Chapter Thirteen: The Sinister Doll

“Duona, quickly look around and see if there’s anything controlling this doll!” Wang Chong shouted, staring at the talking doll standing atop a gear before him.

Duona stepped forward and examined the area, then shook her head. “I can’t find anything controlling the doll!”

Wang Chong and Fang Zhe’s faces darkened.

Meanwhile, Han Tianyue, standing at the front, was transfixed by the doll, as it emanated a faintly familiar aura. At that moment, he was digging through his memory, trying to recall what experience this strange sensation resembled.

Suddenly, the doll leapt from the gear and landed before Han Tianyue, crying out, “Prepare to die!”

Wang Chong drew his twin blades and rushed forward.

“Cross Slash!” The blades met, sending a crisscrossed arc toward the doll.

The doll sprang aside, landing on a gear above them.

“Looking for death!” The doll’s arm instantly morphed into a massive wolf hammer and smashed down toward Han Tianyue and his companions.

They leapt aside, but the ground-shaking impact sent a shockwave that struck them, leaving each with minor wounds.

“There’s more!” No sooner had the first wolf hammer hit the ground than the other arm transformed into another hammer, swinging at them.

A thunderous explosion roared.

Han Tianyue managed to dodge again, but under the force of the shockwave, the group coughed up blood one by one.

“You won’t escape from me!” The doll’s face was expressionless, but her words dripped with contempt for Han Tianyue and the others.

Fang Zhe cradled his zither, sending three sonic waves at the doll.

The doll evaded, hopping three times to dodge the attack.

“I remember now!” After pondering for a long time, Han Tianyue finally recalled what the doll’s aura reminded him of. His face showed astonishment. “How can this be?”

Just as Han Tianyue was piecing together the truth, elsewhere, Jindi and his group still hadn’t uncovered the cave’s secrets, running blindly as monsters gave chase.

“Why does it feel like we’ve been here before?” Amid the chaos, Mao Xuanzi noticed the uneven stone walls repeating themselves after each stretch. “Could we be running in circles?”

At his words, Jindi suddenly realized, “Yes, we are running in circles!”

Feng Shang, seeing them stop, dared not pause himself. Jogging, he shouted, “Keep running! The monster’s about to catch up!”

Mao Xuanzi’s eyes gleamed gold. He replied coldly, “It’s all just an illusion!”

“An illusion?” Feng Shang kept running in place, pressing further. “What illusion?”

Mao Xuanzi turned and pointed behind them, where the tremors came from. They had never actually seen the monster, but its rumbling was always just close enough to sense, yet never revealed. “It must be so!”

Mao Xuanzi and Jindi stopped, waiting for the monster’s sound to arrive. Meanwhile, Han Tianyue had fully grasped the reason for the doll’s existence. He stepped forward and said, “Madam, what is it you truly want?”

The doll, hearing him, barked, “Are you not afraid of me?”

“Because I know what you are, I can help you,” Han Tianyue offered.

“Heh heh heh, do you think I’ll let you help me?” The doll drifted close, giggling with a shrill, squeaky laugh.

“I’m the only one who knows what you are, and only I know how to help you,” Han Tianyue replied confidently.

“Enough nonsense!” The doll erupted, spinning through the air as her arms stretched indefinitely, transforming into two whirling wolf hammers that spun like wheels, smashing toward Han Tianyue and his companions.

Han Tianyue hadn’t expected his words to enrage the doll, yet he knew he’d touched on what she truly desired. But why had she grown angry? There had to be another reason.

Gold medal, collection, recommendations, clicks, comments, red envelopes, gifts—whatever you want, throw it all at me!