Cheng Shuili's expression remained unchanged. After lightly dodging the Big Bad Wolf's attack, she reached out and flicked off the gray wolf hood it was wearing.
With a toss, the gray wolf hood drifted through the air like a falling petal, spinning slowly as it descended.
As for the Big Bad Wolf...
Cheng Shuili had originally expected this creature to be like Little Red Riding Hood, frantically trying to grab the hat she had knocked off, or perhaps attacking her in a rage.
To her surprise, the moment the hat was removed, the Big Bad Wolf's eyes became clear.
It just stood there blankly, its zippered mouth slightly agape, blinking its eyes in confusion as if it hadn't yet realized what had happened.
Its gaze first followed the drifting hood, then slowly shifted to land on Cheng Shuili, and finally, it looked down at the lantern and keys it was holding.
The fierce and twisted aura seemed to have been drained away along with the hood, replaced by a sense of almost foolish bewilderment.
"Ah... oh?"
It emitted a short, indistinct syllable. Its voice was no longer hoarse, but rather a bit... dull.
Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow, seized the opportunity, and used Insight without hesitation.
【Insight successful!】
【Name: Big Bad Wolf (Fake)】
【Description: A theater doll responsible for guarding the theater's backstage entrance. When wearing its character hood, it acts out and becomes immersed in the greed and ferocity of the Big Bad Wolf, strictly enforcing the theater's rules. Once the hood is removed, it reverts to its basic maintenance instincts and falls into a brief, harmless state of confusion.】
【Weakness: It is not recommended to attack while it has lost its hood.】
So that was it.
Cheng Shuili looked at the doll before her, with its clear eyes and bewildered expression, looking left and right before finally landing its blank stare on her. She couldn't help but ask, "Can I go in now?"
The Big Bad Wolf blinked. Perhaps out of a sense of duty, or simply due to force of habit, it subconsciously asked back, "Have all the procedures been completed?"
Cheng Shuili lied without blinking, her face full of certainty as she replied, "You already processed them for me just now."
"Oh, oh... so that's how it is." The Big Bad Wolf scratched its head, appearing to be earnestly recalling what had just happened. But soon, it waved its hand and casually dismissed her: "Go on in. Be careful, and don't disturb the other actors."
Cheng Shuili nodded. Ignoring the doll lost in self-doubt, she turned and walked through the door that had already been opened.
Upon entering, Cheng Shuili saw that the hanging curtain was not completely closed. Warm, flickering light leaked from the edges, outlining the silhouettes of the space behind.
More importantly, there was sound.
This place was no longer the absolute, deathly silence of the corridor, but filled with noisy background ambiance.
There was the rustle of clothing rubbing together, the tinkling of metal props colliding, and the sound of lowered voices engaged in quick, muffled conversation.
Everything was filtered through that thick curtain, appearing blurry and distant, yet undeniably real.
It felt like the backstage of a large-scale performance—busy, chaotic, and full of life.
Cheng Shuili did not immediately tear open the curtain to barge in.
She stood where she was, listening intently while quickly scanning her surroundings.
This was a small space, much like a transition zone. Beyond the wooden door she had entered through and the curtain ahead, the sides were lined with rough, raw wooden walls. Several rows of simple wooden shelves were nailed to them, cluttered with various items.
Feathers covered in dust and suspicious stains, broken wooden swords and blades, several cans of chipped paint, rolls of twine of varying thickness...
There were also a few character hoods in the style of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf hanging crookedly on wooden pegs, their hollow eye sockets appearing particularly eerie in the dim light.
The cloying, sweet fragrance in the air was almost gone here, replaced by the musty, stagnant odor peculiar to backstage areas.
Cheng Shuili's gaze finally settled back on the massive curtain.
The prompt had stated she needed to head to the theater.
She had now arrived... at the theater's backstage.
This should count as success, right?
After all, the mission objective only said to go to the theater; it didn't specify whether to enter as an audience member or from the backstage.
Cheng Shuili faintly felt that her method of solving the problem seemed quite different from everyone else's.
It felt like playing a visual game where choices determined the outcome. Others were clearing the most common paths, while she had splashed a bucket of water on herself and entered a hidden route.
But regardless, the mission was completed, wasn't it?
Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow. Just as she prepared to step forward and peek through a corner of the curtain, a burst of hurried, heavy footsteps suddenly came from behind it, accompanied by ragged breathing and the sound of fabric tearing, rapidly approaching!
"Get out! All of you, get out! Mine! That's my spot!"
A massive, twisted figure burst through the curtain, staggering into the small transition zone!
It was a... thing that was hard to describe in words.
It had a vaguely humanoid outline, but its body was cobbled together and stitched from tattered costumes, common doll stuffing, broken wooden poles, and all sorts of miscellaneous props.
Its head was a giant, weeping clown mask with a mouth stretched to the ears. The mask's paint was mottled and peeling, revealing the rough wood grain beneath.
One arm was a broom handle draped in rags, while the other was unnaturally bent backward, with a rusty pair of scissors tied to the end.
Rough stitches and cotton stuffing were exposed all over its body, and with every violent movement, dust and debris rained down.
The moment this thing rushed in, the weeping clown mask looked at Cheng Shuili.
The exaggerated tear streaks painted on the mask seemed to come alive, oozing thick, black liquid.
"You...!"
It made a wheezing, air-leaking sound, waving its broom-handle arm erratically.
"A newcomer? Trying to steal my spot? Don't even think about it! I'll kill you! I'll tear you apart! I'll stitch you into my new costume!"
Violent malice rushed toward her like a physical force.
Cheng Shuili's eyes narrowed, her body instantly tensed, and her long blade was already in hand.
But before she could act, more hurried, chaotic footsteps came from behind the tear in the curtain, along with several overlapping, thin, and anxious voices:
"Grab it!"
"Quick! Don't let it run away!"
"It's having an episode again! The madness of stealing a role!"
"Careful! Don't break the props!"
With a flurry of activity, five or six figures surged in through the tear in the curtain.
They were also theater dolls, but compared to the violent patchwork monster before her, or the Little Red Riding Hood and Big Bad Wolf from earlier, they looked much... more normal.
They wore matching gray, coarse-cloth work uniforms, white masks with simple brow and eye lines, and held tools like long-handled brooms, nets, and thick twine. Their movements were swift and skilled; they were clearly backstage staff.
These dolls had a clear objective: the rampaging patchwork doll.
"Pin it down! Quick!"
Two gray dolls lunged forward first, using their long-handled brooms to jam the broom-handle arm the patchwork doll was waving.
Three others threw thick hemp ropes, attempting to snare its torso and the bent scissors arm.
The patchwork doll struggled wildly, emitting piercing roars and weeping noises. The rusty scissors snapped erratically, nearly cutting through one of the ropes thrown its way.
In the chaos, one gray doll finally noticed Cheng Shuili standing in the corner.
Its simple eye lines twitched, and it emitted a voice with rapid-fire speed:
"Newcomer? What are you doing? No matter what you're doing backstage, don't just stand there! Come help quickly!"
Cheng Shuili: "..."
She glanced at the chaotic melee, then at the cold long blade in her hand.
Help?
She would love to help—by hacking this rampaging thing to pieces to clear the air.
Just to be safe, she used Insight once.
Only after entering this dungeon did Cheng Shuili realize once again what a powerful cheat this was.
【Insight successful!】
【Lost Actor】
【Description: A theater doll that has completely lost its sense of self and is on the verge of a breakdown. Its obsessions and resentment have twisted its form, making it full of aggression and instability. It is a safety hazard backstage and is protected by the theater's basic rules.】
【Weakness: It is not recommended to attack.】
This description.
Cheng Shuili glanced at the doll still struggling constantly; it really was a lunatic.
And these staff members...
【Insight successful!】
【Name: Theater Maintenance Doll】
【Description: Staff members responsible for basic backstage cleaning, order maintenance, and prop management. They have an subconscious obedience to absolute leadership. Perhaps you can conquer them with your aura and become the doll boss!】
【Weakness: It is not recommended to attack.】
Become the doll boss...?
Cheng Shuili was still pondering this title when the gray doll that had asked the question grew impatient: "Hey! Why are you just standing there?!"
Cheng Shuili: "..."
In a flash of thought, she put away her long blade.
She didn't rashly join the clumsy encirclement, but instead raised her voice: "Its scissor hand. Control that hand first! Don't let it cut the rope!"
The gray doll attempting to throw the rope paused. Its simple-lined eyes seemed to look at Cheng Shuili, and then it quickly whipped the rope snare toward the wrist joint of the scissor arm.
This time, the snare precisely caught the bent joint!
"Pull!" Cheng Shuili commanded concisely.
The other two gray dolls immediately lunged forward, working together to pull the other end of the rope.
The rusty scissor arm was forcibly pulled open. The blades snapped uselessly, no longer able to threaten the ropes.
Having lost its most dangerous weapon, the patchwork doll's struggle, while still violent, was significantly less threatening.
More ropes were thrown, layering over its arms, torso, and even its broom-handle leg, binding it tightly.
"Ugh... ahhhh! Mine! My spot!"
Bound into a bundle and fallen to the ground, it still struggled unwillingly. More black mucus flowed from beneath the weeping mask, soaking the floor.
A gray doll whose brow and eye lines seemed thicker than the others walked up to Cheng Shuili and looked her up and down.
"New temporary worker? Or... trainee stagehand?" Its voice was still flat, but the speed slowed, carrying a hint of scrutiny. "Your reaction was decent. State your ID number, or show your work pass."
Cheng Shuili didn't change her expression, meeting those simple-lined eyes with a tone that was flat yet carried a sense of absolute certainty:
"Trainee stagehand? You're not clear on my seniority? You dare address me like that?"
Perhaps it was because she had spent so long acting as a king and a boss, but she now spoke with an innate, convincing aura.
Because of this, the gray doll's simple-lined eyes stared straight at Cheng Shuili, completely choked by her matter-of-fact counter-question.
In the noisy background of the backstage, only the lost actor bound into a bundle on the floor continued to emit unwilling whimpers.
Without waiting for a reaction, Cheng Shuili took a step forward, her gaze sweeping over the doll that appeared to be the leader, then glancing at the others busy lifting the bundle.
Her voice was not loud as she continued to bluff in that same calm tone: "Your management here seems a bit lax."
Her gaze lingered for a moment on the struggle marks on the floor and the torn curtain.
The leading gray doll's body seemed to stiffen.
It subconsciously followed Cheng Shuili's gaze.
The torn curtain needed repair, the chaotic scene needed cleaning, the out-of-control actor needed handling...
These were clearly its derelictions of duty as a maintenance worker.
"Apologies..." a hint of imperceptible panic leaked into its flat voice. "It... it is our negligence. This actor's condition has been very unstable lately, and we have been trying our best to control it!"
It worked.
Cheng Shuili felt a surge of joy, knowing that the hurdle of identity had been cleared.
She followed the other party's submissive attitude, not pushing further. Her tone, while softened, carried a sense of instruction: "Handle the scene first. The curtain is torn, the props are in disarray, and the floor is dirty. And this..."
Cheng Shuili pointed at the lost actor, who was still writhing while bound by the hemp ropes, "According to the rules, how should this be disposed of?"
The leading doll breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly grateful that this superior had not immediately held it accountable.
It quickly turned to the other gray dolls, commanding them in that flat but hurried voice: "Quick! You two, carry it to the isolation room. Be gentle, don't let it fall apart! You three, clean the floor, patch the curtain, and put everything back in its place!"
The gray dolls immediately moved with efficiency.
Two carried the struggling bundle and hurried back into the depths of the backstage through the tear in the curtain, while the other three began nimbly cleaning the stains on the floor. One even produced a needle, thread, and a piece of thick felt of a similar color from somewhere, beginning to skillfully stitch the tear in the curtain.
Cheng Shuili folded her arms, appearing to observe everything casually, while in reality, she was calculating rapidly.
The hint given by the Insight skill to "become the doll boss" was indeed viable.
These maintenance dolls had an instinctual obedience to clear instructions and authority.
What she needed to do now was to consolidate this fictional identity and completely control these dolls. Although Cheng Shuili still didn't know what use controlling them would be.
The leading doll finished processing the instructions and turned back to Cheng Shuili, its posture significantly more respectful than before.
"It has been handled according to the rules. It... will be temporarily sealed until the director decides whether to recycle it."
After a simple report, its lined eyes looked cautiously at Cheng Shuili, "Do you have any other orders?"
Yes, of course she did.
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