The latest movie came to an end. Hestia, who had been on edge since the clown movie, finally calmed down, although the final scene, where faces melted after the Ark was opened, still made her tense up. Alex wanted to see how people from this world would react to something like this, and he realized it was worth it: some cringed, while others watched with interest.

“So, how did you like this movie?” Alex asked, looking around the group.

“The movie was quite good, except for the unrealistic part where people started dying after opening the Ark. The clown movie seemed more believable,” Loki replied, comparing the special effects of the two films.

“Well, these films were made 36 years apart, and if you compare them that way, the special effects have indeed improved and become more realistic,” Alex explained, surprising everyone who listened to him.

“Are you saying that in your world, they’ve been making movies for that long?” Hephaestus asked, astonished.

“Something like that,” Alex replied, shrugging.

“Now, I’d like to hear your opinions on the movie,” he added, eager to know what the girls thought.

“Darling, I don’t want to upset you, but…” Freya began, trying not to disappoint Alex because she saw how much he enjoyed the movie.

“It’s okay, you can speak your mind,” Alex said, anticipating some criticism.

“In this movie, the so-called ‘Indiana Jones’ doesn’t really play that significant a role,” Freya continued, pointing out the details she noticed.

“What do you mean?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“If you think about it, even if ‘Indiana Jones’ hadn’t stolen the diary with the Ark’s exact location, the so-called ‘Germans’ would have found it anyway, taken it to the island, opened it, and died. He didn’t even manage to secure the Ark in a safe place,” Freya explained, listing the moments that puzzled her.

“That’s…” Alex hesitated, realizing that Freya was right.

“Okay, I admit you’re right, but the movie is still interesting,” Alex said, trying to prove that the story still had its charm.

“I agree. The movie was entertaining: all those traps, snakes, and chases. I enjoyed it,” Hephaestus chimed in, supporting him.

“I liked it too, although the ending was a bit creepy. Mortals, as usual, find trouble for themselves and then suffer because of it,” Nyx remarked thoughtfully, leaning back on the couch.

“What do you think, Ais?” Alex asked, nudging Ais, who had been silent throughout the movie.

“It was interesting,” Ais replied briefly, leaning against Alex.

“Alright, should we watch something else? Or should we get some rest?” Alex suggested, noticing the tired faces of the girls, who were almost drifting off to sleep.

“Darling, we’ll have time to watch something else another time. The girls need to rest; they’ve been fighting since morning and need to recover their strength,” Freya said, with the other goddesses agreeing.

Alex looked around and realized that many were already asleep, while some had simply closed their eyes, preparing to fall asleep soon. The small elf Lefiya was already softly snoring, lying on Riveria’s lap.

Lili’s group also sat with their eyes closed, fighting off sleep, while only Bella sat awake, watching Alex, waiting for his decision. Those who were still awake and alert also watched him closely.

“You’re right. Ladies, if you want to stay the night, you can choose any free room or share one with others,” Alex said, stretching to loosen up, as he hadn’t slept in a while himself.

“But I’m not tired yet,” Tiona complained, on the verge of tears, clearly wanting to keep watching movies.

“Tiona, we can watch more movies another time,” Riveria said sternly, looking at Tiona, who couldn’t argue.

“As I said, if you want to stay, you can take the free rooms or share one with others. If you want to go home, I can send you there,” Alex offered, and the girls who didn’t live in the house pondered, weighing the pros and cons.

“I’m staying for the night, it’ll be fun!” Tiona exclaimed excitedly, bouncing in place.

“I’ll stay too. Hehehe,” Loki giggled, diving into her fantasies, from which she began to drool.

“Wipe that drool off, flat-chested! Do you think I’ll let you do anything in my house?” Hestia said scornfully, glaring at Loki, who was lost in her daydreams.

“You think you can stop me, shorty?” Loki snapped out of her fantasies and shot a look at Hestia.

“We’ll see,” Hestia responded, showing that she wouldn’t back down in this rivalry.

Alex could only shake his head, watching as the two goddesses started arguing once again. He couldn’t understand why one moment they acted like friends, and the next, like sworn enemies ready for another battle. It reminded him of his old friendships with his former comrades. The battle between the “flat goddess” and the “loli goddess” was inevitable, but before it could start, a third party— a strict red-haired goddess—intervened.

Hephaestus once again began scolding Loki and Hestia for making a fuss over nothing and disturbing the others. While Hephaestus was reprimanding them, Alex decided to take apart his projector to hide it and avoid the risk of someone accidentally damaging it.

After gathering all the items and cleaning up the trash left from food and drinks, the group began heading upstairs. Upon reaching the upper floor, Alex decided to find out who would stay overnight and who needed to be sent home.

All the girls from Loki’s Familia decided to stay, including Lefiya, who had woken up from the noise caused by Hestia and Loki. Only Ryuu said she needed to return, as Mama Mia might start worrying.

“Then I’ll walk you home, if you don’t mind,” Alex said, looking at Ryuu, who responded with a warm smile.

“Of course, I don’t mind,” Ryuu replied, moving closer to Alex.

“Before we leave, if you need anything, speak up now,” Alex said, addressing the other girls, who started to think about what they might need.

“I need something!” Loki loudly declared, raising her hand to draw attention to herself.

“And what do you need?” Alex asked with suspicion, raising an eyebrow.

“Where’s your room?” Loki asked, and the other girls could only shake their heads.

“Don’t even think about it, flat-chested!” Hestia shouted, not giving Alex a chance to answer.

“That’s not for you to decide, shrimp,” Loki retorted, bumping her forehead against Hestia’s, and a new battle between the goddesses ignited once more.

“If no one needs anything else, then I’ll be off,” Alex said, taking Ryuu’s hand and heading for the exit.

“If you remember that you need something, ask the other girls or just wait until I get back,” he added as he left the house.

As they stepped outside, Alex could still hear Hestia and Loki bickering, with Hephaestus’s voice once again trying to calm them down. He just smiled, realizing that this kind of family life suited him well.

Even though he usually preferred silence, he enjoyed when the house came alive with these noisy moments. He could always find peace and quiet in his workshop, where he worked on his hobbies.

Alex and Ryuu walked down the street, holding hands, enjoying the cool evening breeze. The sun had already set, and the streets of Orario were beginning to be illuminated by the light of lanterns.

The city was full of people going about their business, as if the day’s events hadn’t affected them at all. Perhaps the Guild had managed to handle the situation and calm both the citizens and adventurers who had witnessed the day’s incidents.

Ryuu held Alex’s hand, her thoughts still lingering on what he had said in the dungeon. One part of her soul longed for her friends’ return, but another part wished for them to find peace and no longer be involved in endless battles. Alex sensed that something was bothering Ryuu, and he wanted to know what was going on. She had seemed disconnected from the world all day, lost in her thoughts.

“Ryuu,” Alex gently called out to his beloved elf.

“Hmm? What is it?” Ryuu asked, turning to him.

“What’s bothering you? You’ve been acting different all day,” Alex said, looking at Ryuu, who froze at his words.

“I’m still thinking about what you told me in the dungeon,” she replied, looking away and gazing up at the starry sky.

“About resurrecting your comrades?” Alex clarified.

“Yes,” Ryuu nodded, squeezing his hand even tighter.

“And what’s the problem?” Alex asked, sensing her unease.

“Part of me wants them to return, but on the other hand, you said it’s a crazy and dangerous idea,” Ryuu said, looking him in the eyes.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt. My friends would never forgive me if you got into trouble because of me,” she continued, and Alex could only sigh.

“You’re right; it is a bit dangerous and crazy, but if we prepare, everything will be fine,” Alex said, trying to reassure her.

“Still, you said it yourself—it’s dangerous,” Ryuu insisted, gripping his hand.

“It’s hard to call it real danger. We just need to take care of a few things before bringing your friends back,” Alex said, pulling her into a hug.

“And what would that be?” Ryuu asked, though there was still a note of disagreement in her voice.

“We’ll have to kill the God of Time,” Alex replied calmly, and Ryuu, who was in his embrace, immediately tensed.

“What do you mean, kill the God of Time?” she asked with concern, lifting her head to look at his face.

“Well, not the God of Time himself, but his avatar or a fragment of him. I’m not entirely sure,” Alex admitted, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

“What do you mean, not sure?” Ryuu seemed puzzled by his response.

“Time is a very complicated thing, and the god who controls it isn’t the most pleasant type. He doesn’t like it when someone interferes with the natural order of time,” Alex said with a crooked smile.

“So, to resurrect my friends, you need to kill the God of Time?” Ryuu clarified, and Alex nodded. Her expression darkened.

“Don’t frown. I’m not planning to kill the God of Time himself. I’ll just destroy one of his avatars. The God of Time exists outside of time, but at the same time, he’s part of it, so his influence is also limited,” Alex explained, taking her face in his hands and gently caressing her cheeks.

“But it’s still dangerous. The God of Time could be very powerful,” Ryuu said, hugging him tighter.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Your job is to decide whether your friends are worth bringing back. Everything else is my responsibility. If you can’t make a decision, you can consult your goddess, Astraea. She’ll help you figure it out,” Alex said, kissing the top of her head.

“Hmm, then I’ll think about it some more,” Ryuu whispered, snuggling closer to him and listening to his heartbeat.

They stood in silence, enjoying each other’s embrace. Ryuu’s thoughts became less tangled, and something inside her told her that she could trust Alex, that he wouldn’t be in any danger. If only she knew that Alex had long planned to intervene in the timeline to provoke the God of Time.

He had set this all in motion just to get his hands on the God of Time’s scythe. The scythe could become an excellent weapon for future battles, and if he could learn its structure, he might be able to use its principles to create other weapons.

After standing there for a while longer, Alex led Ryuu to her home, which was near the “Hostess of Fertility.” As Ryuu explained, all the waitresses lived there, and the place was a kind of dormitory for the staff.

Standing in front of the dormitory, Alex and Ryuu looked at each other, their faces gradually drawing closer for a kiss. But their tender moment was interrupted by Mama Mia’s shout, who looked out of a window and started yelling at Alex for abducting one of her waitresses for several days.

Alex pulled away from Ryuu and looked up at Mama Mia, who was leaning out of the window, loudly scolding him. Without missing a beat, Alex began to justify himself, claiming that in exchange for Ryuu, he had sent her three new waitresses. However, Mama Mia wasn’t backing down and continued to yell at Alex. Their argument woke the other girls, who peeked out of their windows to watch the scene unfold.

Alex presented arguments that Mia couldn’t refute, and eventually, she retreated back into the room, causing Alex to flash a victorious smile. Ryuu just shook her head, understanding why the other girls said that Alex sometimes behaved like two different people.

“Heh, I won,” Alex said proudly, turning to Ryuu and giving her a thumbs-up.

“Sometimes you act like a child,” Ryuu smiled, watching her boyfriend, who was clearly pleased with himself.

“Do you think we’re done?” Mia suddenly shouted, sticking her head out of the window again, this time brandishing a rolling pin.

“Hey, we’re adults! Why resort to violence?” Alex protested, eyeing the furious Mia.

“You kidnapped my waitress and still dare to make excuses!” Mia yelled, raising the rolling pin.

“Heh, admit your defeat, Mia. That rolling pin won’t hurt me,” Alex declared confidently, looking straight at her.

“We’ll see,” Mia replied, a menacing tone in her voice.

“All right, I’ll go now,” Alex said, ignoring the threat.

“If you miss me, you can always come to my place—or better yet, just move in with me,” he added, turning to Ryuu.

“I’ll think about it,” Ryuu replied, kissing Alex on the lips.

“Well, I’m off,” Alex smiled, pulling away from Ryuu, and started to leave.

Ryuu watched him walk away, but Alex didn’t make it more than a few steps before the rolling pin hit the back of his head with a loud thud, bouncing off and falling to the ground. Alex just chuckled, shook his head, picked up the rolling pin, and, under Mia’s watchful eye, slowly stashed it in his bag.

Seeing Alex take her rolling pin only made Mia even angrier. Realizing he had truly pushed her over the edge, Alex quickly ran off with a smile on his face. Ryuu and the other girls, watching the scene, couldn’t help but smile, seeing how Alex and Mia interacted.

Still smiling, Alex decided he would return the rolling pin to Mia later, once she’d cooled down a bit. When he got home, he noticed an unusual quietness—neither Hestia nor Loki were making noise, which was unusual for him.

Entering the living room, Alex found only Freya, who was calmly sitting in her chair, sipping tea. Quietly sneaking up behind her, Alex placed his hands on her shoulders, waiting for her reaction. He didn’t notice Nyx, lying on one of the couches like a corpse, watching him.

“I see you’re back, darling,” Freya said, sensing his hands on her shoulders.

“You’re not very lively. I was expecting a more spirited reaction,” Alex said, starting to massage her shoulders.

“I’m a grown woman; things like that don’t scare me. I’ve seen much in my life,” Freya replied, enjoying the massage.

“Have you chosen a room yet?” Alex asked, stopping the massage.

“I’ll be sleeping in your room,” Freya answered calmly, causing Alex to freeze and look at her in surprise.

“Did Hestia allow that?” Alex asked, not hiding his astonishment.

“I won a strange game mortals call ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors,’ and she had no choice but to let me,” Freya replied with a victorious smile.

“My love, I don’t want to disappoint you, but I have something to finish,” Alex said, taking her hand.

“What exactly do you need to do?” Freya asked, raising an eyebrow.

“To start with, I need to have a ‘nice’ chat with Dionysus, and maybe help Nyx let off some steam,” Alex replied, lifting Freya and settling her onto his lap. Freya was initially taken aback, but then she smiled sweetly and snuggled up to him.

“By the way, where is that goddess of loners?” Alex asked, resting his head on Freya’s shoulder.

“There she is,” Freya pointed, pressing her cheek against his head.

“I didn’t even notice her,” Alex said, looking at Nyx, who was lying on the couch like a defeated soldier.

Alex didn’t want to disturb Nyx just yet, so he simply enjoyed the time with his goddess of love. Freya didn’t mind either and leaned against him, savoring his presence.

Alex closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind of all worries, and relaxed. Feeling as though he was almost falling asleep in this peaceful atmosphere, he suddenly opened his eyes, realizing he still had unfinished business for the day.

“Darling, you could just rest. Your work can wait; it’s not going anywhere,” Freya gently remarked, seeing how abruptly he woke up.

“I think it’s better to finish everything first and then relax,” Alex replied, feeling fatigue beginning to take over. Even though he didn’t need to sleep as much anymore, stress and mental strain still accumulated.

“Are you sure? The girls say you haven’t slept for several days,” Freya asked with concern.

“It’s fine. In my old world, I sometimes stayed awake even longer handling things,” Alex said with a wry smile, not wanting to admit he spent that time gaming.

“What were you doing?” Freya asked curiously, but Alex simply looked away, unwilling to reveal his gaming marathons.

“I’ll tell you later. For now, are you coming with me or do you prefer to rest?” Alex skillfully changed the subject, and Freya just rolled her eyes.

“I’ll come with you. I don’t think you’ll stay in the workshop for long,” she replied, rising from his lap.

“Then it’s settled. Now, let’s wake up this goddess,” Alex said, getting up after Freya and heading toward Nyx.

“Are you alive?” Alex asked, lightly poking Nyx to wake her.

“No, I’m not fine. Why did you leave me with these people? They talk so much and ask so many questions,” Nyx began to complain, making Alex roll his eyes.

“Enough complaining. I came with a question,” Alex said, and Nyx wearily turned her head to look at him.

“Don’t you want to take revenge on Dionysus?” he continued, noticing Nyx’s immediate shift from lying to sitting up and staring at him.

“Why do you want to help me?” she asked suspiciously, not understanding why Alex was offering her this opportunity.

“I’m not helping you; I’m just giving you a chance. But you’ll have to wait until I’ve talked to Dionysus,” Alex replied with a light smile, which only made Nyx frown.

“Fine, as you say,” she agreed, getting up from the couch.

“Great. Then let’s head to the workshop,” Alex said with a smile.

Alex, accompanied by the two goddesses, went to his workshop. Nyx still felt uneasy about the place, though she tried to hide it. Her slightly trembling legs betrayed her nervousness, but Alex decided not to comment, understanding that Nyx might become even more anxious. She hadn’t yet seen Alex’s methods of extracting information, and he didn’t want to scare her prematurely.

When they entered the workshop, their attention was drawn to Dionysus, who was still lying where Alex and Nyx had left him. Seeing his condition, Alex realized he had inflicted serious mental and physical trauma on the god of wine.

Despite magical healing, Dionysus still hadn’t recovered, which puzzled Alex. Was this god so pathetic that he couldn’t withstand even a small punishment?

“Why isn’t he coming to?” Nyx asked, looking at Dionysus.

“Apparently, my ‘conversation’ didn’t sit well with him,” Alex replied, looking at the bound god.

“And what will you do now?” Freya asked, watching Alex thoughtfully stroke his chin.

“I think I have an item that might help,” Alex said, heading towards the cabinet.

“What are you going to use to bring him around?” Nyx asked, watching as Alex pulled an object from the cabinet.

“I’m going to use a memory eraser,” Alex replied, holding the object above his head.

“That’s a hammer,” Nyx pointed out, indicating the item in his hand.

“No, it’s a ‘Memory Neutralizer,'” Alex insisted with a serious expression.

“But—” Nyx tried to argue.

“No ‘buts’! It’s a ‘Memory Neutralizer.’ See, it even says so,” Alex pointed to the label on the handle of the “hammer.”

Not wanting to continue arguing with Nyx, Alex simply approached Dionysus and struck him forcefully on the back of the head with the “Memory Neutralizer,” intending to erase all his memories from the day. However, he accidentally hit too hard, causing a fatal injury to Dionysus.

Blood immediately poured from the wound, but Alex quickly healed him and waited for the results.

Dionysus gradually began to come to; his eyes slowly opened as he started to look around, trying to understand where he was and why he wasn’t at home. He was supposed to be following Erebus’s plan in the morning, creating chaos in the city while Nyx, busy with developing the Guardian, was to be sacrificed to strengthen the Guardian.

When Dionysus tried to say something, he was horrified to find that he had lost his voice and couldn’t even move. Seeing Nyx standing next to Freya, he froze, realizing the situation was much more complicated than he had anticipated.

His first thought was that Nyx had betrayed them, revealing all their accomplices who had already disappeared, and now it was his turn. Dionysus tried to escape, but was distracted by a voice nearby.

“Glad to see you’re back with us,” Alex said, drawing Dionysus’s attention. “I’ll tell you right away: you can’t speak because I’m not interested in hearing any rants about how great you are and how I’ll regret this. Your friends behaved inappropriately, and their end was rather pitiful.”

Approaching Indra’s body, Alex continued, “Here’s even your friend Indra. Say hello to him,” he said, taking Indra’s hand and waving it toward Dionysus.

Seeing Indra’s condition, Dionysus realized that the situation was much worse than he had imagined. He had heard about other participants disappearing but didn’t know what had happened to them. Now, seeing the mutilated Indra, Dionysus desperately tried to free himself again.

“Don’t bother, you’re not getting away,” Alex said calmly, approaching Dionysus. “We’ll have a little chat, and then you’ll go through a rehabilitation process for all the things you said about my goddesses.”

Dionysus flinched at the word “rehabilitation,” and he began to tremble. Something inside him told him that nothing good awaited him. But what puzzled him even more was that he didn’t remember saying anything about the goddesses and didn’t even understand which goddesses were being referred to.

“You probably don’t remember, given your surprised look,” Alex observed, seeing Dionysus’s eyes widen in confusion. “I erased your memory, so you’ve forgotten everything that happened today. To put it simply, you’ve already attacked Orario, suffered a defeat, and now you’re sitting here in front of me.”

Dionysus tried to recall anything from the day, but everything was shrouded in fog, causing only a headache.

“Don’t strain yourself. All you need to worry about now is being a good prisoner and answering questions. If you don’t want to cooperate, you’ll end up like your buddy Indra and Thanatos,” Alex said, approaching Indra. “Let me show you what awaits you if you refuse to talk.”

Alex extended his hand, and his fingers began to burn with a pale-black flame. The gods in the room shuddered in fear at the sight of the flame. Smiling, Alex swiftly struck Indra in the stomach and clenched his fist. A crackling sound filled the room, and when Alex removed his hand, the gods watched as Indra’s body began to disintegrate into ashes.

Nyx flinched and turned away, mentally thanking all the possible gods that she wasn’t in his place.

Freya watched with interest, slightly narrowing her eyes as she noticed that Indra’s soul was completely destroyed. Seeing the fate of his accomplice, Dionysus began to thrash about in terror, trying to escape.

“As you can see, if you scream loudly, you’ll end up like Indra, with complete erasure,” Alex said, taking a chair and sitting down opposite Dionysus, who looked at him with fear. “Now, let’s talk. What is Erebus planning?”

Alex managed to extract all the available information from Dionysus but didn’t delve into his memory just yet, as he wanted to give Nyx a chance to vent her anger.

When Nyx finally calmed down after beating Dionysus with a stick provided by Alex, he was further convinced that even goddesses could be cruel and vengeful. After receiving all the necessary memories from Dionysus, Alex realized that he needed to accelerate his plans, as Erebus was up to something in the dungeon, and Dionysus’s last encounter with him had been a week ago. This meant Erebus was planning something significant and dangerous.

To be continued…

(A Few Words from the Author: Nearly 4,000 people have added this fanfic to their collection, and over 8,000 people view it every day. Who are all of you, and where did you come from? I’m most interested in whether this is normal for a new author.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep