Endless Journey: Infinite Realms

Chapter 23 An abrupt change

6 hours later.

"Ugh..." A very beat-up Alex lay spread-eagled on the floor. His limbs were twitching while his extremities were trembling.

His face looks exhausted as he let out labored breaths.

Alina on the other hand, was standing proudly as her swords disappeared.

She did not show any signs of exhaustion except for the slight shortness of her breath.

"That was... intense." Alex uttered out as he rolled over from his position.

"You have good grasp of your power, and you sometimes make creative moves that can catch me off-guard." Alina said as she just watched Alex’s struggle to stand up.

"I really can’t stand up right now..." Alex complained as he felt that both of his legs were too weak right now.

"Won’t you at least give me a hand?" Alex pleaded as he looked at the silent Alina. "Please?"

"No. I do not want to touch your sweaty hands." Alina coldly replied as she left the basement.

"You got OWNED!" Asteria shouted out, much to Alex’s displeasure.

"Can you at least say something decent from time to time?" Alex snarled as he wiped the sweat off from his body. "You have always been like this!"

"Well I can do it, but that still does not change the fact that you got OWNED." Asteria obstinately replied.

"........"

********

By the time Alex had finished cleaning himself up, Alina had already worn her old set of clothes.

"Let’s go out now." Alina said as she practically dragged Alex out of the house.

"Wait what?" Alex mumbled as he realized what was happening. "Why are we going out again?"

"Its because our ’date’ yesterday was interrupted by that lizard." Alina said as she slowed down her pace. "Since there are no problems now, we shall continue our ’date’."

"Ok..." Alex replied uncertainly. "Then this time we will go to-"

"This time, it will be my choice for our next destinations." Alina forcefully said as she stared at Alex. "You have no complaints about that, right?"

"No complaints." Alex replied while Asteria giggled at the background.

***********

If there is one thing that Alex learned today, that is that he should never let Alina lead the date.

Why? It was because Alina only led Alex to one kind of place.

And that was all places with food.

Alina brought Alex first to the streetfood stall that they went to last time.

After finishing 100 sticks of streetfood there, Alina brought Alex to a pastry shop.

There, Alex and the customers could only watch with wide eyes as Alina wolfed down 4 extra-large cakes.

But Alina was not yet done.

She then led Alex to a seafood restaurant, and there she had her fill of three pots of seafood stew.

"God, how could you have that much appetite?" Alex complained as they left the restaurant.

"I can use my ability to burn up all the food that I eat." Alina said as if it was a matter of fact.

"Of course you can do that." Alex muttered to himself while shaking his head.

After a few more minutes of walking, Alex realized that Alina was not bringing him to a food-related place anymore. As for where he and Alina will go next, Alex could only wait to find out the answer.

After another half hour of walking, Alex found himself in front of a small building.

There was a metal door in front of the building, which blocked the entrance.

Alina ignored it as she walked towards a fallen tree that was just 2 meters away from the door.

Alina pulled the tree up, revealing a trapdoor underneath it.

"After me." Alina said as she opened the trapdoor, revealing a set of stairs that descended downwards.

She then started to use the stairs, lowering herself with each step that she took.

"Hello darkness my old friend..." Alex muttered as he started to use the stairs too.

Once the two of them were in the stairs, the trapdoor closed itself automatically, and the tree earlier went back to its place.

Anybody looking at the place right now would never imagine that two people just used it to access an underground bunker.

***************

"Thud." Alex heard this sound as his feet landed on the floor. He squinted his eyes as he used his EM Sensing to determine his current location.

"So we are inside an underground bunker right now..." Alex said as he felt the dimensions of his current place.

The whole Underground Bunker was abandoned, and Alex felt that there are no people nearby that can hear them talking.

Alex can also sense that there are no electrical devices nearby, which meant that this place was free from all kinds of surveillance.

"So this kind of place inside the city exists too..." Alex knew that only people with security issues would know about this place that he is in right now.

And Alina just happens to be one of these people.

"Are you about to say something to me that requires this much secrecy?" Alex said as he raised his arms. "Because just looking at all these things makes me curious on what you are about to tell me."

"........"

Alina stared directly at Alex for one second before she said,

"There is a chance that you might get killed from this day onwards. So I am asking you to be careful and vigilant, especially when I leave this place 7 days from now."

"Oh, are you talking about the master of that ’old kid’?" Alex replied with a chuckle.

"For the 10th time, that old kid’s name is Mindbreaker." Alina replied as she rubbed her temple. "And yes, the master of Mindbreaker might be after your life."

"Is it because of what I did to the old k- Mindbreaker?" Alex replied as his eyes narrowed. "Well, I think for him to take revenge on me is just plausible..."

"It’s not just for Mindbreaker." Alina said as she shook her head rapidly. "He’s... probably aiming kill you mostly because of me."

After hearing what Alina said, Alex closed his eyes in concentration as he let out a deep breath.

"This master that Mindbreaker is talking about... He is your ’master’ too, right?" Alex said as he pieced together all the conversations that he heard between Alina, Clint and Mindbreaker.

"Yes..." Alina bowed her head down as she gave a weak reply.

"And your problem with your sister, was it related to this ’master’ of yours too?" Alex said, as he tried to observe Alina’s reaction.

"Yes..." It was another affirmative reply from Alina.

"So, this ’master’ of yours is extremely possessive of you, and he might kill me because I messed with his possession?" Alex said these words with a bitter taste in his mouth. "Just hearing that makes me want to puke already."

"That is all correct. As expected of Uncle’s student." Alina said as she praised Alex with her low voice.

"..."

Alex badly wanted to say something comforting to Alina right now, but his words got stuck in his throat as he saw Alina’s body language.

She’s cowering inwardly to herself, not daring to show more of her emotions.

Alex knew that if he will do something rash right now, Alina will surely lash out mostly to herself.

Alex cannot risk to bring such pain to Alina.

"......"

*******************

Deep inside her heart, Alina knew that Alex will be implicated with her ’master’, given her close contact with Alex.

If Alex continues to associate himself with Alina more, he will just put himself into a great risk.

As such, she silently pleaded Alex to leave her alone.

But since Alex is acting this obstinately, Alina had no choice but to verbalize it to him in an indirect way.

"Alex, do not worry about my problems. I can handle it all. Besides, all my Contribution Points right now will allow me to visit the World Diagram to make my request." Alina said as she wished that he will take her hint.

"Did you just say that you are going to the World Diagram?" Alex’s eyes suddenly lit up as his mood seemed to have changed.

"Yes. I will use all my remaining Contribution Points to make a request to the World Diagram, and that request will be related to my sister." Alina said as she took a deep breath. "With the Contribution Points that I have right now, I will be able to talk to my sister at least."

"Wait, just talk?" Alex tilted his head as he could not believe what he just heard. "You took down a Class SS Intruder, and all you can get is a talk? How much Contribution Points would you need to save her?"

"Why are you so fixated on helping me regarding my sister?" Alina said with gritted teeth as she clenched her fists tightly. "My matter with my sister is none of your business, so just buzz off!"

Alex’s eyes went wide open when he heard Alina’s harsh rebuke.

Alina on the other hand, inwardly winced as she realized that she hurt Alex with what she said.

It was at that point that Alina remembered Alex’s genuine kindness to her, his willingness to put up with her antics, his eagerness to fight with her, his appreciation for her, and his warm, manly body hugging her...

"......."

Alina gritted her teeth as she tried to hide the pangs of guilt that formed inside her.

"What I am telling you right now is that I will train you for the next few days before I leave, so that you can get strong enough to fend for yourself." Alina said as she tried her best to make herself sound uncaring.

"So, you really do not want my help regarding your sister?" Alex immediately went straight to the point as he stared straight at Alina’s eyes.

Alina tried to not stare at Alex’s blue eyes as she said,

"I do not need your help anymore. Just stay in this place and get strong enough so that you can live your life freely."

"Sigh..." Alex let out a weary sigh as he gave Alina his signature smile. Alina suddenly tensed, as she knew that something big happens once Alex gives this kind of smile.

"Ok, I will ignore your sister, since it really is NONE of my business. However, there is another thing that I am interested in."

"And what is that?" Alina mumbled in reply.

"The World Diagram." Alex said as he showed his perfect smile at Alina. "I want to see it up close and personal."

"I see. You want to be beside me as I give my request to the World Diagram...." Alina muttered as she felt slightly disappointed with what Alex said. "I think it can be managed, since you helped me slay the lizard."

"But you must be careful when going with me to the World Diagram..." Alina said as she scrunched her eyebrows. "My master might try to kill you when you go with me to the World Diagram..."

"That’s what the 7 days of training will be used for, right?" Alex said as he gave Alina another smile. "So that I can somehow protect myself when I leave with you!"

"...."

Alina was not sure why, but she felt extremely lonely when she saw Alex’s smile.

Alex’s smile felt so forced, so artificial, that she wondered if what she was doing to him now was right.