I woke up from the dream in a daze.

There was no one on the stage in front of me.

The skin doll didn't kill me?

I saw the audience standing up and forming an orderly line, leaving through the main door.

I remembered the security guard saying that after the performance, the main entrance of the shadow puppet theater could be opened to let the audience leave.

I wanted to escape with them.

I admit, I was scared and helpless.

I had given up the idea of avenging my parents.

I had no idea what "qi ruo mo" was, and I was as insignificant as a small ant.

I pretended to be calm.

I stepped along with the audience.

Clatter, clatter, clatter—

These were the sounds of wooden clogs on the ground.

Very close, extremely close.

Right under my feet.

I lowered my head in panic.

At my feet were a pair of wooden clogs.

I was wearing an ancient costume.

I screamed hysterically:

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

The scream turned into an elegant aria, sung from my mouth.

The audience's footsteps stopped, and at the same time turned their heads, staring straight at me with their black eyes.

So scary.

I quickly closed my mouth.

Suddenly.

I saw myself.

Yes, it was someone who looked exactly like me, with a mole on the nose just like mine.

It looked like it didn't recognize me.

It was wearing my clothes.

It was holding my phone.

I rushed forward madly!

I wanted to kill it! I wanted to go home! No one could replace me! I want to survive!

I was very fast and appeared in front of it in an instant.

I raised my arm, with a very sharp skinning knife in my hand.

The knife came down.

The blade of my knife stopped in mid-air, held back by a strange force.

I looked up and saw the skin doll hanging in the air.

I couldn't escape.

The pupils of the skin doll were like a curse of Medusa, paralyzing anyone who made eye contact.

My body... was nothing but an empty skin.

Extra Chapter 1

[Puppeteer Code of Conduct Shadow Puppet Theater]——

Congratulations, you have gained the ability of immortality.

As long as you fully comply with the rules, you will not die.

[1. The skin doll is your master, and you must unconditionally obey its every command.]

[2. The shadow puppet theater is your cage. If you escape, you will disappear.]

[3. In order to prevent the body from rotting and developing maggots, it only retains your skin and costume.]

[4. You are a puppeteer, different from the wicked humans, you do not need human language and sound.]

[5. Your job is to harvest skins, rinse, dry, carve, and apply color to them.]

[6. You can walk around the shadow puppet theater, appear and disappear at any time, and humans cannot harm you. This is the ability it has bestowed upon you, please be grateful.]

[7. When there are evil thoughts such as complaints, grievances, anger, greed, obsession, resentment, arrogance, etc., in the hearts of humans, impurity will be observed, and you will be found. At this time, the skins harvested are the freshest and most resilient.]

[8. Maggots will replace the decaying humans, do not have pity on them. The skin doll will remember their grudges and obsession before they died and help them fulfill their wishes.]

[9. Occasionally, humans with pure mind and empty spirit, such as monks, Taoists, will appear. They cannot see anything and can be let go. It does not want to be enemies with them.]

[10. The charm symbol on the ticket is a way for humans to protect themselves and can only be used once, which will disable you for a short time. This is the way the skin doll plays, it is a child and sometimes a little mischievous.]

[11. If you see a strange creature named "qi ruo mo", do not panic and remain silent. It is the mother of the skin doll.]

Above all, please comply.