Once inside his room, Ryder settled back against his bed, feeling the comfort of home wrap around him. He took a long breath, finally allowing some of the weight from his travels to slide off his shoulders.
Then he opened up his system panel, eyes calmly scanning the cool, glowing data that hovered before him.
Sukuna Integration Progress: 80%
(Advanced rapidly thanks to all the combat he'd forced himself through—each challenge pushing that power deeper into his body.)
Amplify Talent: 20%
(From repeated use, relentless training, and experiments during his month in Belarus.)
A small, almost relieved smile tugged at his lips. That intense little venture had turned out to be far more fruitful than he'd expected. Not only had he dismantled what was left of the Red Room—turning it into something far more loyal through Melina's new leadership—but he'd also honed his own skills remarkably, testing them in real-world, high-stakes situations that polished his talents like nothing else could.
Even his curse sensing and manipulation had grown sharper. Living in that heavy atmosphere, so thick with lingering emotions, had strengthened instincts that couldn't be trained in books or laboratories.
All in all, what had begun as a calculated trip to neutralize a threat had ended with him stronger, more capable, and with new allies quietly building an organization under his name.
Ryder leaned back against the pillows with a gentle laugh.
"I hope there are more places like that out there," he mused. "But there probably aren't any left… at least, not like that."
Then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Hm… but Dreykov is still alive somewhere. He must be guarded by plenty of mercenaries and operatives. If I hunt him down, I'll get even more battle experience—and probably another chance to push my integration higher."
A small, eager smile formed on his lips.
"And a massacre like that would certainly give me another big leap forward."
For now though, he let the thought drift. There would be time to plan. After all, Dreykov wouldn't be able to hide forever—and Ryder had every intention of making sure that when they finally met, the old man would pay dearly.
"I guess… it's time to give the Widows their first mission," Ryder murmured as he stretched, a spark of anticipation lighting in his eyes.
He picked up his phone and simply called Melina. It didn't take long before her calm, low voice answered on the other end.
"I have something for you," Ryder said. "Take some of the Widows, start hunting down Dreykov and any other old Red Room higher-ups still lurking out there. I want names, hideouts, everything—and if you get the chance, don't hesitate to finish them off."
"Understood," Melina replied smoothly, her tone steady.
What Ryder didn't realize was that she already had a hidden force quietly assembled, the beginnings of a legion fully loyal to her—and by extension, to him. She merely chose not to mention it yet, pleased to keep it as her private advantage for the moment. After all, this was also her way of showing devotion: to serve him not only in his plans, but also—she privately decided—in his bed whenever he returned to that old compound.
"Leave it to me," she added.
Ryder hung up, feeling satisfied as he leaned back against his pillow.
"Good… let's see how long it takes them to dig Dreykov out of whatever hole he's hiding in."
Just then, his mother's voice floated up the stairs.
"Ryder, come down! Dinner's ready!"
He blinked, then chuckled softly.
"Almost forgot… Mom called for dinner," he muttered as he pushed himself off the bed. He stopped by the bathroom to quickly wash up, splashing some water on his face to chase away the lingering haze of plans and dark thoughts.
Then he headed downstairs, where the warm scent of home-cooked food greeted him. It was a simple, hearty meal, shared with family—so normal, it almost made him forget the shadowed worlds he was quietly building.
Later that night, Ryder returned to his room, quietly waiting for midnight. As everyone else in the house slept peacefully, he stood before the mirror and let the transformation take hold—skin crawling, features shifting back into Sukuna's fearsome visage.
This was his nightly ritual.
With a devilish grin curling on his borrowed face, he whispered to himself,
"Now… let's see who needs a little help tonight."
His body flickered, amplified by his power. The moment he stepped out the window, he kicked off, launching himself high into the sky. His feet seemed to find purchase on thin air itself, as if he were stepping on invisible platforms of ice and cursed energy, allowing him to move effortlessly above the sleeping city.
His senses stretched wide, curse energy scanning for intense emotions—fear, anguish, desperation. Those dark currents led him unerringly to the places where the innocent suffered and criminals prowled.
A cold, eager glint flashed in his many-ringed eyes as he felt the first sharp spike of terror somewhere below.
"There you are…" he murmured, then tilted forward, diving through the night like a hungry predator.
Ryder plummeted down in near silence, his body slicing through the night air until he landed on the roof of a run-down apartment building. He stood there, letting his senses swirl outward once more.
Below, in a dark alley choked with garbage and broken bottles, three men were dragging a terrified young woman behind a dumpster. Her muffled screams and their cruel laughter were enough to make Ryder's expression twist—though it was hard to tell under Sukuna's eerie grin.
"Perfect," he whispered, voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate in the air.
He stepped off the roof, dropping like a stone, and landed right behind them. The ground cracked under his feet, sending a spiderweb of fissures racing out in all directions. The men froze, turning with wide, startled eyes.
"What the hell—" one of them started, but the words died in his throat as he looked up into the monstrous face, those four cold eyes glinting with murderous amusement.
"Evening," Ryder drawled. "I was in the mood for a little… stress relief."
The moment they heard him, the three thugs practically jumped out of their skins. In a panic, they shoved the terrified woman straight toward Ryder, scrambling back like cockroaches.
"O-okay man—she's yours!" one of them stammered.
"Yeah! We're not into… whatever that is," another added, nodding frantically at Ryder's monstrous Sukuna face.
Ryder blinked, taken completely off guard. He looked at the crying woman clutching his arm, then back at the three idiots trying to edge away.