The Small Town's streets were deserted. The others probably still didn't know hide-and-seek had ended and were hiding in their houses, afraid to venture outside.
The only people on the street were the player who had lost at hide-and-seek and Li Xian's group of three standing a little farther away. After the player fell, the swarm of Kitten Dolls lifted him from behind like ants carrying food, then started moving toward one end of the street.
Song Qingzhang tensed as they passed, but the dolls focused solely on carrying the motionless player. They didn't spare anyone else a glance and showed no reaction even when Li Xian edged closer to test them.
So he followed the dolls, keeping a moderate distance.
After about six or seven minutes, they rounded a bend, and the buildings on either side of the road disappeared, replaced by dense forest.
The dolls slipped down the winding forest trail as though they knew it well, but Li Xian stopped there instead of following any farther.
A wooden sign with one end carved into a point stood beside the trail, pointing in the direction the dolls had gone.
Written on the sign was:
"North: To the Whimsy Toy Factory"
The words occupied only the upper half of the sign. There seemed to have originally been another line below, but someone had covered it with something black that looked like paint.
Li Xian tilted his head back, trying to make out the obscured words, but ultimately gleaned nothing. He reached out and touched the black patch-
The color clung firmly to the wood. Not even a trace rubbed off.
Li Xian temporarily gave up on deciphering the words and lowered his head. His neck had started to ache from craning it for so long.
...He was already starting