Chapter 8: Do Not Lick Too Hard

"Isn't this more than a tenfold price difference?" Mo Jiang wanted to punch the newly appeared frame called "Marketplace." When he made the acquisition, all he got was a first-tier Wish Fruit.

"But one thing's certain—the curse from that ghost is, in essence, a blessing." Mo Jiang cast another look at the other frame, at the section for strength.

This time, his strength was still at level one, unchanged. That made him uneasy. The last time, he’d completed his task smoothly and escaped the doll world entirely thanks to his overwhelming advantage in strength. Even the most formidable final boss, the witch, had been crushed under his power.

"I need strength. Immense strength!" Mo Jiang's heart burned with a sudden fervor as he glanced about. "Perhaps I can find supernatural power here!"

Mo Jiang tried to venture deeper into the castle. It seemed no one had lived here for ages; the air was stifling, thick with the smell of decay and dampness.

Yet the sound he’d heard earlier could not have been an illusion.

"Ghosts, specters, or something else?" Mo Jiang proceeded cautiously. That stone door had given him a chance to revive in this mission, and he could even extend his life with a Wish Fruit. All of this signaled that this task was fraught with peril, to the point of near certain death.

The castle was built somewhat like those medieval Western fortresses on Earth, imposing and fortress-like. After making his way down a corridor for a while, Mo Jiang spotted some benches, presumably for resting. At that moment, the contents in the first frame—map and exploration—underwent a change.

Exploration: Flower Castle—Corridor of Bones.

Map: Castle Entrance—Castle Corridor and Garden.

Immediately after, a new attribute appeared.

Harvest: The once luxurious courtyard is now in ruins. Who could imagine that beneath these withered branches and decaying leaves lies a bed of countless bones? Here unfolds an ancient legend—the tale of a Bone Knight riding a skeletal steed. (You have obtained a set of Bone Knight’s Armor. Don this armor, and you will be invincible!)

Then, Mo Jiang saw a wooden chest appear in his storage space.

Curious, he summoned the chest to his feet and opened it, revealing a set of armor made entirely of white bone. It was distinctly antique, worn and riddled with cracks and gaps—not the marks of blade or sword, but as though gnawed upon by some unknown thing.

Mo Jiang picked up the armor, examined it, and muttered, "Where’s my skeletal horse? And my knight’s sword?"

Surely, knight’s armor ought to come as a set?

No sooner had he grumbled than a reply appeared in his mind.

(Don’t foolishly imagine the skeletal horse can run. Even if it did appear before you, you wouldn’t dare ride it. Shelter your ignorance, don the armor, and prepare for battle! For it is not masterless! As for the sword—you must seize it yourself!)

Ding—

Mission triggered. Mission generated successfully.

Mission: Because you stole the First Doll’s armor, it is now tracking you by the scent of its gear! Kill it, and you’ll gain the Seventh Lady’s treasure, as well as the Bone Knight’s long-handled bone axe!

Note: When the Bone Armor and the long-handled bone axe are united, you gain a passive boost—strength doubled. (This works up to level three strength.)

Mo Jiang was at a loss for words.

A strange crunching sound echoed, and then a towering doll, draped in tattered cloth, appeared before him.

The doll’s entire body was covered in patches and repairs. The most chilling sight was the countless long, thin needles threaded through each seam—the needle tips all protruding out, making the doll appear like a porcupine.

There was no longer any way to avoid it. Mo Jiang began to put on the armor, but before he could finish, a searing pain wracked his body, his mind plunged into darkness, and a prompt appeared in his fading consciousness.

"Would you like to revive on the spot at the cost of five years of your life?"

"Yes."

Mo Jiang didn’t hesitate. Only then did he realize he’d been instantly killed by the doll, without even knowing how he died.

Afterward, his consciousness slipped into darkness. It was a long while before he came to.

When he opened his eyes, he realized he could move again.

"Two hours have passed?" Mo Jiang recalled the revival restriction. He looked around, puzzled—he found himself lying in a bed.

The bed was suffused with a sweet, creamy aroma, like some sort of candy.

It felt odd, but he kept calm. Sitting up, he discovered the bed was unexpectedly small—most of his body hung off the edge.

Not just the bed—even the room was tiny. It looked like a child’s bedroom, though even for a child, it would have been cramped; it was merely a metaphor.

Mo Jiang glanced around. The decorations were distinctly feminine—the resident was likely a woman, or more precisely, a little girl.

Everywhere, that sweet candy scent lingered.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

Mo Jiang looked up, startled. He saw a group of little girls, each resembling a clay doll, dressed identically, filing in like a school of fish. Each curtsied upon seeing him, and then one of the clay-doll girls approached and said, "Prince Consort, you're finally awake."

"What did you call me?" Mo Jiang was dumbfounded.

"Prince Consort," the girl replied with a giggle, her eyes curving like crescent moons. "The Prince Consort is an outsider, so it’s only natural you wouldn’t know. This is the Grand Sugar Kingdom, ruled by His Majesty the Sugar King. It was our princess who saved you. The princess has taken a liking to you, Prince Consort."

Finally, Mo Jiang understood why he’d ended up here—he’d been "picked up" after dying.

"Sugar King? Grand Sugar Kingdom?" Mumbling the names, Mo Jiang felt extremely out of place. Then he heard the clay-doll girl say, "Prince Consort, please come to the throne room to meet His Majesty."

"Very well, please lead the way." Mo Jiang figured since he was on their turf, he ought to show some respect. Besides, he suspected he was about to come into contact with a portion of the supernatural power originating from the corpse of the Seventh Lady.

Leaving the room, Mo Jiang confirmed he was still inside the castle. Checking his status frame, he saw the exploration and map sections had both updated.

Exploration: Flower Castle—Corridor of Bones—Heze Domain—Withered Ghost-Face Grove—Grand Sugar Kingdom.

Map: Castle Entrance—Castle Corridor—Castle Pond—Castle Garden—Castle Kitchen.

Harvest: Surely you’ve noticed by now—yes, you’ve obtained a fragment of the Seventh Lady’s supernatural power. Congratulations, you have won the affection of the Sugar Princess. Just remember: when things get intimate, don’t lick too hard.