25. As You Wish.

25. As You Wish.

It didn't take long—just five or six minutes—before the castle's door slowly opened with a 'click,' revealing an entrance for the two of them.

"See, I told you it wouldn't be hard," Pietro said excitedly, waving his hand and then looking back at Alex for approval.

"Well done. Now, let's get out of here. It won't be long before the war reaches us," Alex nodded slightly, expressing his approval of Pietro, then stepped inside.

The interior of the castle was almost exactly as Alex had imagined. Apart from minor details, it was similar to the castles seen in films from his previous life. Almost all European castles had the same style of decor.

However, Alex didn't know much about the differences in interior design styles and the specific cultural influences of castles from different countries. He hadn't studied that, so he could only softly marvel at the luxurious interior—impressive!

The castle seemed to have been neglected for a long time. It was filled with dirt, and many things were misplaced. The counters, which once held plants, now had only withered specimens covered in dust. The old paintings on the walls were draped in cobwebs. It seemed even President X hadn't returned here in a long time.

"Where are the items hidden?" Alex surveyed the surroundings. Giant vases lined the corridor, acting more as bottle-shaped ornaments, each more than a person high.

"Everything is hidden at the bottom of the castle. It used to be a wine cellar but was converted into a large storage room by President X. The good news is that there are almost no obstacles down there. Maybe President X was too confident; he didn't set up any defenses around the collection. Of course, that was my experience back then. I'm not sure about now," Pietro explained.

"We'll find out soon enough," Alex said. The two of them moved quickly, not pausing on the way. Pietro led the way as they navigated the corridors.

Alex felt a mix of emotions—excitement at the prospect of soon leaving this cursed world and worry that the time controller might not work or be broken. If that were the case, he might be trapped here forever.

With these thoughts in mind, Alex had no interest in admiring the castle's interior. Under different circumstances, he would have explored thoroughly and taken a few valuable items.

Walking through the dark, cold passage, they quickly arrived at an elevator inside the castle. Pietro, familiar with the controls, pressed the switch, and the elevator doors slowly opened.

"Let's hope there are no traps," Alex said, readying himself. With his Iron Man suit destroyed by President X, Alex could only rely on the pistol he carried.

"There shouldn't be, but if there are, I'll protect you with my life," Pietro said, giving Alex a thumbs-up, though his current state made it hard for Alex to rely on him.

The elevator moved, and they descended to the bottom floor, both tense and alert.

As his fingers touched it, the device lit up, and the screen displayed an image of Miss Minutes, the animated character. However, unlike the Miss Minutes from the Loki series in his memory, this one slowly opened her eyes, and her pupils turned towards Alex, her gaze cold and eerie, sending a shiver down his spine.

"&...%& Failure ((&( Error%#..." Miss Minutes' mouth moved, emitting a series of strange, unintelligible noises like an old radio's static, a language from another planet, or a phrase played backward.

"Miss Minutes, take us away from here," Alex said, feeling a tightness in his chest.

If this thing was really broken, all his previous efforts would have been in vain.

After he spoke, the chaotic noises from Miss Minutes abruptly stopped. Her eyes seemed to show a hint of human emotion. How Alex and Pietro could sense emotion in an animated character's eyes was beyond them.

"Do. You. Know. Me?" Miss Minutes finally spoke a coherent sentence.

It wasn't any particular language but a sound like bioelectric waves that any intelligent creature could understand.

"Yes, I know you. Take me away from here," Alex said seriously, holding the time controller.

Miss Minutes stared blankly at Alex as if trying to comprehend his words or perhaps processing information too slowly.

Seeing this, Alex urged again, "I know you can open the time portal. Quickly, take us away from this world."

Alex frowned deeply. He had never encountered such a situation before, and Pietro remained silent, not daring to interrupt, though he wanted to.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Miss Minutes reacted. She pulled a stiff smile—if it could be called that. Suddenly, a purple barrier rapidly expanded from under Alex and Pietro's feet.

"As you wish."

...

10 advanced chapters on p@treaon

For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)

26. New World.

27. Another Universe.

28. Twins.

29. The Sword Hanging Overhead.

30. Heading Towards Destruction.