not going after him because you’re afraid of messing up your own plans?” Saeko asked, sitting cross-legged.

“Not messing up — speeding up. That’s different,” Saya corrected, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

“What’s the damn difference?” Rei scoffed, rolling her eyes. “The meaning’s the same.”

“There’s a huge difference,” Saya replied sternly, glaring at Rei.

Another argument flared up between Saya and Rei, which the others watched with mild amusement. These kinds of quarrels had long since become part of their daily family life. Someone stealing someone else’s snacks or alcohol — nothing unusual. Alex still remembered how Koko once tried to take Shizuka’s alcohol and nearly got smothered by her massive chest. That day, Koko realized she could never defeat Shizuka. But another girl nearby mocked her… So Koko redirected all her rage at Ada.

Meanwhile, the argument between Saya and Rei about Alex’s plans continued, but thankfully, the girls were quickly separated and calmed down. After discussing minor details for the future, everyone decided to watch a movie before bed. It had become a tradition to end the day with something light. When the movie ended, the girls went to wash up and then headed to bed.

Acting as a caring father and older brother, Alex took Alice and Anya to the bathroom to make sure they brushed their teeth properly. After tucking the girls into bed, he returned to his women, who were already preparing for sleep and dividing up sleeping spots.

Alex still didn’t understand how this “rotation” system worked, but tonight he was supposed to sleep next to Zero Two and Lucy. Settling between them, he immediately felt how his chest became a “shared resource” — Rebecca and Rory cozily nestled against him. Alex wanted to pat their heads, but both his arms were pinned down by Zero Two and Lucy’s hugs. Unable to move, he accepted his role as a living pillow and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.

The night passed peacefully. There were no fires, no quarrels, or incidents in the settlement. With the first rays of the sun, those who had tasks to attend to woke up: Brunhilda, Yuriko, Koko, and Saya — they had organizational tasks related to managing the settlement. Chun-Li, Cammy, Renka, Miu, Shigure, Saeko, Beatrix, and Rei headed out for their morning training. Chikita, Rika, Revy, and Valmet also got up early — each had their own work. Red and White followed Brunhilda and the others to help.

Namiyo and Kiriko, responsible for food, also woke up early — they had to prepare breakfast for the whole family.

Alex and the other girls didn’t rush to get up, contentedly dozing, clearly not wanting to part with the soft pillows. However, the music didn’t play for long — Brunhilda herself came to wake up the “lazy girls,” who would have preferred to stay in bed. Rebecca, Rory, Shizuka, Ada, Nobuna, Zero Two, and Lucy reluctantly got off the sofa, groaning sleepily as they went to wash up and have breakfast. They wanted to just lie next to Alex, especially now that the settlement had become calmer and there was less work to do.

But Brunhilda was not one to accept excuses. One look from her was enough to stop any protests.

Only Alex remained on the sofa, still sweetly asleep, completely unresponsive even to the argument between the girls who didn’t want to leave their warm spot.

No matter how much Alex wanted to continue sleeping, the girls had other plans. The responsibility for waking him up fell to his daughter, Anya. Before sending the girl to wake her father, the mothers had reminded her: Alex sometimes had a slightly frightening look when he first woke up.

Anya nodded seriously, jumped off the chair, and hurried upstairs — straight to the room where her dad and moms were sleeping. Carefully opening the door, she looked around, walked over to the sofa, and quietly climbed onto it. Sneaking up to her father, Anya climbed onto his chest and started remembering what her moms had told her.

“First wake him up… then pinch his cheeks so dad won’t look scary… and then say someone is calling him,” she whispered to herself, nodding seriously, convinced that this sequence was correct.

“Or… maybe pinch first and then wake him up?” she mumbled, a bit confused.

Anya was trying to remember the right order of actions, but not being able to figure it out, she decided to do everything at once: wake him up and pinch his face so he wouldn’t look scary when he opened his eyes. Nodding as if she had confirmed her plan, the girl grabbed Alex’s cheeks and started rubbing them with her small palms while also trying to wake him up.

Alex, in a half-dream state, felt strange sensations on his face and didn’t immediately realize that the girls had come up with something again. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw Anya’s face in front of him, who was pulling on his cheeks with complete seriousness, as if performing a very important and responsible mission.

“Anya, sweetheart, what are you doing?” he asked, fully opening his eyes.

“Mom Namiyo said you have a scary look when you wake up. And Mom Yuriko told me to massage your face so you won’t be a scary dad,” Anya explained with full confidence, continuing to rub his cheeks.

“Thank you, little one… But let me do it myself, or I feel like my face is changing shape,” Alex said with a light laugh, sitting up.

He gently sat Anya on his lap and started massaging his face, getting rid of the lingering effects of sleep. Sighing, a little disappointed that he had been woken up, Alex kissed Anya on the cheek and thanked his caring daughter. She giggled happily when he hugged her and rubbed his cheek against hers.

Getting up from the sofa and picking Anya up in his arms, Alex headed downstairs to the dining room. When he entered, he noticed that most of the girls had already gone about their tasks. At the table, Alcina sat elegantly: she held a cup of hot coffee in one hand and a book in the other. Alex once again noted how much she had become addicted to reading. Now, it was almost always possible to find her with a book in hand.

He sat Anya on a chair and walked over to each of the girls present to kiss them. Sitting down at a free spot, he was immediately handed a mug of hot coffee by Namiyo.

“Thank you, Namiyo,” Alex said with a grateful smile.

“You’re always welcome, darling,” she replied, kissing him on the cheek.

“So, where are the other girls?” Alex lazily asked as he sipped his coffee.

“They’ve already gone. We let you sleep for an extra hour, but you know — work doesn’t wait,” Kiriko said, drying her hands after washing the dishes.

Alex nodded and began to think about what else needed to be done today, aside from scouting the nearby towns. He slowly sipped his coffee, casting a glance at Nobuna, who, with a sleepy face, was lying with her forehead on the table, unsuccessfully trying to wake up. Eventually, Nagahide and Katsuie, unable to stand it any longer, simply picked her up under the arms and dragged her outside.

Nobuna also had her responsibilities, and she couldn’t avoid them — whether she wanted to or not. Over the past week, Alex had gotten to know Nagahide and Katsuie better. He had long understood that Katsuie was a typical “muscle brain,” but now he also realized she was incredibly clumsy with domestic tasks. On the other hand, Nagahide was starting to remind him of Brunhilda — with the same stern and unyielding look that made it impossible to argue.

Alex watched the trio of girls leave and took the last sip of his coffee. Finishing, he carried the mug to the sink and headed out to check the animal traps he had set.

Throwing on his blue coat, Alex walked lazily toward the forest, where the traps were laid. Lighting a cigarette, he strolled through the settlement, where work had been bustling since early morning. Some were preparing for the upcoming expedition, while others sat on the porches of their homes, holding cups of hot drinks in their hands — warming up and trying to wake up.

Nodding and greeting everyone he met, Alex crossed the stone wall and ventured deeper into the forest. He tried to remember where the traps had been set, and after scanning his surroundings, headed to the nearest one. Reaching the first, he crouched down to inspect it, but, unfortunately, it was empty. Alex shook his head, adjusted the mechanism, and moved on to the next. However, once again, disappointment awaited him — the trap was also empty.

After checking a few more traps, he continued on his path until he noticed bloodstains on the ground. Crouching down, he examined them, then moved on to the next trap — and froze. There, on the ground, lay the mangled carcass of a deer… or rather, what was left of it. Alex crouched to inspect the remains more closely, but then he heard rustling leaves behind him. In an instant, he drew his black pistol and aimed it toward the sound.

“It’s me,” a calm voice came from behind the bushes.

Ghost emerged from the undergrowth. He approached leisurely, and Alex breathed a sigh of relief, lowering his weapon.

“Simon, for God’s sake… I get why they call you Ghost, but that doesn’t mean you should act like a real ghost and sneak up on me,” Alex muttered irritably.

“Habit,” Ghost replied calmly. “I see you’ve also come across the torn-up carcass.”

“Since you’re saying that, I take it you’ve seen something similar?” Alex asked, glancing at him.

“Exactly. I checked a couple of traps — either they’re empty, or there’s a torn-up animal in them,” Ghost said, sitting down next to him.

“And where’s Johnny?” Alex asked, noticing that Ghost had come alone.

“Went to check the others. If it’s the same situation there, we need to figure out who or what is tearing animals apart,” Ghost replied.

Alex nodded and shifted his gaze back to the deer’s remains. With Ghost’s help, they began analyzing who could have left such marks. At first glance, it looked like the deer had been the victim of a bear — a very large and very angry one. But the longer they looked, the clearer it became: it wasn’t something like that. It was something stronger and wilder. Given the current state of the world, hoping this was just a regular beast would be naive.

“Damn it, Ghost, I’ve been looking for you everywhere…” a familiar voice called out. “Oh, Alex, you’re here too. Looks like things are bad here as well. Someone decided to feast on Mama Bambi,” Soap said, approaching them.

“Something like that. What about you? Same story? Traps empty or with meat?” Alex asked, getting up from the ground.

“Everything’s empty. But I found a torn-up bear… or what’s left of it. I don’t know who did it, but it definitely wasn’t another bear, and it certainly wasn’t a regular animal from this forest,” Soap replied with a grim expression.

“Did you notice anything else, Johnny?” Ghost asked, glancing at his comrade.

“Not really. Honestly, I left there pretty quickly. I have no desire to run into whatever did this to a full-grown bear,” Soap said, shaking his head.

“Still, it’s worth taking a look. Maybe we can find some tracks or clues,” Alex said, lighting up again. “I really don’t want to wake up one day and find out that one of ours became the next victim, just after leaving the settlement.”

Ghost and Soap nodded, agreeing with Alex’s words. It was better to deal with the problem before it escalated into something bigger — they were all in unanimous agreement on that. Alex glanced at Soap and asked him to lead the way to the place where he found the torn-up bear.

The journey took no more than five minutes. And soon they arrived at the site. Or rather — the site of the slaughter. The bear carcass… or what was left of it… lay in the middle of the torn, blood-soaked ground. The innards were scattered around, as though someone had deliberately tried to create a scene of horror. The smell was repulsive, and the air seemed to freeze from the recent violence.

Alex and Ghost immediately began to inspect the area. Oddly enough, there were almost no signs of a struggle. It seemed the bear had been caught off guard. It hadn’t even had time to realize what it was facing before being torn to pieces.

Splitting up, they began searching the area. Alex took out his phone and dialed Brunhilde. Her voice came through almost immediately.

“We’ve got something strange here,” he said briefly, wasting no time. “Tell the others to stay alert. And make sure no one leaves the settlement — no matter the reason.”

Ending the call, Alex resumed his search and soon noticed something unsettling. One of the bear’s paws… was impaled on a branch, like a gruesome warning. He frowned involuntarily.

“Simon, Johnny, find anything?” he called, turning toward them.

“Nothing here. Just the paw — probably the one you’re looking at,” Soap replied.

“I found tracks. If you can even call them tracks,” came Ghost’s calm but tense voice.

Alex immediately headed toward him, gesturing for Soap to follow. They approached and stopped, staring at the ground. Huge tracks were imprinted on the soft forest floor — much larger than human ones. Alex crouched down, studying them carefully. His face grew more serious.

“And whose damn foot could belong to this?” Soap said, resting his foot next to one of the tracks. “Don’t tell me we’ve got a giant living near our settlement.”

“Unfortunately, no. And judging by what it did to the bear — we’ve got a very… unfriendly neighbor. I’m almost sure it’s the same one that killed all the animals that got caught in the traps,” Ghost said, frowning.

“Alex, any ideas? Who could this be?” Soap asked, looking at his friend.

“I’ve got two theories,” Alex replied, not taking his eyes off the tracks. “Either a ‘Tyrant’ type creature somehow wandered here, or… we missed a demon nest, and one of them is currently roaming the area. Though the latter is unlikely.”

“Either way, we need to deal with this creature. Before it gets to the settlement,” Soap said, nodding toward the tracks.

And then…

“Do you hear that?” Ghost suddenly asked, stopping.

Alex frowned, listening intently. After a few seconds, both he and Soap caught what Simon was talking about — faint sounds coming from somewhere deep in the forest. They were distant, distorted by the distance and the trees, but still distinguishable.

“Shots…” Alex said, glancing at the others.

They exchanged looks and nodded at each other. Without words, it was clear: they needed to check the source. Alex drew his pistol, while Soap and Ghost checked their rifles. They moved forward at a quick pace, almost running. The sound grew clearer, and soon there was no doubt — it was indeed gunfire. And not single shots — two people were shooting.

“Two shooters,” Ghost confirmed while running. “Can you hear the difference in rhythm?”

“Are you sure?” Soap asked, not slowing down.

“Absolutely. Listen — two rhythms, two weapons.”

They picked up the pace. Whoever it was, they were clearly not from their settlement. And that meant only one thing: either someone from the survivors was in trouble, or a new threat had appeared in the forest.

Alex listened and noticed the shots sounded like two pistols firing. Deciding to speed up, he continued running with Ghost and Soap — the shots were becoming clearer and closer.

Exiting the forest, the trio saw a small settlement ahead, where sounds of gunfire, struggle, and destruction were coming from. Alex threw a quick glance at the guys, nodded, and surged ahead to figure out what was going on.

He crossed the street and, following the sounds, quickly reached the scene. At that moment, a man and a woman jumped out of one of the houses’ windows. Alex recognized them immediately — Jake Muller, the illegitimate son of Albert Wesker, and Sherry Birkin, daughter of William Birkin. The most unpleasant thing was that Alex had recently killed both of their fathers with his own hands.

“Run!” Sherry shouted when she saw Alex.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked behind her — just in time. The wall of the wooden house crashed down as a huge arm tore through it. Sherry and Jake darted past him, but Alex stayed in place — he wanted to see the face of the creature whose arm it was. Though he already had a pretty good idea of who it was.

From the shadows emerged Ustanak — another bioweapon, a product of the C-virus project. Sherry ran up to Alex, grabbed his arm, and started pulling him away.

“What are you standing there for?! Run!” she screamed, trying to drag him.

“Hey, man!” Jake added. “This thing’s been chasing us the whole way! Don’t just stand there, move your legs!”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass,” Alex replied calmly, gently freeing his hand from Sherry’s grip. “Now, kindly remove your hands. I’ll have a chat with your stalker.”

Sherry and Jake exchanged confused looks — they didn’t understand what Alex was talking about. Meanwhile, he curiously observed Ustanak. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pair of brass knuckles and cracked his knuckles. Looking up at the hulking mutant, Alex admitted to himself: in person, it looked much uglier than in the game.

Before him stood a huge creature, muscular and unnaturally pale. Its body was covered in scars, cuts, and signs of rough surgical interventions. Its hair was sparse and gray. The face was grotesque, with some parts stitched together with metal staples, a twisted mouth, and a single eye deeply set into the skull. The most horrifying detail was its right arm — a metal prosthetic roughly attached to its body, with massive stitches that looked hastily sewn.

Sherry and Jake watched as Alex calmly stopped in front of the monster. They exchanged glances. Sherry nervously clenched her fists.

“We have to help him…” she said quietly, not taking her eyes off Alex.

“Sherry, let’s go. Leave this idiot. If he wants to measure strength with this thing, let him. I’m not getting paid to save suicides,” Jake muttered, trying to pull Sherry away.

Sherry didn’t want to leave. Abandoning the stranger and dragging him into their problems seemed wrong. However, their argument was interrupted by fast steps approaching from behind. Turning around, Sherry and Jake saw two men in soldier uniforms. One wore a skull mask, and the other, with a mohawk, was holding futuristic weaponry.

“Looks like we’re just in time. And it seems like we’ve found the one who destroyed our traps and tore apart that poor bear… But damn, he’s really ugly,” Soap said with a smirk, looking at Ustanak.

“You with this idiot? Maybe you’ll help him?” Jake snapped, pointing at Alex.

“He doesn’t need help,” Ghost replied calmly, giving Jake a glance.

“What do you mean?” Sherry asked, bewildered, shifting her gaze between them.

“You’ll see for yourself. I promise, it’ll be fun,” Soap grinned.

Sherry and Jake exchanged glances, becoming more and more convinced they had stumbled into a group of madmen. Meanwhile, Alex calmly watched as Ustanak began moving toward him with heavy strides.

The mutant raised its massive metal arm to crush Alex’s skull, but at the last moment, Alex intercepted the strike. In the next second, Alex punched Ustanak hard in the chest, lifting him off the ground, and then kicked the monster with such force it sent him flying, crashing through several houses in a row.

Alex smirked and sprinted after him.

Sherry and Jake froze, standing next to Ghost and Soap. Their eyes were wide with shock — this was definitely not what they had expected.

Alex quickly caught up with Ustanak, whose body, leaving a deep trench in the ground, finally stopped. He approached, giving the mutant a chance to rise. The creature slowly got up, its metal prosthetic clanging as it moved — the iron claw squeezing and releasing, preparing for another attack.

Alex, lazily waving his hand, goaded it on.

Ustanak charged again. Reaching out, he tried to grab Alex, but at the last moment, Alex jumped, landing on its prosthetic, then skillfully jumped onto its shoulders and struck it with a powerful punch to the top of its head.

Ustanak collapsed face-first into the ground.

Alex didn’t stop — he began stomping on the back of the mutant’s head, pressing it deeper into the ground. Then, lifting his foot, he brought it down with such force that Ustanak’s head burst under his sole. The mutant’s body twitched one last time… then went still.

Alex wiped his boot on the creature’s clothing and jumped down to the ground. Glancing over the remains, he thought to himself: Might be worth dragging the body back to the settlement. Rebecca Chambers and her team of scientists could find this specimen useful.

Grabbing Ustanak by the leg, Alex began dragging him along.

Upon returning, he was relieved to see that Sherry and Jake hadn’t run away — though they easily could have. Soap gave Alex a thumbs-up, and Ghost nodded briefly. Sherry and Jake, on the other hand, were completely stunned — especially at the sight of Alex dragging the headless Ustanak like a sack of potatoes.

“Well then, now we can finally introduce ourselves,” Alex said, letting go of the mutant’s leg. “Who are you guys? And why was that thing after you?”

Of course, Alex knew exactly who Jake and Sherry were, but he couldn’t just come out and say it. There had to be at least some semblance of subtlety — you couldn’t exactly start a conversation with something like “Sherry and Jake, what the hell are you doing in Alaska, and why did you drag Ustanak with you?”

Sherry kept her eyes on Alex for a moment, then looked at the mutant’s headless corpse. Jake was watching closely, a faint smirk on his lips.

“You’re no slouch. We couldn’t handle him, and you crushed him pretty quick. I’m Jake,” he said, offering a hand.

“Alex,” he replied with a smirk, shaking it firmly. “And you’re no weakling either, if you managed to stay standing that long. Still — who are you guys?”

“My name is Sherry Birkin. I’m a special agent with the Security Operations Division. And this is Jake Muller, a mercenary. We were on a mission. Classified. I need to get back to HQ immediately,” the girl said seriously, locking eyes with Alex.

“Hmm… Aren’t you a bit young to be a special agent?” Soap noted, raising an eyebrow.

“Got a problem with that, old man?” Jake asked darkly, stepping forward.

“You wanna find out, kid? I’ve been itching for a warm-up,” Soap grinned, not breaking eye contact.

“Alright, ladies, knock it off,” Alex said calmly but firmly. “Now’s not the time for a dick-measuring contest. Let’s head back. The settlement’s a couple kilometers away. We can talk properly there — and get help if either of you’s injured.”

Jake scoffed, then looked at Sherry as if waiting for her decision. She nodded — they could definitely use the help right now. Alex, noticing that, nodded back and, without wasting time, grabbed Ustanak by the leg again and continued dragging him.

“Why the hell are you hauling that carcass?” Jake asked as he walked alongside him.

“There’s a team of scientists in the settlement. They’ve recently developed an anti-virus. I figured your girlfriend here might be a useful specimen for research,” Alex replied with a smirk.

“Oh, I’m not complaining. Clingy girlfriends like that? I could do without. Took me long enough to get rid of her,” Jake laughed.

“What?! How did you… How did you even manage to create an anti-virus?!” Sherry’s voice was filled with genuine shock, her eyes wide as she stared at Alex.

“It’s not that hard when you’ve got the right resources — and a bit of brainpower. But let’s talk more once we’re back at the settlement,” he said with a nod.

Sherry just nodded in response, accepting that for now. The rest of the journey continued in silence.

When they reached the settlement, Sherry and Jake were clearly stunned by what they saw.

“Not bad. You guys really made yourselves comfortable here,” Jake whistled, glancing around at the fortifications and buildings.

“Something like that. We’ve done quite a bit of work… all in just a week,” Alex replied calmly.

“Wait… Are you saying you built all this in a week?!” Sherry’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Alex nodded, confirming his words. He said goodbye to Ghost and Soap, asking them to inform the others about everything they’d seen today. Then he headed with Jake and Sherry toward a building that served both as a hospital and a research lab.

The sight of Alex dragging the massive corpse of a mutant behind him didn’t cause much of a commotion. People simply examined the creature’s body with open curiosity—no fear, no panic. Just interest. Jake watched the scene unfold and, though he didn’t show it, he was slightly surprised—the locals’ reaction clearly didn’t follow the usual pattern.

“These people are reacting weirdly…” he muttered, leaning toward Sherry’s ear. “They’re not surprised at all.”

“I noticed. They seem more curious about what the mutant looks like. Even the kids are watching it without fear,” Sherry replied in the same whisper, nodding slightly.

“That’s because these people have seen worse,” Alex said, having overheard their murmurs. “One mutant doesn’t impress them.”

“What do you mean?” Jake raised an eyebrow.

“We’ve traveled halfway across the world before ending up here. Hordes of zombies. Masses of undead that looked more like demons. Creatures that seemed like inside-out humans. A whole swarm on the South Korean border. A secret island with mutated wildlife. We’ve been through a lot… and picked up these people along the way. They come from different countries. Some lost their homes, others lost families. Trust me—they’ve seen things far more terrifying.”

“Damn… You’ve been through hell,” Jake shook his head.

“That’s putting it mildly,” Alex smirked. “If you’re interested, I’ll tell you the whole story another time. But for now, I think you two should be looked over. You both look like a couple of battered mutts.”

“And that’s putting it mildly,” Sherry added with a crooked smile.

Alex chuckled briefly and led them toward the clinic so the medics could provide aid and assess their condition. He remembered—albeit vaguely—that Sherry was a carrier of the G-virus, but her body had adapted, granting her accelerated regeneration. Jake, as far as Alex knew, had antibodies for a different virus. That’s why Sherry had to escort him to headquarters—to try synthesizing a vaccine from his blood.

But Alex knew one important detail: Jake’s blood likely wouldn’t help against the crap spreading among the local zombies. Even setting aside demons and necromorphs, the virus itself was essentially a hellish blend of several strains, causing a wide range of mutations. Trying to create a universal serum from that mix was, at best, extremely doubtful.

They reached the clinic’s door. Alex stopped, turned to them, and motioned for them to enter. Jake and Sherry exchanged a silent glance—and stepped forward.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep