The silence that followed the demise of Miranda was absolute. Theodore leaned against a piece of rubble, panting slightly, and his system gave him the notification.
[The Run is Completed]
[Final Score Calculated: S-Rank]
[As usual, you can go back home or stay. Please pick one option.]
[Option: Return to Hub (Immediate)]
[Option: Remain in World (As long as desired)]
"Psh. S-Rank was guaranteed,"
Theodore muttered, adjusting his imaginary headset.
"Honestly, there's nothing left to do here. The loot pool is tapped out."
He looked over at Alcina and her daughters, who were watching him.
They sensed he was about to bail.
Alcina stepped forward, radiating intense, cured composure.
"Lord Theodore, where you go, we wish to follow. We are loyal."
"Yeah, about that,"
Theodore said, scratching the back of his neck.
"Look, I gotta be straight with you guys. This place? It's not real. Not my real, anyway. I'm from, like, the actual universe. You guys are... game characters."
He braced for the massive freak-out, but Alcina just smiled.
"If you follow me to my world, you will lose all this,"
Theodore gestured at her towering figure.
"No more super-strength, no fast healing, no immortality. You'll all be regular, squishy humans. Like, totally normal."
Alcina's smile widened.
"To be normal? To be free of that parasitic crud? Best ending ever. We accept."
"Seriously? Dope,"
Theodore said, surprised and relieved.
"Then it's settled. We're getting out of this broken server."
Theodore led the new party to the valley boundary, where Chris Redfield and Ethan Winters were waiting, looking completely baffled.
Chris stepped forward, his face a mask of suspicion.
"Mayer! The power readings... What the hell did you just do?"
"Saved your butt, bro,"
Theodore replied with a shrug.
"Look, I'm taking the Dimitrescu squad with me. They're cured, non-hostile, and frankly, too cool to leave here."
He walked over to Ethan, who was hugging a tearful, safe Rose.
Rose looked up and reached out, wrapping her small hand around Theodore's finger.
"Peace out, tiny boss,"
Theodore whispered to the girl.
Then he remembered Ethan's mold problem. He pulled out his final Blessing of Marika.
"Oh, wait! Almost forgot the final patch,"
Theodore said, pouring the golden liquid onto Ethan's hand.
"That mold crap on you? Gone. But the healing powers? You get to keep those. Consider yourself super-human now. You're welcome."
Ethan just stared at his rapidly mending skin. He was beyond shock.
Theodore turned to Chris.
"Look, just clean this place up, okay? Nuke the whole valley. I want all the residual data scrubbed."
Chris, witnessing the blatant use of impossibly powerful magic, could only nod slowly.
"We... we'll secure the perimeter, Mayer."
Theodore grinned.
He gave the Dimitrescu family a thumbs-up.
"Alright, ladies! A new game plus is starting now. Peace out, weird village!"
With a final command issued mentally, Theodore Mayer and the Dimitrescu family vanished from the world in a silent flash of light.
Theodore stood in the brightly lit Hub world or normal world.
Alcina and the sisters looked around, wide-eyed, in their new, simple clothes.
"Emmm, this place is weird,"
Cassandra murmured.
Alcina looked at Theodore, her voice still regal but now tinged with curiosity.
"Where do we go now, My Lord?"
Theodore grinned, already scrolling through a virtual list of his next possible destinations.
"Anywhere we want,"
He replied, energized.
"Real life is the ultimate open-world game, and we just unlocked a whole new party of high-level waifus. Let's go!"