Chapter 113

Chapter 113

Don't be fooled by the unconventional dish, Star-Gazing Pie, on the menu; the catgirl is actually quite skilled at handling seafood.

The large prawns were washed and dried into shrimp jerky, with even the smallest piece as big as a palm. There were also plenty of fish fillets, gutted and cleaned, then cut into segments. After a simple marinade to remove any fishy smell, they were made into soft and crispy fish jerky.

The timing seems off; did she use some kind of magic? Who cares.

There was also grilled squid tentacles over fruitwood charcoal and vacuum-sealed ready-to-eat abalone meat...

In addition to these long-lasting foods, the catgirl prepared several tables full of sumptuous seafood feasts for them to enjoy together.

Ji Xinghai picked up an opened sea urchin and scooped out a spoonful of its golden roe. The roe of the sea urchin was rich and delicious, one of the two signature flavors in seafood, alongside crab roe.

This kind of delicacy is either loved or hated; those who dislike it can't stand the smell.

He had already eaten more than a dozen sea urchins, with their shells piling up like a small mountain on the table.

The catgirl across from him was even more impressive, swallowing whole fish larger than her head and spitting out a string of intact bones afterward.

"Delicious! Mmm, I haven't eaten like this in ages!" The catgirl could really eat, but thankfully there was plenty of seafood.

Within half an hour, the two big eaters had cleared several tables of food. The catgirl let out a satisfied burp and patted her belly, seemingly casually saying:

"Speaking of which, that vain guy at the Dollhouse loves pearls and corals. It's said you can get precious dolls from him. The dragon girl who sells fresh fruits adores beautiful dolls. If it were me, I'd trade for his rare fruit wines and then exchange them with the dwarves at the Handcraft Hall."

She stood up, her long black tail curling happily: "It's non-operational hours now. The restaurant is closed. I'm going to rest."

I've given you the strategy, so don't say I just ate without giving anything back.

The catgirl held her head high and hung the 'Non-Operational Hours' sign on the door as soon as Ji Xinghai stepped out.

Standing at the door, Ji Xinghai looked up at the sky and then back at the closed restaurant door.

It was already afternoon, and he had only collected eight stamps. In another two hours, it would be dark. Would there be any activities at the night amusement park?

These thoughts passed through his mind and then sank away.

Taking advantage of the time, he decided to head to the Dollhouse along this road.

As the name suggests, the Dollhouse is a place filled with many beautiful dolls. They aren't displayed in bright showcases but are randomly placed around, requiring careful steps to avoid stepping on them.

Despite being motionless, the dolls give an eerie feeling of intruding into their lives.

This lifelike detail imbues the entire house with an unsettling atmosphere.

"The Dollhouse is a classic horror setting. I feel like they're watching me; the danger level must be high. Maybe I shouldn't go in."

"The higher the danger, the greater the reward. Some game houses in the amusement park offer additional gifts, which must have special uses. Perhaps the Dollhouse does too."

Some students hesitate when they reach here, lacking the courage to even ask about the games. Others face challenges head-on, preparing mentally before entering.

Ji Xinghai belongs to the latter group, and he holds organic gems that can increase the goodwill of the house owner.

Stepping into the entrance, the feeling of being watched intensified. Most of the gazes were curious, neither clearly friendly nor malicious, but a few carried a hint of malice.

Ji Xinghai sat on a dark green sofa downstairs, surrounded by dolls of various sizes and styles, both modern and antique. It seemed every type he had ever seen was present here.

"Please take your time."

The house owner was sending off a successful challenger.

Surprisingly, the Dollhouse's owner didn't have the evil appearance most people imagined; it looked normal, even handsome and elegant.

Seeing Ji Xinghai waiting on the sofa, it smiled politely and nodded.

"..." Ji Xinghai strategically took a sip of water.

Its aura was well-concealed, perhaps slightly weaker than a monitor. If a fight broke out, this fragile body might not withstand the violent energy and explode.

He didn't care much, but his parents would.

Overall, it was a tough opponent.

After the previous student left, the Dollhouse's owner sat opposite Ji Xinghai. A humanoid puppet in a maid's outfit approached, serving them snacks and tea.

The tea was served in exquisite bone china with gold-edged rose patterns, matching the owner's refined taste for vintage elegance. It seemed to be a creature that appreciated life, though it was unclear what it had been transformed from.

A doll, perhaps?

"It's been a long time coming; we finally meet today."

Holding the teacup, Ji Xinghai stirred gently with a small spoon, letting it cool down before drinking it all in one go.

The Dollhouse's owner choked; despite Ji Xinghai's delicate face, he could act so crudely.

But Ji Xinghai didn't care: "What should I call you?"

"My name is Lyle. You may not know me, but you've seen my dolls—the ones in the highway game exam."

Ji Xinghai paused, holding the teapot: So it was you! The one who made me hungry for two days.

"What's the game about?"

Ji Xinghai got straight to the point, and the Dollhouse's owner put down the teacup: "Please follow me."

They walked to the workshop at the back, where many newly made or partially completed dolls were placed. These dolls lacked eyes, breaking their realism and making them less eerie than those in the main hall.

"The original game content was to successfully make a doll using the tools on the table."

Ji Xinghai raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

The curator knew that Ji Xinghai had seen through its scheme—it was using the students to make dolls to steal a part of their souls.

Giving life to a dragon with the final touch came at a price.

Previous students would also realize something was wrong; they seemed to get stamps and game coins without paying any price. However, there was never a free lunch in the Hungry Academy.

But they didn't realize the severity of the issue.

Stealing souls was more terrifying than stealing flesh and blood. After leaving the instance, flesh and blood could regenerate, but the stolen part of the soul would never return, even if it was just a tiny bit.

Though he felt his soul was too vast and might crush his fragile body, it didn't mean he allowed others to tamper with it.

If the curator of the doll house dared to touch him, he would flip the stand over.

It didn’t matter if his body exploded; as long as he had a breath left, he could recover.

"The amusement park is relatively free, but there are rules that must be followed, such as playing games to get stamps and rewards." The curator looked at Ji Xinghai, whose aura was radiating, tracing his features with its gaze. Its hand reached out, stopping just three centimeters from Ji Xinghai's eyes.

"Your eyes are the most beautiful I've ever seen. If they were made into a doll, how lovely they would be."

As an abnormal entity, the curator didn't like making dolls out of human skin as per horror movie tropes; it always felt that the dirty essence of humans would contaminate its children.

However, if it were this person...

"I know I'm good-looking." Ji Xinghai’s straightforward comment was a mood killer.

Do you like me? Conveniently, I like myself too.

"Your hand is also very nice, but if it points at me again, I'll break it off." He tilted his head, showing a gentle and friendly smile identical to the curator's.

Under the threat of breaking fingers, the curator withdrew its hand, but its eyes grew more fervent. It was truly captivated by this demeanor—especially when made into a doll.

Unfortunately, it had to suppress this urge and hint at the loophole in the rules as the curator: "I only judge whether the doll is successfully made; I don't take responsibility for what happens afterward."

So if the newly made doll broke due to some accident, it would be reasonable and wouldn't affect the outcome.

Thus, the two reached a dirty deal. Ji Xinghai then chose a half-finished doll that only lacked eyes, carelessly dotting them with black ink.

At the same time, Ji Xinghai felt a tiny thread of his soul being extracted.

This was different from energy; it was, in a sense, the source of everything. When it was injected into the doll, the ordinary plaster toy was infused with vitality and became quite noticeable.

"How beautiful."

After marveling, Ji Xinghai crushed the doll in the next second. He asked the curator, "Is this okay?" His fingers were already grinding the fragments, erasing all evidence, while the tiny thread of soul returned, seamlessly blending back into the whole.

The curator, which had lived so long, had never been speechless as many times as today. It pinched its nose, stamped the seal, and gave him a game coin.

For his simple eye-dots operation, one game coin was more than enough.

Only then did Ji Xinghai take out the semi-precious stones from the previous game hall. These unpolished treasures shone brilliantly, filling the small workshop and illuminating the curator's eyes.

"If you had taken these out earlier, you could have enjoyed VIP treatment," it exclaimed.

But Ji Xinghai didn’t need VIP treatment: "What kind of doll does Longnü like?"

Twenty minutes later, he rode a bicycle spewing sparks halfway up a mountain to find Longnü selling fruit near an orchard.

Longnü had the typical demonized JiuZhou appearance as portrayed by the Western world: dark yellow skin, dark makeup, slanted single eyelids, high cheekbones, and thin eyebrows. With a puff of opium, she would fit the stereotype of a strong and cruel JiuZhou female villain (the positive stereotype was submissive and virtuous, sacrificing everything for love, neither of which was particularly flattering).

After transforming into an abnormal entity, Longnü seemed to return to her essence, keeping a low profile and enjoying growing fruits, making dried fruits, and brewing wine.

But the students dared not approach her or buy her fruits, so they didn't discover that the mobile fruit stall was also a game hall.

Having sold nothing all day, Longnü was about to close up shop when a bicycle stopped in front of her.

"I'm here to play the game."

To Ji Xinghai, Longnü with her JiuZhou appearance was no different from the golden-haired beauty Lyle, so he didn’t find her face familiar or endearing.

Longnü was delighted; after standing all day, a student had finally arrived.

Not fond of socializing, she didn't recognize Ji Xinghai.

"Please fill this basket with ripe fruit within half an hour."

Ji Xinghai looked at the orchard behind her, where the aggressive trees shook their abundant fruits, staring back: What are you looking at?

He saw apples, oranges, persimmons, waxberries... different fruits from various origins and seasons crowded unscientifically in this small orchard.

"Can I eat those?"

He thought his parents would want to eat some fruit.

"You can eat them," Longnü nodded, unaware of anything, "as long as you can stomach them."