Chapter 42: Irene’s Excitement
In the depths of the old city, within a rented house on Wutong Road, a towering man nearly two meters tall was hunched over a single-seater sofa that seemed almost cramped for his size. His head was lowered, meticulously maintaining his gear—a beam dagger. The dark red handle was inlaid with tiny teardrop-shaped crystals, linked in a line that stretched through the entire body of the weapon. The grip was clearly custom-made, fitting perfectly into his broad palm.
The man flipped his hand, spinning the dagger a few times in his palm before casually activating it. With a faint hum, a bright, pale blue beam blade flared to life, cutting a scorching arc through the air.
“Be careful with that. If you scratch the coffee table, I’ll have to file a report with the Bureau to cover the damages,” Li Lin remarked while fiddling with a pocket watch, glancing at the man across from him—Xu Jiali. “That thing’s pretty cool.”
“Cool? I earned it with my life,” Xu Jiali chuckled proudly. “I saved an Alglade Star System Noble single-handedly at the ‘Windmill’ in Depth L-3. This dagger was a reward—handcrafted by the best forge master, with top-quality Gold Crystal. It’s so prestigious that, on Alglade turf, it’s practically equivalent to a Knight’s medal.”
Li Lin raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What’s it good for?”
“Well… Skipping lines at atmospheric transit, fast-tracking at hospitals, and free admission to the zoo—on holidays, at least.”
Li Lin was momentarily stunned. “That’s… surprisingly practical. I always thought those ceremonial Algladians were all about rituals and symbolism.”
Xu Jiali shrugged. “Normally, yeah. But even the most ceremonial types have to get through daily life. The hassle is, working in Borderland is a pain—can’t bring most of my gear. I even had to leave my Chainsaw Sword at customs because it got flagged as a safety risk. It’s still locked up in a cabinet.”
Li Lin was about to say something when he suddenly sensed a presence. Xu Jiali seemed to notice it too, and they both turned their gaze toward the window.
As dusk settled in, a silhouette had silently appeared on the windowsill—a petite girl in a dark red coat, balancing precariously on the frame with one leg hanging outside. She glanced curiously at the two men inside.
“So, you two are the ‘special agents’ in charge of this district, huh?” she asked nonchalantly.
Li Lin frowned slightly, having a vague guess about her identity. “And you are…?”
“Just call me Little Red Riding Hood,” the girl waved dismissively. “From ‘Fairy Tale’. Your Bureau hired me to assist in this area for a while.”
“Oh, I’ve heard about you,” Li Lin nodded, a polite smile forming on his face. “Our captain’s been talking about your investigations around here lately. I’m Li Lin, an operative from the Special Affairs Bureau, Second Mobilization Squad.”
Xu Jiali, less formal and more straightforward, gave her a once-over and spoke in a low voice, “This place might be hiding a big one. I thought they’d send Snow White, or maybe even the ‘King’. No offense to your Wolf Pack.”
Unlike the relatively new Li Lin, Xu Jiali was clearly familiar with Little Red Riding Hood.
“Snow White’s destruction level would be a bit much here—we’re not even sure there’s a high-risk Entity around. I’ve been patrolling this district and looking into the anomalies on Wutong Road. I’m more familiar with the situation, anyway. Relax—if something big really shows up, Snow White can be here in no time,” Little Red Riding Hood said casually, stretching her limbs before jumping down from the windowsill. She waved at the two men. “Just wanted to touch base. You both have my contact info. Call me if something comes up. Bye~”
In the blink of an eye, the girl’s figure transformed into a shadow shaped like a wolf, leaping from the window and vanishing into the darkness, leaving Li Lin and Xu Jiali staring at each other in silence.
…
After dinner, Yu Sheng sat on the sofa, resting with his eyes closed. The sound of rapid footsteps pattered back and forth between the living room and the dining area—sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left, circling the sofa like a restless spirit.
He opened his eyes to see Irene darting around the room. The 66.6-centimeter-tall Doll was carrying an Oil Painting Frame almost as tall as herself, racing around like a tiny rocket on the floor.
After Irene completed her fourth lap around the sofa, Yu Sheng couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Can you just take a break? Give those shoes of yours a rest too,” he grumbled.
In an instant, Irene dashed right up to him, her face brimming with excitement. “No way! I can’t stop at all! I can run everywhere now! Look, I can even climb onto the coffee table and jump down from it!”
Before she even finished her sentence, the Doll Lady had already darted off again. She sprinted halfway around the sofa, then deftly clambered onto the coffee table in front of Yu Sheng. With a few quick steps, she leapt from the tabletop straight onto his lap. Just as he reached out to grab the little whirlwind, she sprang forward again, nimbly hopping from the sofa to the floor.
With a speed that left him no chance to react, she zipped over to the TV cabinet, crawling underneath and making her way up to the top. Standing on tiptoe, she stretched her arms as far as she could and successfully pressed the power button.
The television flickered to life, and Irene cheered triumphantly, turning back toward Yu Sheng with a wide grin. “I can reach the TV switch! Now I can power-cycle the TV even when you’re not home!”
Yu Sheng rolled his eyes, leaning back helplessly. “Alright, alright. Congratulations. You’re amazing.”
In the next moment, he caught a flicker of movement from the corner of his eye. Irene had already dashed back to the sofa, grabbing onto the armrest with one hand and Yu Sheng’s pant leg with the other. In just a few swift moves, she climbed back onto the sofa and plopped herself down next to him.
The little doll, even when seated cross-legged on the couch, was barely larger than a throw pillow. Behind her, the cursed oil painting she carried looked like a towering wall, and yet, remarkably, she had adapted to its presence with astonishing speed. Whether running, climbing, or lounging, it never seemed to hinder her movements—though occasional bumps were inevitable, they never seemed to bother her in the slightest.
Yu Sheng couldn’t help but feel intrigued. “Doesn’t carrying that thing around bother you? Honestly, if I had to lug a door panel everywhere, I doubt I’d get used to it so quickly.”
Irene swayed happily on the sofa, barely glancing at the TV despite having turned it on. “Not really. It felt a bit awkward at first, but after a few laps, I got used to its weight and size. Besides…”
She paused, as if searching for the right words, then hesitantly continued. “It’s kinda… reassuring, you know? Like having something solid at your back. You ever get that feeling? Like when you sleep with your back against a wall or a pile of blankets?”
Yu Sheng nodded slowly, still a bit puzzled. “I get what you’re saying, but it still seems odd. I figured you’d be more resentful toward that painting, considering it sealed you away for so long—and now you’re stuck carrying it everywhere.”
Irene considered it for a moment before giving a light nod, but her smile quickly returned. “Well, there’s a saying, right? Something about making peace with where you end up. As long as today’s better than yesterday, I don’t have much to complain about.”
“The phrase is ‘making the best of it,'” Yu Sheng corrected her.
“Same difference,” Irene waved it off nonchalantly. Finally seeming to calm down from her earlier excitement, she remembered the main topic. “Alright, I’ve pretty much gotten used to my new body. Let’s talk about that Fox now…”
Yu Sheng nodded but then hesitated, his brows knitting together as he looked at the little doll who barely reached his knee. “Are you still planning to come with me?”
“Of course! We already agreed on that,” Irene replied confidently.
He couldn’t help but point out the obvious. “Like this? Can you even fight? You’d have to jump just to kick me in the knee.”
Irene bristled instantly. “I could still kick you to pieces! What’s wrong with being small? Who said I can’t fight like this?!”
Yu Sheng quickly placated her with a wave of his hand. Thankfully, her temper flared up just as fast as it died down, and she soon relaxed back into the sofa, folding her arms over her chest. “Though… you might have a point. Fighting head-on like this could be tricky. You can’t exactly count on a 60-centimeter-tall doll to shield you from bullets…”
She gave a small shake of her head before changing her tone, a hint of pride coloring her voice. “But don’t worry. Dolls aren’t just about brute force. I have plenty of other skills—even with this level of mobility, there’s still a lot I can do.”
She raised her hand as if about to unveil a secret. From her fingertips, threads of inky black spider silk began to weave through the air, forming intricate, living patterns like a dark spiderweb.
“A Doll’s abilities… are far more than they appear!” she declared with a triumphant smile.