Chapter 23 An abrupt change (1/2)

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.