The Daily Life of the Demon King

Chapter 154 - 154: Beginning of a New Adventure

A week had passed since the group from Night City ventured into the dungeon for the first time, a week filled with events. Wasting no time, Alex took on the task of arranging housing for Orario's newest residents. First, he built a cozy home for Maine and Dorio, giving them a place to settle down and start fresh.

For Falco, Alex made a special gesture — a house with a garage to accommodate his beloved van, allowing him to indulge in his passion for vehicles whenever he liked.

The excitement only grew when Alex brought his classic vehicles to the city: a 1967 Impala and the Fenrir motorcycle. These unfamiliar machines fascinated the locals, who had never seen anything like them. To test the motorcycle, Alex expanded the Coliseum arena, turning it into an impromptu race track.

The goddesses eagerly tried riding the car, but Loki stood out — managing to hop on the motorcycle and almost crash into a wall, sparking a wave of laughter and commentary.

For Pilar, Alex constructed a house with a workshop and a storage space for materials. However, the project took longer than expected because Pilar kept changing his requirements. The issue was resolved when Rebecca, tired of his indecisiveness, gave him a «magic kick.» After that, the workshop and storage were successfully set up in the basement.

A few days later, Falco's bar opened, named Afterlife after the legendary establishment from Night City. The bar quickly gained popularity among adventurers, thanks to the unique drinks from another world.

Chilled, fizzy beer became an instant favorite, leaving patrons unable to return to their usual warm ale. However, as often happens with adventurers, the bar didn't escape its first brawl on opening day. Alex had to step in to calm things down, firmly reminding everyone that such behavior wouldn't be tolerated.

Afterlife attracted not only adventurers but also gods, some of whom attempted to recruit Falco into their familias. Loki, realizing she was outnumbered, turned to Alex for help. One look from him and his intimidating stance over the table were enough to make the other gods retreat to their drinks. Memories of Alex single-handedly defeating the one-eyed dragon and punishing Apollo were still fresh in their minds.

Pilar's shop opened soon after the bar. He created prototype prosthetics for adventurers to test before purchasing. Alex helped organize the shop and implemented a discount system: adventurers who provided their own materials could save significantly. Hephaestus assisted in pricing, factoring in material quality and added features.

The shop gained attention through the goddesses during the recent Denatus meeting. They spread word of the new place where adventurers could purchase prosthetics.

The first customer was Miach, accompanied by Naaza. Alex and Rebecca were at the shop, helping Pilar with inventory when Miach arrived. Recognizing him, Alex recalled his friendship with Hestia and offered to assist with customer service while the others worked in the workshop.

Miach immediately recognized Alex, not just for his fame and striking appearance, but because Hestia often boasted about her «brilliant familia member» to other gods. Explaining his visit, Miach said he wanted to inquire about a prosthetic's cost.

Alex quickly deduced that this was due to the financial struggles of Miach's familia, already burdened with debt. Naaza, who accompanied Miach, tried to dissuade him from spending more, arguing that he didn't need to go to such lengths for her, especially at the cost of further debts.

Smiling at their caring interaction, Alex offered an unexpected solution: as their first customers, Naaza's prosthetic would be made free of charge. Miach initially resisted the idea, but Alex convinced him it wasn't charity — it was a promotional move for the shop.

As proof of his proposal, Alex assured that a high-quality prosthetic would serve as the best advertisement for Pilar's workshop. He deliberately avoided mentioning Miach's friendship with Hestia, knowing that this would only strengthen Miach's resistance. After much persuasion, Miach eventually agreed.

Alex quickly worked things out with Pilar, explaining the situation. Pilar readily agreed, especially since Alex provided the necessary materials, and additional publicity would only help the business.

Meanwhile, the other women had varying experiences. Kiwi and Lucy, captivated by magic, delved into studying it. Alex prepared a detailed manual for them, enabling them to learn basic techniques independently.

However, Kiwi and Lucy often had questions and frequently sought Alex's help. He patiently explained complex concepts, teaching them how to convert mana into different elements. Thanks to their previous experience as netrunners, the two quickly grasped the theoretical aspects of magic.

Rebecca, on the other hand, took an interest in enchanting weapons with runes. She received a notebook containing Alex's personal notes, and to his surprise, she invented a press for imprinting runes onto bullets in just a few days, eliminating the need for manual work. Eager to test her new «toys,» Rebecca headed to the dungeon for another experiment.

Foreseeing potential problems, Alex sent the other women with her as backup. It turned out to be a wise decision—when they returned, the group looked like they had crawled through an old chimney. The cause? Rebecca's invention had resulted in her blowing up an entire dungeon floor.

Incidentally, Alex's theory about the effectiveness of firearms and explosives in the dungeon was also confirmed. Rebecca managed to level up within just a few days by blasting through monster-filled floors.

Gloria mainly handled household tasks and spent time with Hephaestus, occasionally chatting with her and forming a small group of like-minded, practical women. Valerie, GIR, and MIMI spent most of their time with the others in the dungeon.

However, GIR and MIMI became somewhat infamous in Orario due to one of their «crusades» against a floor inhabited by orcs. Adventurer rumors spread so wildly that Alex and Rebecca couldn't stop laughing, their stomachs aching from the hilarity.

The rumors, primarily about GIR and MIMI, claimed that a new type of monster had appeared in the dungeon, hostile to all others. But when it became known that GIR and MIMI were Alex's creations, adventurers began avoiding the robo-dogs, fearing what they might do.

When mistaken for monsters, GIR and MIMI had no qualms about launching their crusade, taking down any adventurers who stood in their way.

The group from the modern world gradually adapted to life in Orario, forming friendships and connections. Alex even considered changing the women's races to make life easier for them.

However, they unanimously decided not to rush the transformation. The only exception was Gloria, whom Alex helped rejuvenate slightly. Even so, this change had no visible effect on her appearance, which Alex already found beautiful.

During this time, Alex was not only helping the women and his friends but also working on creating a module for GIR to track the presence of Nyan-Nayn avatars in the worlds he would visit. After numerous trials and errors, Alex successfully created a module capable of detecting the avatars of external gods.

Additionally, Alex kept another goal in mind: finding the world where David had reincarnated. To ensure that he wouldn't inadvertently harm David's soul fragment, Alex developed another module and installed it on MIMI.

When Alex created the two modules, he only mentioned the one designed to locate Nyan-Nyan's avatars. He chose to keep the module for finding David a secret for now, intending to surprise Gloria later. Once the modules were finished, Alex felt it was time to embark on a new journey.

Alex woke up to a strange sensation on his face. Opening his eyes, he found a small foot comfortably nestled against his cheek. Carefully moving it aside, he immediately recognized its owner—Hestia, who had somehow managed to turn in her sleep. Her head was now resting on his legs, while her feet were near his face. Seeing this, Alex chuckled quietly. Even in their sleep, Rebecca and Hestia managed to fight for their spot.

He watched as the two girls continued to nudge each other even while dreaming, as if vying for dominance. Suppressing a laugh, Alex sighed and decided it was time to get up. However, as soon as he moved, both Hestia and Rebecca, still fast asleep, clung to him, refusing to let go.

«Well, what am I going to do with you?» Alex smiled, gently lifting both girls in his arms.

Balancing the lazy goddess and the mischievous gremlin on his shoulders, he headed downstairs for breakfast. Entering the dining hall, Alex found Gloria and Hephaestus sitting at the table, engrossed in an animated discussion over cups of coffee. When they noticed Alex carrying his «heavy passengers,» they both burst into laughter. Alex simply smiled, carefully setting the sleeping girls down at the table.

As soon as Rebecca and Hestia were seated, they promptly let their heads drop onto the surface and resumed their slumber. Alex sighed, feeling more like a doting father than a boyfriend. Approaching Gloria and Hephaestus, he kissed them both in turn before finally taking a seat beside them.

While Alex enjoyed the quiet moment, he noticed that everyone else seemed to be busy. Loki and Freya had likely sent their familias into the dungeon to hunt monsters, continuing their unspoken rivalry. Lucy and Kiwi were probably absorbed in learning magic under Riveria and Lefiya's guidance. Valerie, as usual, was most likely testing out her latest weapon in the dungeon, with the other girls accompanying her in case her latest crazy idea went sideways.

GIR and MIMI were peacefully napping in a corner on their cushions, temporarily putting their «crusades» against the orcs on hold. Alex couldn't help but smile, imagining the chaos they must have caused in his absence.

Gloria emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray with coffee for Alex and a hearty breakfast for Hestia and Rebecca. The moment the aroma of food reached their noses, the two lazy girls instantly opened their eyes and dove into their meals with surprising speed.

Taking a sip of his coffee, Alex decided it was time to share his plans.

«Have something on your mind?» Hephaestus asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed the look in his eyes.

«Something like that,» Alex admitted honestly, setting his cup down.

Both Hephaestus and Gloria immediately tensed. They knew all too well that whenever Alex had an idea, it usually led to yet another adventure. Even Hestia and Rebecca, without pausing their eating, began listening intently.

«I think it's time to start

Alex took her hand, and they continued on, exploring the resort town, filled with bright colors, the scents of exotic food, and the sounds of merriment.

To be continued...