[You enter the passage, continuing toward the next factory…]

In the following factory rooms, maid-type doll monsters gradually disappeared. In their place were rough, oversized dolls.

But only the one he fought earlier bore the prefix ‘War Machine.’

These newer dolls all exuded a tough, iron-blooded aura. Their designs were wild and abstract, often wielding massive hammers, chainsaws, broadswords, clearly optimized for function over form.

Despite their ugliness, the giant dolls were no less dangerous than the maid dolls.

[After an intense battle, the Elite Combat-Type Giant Doll collapses powerlessly…]

[You defeated the Elite Combat-Type Giant Doll. Experience greatly increased!]

[You obtained Large Chunk Spirit Essence of Steadfast Will x1]

[You obtained Elite Refined Copper Linkage x2]

[You obtained Elite Refined Copper Bearing x2]

Lin Xun licked his lips.

The Doll Factory was hard, yes but it was also a paradise for farming Spirit Essence and XP.

His savings had now surpassed 50,000, and his XP was rising like a rocket. Another level-up couldn’t be far off.

[You enter the passage, continuing toward the next factory…]

[A massive shadow occupies half the factory floor. Your abrupt arrival has drawn its attention!]

Seeing the familiar narration, Lin Xun knew, he had finally encountered another artisan.

[The massive shadow is a half-bodied giant made of flesh and refined copper. Its upper body is humanoid, aside from the exposed copper plating and enormous size.]

[Its lower body is an eight-legged refined copper chassis, spider-like and equally enormous. As it shifts or turns, scalding steam erupts from the joints of its legs.]

[In one hand it grips half a massive doll; in the other, it assembles refined copper parts. Giant lathes and scattered components lie in front of the half-copper giant.]

[It notices your presence. All six eyes on its massive head turn toward you at once…]

[You have discovered the Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist!]

Huh? Not mechanic, mechanist? Lin Xun silently grumbled. The term sounded a little off to him.

Still, he made ready for battle.

[Upon seeing the Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist for the first time, its six eyes send chills down your spine. You feel dizzy, and disordered knowledge floods into your soul.]

[You have gained knowledge. Knowledge +300! Current Knowledge: 300/1100]

[The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist stares at the unique eye on your forehead with a crazed hunger for knowledge…]

[It throws down the half-finished doll and casually grabs a heavy refined copper lathe. With a clatter of metallic joints, its eight spider legs scuttle rapidly toward you…]

Lin Xun quickly switched to the Yellow-Robed Bishop Shell, time to start with a paralysis blast.

[You possess the Corrupted Yellow-Robed Bishop of the White Moon Church Shell!]

[You raise your Thunder Dragon Staff-Spear and begin chanting…]

[A red glow wreathed in lightning flashes…]

[The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist is struck by the red lightning blast, locked in place as currents surge over its body, twitching violently…]

Lin Xun held nothing back, he immediately threw everything he had at it.

He swiftly opened the inventory and summoned the Three-Headed Lion.

[With a crisp whistle, you summon the fierce and burly Corrupted Three-Headed Lion.]

[You possess the Corrupted Earth Giant Shell!]

With his body enlarged, it was time to unleash his special skill: Weak Point Insight!

[In the corner of the factory, countless flickering, chaotic glyphs manifest out of thin air. They twist and knit together into a massive, terrifying beast.]

[The beast is entirely formed of those shifting glyphs. The symbols pulsate and distort its shape. Just looking at it, now even larger than last time, you feel a creeping chaos and madness.]

???

Lin Xun slowly typed out three question marks.

He was in the middle of a boss fight, why the hell was Omniscient True Knowledge butting in again?!

[The Beast of Disordered Knowledge lets out a roar, dragging with it a storm of chaotic glyphs as it lunges toward you…]

At this point, there was no time to think.

Eliminate the unstable factor first!

[The Corrupted Three-Headed Lion let out a deafening roar and lunged forward, shielding you from the sudden attack of the beast!]

[You roared in response, fully activating Blessing of Mother Earth! Muscles bulged and surged with coiled power, endless strength flooding through your frame…]

[Your Ancient Dragonfang Greatclub swept up a fearsome gust as it swung toward the beast!]

[Just before your club connected with the Beast of Disordered Knowledge, a ten-thousand-jin copper lathe crashed down with a thunderous impact!]

[The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist had somehow recovered its mobility and launched a ferocious attack on the Beast of Disordered Knowledge!]

[In the ensuing blast, the beast’s body shattered into countless scattered glyphs…]

[The Beast of Disordered Knowledge is dead. You gained no experience.]

Lin Xun was dumbfounded.

What the hell?

Did the Doll Mechanist mean to hit the lion and miss?

Or was it deliberately killing the beast first, signaling its desire for a real man’s 1v1 showdown, a glorious duel where no third party could interfere?

[Some of the glyphs scattered from the Beast of Disordered Knowledge are drawn to you, merging into your body…]

[Your Blessing of Knowledge +2 has evolved into Blessing of Knowledge +3. After another knowledge overload, your Knowledge cap has increased once more!]

[The remaining glyphs dim and gradually vanish…]

[You have repelled the Beast of Disordered Knowledge once again!]

[The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist quickly scuttles backward on its eight spider legs, raising both arms to show it means no harm.]

[It explains that it had not realized you were a messenger of the Omniscient True Knowledge, and apologizes for its previous rudeness…]

[You glance at its six eyes. The crazed hunger for knowledge has faded, replaced with clear rationality.]

[Do you wish to continue attacking the Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist?]

Another hidden storyline!

This scene felt familiar.

The last time he’d tried to kill Bennett, Omniscient True Knowledge had also dropped a Beast of Disordered Knowledge on him.

So it seemed Omniscient True Knowledge had been watching him all along.

Whenever he was about to make a bad decision, it would release the beast to change the course of events.

Omniscient True Knowledge, huh… love really does run deep.

[You lower your weapon, drop your fighting stance, and pull out the Brass Sand Maraca to signal your intent.]

[Upon learning that the messenger of the Omniscient True Knowledge wishes to modify a doll, the Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist’ expresses its honor and agrees to waive all modification fees.]

[A True God’s Envoy need not heed the manipulations of the Knowledge-Seeking Doll Artisan. It will assist you directly.]

[However, it warns that its supply of refined copper materials is limited. If you wish to create a more advanced doll, you will need to gather the appropriate materials.]

The Doll Mechanist got straight to the point, no tasks required, and it waived the entire cost up front.

Compared to the Artisan, it was far more generous.

[Honored Envoy of the True God, what type of doll would you like to create?]

[1. Combat-Type Giant Doll]

[2. Reconnaissance-Type Giant Doll]

[3. Self-Destruct-Type Giant Doll]

[4. Companion-Type Giant Doll]

[5. Support-Type Giant Doll]

“…”

This thing could be companion-type?

Lin Xun couldn’t even imagine what a multi-story-high ‘Companion-Type Giant Doll’ with a hammer in one hand and a chainsaw in the other might look like.

Staring at the options, he found himself unable to choose.

It wasn’t that he had some obsession with maid dolls.

Combat-wise, both doll types were roughly equal.

An Elite Combat-Type Maid Doll vs. an Elite Combat-Type Giant Doll would probably end in a fifty-fifty match.

The maid had agility; the giant had brute force.

But in practical game terms, maid dolls were simply more versatile.

Giant dolls would have trouble in confined indoor maps, unable to move, sometimes even unable to be summoned at all.

Plus, summoned creatures could materialize in reality.

A humanoid maid doll was far more discreet in real-world combat. It wouldn’t attract crowds or traumatize bystanders like a towering monster would.

[The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist notices your hesitation and understands you are still considering. It then displays the upgrade levels available for the Combat-Type Giant Doll.]

[1. Basic Combat-Type Giant Doll]

[2. Intermediate Combat-Type Giant Doll]

[3. Advanced Combat-Type Giant Doll]

[4. Elite Combat-Type Giant Doll]

[5. War Machine – Colossus]

[For the five upgrade tiers, it currently only has materials left to craft an Advanced Combat-Type Giant Doll. If you want something stronger, you’ll need to find more materials.]

[As for the War Machine – Colossus, it has completely run out of the required Ultra-Grade Refined Copper materials.]

The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist then lists the required materials.

Surprisingly, the materials needed for the War Machine – Colossus were slightly less than those required for the Battle Angel – Valkyrie.

Lin Xun furrowed his brow, something wasn’t right.

The giant dolls were clearly much larger than the maid dolls, and both required Ultra-Grade Refined Copper.

So why did the larger dolls require fewer materials?

“What the hell?! That bastard artisan is skimming materials off the top!”

Lin Xun instantly realized the truth.

He gritted his teeth in frustration.

The terms offered by the Doll Mechanist were clearly more generous than the Doll Artisan’s.

But the Battle Angel – Valkyrie was obviously higher in… ahem, battlefield adaptability, not just looks. It was clearly superior for all-terrain, all-weather, all-directional combat.

He clicked on the Brass Sand Maraca and summoned the maid doll, gesturing that this was the form he wanted.

Hopefully the Doll Mechanist could understand.

[The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Mechanist looked at the Support-Type Maid Doll, then back at you, eyes filled with complex emotions…]

[It said that while it could technically transform a doll into a Companion-Type Giant Doll, such a creation… the Divine Envoy might not be able to handle it…]

Reading that, Lin Xun was so angry he almost dove into the game to beat this chunk of copper senseless.

[Seeing you remain silent, the Doll Mechanist bowed its head, fell into thought, then suddenly understood.]

[It began passionately explaining that giant dolls far outclassed maid dolls in durability and strength. Their intimidating presence made them ideal for both defense and front-line combat…]

[Meanwhile, maid dolls were little more than noble playthings, not worth mentioning…]

Lin Xun stared at the text expressionlessly.

The Doll Mechanist was really trying to sell him on the greatness of giant dolls while trashing maid dolls.

[…]

[Seeing you remain unmoved, the Doll Mechanist realized your mind was made up.]

[But the techniques it had mastered simply couldn’t convert a doll into a maid-type…]

[With several sharp clanks, the Doll Mechanist detached one of its massive copper arms and then removed several of its spider legs.]

[Pale-faced and drenched in sweat, it slumped to the ground and handed the parts over to you…]

[You obtained Doll Mechanist’s Copper Giant Arm (Material) x1]

[You obtained Doll Mechanist’s Copper Spider Leg (Material) x4]

[It tells you that with these parts, the Doll Artisan should be able to complete the transformation as promised.]

For some reason, Lin Xun felt genuinely moved.

Compared to the greedy artisan, the Doll Mechanist was the real good guy.

But unfortunately, it could only build giant dolls, not what he needed.

Lin Xun narrowed his eyes, and an idea formed.

That scheming old artisan tried to cheat him out of materials. And Lin Xun was never one to let such a grudge slide.

“When the transformation’s done… heh.”

He spoke to the Doll Mechanist again.

[The Doll Mechanist was deeply dejected by your choice of a maid doll, even questioning whether its entire doll-making philosophy had been wrong.]

[It turned to a dark corner of the factory and quietly reflected on its life…]

Seeing the storyline with the Mechanist had reached its end, Lin Xun ventured deeper into the factory.

But it turned out the room housing the Doll Mechanist was the final section of the factory, there were no more exits ahead.

He had no choice but to turn back…

Ultra-Grade Refined Copper only dropped from War Machine – Giant Doll bosses, which didn’t respawn.

So to upgrade to the highest-level doll, he’d need to acquire the materials from elsewhere.

[You return through the passage, back to the previous factory room…]

[A massive shadow once again occupies half the room…]

[The Knowledge-Seeking Doll Artisan brightens at the sight of you. It says it has been waiting for you.]

[It asks if you defeated its former colleague.]

[Do you wish to hand over the following items: Doll Mechanist’s Copper Giant Arm x1 and Copper Spider Leg x4?]

[The Doll Artisan is thrilled to see the parts. It grabs them and, with help from nearby tools and lathes, begins processing them…]

Then the text stopped.

Lin Xun raised a brow.

Where was the promised quest reward?

He clicked to interact again.

[The Doll Artisan waved its hand impatiently, telling you to get lost and wait until it was done processing…]

Unbelievable!

As soon as the artisan got what it wanted, it flipped like a page in a book.

Lin Xun took a deep breath and calmed himself.

He put down the phone, opened his writing app, and got to work drafting the next chapter.

By the time he’d finished, the game text had finally changed.

[The Doll Artisan finished processing the parts and installed them on itself…]

[Its upper body now had three arms, while its treaded base had sprouted several spider legs.]

[It nodded in satisfaction, then noticed you were still there.]

[The Doll Artisan declared that you had completed the mission perfectly, and it would now waive the doll transformation cost.]

[However, the Ultra-Grade Refined Copper parts needed to create the Battle Angel – Valkyrie must be provided by you.]

[All refined copper within the Doll Factory originally came from the Refined Copper Smelting Plant. You may try your luck there.]

[If you obtain Ultra-Grade Refined Copper, you can bring it back here. The artisan will use its lathes to process the materials into the required parts for the transformation.]

As expected, whether it was the War Machine – Colossus from the Mechanist or the Battle Angel – Valkyrie from the Artisan, both paths led to the Refined Copper Smelting Plant.

Lin Xun opened his inventory. The Route Map to the Refined Copper Smelting Plant still lay there quietly.

He didn’t leave the Doll Factory right away.

Instead, he used the Resting Page at the factory’s entrance to reset the zone. All the mobs respawned.

He raised his greatclub and swept through the enemies twice, exterminating the mobs two full rounds.

His level and Spirit Essence both exploded upward.

The Earth Giant Shell leveled up twice in one go, now level 34!

Spirit Essence reserves exceeded 80,000!

Seeing that he had fully cleared the Doll Factory’s map, Lin Xun finally left the instance and approached a carriage.

[You arrive beside the carriage. The compartment doors open automatically.]

[You step onto the brass steps and enter…]

[Please select your next destination…]

[1. Multivision Schools Dis Academy]

[2. Bennetts Transplant Clinic]

[3. Refined Copper Smelting Plant]

[4. Multivision School Association]

He didn’t hesitate and pressed the third option, Refined Copper Smelting Plant.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep