The Daily Life of the Demon King-Chapter 271: ": The Reason for the Delay in Hong Kong"

After Alex handed the Marker fragment to his little helper, GIR, he focused on his next task—healing Ada's mind. He had already seen what happened to those affected by the power of Chaos: their minds slowly deteriorated, and they inevitably went insane. The situation with the Marker was no different.

"Chaos, the Marker... Both blur the line between knowledge and madness," Alex thought.

The ancients said that there was a thin boundary between enlightenment and insanity. The knowledge granted by the Outer Gods, just like the revelations of the Marker, pushed the mind to its limits, driving mortals insane. Everyone who tried to peek beyond the veil of secrets hiding the truth inevitably became its victim.

Alex's hand glowed with a soft green light as he gently placed his palm over Ada's eyes, erasing the Marker's influence. But the moment he began cleansing her mind, an unexpected realization struck him—the Marker's power was directly linked to the power of the Outer Gods.

"So that's it... How did I not see this sooner? The Marker and the Outer God are one and the same."

He recalled the existence of Nyan-Nyan's avatar, which was likely connected to all of this. If not for the circumstances he was in, he would have smacked himself on the forehead for his slowness.

"Damn it, I've been acting like an idiot..."

He had ignored too many hints: the lack of human essence in those who turned into zombies, the loss of identity in the infected, the incoherent mutterings of the insane, the very fact that the Marker appeared in this world... All of it pointed to an obvious conclusion, but he had chosen to believe that Nyan-Nyan's avatar had simply stolen the Marker from another universe. In reality, it was the other way around.

"And how much longer are you planning to keep your hand on my eyes?" Ada's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Right! Stop touching that woman already! You might catch something from her," Koko added indignantly.

"Oh, right... Sorry," Alex removed his hand. "Got a bit distracted."

"Catch something?!" Ada squinted in irritation. "Are you saying I'm contagious? You're the one spending all your time stuck on a ship, so think about who's really at risk here."

Alex glanced at the girls, who had started arguing again. Then he looked at Valmet, hoping she would step in. However, her tired expression made it clear that this time, she preferred to stay out of it.

Sighing, Alex placed a hand on Koko's head, signaling her to calm down. The argument stopped, but the two women continued to glare at each other with obvious hostility.

"How did Ada Wong even end up in such petty squabbles? Shouldn't she be cold and calculating? Now she's acting like an ordinary girl."

He cast a glance at the sky. It was already late, and now was not the best time to make further decisions.

Scanning the camp, he spotted his Valkyrie—she was busy handing out assignments. Not wanting to disturb her, he tried to find Rebecca, but she was nowhere in sight. Closing his eyes, he sensed her presence in the workshop—she was likely studying the Marker fragment.

The other girls were also occupied, and Alex didn't want to interrupt them.

"Alright, enough arguing. Just tell me, where did you get that fragment?" he asked, turning his attention back to Ada.

"Does it even matter? You already took it," she brushed him off.

"It does matter," Alex smiled. "I healed you, so be a good girl and tell me where you got it."

Ada couldn't deny the obvious—he had really helped her. Ever since she had stolen the fragment, terrifying nightmares had haunted her. She couldn't sleep properly, and the longer it went on, the worse her dreams became.

Each time she closed her eyes, she plunged into horror that became increasingly realistic. Sometimes, it even seemed to her that she could no longer distinguish reality from a dream. Nothing helped. At first, they were just nightmares, but then the voices began to appear. They whispered to her, eroding the boundaries of her mind day by day.

Ada was already sure that she was slowly but surely going insane.

But now... Everything was gone.

The voices fell silent. The exhaustion vanished, and for the first time in a long while, her mind was clear.

"Hmm..." Ada crossed her arms, her gaze becoming calculating. "And what do I get for this information? You do understand that I don't work for free."

She smirked.

"Everything comes at a price, Alex. You got the shard, you helped me—we're even. But information... that's a different deal."

Alex's eye twitched—Ada still managed to seek profit even in a situation like this. He could, of course, just read her memories, but then he'd have to come up with an explanation for how he obtained that information, and he was too lazy to deal with that.

However, he was interested not only in the shard's origin but also in who Ada was planning to hand it over to. Though, he didn't need an interrogation to figure that out—it wasn't hard to guess the potential buyer. There was only one person who would want a Marker fragment—Wesker.

Alex couldn't understand why he was getting involved in this chess game. He knew that Wesker was smart enough to distinguish a real threat from controlled chaos. However, after piecing the facts together, he concluded that Wesker's own arrogance had clouded his judgment. He either didn't realize he was playing by someone else's rules or was well aware of it but was simply waiting for the right moment to stab his "ally" in the back again.

"Stop trying to profit from everything!" Koko suddenly snapped, pointing at Ada. "You've already been saved twice, and yet you're still trying to drive up your price!"

"Alright, Koko, that's enough," Alex stopped her before turning his gaze to Ada. "So, what do you want?"

"Now that's how you should start a conversation," Ada chuckled. "See, Koko? This is how you negotiate. Instead of trying to drive the price down, you need to start the bargaining properly."

Koko gritted her teeth in frustration.

Alex sighed and placed his hand on her head again, slowly running his fingers through her hair to calm her down. He had already known how this would turn out when he first asked Koko about Ada. And now his concerns were confirmed—their arguments were even more heated than Koko's spats with Rika.

Placing a hand on his forehead, Alex exhaled heavily. Keeping them apart would be a logical solution, but he understood that it would only be a temporary measure. There was no retreat. He looked at Ada, signaling that it was time to get to the point.

"There's a lab in Hong Kong," Ada finally said. "That's where I got this fragment. There was a larger specimen, but I only managed to take a small piece to avoid attracting attention."

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"That's enough," Alex raised his hand, stopping her.

He had heard everything he needed—a lab in Hong Kong. That could be valuable information. Now, he was curious about what exactly could be found there.

Valmet, glancing at him, immediately understood what he was thinking. From her expression, it was clear that she had already guessed—Alex was planning to infiltrate it.

Moreover, according to Ada, there was another fragment of the Marker in the laboratory. However, the question remained: had it already been taken away? If the fragment was still there, then Alex had a chance to obtain something truly valuable.

"You've never been told that interrupting a lady while she's speaking is rude?" Ada raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you curious why I stole it and who I was planning to sell it to? People usually ask those questions."

"I've already learned everything I need to know," Alex replied calmly. "Tomorrow, you're taking me to the lab."

"And you're sure you know who I was selling it to?" Ada asked with a hint of interest.

"Wesker," Alex said without hesitation. "You've worked for him more than once, so don't bother denying it. I've seen your dossier, bank statements from fake accounts. I know who you sold information to, who you betrayed, and who paid for your services. For you, it's standard practice—working for one side and then selling its secrets to the enemy."

"Snooping through someone else's dirty laundry? How impolite," Ada smirked, narrowing her eyes.

"Maybe," Alex shrugged, lighting a cigarette. "And don't forget, tomorrow you're leading me to the lab entrance."

Ada wanted to protest, but when she saw Alex's expression, she realized she had no choice. She could only surrender temporarily, but she definitely wasn't planning to do such a dangerous job for free.

Alex knew exactly what Ada was thinking. He had no doubt that in the end, she would demand her price. But right now, his main interest was the Evil Corporation's lab in Hong Kong. He didn't know what he would find there, but his gut told him not to expect anything good. His instincts had never failed him, which meant that in the underground complex, trouble was the minimum he could encounter. At worst, there was something extremely intriguing hidden inside.

After finishing his conversation with Ada, Alex advised her to get a good rest before tomorrow. Leaving her in the care of Valmet and Koko, he headed to Brunhilde to learn more about the new arrivals. He was especially interested in the group of scientists mentioned by Captain Price. According to him, these specialists might be able to develop an antidote for the zombie virus.

To be honest, Alex was highly skeptical about it. The virus ravaging the world was a hellish mix of countless strains, and creating a cure for such chaos was incredibly difficult.

"How are the newcomers?" he asked as he approached Brunhilde.

"They're fine. They've been checked, no infections, but they're all exhausted and starving. We need to feed them and let them rest. The soldiers and martial arts experts are holding up well, but the rest... well, you get the idea," she explained.

"I do," Alex nodded. "Anyway, I found out some useful information."

He took Brunhilde's hand to get her attention.

"And what did you find out?" she asked, looking at him with intrigue.

"I'll tell you later. But for now, one thing—Price said there's a group of scientists among the newcomers who supposedly can create an antidote for the zombie virus."

"And you believe that?" Brunhilde shook her head. "I don't doubt the wisdom of mortals—they're capable of many things... But even I find it hard to imagine that they could create a serum that could protect people."

Alex simply nodded in agreement and explained why he considered this task nearly impossible. It wasn't that he didn't want such an antidote to exist, but he knew how difficult it was. However, if this group truly decided to try, he was ready to share the data he had.

Brunhilde also understood that even in the best-case scenario, the chances of success were very slim. But it was still worth trying.

Once the conversation ended, Alex loudly announced for everyone to head to the aircraft carrier. People immediately started moving, preparing for boarding. Alex and his soldiers were the last to board, making sure no one was left behind.

Throwing one last glance at the destroyed city, Alex stepped onto the ship.

He didn't get involved in organizational matters, leaving the distribution of the newcomers to others. Instead, he headed straight to his workroom.

There, he found Rebecca carefully examining a fragment of the Marker. Alex wasn't worried about her safety—she had a ring that protected her not only physically but also on the mental and spiritual levels. However, he really didn't like the fact that she was playing with that thing.

Without saying a word, he took the fragment from her and placed it in a black container where another fragment was already stored. And the moment the two fragments were near each other...

They started to fuse.

Alex watched the process with curiosity.

"Huh, interesting... Didn't expect them to merge. Just like living metal," he muttered thoughtfully.

"Disgusting," Rebecca grimaced.

Alex smirked and affectionately ruffled her hair before hiding the container in his inventory.

He then handed over control of the aircraft carrier to G.I.R. and ordered him to move several kilometers away from shore to anchor until morning.

Rebecca wanted to ask why they weren't continuing to sail, but Alex simply replied that he would explain everything once the others gathered.

Leaving the room, Alex, Rebecca, and G.I.R. returned to the bridge. G.I.R. took the helm, steered the ship further from the land, and stopped it.

Alex leaned back in his chair, tiredly rubbed his face, and closed his eyes. He was very curious about what he would find in the laboratory in Hong Kong. But his gut told him—nothing would be that simple.

After a while, the girls started returning to the bridge. The first thing they saw was Alex, his head tilted back, sitting with his eyes closed.

"Why aren't we sailing further? Why are we anchored?" Yuriko asked first.

"Friend of Koko..." Alex began.

"This woman is not my friend," Koko immediately interrupted him, gritting her teeth in anger.

Alex rolled his eyes.

"Alright, not Koko's friend," he corrected himself. "Anyway, she said there's a lab of the 'Evil Corporation' in this city. And I want to check it out. That's why we're not sailing further."

Saya gave him a skeptical look.

"Are you sure about this? Don't you think she might have lied?"

"Unfortunately, no. She didn't lie," Alex sighed. "Ada Wong brought a fragment of the Marker with her. And according to her, she stole it specifically from the lab in Hong Kong."

Alex told the girls everything he could at the moment, including the reasons why he wanted to explore the laboratory. After listening to him, they silently nodded, agreeing with his arguments. Ada Wong's name sounded familiar, but it wasn't until a moment later that they remembered how Koko often complained about a woman with whom they had constant disagreements.

Now the question remained: who would Alex take with him? He would have preferred to go alone, as he wasn't sure what awaited them inside the laboratory. However, judging by the looks on the girls' faces, they were planning to go with him anyway, and they wouldn't accept a refusal.

He didn't want to bring too many people, so he decided on Valmet, Rebecca, and Saeko — they would definitely be able to take care of themselves. It wasn't that he didn't trust the others; he just didn't want to put them at unnecessary risk. The girls understood this, so they didn't argue.

In addition to them, Alex decided to take G.I.R. and M.I.M.I. — he wanted to use them to hack into the laboratory's security system to avoid any unnecessary problems.

"And what does this Marker fragment look like?" Rhei asked, pressing her finger to her lips.

"Right, with all this talk, I completely forgot about it. Isn't it an artifact from some ancient alien civilization? Shouldn't it have some kind of effect?" added Rika, opening a can of beer.

"It's just a piece of stone, don't think too much about it," Alex replied indifferently. "Non-friend Koko already suffered enough carrying that thing around. And I think I don't need to explain what could happen to a person if they carry that fragment for too long."

"So, Non-friend Koko is going to go crazy and start writing bloody symbols on the walls, like in horror movies?" Shizuka asked with clear concern.

"No, I already helped her. And the fragment itself is sealed in a special container," Alex said, stepping closer to hug the worried girl.

"And how did you help her? Wasn't she supposed to, you know... start breaking down? How do you even cure someone from that?" Saya asked with interest.

"Come closer, I'll show you," Alex waved his hand, inviting her to step closer.

Saya raised an eyebrow but still approached. Alex's hand began to glow with a soft green light, and he gently placed it on her head. The girls watched the process with curiosity — they were interested in what exactly he was doing and what effect it would have.

As soon as Alex touched Saya, her eyes closed, and her expression relaxed. It felt as though her mind had been cleared, and her thoughts became light and orderly. She even felt as if she had found answers to questions that had previously troubled her.

When Alex removed his hand, Saya slowly opened her eyes.

"So, how do you feel?" he asked with a light smile.

"I don't even know how to describe it... My head feels lighter, my thoughts aren't tangled... How did you do that?" Saya asked with genuine curiosity.

"I just calmed your mind. Nothing complicated. I told you, chakra is universal energy," Alex replied, shrugging.

"Can I try too?" Shizuka spoke up, still in his embrace and looking at him curiously from below.

"Of course, anyone who wants to, line up," Alex smirked, hugging Shizuka tighter.

The girls exchanged glances, but soon, all of them except Rebecca and Brunhilda wanted to experience the effect for themselves. Alex saw no reason to refuse, so he performed the mind-cleansing procedure for each of them.

Once the process was complete, the girls discussed their sensations, but his smile faltered slightly when the older women claimed that their skin felt softer. He was sure he had simply calmed their minds, not conducted any cosmetic procedures, but he didn't argue — additional explanations could take too long.

It was already evening outside, and there was no more work to be done, so they could afford to relax a little.

"By the way, where's Alice? It's already late, and she's still not here," Alex suddenly remarked, looking around.

"Where else? She's still training with Honoka and Malka. She got so excited about becoming a kunoichi that now she's taking lessons from that quiet girl... Shigure," Brunhilda replied, rolling her eyes.

"Better she becomes a kunoichi than what she wanted to be before — some kind of Battle Sister serving the Emperor," Namiyo added, nodding in agreement.

"Don't even mention it," Kiriko smirked, resting her hand on her cheek. "I can't even imagine Alice as an inquisitor..."

"Three is already enough without her," Yuriko chimed in. "GIR, MIMI, and Stitch are completely obsessed with worshiping this Emperor. They start every day with a prayer..."

Alex sighed, realizing that a whole mini-faction of fanatics had already formed among his team.

Alex watched the girls, who had started a rather strange conversation, and was glad that GIR, MIMI, and Stitch weren't nearby. If those three had overheard this debate, they would have jumped into heated arguments and probably would have been ready to argue with the girls until morning. To distract them from unnecessary discussions, Alex simply turned on a show. The girls immediately fell silent and grabbed snacks. And so ended the day on the aircraft carrier.

The next morning, Alex woke up not from the usual sensations — someone chewing on his cheek or trying to suffocate him with their chest — but from the loud noise of two arguing people. With a heavy sigh, he opened his eyes and tried to figure out who had managed to start an argument so early.

Rising, he carefully pushed Saya away, who was also starting to wake up. Scanning the room with sleepy eyes, Alex noticed that all the girls were looking in one direction. Following their gazes, he saw Koko and Ada Wong.

Well, now it was clear where the noise was coming from.

These two seemingly grown women had started a heated argument right from the morning. Alex listened closely to their words to understand what the issue was.

"I'm telling you again, Wong, you don't belong here!" Koko snapped irritably, trying to push Ada out of the room. "Alex is still sleeping, so get out!"

"Sleeping, you say?" Ada responded with a smirk, easily avoiding Koko's attempts. "I thought he said he wanted me to take him to the lab. So, like a good person, I came to wake him up."

"'Good person'?" Koko snorted. "You're less of a good person than the zombies wandering the streets! At least zombies are honest about their intentions — they want to eat me and don't hide it. But trusting you is like hoping that a zombie will suddenly decide not to eat me!"

Alex looked at them with a dry gaze but decided to ignore the circus. Rubbing his face to shake off the remnants of sleep, he embraced Saya, lifted her in his arms, and made his way to the table. After seating the still sleepy girl, he cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the two arguers.

Koko and Ada fell silent and turned to him.

Alex silently pointed to the table, signaling that they could continue their conversation during breakfast.

Ada flashed a provocative grin at Koko, then skillfully slipped past her and sat at the table. Koko stomped her feet in annoyance but eventually plopped down onto Alex's lap. Alex sighed and stroked her head, trying to calm the irritated girl. Rika was the happiest, since Koko had finally met a worthy opponent who could get under her skin.

"Valmet, when you're done with breakfast, gather the guys," Alex said, sipping his coffee.

"You're bringing the guys along too?" Yuriko asked, sipping her hot drink.

"Just in case," he replied calmly. "Extra hands won't hurt. Who knows what we'll find there? We might need to carry something useful."

The girls didn't argue with his decision.

While Alex drank his coffee, he wondered what they might find in the laboratory. If there was a fragment of the Marker, there might be a chance to find the Marker itself — or at least its beginnings. Sighing to himself, he hoped it would just be an abandoned lab that everyone had evacuated from... but he knew his hopes were unlikely to be realized.

As breakfast came to an end, Valmet went to gather the team, and Alex asked Namiyo to take control of the aircraft carrier. He didn't want to waste time on boats and a long land journey in search of transport. After a while, Valmet returned and reported that the guys had been warned and were ready to set out.

Alex nodded and, while Saeko, Rebecca, and Valmet finished preparing, double-checked the gear.

"Alright, it's time to move out. We need to explain the plan to the guys," he said, gripping the hilt of Yamato tighter.

The girls nodded, fully ready to leave. Alex, thinking that Ada could use some protection as well, asked the others to wait and headed to his workshop. Grabbing another energy shield from the table, he quickly returned to the group and handed the device to Ada.

"And what's this?" she asked curiously, examining the item in her hands.

"Energy shield," Alex explained. "All my girls have one. If you want to know how to use it, ask them."

Ada raised an eyebrow with a light smile.

"Huh? Since when did I become one of your girls?"

Alex yawned tiredly, covering his mouth with his hand.

"We've known each other for a day. When would you have become one? This is just for your safety. If I wanted to pursue you, I would've done it differently." He sighed. "Now, enough wasting time. I want to leave Hong Kong by evening."

Without waiting for a response, Alex turned around and walked forward, leaving Ada standing with the energy shield in her hands. Saeko and Rebecca followed him, while Valmet lingered, beckoning Ada to follow her. On the way, she explained how the shield worked and how to use it.

Descending into the cargo hold where the transport was stored, Alex saw Lehm and his people, including Price, Ghost, and Soap. However, there were also Chun-Li, Cammy, Ryu, Ken, and even masters from Ryōzanpaku. Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Isn't that a bit much? I thought I only asked for Lehm and his people," he remarked.

Soap smirked.

"A rumor spread that you're heading to the Corporation's laboratory, so we decided to help out. Extra hands never hurt."

Alex shrugged — arguing was pointless.

He pulled out his phone and sent a signal to GIR and MIMI, then decided to give a quick briefing.

"Alright, since everyone's here, who am I to refuse?" he said, lighting a cigarette.

"And what exactly are you looking for in there?" Ghost asked, watching Alex closely.

"I don't know yet, but I think we'll find something useful. Now, listen carefully," Alex replied, pulling out a holographic projector from his pocket.

He turned to Ada:

"Show the map where the entrance to the laboratory is."

When she indicated the exact location, Alex asked her to describe the internal structure of the facility. It turned out the underground complex resembled an ant colony. Hearing this, Alex involuntarily grimaced — it was far too reminiscent of typical scenes from horror movies.

"So, we have an entrance. But basically, we're going into someone else's den, and we don't know the state of the lab right now. We're flying blind," he said, scanning the gathered people with his eyes.

Price lit a cigar and grunted.

"And what's your plan, kid?"

"It depends on whether the lab has electricity. If it does, my little helpers will be able to take control of the complex, which will make things easier for us. If not, we'll have to improvise. So I recommend you bring gear," Alex replied.

He continued discussing with the others, deciding the best place to infiltrate the underground complex. Deep down, Alex didn't want to take too many people — the risk was too high. In the end, the masters from Ryōzanpaku decided to stay behind, though Shigure insisted on participating. Chun-Li and Cammy also intended to go, and despite all of Alex's attempts to talk them out of it, he couldn't convince them otherwise.

As the briefing came to a close, Alex reminded everyone to prepare and take ropes — they might come in handy. He then warned them that they would leave as soon as the aircraft carrier returned to port.

Alex grabbed his katana, Yamato, and, surveying the assembled group, said:

"Alright, it's time to move out. I'll explain the next steps on-site."

To be continued...

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