Doll Survival Game - Chapter 102 - A Choice

One hour ago.

Luo Yiran, having just been confined in the box space, checked the holographic display for game notifications.

First was the system’s earlier notification about the end of the Fairy Tale Forest, mentioning that this instance would not be scored.

Then came the rewards issued by the game.

The doll walked over to the bed and sat down, then opened the notification about the rewards-before exiting the Fairy Tale Forest, the game had notified players to check their personal interface for rewards or penalties.

The penalties? This meant that besides the two factions they had successfully passed, the others, including Feng Bai, were still alive, and they would face penalties for failing the task.

They would likely have to visit a punishment instance.

Luo Yiran pulled his wandering thoughts back and looked down at his instance rewards.

After checking them, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

Then he quickly opened the property section and focused on the new item. Luo Yiran’s lips curled into a smile-from now on, Little Red was his favorite boss.

His gaze flicked from the item acquired from Little Red to another item.

Item name: [Regeneration]

He opened the description and skimmed through it. Essentially, it allowed a player to choose one weapon and apply [Regeneration] to it, enabling the item to regenerate after damage, effectively making it unbreakable.

Moreover, there was no limit on usage.

Luo Yiran’s smile widened-now one silver thread would be enough.

And with the item from Little Red, he might even consider kicking out the magician…

Just as he thought this, the box was suddenly flung open.

Luo Yiran paused, then looked up at the gray-haired magician who once again covered his eyes.

Though his eyes were covered, the sensation of the magician’s gaze on him remained intense.

The magician noticed the hint of a smile on his lips and chuckled, though the laughter sounded anything but joyful: “Young master seems to be in a good mood.”

The doll’s lips flattened; he said nothing.

The magician leaned against the box space, looking at him: “But young master, I’m not in a good mood.”

Like I care. The doll didn’t say it out loud, but his expression conveyed it clearly.

The magician laughed: “We maintained balance before because young master said if I dared to dress you in a skirt, you’d make me streak in the instance.”

The doll’s fingers twitched, and his gaze shifted.

The magician continued, “But the bandage is not my true desire; no one can remove it.”

“In other words, I’ve been respecting young master all along.”

Luo Yiran’s pupils trembled slightly, yet he remained silent.

The magician sighed regretfully, then shifted his body slightly to reveal a pile of little dresses behind him: “Young master, let’s change outfits at least three times a day from now on.”

Luo Yiran: “…”

Unable to control the magician, he had no way to resist this powerful boss.

Luo Yiran let him proceed, though his gaze grew increasingly dark.

How annoying.

So, feeling annoyed, Luo Yiran quietly sent Xia Lang a visit request and made his escape shortly after.

…

Luo Yiran didn’t mention these things; he simply explained when Xia Lang carefully lifted him up: “The magician got a wicked sense of humor and forced me into this.”

The three of them understood.

Via’s gaze lingered unabated on the doll.

The doll, with its black hair and red eyes, had a slender body. Now dressed in a very fluffy long dress, it didn’t look puffed up at all.

Surprisingly, it suited him quite well.

Perhaps dolls were meant to wear little dresses, regardless of whether they are male or female.

Via pointed at Luo Yiran and said to Li Qi Feng, “Uncle! If we can still go out, buy me a female doll next time!”

Li Qi Feng tapped Via’s head lightly: “Don’t point your finger at others.”

Via withdrew his hand, taking Li Qi Feng’s lack of refusal as agreement, and he joyfully watched the doll.

Luo Yiran didn’t find Via’s gaze peculiar. He turned to Xia Lang, “Has your body recovered?”

Xia Lang nodded, then glanced at the holographic display-if only he had woken up earlier and checked the display, then he could have informed Via and the others about Ranran’s arrival.

Luo Yiran could tell what Xia Lang was thinking, but he didn’t mind, at least not anymore.

Before putting it on, he was very resistant, but now that it was on…

And since the three of them didn’t react much, Luo Yiran felt nothing at all. He merely said to Xia Lang, “It’s nothing, it’s just the doll’s body.” It wasn’t his own body wearing it.

And he didn’t think he would be stuck in this body forever.

Xia Lang grunted affirmatively, then suddenly asked, “Are we not going to be able to leave anymore?”

“It depends on the update.” The doll sat on the layered skirt, which he now found quite convenient as it doubled as a small stool. He adjusted to a comfortable position and looked at Li Qi Feng and Via: “You mentioned earlier that the game hasn’t had new players for a while. If that’s true, the next update should be coming soon.”

Via pulled over a chair to sit down, and Li Qi Feng sat next to him. Xia Lang, holding the doll, sat opposite them.

Via corrected, “To be precise, there have been no new players since the starter area you participated in.”

Luo Yiran nodded, “If no new players come after that, then the next update will arrive soon because there won’t be enough players…” He paused, then his gaze fell on the plump bow on the skirt.

“What’s wrong?”

Luo Yiran lifted his head, his expression unchanging as he voiced a terrifying guess: “There’s another possibility. The third mode might require all existing players to die before the next update arrives.”

“…”

Xia Lang panicked, “What?”

Via rubbed his arms, “Don’t mention such scary things so casually… But the organizational battle is probably in this ‘Eternal Night’ mode, and that battle will definitely result in many deaths.”

“It’s a lesser possibility,” Luo Yiran said as he looked away from the skirt, finding a new point to focus on, “This game is quite hypocritical. It wouldn’t directly aim to kill the players through an organizational battle instance… but many will certainly die.”

Because it’s normal for many to die in instances anyway.

Xia Lang asked, “So, once it’s updated, can we get out of here?”

“Not necessarily,” Via replied quickly, then shook his head and looked at the doll with bright, round eyes. “Right?”

Luo Yiran nodded, “The chances are indeed slim.” After all, dragging them into this world and then releasing them… it would be quite odd.

Xia Lang sighed in relief, his shoulders relaxing slightly, “That’s great.”

“Do you not want to leave?” Via blinked.

Xia Lang was indifferent to living in reality or in the game; his reason for relief was, “Not really, but if we can’t get out, I won’t have to take the final exams.”

Via, with sparkling eyes, recalled something and looked towards Li Qi Feng with equally bright eyes, “If we don’t get out, I won’t have to enroll next semester either! Aye!”

“Aye, my foot,” Li Qi Feng responded dryly. “You still have to study in the game, and if we do get out, you’d still have to go to school.”

“You’re right,” Luo Yiran agreed.

Then he turned to Xia Lang, “I have some problems in my personal space; Xia Lang, you should study more, just in case.”

“And we have college entrance exams next year; if you fall behind even a little, you might not catch up.”

Xia Lang: “…”

Via blinked, “You guys have college entrance exams next year too? So do I! But I wasn’t in school previously; I only start next semester.”

Xia Lang looked at him sympathetically-it was just one year, and the exams would surely be rough.

He had just thought this when he heard Via’s next words.

Via said, “But no worries, uncle has been pushing me to study. I’ve done those college entrance exam questions too. They’re not hard.”

…Not hard? Xia Lang retracted his gaze: better to pity himself then.

Both parties tacitly avoided probing deeper into why Via hadn’t been attending school before.

Via wanted to discuss more about the mode, but catching a glimpse of the time, he thought, “Ranran, do you want to join the organization?”

Luo Yiran looked up, “I had just joined before being transported here… By the way, who came up with the name for this ‘One Two Three’ organization?”

It was a perfunctory response.

Via, legs crossed, said, “Not sure, we haven’t been to the base yet. Oh right, if they mention tomorrow that we didn’t go, just say we don’t know, okay? We told them we were resting today.”

Hearing the doll had already joined the organization, Xia Lang gently put Luo Yiran down, then checked his display panel. Upon seeing that he too had received an invitation, he sighed in relief and clicked join.

The doll nodded, and Via stood up, “Let’s leave it at that for now. We’ll visit the base tomorrow and discuss anything else then.”

Li Qi Feng also stood up, but as he looked at Xia Lang and the doll, he said, “Thank you.”

The doll cocked his head, smiling, “Thanks for what?”

“The reward.”

He was a man of few words, but the doll understood, “No need, the reward was earned together.”

Everyone was likely to receive two rewards, most likely because they had completed both parts of task two.

Li Qi Feng shook his head slightly but said nothing more, just, “See you at the base tomorrow.”

Watching Li Qi Feng and Via disappear, Luo Yiran suddenly spoke up, “By the way, how are we going to the base tomorrow?”

Xia Lang was stunned, “I don’t know either.”

The two exchanged a look and then silently began to check their holographic displays.

Upon finding the button to the base, Xia Lang chuckled, “Feels like we’re playing a game.”

Neither were adept at gaming, and their past attempts had always been about figuring out where the functions were.

“We are playing a game,” Luo Yiran remarked, wanting to get rid of the cumbersome skirt but lacking alternative clothing, so he just pulled the wide hem to the side.

Xia Lang paused, then said, “But actually, nobody really treats this as just a game.”

After all, it was a matter of life and death.

“Maybe,” Luo Yiran said nonchalantly, occasionally scanning Xia Lang’s room.

He had come to Xia Lang’s place secretly, but a magician could have come too.

But the magician didn’t come.

“Ran-Ge,” Xia Lang, tired, leaned on the table.

Luo Yiran paused.

Xia Lang’s gaze fell on the doll in front of him; he seemed to want to say something but eventually said nothing.

The doll watched him, and only after Xia Lang gave up on speaking did Luo Yiran say, “Tired?”

It was a simple question, but for some reason, Xia Lang’s eyes suddenly welled up; he felt an overwhelming rush of things to say but too many to articulate, so he just nodded vigorously.

Luo Yiran glanced at the holographic display where Lin Ye had sent him a message an hour ago about the known rewards for winning the upcoming organizational battle, and then he offered Xia Lang a choice.