Chapter 55
The players, looking at the toy town in front of them, weren’t charmed by the fluffy toys. Instead, they frowned and cautiously took a few steps back.
The more alluring something seemed, the more suspicious they became.
The gates of Toy Town opened every morning at eight to welcome guests. Before the players could speak, the gates slowly opened before them.
A large, comical-looking teddy bear emerged. It had brown fur, a round face, and a fluffy body.
As if aware of its own cuteness, it tilted its head, waved its small paws, took a couple of steps forward, and bowed, patting its belly.
“Welcome to Toy Town! A paradise for fluffy dolls!”
Its voice was loud and dramatic. It smiled, its eyes crinkling.
“To welcome our guests, we’ve prepared some small gifts. Please, come and choose one!”
A large, fluffy white goose waddled over, honked twice, and pushed a small cart towards the players.
“It’s a tradition in our town. Please choose a lovely plush toy to accompany you during your stay.”
The players had gathered some information about Toy Town before arriving.
But unfortunately, although the basic setting of most instances remained the same, the specific content often changed.
They currently only knew that failing the Toy Town instance wouldn’t result in being devoured by monsters like in other instances.
Instead, players would be turned into dolls and sold.
But the upside was that, even as dolls, there was still a chance to become human again.
Although no one had reportedly succeeded yet, some players who feared the more violent instances preferred this seemingly gentler option.
Hearing the white goose’s instructions, although puzzled, the players lined up and each chose a doll they liked.
Only Wen Xingxue remained motionless.
The white goose and the brown bear turned to look at him, their black button eyes suddenly glowing red, their tone turning cold.
“This guest, why aren’t you choosing a lovely toy? Are you dissatisfied with our hospitality? Or do you dislike our dolls?”
Under the other players’ gazes, Wen Xingxue slowly walked forward and looked at the dolls in the cart.
Then, he commented:
“They’re ugly.”
The white goose honked angrily, flapping its wings and baring its teeth.
Wen Xingxue seemed completely unconcerned about offending these toy animals.
As the goose lunged at him, he dodged, swiftly drawing his blade and slicing through the goose.
The goose’s body was split in two, its insides spilling out, a fluffy cloud of white cotton.
Xing Nuo peeked out of Wen Xingxue’s pocket, gripping the edge tightly, afraid of being thrown out.
A small piece of cotton landed on his face. He brushed it away with his small hand.
The aggressive goose, having only appeared for a minute, was swiftly dealt with.
The other toy monsters gathered the scattered cotton and fabric, ready to send it back to the factory for recycling.
The brown teddy bear, seeing the cold and ruthless Wen Xingxue, didn’t dare say anything, the red glow in its eyes fading.
It waved its paws amiably, as if easy to negotiate with.
“It’s alright if you don’t want to choose one. But we’re about to have our annual Toy Doll Exhibition. Every guest must participate, and if you don’t have a doll, you can’t.”
Wen Xingxue finally responded, drawing out the little clown doll from his pocket.
“I have one.”
Xing Nuo, held by his stomach, wriggled uncomfortably.
He looked up, saw the teddy bear, another toy like himself, and waved his small, round hand in greeting.
“Hello~”
The teddy bear walked over, looked down at the ugly little doll, let out an “Ooh!”, and quickly stepped back.
“That’s…horrible! How can there be such an ugly doll?!”
Xing Nuo had been insulted for his appearance ever since becoming a doll.
But he wasn’t bothered, his button eyes bright and cheerful, the colorful yarn lines on his face seeming even more vibrant.
“Not true…Zaizai…very pretty…not ugly…”
The teddy bear, unable to bear the sight any longer, turned to Wen Xingxue:
“The Toy Doll Exhibition will be held in a week. All toys will be participating, and the prettiest doll will be chosen. Are you sure you want this doll to represent you?”
Other players, catching the keywords, couldn’t help but ask:
“Excuse me, are there any rewards for winning the exhibition?”
The teddy bear, shrewd, looked at the other players and lifted its fluffy chin haughtily.
“Of course! If you can win our town mayor’s favor, there will be a special reward!”
Hearing this, many players’ eyes lit up.
They had heard that the Toy Town instance wasn’t as violent or terrifying as other instances, and although it was a B-level instance, the clearance rate was relatively high.
It seemed the rumors were true!
This toy exhibition was probably the main objective of this instance. As long as they performed well, they could not only clear the instance but also potentially obtain a high-level prop!
And although they didn’t say it out loud, their glances at Wen Xingxue were filled with a competitive glint.
Since this was a doll exhibition, even Wen Xingxue, despite his immense power, wouldn’t necessarily have an advantage!
They had a chance to win!
Wen Xingxue, ignoring the other players’ thoughts, continued cleaning his blade, tucking it back into his belt when he was done.
Xing Nuo, the tiny doll, however, hearing about the competition, let out a soft gasp.
“We…we have to…win!”
Wen Xingxue shrugged indifferently and, lifting his eyelids slightly, said:
“You’re noisy.”
Xing Nuo pouted, but remembering Wen Xingxue’s usual grumpy demeanor, he magnanimously forgave him.
“Big Brother, have you…participated…in doll competition…before?”
Wen Xingxue’s voice was cold and flat. “No.”
Xing Nuo, cupping his chin with his small, round hand, frowned.
“Me neither…I don’t have…toy dolls…Zaizai likes…little wooden sword…”
Remembering his favorite toy, he sighed.
“I don’t know…how to…compete…”
Wen Xingxue, hearing the incessant chattering from his pocket, rolled his eyes.
This little thing was truly noisy.
The players followed the teddy bear, cautiously observing their surroundings as they entered Toy Town.
Free accommodations were provided for newcomers on their first day.
“But starting tomorrow, you’ll have to pay rent!”
The teddy bear, its fluffy chest puffed out with pride, introduced the town.
“Our Toy Town is unique and charming. We have many tourists visiting every month, and accommodations are always in high demand!”
“If you want to stay longer, you have to pay rent!”
The players nodded, looking at the fairytale-like toy houses, thinking they were indeed quite lovely.
If this were in the human world, this entire town would be a popular tourist attraction, with long lines of visitors waiting to enter.
Each player was assigned a toy house. After the teddy bear left, they entered their respective houses.
Wen Xingxue also entered his assigned house and took out the chattering doll from his pocket.
Xing Nuo, placed on a cute, flower-shaped sofa, bounced a couple of times, his eyes shining with delight.
“Big Brother…this place…so pretty!”
The dreamy, adorable decorations were perfect!
He climbed on and off the sofa, and before Wen Xingxue could stop him, he had climbed onto a warm-colored lampshade.
“What are you doing?”
Wen Xingxue, not even bothering to clean his blade, hurried over and picked up the little doll.
Xing Nuo, dangling in the air, his button eyes blinking, explained:
“Zaizai…wants…see…how light…works…”
Wen Xingxue, exasperated, placed the little one far away from the lamp and warned him sternly:
“Don’t run around! Stay here.”
Xing Nuo didn’t respond. Watching as Wen Xingxue turned to look for something to clean his blade, he quietly climbed back onto the sofa and jumped off.
“Ouch!”
Wen Xingxue, seeing the little one’s reckless behavior, his veins bulging, picked him up from the soft carpet.
“Why are you jumping?” he asked, suppressing his anger.
Xing Nuo explained obediently:
“Zaizai…wants…see…carpet…soft…and…Zaizai…jumps…no pain~”
A small sofa, such a short distance, how could it possibly pose a challenge to the brave Xing Nuo?!
Wen Xingxue felt like this little thing was his nemesis!
His forehead throbbing, he took a deep breath and said calmly:
“Don’t jump.”
Not knowing how to discipline a child, he turned away and resumed cleaning his blade.
Xing Nuo nodded obediently this time, crawled onto Wen Xingxue’s foot, and looked up at him.
Having tested the stranger’s limits several times, he couldn’t help but grin.
