The Daily Life of the Demon King

The conversation in the lounge continued at its own pace. The main participants were Alex, Rebecca, Buddha, Brunhilde, and the Creator himself. The rest were still struggling to fully comprehend that the being before them wasn't just an immensely powerful entity but the Creator of all existence. What surprised them most was that the Creator didn't behave like an all-knowing god but rather like an ordinary father visiting his son to commend him on his achievements.

The Creator's attention was particularly drawn to GIR, MIMI, and Stitch—a trio circling around him like excited children around a beloved adult.

"Ha-ha, you have such adorable helpers, my son," the Creator said, patting their heads.

This remark caused genuine surprise among those present. Alex, like the others, raised an eyebrow, clearly not sharing his father's enthusiasm. After all, each of these "helpers" was dangerous in their own way, despite their seemingly harmless and at times even comical behavior.

"Old man, do you even understand what these three are actually into?" Alex asked, barely suppressing a chuckle.

"Of course, all children have their hobbies. What's so strange about that? In time, they'll grow up and start behaving more responsibly," the Creator replied with a smile, continuing to pet GIR, MIMI, and Stitch as if entirely unconcerned.

This confidence seemed so out of place that even Rebecca couldn't suppress a skeptical look. Everyone knew the trio weren't children but highly intelligent and cunning beings. GIR and MIMI were robo-dogs equipped with advanced AI, each capable of solving complex problems.

GIR was an indispensable assistant to Alex, while MIMI played the role of an analyst. Stitch, although an artificially created organism, possessed an extraordinary adaptive mind that allowed him to tackle the most challenging issues in mere minutes.

Alex and the others understood all too well that their behavior resembled mischievous children pretending to be obedient only in front of their parents.

"Well, son, it's time for me to go. You've got plenty of work ahead of you, and I wouldn't want to get in your way," said the Creator, rising from the couch.

"Maybe you could help? This world is your creation, after all," Alex suggested hopefully, raising an eyebrow slightly.

A gentle, kind smile appeared on the Creator's face. Alex immediately realized that his request was futile. If the Creator interfered, it would break his own rule—not to meddle in the affairs of his creations. After all, free will ceases to exist if a father starts controlling every detail of his children's lives.

"Son, you volunteered to take on this task yourself. So, see it through to the end," the Creator replied with the same kind smile.

"Well, I tried. Alright, I'll figure it out somehow," Alex replied, standing up from the couch.

Alex approached the Creator and decided to hug him goodbye, despite knowing that for a being like the Creator, the concept of time was merely an abstraction. The Creator looked at him and simply smirked, experiencing a long-forgotten feeling. All of his children had long since become independent, carrying out their respective tasks. Well, all except one exceptional case—Lucifer, who was currently amusing himself in another universe, bothering a detective while trying to make sense of his feelings.

When Alex released the embrace, the Creator dissolved into the air as if he had never been there at all. Alex sighed, watching him disappear, then turned to the others, who were still in mild shock from the entire ordeal. It was hard for them to process that the great Creator could act so much like a caring father.

"Why the faces? You look like you've seen something unbelievable," Alex said with a smile, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.

All eyes turned to him. The expressions on the faces of those gathered ranged from astonishment to disbelief. The only explanation they could come up with was that Alex was simply used to the fact that his father was the Creator. But even in a world full of gods and powerful beings, meeting the one who created everything around them was truly overwhelming.

"You know, A-chan, I don't even have words. I think I'll go to bed instead. This day has worn me out," Buddha said lazily, waving his hand as though nothing important had happened.

Alex grimaced at his words. Throughout the day, Buddha had either slept or eaten, and during the meeting, he tried to remain unnoticed. The only moment he seemed to exert himself at all was right now. Smirking, Buddha left the room, heading to his resting place. Behind him, barely keeping up, ran Zerofuku, who considered Buddha his mentor and father.

Alex shook his head, thinking about how Buddha always remained the same. He turned his gaze to the others. The Valkyries seemed unwilling to leave. Moreover, the two who had been sleeping earlier were now awake and eagerly questioning their sisters about what had happened.

"Well, the day's over, so I can rest. Do whatever you want, just don't disturb my sleep," Alex said, pulling a huge bed out of his inventory.

The appearance of the bed didn't surprise anyone; it had become a common occurrence. Alex, using magic, changed into simple sleepwear—a t-shirt and shorts. Approaching Rebecca, he easily lifted her into his arms. Her clothes also immediately changed into a nightgown. Settling into the bed, Alex hugged Rebecca like a pillow. She only huffed in response and buried her nose into his neck.

"You sure picked a strange partner, sister Hilda," said Siegfried, looking at the already sleeping Alex.

Brunhilde only frowned, unsure of how to respond. However, the situation became even more absurd when Göndul, having somehow magically changed into a nightgown, settled behind Alex and hugged him. She closed her eyes, as though everything happening was perfectly normal.

This action stunned everyone, especially considering how quickly Göndul pulled off her trick. Brunhilde frowned even more, her anger growing. But remembering how Alex typically reacted to unexpected awakenings, she decided to hold back. Siegfried, noticing her mood, tactfully decided to leave the room before he became the target of her wrath.

Before Brunhilde could do anything, Geirölul and Skálmóð joined the bed.

"Seriously, girls?!" Brunhilde exclaimed, barely holding back her anger as she pointed a finger at her sisters.

The three Valkyries tactfully ignored Brunhilde as if the older sister didn't even exist. Siegfried, realizing that the situation could quickly spiral out of control, hurriedly left the room before Brunhilde exploded in fury. The other Valkyries, noticing her grim expression, did their best to hold back laughter, trying not to provoke her further.

The twins Hlökk and Alvitr, deciding to add fuel to the fire, boldly climbed onto the couch and took the available space next to Alex. Brunhilde's face, twisted with rage, looked so frightening that none of those present dared to approach her.

The Valkyries, unwilling to participate in this hidden confrontation, tactfully took Göll with them and quietly left the room. But suddenly, Brunhilde's expression changed: her features smoothed out, and she appeared serene, as though nothing had provoked her anger just moments ago. She quickly reminded herself that, despite her sisters' antics, she was the one who was closest to Alex.

To prove this, Brunhilde leaned in and was the first of the Valkyries to kiss Alex, asserting her leadership in this unspoken game. Her clothes suddenly transformed into an elegant, transparent nightgown that highlighted her grace. Approaching the couch, Brunhilde threw a meaningful glance at her sisters, who, pretending to sleep, were watching her from a distance.

She sensed that their sleep was just a facade, but decided not to start an argument. Climbing onto the couch, Brunhilde settled on the other side of Alex, took his arm in hers, and closed her eyes. A soft, peaceful smile appeared on her face. The day had been too eventful for her, and she was happy to finally relax.

The last few days had been filled with endless worries, leaving her no time to rest, even for a moment. Only with Alex did she finally feel the long-awaited relief, though her thoughts remained sharp. Within minutes, she was fast asleep, enjoying the rare moments of rest.

The sisters lying on the couch simultaneously opened their eyes and looked at the eldest, surprised by her unexpected behavior. They had expected to see the strict, explosive Brunhilde, but instead, they watched as she simply ignored everything happening and fell asleep. Shrugging, the Valkyries followed her example and also tried to sleep, disregarding the surrounding circumstances.

Alex woke up in the middle of the night and realized he had forgotten to prepare everything necessary for the work tomorrow. He wanted to get up, but quickly realized that was impossible. Rebecca was comfortably lying on his chest, clearly not planning to wake up.

On one side, Brunhilde had her arm around him, a soft smile on her face, and on the other, Göndul, with Geirölul and Skálmöld lying next to her. The twins Hlökk and Alvitr were comfortably settled around his waist. At the edge of the couch, the mischievous trio of troublemakers slept, completing the picture.

Unable to move, Alex summoned his clone. His double appeared next to the couch, looking at the original with a vacant, tired expression, as if already disappointed by the task.

Alex rolled his eyes and gestured toward the desk where the preparations needed to be completed. The clone sighed wearily and headed to the desk to compile a list of candidates for the first hundred fighters of the Arena and potential representatives of humanity in the council. Once the briefing was done, Alex closed his eyes again and drifted back to sleep.

The next morning, Alex woke up to find the couch empty—everyone had already gotten up. He would have liked to stay a little longer, but he knew that the sooner he finished his tasks, the sooner he could continue his journey. Stretching and opening his eyes, he surveyed the room.

At the table sat eleven of the thirteen Valkyries, enjoying breakfast. Buddha, as usual, had preferred not to appear so that he wouldn't be forced to work. Alex noticed that the clone, having completed the task, had already disappeared. Reluctantly, he got up, understanding that the rest was over, and a day full of routine duties awaited him.

Alex's awakening caught the attention of everyone in the room. The first to react was Göndul, who, setting aside her breakfast, went to prepare him a cup of revitalizing coffee. When the drink was ready, she approached the couch and handed the mug to Alex.

"Thanks," he replied briefly, nodding and staring at the mug as if hypnotizing it.

"You're welcome, darling," Göndul replied with a soft smile before returning to the table.

She sat back in her place, and two Valkyries, still unfamiliar with Alex, began whispering about his strange behavior. Finally, one of them couldn't hold back and asked:

"Why is he just sitting and staring at the mug?"

The answer came from Rebecca, who, continuing to eat, calmly remarked:

"It's his morning ritual. He always does that after waking up."

The Valkyries exchanged puzzled looks but decided not to ask any more questions and returned to their breakfast. Meanwhile, Alex continued to contemplate the coffee, running ideas through his head on how to speed up his plans. He had the thought to delegate some of the work to the Valkyries, assigning them to check the candidates.

Dividing the lists into groups, and preparing a task for Rebecca and MIMI to compile a list of artifacts that could be used in the Arena. Realizing that he didn't have to do everything himself, Alex visibly perked up.

This change in his expression didn't escape the watchful eyes in the room. Rebecca immediately understood that Alex was up to something. And judging by his satisfied smile, it was clear she wouldn't like it.

Alex got up from the couch, walked over to Rebecca, and, leaning down, gently kissed her on the top of her head. He then did the same with Brunhilde before heading to the desk to check how well his clone had done. Everyone in the room couldn't take their eyes off his actions, sensing that something was coming.

When Alex reached the desk, he began to review the documents. His clone had indeed done a great job, creating two detailed lists: one with candidates for the council representing humanity, and the other with contenders for the first batch of champions. However, what caught Alex's attention was that the clone had clearly hacked into Brunhilde's system during the night to gain access to the records of the candidates for Ragnarok.

"MIMI, come here," he called to the robo-dog, waving his hand.

MIMI, who had been sitting on a chair, immediately jumped down and quickly ran over to her master on her short legs. Alex lifted her onto the table and uploaded the files into her memory.

"Divide all the names into equal groups," he requested, watching as the command was carried out smoothly.

Once the lists were divided, Alex transferred them to five tablets. He then compiled a list of standard questions to assess the candidates' ability to work in a team. Once finished, Alex returned to the table, carrying the tablets, and carefully placed them in front of the others.

"What's the purpose of these tablets?" Rebecca asked, raising an eyebrow and pointing to the stack.

All eyes turned to Alex, waiting for his response. Alex, on the other hand, was thinking about how to choose his words to convince everyone to agree with his plan. He already knew that Rebecca would start complaining, repeating that she didn't want to do anything or that it wasn't her responsibility.

Gathering his thoughts, Alex sighed and reached for a cigarette, but then, seeing the company around him, he realized that smoking wouldn't be appropriate in this situation. Instead, he pulled out a candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.

"To begin with," he said, letting the candy sit on his tongue, "these tablets contain the names of all the candidates who could become the first group of champions for the new Arena system. And yes, I'll answer the question about why there are five. I realized that I don't have to do all the work myself, so I'll need your help. Your task is to go through all the people and gods on this list and ask them the questions that have already been loaded into the tablets."

With those words, Alex pushed the tablets to the center of the table.

The Valkyries gathered around stared thoughtfully at the devices. Some of them were clearly hesitating about whether they should take on the task. Brunhilde, casting Alex a blank look, silently accepted the fact that he was once again adding responsibilities to her plate. She would have to find candidates capable of representing humanity in the council.

Among the others, Hlökk was the first to take action. She quickly grabbed the top tablet and threw Alex an assessing look.

"So, what do we get for helping? You said yesterday that any job should be paid," she asked, a slight smile on her face.

Alex shrugged and raised a finger.

"Anything you want, within reason. And nothing that'll make me work harder than building the Arena," he said.

Hlökk nodded in satisfaction. The other Valkyries, tempted by the offer, began to consider what they could ask for in exchange for their help. Some, who were more familiar with Alex's memories, understood that his "limit of reason" was a very flexible concept. He often did much more than what was required.

"But there are only five tablets, and there are eleven of us," Geirölul pointed out, indicating her sisters.

"I made five because I was hoping you'd break into groups and work as a team to get this boring task done," Alex explained.

"So, you admit it's a boring job?" Alvitr asked sarcastically, resting her chin on her hand.

"Yes, but mine is even more boring. And, by the way, the very bottom tablet is for Brunhilde. It contains information about potential candidates for the council," Alex added, pulling the tablet from the stack.

He handed it to Brunhilde, who sighed heavily, realizing that she couldn't escape the work.

Rebecca, watching this, smiled broadly, thinking that this time her hardworking nature would free her from duties. But her joy was short-lived: Alex turned his head toward her, causing her to freeze instantly and try to pretend she hadn't noticed.

"There's work for you too," Alex said, poking Rebecca on the cheek. "You'll need to analyze the entire list of artifacts and sort them into categories."

"But I don't want to! It's boring, and you know this kind of work isn't for me!" Rebecca protested, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know," Alex agreed, smirking. "That's why MIMI will help you. Your main task will be just sorting the artifacts and categorizing them."

With these words, he tugged on Rebecca's cheek, causing her to grumble in displeasure.

Rebecca could only sigh heavily, realizing she had no choice. While Alex was convincing her to get to work, the Valkyries began to split into groups to complete the task. Looking at the list of questions, they quickly realized that these questions were designed for a single purpose: to weed out arrogant idiots and those unable to work as a team.

The division into groups went quickly. Hlökk and Alvitr, being twins, decided to work together. Göll joined Brunhilde, thinking it would be boring to stay idle. Thrúd teamed up with Randgriz, Hrist with Reginleif, and the last pair formed between Geirölul and Skalmöld. Only Göndul was left without a partner. Even if all the remaining sisters had been present, one would still be left without a pair.

Alex scanned the Valkyries who had divided into groups and nodded, satisfied with their organization.

"Ladies, thanks in advance for your work. And don't rush," he said, emphasizing the main point. "According to my calculations, I'll finish building the Arena in about a week. So, there's no need to rush and try to get through the whole list of candidates in a hurry."

The Valkyries nodded in unison, deciding to follow Alex's advice and work without haste. After breakfast, everyone went their separate ways. Rebecca stood up from the table with a disgruntled, pouty expression and headed for Alex's desk. Only Alex and Göndul remained, if you didn't count G.I.R., who didn't know what to do with himself. MIMI was helping Rebecca, and Stitch decided to stay by "mom" to assist her.

"Well, shall we go too?" Alex asked, smiling at Göndul.

"Of course," she replied calmly, slightly opening her eyes.

Göndul took Alex's arm, and they made their way to the stands. When they arrived, the Colosseum was empty. Alex looked around the huge arena and couldn't help but shake his head. Just yesterday, it had been alive with the fight for humanity's survival, and now, the whole place seemed abandoned.

Pushing aside unnecessary thoughts, Alex created several clones to assign them different tasks. He decided to focus on the main problem: how to arrange it so that the astral body of the fighter appears in the arena, excluding the possibility of final death. At the same time, he needed to figure out how to establish an experience and reward system.

"Alright, you know what to do," he addressed his clones.

"Okay, okay," the clones lazily replied in unison.

Alex's eye twitched nervously; as it turned out, his clones had inherited not only his intelligence but also his laziness. Despite this, they quickly dispersed to their tasks, getting to work on the Arena setup.

Alex asked G.I.R. to project a model of the arena to better visualize how everything should look. He found a flat spot, pulled out a folding table, and prepared to study the projection. Lighting a cigarette, Alex took a drag to clear his mind. Göndul stood nearby, pondering possible improvements, and decided to suggest one of her ideas.

"How about making the Arena a floating island? It would solve a lot of problems," she proposed.

Alex thoughtfully stroked his chin.

"Hmm, that's a good idea. It would certainly simplify some tasks. But what about the spectators? How do we give them the chance to watch the battles?" he asked, gazing intently at Göndul.

She smiled, seeing that Alex was seriously considering her suggestion, and prepared to offer a few solutions.

Göndul fell into thought, reflecting on the idea. To her, the concept of the Arena already seemed strange and almost unreal, especially considering that fighters wouldn't die permanently. The experience and gold system was completely foreign and incomprehensible to her. Alex was also contemplating various options, trying to find the optimal solution.

His only idea so far was to install large screens so that spectators could watch the battles. But then another problem arose: how to allow spectators to follow their favorite fighter without losing track of the overall battle?

As Alex looked at the holographic diagram, an idea suddenly struck him.

"What if, in addition to the large screens, we create something like a miniature version of the arena with a top-down view?" he muttered, almost as if asking himself.

G.I.R. immediately projected the new idea onto the diagram, showing what it could look like. Göndul was once again impressed by G.I.R., who was truly a marvel of technology. However, Alex's suggestion made her think from the perspective of the viewer. She carefully examined the spots where the screens were supposed to be placed, then shifted her gaze to the miniature arena Alex planned to set up.

"Interesting option," Göndul began, tapping her chin with her index finger. "But how will it look for the spectators? The screens will allow them to see the fighters, but the miniature arena from a top-down view... will it be clear and convenient?"

Alex smiled, sensing that his idea might be well-received.

"It'll be an exact copy of the arena, just smaller, with a top-down view. Spectators will be able to follow their favorite fighters as if they were watching them from a bird's-eye view," he explained, pointing to the diagram to show what it would look like.

Göndul nodded, realizing the potential of this solution. Meanwhile, Alex called one of his clones. The clone, wearing a white construction helmet, had clearly settled into the role of a foreman, giving instructions to the other copies.

"What's going on?" the clone asked, lifting his helmet slightly.

"We need changes in the construction plans," Alex explained, pointing to the updated project.

Alex carefully detailed what needed to be changed and added in the new version of the Arena. The clone listened attentively, nodding, and took notes in a notebook that looked remarkably like Alex's own. Once finished, the clone went off to give further orders.

While Alex worked on integrating the experience and gold system into the battles to make them more engaging for both participants and spectators, his efforts didn't go unnoticed. A new group of guests arrived in the stands—gods. As they ascended to the upper level, they observed the scene with curiosity. Before them unfolded a strange picture: countless clones of Alex were engaged in various tasks. One clone stood out in particular: he was loudly giving orders, pushing the others without holding back.

"Am I seeing things?" Ares asked, rubbing his eyes.

"No, you're not. The stands and arena are literally filled with Voldigoad copies," Hermes replied, scanning the area with a slight smirk.

The newly arrived gods watched in bewilderment and unease. It seemed as if their minds refused to process the reality: dozens, if not hundreds, of Alex's clones were scurrying around the arena, working on the construction. However, instead of questioning the sight, they decided to ignore it and focus on finding the original.

One of the gods eventually spotted Alex, who was standing by a table, studying diagrams and taking notes. The only way to identify him as the original was by the presence of Göndul next to him—among such a large number of clones, even the gods could easily get confused. The group moved toward him, their interest evident.

"I see you've been working non-stop since morning, Voldigoad," Zeus remarked, signaling his presence.

Alex and Göndul simultaneously turned toward the voice. In front of them stood a group of gods led by none other than Zeus. Alex immediately noticed that the Olympian brothers had arrived in full force: Poseidon, Hades, Adamantus, and Zeus himself. They were accompanied by Ares, Hermes, and Apollo.

"What's their business here?" Alex thought briefly. He quickly decided that if the conversation turned to his "technologies" or the weapons he had acquired after killing Poseidon and Hades, it would be better to pretend he didn't know anything.

"And what brings you all here?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow, hiding his wariness behind a calm tone.

"I wanted to ask how you managed to revive all of us and the other fighters?" Hades began without preamble, giving Alex a cold look. "No one possesses the power to reach that place."

Alex pretended that the question hadn't affected him at all. He shifted his gaze to the other gods, carefully watching their reactions. Even the usually silent Poseidon and Adamantus appeared interested, though their expressions remained nearly unchanged: Poseidon, as always, looked like a living statue, and Adamantus seemed to be suffering from constant dissatisfaction.

"Well, just because one of you can't do it doesn't mean I can't," Alex replied with a slight smirk. "As I told Zeus, guess who I am, and you'll win a prize."

His nonchalant tone made it impossible for the gods to continue their interrogation. Göndul couldn't help but giggle, covering her mouth with her hand in response to his joke, while Hades, clearly disappointed, realized that Alex wasn't about to reveal his secrets. The others soon accepted this, though they looked frustrated.

"You still won't be able to avoid our questions forever, Voldigoad," Hades grumbled, folding his arms.

Meanwhile, Zeus, intrigued by the holographic diagram, stepped forward and began asking questions about the Arena project. Alex, seeing no threat in this, willingly shared the details. Gradually, the other Olympian gods joined the conversation, offering their suggestions.

"How about making the Arena a floating island?" Apollo suddenly proposed.

"Yeah, that would add some flair," Ares chimed in, excited by the idea.

"It's already part of the plan. Right now, I'm focused on how to make it so that the spectators can comfortably watch what's happening on the arena," Alex said, pointing to the details of the project.

As the gods discussed the details, they reached a consensus that the floating island would be a great addition to the design. Meanwhile, Alex simply smirked, mentally noting how easily the Olympians had become absorbed in the idea, completely forgetting their original questions.

To be continued...