"Chapter 73: New Encounters"

Alex watched the old man, who had fallen silent after his question. Deciding to use this moment, Alex looked around, as he hadn't had the chance to really take in the place last time. He scanned the surrounding space, looking for anything to focus on.

The ground beneath his feet was snow-white, not so bright as to hurt the eyes, but more like the first snow—soft and soothing. Above, stars twinkled peacefully, as if they were living worlds filled with life. This entire place felt like the starting point, the place where everything began, a workshop where the old man created his greatest masterpiece—life.

"I wouldn't mind staying here longer," Alex thought as he gazed at the stars shining in the sky. "It's a shame that others can't see this beauty," he muttered.

Alex continued to stare at the stars, lost in his thoughts, momentarily forgetting everything around him. This was exactly the peaceful life he had dreamed of. The only thing he regretted was that his family wasn't here. He wished he could show them this beauty.

" I see you like it here, son," the old man said, having finished his contemplation and noticing the peaceful expression on Alex's face as he continued to look at the stars.

"It's truly a beautiful place. It's so peaceful here... I wish my family could see this too," Alex replied with a smile, not taking his eyes off the distant stars.

" Indeed, because this is where it all began, " the old man confirmed, also looking up at the starry sky and smiling at his creation.

For a while, they stood in silence, enjoying the view. Then Alex lowered his head and turned his gaze to the old man, who was smiling peacefully as he looked at the stars.

" I'm not here by chance, am I, old man? " Alex asked, drawing the old man's attention, who now lowered his head with the same peaceful smile.

" Correct, I need your help with some things, " the old man nodded, confirming Alex's words.

" And what exactly does that entail? " Alex raised an eyebrow, showing his interest.

" I want you to save several worlds from destruction, " the old man replied calmly, waiting for Alex's reaction.

Alex placed his hand on his chin, lost in thought. Several scenarios crossed his mind as to why his help might be needed and how it could lead to the end of a world without external intervention.

" If possible, I'd like more details. I need to know what I'm getting into, " Alex said, lowering his hand and habitually reaching for a notebook, which, of course, wasn't there. Realizing this, Alex sighed, while the old man merely smiled, watching his forgetful actions.

" Aren't you curious why I can't do this myself? " the old man asked, observing as Alex fumbled in his pockets.

Alex stopped his attempts and looked at the old man, who was waiting for his answer.

" Hmm... If I understand correctly, you've decided not to interfere with your creation, and all your children, whether they be angels or someone else, also cannot interfere because of your rule, " Alex said after a brief thought.

" And if they do interfere, their intervention is minimal, as much as possible. For example, Lucifer, who helps a detective solve crimes, " he continued, sharing his assumptions.

" But since I came after this rule was established, I can interfere in all of this, " Alex concluded and looked at the old man, who had an expression of surprise on his face.

The old man was amazed at the accuracy of Alex's assumptions. He was momentarily taken aback, but soon a fatherly smile appeared on his face.

" You're right, son, you aren't bound by this rule, " the old man confirmed with a smile.

" Well, can you tell me more about what awaits me? " Alex said, waving his hands as if urging the old man to start his story.

The old man shook his head, watching these antics.

" I need you to save worlds, just as you did with your own, " the old man replied.

" That's a bit vague, to be honest, " Alex admitted, looking at the old man with a wry smile.

The old man sighed and decided to explain in more detail.

" I need you to save worlds that have deviated significantly from their intended trajectory, " the old man said, and Alex thoughtfully rubbed his chin.

" You mean you don't want dark universes to appear or something like that? " Alex clarified, looking pensively at the old man.

The old man only smiled mysteriously and said nothing more.

" Isn't that something the world forger should handle? " Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

" You already know the answer to your question, son, " the old man replied with a slight smile.

" Not exactly, " Alex stroked his chin, staring into space. " It's just that the world forger is supposed to be dead or already dead at the hands of Barbatos, who is trying to gather a group of dark knights."

" This confusion with time is disorienting. He is supposed to die or hasn't died yet, or his death is near... It's all so tangled, " Alex continued, slightly frowning.

" You're right, he is supposed to die in the future. But that doesn't mean you can't help. Sometimes dark universes appear unnoticed and infect the entire tree, " the old man said with a note of sadness in his voice.

Alex pondered the offer. He understood that nothing could be perfect. Even if the world forger worked tirelessly, there would still be worlds that could go unnoticed and infect the entire tree—the timeline of the world.

Alex rubbed his brow, realizing that his job would be significantly more complicated, aside from tracking avatars of the outer god. After finishing his thoughts, he lifted his head and smiled at the old man.

" Well, I was planning to travel through different worlds anyway, " Alex said with a shrug, and the old man simply smiled in response.

" You agreed to this task so easily? " The old man chuckled softly.

" Well, you called me son, so why not help your old man? " Alex smiled, and the old man's smile widened.

They stood there, smiling at each other, and a silence settled around them.

" I thought you'd ask for something in return, " the old man broke the silence.

" You've already given me a lot, but... I wouldn't mind a few things that might help in some worlds, " Alex said, rubbing his chin again, and a crooked smile appeared on the old man's face.

" And what might that be? " the old man asked, raising an eyebrow.

" Well, don't you know? " Alex raised his eyebrow in response.

So they stood there, two people in the place where everything was created, looking at each other. Their gazes met and lingered until Alex couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. The old man laughed too.

" I was just asking a question, " the old man said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

" Yes, that was really funny. But I really do need a few things to blend in better in some worlds, " Alex said, also wiping his tears.

" Well, we'll see about your behavior, young man, " the old man said in a fatherly tone. Alex almost choked with surprise and started coughing, looking at the old man, who only smiled.

" Oh, I nearly died again. It would be really funny if I died here from choking on saliva, " Alex said, clearing his throat, and the old man just laughed.

" That would indeed be funny. Lucifer would probably laugh the most, " the old man said, with a slight smirk.

" I'll have to visit my new brother. I can already imagine his surprise when he finds out that Father created not an "Angel" but a "Demon". I should remember to film it, " Alex said, and the old man's face lit up with a smile before they both started laughing again.

Their laughter filled the place. Alex was already imagining Lucifer's reaction to his true identity and decided to keep that moment in his memory. After finishing their laughter, he looked at the old man, realizing it was time to get down to business.

" So, son, what do you want to ask of your old man? " the old man asked, looking at Alex.

" I need just a couple of things: a weapon that will help me blend in with some worlds, and a phone that can connect to the network of worlds, if they're modern, " Alex said, raising two fingers.

" Can't you create this weapon yourself? " the old man asked, surprised, looking intently at Alex.

" I don't think I have the capability right now. Firstly, my workshop is in another world, and secondly, I'm probably injured, " Alex replied with a wry smile.

" Really? And why do you think you're injured? " the old man asked, surprised that Alex had guessed his condition.

" I haven't reached my full strength yet, and that explosion probably took a toll on me since I used all available power, completely depleting my source, " Alex said, reflecting on his condition.

" You're right, you're a bit injured, but it won't take long to recover, " the old man nodded in response to Alex's reasoning.

Alex looked at the old man in surprise, who assured him that he would recover quickly. Realizing there was some truth to this, he thought about it. His injuries were probably related to the fact that the Nyarlathotep avatar had tried to turn him into a "donut," damaging the foundation in the process. And then there was the explosion, which may or may not have affected the castle connected to his soul. In the end, Alex could say he got off relatively easy. He decided to check his body's condition when he woke up.

"Alright, that's future me's problem. I'll deal with it as it comes," Alex said, shrugging. The old man just shook his head at his son's nonchalance.

"So, what do you need to help with the task I want to assign?" the old man asked, looking at Alex.

"Oh, right. I need Ebony and Ivory, Blue Rose, and a phone that will help me connect to the world network I'll be in. I don't want to buy or create a new phone in every world," Alex said, rubbing his hands together like an impatient child.

"This is the first time I have a child so obsessed with weapons," the old man said, shaking his head as he watched Alex.

"What's wrong with that? As long as I don't use them for evil, it's fine," Alex replied with a shrug.

"You're right, everything you've created, you've used for good. Though, except for your stick..." the old man said with a crooked smile, recalling one of Alex's inventions.

"It helped reform bad people. And anyway, it only causes pain, not harm. Well, except for psychological harm," Alex added with a whisper.

The old man sighed again, thinking of his other son, who also made him sigh often. Imagining what might happen if the two of them met, he felt a headache coming on. He could already picture the trouble they might cause, but decided to leave it for the future.

The old man created in his hands what Alex had asked for. Alex's eyes widened in surprise as two guns—a black and a white one—appeared in the old man's hands, along with an exquisite revolver with a blue rose on the barrel.

In the other hand, the old man held a phone resembling the old phone Alex used before all of this. The weapons and phone the old man held slowly floated toward Alex and merged with him. A childlike smile appeared on Alex's face, finally receiving the long-awaited gift.

"Thank you, Father," Alex said with a grateful smile.

"Don't thank me, son, it's a small favor on my part," — the old man replied with a smile.

Alex didn't know what to say to that and simply fell silent.

"Well, ready to go back?" the old man asked, looking at Alex.

"Before I leave... Chuck from Supernatural — who is he?" Alex asked, eager to satisfy his curiosity.

"Chuck, you say? Haven't you already had some guesses after recent events?" the old man asked with a smile.

"Don't tell me he's..." Alex began, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Yep, that's exactly it," the old man confirmed, grinning cheerfully.

"No way, that's not funny anymore. Guess I'll have to go there and mess things up. And that should definitely be fun for me," Alex said, his face breaking into a broad smile.

"Just don't overdo it," the old man said, looking at the excited Alex, whose face was lit up with a smile.

Alex grinned widely, imagining meeting those guys he had been following for 15 years. It only increased his desire to visit that world in the future.

"Well, I'm basically ready to go back. It's nice here, but as they say, adventures await," Alex said with a smile, and his body began to slowly dissipate.

"Oh yes, how do I move between the necessary worlds?" Alex suddenly asked, remembering the most important question.

"Use your sword, and you'll figure it out," the old man said, and Alex only made a face at such an answer.

"Alright, I'll figure it out as I go, as usual. See you around, old man," Alex said, waving his hand.

"Of course, son, we'll see each other again," the old man replied, watching as Alex slowly vanished, like in a dramatic film.

Alex was almost gone when his face suddenly took on the expression of someone who had remembered something. He looked at the old man.

"Before I disappear completely... Are you mad at Lucifer?"" Alex asked, looking at the old man, who pondered the question.

"Am I mad at him?" the old man repeated and thought for a moment.

"He's my son, and like any child, he went through a rebellious phase. But he's still my son, and I still love him," he answered with a smile.

"I'll pass that on when I see him," Alex said, disappearing completely.

As Alex vanished, the Creator of all continued to look at the empty space with a smile on his face.

"Of course, son," the old man said quietly, looking at the place where Alex had just disappeared.

Alex lay on the couch, his eyes fluttering, signaling that he was starting to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. The first thought that crossed his mind was that everyone who gets isekai'd sees an unfamiliar ceiling.

Smiling at the thought, Alex began to sit up. Grabbing the back of the couch with one hand, he got up and looked around. The couch he had been lying on was slightly worn and shabby in places.

The room, despite its average size, felt cramped, and it was evident that it was a studio apartment with no separation into rooms. The sleeping area was only separated by a curtain. The apartment was dimly lit, with only the faint light of the sun filtering through the partially open curtains barely illuminating the space.

"Where am I?" Alex thought, looking around. He felt a slight chill on his skin and, looking down, noticed the lack of upper clothing.

"Why am I naked?" flashed through his mind as he glanced at his bare torso.

"Thank God, at least the pants are still on," he said with relief, ensuring that his pants were still on him.

Alex decided to check the condition of his body to ensure everything was okay. He began to carefully examine himself for any injuries or abnormalities.

"Well, the physical body seems fine, and that's already a relief," he muttered, noticing that he was not physically harmed.

He then focused on his inner world to check the state of his core and mana reservoir. Closing his eyes, Alex delved inside himself for a thorough check.

Once in his inner world, he began inspecting everything for damage. Various bubbles were floating around his core, and Alex guessed that these represented his weapons connected to him. Summoning one of the bubbles closer, he saw the current condition of Yamato.

"Well, as expected, Yamato is in a bit of a rough shape right now," Alex said, looking at the sword, which was reduced to just the handle and a fragment of the blade. Alex sighed wearily as he looked at his beloved sword.

"And 'a bit of a rough shape' is putting it mildly," he added with a wry smile, looking at the broken blade.

Releasing Yamato, Alex watched as the blade drifted back to its place, continuing to orbit around his core. He summoned another sphere, which contained the castle, and wanted to see what had happened to it after the explosion.

"Well, you've been quite battered too, my friend," Alex said, observing the castle covered in cracks that were slowly mending.

Alex continued to examine his internal damage, noting that his core was also slightly damaged, likely from the avatar's attempt to pierce through him.

"That avatar is a real bastard, said he wanted to eat me, and ended up touching my core," Alex said, looking at the cracks on his core. He continued his inspection and noticed that his mana reservoir was almost empty but was gradually regenerating.

"I don't see any serious issues, except that I can't return just yet because Yamato is broken, and it will take some time before it's restored," Alex concluded, finishing his check.

While Alex was busy examining his internal injuries, the woman who had brought him to her home began to wake up. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, realizing that she had fallen asleep on the floor, leaning against the couch.

Stretching to ease her stiff limbs, the woman turned her head to check on the guy she had brought home. Seeing him sitting with his eyes closed, her eyes widened, and her sleepy state instantly disappeared.

She quickly got up, grabbed a sharp object from the coffee table next to the couch, and hid it behind her back. Approaching Alex, she gave him a gentle nudge.

"Hey, how are you doing?" she asked cautiously, nudging him.

Alex, who was in his inner world and focused on checking for damage, felt someone nearby and addressing him. Opening his eyes and turning his head, he saw an unfamiliar face right in front of him.

A woman with red hair tied in a ponytail and a pair of dark brown eyes stood before him. Her beautiful face was marked by a peculiar mark under her right eye. Alex was slightly startled to see someone's face so close, his heart missing a beat from the surprise.

"Whoa, why are you so close? I almost had a heart attack," Alex said, clutching his chest as if he had been frightened.

The woman looked at him, puzzled by his reaction. Why was this guy acting so strangely after waking up? And why was he so calm in an unfamiliar place?

"What a strange young man," she thought, noticing his behavior, and her grip on the knife she held behind her back loosened a little.

Alex continued to look at her, trying to calm down. After all, anyone waking up and seeing a face so close in the dark would be scared.

"Where am I exactly?" he asked, looking at the woman in front of him.

"You're in my apartment," she replied, not taking her eyes off Alex.

"Um... alright. Then the second question: who are you and how did I end up in your home?" Alex asked, wanting to know the woman's identity.

"My name is Gloria. I found you in an alley, all covered in blood," she answered, looking at Alex, who, slightly confused, tilted his head.

Alex heard her name and turned to sit more comfortably. Placing his feet on the floor, he continued to look at Gloria, who was still holding one hand behind her back.

"I guess, thanks for the help," Alex said with a smile.

"Don't mention it. And who are you, exactly?" Gloria asked, staring at him.

"Oh, sorry. My name is Alex," he introduced himself, extending his hand for a handshake.

Alex extended his hand, expecting Gloria to shake it. Her face showed an internal struggle, but she eventually hesitatedly extended her hand, touched Alex's palm, and gave it a slight shake.

"Well, now we're officially introduced. So, could you tell me where my outer clothes are?" Alex asked with a smile.

"Here's your clothes," Gloria nodded toward the clothing on a chair. "But you'd better explain why there's a hole in your shirt, all covered in blood, while you seem unharmed?"

Alex just gave a crooked smile in response.

"Even if I started explaining, you wouldn't believe it," he said with a faint smirk.

"Give it a try," Gloria insisted, her gaze fixed on him.

"Ugh, this will be difficult," Alex sighed, rubbing his eyes.

Gloria looked at Alex with distrust, like an alien trying to hide its true origins. When Alex stood up from the couch, Gloria instinctively took a couple of steps back to maintain distance. He noticed her mistrust and just smiled, understanding that he hadn't yet earned her trust.

Alex walked over to his clothes and started rummaging through his pockets. Gloria watched his actions warily, especially when he began searching through the pockets of his coat. Her hand tightened around the kitchen knife hidden behind her back.

"Ah, found it! Thank goodness it's not gone," Alex pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and patted it with clear relief, as if it were a precious item.

"What were you looking for?" Gloria asked cautiously, looking at him with suspicion.

"This," Alex showed her the pack of cigarettes.

"What's that?" she wondered, noticing the strange box in his hands.

"Cigarettes," he replied, pulling one out of the pack and putting it in his mouth. However, his hand froze as he was about to light it.

"Cigarettes look different," Gloria continued to watch him, puzzled.

"It doesn't matter, they're my cigarettes. Do you mind if I smoke?" Alex asked, pointing to the cigarette.

"Go ahead," Gloria said, waving her hand.

Alex headed to the window, unsure how to open it. There were no handles or buttons to lift the blinds. Gloria watched him, puzzled as to why he didn't know how to do it.

"What are you doing?" she asked, seeing him inspecting the wall near the window.

"Trying to figure out how to open these damn blinds," Alex replied, pointing to them.

"Why do you need to open them?" Gloria asked, bewildered.

"To avoid stinking up your apartment with cigarette smoke. You let me smoke, but I'm not a jerk who'll ruin someone else's place," Alex said with a tone as if it were obvious.

Gloria sighed, manipulated the blinds, and they went up. Alex looked at her with surprise, noticing how her eyes briefly glowed, but he didn't feel any magic from her. When the blinds were fully open, Alex lifted the window and looked outside. What he saw made his mouth twist.

"Well, shit…" he muttered, gazing at the futuristic cars and people in strange clothing.

Gloria, finally realizing that Alex posed no threat, cautiously placed the kitchen knife on the coffee table. She glanced at Alex, who was hanging out the window, and noticed his face contorted as if he had seen something extremely unsettling.

"What's wrong?" she asked, watching as Alex continued to stare outside.

"Can you tell me where I am?" Alex asked, turning his head toward Gloria, who was now standing next to him.

"Don't you know yourself?" she asked in surprise, noticing that Alex was waiting for an answer.

"How would I know, considering I woke up in your apartment nearly naked and now see this," he said, pointing to the bustling city outside the window.

"You're in Night City," Gloria replied, starting to understand that Alex was indeed not from around here.

"Strange name for a city, but who am I to judge," Alex muttered, looking back at the street.

Gloria scrutinized Alex, trying to understand who he really was. The fact that he had no cyber implants and didn't know where he was only confirmed her suspicions.

Alex, lighting a cigarette, tried to calm the headache that had hit him when he realized which world he had ended up in. All he needed to do now was to gather himself and start collecting information about this strange city.

"I've answered your questions. Now it's your turn," Gloria said, drawing Alex's attention.

"Alright, ask away. I'll answer if I can," Alex agreed, turning to her.

"Who are you, exactly? And why don't you have any cyber implants?" Gloria asked, closely observing his reaction.

"What do you mean by cyber implants?" Alex clearly didn't understand what she was talking about.

"Cyber implants are mechanical prosthetics that replace body parts, something like this," Gloria replied, pointing to her eyes, which suddenly lit up.

Alex studied her brown eyes, which briefly glowed with a bright light, like flashlights. He realized that these were advanced prosthetics, probably with multiple functions.

"So, they work like regular prosthetics, but with additional features?" Alex asked, glancing back at Gloria, whose eyes had returned to their normal state.

"Exactly. Now, answer my questions," Gloria said, not taking her eyes off him.

"I don't have these cyber implants because I don't need them. And as for who I am… that's a complicated question," Alex said, tossing the cigarette butt out the window and closing it.

"Not needed? And why is your identity a complicated question?" Gloria asked cautiously as he turned back to her.

"If I start explaining, you'll think I'm crazy," Alex shook his head and returned to the couch.

"There are plenty of people like you in this city," Gloria noted, sitting at the opposite end of the couch.

Alex looked at Gloria with surprise, pondering how to explain his nature without frightening her. He couldn't just say that he was a demon who had arrived in this world after a battle with a terrifying god, and that he was from a fantasy world where adventurers conquer dungeons.

"First of all, I don't want to harm you. I'm truly grateful that you helped me when I was unconscious and cleaned the blood from my body," Alex began, expressing his appreciation.

"No need for thanks. I just couldn't leave you out in the rain, covered in blood," Gloria replied, looking at him.

"As for my nature... You can think of me as a wizard," Alex said, noticing Gloria frowning, clearly skeptical.

"Like those who pull rabbits out of hats?" Gloria asked, doubtful.

"Well, almost. Just like this," Alex said, pulling a pack of candy from his subspace.

Gloria's eyes widened in amazement as she saw Alex's hand disappear and then reappear with a pack of candy.

"What? How?" she started to ask, but her words seemed to get stuck in her throat as she simply repeated the same question.

Alex watched her reaction, realizing that he might have revealed more than he intended. He even thought Gloria might start overheating from the shock, though it might actually be happening due to her implants.

"I told you, my nature is hard to explain," Alex said with a wry smile, looking at Gloria, who still couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"But how?" she asked again, and Alex, deciding to have a little fun, responded:

"Magic," and a rainbow appeared in his hands.

Gloria stared at the rainbow in Alex's hands, unable to comprehend what was happening. It wasn't some projected image — it was a real rainbow.

At that moment, Gloria couldn't believe her eyes, as if she had stumbled into a bad dream. The guy she had rescued was indeed a wizard.

Unable to withstand the shock any longer, Gloria lost consciousness, and Alex merely watched as her eyes rolled back.

"Well, that's something new," Alex murmured, looking at the unconscious Gloria.

To be continued...