Upon closer inspection, these dolls do indeed have significant signs of stitching, and the stitching technique appears somewhat clumsy, resulting in their generally less than attractive appearance.
So, did Alice sew all these dolls herself? They were her tools for passing the time here. With so many dolls, it's hard to imagine how long she's been here.
"Alright, don't worry about these things, they're not important to you." Alice didn't sleep in the living room like in other characters' stories, but went straight into the bedroom. "If you want to live, close the doors and windows tightly, and then turn off the oil lamp on the table."
"good evening."
Alice closed the door tightly, leaving Aransta alone in the living room.
Indeed, he was alone, because Aransta had secretly hung Laast's ornament on Alice, so the two of them followed Alice into her bedroom.
Alice lay on her bed in complete darkness, clutching the doll that was almost half her body size next to her pillow.
"Okay, brother, let's sleep together. I'll stay with you tonight. Goodnight."
Aransta also turned off the living room lights, and the whole small house became quiet. Arceus detached from Laast's body and transformed into a ghostly form the size of an ant.
"Hey! You little punk, trying to peek into that girl's bedroom?"
Laaste used a contract to telepathically call out to Arceus!
"This is called finding clues! Do you understand what finding clues is? My mind is not like your rigid one!"
Arceus floated toward the counter, where rows of dolls stood. Strangely, whenever Arceus turned his head, the dolls were staring at him!
He went around to the back of the dolls, where the uncomfortable gaze lessened considerably. The dolls were covered in patches, but surprisingly, they weren't very dusty.
Was Alice the one who took care of these dolls?
Arceus wondered, with so many dolls here, not to mention the tools, where did Alice get all that cloth and cotton? He looked around the living room and bedroom but didn't see either of them.
The doll in front of him seemed to have some damage on its back. Arceus leaned closer to take a look. The strange creature's constitution allowed him to see clearly even at night.
The exposed cotton was not the usual white, but rather a somewhat eerie red.
If the tools, cloth, and cotton weren't placed outside, they would most likely be in the cabinet below. The sound of opening the cabinet would definitely attract Alice's attention. Fortunately, Arceus is a ghost and can pass through directly without needing to open the cabinet door.
Arceus sank down to the inside of the counter, and the sight inside made him frown.
On the left are some broken doll remains and scattered red cotton, while the entire middle and right areas are filled with bloody human heads and blood-stained bones!
This seemingly harmless little girl may not be as friendly as they imagine.
The night ended—
Alice opened the window, then yawned, letting the morning sunlight dispel her sleepiness. She glanced back into the bedroom and was delighted to see that the dolls were still intact.
"Thank you for being well-behaved last night, but you should get up now."
Alice returned to the living room and woke Aransta.
In fact, Aransta wasn't sleeping soundly; he was basically in a semi-conscious state. Just as everyone expected, the knocking only lasted a few moments before disappearing, and there was no danger in the latter half of the night.
Laast also returned to Aransta while Alice wasn't paying attention.
"So, have you decided to leave?" Alice sighed slightly. "If you're lucky enough, you might be able to find the legendary 'Lost City,' but of course, it's highly unlikely."
"I suggest you stay here, well, you probably won't take my words seriously."
"No, I always listen to advice, so I've decided to stay here."
Before Aransta could speak, Arceus answered directly through his mouth.
This left Aransta somewhat puzzled.
"Brother, are we not going to continue rushing to finish the project?"
"Because I discovered something interesting last night, maybe staying here will bring some unexpected gains."
Perhaps surprised that Aransta would agree so readily, Alice was taken aback at first, then smiled and replied, "That's a wise decision. It seems you're a smart person, big brother."
"But I'm curious, big brother, you expressed your intention to search for the 'Lost City' yesterday. What happened to make you change your mind so quickly?"
"It's nothing. I just realized that I don't need to go and die."
“You’re right, then big brother, why don’t you stay here forever?” Alice’s smile lasted a rare long time. “Perhaps we can even become very good friends.”
"I'll go outside and find some ingredients to make breakfast. Big brother, you can stay in the room. Oh, and don't come into my bedroom!"
"Don't worry, it won't happen."
—Yeah, right!
After Alice left, Arceus told Aransta everything he had seen the night before. Aransta couldn't help but feel a chill. If that was really the case, then this little house was definitely not as simple as they had imagined!
"If the theme of this instance is only the Lost City, and once you enter the fork in the road there is absolutely no turning back, then logically we should all be unable to return to the cabin. So what is the point of setting up such a place full of clues?"
That's why Arceus stayed behind; if there were any necessary items here, he had to get them!
Of course, this is also a gamble. If there are no important items in the cabin, or if there is a way to pass the level even without these items, then everything he has done is just a waste of his time.
However, it doesn't matter. For Arceus, whether he can clear Aransta is secondary. What's important is to find traces of "god" in the dungeon.
According to the information he had, there was definitely more than one "god" than just the "director." He didn't know the exact number, but the most effective way to defeat a "god" was to borrow the power of another "god"!
Arceus wanted to find an opportunity, a chance to meet another "god." The director probably already knew that he was still alive, but His attention was completely drawn to Jiang Ran, and He hadn't bothered Arceus for a long time.
"The frequency of this world is very different."
"If each ghost story world corresponds to a god who created it, then this world is very likely to have been created jointly by two gods!"
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