Doll Survival Game - Chapter 130
Luo Yiran silently watched the three people.
The strange feeling grew stronger, and Luo Yiran couldn’t discern where it was coming from, so he could only trust his instincts and step back a few paces.
Xia Lang was startled by Luo Yiran’s actions. He tilted his head, about to speak, but then glanced at Yuan Mo, who was painting, and decided to keep quiet. He walked over and whispered, “Ranran, what’s…”
Luo Yiran stepped back once more–there was nothing wrong with Xia Lang.
Nor with Yuan Mo.
In all the people and events he had encountered these past few days, nothing seemed amiss.
Their behavior was perfectly reasonable.
Yet, it was just so strange.
He was about to ask Xia Lang if he felt anything was off, when suddenly his mind went blank.
Xia Lang looked at Luo Yiran’s stunned expression with some confusion, “Ranran?”
This voice wasn’t lowered, so Yuan Mo also raised his head, “What’s wrong?”
Luo Yiran was silent for two seconds, then the expression on his face faded, replaced by a slight frown, “Nothing… just felt a bit dizzy.”
Yuan Mo looked at Luo Yiran, who appeared frail and obedient, not like someone strong and robust, so he said with some concern, “Did you catch a cold in this hot weather?”
This physique isn’t great.
Luo Yiran also found it strange; he felt quite good today, but he really did feel dizzy just now, almost losing his balance.
However, was he thinking about something just now?
Probably not… otherwise, he wouldn’t have no impression at all.
Luo Yiran shook his head slightly, then walked over to Yuan Mo’s side. He looked at the painting, where the calm lake was surrounded not by willow trees, but piles of wooden stakes, with various animal skulls placed on them.
It wasn’t like he imagined, with monsters appearing in the lake, but this was quite interesting too. So he said, “Looks good.”
Yuan Mo put away the draft, “Once I finish the painting, I’ll show it to you!”
Luo Yiran nodded.
Yuan Mo packed up all his things, then looked at the three young faces in front of him, suddenly feeling a sense of accomplishment, “Let’s go! I’ll treat you to dinner!”
“You can eat whatever you want!”
He was the oldest brother, and he had an income!
Although they were all guys, Yuan Mo chose a nearby restaurant for convenience.
With Lin Ming around, they couldn’t discuss the game, but Xia Lang happily took photos of the food and sent them to the group chat.
Xia Lang: [We met up!]
Duan Miaomiao replied quickly: [Who? With whom? Yuan Mo?]
Yuan Mo: [Yes.]
Via popped up, expressing excitement through text: [What does Ran look like!!!]
[Does he wear glasses? Does he have a similar vibe to Tang Bai!!]
“…”
The chat went silent, Yuan Mo looked up at Luo Yiran, who was very sensitive to others’ gazes, and smiled back instantly.
Yuan Mo: “…”
Via: [Why aren’t you saying anything? At least tell me if I guessed right… If I weren’t so far away, I’d come find you.]
Xia Lang poked his phone: [I’m not telling you where we are!]
Via: [Hehe]
Via: [Do you think I can’t find you if you don’t tell me…]
Xia Lang’s hand trembled, making him even more hesitant to guess their professions.
Lin Ming watched the two occasionally fiddling with their phones, then met Luo Yiran’s gaze, expressing his question with his eyes.
Luo Yiran returned the questioning look.
Lin Ming: “…” Is this good-natured guy secretly cunning? Why does he feel like he knows what the two are doing?
Luo Yiran’s expression was flawless; if he wanted, he could almost never be caught with a flaw, especially since Lin Ming was just a kid.
However.
Luo Yiran glanced at the group chat, then frowned slightly.
Something felt strange.
A feeling he couldn’t quite describe.
Moreover, why did this feeling seem somewhat familiar?
Unaware that he was experiencing this feeling for the second time, Luo Yiran tapped Xia Lang, “Hurry up and eat, stop playing with your phone.”
Xia Lang quickly put away his phone.
After eating, they walked back, saying goodbye at the school gate where Luo Yiran and Xia Lang attended, Yuan Mo and Lin Ming then headed back. Yuan Mo discreetly pointed at his phone, and Xia Lang cautiously nodded.
Luo Yiran glanced at Yuan Mo’s departing figure, then turned to head towards the dormitory, “Actually, even if we discuss the game, we can’t learn anything for now…”
He suddenly paused, then looked towards the guard room.
Xia Lang, who was following beside Luo Yiran, was startled, “Wh-what’s wrong?”
Luo Yiran stared at the guard room, and the guard seemed startled by his sudden turn, asking, “Student, what’s wrong?”
Luo Yiran’s gaze quickly scanned the guard room and its entrance, “I just felt like someone was watching me.”
Xia Lang froze, then shivered, quickly moving closer to Luo Yiran, “Ranran, don’t scare me!”
The guard also looked around, somewhat bewildered.
But Luo Yiran didn’t see anyone or anything else, so he retracted his gaze, “…Maybe I was mistaken.”
Xia Lang clung to Luo Yiran’s clothes, unwilling to let go. The sky was only slightly dark, but he was still scared, “Let’s hurry back to the dormitory!”
After experiencing the World Human game, Xia Lang’s nerves had become much more fragile, easily startled by many things.
Once back in the dormitory, Xia Lang put on a comedy show, but it took quite a while for him to calm down.
Xia Lang hugged his knees and tapped the phone by his foot. “If only I could never enter the game again.”
Yiran, who had been watching the window, paused at Xia Lang’s words and then said, “Don’t think too much.”
Xia Lang lifted his head slightly.
Yiran continued, “Although ‘World Human’ officially launched a year ago, it must have existed long before that.” After all, some players were chosen a long time ago.
“And this game is likely not perfect; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easily attacked and malfunctioned after just a year of operation.” Yiran changed his clothes and glanced out the window again. “Since a lot of time was spent preparing for the official launch, this problem might take years to resolve, or it might only restart after we die naturally.”
Xia Lang was stunned.
“If the game only restarts after you die, will you spend every day afterward filled with worry?”
After a moment, Xia Lang shook his head, slightly tilting his body towards Yiran, and hesitantly voiced his anxiety. “Every time it gets dark, I fear being pulled into the game… because I really don’t want to enter the game again.”
He feared killing others, and he feared his own death.
Having realized the preciousness of life and time, the panic of taking them away left him at a loss.
Coupled with all the happiness he had felt until now, he could no longer imagine what his thoughts were when he was rushing towards death before.
It must have been incredibly painful then.
Sitting cross-legged, Xia Lang sincerely wished, “I hope everything can just end like this.”
Yiran tilted his head slightly, his gaze drifting past the lamp, causing the halo to flicker across his pupils. “Do you remember the choice I gave you in your personal space after the Fairy Tale Forest ended?”
Xia Lang was taken aback, then nodded slightly. “Because at that time, continuing felt exhausting and overwhelming, so Ranran told me… I could choose death.”
As a form of escape.
Then.
“Use the revival potion to bring me back when necessary.”
This way, he could avoid the instances that terrified him… at least, enter fewer instances.
Xia Lang was tempted, but he still refused.
Because Yiran had analyzed for him that even if the revival potion could truly bring someone back, the revived “Xia Lang” might have “side effects.”
And those “side effects” could be quite significant.
After all, ‘World Human’ was never benevolent.
At the time, Yiran said it was possible the revived person might turn into a monster or lose self-awareness.
Since those who would go to great lengths to obtain the revival potion and use it to save someone must have deep feelings for them, if the revived person had issues, it would be a huge blow to the savior.
Xia Lang imagined what he might look like if he were revived as some kind of monster, and he couldn’t quite accept it.
Moreover, he couldn’t imagine being unaware of Yiran’s importance or forgetting people like Grandpa Luo who were kind to him.
Thus, he abandoned that “path.”
“…”
Yiran looked at the downcast Xia Lang.
This was indeed Xia Lang; whether in expression, language, thought, or reaction, it was all things Xia Lang would do.
Even the choice was known only to the two of them.
So where did the strange feeling come from?
Yiran frowned slightly, then continued from Xia Lang’s words, “For whatever reason, you yourself rejected that ‘easy’ path.” Although even if Xia Lang had truly wanted it, he wouldn’t have let him go to his death.
Moreover, he no longer had any revival potion.
“Without ease, accept the current busyness and fatigue… it’s okay, even if we enter the game, we can survive.”
Yiran’s words always had a strong soothing effect, probably because Xia Lang knew that what he said seriously were things he could accomplish. So he nodded.
Seeing him relax a bit, Yiran planned to voice his feelings–
“By the way, do you feel anything very…” The word “strange” hadn’t been spoken when Yiran’s expression went blank for a moment.
Xia Lang, not understanding, asked, “?”
Yiran paused, then blinked in confusion and tapped his head. “…What was I just saying?”
Hearing this, Xia Lang hadn’t had time to show surprise before his mind went blank for a moment, and his expression froze. But Yiran happened to be looking down, frowning and rubbing his head, so he missed Xia Lang’s similar change in expression.
Xia Lang also confusedly scratched his hair, feeling like he had forgotten something. “…Didn’t say anything, right? Just that, even if we enter the game, we can survive… right?”
Yiran confirmed that he had said that, so he nodded. “Yes, so don’t worry… rather than worry about this, worry about your final grades.”
Grades… Xia Lang involuntarily shrank back. “Don’t bring up so many scary things, ahhh!”
Yiran chuckled, then abruptly looked out the window, pausing slightly after doing so–why did he look outside?
It felt like he sensed a gaze?
But there was no one outside.
Yiran frowned slightly.
