After some time, Alex finally managed to calm Angel, who couldn’t stop crying. Now the girl fully realized—she was free. The human warmth Alex had given her, something she hadn’t felt in so long, became the reason why her tears just wouldn’t end.

Once she had calmed down, Alex decided to lift her spirits and cheer her up with delicious food—something Angel had likely never tasted before. He had a rough idea of how long she had been imprisoned in the cage Jack had built for her. Alex wasn’t tactless enough to ask directly, but by his estimation, Angel had been trapped there for no less than ten years.

When her tears finally subsided, the whole group moved to the balcony of the Crimson Raiders’ headquarters to have a barbecue and celebrate her rescue.

On the balcony, Alex immediately started cleaning up—after the gathering the night before, no one had tidied up, and everything was left in complete disarray. Angel tried to help, but Alex gently stopped her with a gesture, not letting her strain herself. However, the others noticed her eagerness to be useful, and they too felt the urge to pitch in.

Alex simply snapped his fingers—and all the trash turned to ash, which he then blew away with a light wave of his hand.

“Those abilities of yours really come in handy. Not only do you carry around a ton of stuff, but you’re also a master cleaner. That’s awesome,” Brick said, giving him a thumbs-up.

“Instead of praising me, you could’ve cleaned up yourselves,” Alex replied dryly. “I have to cook and clean at the same time. And besides, I’m a guest here. But it feels more like you’re the guests in my house.”

“Oh, so you finally remembered you’re a guest here. I was starting to think this place had always belonged to you,” Lilith said, not hiding her sarcasm. “Especially after what your daughters pulled off in Sanctuary, and after the way you started giving orders the moment you walked in, like you’d come back home.”

“Touche, my dear Lilith. You caught me,” Alex said in a deliberately robotic tone and turned away.

Lilith smirked in satisfaction, pleased with her small victory, and watched with interest as Alex started cooking. He only sighed, realizing he always ended up taking everything upon himself. A thought crossed his mind: he would talk to Lilith after finishing business in this universe. Alex planned to offer the Crimson Raiders a job—after Hyperion’s fall, they’d have nothing left to do, and this way, they would have both purpose and shelter in a safe world.

After delivering the groceries and marinating the meat, Alex set several bottles of alcohol from his inventory on the table. He didn’t want to drink what was brewed on Pandora — the taste of the local booze reminded him of moonshine he once tried in Night City during one of his missions. The drinks at Moxxi’s bar were better, but still couldn’t compare to what he had tasted in “Valhalla.”

Once he finished the preparations, Alex leaned against the railing and lit a cigarette.

“Mmm… excellent flavor. Where did you get this alcohol? The taste is just unique,” Lilith said, taking a sip from her glass.

“This drink is called Ōkolehao. It’s a traditional beverage from a place I once visited with my wife. Made from sugarcane. It has a grassy taste with tropical notes — like sitting on a beach, basking under the sun,” Alex said with a slight smile.

“I like this beer. Especially that strange woody aftertaste,” Brick said, taking a gulp from his glass.

“That’s not beer, it’s ale. Yesterday you guys finished off an entire barrel of it. It’s aged in oak casks, hence the flavor. Ale is usually drunk warm, but I prefer it cold,” Alex explained.

“Where did you get it? I’d buy a couple of kegs,” Brick asked, shrugging.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. It was a gift given to me when I left,” Alex shook his head.

“Can you tell us what kind of place it was?” Angel asked carefully. “I’ve never been anywhere… so I’d like to hear stories like that. But if it’s too hard for you — don’t tell.”

“I’d like to hear too,” Maya added.

“Me as well. Maybe I can get such a gift someday,” Brick grinned, hugging the ale barrel.

“Alright, I’ll tell you,” Alex agreed. “Back then I had a free week off work, so I decided to take my whole family on vacation. We went to a place called Middle-earth.”

“Middle-earth? Is that some planet in the center of the galaxy?” Moxxi asked curiously.

“No. That world is called Arda, and Middle-earth is a continent inhabited by different races. There are elves — they live in forests and are considered immortal…” Alex began to explain with a smile.

“Wait, immortal? You mean they can’t be killed?” Salvador asked in surprise.

“They can be killed, but they live for a very long time. According to legends, elves have existed since the creation of Arda. I even met the king of the woodland elves. Honestly, they’re difficult conversation partners: either they speak in riddles or steer the talk away. But in battle they are masters — especially with bows and blades,” Alex said, thoughtfully stroking his chin.

“And who else did you meet?” Angel asked with vivid interest.

“We went there to see one of Arda’s wonders — the mountain Erebor. It’s not just a mountain, but an entire kingdom of the people who live there,” Alex said and gently ruffled Angel’s hair.

“And what people are those?” Axton asked.

“Hm… imagine an entire kingdom populated by Salvadors,” Alex said with a slight cough.

“What are you implying?” Salvador growled, baring his teeth.

“Exactly what I said. Same build, thick beards, love for booze, good food, and fighting anyone who dares challenge them,” Alex replied dryly.

Everyone involuntarily turned their gaze toward Salvador and tried to imagine a whole kingdom filled with people like him. A shiver ran down some of their spines at the thought. None of them could quite grasp how Alex and his family even managed to visit such a place.

Realizing that his listeners had pictured something very different from what he meant, Alex went on to describe Erebor in detail: how the mountain looked, what surrounded it, and just how majestic the landscape appeared. His voice immediately caught everyone’s attention. They all turned to him at once — after all, you don’t hear stories like that every day.

When Alex started talking about the peak hidden high in the clouds, many of them wanted to see that wonder with their own eyes. And of course, he couldn’t resist showing photographs. Seeing Erebor in the pictures, everyone was genuinely amazed at the beauty of the place Alex and his family had visited.

As he showed the photos, he continued telling how he met the king of the dwarves. And when the projection displayed an image of Alex standing beside short, bearded men, it became clear to everyone why he compared them to Salvador.

“Now I see why your girls called him a dwarf at first glance,” Maya smiled, pointing at the photo and then at Salvador himself. “He really does look like one. If he ended up there, they’d take him as one of their own.”

“More like they’d think he’s their long-lost relative,” Brick laughed, giving Salvador a friendly pat on the shoulder.

He was about to protest that he wasn’t any kind of dwarf, but the words stuck in his throat as he saw the photo of those same bearded men standing next to Alex.

Meanwhile, Alex showed pictures of a huge hall filled with gold and precious stones that the dwarves had mined for centuries. Everyone gasped involuntarily at the sight of real rivers of wealth. Then came the story of how he got acquainted with the dwarven king.

When Alex mentioned that many years ago the kingdom had been taken over by a dragon, the questions started flying one after another. To explain, he projected an image of Smaug. The moment they saw the beast, everyone instantly understood what kind of creature he meant, since Pandora had its own share of similar monsters.

Next came the tale of how he helped the dwarves reclaim their lands, asking in return only a few precious gems “for the family.” Hearing this, the group stared at him in surprise, but Alex just shrugged and continued the story.

While he was preparing dinner, the tale flowed into the description of the war for the dwarven lands. The orcs provoked mixed feelings among the listeners — even more questions and curiosity. Alex answered patiently, avoiding anything supernatural, especially about Zhang Ya’s world, knowing that without proof, they wouldn’t believe him anyway. Although he really did have proof…

So caught up in his story, everyone forgot why they had gathered in the first place. Only when Alex set plates of meat and vegetables on the table did the group remember that this was supposed to be a celebration of Angel’s freedom, not a campfire fairy tale.

The sun had already slipped beyond the horizon, the lights of Sanctuary lit up, and they still sat on the balcony of the Crimson Raiders’ headquarters, exchanging stories. Angel listened with particular interest — she too longed to experience such adventures. Seeing her gaze, Alex placed his hand on her head and nodded: now she was free, and everything was in her hands. The girl smiled back sincerely.

By the time it was Brick’s turn, the alcohol had already done its work. He started waving his mug around, passionately telling stories about how he fought Pandora’s monsters with his bare hands. Everyone struggled to hold back their smiles, while Mordecai nearly rolled his eyes — he knew his friend far too well.

Alex just smiled, listening to those ridiculous but amusing exaggerations. Especially the one about how Brick supposedly defeated a giant stone skag with his bare hands.

And then, in the middle of another “epic” story, Alex suddenly felt someone’s foot sliding against his thigh. His first thought was — Moxxi again. But when he looked at her, he realized it couldn’t be: she was sitting on the other side. That left only two sirens — Lilith or Maya.

Both acted as if nothing was happening. Alex barely held himself back from peeking under the table to find out who it was. Deep down, he suspected Lilith — after all, she had already promised him a “special prize” for saving Angel.

Confirmation came quickly. Lilith, holding a glass in her hand, met Alex’s gaze and shaped her lips into a blown kiss. At that very moment, the foot began moving more actively. There was no doubt left: it was her.

Alex narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled. He hadn’t expected something like this from Lilith. He had always thought she was the type of woman who preferred to take matters into her own hands rather than act sneakily. When her foot reached dangerously close to the “unsafe zone,” he skillfully intercepted the movement, not letting her go any further. He didn’t want anyone at the table to notice what was going on.

Lilith, on the contrary, only smirked wider. Her eyes glimmered mischievously, and her gaze never left Alex, as if she were deliberately savoring his discomfort. Alex was already considering how to stop her when, in that instant, he felt another foot — on his other thigh.

His eyes darted to Maya. She was sitting with her cheek resting on her hand, absentmindedly holding her glass. She cast sidelong glances at him, pretending to be completely uninvolved. Alex exhaled helplessly — now he was caught in a double siege.

And then he felt hot breath on his neck. Turning his head, he came face-to-face with Moxxi’s playful, overtly provocative gaze. She lazily traced a finger down his chest, leaning closer and exhaling heated air against his skin.

Alex barely contained a nervous chuckle. Not because he didn’t like it, but because Angel was sitting beside him, and the men nearby were still making noise. But when he turned his head, he saw that Angel had long since fallen asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. Too many emotions and too much exhaustion — and now she was finally out. The men, meanwhile, had moved off to the side, absorbed in their drinking, noticing nothing.

The three women had no intention of stopping, and his attempts to resist were, to put it mildly, symbolic. Alex knew all too well how such things usually ended — with torn clothes and a very stormy night.

As if on cue, the male company suddenly got up — drunken Brick, Mordecai, Salvador, Axton, and even Zer0. Stumbling, they muttered a few words about going to hunt the Legendary Skag that Mordecai claimed to have seen. Their unsteady walk and fiery eyes made it clear: they didn’t care that they could barely stand. They were leaving with firm intent to catch the beast at any cost.

Alex just shook his head, imagining that pack crashing straight into the Skag’s lair and waking up the entire den.

When the noisy group disappeared, he was left alone with three women, all of whom were now looking at him with faint, knowing smiles. Alex cleared his throat, stood up, and carefully lifted Angel in his arms to carry her downstairs. There he laid her in bed and exhaled in relief, not noticing Tannis nearby. Not that he found her unattractive — she just wasn’t his type.

Standing by the bed, he hesitated. Any other man in his place would hardly refuse the chance to spend the night with three beautiful women. He felt conflicted: he had known Lilith, Maya, and Moxxi for only a few days. But then he remembered Samantha and their short but meaningful night together, the night that confirmed their feelings for each other. Weighing it all, Alex decided: let things happen as they will.

Climbing back up to the second floor, he barely had time to cross the threshold when the women pulled him inside, and the door slammed shut behind him. Once again, Alex was convinced: getting involved with drunk women was as good as signing his own death warrant. Especially if those women had special powers or stamina like Moxxi.

Morning greeted him with silence. Alex lay staring at the ceiling while three women peacefully slept pressed against him. To his surprise, his clothes were still intact. The reason was simple: Lilith had used her phase shift to remove them — from him and from herself. He hadn’t even suspected she could apply her powers in such… practical ways.

Lowering his gaze from the ceiling, he saw blue-haired Maya resting against his chest. On his left was Lilith, partly covered with a light blanket. To his right, Moxxi had nearly kicked the covers off entirely, her curves on full display.

Alex’s thoughts leapt far ahead — he imagined how easily these women could fit into his world. Moxxi — alongside Freya and Göndul. Lilith — among bold girls like Rika or Revi. Maya — next to calmer, but no less cheerful, girls. It seemed to him that they could stay with him.

A slight movement interrupted his thoughts. Maya’s eyelids fluttered, and she opened her eyes. Rubbing her cheek against his chest, she met Alex’s gaze. A shadow of a smile appeared on her lips. Temptation won out — Maya slowly leaned in and kissed him. Alex responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her. Feeling the pleasant sensation of the kiss, Maya hugged his neck to be even closer. The blanket covering her slipped down, revealing her curves, but she didn’t care.

“Now I understand why you have so many wives,” Lilith’s dry voice came from the left. “Looks like one night wasn’t enough for you.”

Alex and Maya simultaneously turned their heads toward Lilith’s voice and saw her sitting on the couch, lazily stretching. Of course, Alex had already seen everything last night, but that didn’t stop him from lingering with his gaze again. Lilith noticed his attention and, seemingly on purpose, stretched more slowly, giving him the chance to enjoy the view.

Maya settled on Alex’s chest, her palms resting on his muscular body, and her fingers kept gliding across him. Alex leaned back slightly against the couch, and Maya smoothly shifted to sit on his lap, still savoring the touch of his chest.

“I have to say, sweetie — you really impressed me,” Moxxi purred, stretching luxuriously and feeling the pleasant aftertaste of a wild night. “Even too much. I wouldn’t mind doing it again. A few times… then a few more. And even better — somewhere else.”

“Weren’t you satisfied last night?” Lilith smirked, glancing at Moxxi as she pressed even closer to Alex.

“I’m an adult woman, and I also want a lot of love. A lot,” whispered Moxxi, hot breath brushing Alex’s ear.

“You’d better get dressed already, woman. We have entirely different plans for today,” said Lilith, looking tired.

“You may have plans, but I don’t,” Moxxi smiled, wrapping her arms around Alex. “I’d rather spend the day in strong, warm embraces… Don’t you agree, sweetie? How about some cuddling first, then moving on to something more interesting?”

“I wouldn’t refuse,” Alex smiled. “But I’m afraid I still need to get to the Vault.”

“And what are you planning to find there? Besides the Warrior Jack wanted to control to start a genocide on Pandora?” asked Maya, resting her head on his chest.

“The thing is, there might be something there connected to my work,” Alex replied, rubbing his chin.

“Yeah, yeah,” Lilith interjected, “you’ve mentioned your… specific work and family business. But all we know is that you have to clean up after someone else’s mess.”

Alex felt a pleasant warmth from three sides: Lilith and Moxxi were leaning on his arms, and Maya lay on his chest. The softness slightly threw him off, and his thoughts drifted in a completely different direction… and Maya lifted a playful look to him, clearly understanding what he was thinking. What she felt beneath her only confirmed her suspicions.

Alex cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to regain composure. Once again, he silently thanked Freya for her blessing of love. But this gift had a downside: his body reacted to the feelings others directed toward him. Freya had blessed him not only with love but with fertility. Alex could resist, of course, but he saw little point — the emotions directed at him were genuine.

“Anyway,” he began, “as I said before, my work is really very specific. I don’t just clean up someone’s mess. I have to neutralize things that could lead to consequences so severe it’s hard even to imagine. And hide things that under no circumstances should fall into the hands of a living being. These things are so dangerous that it’s better to keep them away… even from the world itself.”

He slowly traced his finger along Lilith’s waist.

“And what kind of things are these?” Maya asked, sitting on his lap. “Something like the Warrior?”

“The Warrior is just a golem, a Vault guardian. Artificial life with a spark of intelligence to follow orders. Yes, it can be used as a weapon to wage wars and conquer worlds. But what I’m talking about… imagine a person carrying biological weapons in their pocket capable of destroying all life. And they don’t even know it’s there.”

“So you collect dangerous weapons and hide them from everyone?” Lilith asked, pressing herself closer to him.

“Yes and no,” Alex replied. “My task isn’t just to hide the weapon but to eliminate the one who created it. Alright, to hell with explanations… it’s easier to show than to try to find words that won’t confuse you. But know this: once I do it, there’s no turning back. None at all.”

“And what exactly do you want to show us that leaves no way back?” Moxxi asked, curiosity in her voice.

“I’m going to show you what my family actually does. And what I do. Including what I am,” Alex said calmly.

“Maybe you meant — who you are?” Lilith raised an eyebrow. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novelfire(.)net

“No, my dear Lilith,” Alex looked straight into her yellow eyes. “I said it correctly. I want to show you exactly what I am.”

Before Lilith, Maya, and Moxxi could ask a single question, Alex touched their foreheads with his finger. At that instant, their eyes glazed over — a flood of information poured into their minds. Alex leaned back calmly on the couch and waited patiently: he knew it would take time to process everything. It had been similar with Samantha — it took her almost half an hour before she recovered and started asking questions.

While the girls slowly processed what they had seen, Alex sank into his own thoughts. More and more, he was preoccupied with the question of what he would find in the Vault. And most importantly — whether he should reach for the Main Vault, hidden at the very center of Pandora. He knew that a being called the Destroyer was sealed there. Suspicions about its true nature lingered — too many things matched the stories about ancient races, about creatures better left unencountered. His father had only confirmed his doubts: he would have to look into the Vaults to prevent a future catastrophe.

Alex thought about the Eridians and the things they had created. The more he remembered, the stronger his sense of unease became. The resemblance of the Destroyer to creatures from other worlds left him restless. For a moment, he even entertained the thought that the Eridians might be connected to the Elder Things… but he quickly dismissed the idea as too daring. One thing was clear: the Vaults would either provide answers or raise even more questions. And in the end, he would still have to open the Main Vault.

“I slept with the Demon King… Didn’t expect that,” Moxxi broke the silence first, finally regaining herself. She ran her fingers through her hair with a smirk. “Of course, I’ve slept with different men before, but this is a whole different level.”

“And of all the things you learned,” Lilith snorted, giving her a tired look, “you decided to focus only on the fact that you slept with him? Didn’t even mention that his family consists of goddesses, demigoddesses, and other beings… And Nyarko’s mother — a cosmic ancient entity whose name is better left unspoken. And all you care about is the bed?”

“As a woman, I know how to set priorities,” Moxxi shrugged. “And if I become his wife, I’ll have the right to do whatever I want. And not stress about it. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“You know,” Maya interjected, nodding thoughtfully, “even in Athena I was called a goddess. But I never imagined that there were real gods and goddesses. And whole worlds where they live alongside humans… It’s all just too incredible.”

Listening to their conversation, Alex could only raise an eyebrow in surprise. Instead of discussing his work and the dangers he faced, the girls were talking about his family. He shrugged — questions about his work would come up later anyway.

Then it hit him. He finally understood why sirens were so strongly drawn to him. It wasn’t about appearance, but something else — their powers themselves gravitated toward him, as if he were a source. He had told Lilith before that in some worlds sirens could be called demigoddesses. Now it seemed true: their power was not artificial, but carried a reflection of fundamental divine energy. Each siren had a unique ability, yet all of them were connected by a common thread — the phase shift of matter. Alex had encountered similar energy before… but couldn’t remember where exactly.

Shaking off his thoughts, he suggested having breakfast. The girls, of course, didn’t refuse — after a long night, they wanted something tasty.

Alex went down to the first floor and carefully woke Angel, who had slept through everything that had happened during the night. The girl, still not fully awake, started moving in a daze, but Alex gently took her by the shoulders and guided her upstairs. Angel was so exhausted that if he hadn’t woken her, she could have slept for several more days straight.

On the second floor, Alex seated her at the table, prepared a quick breakfast for the girls, and poured himself some coffee. The clock already showed noon, and the group of guys hadn’t returned — as if they had vanished from the face of Pandora.

“So, today we open the Vault,” Lilith said, sipping her coffee. “And then what?”

“If I find what I need — great. But I’ll still have to go to the Main Vault,” Alex nodded.

“And where is it?” Maya asked, raising her eyebrows.

“It’s always been here. You just didn’t know,” he replied with a slight smile.

“Here? In what sense?” Lilith frowned.

Alex tapped his finger on the table.

“The Main Vault is Pandora itself. More precisely, its core.”

“And where exactly are you planning to find the key to this Vault, sweetie?” Moxxi asked, lightly touching his leg with her foot.

Alex looked at them and calmly said, “There’s no need to look for the key. You see it every day. You just have to lift your eyes to the sky.”

The girls followed Alex’s finger and noticed that he was pointing at Elips — the moon orbiting Pandora.

“Are you saying that Elips is the key to the Main Vault?” Lilith asked, averting her gaze from the moon.

“Exactly. But I don’t need this key. All I need is to get to the place where the gates to the Vault are. After that, I can open the passage myself,” Alex replied calmly, shrugging.

“Oh yes, how could I forget that you’re omnipotent. That you can go anywhere and open anything. How could that have slipped my mind? Ah, of course… I only just found out this morning who I slept with,” Lilith waved her hand theatrically.

“You enjoyed it, didn’t you,” Alex noted with a slight smile.

“I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it. I’d do it again. But later. Maybe after we open another Vault. Then we could repeat what happened tonight… several times,” Lilith added, squinting mischievously.

At that moment, Alex covered Angel’s ears with his hands, preventing her from hearing their conversation. Of course, he knew the girl was old enough to hear such things, but he preferred to think otherwise. After spending so many years locked away, Angel deserved a little innocent silence — at least for a while. She looked at him in surprise, wondering why he had done that and what they were talking about.

“Are we bothering you?” Maya asked, glancing at Lilith.

“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to join in,” Lilith snapped, casting her a look.

“I’m not talking about that. I mean, do we really have to wait?” Maya clarified, now looking directly at Alex.

“Ahem… Girls. First, the Vault,” Alex said, clearing his throat slightly while still keeping Angel’s ears covered.

Meanwhile, Moxxi calmly sipped her coffee, lost in her own thoughts. She didn’t mind waiting — she would get what she wanted eventually. But she was far more interested in meeting some of the women she had learned about from Alex’s information.

Lilith and Maya exchanged glances, clearly thinking: “The Vault can wait… a couple of hours.” Alex just sighed wearily, looking at them, and realized — the opening of the Vault was apparently being postponed. And clearly not for just a few minutes.

To be continued…

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep