Alex watched Rebecca enthusiastically devour the burgers. He decided it was time to try the local food himself, as everything he had eaten so far seemed slightly synthetic, though it still reminded him of familiar tastes from his past life.

Taking his first bite, he quickly realized that the burger wasn’t anything special compared to what he was used to, though one thought crossed his mind: he remembered a video where meat was printed on a 3D printer as a substitute for animal products.

“Heh, in this world, it’s probably not a joke but rather a mundane reality,” Alex thought with a smirk, not wanting to spoil Rebecca’s appetite with his musings.

To distract himself from these thoughts, he ordered a drink. Meanwhile, Rebecca was finishing her third burger, which reminded Alex of Hestia—both women devoured food with such enthusiasm, as if they were hungry ghosts.

He even imagined that if Rebecca ever became part of his family, she and Hestia might compete to clear out the entire fridge.

“Now I’m curious who would win in a food fight,” Alex pondered, stroking his chin and smiling at the thought.

“Eat at your own pace, no one’s going to take your food. Feel free to order more if you want; it’s on me,” he said with a kind smile, addressing Rebecca.

She shrugged, swallowing the last bite. Two conflicting thoughts battled in her mind: on one hand, she didn’t want to accept Alex’s generosity since she had invited him here, but on the other hand, she appreciated his attention. Finally, deciding to just go with it, she smiled widely.

“Well, if that’s the case, I won’t refuse,” Rebecca said, waving to the vendor to order more.

Alex also intended to get a drink but, to his surprise, couldn’t find it. He looked at the table suspiciously and suddenly noticed that Rebecca was drinking from his cup. She caught his gaze and, giggling, returned the drink, clearly awaiting his reaction.

“We literally kissed about 15 minutes ago, and now you want to see if I’ll be embarrassed by a ‘indirect kiss’?” Alex asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow.

Rebecca, who had forgotten about their recent kiss, wasn’t about to back down:

“This is completely different!” she retorted, defending her position.

Alex took a deliberate sip from the cup, dragging out the moment. His eyes sparkled as he looked directly at Rebecca:

“Mmm, still tastes like your sweet lips,” he said with a light smile.

Rebecca, taken aback by this turn of events, blushed. A light flush spread across her cheeks, but she liked that Alex looked at her with such tenderness, rather than as an object like many mercenaries did.

“Okay, you win,” she admitted, looking away slightly.

Alex smiled triumphantly, recalling his experiences with the goddess of love, Freya.

“As you say,” he replied, grinning even wider.

Rebecca, no longer wanting to continue the conversation due to her embarrassment, focused on the newly delivered burgers. Alex, in turn, decided to distract himself and immersed in thoughts about his future projects.

He wanted to develop a defensive drone for Gloria to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to magic and was considering how to integrate technologies that would fit into this world.

“I need to find an empty AI with learning capabilities and find someone who can program Asimov’s three laws into it,” he thought, jotting down ideas in his notebook.

He was contemplating what this protector should be like and what technologies to use when his gaze returned to the burger. Alex sighed and decided that for now, he could enjoy the simple moments before embarking on grand achievements.

Rebecca took a bite of her burger and glanced at Alex, who was furiously scribbling something in his notebook, smiling like a mad scientist. She was curious about what amused him so much in those notes.

She carefully pulled out a chair and, dragging it closer to Alex, sat down beside him to peek at his notebook. When she looked at the page, she saw a sketch of a strange little robot that looked half like a dog. Her attention was drawn to the notes on weaponry, and Rebecca’s eyes lit up at the mere mention of weapons.

“He wants to put a railgun in a tiny robot? Hell yeah, I’m in,” she thought with a wide smile.

She continued reading and noticed that Alex had circled a note about AI several times, emphasizing its importance. Rebecca knew that obtaining such an AI wasn’t difficult if you knew where to look. But when she saw the notes about power sources—from simple solutions to using a miniature sun and animatter—her eyes widened.

“How could such options even be considered?” she wondered, leaning against Alex.

She didn’t even notice that she was starting to lean on him, absorbed in reading. Alex finished his notes, thinking that the first robot would be merely a prototype for testing functions, while the next one would be specially created for Gloria.

He rubbed his tired eyes and felt someone leaning on him. Turning his head, he saw Rebecca, intently studying his notebook while continuing to chew on her burger.

“Did you find something interesting?” he asked with a slight smile.

Rebecca looked up and met his gaze, feeling a bit embarrassed for peeking into his notebook. However, Alex was completely fine with it—girls from his family sometimes took his journals for fun.

The only problem was understanding what he had written, as everything looked quite chaotic.

“Well, I saw you were actively writing something, and I got curious. But when I read about the railgun, I thought I might be able to help,” she said, not hiding her excitement.

Alex suddenly realized he had forgotten something important.

“Damn, I have Rebecca right here, a true weapon enthusiast. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?” he thought, rubbing his forehead.

With her help, he could make the robot even more dangerous. It would be like taking a child’s toy packed with military arsenal and giving it to a kid for self-defense. If Rebecca took care of the robot’s weaponry, he wouldn’t have to explain where all the equipment came from.

“Perfect! You’ll help me with the GIR project. We’ll create our ‘baby’ together,” Alex said enthusiastically, grabbing Rebecca’s hand.

She blushed for a moment at Alex calling the robot their future ‘baby,’ but realizing they would be creating something so dangerous together, she also got excited.

“Sure! We’ll make our dangerous ‘baby’ together,” Rebecca responded with a wild smile.

They both laughed, startling the burger vendor. Rebecca realized her feeling that Alex would bring something fun into her life was correct. He was happy that the idea of creating the robot had lifted her spirits.

“First, we need to decide on the materials, then think about the rest,” Alex said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

Rebecca, noticing his thoughtful expression, realized he was daydreaming about the robot again. But for now, she needed to finish her meal and get on with her task. Quickly finishing her burger, she wiped her hands and said with a satisfied face:

“Great, I’m done eating. Now we can get to work.”

Alex, coming out of his thoughts, looked at her.

“You still haven’t said what your task is,” he reminded her.

Rebecca looked at him as if to say, “You should have asked earlier.” Then she shrugged and explained:

“Oh, it’s simple: a couple of idiots have taken over the basement of this joint and are up to something. The owner is a friend of mine; he asked for help to get them out.”

Alex grasped the essence of Rebecca’s words. By “getting rid of them,” she likely meant shooting all these guys and going home. He thought about it: the task didn’t seem too difficult, except for the fact that the shootout would take place in a confined space. Alex wasn’t sure what kind of weapons these thugs might have or if they had grenades or anything explosive.

“Are you planning to kill them or just beat them up so they don’t think of repeating this?” he asked, just to be sure.

Rebecca looked at him in surprise, not understanding why he was asking. Wasn’t it obvious that she intended to make a few extra holes in these idiots’ bodies?

“Well, isn’t it the same? If you shoot them, they definitely won’t do it again,” she replied, as if that were the only correct option.

Alex shrugged. He didn’t really care how Rebecca planned to solve the problem. He just wanted to clarify. If she intended to avoid deaths, he had some amusing ideas about that, but since she was set on a more radical approach, that was fine.

“Alright, just wanted to clarify,” Alex said, puffing his cheeks slightly.

Rebecca laughed at his childish behavior and, grabbing his drink, finished the rest as if preparing for battle. Setting the glass down on the table, she huffed as if she were fully ready for the fight.

Alex looked at her with his usual indifference. At home, his food and drinks were always being taken, so he had long stopped reacting to it.

“Okay, now I’m charged up and ready to go! Time to take down those bastards,” Rebecca announced cheerfully, standing up from her chair.

She headed towards the exit, and Alex followed her at a leisurely pace. Once outside, Rebecca immediately went to his bike and started pressing buttons, trying to open the compartment. When she couldn’t manage it, she turned to Alex with pouting lips.

“Open it, my little ones need to breathe before they start shooting at these idiots,” she demanded.

Alex smirked and opened the weapon compartment. Rebecca immediately began selecting weapons, settling on a green shotgun with pink stripes. This choice gave Alex a strange feeling of sadness, though he couldn’t quite understand why.

Something was troubling him, as if Rebecca’s future might end in something tragic. This moment was his first signal, as he had only recently started to understand the world he was in. Even in his previous life, he had heard about this world but hadn’t cared about it. All he knew about it was what he had heard and the videos he had accidentally come across.

“I’ll need to be better prepared next time,” he thought, while Rebecca loaded the shotgun and arranged the ammunition in the pockets of her hoodie.

“So, shall we go?” she asked with a smile, raising the weapon.

Rebecca’s smile seemed to wipe away the remnants of his anxiety. Alex smiled back. He knew he had to create something for them that would be not only lethally dangerous but also effectively protective.

“Wait, I need to grab something,” he said with a slight smile and headed into an alley.

Rebecca looked after him in surprise, not understanding why he suddenly needed to step away. Alex went into the alley with one thought—to retrieve his favorite club, with which he had beaten foes before.

But then his gaze caught something lying on the ground. The item seemed to call to him, saying it should be part of their adventure. Alex bent down and picked it up, a wide smile spreading across his face.

“You, you definitely must be the one,” Alex muttered, caressing the find like a precious treasure.

Alex decided to reinforce the item to ensure it wouldn’t fall apart during the shootout. Using magic in a way that left no visible traces, he made sure the item became significantly more durable. Applying a bit of force, Alex felt it remained intact and undamaged. However, looking at the item, he realized something was missing.

” What’s missing? ” Alex asked, as if expecting the object to answer.

Suddenly, it hit him.

” Exactly, that’s what we need! ” he said, examining the item. It was clear to him now what was missing.

Alex took a marker from his pocket and drew a funny face on the object. He looked at it again and nodded, completely satisfied. Now he was ready for anything. Stepping out of the alley with a contented smile, Alex approached Rebecca.

“I’m ready, ” he declared with a broad grin.

Rebecca watched him with curiosity until she noticed the item in his hands, and her face contorted in confusion.

” This is what you went for? ” she asked, pointing at his “trophy” in surprise.

Alex nodded with a look of absolute satisfaction.

” This is my buddy Jeff, and he’s going to help us, ” he said, presenting the brick adorned with a drawn face as if it were something important.

Seeing the amusing face on the brick, Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh, though she was more concerned about how this “Jeff” could be of any help.

” Are you serious? It’s a brick. Are you really planning to go into a shootout with a brick? ” she asked, gradually stopping her laughter.

Alex, pressing the brick to his chest as if protecting an injured friend, shook his head.

” Don’t just call it a brick. It’s Jeff, and he’s definitely going to come in handy! ” Alex said with an offended tone.

Rebecca laughed again, finding the idea of going into a shootout with a brick absurd but amusing. She was intrigued by how Alex planned to use this unusual “tool.”

” This is crazy, but I like it! ” she said, giving a thumbs-up with a wild smile.

” Heh, wait, you’ll see how Jeff handles these idiots, ” Alex declared proudly, raising the brick high.

They both laughed and headed to the basement where they would meet the thugs Rebecca wanted to put extra holes in. For Alex, it would be one precise strike to the head, or wherever Jeff ended up.

Returning to the diner, they were greeted by the concerned owner, who had already asked Rebecca to take care of the problem. Alex and Rebecca passed through the kitchen to the basement. Along the way, Alex discreetly grabbed a few metal items from a table, moving so skillfully that no one noticed his actions.

When they got downstairs, Alex approached the wall.

” Wait, before we start, we need to prepare, ” he said, sending a mana pulse to gauge the number of enemies below.

Rebecca didn’t immediately understand what he was up to but decided to trust him. She was curious about how Alex worked—especially after he mentioned being able to kidnap people right from their homes without being noticed. Alex tapped the wall and, finding the right spot, elbowed it, creating a hole. This caught Rebecca’s attention.

” And what are you doing now? ” she asked, moving closer.

Alex reached into the hole and pulled out several cables that provided electricity to the basement.

” Well, I want to turn off the lights to make things easier for us. By the way, can you see in the dark? ” he asked, stripping the insulation from the cables.

” Yes, I have night vision built into my chrome. So go ahead, turn off the lights, ” Rebecca replied, giving a thumbs-up.

Alex nodded and took one of the metal items he had “borrowed” from the kitchen to short-circuit the circuit and knock out the fuses. He knew that in such a technologically advanced world, the lights wouldn’t stay off for long.

” As soon as the lights go out, we start moving, ” Alex said, preparing to short-circuit the circuit.

Rebecca nodded, and a mischievous thought flashed in her mind about how to have some fun in this situation.

” Listen, Alex, ” she said, catching his attention.

Alex turned his head and looked at her. Rebecca’s playful smile clearly indicated that she had something fun in mind.

” What? ” he responded, moving his hand away to avoid short-circuiting the wires prematurely.

” Let’s have a competition. Whoever kills more gets to ask the loser for whatever they want, ” Rebecca suggested with a cheerful tone.

” Sure. But remember, with Jeff, I never lose, ” Alex smirked, giving a thumbs-up.

Rebecca scoffed, intrigued by how Alex planned to win with Jeff. Once she was no longer distracted, he connected the wires, and the basement was instantly plunged into pitch darkness.

” Everything’s set. We have a bit of time, so we need to act quickly, ” Alex said, picking up Jeff from the floor.

They moved forward toward the spot where the fools had decided to take over the basement. Reaching the corner, Alex stopped, noticing guards by the door.

” Stop, ” he whispered, blocking Rebecca’s path.

She peeked around the corner and saw two guards at the door. Just as she was about to open fire, Rebecca aimed, but Alex stopped her in time. She looked at him in confusion, not understanding what was going on. Alex put his finger to his lips, signaling the need for quiet. Rebecca pouted but reluctantly agreed.

” But I’ll start shooting once we’re inside, ” she thought, watching Alex carefully sneak up on the guards.

Alex preferred to act silently and slid toward them like a snake in the dark, keeping Jeff at the ready. One of the guards noticed him, but before he could say anything, a brick flew into his face.

The second guard turned at the noise and saw his partner on the floor. He began to look around for the culprit but only saw a knee heading straight for his face.

” Happy New Year, idiot, ” Alex muttered, driving his knee into the guard’s face.

The impact made the poor guy’s face practically sink into his skull. Alex nodded, satisfied with his work, while Rebecca, watching the scene, couldn’t help but applaud.

” If we weren’t so busy, I’d kiss you, ” she smiled, approaching him.

Without thinking, Alex easily kissed her on the lips.

” That’s enough, ” he said with a slight smirk.

Rebecca pouted, wanting more, but she knew she’d get her share eventually. Alex listened and realized that the sound of the guards falling had attracted attention. He sighed, understanding that stealth was no longer an option.

” Well, you can start shooting now, but first, I’ll prepare a surprise for them, ” he said with a playful smile.

Rebecca was about to ask what the surprise was but saw Alex pull something resembling a grenade from his inner pocket. He sent out a pulse, checking where the enemies were, and saw that they were all aiming at the doors where he and Rebecca were standing.

” Once I toss this, get ready. We’ll start the assault, ” he said, showing her the flashbang grenade.

Rebecca nodded with a smile and pressed against the wall next to the door. Alex, without ceremony, punched a hole in the door and threw the grenade inside. The flash blinded everyone in the room. Without wasting a second, Alex kicked the door open.

” Say hello to my little friend, Jeff! ” he shouted as he stormed into the room.

Spotting the nearest target, Alex threw the brick at him. Rebecca, following closely, immediately fired at the one on her right. The shotgun blast sent the poor guy crashing into the wall, leaving a gaping hole in his chest from which blood poured out.

” First down! ” Rebecca shouted happily, pumping her shotgun and aiming at the next victim.

Alex ran up to a criminal, smashing his face with the brick, and deftly caught him. He turned his head and saw an idiot next to him who had started shooting wildly in different directions.

The flashbang grenade blinded him, and he didn’t understand where the enemy was, shooting in all directions. Alex grabbed the idiot’s weapon, directing it downward to prevent him from continuing to fire.

“You know it’s dangerous to shoot with your eyes closed? What if you accidentally hit my gremlin? Have you lost all fear, you bastard?” Alex said, swinging the brick.

He struck the criminal’s head with the brick. The sound of the crunching impact was unpleasant, as if all the bones and teeth had broken at once. Alex pulled his hand back and was about to deliver another blow but caught sight of someone aiming at him from the corner of his eye.

He quickly turned his head and saw one of the enemies aiming at him, squinting and wincing from teary eyes. Alex released the unfortunate soul whose face he had smashed and, swiftly throwing the brick at the aiming enemy, said:

“Heh, three down.”

Alex grinned, satisfied that he had already taken out three enemies with the brick. But his joy was short-lived. A body with a bloody hole in its chest flew past him. He turned his head back and saw Rebecca’s satisfied face.

“That was the fifth,” Rebecca said, reloading her weapon.

Alex didn’t delay. Not because he didn’t want to lose, but because winning without a fight would be boring. He ran to the last corpse killed by the brick and, picking up the brick, threw it at the next target.

The shootout ended too quickly, and Alex didn’t get to enjoy the process. After all, what’s the point of a shootout if the enemies don’t shoot back?

“I won,” Rebecca said, standing next to Alex with a pleased expression.

“Well, I threw in the towel, counting on Jeff’s help,” Alex replied, showing the bloodied brick.

“Excuses for losers,” Rebecca said with a smirk.

Alex didn’t argue with her because he noticed that the number of targets didn’t match what he had felt through the mana pulse. He began counting the bodies on the floor, including the guards by the door, and still came up one short.

Alex frowned, not understanding what was going on. One of the enemies couldn’t have escaped in this situation — there was only one exit from the basement. Rebecca noticed his frown and thought he was upset about losing, so she tried to cheer him up.

“Stop frowning, you’ll win next time,” Rebecca said, tugging on Alex’s arm.

Alex stopped frowning, looked at her actions, and simply smiled.

“I’m frowning for another reason. We’re missing one,” Alex said, pointing to the scattered bodies in the room.

Rebecca didn’t understand what he meant and asked, “Missing one? What do you mean?”

Alex didn’t answer but used the mana pulse again to check for sure. He felt signs of life in the room ahead.

“Who else is left?” Alex said, heading for the door where he sensed the signs of life.

Rebecca didn’t understand how he detected another person but decided not to ask and simply followed him. Alex opened the door and saw a bound child on the floor.

His face twisted in rage, veins bulging on his forehead, and his teeth began to grind with anger. He realized these bastards were involved in child abduction and trafficking. Alex clenched his fists so tightly that the crack of bones was audible. He hated those who kidnap and sell children.

Rebecca, seeing the child and understanding what was happening, recalled her own past. She looked at Alex’s face, and her own memories came rushing back. Seeing Alex’s face twisted with rage and hearing his teeth grind and bones crack with tension, she decided to help him calm down.

She grabbed his hand to get his attention. Alex turned his head and saw her worried face. His anger subsided slightly, and he sighed, deciding to figure out what the hell was going on.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep