The reunion was swift, a blur of emotions that quickly erupted into something brighter than expected.
The moment Alex stepped through the door, the girls froze.
Then, almost in sync, they rushed toward him, tears glimmering in their eyes, some of them already streaming down.
Yet, as soon as they confirmed he was truly there, alive, real, breathing, it all shifted into something else.
Grief turned into joy, panic became laughter.
They celebrated.
“It was insane!” Aurelia beamed, practically bouncing on her feet.
“Y-You did all that cool stuff and won! I thought my heart was going to explode at least ten times!”
“We seriously thought you were going to die,” Alice added, hugging him a little tighter, her usual confident grin returning.
“Especially when your soul shattered, I thought that was it! But nope. You pulled through.”
She giggled proudly, burying her face into his shoulder for a moment.
“As expected from my husband.”
Lilith’s voice was quieter, almost hesitant.
“Your final form though…” she murmured, glancing away for a second.
“It felt like you were being taken over or something. It was terrifying…”
“I felt it too,” Alera said, placing a calming hand on her daughter’s head.
She gently played with Lilith’s ears, offering her some peace.
“But in the end, he succeeded. That’s what matters.”
They all nodded together, a sense of collective relief washing over them.
The questions came in like waves after that, one after another.
How did he do it? What happened in the final fight? What was that explosion? Who was that strange entity? What happened to the gods?
And Alex answered. He didn’t leave anything out.
He explained it all, the brutal trials, the emotional chaos, the final stand.
He told them about the moment his soul nearly disintegrated, about the force he had to let loose, about fighting the [Hatred Demon], and this very domain somehow helping him in the end.
He told them about the [Creators], those ancient forces behind Universal Descent, and how he had met Kaelios.
“Kaelios…” Arcelia repeated the name softly, eyes narrowing, “He was one of those gods who destroyed the worlds, right? You don’t miss him, do you?”
Her words, though calm, struck something in him.
For a brief second, Alex’s face changed.
His usual composed expression faltered, and a shadow passed over his eyes.
But just as quickly, he recovered, exhaling quietly.
“No,” he said firmly, shaking his head, “Kaelios was different. He fought with me, all the way until the end. He was probably the only good god out of them all. He believed in what we were doing. I won’t forget his death.”
There was silence after that.
Nothing needed to be said.
The dead couldn’t come back, not even with all of Alex’s power, and frankly, he didn’t want them to.
It was over. The gods were gone, and maybe that was how it needed to be.
Now, he was the only one left. The last divine being still standing.
Their conversation continued for over an hour, laughter and relief mixing in with the occasional sob or heavy breath.
The house was warm, safe, something that had been missing for a long time.
But when things finally quieted down, and everyone began to settle into that peace, Alex stood and looked out the window.
“No,” he said suddenly, and there was a strange glint in his eyes, “It’s not over. This is just the beginning.”
Before any of them could ask what he meant, a sudden, unmissable announcement rang across not only Universal Descent, but also Earth, and beyond.
It echoed into the skies of all twenty-four other planets that had once been ruled by the gods.
And the world changed.
A massive system panel appeared before everyone, players, NPCs, warriors, civilians, Earthlings, otherworlders, everyone.
Alex’s panel floated in front of him too, glowing gently.
[Now that a year has passed, and the Chosen Games are over, the link between Universal Descent and the planets will be fully enabled.]
[This means that entities from Universal Descent can descend on Earth.]
[In addition to that, Earth has also established a connection with the 24 other planets. You may now teleport between them freely.]
[Do whatever you want with this information. Goodbye.]
The world froze.
People stared at the panel in stunned silence.
Earth, having only barely recovered from its own awakening to Universal Descent, was now being told that entities from a realm full of monsters, gods, and chaos could now appear freely.
But it also meant something else, something more hopeful.
Earth could now connect with 24 other intelligent planets.
That meant trade, technology, alliances, shared knowledge.
Resources that Earth desperately needed could now flood in from entirely new civilizations.
Each world had its own strengths, some had advanced tech, others rare minerals, others ancient magic that Earth had only scratched the surface of.
The opportunities were limitless.
Still, there was danger. And Alex felt it in his bones.
The entities from Universal Descent, many of them were not kind.
Some were monsters. Literal ones. Some were old warriors looking for blood.
Others were just forces of chaos that had been locked away for a reason. And now they were free to roam.
He would need to contact the angels soon, check if they’d managed to contain and pacify the more dangerous races, or at the very least put safeguards in place.
But for now, there was peace.
And that peace gave him clarity.
A second panel appeared, but this one was different.
It didn’t go out to everyone. Only Alex could see it.
[As the winner of the “Chosen Games”, we are granting you the right to initiate a small live broadcast. Everyone in Universal Descent and across all 25 planets will see it.]
[Are you ready, Alex Rogue?]
He blinked, taken aback.
It was clearly a gift from the [Creators], probably one final gesture before they vanished completely.
They must’ve known how much confusion this would cause.
“Thanks,” Alex said softly.
He turned back to the girls, who had all gathered around him with wide eyes.
“Wait… so everyone will see you?” Alice asked, stunned, “Like… billions of people?”
“All of them,” he nodded, “Every single world.”
Their eyes sparkled. Aurelia squealed.
“Oh my god, this is huge!”
He chuckled, asking them to stay inside while he stepped out.
The last thing he wanted was for them to get overwhelmed.
Outside, in the center of the Fox Tribe Village, he accepted the broadcast.
A new panel appeared in front of him, one that hovered like a camera lens.
It recorded him and reflected the feedback in real time.
And across all worlds, in every town, city, station, temple, and field, a broadcast appeared.
At first, people panicked, expecting another annoying system update.
But then they saw his face, the man who had just won it all.
The [Chosen]. The one who had destroyed the gods.
The reaction was instant.
“Wait, that’s FateBreaker!”
“No, it’s Alex Rogue!”
“Whatever, same guy!”
“Look at his eyes… he’s terrifying…”
“Shut up, let’s just hear what he has to say.”
Even on Earth, billions stared at their screens.
The name Alex Rogue was being whispered in every corner of every city.
Some feared him. Others admired him. But no one looked away.
And then, he spoke.
[Hello.]
That single word silenced everything.
All voices stopped, all chatter fell dead.
They could feel his presence through the panel, his aura leaking into the very air around them.
[As you know, I won the Chosen Games and survived when no one else did. That technically makes me the strongest entity alive.]
Gasps. Murmurs. The pressure of his words hit like a wave.
[But I’m not here to rule you. I’m not like the gods.]
His tone shifted, softer now. Thoughtful.
[I’m human. I’m from Earth. And my only goal from the start was to protect my world, and eventually, the 24 other planets I learned about. Maybe even Universal Descent itself.]
He paused, letting the weight of that settle in.
[As you saw earlier, travel between all worlds is now possible. We are all connected. We can share, learn, grow…]
Then, his smile faded.
A crimson glow leaked from his eyes.
His aura flared, sharp, powerful, unmistakably dangerous.
Entire cities felt their hearts skip a beat.
His presence became suffocating.
[But let me be clear.]
[If anyone, anyone, tries to bring large-scale harm to any of these worlds, whether it’s Earth, the planets, or even Universal Descent,] he grinned, and it was the kind that chilled even demons to the bone, [Then you’ll die by my hands.]
Gasps erupted across screens. Faces turned pale.
[I won’t intervene in every little crime. That’s not my job. But if someone steps too far out of line, I’ll be there.]
[And yes, this is a threat. Don’t test me.]
And then, just like that, his aura vanished.
He smiled one last time and gave a casual wave.
[Goodbye.]
The panels disappeared, leaving only stunned silence in their wake.
Alex turned and walked back inside the house.
As always, he hated using his power to scare people.
But now, with 25 worlds entangled in something far bigger than any of them, he didn’t have the luxury of staying silent.
If fear was the tool that ensured peace, then he would wield it without hesitation.
Because this was just the beginning.