Chapter 366: The Hunt That Ended with a Castle Robbery."

While the stone-skipping tournament with increasingly complex rules continued on the beach, Alex was hard at work with Brunhilde, Koko, Yuriko, and Saya on a new plan. This wasn't just about entertainment—they were developing a detailed strategy to reorganize leisure activities in Orario.

The first obstacle, of course, was that Alex hadn't finished his business in this world yet. But that worried him the least. The most important thing was forming a solid plan—he could always return home later. Alex shared everything he knew about the world of Orario so the girls could better adapt the ideas to local conditions. Fortunately, Orario and Brunhilde's world had quite a few similarities, which made things much easier.

Alex was an endless source of ideas, while the girls served as calm and logical strategists. They decided which proposals were feasible, which ones should be shelved, and which ones were better off scrapped entirely. But during the discussions, Alex became more and more aware of one thing: without a particular woman, all of his ambitious plans might come to nothing. He needed her—his beautiful and dangerous wife, the goddess with more influence than any other in Orario. He needed Freya.

Without wasting any time, Alex pulled out his phone and dialed her number.

At first, the girls exchanged surprised glances, unsure who he'd suddenly decided to call. But when the line picked up and a chillingly enchanting female voice came through the speaker, Alex's entire expression changed. He looked exactly like a child caught red-handed.

Koko, Yuriko, and Saya turned to Brunhilde in perfect sync, silent questions in their eyes. Brunhilde sighed and said simply,

"That's lady Freya. His wife."

The moment they heard that name, the girls immediately understood the gravity of the moment—after all, they'd heard plenty about Freya. Beauty, power, charisma—all in one being. And now they were hearing her voice live.

As it turned out, Alex had called her at a rather inopportune moment. Freya was in the middle of a divine assembly, summoned due to recent events. After Alex had killed Erebus—who had possessed the One-Eyed Dragon—and partially damaged the dungeon, anomalies began occurring once he restored its core.

The dungeon grew deeper. What used to be the lowest floor no longer was, and the new depths remained unexplored. Monsters became stronger, and the magic crystals they dropped grew more potent. This chaos affected both the guild and the gods. Adventurers began progressing faster, and the balance of power started to shift.

All of this had become a massive headache for Freya—especially since she had taken on the responsibility of managing the situation while the other gods were… otherwise occupied. Hestia, as usual, was off in her daydreams, Loki was entertaining herself, and Hephaestus was buried in her forge work.

Alex awkwardly cleared his throat, pretending that "this was all part of the plan."

Finally, after getting everything off her chest, Freya coldly asked,

"So why did you call?"

"I have an idea," Alex began calmly. "And I want you to be the first to hear it."

He explained the essence of the plan, shared his observations from the beach, and detailed how a similar system could be implemented in Orario. Before he even finished, Freya already understood where this was going. She knew what he was capable of. Everything he had done in Valhalla, she remembered down to the smallest detail. This wasn't just a plan—it was business, politics, power, and entertainment all at once.

Without wasting a second, Freya left the divine assembly, ignoring the annoyed looks from the others.

Once alone, she said,"Talk."

Alex switched to speaker mode and introduced Koko, Yuriko, Saya, and Brunhilde. The girls froze for a second, hearing the goddess's live voice, but quickly composed themselves. After all, they were standing beside the Demon King, and their future father-in-law was one of the scariest men in their own world. No room for panic.

The discussion moved quickly. Alex and the girls took turns explaining how a system of divine familia competitions could be introduced. Freya listened with growing interest. Orario truly was suffering from stagnation, and a tournament system could be more than fun—it could change everything.

"I'll need to see the full plan in detail," she said after a brief pause. "It will take time, and I want to know where to begin."

"I'll send it as soon as we're finished," Alex replied.

With the business side wrapped up, Freya's tone shifted.

"Now tell me, darling... when are you coming back?"

"A few things left to take care of. Give it two weeks, max, and we'll be home. Let's just say the final act has begun, and all the players are on stage," Alex said, lighting a cigarette.

"Hmm... then don't take too long. I want to see our new daughter too," Freya said with a soft laugh.

Alex froze."How do you know?" he asked, staring at the phone.

"My sweet GIR records and sends everything. Did you really think we were leaving you alone out of kindness? No, my love. We know everything. So finish what you need to do and come home. We're waiting."

With that, she ended the call, leaving Alex slightly stunned—and smiling.

He stared at the phone, trying to figure out when his loyal little helper GIR had turned into a traitor feeding everything back home. Then again... knowing GIR, the answer came quickly. He had always been a mama's boy. Most likely, he'd just answered Freya's call when Alex wasn't around, and it probably took no more than a few kind words from the girls to convince him to send regular reports.

Alex sighed heavily, realizing his own assistant had joined the ranks of "spies." But one thought still lingered: how exactly had GIR been recording everything? He often disappeared at random times. Then it hit Alex—of course. GIR had two inseparable allies: MIMI and Stitch. That trio had probably built some kind of surveillance mechanism, recording everything, editing the footage, and sending it all back to Orario so the girls could watch his every adventure.

He almost wanted to praise their creativity… almost. But he still planned to give them a good scolding—for snooping in his phone without asking.

"Never thought a goddess could have such a... mesmerizing voice. Gave me chills," said Koko, rubbing her arms in admiration.

"Why be surprised? It's Freya—goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and war," Brunhilde remarked calmly. "There's a reason she's called the most beautiful woman in the world Alex came from."

"Whatever the case… her voice really is magical," Saya added, agreeing with Koko.

"All this is lovely..." Yuriko sighed. "But none of you seem fazed by the fact that she already knows who we all are. And it's all because GIR spilled the beans."

"So he sent a few recordings—so what? We're in a relationship with Alex just like the goddesses. No need to worry," Koko shrugged, clearly unbothered.

"Don't worry, girls," Alex smirked. "Freya's a good woman. She just gets a little jealous—she wants to escape Orario and have her own adventure too. She just shows it... in her own way."

The girls exchanged intrigued glances, clearly interested in the story of this mysterious goddess, and Alex was more than happy to share it as they walked back to the others on the beach. Hearing the tale helped them better understand Freya and the reasons behind her hidden longing for freedom.

When they returned, the tournament was in full swing. Alex decided not to explain where he'd taken the girls—he figured they could tell the story themselves. He simply made his way back to Shino and Anya.

As he approached, he noticed something surprising—Shino had somehow managed to bond with Anya. That was especially unexpected, considering Shino's usual temperament.

Reaching the throne, Alex couldn't help but give GIR—a.k.a. the tiny "traitor"—a light kick. GIR turned around in confusion, but the moment he saw Alex holding his phone, he immediately threw his paws up over his head and started whistling innocently.

"Why did you kick your assistant?" Shino asked.

"He's a little traitor," Alex replied, narrowing his eyes at GIR, who was still playing dumb.

"And what did he do exactly?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll explain later... But I see you've made a new friend. Didn't know you had such a sweet side, Shino."

"Shut up! You left me alone with a kid! I had no choice!" she snapped, her eyes flashing with irritation.

Alex just smiled and gently patted her head. Shino hissed like a cat, but to his surprise, she didn't push his hand away. That gave Alex a wild idea. In one swift move, he scooped up both Shino and Anya—placing Shino on his lap and Anya in hers. The result was a living matryoshka: Alex holding Shino, who was holding Anya.

At first, Shino didn't even realize what had happened. But once she understood where she was, she tried to get up—only to freeze when she felt Alex's warm hands around her waist. For some reason, the desire to resist vanished.

Alex smirked. He hadn't expected her to give in so easily—but honestly, he liked it.

And so the three of them sat together, watching the tournament—the very one Alex had unwittingly started.

A week passed since the beach competition. In that time, life had been buzzing. The tournament ended with Hayato's victory, as expected. Elder Kwon took second place and generously gave his prize to his granddaughter—Jinny.

As for Hayato, he claimed his reward: a full day to spoil his great-granddaughter, Anya. At first, Alex wasn't thrilled about the idea. Trusting his daughter to someone like Hayato, along with Sasaki Shio and the other muscleheads from Ryozanpaku, was—at best—a risky move. But he relaxed when he learned that Miu, Renka, and Shigure would be accompanying her.

Before they left, Alex reminded the girls: Miu and Shigure were to discuss the idea of moving to Orario with their masters, while Renka would talk to her mother, Madame Ma, about the same. Once everything in this world was wrapped up, Alex wanted to bring them all with him.

The girls agreed without hesitation. Alice joined them as well, and she, in turn, dragged Malka and Honoka along—against their will, but with firm determination.

The next day, Alex received the long-awaited response from the girls—and it was positive. The masters of Ryozanpaku, as well as Madame Ma's dojo, had agreed to relocate to another world. For now, Alex wasn't in a rush to set the rest of his plans into motion—everything had its time.

It seemed like everything was finally going according to plan, and he could focus on hunting the second Priest of the Underworld, who was hiding somewhere in Spain. But just as that thought crossed his mind, someone appeared at the doorstep of his home—Takashi, formerly known as David.

Alex immediately became alert. The timing was far from ideal, and Takashi's sudden appearance clearly wasn't just a friendly visit. The sly look on the man's face only confirmed Alex's suspicion—he had come with a request. And Alex was right: Takashi had invited him and Namiyo to… a family dinner.

At first, Alex thought he'd misheard. But the dark bags under Takashi's eyes made it clear—the invitation was real, not a product of his imagination.

The word "dinner" instantly triggered Alex's sense of impending doom. And it was justified the moment he and Namiyo crossed the threshold of Takashi and Yuki's home: Yuki still had no idea about Takashi's past. And without so much as a blink, Takashi shoved Alex under the metaphorical bus—dumping the entire responsibility for explaining everything right on him.

If it hadn't been for Namiyo, who gracefully diffused the tension and calmed Alex down, Takashi might've ended up with a lump on his head… or a stick to it. Thankfully, it didn't come to that.

Yuki took the truth better than expected. In fact, she even volunteered to help Takashi. Namiyo, of course, was happy for her son. But Alex was clearly less than thrilled—and made sure to give Takashi a parting smack to the back of the head for offloading the dirty work onto him.

The next day, just as Alex was preparing to go hunt the second Priest, his plans went straight to hell—the entire group of participants from the beach stone-skipping tournament showed up at his door, demanding to cash in their prizes.

It was almost the last straw for his patience. But he took a deep breath and decided to go with the flow. A promise is a promise. Even Jinny came to claim the custom gear she rightfully earned after her grandfather gave her his prize.

Amid all that, another piece of news surfaced: Chris had successfully uncovered traitors within the Resistance. The surveillance modules Alex had previously sent—which detected demonic presence—proved instrumental. Thanks to them, Chris managed to prevent the creation of a demonic nest right inside their base.

Alex wasn't particularly surprised, but he was glad Chris handled it. Afterward, Chris ordered similar checks at other Resistance bases to hunt down potential threats.

The week had been intense. Shigure also insisted that Alex's workshop get a separate blacksmithing area—built in traditional Japanese style. Alex didn't argue and honored the request. When the forge was finally completed, Shigure lit up with joy like a kid unwrapping presents on New Year's morning.

A week passed, and Alex finally felt free. It was time to move. The second Priest of the Underworld, known as Deag Ranak, was waiting.

He immediately messaged Chris, warning him: the demons might start getting active—or even be drawn toward Raccoon City. Chris replied, confirming that his people would be ready for anything.

Alex began to prepare. He summoned his loyal four—GIR, MIMI, Stitch, and Wolf—and ordered them to get ready.

Wearing his iconic Vergil-style outfit, smoothing back his hair, and double-checking his gear, Alex was ready.

GIR, MIMI, Stitch, and Wolf were already suited up and standing by.

"Well, it's about time you remembered you have a job," Ada remarked with a smirk. "A little longer and there'd be nothing left to save."

"Funny, I don't remember any of you complaining when I was spending time with you," Alex grinned, descending the stairs and eyeing the girls.

"That's different," Saeko replied sweetly. "You're our husband, so spending time with us is a duty. How you balance that with your work? That's your problem."

"Better tell us what you plan to do with the second mummy. You've been silent all week," Chun-Li added, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"That's a secret," Alex smirked. "I'll just say this—this Priest, Deag Ranak, will be a gift. An offering. For a potential ally."

"An offering? And who's this mysterious ally?" Rei asked curiously, looking at Alex.

Alex didn't say anything more. He wasn't going to reveal the details of his further plans. The girls were displeased—especially about the fact that Alex kept secret who exactly he intended to offer the Underworld Priest to as an ally. But despite their dissatisfaction, he kissed them all goodbye and promised to return as soon as possible.

Stepping outside, Alex got on his motorcycle and waited until GIR, MIMI, and Stitch settled on Wolf's back. When everyone was ready, he started the engine and left the settlement. It was time for the hunt.

Alex had considered taking more people with him to clear the area in Spain where Deag Ranak was hiding. But, as before, he decided to handle it alone. Outside the settlement, he summoned Yamato, traced the air with his blade, and opened a portal.

Passing through it, he found himself near the village where Leon had started his journey — the place from Resident Evil 4. But now everything looked much darker. In the direction where Salazar's castle used to rise, a blinding pillar of argent energy shot into the sky.

Alex immediately sensed a familiar atmosphere. It had been the same in Africa when he hunted the first Priest. But now something was off—there wasn't a single demon around.

"Pretty empty. Not a single demonic creature lurking nearby," GIR muttered suspiciously as he scanned the area.

"That means we're on the right track. The path leads to the castle. Taking over an already built fortress instead of constructing a new citadel — that's pretty creative, don't you think?" Alex smirked, looking at his companions.

GIR, MIMI, and Stitch exchanged glances and looked at him like he was a complete idiot—after all, Alex had his own castle. But Alex was thinking about something else: the possible treasures of the Salazars that might have survived in the ruins. When the helpers heard the word "treasures," a golden gleam sparked in their eyes.

Alex just rolled his eyes and accelerated toward the castle. Passing through the deserted village, he felt only a heavy emptiness. No people, no demons—just the oppressive presence of argent energy.

They reached an old stone bridge leading to the castle. Alex silently hoped to meet the legendary merchant with his iconic phrase, "Whatcha buyin'?" but his hope was in vain. There was no sign of the merchant in this world.

Stopping by the bridge, Alex looked at the majestic, though partly ruined, towers of the Salazars and snorted, "My castle is still cooler."

The Valkyries, watching his thoughts from the spirit realm, all rolled their eyes in unison.

"What do you think awaits us there?" Alex asked, lighting a cigarette.

"Whoever's waiting—we'll have to shoot them anyway," Stitch grinned cheerfully.

"No matter how many demons stand in our way, they're all just dead men who haven't realized it yet," GIR said grimly, activating his ultramarine mode.

"Dad, we'll just burn them all," MIMI said, giving a thumbs up.

Alex scratched his cheek and sighed. "Why am I even asking you guys?"

He dismounted and put the motorcycle into his inventory. Walking made less noise, less attention. Raising his hand, he pulled an imaginary string—the wooden drawbridge creaked down, opening the way into the castle.

They entered.

Inside was strangely quiet. Not a single demon. Only a dim, ominous glow emanated from the depths of the castle. Alex glanced at his helpers, who had already started acting like kids in a toy store.

"Don't scatter. I don't want to have to find you all later in the dungeons," he said, but was ignored.

Wasting no time, he used a magical rope to tether the trio of treasure hunters to himself before they could tear half the castle apart searching for gold. Of course, Alex wouldn't have minded grabbing a few artifacts himself… but priorities came first.

Moving cautiously from memory, he advanced carefully. There could be an ambush, a trap, or something worse somewhere ahead. The last thing he wanted was to encounter demons infected with Las Plagas.

He regularly glanced upward, checking the glowing pillar of energy—their clear waypoint. They found themselves in one of the central halls, with numerous doors opening before them.

But the biggest headache was his three helpers, who were grabbing everything not nailed down, and if it was nailed down—tearing it off with chunks and stuffing it into one large enchanted bag.

"I'm still going to ask..." Alex grumbled, narrowing his eyes. "Did we come here to catch a Priest or to rob someone else's castle?"

Alex watched as Stitch deftly unscrewed a massive crystal chandelier inlaid with gold. At the same time, GIR, MIMI, and Wolf stretched a tarp to catch the chandelier so it wouldn't break. Everyone diligently ignored his earlier question—until the chandelier suddenly crashed down with a muffled whistle. The trio caught it like an experienced rigging crew and quickly packed it into a box.

"Dad, Mom asked me to bring a souvenir. A chandelier is a souvenir. We're not robbing. You can't steal something if it doesn't have an owner," MIMI said, hiding the box with the chandelier in her mini-bag.

"So you're saying ripping golden lamps from the walls, taking down paintings, and literally prying precious stones from the masonry is just collecting souvenirs?" Alex asked in a flat, almost tired tone.

"Yes," Stitch replied, landing on Alex's head straight from the ceiling.

Alex wearily ran his hand over his face and lifted Stitch off his head. He decided to just turn a blind eye. Conspiracy? Whatever. With his strength, he could easily afford to rob castles—even if they hadn't had owners for a long time. Sighing, he began inspecting the "souvenirs" glittering in the dim light of the castle. Judging by the collective forehead slap echoing in his head, the Valkyries were not thrilled by this turn of events.

Filling their pockets with "souvenirs," Alex and his helpers moved onward. After wandering the corridors a bit, they reached the spot where, according to Alex's memory, there used to be a huge nest of bugs. It should have been stuck to the ceiling… but it was gone. Instead, a powerful pillar of argent energy shot upward.

Being so close to the source of this energy for the first time, Alex felt extremely uneasy. Inside the pillar, he heard screams of pain—echoing from the very core of the machine installed below. It was a device for extracting argent energy from souls, slowly and painfully turning their suffering into fuel.

Alex frowned. He wasn't a hero, but such a sight disgusted him. Pulling a bomb from his inventory, he dropped it right inside. The explosion shook the base of the column, and soon the pillar's light began to fade.

"Well, now we're definitely detected," Alex said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Brilliant, just brilliant…" Alvitr's sarcastic voice echoed in his mind.

Alex just rolled his eyes, making no comment. He continued onward—they were heading to the place where he sensed Deag Ranak's presence. Crossing another stone bridge, they came before a massive door adorned with carvings. Alex didn't waste time—he kicked the doors open, and they crashed inside with a bang.

The room was spacious and empty. Alex scanned it with his eyes and soon spotted the reason he had come here: Deag Ranak.

The Priest looked withered and exhausted. His skin had turned ashen gray, his eyes glowing with a dull red light. He sat on his throne, leaning on his staff — like a puppet who had lost its will. His burgundy pauldrons, heavy gold-adorned collar, and crimson helmet with a halo only emphasized his belonging to a fading clan.

"I've been waiting for you, false savior. It was foretold that you would come for me… But you're too late," Ranak said in a hoarse voice, raising a dim gaze to Alex.

"Sorry. Who knew there were so many unattended treasures in this castle? Decided to take a few souvenirs," Alex said lazily, waving his hand without even trying to hide his mockery.

Alex's words puzzled Ranak. He fell silent for a moment. Meanwhile, Alex scanned the hall, searching for guards or traps. No one moved. He slowly advanced.

"Well then, Deag Ranak. Pack your things. I need you alive. There's one… ally who will find use for you. Either you come willingly, or my guys will pick you apart bone by bone and turn you into a piñata," Alex said, clapping his hands.

"You're a fool. False savior. It was foretold your arrival… and your demise. You think he didn't prepare for your visit?" Ranak sneered.

Alex was about to roll his eyes at the usual bravado, but at that moment his instincts kicked in. He sharply stepped back, as a wave of energy rushed past his face, leaving a deep furrow in the floor.

Alex quickly turned his head. On the opposite side of the hall stood a figure radiating immense power. His lips spread into an anticipatory smile — as if he had found a new toy.

"Interesting…" Alex whispered, baring his teeth in a wide, almost beastly grin.

To be continued…

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