Alex walked behind his clone toward the Guild—an organization created with one sole purpose: to save worlds on the brink of premature destruction. He knew full well that he couldn't be in every world at once. Using clones would have been logical, but Alex remained cautious—the memories of that unpleasant incident with Nyan-Nyan's clones were still too fresh.

The thought that his own copies might one day rebel and cause chaos didn't sit well with him. That was why he preferred to rely on living people—the ones he had brought from his last world. They already had experience in large-scale battles, and Alex was counting on them.

As they walked, Alex looked around. Just a week ago, this district had been half-empty, with only a few houses built for settlers. But now, things were different: thanks to the clones' work, the neighborhood had come alive. People strolled through the streets, children laughed, and shops began appearing among the houses.

Alex noticed a flower shop with fresh bouquets in the window, and a small eatery letting out the smell of ramen. People seemed to have adapted quickly to this new world, and were even starting to enjoy life.

"Hey, what did we miss while we were on vacation?" Alex asked, calling out to his clone.

"Nothing too big," the clone replied, tapping his chin with a finger. "Except the Ryōzanpaku dojo officially opened. Some locals even wanted to sign up, but… after seeing how the masters 'train' Kenichi, they changed their minds."

"Hah, not surprising," Alex smirked. "For outsiders, his training really does look more like torture. What else?"

"Well…" the clone grinned, struggling not to laugh. "I think you'll find it amusing that Kensei and Hermes officially became friends. And enemies of every single woman in Orario. Goddesses included."

Alex rolled his eyes and rubbed his face with his palm."Father give me strength… What did they do this time?"

"It all started the day after you left. They got drunk and went peeping at the women's bath. They were spotted, but even though they could barely stand, they somehow managed to escape. That's where their… friendship began. For a few days, they kept it up, until the women finally had enough. The result: a new all-female punitive squad formed in the city. Their slogan is loud and clear: 'Down with the perverts! Death to Kensei and Hermes!'" said the clone in the white helmet, raising his voice as if reciting the squad's rallying cry.

The moment the clone spoke those words, a passing girl also shouted the slogan, glaring at him. Alex felt a headache building.

He had asked—very clearly—that no one get into trouble while he was away on his one-week vacation with his family. But his words had been ignored, and now he didn't even want to imagine how Renka would react when she learned that her father had become the sworn enemy of every woman in Orario. Though, Alex quickly concluded, she would most likely join the squad herself just to hunt down perverts.

"And how did Lady Ma react?" Alex asked cautiously.

"Hm…" the clone took a drag on his cigarette and smirked. "She's the leader of that squad. Thanks to her cruelty, the number of perverts in Orario has dropped noticeably. Anyone caught gets tied upside down to poles and left in the square for a full day. The first day she took charge was especially spectacular: a hundred men hanging upside down in the central plaza. Of course, some tried to protest, but they were beaten and strung up alongside the rest."

The clone paused for a moment, then added with a sly grin:"I actually suspect Hermes and Kensei set up an underground club… for men with similar interests."

"No need to guess," Alex sighed, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it to ward off the oncoming headache. "Those two idiots definitely did just that."

"Not our problem," the clone said carelessly, waving a hand. "Let someone else deal with it."

Alex shook his head and lit a cigarette, trying to push away the thought that in just a single week Orario had managed to form a punitive squad against perverts—and, as a counter-reaction, underground clubs organized by Kensei and Hermes. Taking a deep drag, he sighed wearily and kept walking alongside his clone, questioning him about how the integration of the new system in the city had gone—rankings, competitions, and the family leaderboards.

The clone explained calmly and thoroughly, while Alex only nodded as he listened. He was pleased that adventurers and even the gods had accepted the new system without much resistance. Though, deep down, he suspected his clones had simply intimidated the gods who objected. But that was no longer his concern: the important thing was that Orario kept moving forward instead of being stuck in the endless routine of dungeon expeditions.

Some of the news the clone shared didn't surprise him at all. For example, that Casper had suddenly decided to become a traveling merchant, now roaming the world with his group in search of new goods and adventures. Alex was certain that before long Casper would establish his own trading guild.

Another piece of news was a little more surprising: Hayato and Mikumo had finally started dating. Alex only smirked. Those two clearly hadn't wanted to make their relationship public, but his clones were hopelessly addicted to gossip.

The next bit of news caught him completely off guard: R had found himself a girlfriend. And what shocked Alex most was that the girl who decided to date R was none other than the amazon, Aisha.

"What?! You've got to be kidding me," Alex nearly choked after hearing the story. "How the hell did R manage to start dating Aisha?!"

"Do I look like a jokester? You asked me to share the gossip from the week you were gone," the clone replied lazily. "As for how it started—well, Aisha liked R's face, and basically dragged him into bed. And after that… well, you get the idea."

"Is he even alive? Or at least still able to walk?" Alex asked suspiciously.

"Khmm, I won't go into details. But for the first couple of days after R and Aisha started seeing each other, nobody saw him. He reappeared a few days later, looking completely drained. I don't know what exactly Aisha did to him, but he needed treatment to recover. Luckily, magic works wonders," the clone smirked.

Alex was left speechless. He actually felt a little sorry for poor R. After all, he had warned the men many times: never mess with amazons, or death by 'snu-snu' is guaranteed. On the other hand, now R would probably stop hitting on every girl he saw—Aisha certainly wouldn't allow it.

Alex's thoughts were interrupted by a noise in the distance. He frowned, squinting and listening. Shouts echoed in the air.

"Don't tell me that noise is the sound of a chase…" he began.

"What else? Of course it is. I already told you, Kensei and Hermes were the ones most often tied to poles. All week, they've spent their nights hanging in the central square," the clone smirked. "And maybe the women's squad just found another underground club."

Alex only sighed and shifted his gaze toward the noise. Focusing slightly, he spotted Kensei running with a panicked expression, shouting something incoherent. Behind him was Zhu Ma, her eyes blazing red with rage as she charged after him like an enraged bull. Alex raised an eyebrow when he noticed the embroidery on Zhu Ma's clothing—an abbreviation stitched in bright letters.

And behind Zhu Ma came a squad of women, relentlessly pursuing him. Looking further, Alex even saw Asfi, holding a rope—at the other end of which was Hermes, bound tightly like a cocoon and being dragged across the ground. Yet Hermes kept smiling as if nothing that was happening concerned him in the slightest.

Alex was genuinely surprised to see that even Asfi had joined the punitive squad against perverts. But he quickly realized that her patience with Hermes's antics had probably just run out.

Alex shifted his gaze back to Kensei, who kept running for his life, shouting excuses at the top of his lungs. But how could Zhu Ma believe her husband's words, when he had deceived her so many times before? She no longer trusted a single word he said.

Meanwhile, Kensei, desperate to save his skin, was crying out as he ran:

"Darling! I ended up there by accident! I'm not the organizer, I swear!"

"Kensei!!!" Zhu Ma roared. "Do you think I'll believe you?! Run faster! Pray to the gods, or even to your buddy Hermes, because when I catch you, I won't just tie you to a pole! I'll handle your re-education personally! And believe me, when our daughter comes back from vacation, she'll see a new father—a man without perverted tendencies! Even if you die, I'll drag you back from the afterlife!!!"

A chill ran down Kensei's spine. He knew perfectly well that if he fell into his wife's hands, his fate would be far from pleasant. The fear of death sparked a second wind—his muscles surged with strength, and he sprinted even faster, desperate to escape the inevitable punishment. The last thing he wanted was to go through death and resurrection yet again.

Alex silently observed the scene, listening to the thunderous quarrel between Kensei and Zhu Ma. When Kensei, in his frantic flight, passed close by, a hand suddenly grabbed him by the scruff. He slowly turned his head—and met Alex's eyes. In that instant, he realized: this wasn't a clone. After all, clones never interfered in Orario's affairs. Alex's calm, empty gaze pierced him through. Kensei swallowed hard, forcing a strained smile that looked more like the grimace of a man about to burst into tears.

"Thank you for catching my husband. Um… which clone are you?" Zhu Ma asked, staring at Alex intently.

"Lady Ma, we haven't seen each other in a week. We've just returned from vacation," Alex replied with a smile, still holding Kensei by the collar.

"Oh, Alex, dear, I didn't recognize you at first. With so many of your clones running around the city, it's easy to get confused. The only way to tell the real one is by the clothes. How was your vacation? And why did you come back so soon?" Zhu Ma said, a flicker of joy flashing in her eyes.

"It wasn't bad. We visited a couple of interesting places. Renka is at home unpacking things now. You should stop by—she brought back some souvenirs. I'm sure she'd be glad to see you. Well, except for Kensei. She probably won't be thrilled to hear what her father's been up to this past week," Alex remarked, giving the miserable Kensei a little shake.

"I didn't do anything!" Kensei protested indignantly.

"Silence, Kensei. You might be able to convince your student Kenichi with your tall tales, but not me," Zhu Ma snapped sharply, then softened her expression into a smile as she turned to Alex: "Alex, dear, I'll definitely come by. I've missed my daughter so much. But first, I need to deal with my husband. Girls, tie him up properly."

"Yes, captain!" the women chorused in unison, pulling out ropes and handcuffs.

Alex released Kensei. But before he could even twitch, the cuffs clicked onto his wrists and ankles, and within seconds he was trussed up into a pathetic "caterpillar." Zhu Ma watched with the keen eye of a hawk, ready to strike him at the slightest hint of resistance. To make sure, she stuffed a gag into his mouth as well. Alex just shook his head, impressed by the women's speed and coordination.

"Well trained," he remarked.

"Thank you," Zhu Ma replied with a satisfied smile.

Suddenly, Alex felt someone's gaze on him. Turning around, he saw Hermes being dragged along the ground by Asfi like a sack. The god's arms and legs were bound, making him look more like a cocoon than a man.

"Hey, Alex. How's it going?" Hermes said cheerfully, despite his position.

"Fine. And you, I see, are… having fun," Alex replied dryly.

"Well… I wouldn't exactly call it fun. But it's an interesting experience, being tied up like this. Kind of symbolic, really. When I break free from this cocoon, I'll soar like a butterfly," Hermes said dreamily.

Alex looked at him with an empty stare. It seemed to him that Hermes had probably hit his head on some stones along the way, since Asfi had been dragging him without much care. Maybe that was why he was spouting such nonsense. Asfi, for her part, thought the same and seriously wondered whether to take the god to a doctor—or if he was just pretending.

"Asfi, after the punishment, take Hermes to a doctor. Let them check his head. Who knows, he might get even dumber… although it's hard to imagine it getting worse," Alex said calmly.

"Agreed. We need to make sure he's okay," Asfi nodded.

"Hey, I can hear everything, you know!" Hermes protested. "I may be tied up, but my hearing is perfect! I'll become a butterfly, I'm telling you!"

Alex and Asfi exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison. Both were certain: Hermes clearly needed medical attention. After all, only a complete idiot would seriously talk about turning into a butterfly.

After saying goodbye to Zhu Ma and Asfi—and completely ignoring Kensei and Hermes, who had already been transformed into pitiful "caterpillars"—Alex decided to head to the guild with his clone. He was eager to see how the clones had handled the task and what interior design they had chosen for the building.

Following the clone, Alex soon saw a three-story building ahead. It looked suspiciously familiar. He strained his memory… and suddenly realized where he had seen something like it before.

"Are you telling me you built the guild in a 'Fairy Tail' style?" Alex asked, staring blankly at the clone.

"You could say that," the clone replied thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "The 'Fairy Tail' building always looked cozy and inviting. And considering that the future members of our guild will have very similar personalities… the other clones and I decided this style fits perfectly."

"Alright, I actually like the exterior. But who the hell thought of naming it…" Alex pointed at the sign. "…Guild of Guardians."

"Well… we just combined the words 'Guild' and 'Guardian.' It sounded catchy and quick. We didn't have time to come up with anything original. You know how it is—if we had started arguing over the name, it would have dragged on for a month. So consider it temporary. Don't like it? Change it yourself. That's your problem now, Original," the clone shrugged.

Alex massaged his forehead wearily, feeling the onset of a headache. He decided he'd think of a proper name later.

Another surprise awaited him: by the guild doors, a trio of his clones were squatting, smoking, and chatting animatedly. As Zhu Ma had said, each clone wore different clothing. This trio had chosen school uniforms and looked exactly like hooligans smoking behind a school.

Alex couldn't help but wonder: what's going on in their heads? And why are they so damn strange? He knew he wasn't entirely normal himself—otherwise, he would have gone crazy long ago with everything happening in his life. But the clones' "wires" seemed even more frayed.

"Oh, look who's back! His Majesty, the Original!" one of the "students" drawled mockingly, taking a drag from his cigarette. "We thought you'd left for good, and we'd have to do all your work ourselves."

"You three put on school uniforms just to mess with me?" Alex asked dryly.

"Bingo, Original," the second clone smirked. "We're just messing around. We don't have to sit at desks and stare at those dull faces of classmates."

"And we don't have to do homework either! Ha-ha-ha!" added the third, choking on his laughter.

Alex's eye began to twitch nervously at the words of his clones. That familiar urge flared up again—the desire to punch his own reflections. His hand already reached for the iron rod in his inventory, but the clones just laughed loudly and vanished in clouds of white smoke, leaving the last word behind.

Alex grimaced and forced himself to suppress his irritation. The best way to get rid of anger, he decided, was to distract himself, and so he followed the clone in the white construction helmet.

Once inside, he was pleasantly surprised: the guild's interior really did resemble the "Fairy Tail" hall, but with important differences. Along the walls ran racks of monitors that were meant to display worlds and available missions. Another novelty was the task-dispensing stations. Everything looked like a harmonious blend of magical ambiance and modern-world technology.

"Not bad," Alex nodded. "And where are the monitors for observing the groups?"

"Here," the clone replied, pointing to a wall covered in screens. "We thought that if someone isn't participating in missions, they can watch broadcasts of other groups. This way, newcomers will quickly understand the rules of the worlds and learn from others' experiences."

"What else did you add?" Alex asked, continuing to inspect the hall.

"Mostly small things. On the second floor—there's a library with information about worlds and gods. Essentially, we digitized your entire collection. So all that's left is to find a librarian. Though I suspect you'll want to give that job to Reginleif."

The clone paused, then continued:

"We originally planned the third floor as an artifact storage. But in the end, we made a separate storage behind the mission desks and gave the top floor to the elite—the ones who complete the most difficult missions. In the basement, there's a training ground: any weapon, firearms, melee, or magic. Oh, and on the first floor, we set up a clinic for Shizuka, Mari, and Rekka. Everything's ready; you could start working right now."

"Uh-huh…" Alex murmured.

"In short, figure out the rest yourself. Good luck, Original," the clone smirked and disappeared in smoke.

Alex sighed and began touring the guild.

He first went up to the third floor. The interior was almost no different from the first, except for greater comfort and a blank leaderboard that would later display the names of elite groups. Looks decent, he noted to himself.

Next was the library on the second floor. The holographic shelves with data looked impressive. Alex immediately realized: Reginleif would be perfect as the keeper of knowledge. The other Valkyries could handle reports and mission distribution. Though he couldn't see Thrúd as a secretary—she was far too bulky for paperwork. She'd be better suited overseeing the training complex.

Descending to the first floor, Alex checked the storage. The massive iron doors slid open, and his face immediately went stone-cold. The shelves were overflowing with weapons and artifacts he recognized perfectly.

"Perfect…" he muttered, realizing that the clones had completely emptied his personal stockpile.

To avoid ruining his mood entirely, he silently closed the doors and pretended not to notice.

The next stop was the clinic. After a brief inspection of the rooms, Alex nodded: everything was ready; they could start treating the wounded today.

After that, he went down to the basement. There was the training ground. A quick inspection confirmed—everything was in order.

Having finished the training area inspection, Alex returned to the first floor. Now it was time to check the most important part—the system itself, to see firsthand how it worked.

He settled into one of the workstations intended for the guild's future secretaries. Turning on the computer, he pulled the ashtray closer, lit a cigarette, and waited for the system to boot up. One by one, the monitors flickered to life, filling the hall with a soft glow. The mission board lit up first, displaying the names of the worlds, their current status, and the threats that could destroy them prematurely.

Alex glanced at the loading screen, then leisurely stood up and moved closer to the mission board.

"Hmm… the clones did a good job," he muttered under his breath. "The information is detailed, everything's clearly laid out. Wow, they even made an app for missions… Not bad, not bad. Just like in a video game. Considering everyone's carrying smartphones or HUD screens, it saves me some hassle."

He chuckled, exhaling a stream of smoke.

Deep down, Alex knew that without the involvement of his father, the Creator, such a system couldn't have been built. Too much data, too precise analytics. He also remembered that the clones had enlisted the support of Yog—and it was this ancient entity that helped reduce the time lag, allowing near-instant updates on the worlds. I wonder how much he'll ask for such a favor? flashed through his mind. But Alex waved it off: conversations with the Outer God who loved sweets could wait.

Returning to the desk, he confirmed that the system had launched without any glitches. No major changes were needed, only minor details could be refined later. Now there was just one thing left—conduct the test run and find volunteers for the first mission.

Plugging his phone into the computer, Alex noticed that a new icon immediately appeared on the desktop—a large letter V. He opened the app, scanned the interface quickly, and smirked with satisfaction: the system allowed missions to be accepted directly in the field, without needing to return to the guild first.

Leaning back with his feet on the desk, Alex lazily flipped through the menu, exploring the additional functions. He was so absorbed that he didn't notice the guild doors swing open.

"Look who's back," a familiar male voice rang out. "Barely made it home, and already thrown headfirst into work."

Alex heard the familiar voice and looked up. In the doorway stood Lehm—with a cigarette in his mouth, dressed not like a soldier but more like a tourist on vacation: brown pants, a black polo, and the lazy gaze of someone who enjoys everything.

"Well, a week of rest is enough, time to get to work," Alex said with a smile, putting his feet down from the desk.

"So, how was the vacation? Where did you manage to go?" Lehm asked, stepping closer and leaning on the counter.

"First, we visited the academy where they train elite chefs," Alex began. "There was a festival, and we ate so much we could barely leave. Then we went to the Dwarf Kingdom—honestly, entire mountains of gold there. Soon after, we had to help them fend off an orc army. And at the end, we visited a world with a haunted house that actually has ghosts. That world also has plenty of urban legends that turn out to be real."

Lehm squinted skeptically and smirked.

"An academy for chefs—makes sense. The Dwarf Kingdom too. But a world with ghosts—that's a pretty strange choice for a vacation."

"Why?" Alex laughed. "The girls liked it. I even went to a meeting of the runaway psychopaths' club, and they were all competing to tell ghost stories. Had to break it up, though. But everyone had fun. Oh, and I found Zhang Ya's killer—now that fatso is suffering big time."

"Well, if you avenged your ghostly girlfriend, then no complaints," Lehm smirked. "Alright, so what are you up to now? Your clones have been running around all week, but they didn't explain anything properly."

"You're just in time," Alex said with a sly smile. "Gather the guys. You'll be the first to go on a test mission."

"Wait," Lehm raised an eyebrow. "You're seriously turning us into guinea pigs?"

"Don't dramatize. The system works fine; it just needs field testing. You're perfect for it."

"And who do I call?" Lehm rolled his eyes. "You said 'guys' but didn't hand me a list."

"Call your crew, and if you can, bring R. If not—forget it. The rest: Price, Soap, Ghost, David, Jonah, Kota, and don't forget Jake."

"Hahaha!" Lehm laughed loudly. "Not sure about R. He's still in the hands of that Amazon. Although… maybe we can get him out. He definitely needs a break; I doubt he'll last long in her embrace otherwise."

Alex just nodded, looking at his friend with a faint smile. Lehm said goodbye and went to assemble the team.

Alex returned to his desk and began the final preparations. He already had one world in mind for the test run—the mission seemed simple: prevent the start of a war. But what caught Alex's attention was that this world felt too familiar… even if it was a different timeline.

"This will do for a start. Just right."

To be continued…

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