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*****

[Host, why did you call yourself Dad?]

Qi Chao had just entered the kitchen when he heard the system's question. He froze for a moment. "Can't I call myself that?"

[It's not that you can't.] The system silently thought, You didn't see how "happy" the little Doll who hadn't planned on killing you was when you called yourself Dad.

Qi Chao turned on the water.

Faucet

and washed his hands. Without thinking much about it, he said, "I replaced the original owner as the little Doll's guardian. Calling myself Dad makes us seem closer."

That answer was rather willful.

Since the Doll had not actually made a move, the system said nothing more.

[Host, is it convenient for you to go through the process now? You have only received the original owner's memories so far. The process is only one-third complete.] Seeing Qi Chao start working in the kitchen, the system hurriedly requested to go through the process.

The host probably would not live long. The system refused to break its record. Even if it had to break it, it should at least finish the process first. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing!

Qi Chao nodded. The electronic voice by his ear rose and fell, and he soon understood what was going on.

In short, the Craftsman System gathered deceased craftsmen from various planes and sent them to different planes to complete missions, thereby promoting the spirit of craftsmanship.

[Your mission is to create an SSS-rank Doll.] The system added, [The General Bureau will also randomly issue side missions. Completing them will earn rewards.]

The original owner's memories contained little information about Dolls, but he knew the basics. For example, S-rank Dolls were extremely rare on Blue Star, let alone SSS-rank ones. Those were legendary existences.

Qi Chao paused. He had to admit, such a mission truly piqued a dollmaker's interest.

The system glanced at its notebook. Believing it had completed the entire process, it immediately switched into lazy mode. As long as it had finished the process, that was enough. It perfunctorily asked, [Does the host have any other questions?]

If not, it would leave.

"Since you brought me here, where did the original owner go?" Qi Chao rubbed the web between his right thumb and forefinger and smiled, as though he were merely asking casually and had not taken it to heart.

The system curled up inside Qi Chao's sea of consciousness and answered cautiously, [That information is confidential. I can only tell you that this body is yours. You do not need to worry about anything else.]

Considering how dangerous this world was, the system did not think its host could survive. For the sake of him being its first host, it did not mind giving him a harmless little hint.

The body was his?

Qi Chao was stunned, then thought it over slightly.

There were two possibilities.

First, the original owner was still alive and using Qi Chao's body. Perhaps he had been taken away by System Headquarters or some other irresistible force. From the sound of it, he did not seem to be on this plane.

Second, the original owner was dead, and his body had been too badly damaged to use.

Thinking of how he had awakened in that private room, Qi Chao ruled out the second possibility. He suddenly found it rather regrettable. How could that scum not be dead?

But on second thought, it was fine if he was not dead. If they met again someday, Qi Chao could still beat the original owner senseless.

Qi Chao smiled and thanked the system. [If it weren't for you, I would have died long ago. Thank you. I really like this plane.]

When the system heard Qi Chao say he liked it, the green glow around it flickered as if it felt somewhat guilty. It forced itself to remain calm and said, [As long as you like it. I need to return to System Headquarters now and bring other craftsmen to carry out missions. If you need anything, simply call my number, 01.]

Qi Chao nodded. When he noticed the electric current in his ear had completely vanished, he tentatively asked, "System, are you still there?"

There was no response.

That fast?

While marveling at it, Qi Chao took an oversized Energy Stone from a kitchen drawer. It was as large as an adult's fist.

But its size was useless. Its color was dull, and it was shriveled like a lump of coal. This kind of red Energy Stone was the lowest grade and contained very little energy. Three Star Coins could buy a pound of it.

Dolls were born from Mother Stones, given bodies by dollmakers, and walked the world powered by Energy Stones.

To Dolls, Energy Stones were like three daily meals to humans. Missing one or two meals was fine, but if they went too long without taking in energy, their Puppet Hearts would crack and wither before ultimately shattering, sending them into eternal slumber.

Qi Chao tugged at the corner of his mouth and brought a knife down on the Energy Stone.

That idiot original owner had actually forgotten even this.

The little Doll had not taken in any energy for an entire week.

Or rather, he simply did not care about the little Doll. Otherwise, how could he have used such low-grade Energy Stones? The damn regulator in the private room alone cost tens of millions.

Qi Chao could not help suspecting that the original owner was about to go bankrupt. It was too late to buy anything else now, so they could only make do with this. He sighed, placed the Energy Stone on a plate, and turned to leave the kitchen.

In the living room, the little Doll was watching the projection screen intently. His legs swung back and forth as he softly hummed along to the cartoon's theme song.

This old father's heart instantly melted from the cuteness.

So well-behaved!

"Lan Luo, time to eat. You can watch after you finish." As Qi Chao spoke, he walked toward the sofa.

Lan Luo was the little Doll's name.

Hearing him, the blond Doll turned to look at Qi Chao. His blue eyes curved into crescents.

Another sweet critical hit. Qi Chao restrained his itching hands and set the plate on the table. "Lan Luo, make do with this today. Dad will make you something tasty tomorrow."

"Okay." Lan Luo's voice suited his appearance, soft and obedient with a touch of crispness. Smiling, he looked at the plate, then paused almost imperceptibly the next second.

Seeing that the little Doll did not move, Qi Chao thought for a moment and explained, "Dad cut the Energy Stone into cubes so it's easier for you to eat. You can have them as little snacks."

The Energy Stone was especially large; the Doll could not even hold it with both hands. So Qi Chao had cut it up in the kitchen, filling an entire plate.

In any case, cutting it would not cause the energy to dissipate, and it was easy enough to cut, just like cutting potatoes.

If time had not been so tight and the little Doll had not been in such urgent need of food, Qi Chao could even have carved flowers into it or something. He was quite skilled at that.