When the basement of the cabin was engulfed in flames, Alex slowly made his way toward the steps leading up. Fire crept behind him, consuming everything in its path. By the time he reached the top of the stairs, the entire basement was ablaze, destroying everything that had once been stored within those grim walls.
Stepping outside, Alex calmly walked over to the others. The girls had already gathered near the entrance, watching as the cursed cabin turned into a blazing ruin. With the Book of the Dead sealed and stashed away in his inventory, Alex felt like everything tied to the demons had finally come to an end. Almost too quickly.
Too easily.
He couldn't shake the feeling that it had all gone suspiciously smoothly. The cultists hadn't even resisted. They hadn't realized they were under attack before they were dead. It felt like someone had deliberately made things easier for them.
"What are you thinking about?" Becca asked as she stepped beside him, staring at the burning structure.
"Don't you think that went a little too easily?" Alex asked, lighting a cigarette. "Like we were being pushed along."
"I thought so too," Ada nodded. "Way too simple. Like a setup."
The other girls also shared their doubts. They all agreed: something about this victory felt unnaturally easy. Especially given Alex's reputation — luck rarely favored him in matters like this.
But despite the uneasy thoughts, the facts remained: the Book of the Dead was one of a kind in the universe, and now it was in safe hands. The cultists' bodies were burning with the cabin, which meant that, at least for the time being, there would be no more trouble from that cursed mess.
"Guess we just got lucky," Alex muttered. Deciding it was time to head back, he gave the girls a signal.
They had no more business in this forest. The cultists who served the Book were dead. It was done.
The group moved out, retracing the path they had taken. Once they reached the road, they found their parked Humvee. Alex was the first to notice that the head of the Deadite named Clarence had finally died for good. That only confirmed that his plan to seal the Book had worked.
"So if there were any other Deadites left, they're gone now too," Alex concluded calmly. "And thankfully, we didn't run into Ash. He would've just screwed everything up, like always."
"So what now? Are we staying at the base or heading home?" Chiquita asked, patting him on the shoulder.
"Doesn't matter to me. If you want to go back, we go back. If you want to stay, we stay. I'm good either way," Alex said, turning to the girls.
"Staying's fine. Besides, your comfy bed is still in your inventory," Ada reminded him.
"I'm good with staying too," Valmet added. "With your powers, we can teleport home whenever we want."
No one objected. After all, they didn't need to spend hours cramped in a plane — they had Alex.
Nodding, he started the Humvee's engine. It was time to return to the military base to rest and gather their thoughts. Ever since their arrival, they'd been constantly on the move. Now that the business with the Book and the cultists was done, they could focus on the next problem — Chris's growing resistance movement.
But first — rest.
Alex pulled the Humvee onto the road, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in rhythm with the tune he quietly hummed to himself.
"Think any more demons will show up in this town now that we dealt with the book?" Chiquita asked, turning to him.
"No idea," Alex shrugged. "Maybe they just didn't want to mess with this place. Maybe someone told them not to. But just in case, we can leave Payne our anti-demon virus. If any servant of the Dark Lord tries anything — they'll drop dead instantly."
The girls exchanged glances and nodded in agreement — the demons' behavior had indeed been strange. But now that the book was in Alex's hands, maybe everything would change. Maybe it was the book's influence that had been keeping the other creatures from entering this city.
"Hey, handsome, what did you do with the cursed items from the basement?" Rika asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Scattered them around the Red City," Alex smirked. "So don't worry — no idiot's going to accidentally activate them. Well... unless they're in the Red City."
"So an idiot will activate them?" Becca asked again.
"Of course. But at least not here," he replied calmly, not hiding his smile.
The girls knew about the Red City and understood why Alex had sent all the cursed artifacts there. But what intrigued them most was who — or what — those artifacts could summon. Even Alex couldn't give a definitive answer — he had only glimpsed them before the items were swallowed by Zhang Ya and became part of the city. The only one he recognized for sure was the Lament Configuration — a puzzle box capable of summoning a group of sadistic demons.
When Alex told them this, the girls exchanged glances, wondering if they'd misheard. Shizuka pressed her lips together, remembering how she'd nearly activated that very box. Seeing their confusion, Alex repeated himself with a serious face — he wasn't joking. And after a moment of silence, everyone burst out laughing.
"Alex, if they're sadists, then how do you kill them?" Renka asked through tears of laughter. "Wouldn't they enjoy being hurt?"
"Well... I said they seem like sadists," Alex clarified, shaking his head. "In reality, once they enter the material world, they're bound by its rules."
"So… a bullet to the head and they're done?" Revy asked, pulling out her pistol.
"Pretty much. Maybe not just one bullet, but yeah. Or you can just blow them up — that works great too," he shrugged.
"Honestly, I don't even know how to react to all this..." Cammy muttered tiredly, leaning against the back of her seat. "It's funny, sure, but all those cursed things are part of our reality now. If it weren't for the corporation and their virus, or Wesker opening a portal to another world, we'd already be living in a horror movie."
"Trust me, there are worse worlds," Alex said with a soft, reassuring smile as he looked at her. "Even Zhang Ya's world is full of ghosts and other nightmares. And I haven't even told you about the ones that are far, far worse."
"Yeah, yeah, you already said there are nice worlds and total crap-holes. Nothing we can do about it," Rory replied, comfortably curled up on his lap as he drove the Humvee.
Alex nodded in agreement. He had already shared stories of other worlds with them — some where you could enjoy a peaceful vacation with family, and others where ordinary people were treated like livestock, bred for faith and sacrificed without hesitation. And there were far too many of the latter. Even the world where he faced the old vampire in Brunhilde belonged to the "dark" category — grim, brutal, where desires were fulfilled only at the cost of others' suffering.
Wanting to change the subject, Alex suggested they play a guessing game — trying to figure out which world they'd travel to for vacation once his current mission was complete. The girls eagerly accepted the idea, and a fun debate broke out, with some guesses surprisingly close to the truth. But Alex kept the suspense — he didn't reveal any details about the future trip.
When they arrived at the military base, the group drove through the gates and headed for the parking area to return the temporarily borrowed vehicle. Alex exchanged a few words with the guards and let them know they'd be staying on base for another day. No one objected — everyone was satisfied.
Smiling, Alex set off to find Major Payne and report the completion of the mission. He knew the job was done, but he also didn't rule out the possibility of new threats emerging soon. The demons had likely already sensed that the Necronomicon was gone, and the city was no longer protected by its influence.
As he walked through the base, Alex was impressed by the level of organization. He hadn't expected anything less — after all, the base was under Major Payne's command, a man known for strict discipline. What would've surprised him more was if chaos reigned here.
Stopping for a moment to look around, he realized he had no idea where the major might be. He needed to find someone who did. His gaze soon landed on a child playing with a group of other kids. It was Tiger — Major Payne's adopted son. He was easy to recognize: unlike the other children, Tiger wore a miniature version of a military uniform, which made him stand out immediately.
Alex walked over to the group of children. They noticed him right away, and he could hear them whispering about the exploits of his team and how they had defeated the "bad guys."
"Good day, sir!" Tiger said cheerfully, saluting. The other kids followed his example.
"Haha, no need for the 'sir' with me. Listen, Tiger, do you happen to know where Major Payne is right now?" Alex asked, smiling.
"Allow me to escort you, sir," Tiger replied with a serious tone and nodded, signaling that he knew where to go.
Alex nodded with a slight smile and gestured for Tiger to lead the way. As they walked, Alex couldn't help but wonder how much Tiger's fate had changed compared to the original timeline. In any case, Tiger was still the adopted son of Major Payne and a psychologist named Emily Walburn — his first and only love.
Alex followed Tiger all the way to the headquarters building, where he assumed the major would be. When they reached the door labeled "Major Payne's Office," Tiger stopped and knocked.
"Who the hell's bothering me at this hour?!" came Payne's irritated voice from inside.
"Requesting permission to enter, sir?" Tiger asked calmly.
"Tiger, son, is that you? Come on in," Payne immediately changed his tone, now sounding much more friendly.
Tiger pushed the door open and entered. Alex followed — and was greeted by a rather curious scene: Emily was hastily adjusting her skirt. It all made sense now — Payne had clearly been interrupted at a very inopportune moment. No wonder he'd sounded so annoyed.
Payne noticed Alex walk in and immediately scowled in frustration.
"Oh great. What the hell are you doing here? Couldn't you have picked a better time?"
"Benson Winifred Payne!" Emily snapped, giving him a stern look. "I told you to treat the people who helped you with respect. Or did you forget again? This man saved the city, by the way. Maybe try not being yourself for five minutes?"
"Stay out of it, woman, the men are talkin'..." Payne began, but immediately clammed up when he caught her glare.
Alex sat down in the chair opposite Payne, watching the exchange unfold like a scene from a sitcom. It was especially entertaining when Payne tried to "put Emily in her place," only to be silenced by a single look. Alex could barely keep a straight face as he watched the man squirm in embarrassment. He knew that behind Payne's tough exterior was someone capable of softness — especially when it came to those he cared about.
"So what brought you here, kid?.." Payne grumbled, turning to Alex.
Emily cleared her throat and gave Payne a pointed look. He rolled his eyes but managed to force something resembling friendliness onto his face.
"So, why were you looking for me, Alex?" he asked, this time with a bit more politeness.
"I wanted to report that the cultists have been dealt with, and there are no more factions in the city that could pose a threat to you. But..." Alex paused for effect, "unfortunately, there's a 'but.'"
"And what kind of 'but' is that? Spit it out already. I don't have all day to play guessing games with you," Payne said, starting to lose his patience.
"Well, after the Book of the Dead was neutralized, the demons will likely try to break into the city. But there's no need to worry — we have a weapon that can deal with them," Alex said.
Payne looked intrigued."A weapon? What kind of weapon?"
Without saying a word, Alex nodded and pulled a container with a sample of the anti-demon virus from his inventory. Emily and Tiger stared in surprise as he literally pulled the item out of thin air.
"It's a biological weapon," Alex began to explain. "Specifically designed to combat demons. We've already tested it — one hundred percent lethality, effective on everything from small creatures to large ones."
Payne listened intently, realizing just how critical this weapon could be in the fight for humanity's survival. Alex also briefly shared his plans — how the virus should be used and in what situations.
When he finished, he handed Payne the launcher system and the virus itself — just in case a serious attack ever happened.
"Oh, right. Almost forgot. Let Chris Redfield know I'd like to talk to him. And tell him his sister, Claire, is here. I think he'll find the time to come," Alex said as he headed toward the door.
"If you say so, kid. I'll pass it along. Whether he shows up or not — that's not up to me. I just do my job, and he does his," Payne muttered with a wave of his hand.
Alex nodded and exited the office. Once outside, he lifted his gaze to the evening sky, lit a cigarette, and stood still for a moment. Thoughts churned in his mind — his mission in this world was nearing its end. Just a few things left to do before making the final move. Blowing out a plume of smoke, Alex mentally repeated, "Just a little more…"
His thoughts drifted to Chris Redfield — maybe the man had intel on the current situation in Raccoon City. That could help guide his next steps. The location of the second Priest of the Underworld was known, but the third... remained a mystery.
As he walked slowly toward the barracks assigned to him and his team, Alex noticed a few guys sitting by the entrance. They were casually grilling meat, drinking beer, and chatting about the day. Waving to them, Alex headed inside.
The moment he stepped in, he heard noise and laughter — the source of the fun was obvious. Curious, he followed the voices and peeked into a spacious room. The girls were lounging around — in chairs, on windowsills, and even on the floor. And, as it turned out, they had already managed to get their hands on booze and snacks.
"Hey, pretty boy, what took you so long? You're the only one we were missing. Get over here already," Rika called out, patting the seat next to her while holding a can of beer.
"Looks like you've already started relaxing. That was fast," Alex chuckled, sitting between Rika and Jill.
"What did you expect? The day was insane, to put it mildly," Moira scoffed, raising her empty can. "First, five hours in the air, then straight to a briefing, and after that — tossed into battle with no break. We've earned some beer and something tasty."
"Exactly!" Chiquita chimed in. "I need a drink too… especially after dealing with all those talking heads. And if you, Alex, plan on ruining my mood, don't even think about it — I love you very much, and even though you're my husband, I will hit you. No doubt about it."
Alex raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by the threat but quickly realizing it was more of a joke. He wasn't against the girls relaxing. On the contrary—they needed it. After the Deadites and all those disgusting voices echoing right inside their heads, some rest was more than welcome. Smiling, he saw Chiquita wink at him and blow him a kiss.
Chuckling softly, Alex grabbed a can of beer and a random snack from the table. He took a sip and exhaled with relief:
"Ah, now that's what I call… Hmm, where did you find snacks like this? I never thought any of you liked something like this."
"That was me," Sherry answered with a smile. "I figured someone might want to try smoked cheese. Personally, I really like that kind of snack."
"I never would've thought smoked cheese could be this tasty," Shizuka admitted, chewing with pleasure. "This is definitely going to be my new favorite snack."
"As for me, I prefer smoked fish. Salty, with beer—it's just perfect," Rika said, leaning against Alex.
Catching the clear hint, Alex didn't hesitate. He reached into his inventory and pulled out several pieces of smoked fish, grabbing some napkins as well. As soon as Rika got the fish, she hugged Alex around the neck and kissed him on the lips, not caring about anyone watching.
Alex just smiled, sipping his beer. His inventory held many delicious things, and of course, none of it ever spoiled. Seeing this, the other girls immediately started playfully demanding more treats, all at once and in a joking manner. Within a couple of minutes, the once almost empty table was loaded with a variety of food.
"Wait a minute—doesn't food spoil in your inventory?" Moira asked in surprise, gently nudging Alex with her foot. "Or am I missing something?"
"Imagine a separate dimension where there are no bacteria, no temperature, or any other factors that cause food to spoil," Alex calmly explained.
"So, bacteria don't even multiply there?" Rekka asked thoughtfully.
"Damn…" Claire sighed. "I already told you your inventory is an awesome thing. Is it hard to make?"
"Not really. You just need time and an item to which the inventory will be linked," Alex replied, shrugging.
"Like Becca's wedding ring? Or the bags of GIR, MIMI, and Stitch?" Jill clarified, nodding at Becca's ring.
"Exactly. That's why Becca can pull things out so easily—as if from nowhere. It's all about the ring," Alex said with a slight smile.
"When will we get our inventory rings?" Rei asked, narrowing her eyes and kicking him lightly on the leg. "I think it's about time, or are you waiting for some special moment?"
Alex glanced at the girls, who were all staring at him, clearly hinting—it's time to finish the rings. He silently took a sip of beer and reminded them he was making the rings by hand, taking into account each of their personal preferences. That required time. The girls nodded, accepting his argument, but it was clear from their looks that their patience was running thin.
Alex just sighed. He had never made so many rings at once before, and he knew perfectly well—if he said that out loud, he would immediately face a storm of female anger. All he could do now was promise to try to finish them as soon as possible.
The little drinking party continued at its usual pace, but with each glass, the girls became more and more uninhibited. Alex watched with growing unease, sensing trouble ahead. Or rather, he knew exactly how it would end—with nothing good for him. Every time they had a gathering with alcohol, he ended up being the "target."
He hoped that Jill, Claire, Moira, and Sherry's presence would somehow hold the girls back from turning into a collective army of lustful maniacs.
"Alex, what are you going to do with that cursed book?" Sherry asked, almost sprawling on his shoulder.
"Yeah, really, Alex. Don't tell me you're going to put on a cloak and start doing rituals?" teased a slightly tipsy Saya, nudging him with her foot.
"Pff… Alex in a cloak, summoning demons and offering sacrifices… I'd pay to see that," laughed Shizuka. "It'd be like him working in a call center and trying to call another call center."
Alex's eye twitched nervously at that lame joke. He didn't like it at all, but the other girls laughed until they cried. Only Jill and Sherry didn't yet know he was the Demon King. Still, that didn't stop the others from having fun teasing him.
Becca even threw a blanket over him to mimic a cloak. Without thinking much, Alex decided to play along. He took on a pompous tone and started spouting outright propaganda nonsense, inviting them to join the cult… of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
"Oh my God, what a ridiculous name!" Claire laughed. "And what does this monster of yours look like?"
"Like a flying plate of spaghetti and meatballs," Alex answered without a hint of embarrassment.
For a moment, silence hung in the room before it exploded into collective laughter. The girls clearly pictured the absurd scene. Alex chuckled, sipping his beer and finishing his snack.
In reality, he had already made up his mind: no rituals. His goal was to destroy all versions of the Book of the Dead across all possible universes. These books were linked like a single vessel, and if he could trace the connection, he could destroy them all at once. That would instantly eliminate many potential threats.
While Alex was pondering his plans, the girls wasted no time—quietly opening stronger alcohol. Gradually, the atmosphere became more and more decadent. Alex began to doubt whether he would leave this party alive this time.
He still hoped Jill, Claire, Moira, and Sherry would bring some sober reason to the situation.
But after an hour, Alex realized—he was wrong. Before he even realized what was happening, they attacked him. Clothes, as usual, were the first victim. Again, mercilessly. And though he could have resisted, why bother? He would be a fool to refuse his beloved girls intimacy.
All that was left was to regret the next set of clothes torn apart by impatient hands.
Female bodies pressed close. The embraces were warm, firm… and numerous. He slightly opened his eyes, reflecting on the night that had passed, and once again convinced himself—alcohol should be banned. Especially in such quantities. Every time it ended the same way: his clothes torn off and a pack of excited girls turning him into a living toy.
He sighed. Moira had made herself comfortable beside him, pressing against him like a plush pillow. Alex quietly groaned, anticipating another awkward conversation with his overprotective father. Barry would surely want to put a bullet in him—or at least two magazines. And then Chris, Claire's brother… He would probably want to "have a man-to-man talk" as well.
Rubbing his face in anticipation of these "talks," Alex carefully tried to slip out of the girls' tight embraces, but they held him too firmly. Any movement, and someone would definitely wake up. He sighed again and decided to lie still a bit longer, waiting for their grip to loosen. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to prepare breakfast—after such a night, the girls would face a harsh hangover morning… and perhaps some vague memories of wild confessions and revelations.
When he finally managed to quietly slip out of their embrace, Alex used magic to restore his clothes—or rather, create new ones, since the old ones had been turned to rags. Pulling a coffee machine out of his inventory, he started brewing strong, aromatic coffee.
As soon as the bitter smell began to spread through the room, the first groans and heavy sighs followed. The girls started opening their eyes, holding their heads.
"Ugh… what a night. Who would've thought you're so enduring," Claire moaned, pushing herself up on her elbows. "I can hardly feel my legs…"
"Hah, don't even say. I'm stuck somewhere between sweet memories and a headache," added Jill, struggling to keep her balance on the couch.
"Hey, weaklings. You'll get used to it," snorted Becca, lightly jumping off the couch and immediately rushing to Alex.
She confidently grabbed his shirt collar and kissed him. Alex couldn't help but smile—with that much energy in the morning, she was like a hurricane.
The other girls slowly got up to reach the table and drink coffee. Alex helped them sit down, receiving a light kiss on the cheek from each. He quickly got to preparing breakfast—something hearty to soothe their stomachs and restore their vigor.
"So, when can I move in with you?" Moira suddenly asked, sipping her coffee.
"Isn't that a bit soon?" Jill immediately interrupted, casting a meaningful glance at her.
"What's there to wait for? We've already been through all that, and I'm definitely not looking for anyone else. After Alex? No way. He's handsome, strong, and most importantly—damn sexy. Don't pretend you didn't realize that last night," Moira added with a smirk.
The girls nodded in unison, affirming every word. Alex theatrically pressed his hands to his cheeks and said with feigned embarrassment:
"Oh, you're so sweet. I'm really getting shy… You can move in whenever you want. Well… once we get back, of course."
Claire, Moira, Jill, and Sherry fell silent, deep in thought. After everything they said to him the night before, living apart already seemed pointless. Alex smiled quietly as he watched them eat breakfast, careful not to reveal what he was thinking.
However, he knew the conversation was inevitable. Jill and Sherry still didn't know who he really was. Alex paused for a moment, then nodded to himself and decided to let the others handle it. They would explain everything for him. Of course, he was ready to answer any questions if they came up. Although, to be honest, even Claire and Moira didn't know everything — only that he was the Demon King and why he came to this world. Everything else remained a mystery to them for now.
But that was for later. For now — breakfast, coffee, light jokes, and a rare moment of morning calm after a busy day.
To be continued…
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