The Daily Life of the Demon King-Chapter 270: ": New Encounters and the Foolish Thief"

After Alex's signal, the transport carrying the survivors resumed its course toward the port. Alex was still shocked that he had encountered yet another group of characters from different worlds, but his primary objective was to get these people to their destination. He gestured to his small companions to cover the rear.

GIR and MIMI raised their paws in unison, giving a thumbs-up to show they could handle it. Alex nodded, cast one last glance at the people in the vehicle, and focused on the road ahead. Lightning crackled around his body as he gripped the sheath of his katana, and in the next second, with a thunderous crack, he shot forward, leaving the passengers stunned.

"This isn't just my imagination, right? He really left a trail of lightning behind him?" Nathan asked in shock.

"Listen, we all have eyes, and we saw it too! So stop stating the obvious and focus on the road! Our lives depend on your driving!" Chun-Li snapped irritably.

"Jeez, I just said it! No wonder you don't have a boyfriend with that attitude..." Nathan muttered, rolling his eyes.

"What did you just say?! Do you want to find out what my legs can do?!" Chun-Li hissed through clenched teeth, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Nathan instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He had seen how her kicks turned undead bones into splinters, and he had absolutely no desire to experience that firsthand.

GIR and MIMI simply exchanged glances and shrugged, continuing to systematically gun down the approaching zombies, mutants, and demons while Alex cleared the way ahead. As gunfire echoed through the area, the passengers in the jeep turned their attention back to the two strange creatures.

"If you look closely, they resemble plush toys," Cammy remarked thoughtfully, watching GIR and MIMI.

"Yeah, but really dangerous kids' toys. If I hadn't seen them tearing through all this filth, I might have believed they were just plushies," Chun-Li added, shaking her head.

Cammy and Chun-Li exchanged a brief glance, both clearly considering touching the mysterious creatures, but they decided to save that for later. For now, the bigger question was what exactly GIR and MIMI were and why they looked like stuffed toy dogs.

Meanwhile, Alex, using Thunder Breathing, swiftly eliminated undead creatures that suddenly emerged from alleys and around corners. He leaped onto the roof of the second transport vehicle to catch his breath and assess the situation before the horde caught up again.

He felt someone's intense gaze on him and turned his head. In the next second, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. Among the passengers, he spotted a man wearing a skull-like mask. Ghost.

Alex recognized him immediately. He had long suspected that this man might end up in this world—Lehm had once told him about an old friend with the callsign Bravo-6. And now, Alex had come face-to-face with none other than Simon "Ghost" Riley—the legend, the man whose face no one had ever seen.

Giving Ghost a brief nod in greeting, Alex received a nod in return. However, before he could say anything, a massive mutant suddenly charged out of a nearby alley toward the convoy. Alex signaled Ghost with a hand gesture, and Ghost, understanding him, simply gave a short nod.

In the next instant, Alex launched himself forward with explosive force, charging straight at the beast. Ghost, watching him, turned back inside the vehicle.

"What do you think?" Price asked as he drove.

"Can't say for sure yet," Ghost replied in his usual calm tone. "But that guy... He's young, but extremely dangerous. If he's our ally, that's good. If he's an enemy... our chances are slim."

"Price, Ghost, are you on comms?" Soap's voice came over the radio. "Are you guys even seeing what that guy is doing?! Bloody hell, I've got chills just watching! He's literally tearing that mutant apart with his bare hands!"

Price and Ghost exchanged glances. As the vehicle sped past, they saw with their own eyes how Alex stood in the middle of the road, holding the two halves of a massive mutant in his hands.

Alex cast them a brief glance and nodded before tossing both halves of the creature aside and dashing forward again, catching up with the transport.

Running alongside the driver's seat, he noticed Captain Price and gave him a small wave, signaling him to lower the window.

Price cracked the window open, looking at him.

"Don't slow down. Once you reach the port, you'll be met there. I'll do everything I can to make sure you get there safe and sound," Alex said, still running alongside the vehicle.

"Got it, kid. Be careful," Price replied, nodding in gratitude.

Alex smiled and effortlessly leaped onto the transport's roof. Scanning his surroundings, he noticed a strange pattern—mutants, demons, and zombies were attacking the first vehicle with fanatical aggression while almost completely ignoring the others. It was too obvious to be a mere coincidence.

Leaning down, Alex knocked on the window and gestured for Ghost to open it. He needed more information before drawing conclusions.

"Were you attacked the moment you left?" he asked, staring intently at Ghost.

"Yeah. As soon as we left the shelter, all this filth immediately went after us," Ghost replied, not breaking eye contact.

"Got it. Thanks," Alex nodded briefly and climbed back onto the roof.

Ghost shut the window, and Price immediately asked what their new ally had wanted to know. After hearing the explanation, he frowned but kept his focus on driving.

Standing on the roof, Alex fell into deep thought again. He ran through several possible explanations, but they all led to one conclusion—someone or something inside the first vehicle was of great value to the demons.

Deciding to confirm his suspicion, he activated his magical vision. The moment he did, the sight before him made his eye twitch involuntarily—a dark, pulsating thread extended from the first transport, stretching high into the sky.

"You've got to be kidding me..." he muttered, realizing that someone among the passengers was carrying a Marker shard.

Now everything made sense. That was why all the city's creatures had swarmed them the moment they left the shelter. But why had the attack only started after they left? Maybe while they were trapped inside, the demons had been toying with them, like a cat playing with a mouse. But the moment they tried to escape, the enemy stopped hiding their intentions.

He had the strongest urge to grab the idiot who thought it was a good idea to carry a Marker shard and chuck them as far away as possible.

But his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a deafening explosion right in front of the first vehicle.

Alex snapped his head up and saw a Revenant standing on the roof of a ruined building. The familiar figure made him grimace in annoyance—these bastards always caused trouble.

Not giving the demon a chance to fire another shot, Alex shot upward in an instant, grabbing the Revenant by the head and slamming down to the ground with it. Before it could react, he mercilessly ripped off its arms and drove them straight into its skull.

Tossing the lifeless body aside, he surged forward while contacting his team on the aircraft carrier.

"I'm bringing in survivors. Be ready to receive us."

He quickly caught up with the convoy and leaped into the jeep where he had left GIR and MIMI. Sitting down, he gave everyone a nod in greeting. Pulling out a cigarette, he lit it and closed his eyes.

Spreading his mana throughout the city, he assessed the situation. The picture was grim—hordes of undead were moving in their direction. That meant they had to get out of the city the moment they reached the port.

Unless, of course, new problems arose.

Opening his eyes, Alex flicked the cigarette away and turned his gaze to the other passengers. He knew exactly who they were, but wasn't sure where to start the conversation. However, that could wait — the most important thing right now was to get to the port.

Chun-Li, Cammy, Ryu, and Ken were watching him closely, clearly feeling the same hesitation. Their eyes were filled with a million questions, but no one knew where to begin.

At that moment, Rebecca's upbeat voice came through the communicator:

"Cake, I'm ready for the bombardment! Just give the signal!"

Alex couldn't help but smirk.

"Kay, just don't miss, or I'll be disappointed."

"Don't worry! It's just like shooting with a rifle, but with a bigger size!"

Alex shook his head, tucking the communicator into his pocket.

"Anyway, hold on tight. It's gonna be really loud. And it's gonna shake a lot."

Chun-Li furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean by 'loud and shaking'?" she asked suspiciously.

Alex didn't explain, just smiled. Without answering her question, he swiftly jumped out of the jeep and in one move landed on the roof of the vehicle with Ghost and Price inside. Forming a seal with his hands, Alex exhaled a massive fireball into the sky, signaling.

On the deck of the aircraft carrier, the group of observers immediately noticed it — the bright, blazing ball rising above the city, casting a blood-red glow over it.

"Rebecca, don't even think about hitting our Alex," Koko said sternly, pointing a finger at the girl.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. And now... it's time to shoot," Rebecca replied with a wide smile, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

The others just exchanged weary glances. They weren't even surprised at how obsessed this girl was with explosions. However, Rebecca didn't care — she had found herself a new pastime. After all, why just mow down hordes of undead when she could level an entire city?

It had never occurred to her before how fun destroying entire cities could be. And now, she wanted to do it again and again.

Of course, she would have gladly used the biggest cannon available, but she had been forbidden access to it, which still annoyed her. However, she remembered her agreement with Alex — he promised to let her fire it twice. So, for now, she just had to wait.

With a light sigh, Rebecca pressed the targeting button, then the launch button.

A deep, low hum of the railgun charging filled the air, followed by a powerful shot. A searing plasma trail shot into the sky, the projectile speeding toward its target with deafening speed.

The convoy of survivors was racing toward the port at full speed, and everyone heard the shot. They looked up in awe as the glowing projectile streaked overhead, leaving a fiery trail behind it.

"Price," Soap rasped, coming on comms. "Do we have that kind of weaponry on our aircraft carriers?"

"I don't think so," Price replied, his surprise clear.

"Of course not," Alex's voice came over the radio. "Those are my technologies."

"You... what did you just say?" Soap asked, blinking in disbelief.

"I said what I said. All the weaponry on this aircraft carrier was created by me. So don't worry, just keep moving. We're almost there."

After these words, a heavy silence fell over the airwaves.

Everyone was trying to process what they had just heard.

However, Alex couldn't be bothered to explain anything. He wasn't planning to. His thoughts were focused on something else now.

On the shard of the Marker.

Alex looked again at the black thread stretching from the vehicle into the sky. It continued to unsettle him, but what troubled him most was that he suspected where it led.

It would be reckless to trace it all the way to the end. He didn't know who or what might be on the other side.

But he already had some guesses.

One of the most unpleasant possibilities was that the thread could be connected to Tau Volantis. Or, more precisely, to what this "moon" actually was.

The final form of the necromorphs.

If Tau Volantis was the central intelligence sending signals to all the Markers, then the "Lunar Brothers" were what planets turned into after complete infection.

Alex understood perfectly: if all the Markers on Earth weren't destroyed, sooner or later, the planet would become just another rotting mass of flesh, becoming part of the "Great Unity."

And he wasn't going to allow that.

What puzzled Alex the most was why Avatar Nyan-Nyan decided to open a path into this universe for Davot's army. He couldn't understand what that was aiming for, if it meant inviting yet another creature to its playground that loved breaking other people's toys.

Alex was sure that Avatar Nyan-Nyan wouldn't cooperate with Davot, and that Davot wouldn't seek an alliance with the Avatar. This universe was a real gem, with many intertwined plotlines, which made it special. That's why they wouldn't share it between them — each would want to take everything.

Alex thoughtfully stroked his chin, staring at the sky, or rather, at the black thread rising upward. He was beginning to understand why zombies, mutants, and demons were so desperately hunting for pieces of the original Marker. He realized that the cooperation between Davot and Avatar Nyan-Nyan was just temporary and superficial. They were probably already ready to stab each other in the back as soon as their plans were near completion.

Alex smirked as he realized this, but also understood that he would have to fight both of these entities. Letting either of them go would mean creating problems for himself in the future, and that was something he definitely didn't want. He was starting to realize that in the future, he'd have to act more cautiously to avoid alarming the entities that had temporarily allied for a common goal.

Despite his thoughts, his hands didn't stop pulling the triggers of his pistols, and each shot hit its mark. The surviving undead, somehow having survived the city bombardment, were still trying to reach the first vehicle in the convoy, attempting to capture the shard of the Marker. Alex was growing irritated by their relentless attacks and dearly wanted to find out which idiot was carrying such a dangerous thing.

The port was getting closer, and they could already see a group of people waiting for their arrival. Alex waved his hand, signaling that everything was fine. The vehicle drove into the port, and Alex easily jumped off the roof. The rescued people, one by one, left the vehicles, curiously eyeing those who had freed them.

"Price, you old bastard! Are you still alive?" a familiar voice called out from behind.

"Heh, Lehm! I see you're not dead either. Who would've thought we'd meet under these circumstances?" Price grinned, walking toward him.

Alex already knew from Lehm's stories that they were familiar with each other, but he hadn't realized how close their friendship was. However, watching them greet each other with smiles and jokes, he understood — these two had served together at some point, and it seemed they were quite close.

To his surprise, Price knew not only Lehm but also Wiley and Chikita. Alex silently stood aside, observing the scene.

"Master Hayato, it's good to see you," Chun-Li said with respect.

"Hahaha! You've grown so much, Chun-Li," Hayato laughed loudly, looking her over. "It's been so many years since I last saw you."

"Master Hayato, I'm glad you're safe," Ken and Ryu said almost simultaneously, saluting him.

"Good to see you guys," Hayato replied, clapping them on the shoulders. "Glad you made it through that mess."

Alex raised an eyebrow slightly. He hadn't expected Hayato to know them, but quickly realized it wasn't all that strange. After all, Hayato was a legendary master, well-known in the martial arts world. It made perfect sense that Chun-Li, Ken, and Ryu knew him, and that these three knew people from Ryozanpaku.

"I see you're acquainted," Alex remarked, stepping closer.

"You could say that," Hayato laughed. "I've been challenged many times during my travels. These kids were no exception. Hahaha! I still remember how they kept picking fights, and I had to kick their butts. Especially these two," he nodded toward Ryu and Ken. "I had to work hard to knock them out."

"In our defense, not every day do you get a chance to challenge a legendary master," Chun-Li smiled. "But thanks to that fight, I learned a lot, and I'm really grateful to you, Master Hayato."

"Oh, little Chun-Li, it's been a long time," a woman's voice called out.

Chun-Li turned to see an elderly woman standing before her.

"Madam Ju Ma! It's so good to see you!" she responded with a sincere smile.

Alex stood nearby, listening to stories of adventures from his new acquaintances and how they had met. It turned out that Madam Ma knew Chun-Li's parents, which explained their closeness. Shifting his gaze to Chun-Li's legs, Alex suddenly remembered those memes where girls choke guys with their thighs. He smirked but quickly noticed how Chun-Li slightly tilted her head, clearly intrigued by him.

It wasn't just her — Ryu, Ken, and even Cammy were also eyeing Alex closely, assessing him.

"Let me introduce you," Hayato spoke, pointing at him. "This guy saved you. His name is Alex. You could say he's the leader of our group."

"Yo. My name is Alexander, but everyone calls me Alex. I guess you can skip the formalities too," Alex said, raising his hand in a friendly gesture.

Ryu narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at him.

"So, who's stronger between you two?" he asked directly, shifting his gaze from Hayato to Alex.

"Who knows? Is it really that important who's stronger and who's weaker? Only those seeking recognition will chase after that. Me? I don't care about that," Alex smirked, raising his finger. "All my concerns are focused on my family."

"Good words," Hayato grinned, slapping Alex on the shoulder.

Alex returned the smile and gave a thumbs-up. These words made Chun-Li, Ken, Ryu, and Cammy pause, looking at him with newfound understanding. Especially considering how Hayato himself regarded Alex.

After spending a little more time talking with the newcomers, Alex decided to move to the other group — Price and his people. He was damn curious about what they were doing so far from home. Approaching, he noticed that Price, Soap, and Ghost were standing next to Lehm and the others.

"Here comes our leader. I was starting to think you weren't going to show up," R smirked, looking at Alex with his usual mockery.

Alex just rolled his eyes, not responding, and silently pointed to the side. R followed the gesture and immediately saw G.I.R. and MIMI helping the medics examine the newcomers. R's eyes twitched, and he quickly shut his mouth — he really didn't want another "dose of positivity" from the robo-dog's paws.

Alex snorted disdainfully and shifted his gaze to Price, Soap, and Ghost. They, too, had noticed the two strange creatures assisting the doctors and were watching them with curiosity.

"Well then, Lehm, aren't you going to introduce your friends?" Alex asked, turning his gaze to him.

"I thought you already knew everything about them. Isn't that what you always do, want to know everything about everyone?" R smirked, rolling his eyes.

Alex silently tossed a candy at him, hitting him square on the forehead.

"Ahem," Lehm coughed, trying to hide a smile. "This is my old friend Price. I've already told you about him."

"Bravo-6, I take it?" Alex nodded, giving Price an appraising look.

"So, this old bastard Lehm already told you stories about our service..." Price said, lighting a cigar.

"Something like that. Though, usually, he's just bragging," Alex smirked.

Price smirked briefly, looking at him. Alex had known who he was before, but meeting this legendary trio here, in this world, was what truly surprised him.

"So, you're the boss here?" Soap smirked, scanning Alex from head to toe. "A bit young for this, aren't you? Though... your skills are something else. Especially how you tore that huge mutant apart with your bare hands. How the hell did you even manage to do that?"

Alex smirked:

"Heh, who knows? And you, who are you?"

"John 'Soap' McTavish," Soap replied, nodding at him.

"Nice to meet you." Alex turned his gaze to the last member of the group. "And I suppose you're Ghost?"

Soap nodded, grinning:

"Yeah, that's Ghost. Not the most talkative guy, so if he suddenly starts staring at you and doesn't say a word, don't take it personally. He's always like that — silent and mysterious. I even suspect he never takes off his mask, not even when he sleeps."

Alex huffed:

"Nice to meet you, Ghost. I hope we'll get along."

Ghost looked at him intently and, after a brief pause, extended his hand:

"Hmm... Hope so."

Alex gripped his hand firmly in a strong handshake, realizing that this guy was already sizing him up. Well, he didn't mind.

Alex smiled slightly and gave Ghost's hand a firm shake, signaling a sign of camaraderie. He had always liked this character, and he knew well that earning his trust was no easy task. Ghost didn't trust anyone. However, Alex also knew that this man would never betray his comrades, and his survival skills would prove invaluable to the group.

"Now that we've met, care to explain what the hell you're doing in Hong Kong? The world is literally falling apart, and you're stuck here," Alex asked with a slight squint, turning his gaze to Price.

Price looked at him carefully, then glanced at Lehm, as if asking whether this guy could be trusted. Without hesitation, Lehm nodded, signaling that Alex was someone they could trust. Moreover, if necessary, he could provide significant help. Satisfied with this, Price decided to reveal their mission's objective.

"We were ordered to evacuate a group of scientists. According to HQ, they have the capability to develop an antivirus against this plague," he replied calmly, pulling out a cigar.

"And how long have you been stuck here? Or rather, how long has it been since you lost contact with HQ?" Alex raised an eyebrow in question.

"Several days... By the way, do you have any information?" Soap asked, watching Alex's reaction closely.

"Not exactly information, more like observations on the behavior of this undead. I've been gathering data since the very first day this started. If you're interested, I can share my conclusions," Alex offered, looking around at the group.

Price, Soap, and Ghost nodded, signaling that they wanted to hear what he had to say. The others also became alert, as all the information they had so far came from Alex, and the data loaded onto Lehm's holographic tablet had been updating periodically.

Alex started from the beginning, explaining how the undead behaved in the first days of the catastrophe and how their behavior had changed in the past 24 hours. He detailed how these creatures had become more organized, as if someone was controlling them. If it had previously been the corporation behind this, it seemed that now someone else was pulling the strings.

Lehm and the others confirmed his words, mentioning that they had recently seen corporate soldiers fighting off hordes of zombies, which struck them as odd. Alex didn't reveal all the details, only stating the facts and backing them up with examples.

"Damn, I knew it wasn't going to be this simple after we lost contact with HQ," Soap cursed.

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"If your assumptions are correct, that means these undead are no longer under the corporation's control?" Price asked coldly.

"Looks like it. There's no other explanation for now," Alex shook his head.

A tense silence hung in the air. Now that no one was controlling the army of the dead, the situation was far more dangerous. Alex suggested that Price and his team join their group, explaining where they were headed. Price thought for a moment and then nodded, agreeing to temporarily cooperate. Alex didn't push further — he knew the soldiers would need time to make a final decision.

Suddenly, a loud, angry scream echoed:

"WONG!!!"

Alex instantly turned around and locked eyes with the guys. Without wasting a second, he quickly moved toward the source of the noise. From a distance, he saw Koko being held back by Valmet. Koko was furiously trying to break free from her grip, as if she was about to pounce on the girl with black hair standing across from her.

Alex immediately recognized her. The girl wore a slight, almost mocking smile as she watched Koko rage.

"Ada Wong..." Alex thought to himself, recalling how Koko had repeatedly complained about her.

Alex's eyes flared for a moment when he noticed a barely perceptible dark thread extending from Ada Wong.

"Of course... Who else but her would try to steal a fragment of the Marker?" he thought coldly, keeping a sharp eye on the woman.

Alex quickened his pace, moving toward the scene. His gaze slid over Ada Wong, his eyes narrowing as he assessed her condition. When Koko saw Alex, she immediately clung to him, grabbing his clothes and indignantly complaining:

"Don't you dare bring this woman on board! I'd rather trust Rebecca with guarding the nuclear weapons than trust her!" Koko angrily pointed at Ada.

"Koko, why are you saying this? I thought we were friends," Ada feigned a hurt voice, as if she were actually offended by Koko's words.

"Friends?!" Koko glared at her. "How many times have you lied to me? You keep saying you'll pay me back later, but you never do! You owe me, Wong!"

"Really? Owe you? I don't remember that," Ada replied with an innocent smile, staring directly into Koko's eyes.

Koko gritted her teeth in anger, clearly ready to lash out at her rival. Alex sighed heavily and held Koko tighter, preventing her from lunging at Ada. He glanced at Valmet, hoping for help, but she simply raised her hands in a dramatic gesture, showing she wasn't going to intervene. Alex narrowed his eyes, glaring at her like a traitor, but Valmet merely rolled her eyes and turned away.

Meanwhile, Ada stopped teasing Koko and shifted her gaze to Alex, raising an eyebrow.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to have a boyfriend, Koko. Especially such... attractive one," a mischievous smile played on Ada's lips. "I thought you were into girls."

"So what?" Koko huffed, holding Alex even tighter. "Shut up and be jealous! I've got a handsome, strong, and smart husband, and you'll grow old and alone, unwanted by anyone!"

Ada's eyes twitched, but her face still wore a light, almost indifferent smile. However, there was a flash of jealousy and envy in her eyes. Her gaze slid over Alex, and at that moment, he noticed something that made him tense up. There was a barely perceptible dark thread trailing from her — elusive, but unmistakably sinister.

"Of course... She's already under the influence of the Marker, and it's a miracle she's still in her right mind considering how long she's been carrying it," Alex thought to himself, never taking his eyes off Ada.

His suspicions were confirmed. Despite her outward confidence, Ada looked worn out — the signs of fatigue were too obvious. How long had she been carrying the shard? Judging by her condition, far too long.

"Ada Wong, I presume?" Alex said calmly, drawing her attention.

"Guess you're right," she smirked, crossing her arms. "What is it? You've decided to ditch Koko and focus on me?" Her lips stretched into a seductive smile, clearly trying to make Koko even more upset.

"No," Alex answered coolly. "I just need you to hand over what's in your bag."

Ada put on an innocent expression.

"I don't know what you mean. Do you need my makeup?"

"Don't joke," Alex's voice became firm. "You either give it to me willingly, and I'll help you, or I take it myself, and you can count on no one but yourself."

Ada squinted. The game of seduction was over — now she looked at Alex warily, calculating.

"Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't," Alex shrugged. "But I'm the only one who can help you. So, choose: you give it up willingly, or I take it by force."

He extended his hand, waiting for her decision.

Alex and Ada locked eyes, like entering a silent duel. He saw before him a woman who perhaps didn't even realize how much she had endangered not only herself but her whole group. If it weren't for him and his team, Ada Wong and everyone with her would have long been victims of the undead army.

"Foolish... but maybe not hopeless yet," Alex sighed inwardly.

"Dammit... Fine, here," Ada muttered reluctantly, pulling out a small vial from her bag.

Alex took the vial, narrowing his eyes slightly. Inside it shimmered a shard about the size of a finger. This was the second Marker fragment he had found in this world, but how many more were scattered across the globe? He wondered: if he gathered enough of them, perhaps he could develop a spell capable of tracking and destroying them all at once. The situation with the constructed Markers was more complicated, but he believed that once the Avatar of Nyan-Nyan was destroyed, they would lose their power.

"Is this what I think it is?" Valmet's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Yes, exactly," Alex nodded. "GIR!"

As soon as he shouted the name, his loyal assistant came rushing to him within a second.

"Take this to the workshop," Alex handed the vial to the robo-dog.

GIR saluted briefly, turned, and sped off toward the aircraft carrier.

Ada watched all of this with wide eyes.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Her voice was a mix of surprise and confusion.

Alex looked at her with a dry smirk.

"I can't decide whether to call you lucky or just terribly stupid."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ada huffed, crossing her arms. "Are you insulting me?"

"I'm just stating the obvious," Alex shrugged. "You've been carrying something extremely dangerous without even realizing the consequences. It's like carrying a piece of uranium in your pocket, hoping it will give you superpowers."

"True!" Koko chimed in, giving Ada a disdainful look. "You always steal things without thinking about what they actually are!"

"Well, that's my way of earning," Ada shrugged, openly ignoring Koko's jab. "So how are you planning to help me now?"

"Come closer, and you'll see."

Ada raised an eyebrow but took a step forward.

At that moment, Alex's hand was enveloped in soft green light. Before Ada could say anything, he gently touched her head. Her body jolted and then froze — Alex felt the dark threads of the Marker, which had been threading through her mind, begin to tear and dissipate.

When the process was complete, he stepped back, studying Ada's face closely. Now it remained to be seen what consequences the Marker's influence had left on her...

To be continued...

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