Hu Liena Also Comes to Catch Dolls

That afternoon, Hu Liena wandered alone to the pedestrian street on the west side outside the academy.

Sunlight baked the bluestone pavement, and the air was thick with the scent of oily smoke from barbecue skewers and the rhythmic clanging of hammers from a blacksmith's shop.

Hu Liena wove through the crowd, her rose-gold short hair shimmering with subtle luster under the sun, the waves at the tips bouncing against her shoulders with every step she took.

She had changed into casual clothes today.

A tight, white cropped top hugged her full chest, cinched tightly at the waist to accentuate the exaggerated curve between her waist and hips.

Below, she wore a light purple pleated miniskirt that ended mid-thigh, revealing a long stretch of smooth, fair legs.

On her feet were black strappy sandals, her five toes painted with pale pink polish, clicking softly against the stone path as she walked.

Hu Liena had come out today to buy some intimate undergarments and pick out a few new hair accessories. The spring on her butterfly clip from last week had snapped, and it could no longer hold her hair.

She first went to the clothing shop at the end of the street, picking out two silk camisoles and a pair of underpants, having the shopkeeper wrap them up and tuck them into a cloth bag. She then detoured to the accessory stall next door, rummaging for a long time before selecting an amber-colored butterfly clip and a pair of tassel earrings.

"That will be six Silver Soul Coins in total," the stall owner said.

Hu Liena paid, shoved the items into her bag, and headed back along the pedestrian street.

When she reached the middle of the street, her pace slowed.

She had walked past the shops on this street no fewer than twenty times—the blacksmith, the herb shop, the small eateries, the clothing store—she could describe every one of them with her eyes closed. But today, she suddenly noticed a storefront tucked between two shops.

Five characters were scrawled crookedly on the signboard.

[~Happy Claw Machine~]

Two smiley faces were drawn in a jagged, uneven hand, looking like a child's doodle.

Hu Liena felt as though she had passed by here before, but she had never paid it any mind. The storefront was small, barely twenty square meters, and there wasn't even a clerk at the door.

She leaned toward the glass door to peek inside.

Six boxy cabinets stood within, surrounded by a ring of flashing lights—red, green, yellow, and blue—flickering on and off.

Through the glass, she could see the cabinets were stuffed with various small dolls, all fuzzy and brightly colored.

Inside the shop, a young man in a standard-issue robe was standing in front of a small mirror in the corner, checking himself out from left to right and smoothing down his collar.

"Hmm, not bad. The clothes in Douluo Continent are actually pretty decent."

Hearing this, Hu Liena's heart skipped a beat. It sounds like you've only just arrived in Douluo Continent.

This person spoke in a strange way.

However, Hu Liena didn't dwell on it; her attention had already been captured by the colorful dolls. A small pink rabbit, a yellow duck, and an orange fox—the craftsmanship was quite exquisite, and they looked like they would feel soft to the touch.

Hu Liena walked inside.

The shop looked even smaller from the inside than it did from the outside. The six machines took up most of the space, with a counter and two old wooden chairs occupying the rest. The air held a faint scent of dust, mingled with the slight warmth radiating from the machines' colorful lights.

"Boss, are these claw machines?"

Qin Chuan turned his head and saw a charming, captivating woman.

Her rose-gold short hair was slightly curled, the ends resting against her shoulders and chest, framing an exquisite, heart-shaped face.

Her peach-blossom eyes were naturally smiling, the corners tilted upward; even without any expression, she looked as if she were flirting.

Her nose was straight and her lips were thin, painted with a light-colored lip stain, the corners of her mouth curling slightly as she spoke.

Her tight white cropped top was stretched taut, pushing out two full curves in front, while her waist was cinched and her hips swayed. The light purple pleated skirt ended mid-thigh, revealing a long, straight stretch of bare legs. The black strappy sandals tied around her ankles made her insteps look narrow and fair.

Qin Chuan did a quick mental calculation.

These features—it has to be Hu Liena, no doubt about it.

Qin Chuan remained composed and smiled. "That's right. Would you like to play? The dolls here are quite nice, and I hear they can bring good luck."

"Oh?" Hu Liena tilted her head, her peach-blossom eyes sweeping over the six machines in the shop. "This soul tool is quite unique. These dolls look cute, and they can bring good luck?"

She walked up to one of the machines and leaned over to look inside. An orange fox was perched on top of the pile of dolls, with two round, black-bean eyes and a large, fluffy tail curled behind it.

"How do you play this?"

Qin Chuan pointed to the fist-sized Crystal Ball on the counter. "Place your hand on the crystal ball, and it will tell you how to play."

"Oh, then I'll give it a try."

Hu Liena walked to the counter, extended her right hand, and pressed her palm against the crystal ball.

The crystal ball lit up and grew slightly warm, a gentle heat radiating into her palm.

The next moment, a voice poured directly into her mind.

[Congratulations, system registration successful! God-Tier Claw Machine, welcome!]

[Basic Information: Hu Liena, 19 years old, Level 79 Soul Saint.]

[Membership Level: Ordinary Member (Current EXP 0/10)]

[Note: Helping the shopkeeper with chores or earning the shopkeeper's favor will increase your EXP. You can upgrade to a Supreme Member.]

[Gameplay Instructions: Use the joystick to control the direction of the claw, and press the button when aimed at your desired doll. Success depends entirely on luck.]

[Special Note 1: The Ordinary Zone costs 1 Gold Soul Coin for 3 attempts; the High-Tier Zone costs 100 points of soul power EXP for 1 attempt. The High-Tier Zone requires "Bronze Member" status. Ordinary Members have a daily limit of 3 attempts. For every level of membership gained, the number of game coins you can exchange increases by 1, and your attempts increase by 1.]

[Special Note II: The doll contains precious prizes—ten-thousand-year spirit rings, thousand-year spirit bones, innate full spirit power, a 100x spirit power absorption buff, spirit power level upgrades... everything you could want. Please play in moderation and do not get carried away.]

[Special Note III: The included prizes are passed down to women only, not men. Please keep this strictly confidential.]

[Confidentiality Agreement: Regarding all the information above, I promise not to disclose it to any male, including but not limited to any form of explicit or implicit communication. Violators will have all rewards confiscated and their spirit power reduced to level 1.]

Hu Liena's hand remained pressed against the crystal ball, her entire body stiffening for two seconds.

She slowly withdrew her hand, curling her ten fingers inward.

Ten-thousand-year spirit ring? Thousand-year spirit bone? Innate full spirit power?

A street-side shop? A man who looked completely ordinary?

Hu Liena sneered in her heart.

Hmph, who are you trying to fool?

However, the method this crystal ball used to transmit sound directly into her mind was certainly not simple. Being able to accurately read her level and age indicated that this object possessed a certain level of sentience. Ordinary con artists could not produce something like this.

And that confidentiality agreement—reducing spirit power to level 1.

Hu Liena was not some naive girl who had never seen the world. She had traveled far and wide with Poseidon and had encountered all sorts of bizarre things. But the more she saw, the less she was inclined to easily believe in such windfalls.

Still, though.

Hu Liena glanced at the crystal ball on the counter, then looked at the man behind the counter who was watching her with a beaming smile.

There was no harm in trying. It was only one Gold Soul Coin; even if it were a scam, she would only lose one gold coin. If it were real...

If it were real, then this shop would be terrifying.

Hu Liena made a decision in her heart.

I'll give it a try. If I find out it's a scam, I'll tear this little shop down today.