Doll Survival Game - Chapter 141

“All of them are hunters?” Yuan Mo repeated in disbelief.

Luo Yiran’s thoughts quickly shifted: “Then is your task the same? And as long as you clear it, all players with the same task will clear it together.”

Lin Ye brushed the red bangs from his forehead to the back of his head, sighing, “You really are scary when you think things through.”

Via let out a wow: “Ranran, how did you know? We haven’t even said anything yet.”

Luo Yiran spun his index finger, watching it circle round and round: “Just a guess.”

“After all, we have a grudge with the hunters, and they probably don’t want to get along with us peacefully, even temporarily. In this situation, if the game arranges for us to do the same task together, there will definitely be internal strife.”

Lin Ye chuckled softly: “Indeed.”

Via sat cross-legged: “After all, we can temporarily cooperate with enemies, but we really don’t want to cooperate with scum.”

Besides, the other side didn’t want to cooperate with them either-meeting face-to-face meant a big knife coming down.

“So, does that mean you got less information?” Luo Yiran asked bluntly.

After all, they’d been dealing with hunters the whole time.

Lin Ye nodded, then shook his head: “At first, I thought it was fine, but what you heard from insiders is more important…” He paused briefly and added, “If it ends up involving Tianhong.”

“But we do know the general situation in Sky City pretty well… By the way, back then, there were other players in Tianhong Company protecting that file, which conflicted with our task.”

The implication was that they might have failed their task.

“But they definitely know what that file is. If only we could see it.” Via swung his legs: “No idea what it’s about.”

Yuan Mo stared at Via, hesitating: “I have a question, but I’m not sure if I should ask.”

“Ugh.” Via looked pained: “I hate it when people talk like that. If you want to ask, just ask.”

Before Yuan Mo could ask, Li Qi Feng chopped Via on the head with a hand, then said curtly, “Manners.”

Via’s voice twisted with pain: “Uncle, you’re hitting harder and harder, you know?”

After complaining, he looked at Yuan Mo with teary eyes and said politely, “Mo-Ge, go ahead and ask!”

Yuan Mo’s expression was a bit apologetic: “I wanted to ask, those hunters are pretty ruthless-how did you survive?”

“……”

Duan Miaomiao couldn’t help but smile, but she didn’t make a sound.

Via was completely confused: “When did I ever say I disappeared because I was caught by hunters?”

Zhang Mimi tugged at him: “What we just said might have made it sound like Via disappeared, and then the hunters caused trouble, so it dragged on for so many days.”

Yuan Mo: “……”

Luo Yiran suddenly remembered something and said offhandedly, “That Lei Jing is already dead.”

“Serves him right!” Duan Miaomiao, who had been hunted, blurted out reflexively: “How did he die?”

Luo Yiran lowered his head, his tone full of apology: “I killed him.”

Via shuddered at the words, his expression full of disdain: “What’s with your tone?”

Luo Yiran’s face didn’t change: “One should have reverence for life. Even if you have to hurt others to survive, it’s better to feel at least a little guilty.”

As soon as he said this, everyone fell silent for a moment.

Luo Yiran finished as if going through the motions, then his voice returned to that calm, slightly cold tone: “Could you trouble yourselves to describe everything that happened to you in detail?”

“If you sensed anything off at any point, please mention it too.”

Judging from the current situation, Sky City was definitely the organizational battle location. The problem was, this Sky City seemed like a preview for all of them-what task would they face here when the time came?

Lin Ye tapped a few times in the void, opening his holographic display: “Of course. I also heard some things from other players, but I’m not sure if they’re true, so after I say them, let’s compare what we know from our respective instances.”

Duan Miaomiao glanced at Via: “Via, add anything that happened on your end.”

Via made an OK gesture: “Definitely.”

After all, the place he disappeared to was pretty exciting.

Seventh day of the week.

It was noon, but outside the small villa was still pitch black.

Via was the first to finish training. He ran to the door and peeked out-the outside was getting darker and darker. Before, you could still see a bit of scenery, but now it was complete darkness, as if there was nothing out there at all.

That actually made people want to go out even more. Via thought about it but didn’t go.

Because you couldn’t leave the villa. To be precise, if you went out, you’d immediately come back. As soon as one foot stepped outside and the other followed, you’d reappear at the door.

“What are you doing at the door?” Li Qi Feng’s voice came from behind.

Via turned around: “Nothing, just looking… Oh right, uncle, I wanted to ask you something.”

Li Qi Feng wasn’t used to bright places. He came down the stairs, carrying a glass of water, and stood in the shade: “What is it?”

Via hopped onto the sofa: “It’s about what we talked about when we joined.”

He popped a candy in his mouth, making his voice a bit muffled: “If things aren’t looking good, we’ll…” He made a running gesture with his fingers. “Does that still count?”

Li Qi Feng froze for a moment, not saying anything right away.

-When they agreed to cooperate with Lin Ye and the others in Fairy Tale Forest, he and Via had decided not to get too close-just cooperate.

But if, during the cooperation, they ended up tied to the same rope, they’d do their best. If things got really dangerous and they happened to have a chance to escape, then their own lives came first-they’d run.

In fact, this was already quite benevolent, since at least they wouldn’t choose to stab anyone in the back.

But-

Li Qi Feng glanced at Via, who was tossing candies-neither of them had brought up this matter again since halfway through the Fairy Tale Forest.

Via kept an eye on his gaze. He caught the candy, and the black-gray curls pressed down over his eyelids, casting a shadow that hid the light in his eyes.

This look made him seem nothing like his usual self: “In this ‘team,’ the only one I liked was Xia Lang. But he’s dead.”

Via was basically raised by him; Li Qi Feng knew his temperament well, so he didn’t react much to Via’s sudden change of face. He just listened, his expression growing subtly complicated, starting to realize why Via had suddenly brought this up: “…Via, nobody wanted him to die.”

Via shrugged, sounding perfectly justified: “I know, but I’m still young, and I’m not a good guy, so I’m just going to take it out on someone.”

And the one he most wanted to take it out on was probably the person closest to Xia Lang.

His curls drooped toward his lashes as he moved, Via’s expression growing even colder: “That Luo Yiran guy is supposed to be pretty impressive, right? But in the end, he couldn’t even protect an obedient kid, and needed someone else to protect him instead.”

Li Qi Feng frowned slightly: “Luo Yiran is the same age as you all. And when two people are together, feelings go both ways…”

He paused, his peripheral vision catching the stairs, then he raised his voice a bit, almost like scolding: “Via!”

Via reacted quickly, raising his voice too, sounding a bit impatient: “What?”

Lin Ye came down the stairs, looking at the two of them: “What’s up? Are you guys fighting?”

Via snorted at Li Qi Feng, then flashed a smile at Lin Ye: “Can’t help it, uncle’s got a bad temper.”

Lin Ye glanced at Li Qi Feng, then at Via, before turning back to ask Li Qi Feng directly: “What did he do this time?”

Via protested: “Hey-”

“Feels like you can be heard all the way up on the third floor.” Duan Miaomiao came down too, throwing a jab at Via, then nervously glanced at her own holographic display.

Zhang Mimi was behind her: “What are you looking at?”

Duan Miaomiao was flustered: “Checking the time. We’re going into the instance tonight, and from what we discussed before, the organizational battle sounds terrifying!”

“Really?” Zhang Mimi didn’t seem to feel much, but suddenly thought of something: “It’s a bit late to say this, but Miaomiao, you don’t have to join the organizational battle, right? If you just focus on that bio-morphing skill, your potential is unlimited. And you said you don’t need revival potions anyway.”

Duan Miaomiao paused-she really did just kind of end up joining for no reason…

“But, we’re all going into the instance anyway.”

“True…” Zhang Mimi patted her shoulder, comforting her: “Don’t worry, no matter what instance it is, your chances of surviving are way higher than ours.”

After all, if they lost half their body, they’d be done for on the spot.

Duan Miaomiao was still nervous. She shrank into the sofa and let out a deep sigh.

Third floor, training room.

Yuan Mo looked a little desperate as he stared at the doll standing at the training room door: “No way, I can’t get out.”

“How come?” Luo Yiran looked up and smiled: “Wasn’t it you guys who suggested I be the boss and block the way?”

The last part of today’s training was having the doll control the silver thread to guard the door, while everyone else took turns challenging their way out of the training room.

Yuan Mo was the last one.

He wailed: “But you definitely went easy on them!!”

Luo Yiran: “I didn’t go easy on Zhang Mimi.”

Yuan Mo’s face darkened, remembering Zhang Mimi shouting about perseverance while charging through the silver thread-was anyone else as reckless as him?

Luo Yiran lowered his gaze and continued: “The others, I’m not that familiar with.”

So he went easy on the ones he didn’t know?

Yuan Mo wasn’t sure, but… what did “not familiar” even mean?

Yuan Mo simply sat down, watching his wounds heal rapidly: “Forget about the others-didn’t you know Via and Li Qi Feng way back?”

“Yeah. Met Via in the starter area, and then in The Vanished Mermaid instance I kind of screwed them over.” Luo Yiran said it lightly.

…That was definitely knowing them early.

Yuan Mo gave a dry laugh: “So it’s pretty impressive you guys can still get along peacefully.”

Luo Yiran tilted his head: “Get along peacefully?”

Yuan Mo: “…”

Yuan Mo: “Eh?”

Isn’t that the case?

Luo Yiran played with his poker cards, threading them with fine silver thread. From most angles, the cards looked like they were floating in midair: “Li Qi Feng aside, as for Via, he probably just thought I was interesting, but that was only before Xia Lang left.”

Yuan Mo thought for a moment: “…So now?”

“He hates me.”

Most people, when they realize they’re hated, would feel at least a little uneasy or sad, but Luo Yiran was perfectly calm-so calm that his beautiful red eyes didn’t ripple at all. He said, “As long as it doesn’t affect what I need to do, whatever feelings people have toward me don’t matter.”

Yuan Mo looked into Luo Yiran’s eyes: “…And if it does affect you, then what?”

Luo Yiran didn’t answer right away. He finished threading all fifty-four cards, then spread his fingers in front of his chest. The silver thread fanned out from his fingers, and the cards floated all around his body.

Behind the cards, he showed only a seemingly gentle smile, then opened his mouth-

“I wouldn’t really do anything. After all, I’m a kind person.”