novelraw Chapter 127-2: Brass Carriage Beacon, Doll Factory (2)
Chapter 127-2: Brass Carriage Beacon, Doll Factory (2)
He opened his inventory to inspect the new item.
[Brass Carriage Beacon (Special Item): A thin brass token etched with strange symbols and lines. While carrying this item, the Brass Carriage will automatically head to the nearest boarding point and wait for you. You can also use it manually to set a remote pickup location.]
He couldn’t help but grumble, Bennett really waited until he died once before handing this over.
Then again, from another perspective, Lin Xun had opened the carriage door mid-transit and gotten himself killed, something most players would never even attempt.
So maybe Bennett couldn’t be blamed for not expecting it.
Just to be safe, Lin Xun clicked ‘Talk’ to Bennett again.
The text displayed nothing of real value.
Bennett just repeated the same flattery over and over, ‘To think the emissary of the True God would dare enter the Veil of Knowledge.’ ‘It’s the first time I’ve seen anyone return from the mist, no less a divine emissary’, that sort of bootlicking nonsense.
Lin Xun rolled his eyes and left the clinic.
He boarded the Brass Carriage once again, this time heading to the Doll Factory.Now that he knew not to open the door, he wouldn’t provoke any monster attacks.
He once again chose to possess the Yellow-Robed Bishop’s shell and stayed awake the entire way to the destination.
[As the carriage rattled forward, you grew ever more distant from Bennett’s Transplant Clinic…]
Lin Xun didn’t recklessly open the carriage door this time.
After more than ten minutes, the game text updated.
[You faintly hear heavy footsteps echoing through the mist outside the carriage…]
[The steps grow louder and closer…]
[With every thunderous footfall, the entire carriage shudders, its wheels briefly lifting from the ground!]
It’s coming!
Lin Xun’s heart tensed.
He considered switching to the thirty meters tall Earth Giant shell to fight the monster head-on.
But after some thought, he figured the odds weren’t good.
The Yellow-Robed Bishop may have been a delicate caster, but it was also level 30, yet still got chewed up like candy with no chance to fight back.
Clearly, the monster was on an entirely different level.
His smooth progress while steamrolling through monsters in the teaching building had made him forget, this was still a Hell-Difficulty chapter.
Better to explore the three destinations marked on the route maps and level up first, then come back to fight the fog monster later.
Cautiously, he refrained from opening the door or engaging in combat.
[The heavy footsteps gradually faded. The carriage continued toward its destination…]
About twenty minutes later, the carriage finally arrived.
Along the way, he encountered two more giant creatures.
Judging by the footstep descriptions, the three monsters were not the same, nor even the same species.
This made Lin Xun all the more wary.
[The carriage slowly came to a stop. The cabin doors opened on their own. You stepped out slowly…]
[In the pale mist, a massive brass gate emerged. The structure attached to the gate was enormous, only a small portion was visible through the fog.]
[You looked up to see the inscription above the gate: Doll Factory – Sophia City Branch.]
[Brave Apostle, will you push open the factory’s doors?]
[With a harsh metallic screech, you slowly pushed open the massive brass doors…]
[A pungent smell of motor oil hit you in the face. Countless kerosene lamps illuminated the interior of the factory…]
[Large brass lathes and unknown machinery were scattered about, all shut down. The narrow paths between the equipment were the only space to walk.]
[From deep within the factory, you faintly heard the sound of hurried footsteps…]
[Just inside the factory entrance was a familiar soft glow, a massive page floating in midair.]
[You have discovered a lost page of the Book of Salvation: the Resting Page!]
Lin Xun’s heart leapt in joy.
If the Doll Factory had a Resting Page, then even if he died, he could instantly revive without wasting time traveling back.
[You reached out and touched the Resting Page. The mysterious divine power lingering within stirred your soul. The wandering soul resonated strongly with the page.]
[You have synchronized with the Resting Page – Sophia City Doll Factory.]
Lin Xun didn’t switch back to the Dancer shell.
He continued exploring using the Earth Giant shell.
[You squeezed sideways past the cluttered lathes, inevitably smearing black grease on your body.]
[Past the massive machinery, you came upon a series of assembly lines. Strangely, most of the components on the workbenches were missing, only some broken and rusted brass limbs remained.]
[Your presence seemed to attract attention from something deeper inside the factory!]
[The sound of rapid footsteps drew near. Three figures quickly approached…]
[As they neared, you saw that they were three young women in black-and-white maid outfits.]
[But all three showed signs of bodily damage. In the light of the kerosene lamps, the ends of their severed limbs reflected metallic gleams.]
[The Basic Combat-Type Maid Dolls silently surrounded you. Their slender arms and straight legs clicked and whirred, transforming into sharp blades…]
What will you do?
[1. Raise your massive Ancient Dragonfang Greatclub and battle them head-on. Show the maid dolls your true specialty.]
[2. Fall to your knees and beg for mercy. Perhaps the maid dolls will spare your life in appreciation of your looks and get to know you more intimately.]
[3. Shake the Brass Sand Maraca and summon the Support-Type Maid Doll. Maybe something interesting will happen when they meet.]
Lin Xun originally intended to pick the first option and go toe-to-toe.
But the appearance of the third option made him hesitate.
Maybe summoning the Support-Type Maid Doll would make the combat dolls submit… or trigger a hidden story event.
He clicked the third option.
[You took out the Brass Sand Maraca and gave it a gentle shake…]
[With a soft sha-sha sound, you summoned the petite and delicate Support-Type Maid Doll.]
The maid doll who had been flipping through a dictionary back in the living room instantly vanished.
[Upon seeing the three dolls whose limbs had turned into blades, the Support-Type Maid Doll shrieked and hid behind you, too scared to step forward.]
[The Basic Combat-Type Maid Dolls laid eyes on the fully intact, undamaged doll. A greedy gleam lit their dark eyes and they lunged at you…]
Damn it!
Even dolls will cannibalize their own kind?!
[You planted your feet firmly against the ground. Power surged through your shell…]
[You let out a furious roar. Your Ancient Dragonfang Greatclub came crashing down with overwhelming force!]
[With a deafening bang, brass parts exploded in all directions.]
[You defeated a Basic Combat-Type Maid Doll. Your experience increased slightly.]
[You obtained Ordinary Refined Copper Gear (Material).]
[A transformed brass blade stabbed toward you, but it was blocked by your Regenerating Scale Armor of the Dragon Rider and failed to pierce through.]
[You gripped your greatclub and smashed the remaining two dolls into scrap.]
[You defeated a Basic Combat-Type Maid Doll. Your experience increased slightly.]
[You defeated a Basic Combat-Type Maid Doll. Your experience increased slightly.]
[You obtained Ordinary Refined Copper Linkage (Material).]
[You obtained Ordinary Refined Copper Spring (Material).]
The game didn’t provide shell-specific text or possession options.
The three maid dolls had been reduced to a pile of parts. No text was understandable under those circumstances.
Apparently, even complete maid doll shells couldn’t be possessed, puppet dolls weren’t biological beings. After all, you couldn’t possess a robot.
Lin Xun opened his inventory.
[Ordinary Refined Copper Gear (Material): A gear made from the lowest grade of refined copper, used for mechanical assembly.]
The other two materials had similar descriptions.
Lin Xun had a hunch about the purpose of these three materials.
Whether he was right or not would have to wait until he encountered the Doll Artisan mentioned by Bennett.
He packed away the materials and pressed deeper into the factory…