Doll Survival Game

The Demon raised his hand, looking indifferently at the ice-cracked wound on it, then through the gaps of his fingers, he saw the doll’s beautiful red eyes. He sighed, “You’re not angry?”

“Anger is useless,” the doll turned back, looking at the Demon, “Are you the regulator of this instance?”

The Demon shook his head, his clear eyes narrowing slightly, “I’m here to see the magician… Well, just consider me an observer. I won’t interfere with you anymore. After all, coming here wasn’t easy, and I’d be quite upset if I got kicked out.”

He claimed to be an observer, but the doll’s gaze briefly flickered to the door behind him.

The Demon raised his hand, “Don’t mind, don’t mind. I really won’t make a move again.”

Zhang Mimi suddenly spoke calmly from the back, “Xia Lang isn’t dead yet.”

The doll didn’t show surprise as he looked at Zhang Mimi.

Zhang Mimi pointed at the holographic display, “We’re in an organization now. If someone dies, there will be a notification.” He had almost forgotten in his urgency.

“Even during the game?”

Zhang Mimi nodded, “Yes, Lin Ye told me. But if they’re not in the same instance or not in the instance, the organization members will receive the notification after midnight.”

Luo Yiran turned his gaze back to the Demon.

The Demon still had his hand raised, his arm was very long, and even wrapped in heavy black clothing, the smooth and beautiful curve was visible, “What I said is true, no one can survive in the bottomless abyss.”

“Young master, the bottomless abyss is indeed uninhabitable,” the magician spoke.

Luo Yiran nodded, “Oh.” So Xia Lang didn’t fall into that abyss.

The Demon widened his eyes in surprise, “Eh–why do you only respond when the magician says it? I’m clearly the embodiment of ‘truth’!”

The doll ignored the observer, saying, “Then let’s clear the game quickly.”

Before Xia Lang encounters an insurmountable danger.

The Demon silently stepped aside, and as he brushed past the magician, he looked up and smiled, mouthing the word Ji.

The bandage on the magician’s brow furrowed.

The doll didn’t notice, treating the Demon as nonexistent. However, just seconds before entering the third level, he said, “Did you find it according to the monster communicator? If it bothers you, just throw it away.”

The book trembled slightly in grievance.

“It’s okay, all he can do now is be an eyesore. He’s already violated once, if he does anything again, he’ll be directly ejected,” the magician stepped into the third level, a heavy murderous aura emanating from the front, neither of them paid attention to the Demon’s dissatisfied protest from behind.

Li Wei couldn’t understand the Demon’s appearance now, nor the occasional words they spoke. She gave up thinking and followed behind Yuan Mo–he seemed the kindest now.

Yuan Mo watched as the doll and magician stepped into the third level, he could only see the sharp silver light coming from the magician’s candlelight. Before he could shout a warning, the silver light was blocked.

The doll didn’t look up at the monster revealed by the silver thread above, he said softly, “I want to clear the game quickly now, so I apologize for being a bit rough.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the airborne monster was pulled to the ground by the silver thread. Luo Yiran looked at the Mantis Woman, who was less than half a person’s height, and widened his eyes slightly.

The Mantis Woman’s face was that of a young girl, but her entire body was flesh-colored, with a structure and appearance resembling a mantis. Her head seemed forcibly compressed into a fan shape, her eyes so large they couldn’t be contained by the sockets and were squeezed outward.

Her neck and body were elongated, her abdomen bulging as if slightly writhing, human hands transformed into saw-toothed forelimbs, her legs split into two thin middle and hind feet.

A true monster.

But the doll, upon seeing her clearly, instantly wrapped the silver thread into a non-sharp state and bound her.

Li Wei was stunned, and upon meeting Luo Yiran’s gaze, she suddenly saw the Mantis Woman and her pupils dilated, instantly fainting from fright.

Yuan Mo caught her, a bit bewildered, “What happened?”

“Probably scared by the Mantis Woman’s appearance?” Zhang Mimi glanced back, “Perfect chance for you to try weight training.”

Yuan Mo: “…Not necessary.”

Despite saying that, Yuan Mo still hoisted Li Wei up.

Zhang Mimi walked to the doll’s side, looking at the struggling bound Mantis Woman, then reached out his hand, “Feels weak… Why couldn’t people pass before… Ow!”

He accidentally bumped into the Mantis Woman’s swinging forelimb, getting scratched by the saw teeth. Zhang Mimi cried out in surprise–his body was supposed to be very tough…

Seems it’s not the Mantis Woman who’s weak. Zhang Mimi glanced at the doll.

The doll didn’t intend to kill the Mantis Woman, instructing Zhang Mimi and the others to find the key, while he kept the Mantis Woman bound, staring at her.

Yuan Mo placed Li Wei beside the doll, then glanced at the Mantis Woman and looked away–though her shape was more like a mantis, the flesh-colored skin and face, when seen clearly, really resembled a human…

But she was originally transformed from a human, so it’s normal to resemble one.

However, why doesn’t the doll kill this monster?

The Demon leaned in, his eyes reflecting the hissing Mantis Woman as he uttered two words: “So ugly.”

The magician paused.

Luo Yiran ignored him, his gaze fixed on the Mantis Woman, his eyes tracing her strange limbs and face before finally settling on those absurdly large eyes.

In no time, the magician felt his body being manipulated. He was taken aback, then watched as his own hand extended, palm up, to rest on his shoulder.

Luo Yiran stepped onto the magician’s hand, allowing himself to be lifted close to the Mantis Woman.

“Young master?”

The Demon touched his own lips with a finger, frowning slightly–he had been curious why the magician called the doll young master.

A subtle sense of displeasure.

Luo Yiran’s face was expressionless, neither soft nor hard, simply resembling a soulless doll. Yet, when he raised his hand, it seemed to gently touch the Mantis Woman’s cheek.

The Mantis Woman, who had been struggling and waving her forelimbs, suddenly froze. Her glossy black eyes, unlike those of a real mantis, appeared bewildered.

“Sorry, my hand has no warmth,” the doll said, looking into the Mantis Woman’s eyes, as if seeing through those astonishingly large eyes to the human girl beneath the monster’s skin. His tone was exceedingly gentle.

…

The third floor was cluttered with miscellaneous items, stacks of cardboard boxes, and some old furniture.

Although this floor was smaller than the first and second, it was still difficult to search for the key.

Zhang Mimi couldn’t help but glance at the holographic display after searching for a while, worried that a notification might suddenly pop up, informing them of Xia Lang’s death.

…Even though the doll already had a bottle of revival potion, they knew too little about it to be sure it could truly revive a player, or if there were any side effects… after all, the game that provided the revival potion was not exactly benevolent.

“Hey.” The doll’s voice suddenly rang out, and Zhang Mimi and Yuan Mo immediately looked over, seeing the doll standing very close to the Mantis Woman, pointing to a spot: “Search there.”

Zhang Mimi acknowledged, while Yuan Mo noticed something amiss. It took him a moment to realize that the doll’s silver thread seemed to have released the Mantis Woman.

He was stunned for about half a minute, during which Zhang Mimi had already quickly found the key. He pulled it from a dusty cardboard box: “Found it! Luckily, I searched from the bottom.”

Holding the key, Zhang Mimi turned back: “How did you know it was here, doll?”

Luo Yiran looked at the Mantis Woman: “She told me.”

Zhang Mimi: “???”

“Let’s go.”

The magician moved past the Mantis Woman, speaking softly to Luo Yiran: “Young master is truly impressive.”

Luo Yiran looked towards the large door ahead: “What do you mean?”

The magician thought for a moment: “In every way.”

For instance, clearly being a cold person, yet very adept at perceiving others’ emotions and acting in a “suitable” manner… truly frightening.

The doll smiled slightly: “Is that so?”

The Demon followed beside him, some places on his skin, cracked like ice, oozing blood due to his movements: “Doll, you are truly interesting.”

Full of falsehoods yet brimming with authenticity.

It was as if he seemed to be lying and pretending, but often could firmly believe that what he said and did was not false, almost convincing himself…

Impressive, how is that done? The Demon watched him with interest.

“Please stop staring at my young master,” the magician suddenly turned back, the bandage at the corner of his mouth lifting, but without any friendliness: “I would feel very, very troubled.”

If I can’t resist taking action against him, would I be kicked out of the instance? The magician seriously considered.

Zhang Mimi didn’t deliberately avoid the Demon, brushing past him as if he truly didn’t exist, coming to the doll’s side: “That Mantis Woman?”

The doll assumed he was asking why the Mantis Woman helped them, so he tilted his head and said: “She is…”

His voice abruptly stopped, as Luo Yiran noticed the Mantis Woman following behind him: “…”

Zhang Mimi quickened his pace to the front, calling Yuan Mo, who was carrying Li Wei, to his side, and then asked the question again: “Why is she following you?”

The Mantis Woman hissed, her serrated forelimbs waving, seemingly wanting to reach out but holding back.

The doll looked at her for a moment: “Let her follow.”

Zhang Mimi paused, then sighed–he’d just have to be more vigilant.

The Demon voluntarily fell to the back, his steps leisurely, though his gaze still lightly lingered on the doll–seemingly, the magician didn’t treat this guy as a toy.

Beyond the third floor was entirely unknown.

Zhang Mimi took a deep breath, his whole body tense as he turned the key to open the door to the fourth floor. As the door swung open, they all froze–where the staircase should have been, there was instead an endless brown desert, visible even in the darkness, with yellow sand swirling in the air, a scene akin to a desert wasteland.

They stood frozen behind the door, eyes wide as a giant dragon flew past.

“…”

Zhang Mimi silently and swiftly closed the door, then turned back to exchange silent glances with the others–

After a moment, he said: “Did I open the door the wrong way?”