Capítulo 49: "Chapter 49: The Elf's Kiss and the Strange Corruption"
When Alex came upstairs, he immediately noticed two unexpected guests in his home and wondered why they were there. It was his beloved elf, Ryuu, and Syr, the little stalker who often followed Alex. He was taken aback to see them. Alex remembered that in the canon, Ryuu helped the Hestia Familia venture into the dungeon, but he couldn't understand why Syr had come along with her. However, seeing the concerned look on Ryuu's face, he realized she was probably worried about the Hestia Familia members and his well-being after everything that had happened.
"Ryuu, Syr, it's good to see you. Why are you here?" Alex greeted them, asking the girls.
"I heard about what happened in the dungeon and came to check on you," answered a worried Ryuu, approaching Alex and taking his hand.
"You could say I'm halfway okay. I've calmed down... maybe," Alex replied with a crooked smile. "But how did you find out about what happened to my family?" he asked, looking at them.
"The whole of Orario knows by now. As soon as I heard, I came straight to you, and Syr tagged along," Ryuu responded, to which Syr's face darkened with lines of frustration.
"What do you mean 'tagged along'? I was worried about Alex too!" Syr protested.
"The whole city knows, you say?" Alex repeated, glancing at Hermes, who was trying to hide behind Asfi. Alex could only sigh in exhaustion, looking at the loose-lipped god.
"It's been a while, Syr," came a voice from behind Alex, causing Syr to freeze and stare at the speaker.
"L-Lady Freya... I-It has been a while... H-How have you been?" Syr stuttered upon seeing Freya, who was looking at her with a smile.
"You two know each other?" Alex asked, pretending to be ignorant.
"Yes, we know each other. I took Syr in from an orphanage I oversee and trained her for a while. Then she left me to live her adult life," Freya said in a sad, feigned tone, like a mother who had been abandoned by her child. Syr froze, unsure of how to respond to Freya's words.
"Doesn't every mother want her child to be happy?" Alex asked, tilting his head.
"If your daughter wanted to leave, would you let her go?" Takemikazuchi asked, curious about Alex's answer.
"Maybe... After I teach her self-defense and kill all the guys who try to get close to her," Alex calmly replied, though his face turned bloodthirsty at the end. He would never allow anyone to get close to his little angel.
"You're joking, right? Right?" Hermes asked nervously, peeking out from behind Asfi.
"I'm definitely not joking. If I have a daughter, I won't let anyone near her," Alex replied firmly. Freya only smiled at his words, understanding why he felt that way. But the other goddesses who loved Alex realized he wasn't kidding and could only sigh wearily, imagining a future where Alex chased away any boys daring to approach his daughters.
Hestia and Hephaestus blushed deeply as they realized they were thinking about the children they could have with Alex, trying to hide their embarrassment. Meanwhile, Loki just grinned mischievously, dreaming of teaching her future daughter all her tricks.
While Alex continued explaining why he wouldn't let anyone near his future daughter, the others started to wonder how the conversation had suddenly shifted to this topic, which he was now discussing non-stop. Those who knew Alex understood that he could go on indefinitely, providing countless examples. But the current situation clearly wasn't the right time for such discussions.
Despite being embarrassed by her own thoughts, Hephaestus remained a responsible goddess and decided to stop Alex before he started giving a lecture on protecting girls.
"Alex, now isn't the best time for this. You mentioned that we need to help the girls and check the wall in the dungeon," Hephaestus said, trying to bring Alex back to reality before the fire of passion started to burn in his eyes.
"Ahem. Right, I got a bit carried away. My apologies," Alex said sheepishly, surprising the newcomers.
He then turned to Ryuu, who was dressed in a green hooded cloak, a white tight-fitting shirt, and mini-shorts.
"Ryuu, thanks for coming, but why are you wearing such a strange outfit?" Alex asked, carefully examining her attire.
"This is my adventurer's outfit. I came to help in case you go to the dungeon," Ryuu replied, blushing under his scrutinizing gaze.
"You wore that in the dungeon?" Alex asked, to which Ryuu nodded shyly.
"Oh gods!" Alex exclaimed, beginning to massage his temples. Ryuu didn't understand why he was reacting to her outfit this way, as it was comfortable and didn't restrict her movements.
"Alright, follow me. Since you want to help in the dungeon, I'll give you some different gear," Alex said with a tired sigh, realizing that the residents here had a completely different sense of logic.
"And what about me?" Syr asked, raising her hand to get his attention.
"I have a different task for you," Alex replied, turning to the eager Syr. "I kidnapped... I mean, I happened to find some workers for the restaurant," he began, but hesitated, causing confusion among everyone.
"You kidnapped people to work for Mama Mia?" Syr asked in surprise, not sure if Alex was joking.
"Not kidnapped, but rather happened to meet them on the street. These lost souls were searching for their place in this world," Alex responded in a righteous and sorrowful tone, as if a god himself had guided him to do good deeds.
After his words, everyone started to look at Alex even more strangely, not understanding how he could talk about kidnapping as something righteous. Hermes's eyes sparkled as he realized Alex was a fascinating person, thinking that he could have a fun adventure with him.
"But why do we need more waitresses?" Syr asked, not understanding why Alex was doing this.
"When I spoke with Mia, she mentioned that more people have been coming in, and sometimes there aren't enough hands. I even have a plan to expand 'The Hostess of Fertility,'" Alex explained, raising even more questions in Syr's mind.
"In any case, don't think too much about it and just wait for them here while I go help Ryuu change her gear," Alex said, heading back down to the basement. Ryuu, unsure of what to do, saw Alex gesture for her to follow him, so she went after him.
Leaving the others upstairs, Alex took Ryuu by the hand and led her to the workshop to change her gear. The clothing she was wearing could in no way protect her from mutated monsters, and Alex couldn't let her go into the dungeon dressed like that. Ryuu, following him, didn't understand what was wrong with her outfit or why he wanted to replace it.
Entering the workshop, the first thing that caught Ryuu's attention wasn't the assortment of weapons on the shelves but rather a man tied to a chair. Ryuu looked at Alex in surprise, but he paid no attention to it and continued rummaging through the drawers.
"Alex, who is this man tied to the chair?" she asked, looking at the person with blood on his face.
"Oh, that? That's just a villain who thinks he's better than others, so he's in that state," Alex replied nonchalantly, turning to Ryuu.
"But why is he in such a condition?" she asked, stepping closer.
"He went through a reformation process and ended up like this," Alex shrugged, as if it were insignificant. Ryuu flinched at the coldness in his tone.
"Is it really right to do this?" Ryuu asked, her brows furrowing.
"It's not about what's right or wrong. The question is whether this trash deserves even a drop of sympathy," Alex answered, looking her in the eyes. "Think about how much pain and suffering he could have caused if his plans had succeeded. How many innocent lives would have been lost?"
After saying this, Alex took Ryuu's hand, making her ponder his words.
"Tell me, Ryuu, if you had the chance to stop a villain before they committed terrible acts, would you do it? Or would you wait until everyone you care about suffered or died?" Alex asked. Ryuu's eyes filled with tears as she remembered her fallen comrades.
Ryuu began to cry, recalling her friends who could never be brought back.
"What's wrong? Did I upset you?" Alex asked worriedly, seeing her tears.
"I remembered my old comrades who died at the hands of the 'Evils'. And your words made me realize that I would have done the same as you if I could, but by then, it was too late..." Ryuu said through her tears, hugging Alex and pressing herself against his chest.
"Don't cry. It's not your fault; no one knows what will happen next. Even if you've taken revenge, your comrades would want you to live a good life and greet each new day with a smile," Alex comforted her, gently stroking her back.
"Ryuu, look at me," he said, softly taking her cheeks in his hands and making her look into his eyes. "Your comrades live on as long as you remember them. They will live in your heart. Remember everything that connected you, both the good and the bad. A person lives on as long as they are remembered."
Alex carefully wiped the tears from her face, and Ryuu felt the warmth of his hands.
"And remember, you're an elf. You'll live for a long time, and the memory of your comrades will stay with you just as long," he added with a smile, giving her a thumbs up.
"Pfft, haha... You ruined the moment," Ryuu laughed, playfully punching him in the chest.
"But now you're not sad," Alex noted, wiping the remaining tears from her face. Ryuu felt his touch and leaned into his hand, savoring the warmth.
"Once, my friend said, 'If a guy ever takes your hand, never let him go.' And you're the first one to do that," Ryuu admitted, recalling her friend's words.
"Wasn't it just a coincidence?" Alex asked, gently rubbing her cheeks to help her relax. Ryuu, feeling his care, looked at him with strange eyes, not understanding how he could so easily change his demeanor.
"If my goddess were here, she would say, 'There are no coincidences,'" Ryuu replied, enjoying his touch.
"Haha! Did your goddess happen to meet a wise turtle?" Alex asked, unable to hold back his laughter after hearing her words.
"No, she didn't. Why do you ask?" Ryuu asked, surprised.
"Because those words were said by a wise turtle to guide her student," Alex explained, trying to suppress his laughter.
"I wish I could meet that turtle someday," Ryuu replied with a smile.
"I promise, I'll try to make that happen," Alex said, looking at her.
"I believe you," Ryuu said, gently kissing Alex on the cheek, making him blush.
"Next time, you should do it like this," Alex said, leaning in and kissing her on the lips. Ryuu was initially taken aback, but then she felt a warm sensation in her chest and decided to enjoy the moment.
"I think we'll have more time to enjoy the kiss later, but for now, we have more important matters," Alex said, breaking the kiss. Ryuu bashfully covered her face and nodded.
"I'm glad I prepared in advance and made some armor that will fit you," Alex said, pulling out a box with new gear for Ryuu.
Ryuu watched in surprise as Alex took out the box and announced that it contained armor specifically made for her. She was astonished—did he foresee her coming, or perhaps did he make it simply because he thought of her and wanted to protect her? These thoughts brought a slight blush to her cheeks. When she opened the box, Ryuu found a beautiful set of armor that looked not only elegant but also trustworthy in its durability.
Feeling a bit embarrassed and wanting to change, Ryuu glanced at Alex, who was waiting for her reaction.
"Hmm... What's wrong? Do you not like it?" Alex asked, noticing her hesitation.
"No, I really like it, it's just... there's nowhere to change," Ryuu answered quietly, causing Alex to smack his forehead, realizing he had forgotten such an obvious detail.
"Of course, sorry about that. Just wait a moment, I'll set something up," Alex said, creating a privacy screen for Ryuu.
While Ryuu changed, Alex decided to prepare a few things, remembering that Hestia planned to join him in the dungeon. He began rummaging through drawers for the necessary items, thinking about how Hermes in the anime also went to the dungeon. Alex realized he needed to prepare something for that annoying god and his inappropriate comments.
Meanwhile, Ryuu finished changing and checked how the armor fit her. She started moving around to ensure the armor didn't restrict her movements and was pleasantly surprised—the armor fit perfectly. Ryuu emerged from behind the screen, wanting to show herself to Alex, but found him feverishly searching for something throughout the workshop.
"Oh, I see you've already changed. How does it feel?" Alex asked, stopping his search.
"The armor fits great. But... how do I look in it?" Ryuu asked quietly, shyly lowering her gaze.
"You look amazing. Anything would look great on you," Alex replied with a smile, causing Ryuu to blush and feel her ears slightly twitch from excitement.
"What are you looking for?" Ryuu asked, trying to hide her embarrassment, but her blushing ears betrayed her state.
"I've already found what I was looking for. These are bracelets that will protect Hestia in the dungeon if I need to fight," Alex said, showing her a pair of bracelets in his hand.
"Why does your goddess want to go to the dungeon?" Ryuu asked curiously, examining the bracelets.
"She's too worried, so she decided to come along," Alex answered wearily.
"Alright, I've picked out the armor for you. Now we just need to choose a weapon. What do you usually use?" Alex asked, looking at Ryuu.
"Here's my weapon. It's a wooden sword custom-made from wood from my homeland, and a pair of kodachi that I received from the Astraea family," Ryuu said, showing her weapons.
"So, your main weapon is a wooden sword?" Alex asked, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. Ryuu nodded shyly, not understanding why he looked at her so excitedly.
"I knew it! This must be fate. Your goddess was right!" Alex exclaimed joyfully, picking Ryuu up in his arms and spinning her around. Ryuu was stunned by his unexpected reaction and couldn't understand why he was so happy.
"Why are you so happy?" she asked as Alex continued to spin her.
"I also enjoy hitting my enemies with a stick," Alex replied with a wide grin. Ryuu couldn't help but smile, finding his words a bit silly but endearing.
"Alright, let's pick out your weapon and head out," Alex said, gently lowering Ryuu to the floor.
Alex led Ryuu to the weapon stand, giving her the choice. Ryuu approached the task with great responsibility, spending some time carefully inspecting her options. Finally, she selected a weapon that suited her perfectly and matched her fighting style. Seeing that Ryuu had made her choice, Alex prepared for departure, but he didn't forget to bring along a massive black weapon case that looked as if it weighed several tons. Ryuu noticed how easily he slung the case over his back and became curious about what weapons might be concealed inside.
When Alex went upstairs, he found that everyone had already gathered in one place. The first thing that caught his eye was Freya standing next to Syr. Freya had a stern, teacher-like smile, while Syr's face was pale and her eyes were moist. Alex thought that Freya was clearly reprimanding Syr like a disobedient daughter.
"Well, it looks like we're ready," Alex said, stepping out with Ryuu and drawing everyone's attention.
"Hestia, this is for you," Alex said, putting a bracelet on Hestia's arm. Hestia immediately began admiring the beautiful accessory on her wrist.
"Hermes, knowing you, you'll probably follow us around like a leech, so this is for you," Alex added, tossing a bracelet to Hermes, who simply smiled sheepishly, realizing his plan had been uncovered.
"Freya, stop scolding Syr. She's an adult and knows where she went wrong," Alex said, approaching Freya and setting the large case on the floor. Freya raised an eyebrow, and Syr looked at Alex with gratitude, already tired of Freya's reprimands.
"Freya, this is for Ottar," Alex said, pointing to the case behind him. Freya looked at the enormous case, realizing that it was too large to lift with one hand. Seeing her hesitation, Alex pointed to the small handbag she always carried. Freya still didn't understand the hint and continued to look at him with embarrassment.
"Freya, for the love of the gods, just put the case in your bag and pass it to Ottar later," Alex said, taking the case and effortlessly stuffing it into Freya's tiny handbag. Those unfamiliar with the item watched in wide-eyed disbelief as the two-meter case fit into such a small bag. Alex just shook his head, thinking that reactions like these were amusing.
"Loki, you said you wanted to be useful, so here's something for you," Alex said, tossing Loki a black cube, which she caught and began examining.
"What is this?" Loki asked, not understanding the purpose of the strange item.
"It's an activator for the alarm system that Allen has been setting up all week. If Dionys is planning something on Daedalus Street, we'll need this cube," Alex explained.
"If monsters emerge from underground, activate the cube and the defense system will weaken them. Safe zones will also appear to protect civilians," he added, demonstrating how to activate the cube.
"Now, everyone going to the dungeon, come to me," Alex said, preparing for teleportation. Those ready to enter the dungeon gathered around him.
"You three, why are you coming?" Alex asked, frowning at the trio from the Takemikazuchi family.
"We just want to help make amends. Our family is responsible for what happened, and we want to make at least a minor contribution," Yamato answered firmly, not looking away from Alex.
"Alright. And you, Haruhime, I have a different task for you. You'll go with Freya. Your priestess skills will be very useful if monsters appear in the city," Alex said, turning his gaze to the fox girl who stood shyly behind everyone.
"I'll do my best," Haruhime said quietly, gripping her staff tightly.
"I believe in you and know you'll do great," Alex encouraged her. Takemikazuchi watched the interaction between Alex and Haruhime with pride, feeling a swelling of emotion at how responsible the little girl had become. He even wiped away a tear, like a proud father.
"Everyone ready?" Alex asked, and everyone nodded in readiness.
"Great. Now touch me," Alex said, waiting for everyone to make contact before teleporting them to the dungeon.
A bright light filled the room, and Alex's group vanished instantly, leaving the space empty. Freya looked at the spot where they had just stood for a moment longer before deciding to head to Ottar to deliver the weapons. She also planned to instruct Allen to keep an eye on Daedalus Street. Noticing Freya leaving, Loki followed her, and Haruhime quickly went after them. The others, still in the house, exchanged awkward glances before going about their business. Takemikazuchi headed to his friend, the god Miahu, while Syr, relieved that Freya was gone, decided to escort the Amazons to Mama Mia to arrange their work and discuss Alex's plans for expanding the restaurant.
Meanwhile, Alex's group found themselves in an empty room on the first floor of the dungeon. Those experiencing teleportation for the first time held their mouths tightly, trying to suppress the nausea. Alex patiently waited for everyone to recover and decided to find out where the Takemikazuchi family had encountered the black wall.
"Yamato, where did your group come across the wall?" Alex asked, surveying the people who were doing their best to avoid throwing up their breakfast.
"It was a strange room on the seventh floor," Yamato replied, holding back her nausea.
"Got it. If everyone's ready, follow me," Alex said, stepping out of the room. The group, finally recovered, followed him.
Alex moved slowly through the corridors of the first floor, trying to detect where the mana flow in the dungeon was disrupted. He searched for a while before finally reaching a spot where he felt something was off.
"I've found the place where the black wall is likely located," Alex announced, and everyone looked at him in confusion, not understanding how he could know this from the first floor.
"In simple terms, the dungeon is a huge organism. Its walls are like veins, and mana is the blood flowing through them. The black wall is a poison that contaminates this blood," Alex tried to explain so that everyone could understand. After his explanation, the faces of those around him brightened as they began to grasp what he was saying.
"But how did you figure this out?" Hermes asked, eager to satisfy his curiosity.
"I was just directing the flow of mana downward, tracking the infected area," Alex explained, satisfying Hermes's curiosity, whose eyes lit up with newfound knowledge.
"Now we'll take a shortcut to this spot," Alex said, asking everyone to move aside. The group didn't immediately understand what he was about to do but then saw Alex deliver a powerful strike to the ground, creating a hole that led to the second floor.
"Hestia, jump on my back," Alex commanded, beckoning her. Hestia quickly complied, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, settling onto his back. Alex, feeling her secure grip, wrapped a rope around her body just in case to ensure she wouldn't fall.
"Now come here, Hermes," Alex said, beckoning Hermes, who approached, intrigued by what was happening. Before Hermes could understand what was going on, Alex grabbed him by the scruff and jumped down.
"Aааааааа!" Hermes screamed like a child as they fell together. The rest of the group was momentarily stunned, watching Alex leap with two gods, but then they exchanged glances, gathered their courage, and followed him.
Alex smashed through the dungeon floors with each strike, rapidly making his way down to the seventh floor, eager to reach the infected area and find out what mischief this group of losers had caused this time. Finally, he landed in the room where the infected wall was supposed to be. The room was swarming with mutated ants. Hermes, seeing the swarm, felt a shiver run down his spine. He realized the situation was far from ideal and began to doubt the wisdom of his decision to enter the dungeon. However, his doubts quickly dissipated when the entire room was suddenly engulfed in flames, and all the monsters were instantly burned alive.
Releasing Hestia and Hermes, Alex approached the wall to inspect it. Upon touching it, he immediately realized that this was not ordinary corruption but something much worse. If his suspicions were confirmed, the situation would be truly serious.
"Have you found out anything?" Hestia asked cautiously, keeping her distance from Alex. Something about the wall unsettled her, and she couldn't look at it for long without feeling a sharp headache.
"I'm about 70% sure I know who might be behind this," Alex replied, noticing her behavior. He began to suspect who might be pulling the strings, but couldn't understand why this entity was intervening in this world. These thoughts troubled him, and he went through possible motives but couldn't reach a conclusive answer.
"This wall has grown larger... And it's almost impossible to look at it," Yamato said, descending and noticing the changes.
"Alex, what are you going to do about this?" Ryu asked, jumping down beside him and watching Alex, who was still pondering various scenarios.
"Hmm... I think I might have something that could help, but I'm not sure," Alex said, deciding to stop pondering since he couldn't find a satisfactory explanation for the entity's interference.
"Let's see if this works," he continued, pulling a white crystal from his pocket. Alex pressed it against the wall, and it instantly began to absorb the black energy, like a vacuum sucking up dust. Once all the corruption was absorbed, dark miasma began to ooze from the crystal, resembling mud dripping onto the floor. Realizing his plan had succeeded, Alex quickly placed the crystal in a prepared rune-etched box to seal it and prevent the corruption from spreading.
Looking at the box containing the sealed crystal, Alex realized that thorough preparation was needed to confront whoever was behind this mysterious threat. The others watched his actions and, seeing his serious expression, understood that there was something more to this than just dungeon corruption.
To be continued...
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
GreedHunter
GreedHunter I’m already excited about when Alex will venture into the multiverse—so many worlds I’d love for him to visit and other little details. But we’ll have to wait for that moment. Enjoy Reading!
(Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you
For I can't help falling in love with you)
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