Chapter 158: The Subverted "Real World"

If the present scene were not reality but rather styled after Japanese manga, stars would undoubtedly be sparkling in Polly's eyes.

A dim sanctuary, and a female knight wielding dual silver holy swords.

At this moment, Daisa cut a strikingly dashing figure. As a woman herself, her valiant and spirited posture, the gleaming and razor-sharp twin blades, combined with a confident and charming smile, exerted an impact on the young girl that far surpassed that of any male hero.

Noticing Polly's adoring gaze, Daisa's smile grew even more brilliant.

To be honest, playing this role was immensely thrilling for her as well.

The Lord had designed the overarching background of the story, leaving certain details open for them to improvise.

Unlike film actors surrounded by numerous camera angles, they found it remarkably easy to immerse themselves in their performances. Furthermore, thanks to the generally superior physical capabilities of alchemical creatures, they didn't even need to fake the combat; they simply had to avoid fatal strikes and ensure they didn't accidentally kill their target.

Thus, everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves. This, dammit, was a live-action role-playing RPG game in real life.

"Polly, Polly!"

Daisa called out twice to the girl, who was staring at her in a daze, before finally snapping her back to reality.

"Ah? Ah! Yes!"

"Well, Polly, are you ready? We're about to charge through. Remember, stay close to me and don't leave my sight. This isn't a game, and there are no second chances. Understood?"

Polly gripped her jeans tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white from excitement and exertion.

She nodded vigorously.

"Okay, I'll stay close to you! If I can't keep up, please don't worry about me, just get my dad out safely!"

A warm current had already melted the icy, barren interior of the girl's heart—a heart frozen by long isolation—and her eyes were now filled with unyielding determination.

Polly's expression left Daisa, a vampire herself, momentarily stunned. She couldn't help sweating inwardly as she thought: *It seems the target is even more immersed in the role than I am...*

***

Not far away stood an old, single-棟 apartment building, six stories high.

Judging by its exterior finish and architectural style, it was at least twenty or thirty years old, yet it appeared exceptionally well-maintained.

The apartment building covered a considerable footprint, housing numerous rooms.

While some residents lived there long-term, the majority were renters, much like the Albenson family.

Inside a fourth-floor apartment at this very moment, Cisse Albenson removed his glasses, using the corner of his shirt to wipe the lenses blurred by the mist of his sweat.

He placed his glasses on the table, picked up the damp towel from the basin beside him, wrung it out, and wiped his sweat-soaked face.

On a table to one side, several sheets of A3 paper were covered with design blueprints representing various idiosyncratic styles.

Some featured only a few lines, others were heavily crossed out with big "X"s, while still others boasted complete lines and intricate structures, accompanied by dense annotations at the bottom.

These were his dreams, but the designs remained too hollow, and many conditions were not yet met.

On the laptop beside him, a data model of a carbine rotated smoothly, and the model name displayed on the screen indicated it was the final adjusted version.

This model file was destined for a secret partner to earn the living expenses required for himself and his daughter.

Today inspiration had gushed forth like a spring. Not only had he completed the improvements to the carbine in one go, but even his conceptual weapon system had seen design progress.

Though it remained entirely unrealizable for the time being, it at least had some foundation to stand on.

Just as Cisse intended to take a sip of water to moisten his throat—

"Boom!" A massive explosion echoed from behind him.

Immediately afterward, the inner wooden door, along with the steel security door, transformed into a blur as they slammed violently against the wall directly in front of him.

The clattering impact startled Cisse Albenson, causing the water glass in his hand to drop to the floor with a sharp crash.

Subconsciously, he glanced at the security door, which bore a massive indentation in its center, and then stiffly turned his body toward the doorway.

There, two figures—one bulky and one slender—had already appeared at the entrance. The external lighting made it impossible for Cisse to make out their features clearly.

"Hahahahaha, Dr. Albenson, you sure are hard to find!"

A gruff voice boomed from the doorway. It belonged to Hanch, who had previously "fought" Daisa, but had since changed his attire and altered his muscle contours, effectively making him look like a completely different person.

As the two figures stepped into the room and advanced toward him, Cisse Albenson was finally able to get a clear look at his visitors.

One was a muscular, burly man with short hair, his face practically stamped with the word "ferocious," while the other was a slender, petite blonde woman.

For years, Cisse Albenson had been "on the run" with his daughter, ignoring the incomprehension of others and his own child alike.

At this moment, a frantic roar echoed in his heart: *I knew it! I knew it! Yet I still couldn't escape! Good thing Polly isn't here!*

Dr. Albenson let out a sigh. "You found me after all!"

*Huh?*

*That reaction isn't right, is it?*

Hanch and Monica were momentarily taken aback by Cisse Albenson's remark, but they immediately recalled the note mentioned in their briefing:

*Suspected severe persecutory delusion patient!*

Well, it seemed the word "suspected" could now be safely removed.

Hanch and Monica exchanged glances. As long as the problem didn't originate from their end of the operation, everything was fine.

"Heh, since you already knew, you might as well come with us. As a human, you should feel honored to have this privilege."

Just as Cisse was still processing the phrase "As a human"—

"Rat-tat-tat..."

A continuous burst of gunfire erupted outside.

Yet barely two seconds later, the gunfire abruptly ceased.

"All my perimeter subordinates have been wiped out."

Monica stated expressionlessly to Hanch.

The two of them then turned their bodies toward the doorway in unison, completely unconcerned about whether the doctor behind them might attempt a sneak attack.

"Clack... clack... clack..." The sound of high heels striking the floor gradually drew closer.

Daisa, holding dual silver-white swords still dripping with fresh blood, leaned against the doorway and tapped her weapon rhythmically against the doorframe.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

"Am I interrupting you? Had I known the trash you stationed outside was all you had, I wouldn't even have brought little Polly to witness such bloody scenes; I could have just hidden her somewhere safe."

Meanwhile, Polly stood excitedly at the doorway, gazing at her idolized big sister.

Earlier, relying on her twin blades, Daisa had brought her up from the first floor like an elegant butterfly, dispatching numerous armed gangsters with a mere flash of her swords.

Before they even had time to react, they were slain with a single strike.

It was only when they reached the final pair of guards that they were discovered, but the spitting tongues of gunfire failed to hinder Daisa's advance in the slightest. Any incoming bullets that posed a threat to her or Polly were expertly deflected by the twin swords.

Followed by a gorgeous cross-slash of the twin blades.

The continuous fountain of blood along the way brought no terror to Polly whatsoever; instead, it only deepened her fascination with Daisa and the enigmatic "Dark Sanctuary."

"Local Canadian gangsters really are useless. But whatever, low-end creatures like humans are inherently unreliable anyway."

Monica narrowed her eyes, fixing her gaze on the silver-white twin swords in Daisa's hands.

"Holy silver weapons, scum from the Dark Sanctuary?"

"Monica, don't let your guard down. She's no ordinary minion; she must be a knight-class expert. I can smell Bamart on her."

Hanch cracked his fists, producing a series of crisp popping sounds.

"Bamart? Oh, you mean the vampire who left me this scar?"

Daisa pointed to the claw marks on her arm.

"Apologize, I didn't know he was your companion. But don't worry, I'll send you to meet him shortly."

Still standing outside the door, Polly's eyes lit up. *Had the guy who initially attacked her already been dealt with by Sister Daisa?!*

At the same time, she saw the high heel on Daisa's right foot tap against the ground.

This was the pre-arranged signal between them.

Daisa would launch an attack to draw the enemies' attention, while Polly needed to use the chaos to smuggle her father out. The sound of the high heel was the signal that everything was ready.

Polly's adrenaline surged rapidly, her heart filled with a mixture of excitement and a faint thrill of fear.

Meanwhile, Dr. Albenson, standing inside the room, had been utterly bewildered from the very beginning.

*Low-end creatures like humans?*

*Holy silver weapons?*

*Dark Sanctuary? Knight-class?*

*Vampire?*

*What on earth did all of this mean?*

And those two people who had initially tried to take him away—he had secretly examined the indentation on the security door earlier, and it was unmistakably kicked in by human feet.

An absurd yet heart-pounding thought surged into his mind: *Could it be...*