Doll Survival Game

The doll’s tone carried a hint of delight.

Did he enjoy the scene before him… or the people within it?

The magician watched as Xia Lang gently laid Idia down, then suddenly said to the doll, “You like the weak.”

The doll frowned. “?”

The magician’s voice was filled with displeasure. “Whether it was me back then or Xia Lang now, they’re both weak.”

“Hmm?” Luo Yiran was a bit puzzled. “Is Xia Lang weak?”

The magician didn’t respond, and the doll flicked his tail, watching as Xia Lang patted Idia’s face. He maneuvered the magician downward, speaking softly, “I don’t like weakness… at least, the one I like can’t be weak in every aspect.”

However, the magician mentioned “back then.”

Luo Yiran half-closed his eyes-perhaps he should change his perspective; the magician wasn’t always like this.

The magician was also pondering. He didn’t believe what Luo Yiran said because Luo Yiran always lied.

Better to test it himself, to see if Luo Yiran truly liked the weak.

“He’s not waking up,” Xia Lang said, half-holding Idia, eyes wide.

Not coming back? The doll sighed. “Being a good person is tough.”

Xia Lang blinked in confusion.

Luo Yiran pointed upward, explaining, “Either he’s too lazy to come back, or he’s too caught up in revenge to stop midway.”

“Then… should we take him back?” Xia Lang, who could barely swim steadily, was now in a dilemma.

So both of them looked at the magician.

The magician said, “I can grab his mermaid bone or head.”

Forget about carrying or piggybacking; if other bosses knew, it would be a disgrace.

In the water, it didn’t matter much. Luo Yiran said, “Alright.”

Xia Lang was a bit stunned, then hesitantly looked at Idia. “Maybe I should carry him… I’m getting used to the fish tail.” By “used to,” he meant he could now hop around in the water.

Luo Yiran raised an eyebrow slightly. “That works too. We don’t need to rush back… It’d be best if it took a day and a half.”

“Why?” Xia Lang asked.

“To kill time,” Luo Yiran replied easily. “It’d be best if we arrived just as the game was about to end.” To avoid any more trouble if they arrived too early.

Xia Lang nodded, then found some soft materials nearby to secure Idia to himself. “All set! Ranran, let’s go.”

“I’m hungry…” Via was both hungry and tired, lying flat on a piece of wood, his limbs lazily paddling in the water like a dog paddle.

Li Qi Feng was floating normally on a piece of wood. Hearing Via’s weak voice, he said, “I’ll dive down in a bit to see if I can find something to eat.”

Via was so hungry he wanted to cry, and in his sorrow, he thought of his task. “Uncle, are we going to die?”

When they used all their strength to kill the mermaid, the task progress showed 40% completion. As they drifted on the water, the progress slowly increased.

It had now surpassed 50%.

The mermaid had mentioned some things before dying, so Li Qi Feng and Via now knew the mermaid had been divided into many parts. Their task was likely to kill all parts of the mermaid.

…They hadn’t expected task two to be the most terrifying.

“We probably won’t,” Li Qi Feng remained calm. “This instance has already seen 20 deaths, a high mortality rate, so it should ease up later… Plus, our task progress is over 50%, so even if we don’t clear it, we should survive.”

They simply didn’t have the strength to kill another mermaid, even if they found the remaining parts.

The task was destined to be incomplete.

Via, comforted, took out two round beads from his pocket, holding them tightly. They were faintly visible as blue. “If we survive, I hope the penalty for failing the task is just entering a high-difficulty instance.”

Keeping all items was out of the question; the newly acquired mermaid eyes were clearly advanced items. If they were taken away before he even got to enjoy them, it would be too tragic.

Li Qi Feng nodded, looking up at the sky. In the distance, the sunset’s light appeared on the water’s surface. “Luckily, it doesn’t seem like it’ll rain again.”

If there were more storms, the sea level would rise, and they would surely die.

But it seemed like it wouldn’t rain again.

“Hope the sea recedes soon,” Via said pitifully, paddling the water.

“That depends on what the entity controlling the sea wants…” Li Qi Feng removed his coat, preparing to dive for food. “Stay put and don’t move.”

“Okay~” Via drawled, “Uncle, be safe.”

…

The shelter was surrounded by blood-stained water. As time was nearly up, the doll and Xia Lang arrived on a makeshift wooden boat, wobbling along. The small boat carried some sealed bread and other food items.

The four players, who had been soaking in the water, starving and forced to watch Idia’s massacre: “…”

Not! Fair!

Idia turned back to look at Xia Lang, or more precisely, at himself beside Xia Lang.

The doll spoke up, “We’ve brought your body here. At the last moment, do you wish to return to it?”

With the curse ending, Idia would also die.

The sea gently carried Idia to the edge of the ragged little wooden boat.

Xia Lang wanted to dodge, but Idia approached too quickly, so he had to sit there stiffly.

Idia reached into the water, as if caressing it. “The only thing that treated me gently was the sea… but it was gentle because of the mermaid bone.”

And the mermaid bone brought him pain.

There was truly no one who cared for him.

Idia paused, then looked at Xia Lang.

Xia Lang blinked rapidly, his gaze constantly darting to the doll, his eyes desperately conveying-Ranran! I’m scared!

Anyone would be frightened if a blood-soaked figure wielding a knife appeared before them!

Being stared at, Xia Lang thought Idia might not want him touching his body, so he considered running. But the next moment, Idia slightly tilted his head.

The sea lifted Idia, and he gently embraced Xia Lang.

Xia Lang froze.

Idia quickly released him, one hand touching his own face on the boat, the other reversing the grip on the knife and stabbing it into Artel’s chest.

Thus, the fishbone mermaid opened its eyes, and Artel sank into the water.

At the same time, the system’s voice rang out-

[The game “The Vanished Mermaid” has ended. Due to the flooding of Water City, no one survived, and Water City will be permanently closed.]

The players showed relieved smiles. Xia Lang hadn’t reacted yet, and the magician instinctively wanted to turn to look at the doll.

The doll showed no reaction, still waiting for the system’s voice.

The system announcement, audible to all, ended, and then the voice spoke individually to each surviving player.

[Congratulations to player Luo Yiran for successfully clearing “The Vanished Mermaid.” This game’s score: 65, average score for all games: 65.]

The doll was stunned.

The system’s voice continued-

[Congratulations to player Luo Yiran for earning an extra reward-Idia’s Pearl.]

[Game over, looking forward to seeing you next time.]

The sound completely faded, the 65 points echoing in the doll’s ears. He slowly lowered his head, looking at Idia leaning against Xia Lang.

Idia slowly pulled out a smile.

The sound of an engine approached from afar, and the bus that had brought them sped across the water, stopping beside the wooden boat. The tour guide poked his head out. “The trip’s over, hop on!”

“You guys really are something, staying behind to play even after the boss left. See? Trouble for nothing.” The tour guide looked at them with schadenfreude. “Don’t dawdle, get on the bus, don’t waste time! I have other passengers to pick up.”

With the game over, everyone’s tension relaxed, and with relaxation came even more exhaustion. Especially the four who had been bobbing in the water.

And they hadn’t just been trapped; they had been forced to watch a long massacre, utterly draining them mentally and physically.

So, hearing the tour guide’s words, He Qingqing was the first to head for the bus, with Li Zhi following behind her.

The fish tail made it hard to get on the bus, so Li Zhi went up first, sitting by the door, then pulled He Qingqing up. After pulling her up, he reached out to help Fang Jincheng.

But just as he extended his hand, Li Zhi saw Fang Jincheng in the water, eyes wide, mouth opening and closing in shock, silently mouthing something, reaching desperately toward him.

What was he saying? Why was there no sound?

Li Zhi tilted his head in confusion, then something started flowing down in front of his eyes, slowly obscuring his vision.

“Get down-”

That’s what Fang Jincheng was shouting.

But unfortunately, Li Zhi didn’t hear it. He and He Qingqing, who had boarded, melted together, turning into blood that flowed into the sea.

Fang Jincheng’s anguished cry drew the doll’s gaze from Idia to the tour guide. Luo Yiran’s eyes were cold. “It’s been a few days, do we still have to follow this order?”

“Of course.” The tour guide replied with a smile. “Everything must have a beginning and an end.”

“Then please go pick up Via and Li Qi Feng first, they’re still alive.” The doll finished speaking and turned back to stare at Idia.

The tour guide’s face stiffened, then he angrily slammed the bus door shut, driving off with a loud noise.

The magician couldn’t help but speak. “Young master, we’re about to part ways temporarily, and you’re not even saying goodbye properly, just staring at him…”

“Don’t talk.” The doll’s voice was cool, cutting off the magician. He looked at Idia. “You weren’t lying.”

Idia nodded with an enigmatic smile.

The score for clearing was based on background exploration. With what he knew, he shouldn’t have only scored 65 points. It meant there was something more important or the core of the instance he hadn’t discovered.

He knew only the surface.

But what didn’t he know? What else hadn’t he discovered?

Idia placed a finger to his lips, answering indirectly. “Thank you for bringing my body over.”

“Even though I hate my body, I’d rather end my life in it.” Idia sat up straight, his gaze moving from the doll to Xia Lang. Those beautiful eyes blinked softly, then he leaned back, falling into the sea.

Xia Lang instinctively reached out, but for some reason, despite the close distance, he couldn’t catch him.

The bus returned, the door opened, and the tour guide impatiently knocked on it. “Get on the bus!”

Guan Cheng remembered the current order required Fang Jincheng to board first, so he pushed the dazed Fang Jincheng up, then followed himself.

Xia Lang’s gaze left the water’s surface. He didn’t know why he felt a bit sad, so he looked at the doll.

Luo Yiran said, “Get on.”

The magician sighed softly. “Young master, I can’t board the return bus.”

The doll was straightforward. “Then goodbye.”

After Xia Lang carefully got on the bus, he heard the magician’s words, so he paused at the door, then turned to reach for Luo Yiran.

The doll maneuvered the magician to extend his hand, passing himself to Xia Lang. As he left the magician’s hand, the magician suddenly said, “Young master, goodbye.”

The door closed mercilessly, and Luo Yiran didn’t have time to say goodbye. Through the window on the door, he looked out, and the outside scenery turned pitch black in an instant.

It was as if, in a blink, the bus had left Water City.

The magician stood alone on the wooden boat, the bus before him disappearing almost instantly.

He silently raised his hand, lifting the bandage slightly to reveal dark eyes, then turned around.

As he turned, the water slowly transformed into blue building blocks, collapsing bit by bit, and the wooden boat beneath him became brown blocks.

Nearby, Idia emerged from the blue blocks, his lower half no longer a fishbone but a pair of long legs.

Idia looked up at the magician, his tone displeased. “You should leave my territory.”