Zalroth whistled aloud as he strolled through the hallway with old-fashioned wallpaper, wondering whether he should use his other eyes to locate the toy. Zalroth shook his head and shot down that thought as he rubbed his closed eyes.

"Nah, they'd call it cheating if I used them in that way," Zalroth remarked before catching his reflection in a broken window. Zalroth sighed at his reflection which had azure blue hair with pale golden ends and wore a crystalline textured pale blue and pale golden traditional Chinese ceremonial white flower-covered robe with the leaves of the flowers appearing like kitsune tails. Zalroth glanced down at his hand, sighing at seeing himself wearing the ceremonial robe. Zalroth rolled his closed eyes as he rubbed his azure blue hair, causing them to make chiming noises.

"Looks like my appearance reverted... must mean Ela wants me to deal with something... again," Zalroth murmured. Zalroth turned and continued down the hallway until arriving at a wooden door. Zalroth rubbed his chin as he pondered over something.

"Kind of odd for a house an old person would live in to be in a toy factory...," Zalroth uttered, "Although everything I've come across so far would certainly go above being just odd.". Zalroth tapped his forehead and sighed before he strolled to the door at the end of the hallway, its glass sections stained to such a state they were opaque.

Inside the room the hallway door led to, the door's handle jostled about before the door itself shook. Zalroth sighed before lightly punching the door, and shortly afterwards the door crumbled to dust.

"Oh...," Zalroth uttered as the music box-esque music and spinning red pokidot lights emerged from the room, and caught Zalroth's attention. Zalroth raised an eyebrow before he donned a serious expression as he stared at the large unnaturally pristine glass doll case. Zalroth peered at Poppy as she remained motionless inside the case. Zalroth continued to stare at the case as the sound of rapid footsteps approached, but given he sensed no malicious energy, Zalroth decided to let the person approach unimpeded.

"Yosha!" Gura proclaimed triumphantly as she sprung into the room, "You see that Chat, this goober just beat the first chapter without even seeing... Huggy... Wuggy.". Gura's pride slowly fizzled away as she opened her eyes and did a full three-sixty spin before she nervously giggled, "Chat?". Gura raised her head before instantly flinching at seeing Zalroth with his back to her, standing between her and Poppy's case.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"I should've figured something was up when Ela put me in this version of myself," Zalroth remarked as a pale golden light twinkled around his face before he turned around to face Gura with a welcoming smirk. Gura couldn't help but smirk back, although not understanding why aside from the the excess of awkwardness she felt from her unforeseen situation.

"What's that supposed to mean, Mr Manhwa Man," Gura asked playfully with a slightly shakey voice.

"As far as we're concerned, it means we got... um isekaied if we're to go by anime/manga and what not's logic.". Gura widened her eyes at Zalroth's statement. Gura quickly opened her mouth before biting her arm and immediately letting out a muffled scream of pain.

"Was... that necessary?" Zalroth uttered as he itched one of his closed eyes. Gura yanked her jaw away from her arm and rubbed her bitten arm until the bite marks went away.

"The pinch test wouldn't work on me since I have thick skin.".

"But doesn't that only apply to testing if someone's trapped in a dream or not?".

"I was playing a DVR game.".

"I see... so by the first chapter?". Gura nodded while giving a cheeky wink.

"Yeah, I was forced to play a DVR port of a game called Poppy Playtime.".

"Forced?" Zalroth asked as he tilted his head at a ninety-degree angle, making Gura lightly giggle as an image of a pack of funny foxes appeared in her brain.

"My agency made me stream it," Gura explained.

"Right... so the place we're in is from that game you played?".

"Bingo... I mean probably, but I know for sure when you open that case Poppy will wake up," Gura said as she pointed at Poppy in the case. Zalroth nodded as he placed his hand on his chin.

"If Skullnaia and the bunch know about it, does that mean this reality distortion has been here for a while, but... why wouldn't Ela have done anything about it until-?". Zalroth's thought was cut short as the lights rapidly flashed on and off until the bulb bursted.

"What was that?" Zalroth asked, followed by Gura awkwardly giggling.

"Sowwy... I get antsy when I have to anticipate something for too long.". A dead silence filled the room until a third voice broke the silence.

"Is now a bad time for me to reveal I can talk?" Poppy sheepishly asked.