How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 261: Calm down my ladies...? ”L-Luara?”

Her name slipped from my lips, a reflexive whisper carrying the weight of memories I had no intention of recalling.

Yet, as I stared at the young woman standing before me, fragmented images and forgotten emotions surged through my mind, an unstoppable tide breaching a dam I hadnʼt even realized existed. ”Hm~ did you take some of those famous rejuvenating potions, Papa? You look much younger youʼre even wearing academy uniform.... is this a cosplay kink with Mama~?”

Her playful tone was a stark contrast to the chaos unfolding within me.

Her voice, her face, her presence-they struck me with an inexplicable familiarity.

Each word she spoke added to the whirlpool of memories, fragments swirling violently, out of order, and incomplete.

My already hazy mind descended further into disarray, the throbbing ache behind my eyes worsening with each passing second.

It was as if her very existence was a paradox, forcing my consciousness to bridge the gap between the past and present.

Then, the ringing bells of the system began. [WARNING!!!] [WARNING!!!] [WARNING!!!] ”Ugh...”

A cacophony of alerts flooded in my head directly, making me groan slightly in pain. [Note: Ego corruption underway!] [Ego corruption: 17%] [Note: Emergency measures applying!]

I stumbled, clutching my head as the influx of memories clawed at my sanity. My knees buckled, and I fought to stay upright as the systemʼs voice continued its relentless barrage. ”Papa are you alright?” [Note: Automatic activation of [Skill: Archive] proceeding.] [Memory filtration activating!] [Note: Filtered memories shall now be forced into locked archive.]

The warnings blurred together, each new message hammering into me like a relentless drumbeat.

My mind felt like it was tearing apart, the chaotic fragments refusing to be pieced together. [Note: User soul stabilization shaking!] [Note: Memory forced unlock underway.] [Note: Filtered memories will now only show necessary entanglements upon foreign presenceʼs influence.]

I gasped as a sharp, searing pain shot through me.

My vision blurred, flashes of moments long past flickering in and out like a broken film reel. [Note: Skill Archive Filtration Completed!] [Note: Memories of subject Luara will now be reconstructed...]

Her name echoed in my mind, tethering me to this moment even as everything threatened to unravel.

Yet the systemʼs voice did not stop. [Note: Dangers of Ego Corruption cannot be stopped... Applying appropriate countermeasures.] [Countermeasures applied!] [Note: User soul Divinity will now be used as a catalyst to offset Ego Corruption.] [Note: User fragment of Divinity is now healing the userʼs soul threshold!] [Note: Constant use of Divinity beyond user soul threshold may lead to permanent soul damage...]

I groaned, the pain subsiding slightly, though the warnings still weighed heavily on my consciousness.

My breathing was ragged as the fractured memories began to settle, reconstructed and filtered by the system.

Laura...

Thatʼs right.

Her name was Laura Heavens Hell-the first daughter of Liyana and me.

A prodigy no a genius.

The worldʼs most brilliant inventor of her time, or at least she had been, in whatever timeline or fragment of reality she originated from.

My thoughts swirled in disarray as I processed her presence, trying to reconcile the memories forcefully reconstructed by the system.

The disjointed fragments painted an incomplete picture, but the truth was undeniable.

She was my daughter.

Her voice, high-pitched with worry, broke me out of my trance. ”Papa... why arenʼt you saying anything? Is something really wrong? Oh no, what should I do?!

I didnʼt bring my medical room with me!”

Panic gripped her as she began circling me, moving so quickly that it seemed as if she were teleporting.

Her touch was everywhere-shoulders, arms, forehead-as flashes of light emanated from the mechanical arms extending from her back.

The limbs worked with eerie precision, scanning me as though I were one of her experiments. ”Thatʼs strange... no anomalies could be found. Is it a mental problem, perhaps?”

Her rapid-fire speech, coupled with her overwhelming energy, left me disoriented.

She wasnʼt going to calm down until I said something.

Gently, I placed my hands on her shoulders, pushing her back just enough to create some space between us.

Even though the reconstructed memories told me we were close-closer than most fathers and daughters—this level of physical intimacy felt strange.

The divide between her being a total stranger from another timeline and being my daughter was too vast, too jarring for my current psyche to handle. ”I-Iʼm fine,” I stammered, trying to steady myself.

Her brows furrowed, her lips pursing in a skeptical pout as she leaned in closer. ”Really? Because your face says otherwise, Papa. I told you, you can rely on me more, right?”

She straightened, her tone becoming slightly accusatory yet playful. ”I donʼt know why youʼve suddenly brought me to this place-this place that clearly screams trouble and danger! And Iʼm really, really curious to know whatʼs going on, but...”

Her mechanical arms folded behind her like wings, and she placed her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing as though she were delivering a lecture. ”As per Hell family rules, the health and safety of family members must remain the top priority no matter the situation. So, come on, tell me whatʼs wrong! Did Mama not let you do something again, perhaps~?”

Why was she even here?

Cheshireʼs [Wonderland] domain was notorious for bringing the figments of imagination to life.

But its mechanics werenʼt so simple-it required total focus on what one wanted to manifest.

The clearer the image, the stronger the effect.

Yet...

I knew where my thoughts had been during that moment.

I was disoriented, true, but I wasnʼt thinking about Laura.

I was imagining something entirely different.

So why her? Was it possible that, unconsciously, my mind had reached out to her? If so, then why?

I sighed, rubbing my temples to clear my head. ”I told you, Iʼm fine.”

I looked at Laura, whose arms were now crossed as she raised a single eyebrow at me, her expression a perfect mixture of disbelief and sass.

Her body language practically screamed, ”Right, I totally believe you, Papa.”

Lauraʼs lips curled into a knowing smile as she tilted her head slightly. ”You know, Papa, lying isnʼt exactly your strong suit~”

Her tone was teasing, but her eyes held that same spark of determination I vaguely remembered.

Now that fragments of my memories were returning, I could see it more clearly-this girl had always been like this.

Whenever it came to Liyana and me, Laura never settled for anything less than a hundred percent.

Whether it was our emotional well-being or our physical health, she was relentless.

She had been our ever-reliable daughter, always so attentive and proactive, as though she were carrying the weight of both her parentsʼ choices on her shoulders.

She was, in every sense, our most wonderful blessing-the result of the decision Liyana and I had made to relinquish most of our power in order to have her.

Our beloved daughter. Could it be... that I really unconsciously thought of her to solve this situation...?

The thought was absurd, but the more I considered it, the more it made sense.

If there was one person I trusted implicitly-one person who could always solve problems no matter how insurmountable they seemed-it was Laura.

She had a knack for fixing everything, from the mundane to the catastrophic.

Danger and challenges never seemed to faze her; instead, she approached them with an almost infuriating level of confidence and ingenuity.

If my memories were correct, she had been the cornerstone of our family, the person Liyana and I leaned on when things became overwhelming. ”Papa? Youʼre zoning out again.”

Her voice snapped me back to the present.

She was standing closer now, her mechanical arms hovering protectively around her like loyal sentinels.

Her expression had softened slightly, though her hands were still on her hips, exuding the same no-nonsense attitude I remembered. ”If thereʼs a problem, just tell me already. You know I can handle it, and also-why do you keep avoiding my gaze!?”

Her voice carried a mix of concern and exasperation, but it was her piercing stare that made me falter. ”Itʼs nothing...”

The words left my mouth automatically, but they felt hollow even to me.

How could I explain it?

Every time I looked at her, the fragments of my memories rushed back, chaotic and unrelenting.

Filtered or not, they collided with my current thoughts, creating a jarring dissonance.

My mind felt as though it were being split in two-half in the present, the other buried in a past I barely remembered.

It was overwhelming, almost surreal, how I could even form coherent thoughts amidst the mental storm.

Perhaps it was the skill filtration at work, or maybe it was the divinity stabilizing my soul. Either way, I needed to stay grounded and figure out a way to handle this situation.

But Laura wasnʼt buying it.

Her mechanical arms shifted slightly, their movements subtle but sharp, mirroring the frustration in her narrowed eyes.

She opened her mouth, her tone shifting to one of insistence. ”Papa-”

BOOM!!!

The sudden eruption of sound and mana tore through the air, drowning out her words.

Both of us turned toward the source, our gazes locking on the distant horizon where the explosion had occurred.

In the frozen expanse of Wonderlandʼs landscape, a violent clash of mana erupted. Bluish-white energy surged against an ominous crimson-red force, their collision lighting up the surroundings with raw intensity.

The landscape trembled under the weight of their battle, the air thick with tension and power.

It didnʼt take long to figure out what was happening.

Snow and Alice.

The two were pushing their abilities to the limit, their mana signatures resonating violently against one another.

Their duel was nearing its conclusion, but the sheer volatility of their energies was alarming.

I clenched my fists, my instincts screaming at me to intervene. Wonderlandʼs domain was designed to prevent physical damage from carrying over to the real world.

But the mental scars?

Those were a different story.

Death within this realm wouldnʼt leave a mark on their bodies but would ravage their minds, leaving behind trauma that no amount of magic could easily heal.

And the worst part?

This entire conflict was rooted in something nonsensical-something that, in all likelihood, stemmed from me. ”I need to stop this,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

Laura, ever quick to act, had already begun analyzing the situation.

The crystalline lenses on her mechanical arms gleamed as they scanned the battlefield, collecting data with an efficiency that was both awe-inspiring and unnerving. ”Papa, whatʼs going on? Those mana readings are off the charts! Whoʼs fighting over there?!”

Lauraʼs voice was sharp, filled with a mix of concern and curiosity as her mechanical arms buzzed and whirred, analyzing the escalating energies in the distance.

I clenched my fists, knowing I couldnʼt take on the situation alone in my current state.

But luckily, I had her with me. ”Laura, can you take me there?”

Her eyes narrowed, assessing me with a mixture of skepticism and frustration. ”Are you really alright, Papa? You know thatʼs suicide for you right now, right?”

Her words stung with truth, but there wasnʼt time to argue. ”We donʼt have much time. I need to stop those two from hurting each other.”

Laura crossed her arms, the analytical glint in her eyes intensifying as if debating whether to comply.

Finally, she sighed and smirked, though her tone was tinged with exasperation. ”Hm... I donʼt know why youʼre trying to meddle in a match between two literal archmages, but... as a fellow archmage and your ever-trusted daughter, I shall comply with your request for now. But you better tell me whatʼs really going on, okay?” ”Itʼs fine. Iʼll explain everything on the way.”

Laura sighed again, this time with clear dissatisfaction. ”You always get me into the weirdest situations, Papa...” she muttered under her breath before springing into action.

She tapped the white bracelet on her wrist, and in an instant, a holographic rectangular screen projected itself a few centimeters above it.

The interface displayed a series of intricate rune-like symbols glowing in a soft bluish hue.

Lauraʼs fingers danced over the runes with practiced precision, selecting something from the interface.

A small, intricate design manifested in her hands-something that looked like a tiny mechanical spider. Holding it carefully for a moment, she tossed it into the air, and the transformation began.

The spider-like machine expanded rapidly, its limbs elongating and clicking into place.

Plates of sleek metal shifted and unfolded, revealing intricate mechanisms beneath. The transformation was mesmerizing, reminiscent of scenes from a certain movie about cars that could transform into robots, but this time, it was a spider-like construct that grew larger with every passing second.

The air buzzed with energy as the machine completed its transformation. Now towering over us, the spider-like robot gleamed with a futuristic sheen, its legs sharp and segmented, while its core pulsed with a vibrant bluish light.

This thing if I recall this was one of her greatest inventions... the Nexus Arachnid A-1.... you could basically compare this thing to an ICBM... a literal nuke of a machine if you multiply it by the thousands... ”Well, there you go,” Laura said with a playful grin, patting the massive construct as if it a pet. ”Hop on, Papa. My newest baby Eddy will get us there in no time.”

I climbed onto the mechanical spider, marveling at its smooth and precise movements.

Laura joined me, positioning herself at the helm with a confident smirk. ”Alright, Papa. You better hang on tight. This rideʼs about to get bumpy!” With that, the spider surged forward, its legs moving with incredible speed and agility as it raced toward the battleground. ʼHow is it going this fast with this type of build... this thing was at least the size of a three story house...ʼ

VOOOM!!!

BOOOM!!!

The clash of mana grew louder and more intense as we approached, and I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

Snow and Alice were nearing their limits.

I had to stop this before it was too late. ...

Is what I thought, but...

What is this? ”Riley...?” ”Junior...?”

The two voices overlapped in a dissonant harmony of disbelief and confusion.

Just moments ago, these two were clashing with enough force to shake the very foundations of this fabricated domain, their auras blazing like opposing stars on a collision course. And now?

Now they just stood there, frozen in place, their weapons lowered, their gazes flickering between each other and... her. ”Hoh~ looks like our sudden entrance made them stop, Papa~ Mission successful, right~?”

Lauraʼs smug voice cut through the tension like a knife, her mechanical arms folding behind her as she gave a playful spin. ”Hehe~ fragment or not, fictional or not, memory or not-I truly am the best at stopping conflicts!”

Her nonchalant confidence was both reassuring and maddening, especially given the circumstances.

Her bright voice snapped me out of my daze just as she turned to me with a wide grin. ”Arenʼt I the best, Papa~?” ”PAPA!?”

The two girlsʼ voices overlapped loud and sharp.

Their gazes snapped to me in perfect unison, wide-eyed and bewildered.

They glanced back and forth between us like they were trying to piece together a puzzle that refused to make sense.

And thatʼs when it hit me like a freight train. ʼRight.ʼ

I momentarily forgot about that fact.