Doll Survival Game

“Can they see this?” Zhang Mimi touched the characters he had etched.

“They can.” Lin Ye looked at a light on the first floor, its destroyed state identical to the space they had been in before: “Damaging things here can affect the space we were in earlier.”

Xia Lang and Duan Miaomiao huddled in a corner like children who had done something wrong, watching Lei Jing, who was tightly bound and gagged by Lin Ye and Zhang Mimi.

“Shouldn’t we kill her?” Duan Miaomiao shockingly asked.

“Better not.” Lin Ye glanced back at the furious Lei Jing: “One rule of entering the game is that we must not kill each other, and it’s unclear if that still applies… We’ll probably find out when everyone gets out.”

“Okay then.” Duan Miaomiao clutched the cross on her chest: “So we just wait now?”

“That’s all we can do, we’ve already been waiting for half an hour,” Zhang Mimi idly tapped on the wall. “Though I have a spray that could knock them out, it’s a shame I can’t use it here, so I can’t help them stall for more time. We can only hope they get out sooner or that Lin Na sleeps a bit longer.”

Xia Lang brought out the doll, cradling it in his arms: “Thank goodness you guys stopped us from waking Lin Na…”

Bang!

The sound came from the end of the hallway, and the four turned around.

The furthest room opened, and Via peeked out, his face pale: “Uncle, your killing is terrifying.”

Li Qi Feng emerged, touching his neck: “So is yours.”

“Via!” Xia Lang turned around. “You guys are here!”

Via tilted his head towards them: “Who came first? It was Wang Xing and the others.”

“Their room is downstairs,” Lin Ye replied. “They didn’t come up, did they?”

Xia Lang stepped up, looking at Via and then at the doll in his hands: “Ranran?! Where is he?!”

“Ah, him,” Via dryly chuckled. “He should be coming soon. He has to be burned to death to make it here.”

“Young master really doesn’t kill, does he?” Lin Luo cradled the doll in the bathroom, where others chose between being killed or burned.

Whether it was arson or murder, Luo Yiran never laid a hand on anyone himself.

Lin Na sobbed in the bathtub, her limbs wrapped in soft fabric. She looked at Lin Luo: “Brother, what are you doing?”

Lin Luo’s expression was indifferent as he looked toward the bathroom door: “There’s no need to restrain her now, right? There aren’t many people left.”

Luo Yiran also looked over, but he couldn’t see anything.

Suddenly, something exploded outside the bathroom. Within seconds, Lin Na’s expression relaxed; she stared blankly for a moment before her tears flowed even more fiercely.

“You…” The doll tried to talk to Lin Na, but stopped after starting, looking into her eyes: “Can’t communicate.”

Lin Na seemed possessed, her gaze vacant, still muttering something lowly.

The doll moved forward, trying to make sense of her words, but Lin Luo gently pushed him back with two fingers, his tone gentle: “Be careful, you might fall.”

Luo Yiran was stopped by two fingers, feeling a bit annoyed-reminiscent of the days he could manipulate magicians.

“She’s saying sorry,” Lin Luo smiled warmly at Luo Yiran: “Young master, we might not have many more encounters like this. I wish we could stay together a bit longer.”

“You make me want to die right here,” the doll said bluntly.

Lin Luo pursed his lips, hurt.

After a moment of silence, the doll looked up slightly: “Puppet, are you a player or a boss?”

Lin Luo smiled again: “A boss, but currently a player… Though, there’s no Lin Luo in the game. This appearance is my own creation. Not bad craftsmanship, right?”

The doll stared at him: “Then what’s your real name?”

“Hmm…” Lin Luo thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed: “My appearance might change. If the young master recognizes me, just call me ‘puppet.'”

Does that mean he might blend in with the players later?

Luo Yiran was quiet for a while, then he shook his head slightly: “I really miss your hat.” Talking while looking up… was uncomfortable.

Lin Luo laughed, turning his head towards the bathroom door as smoke seeped through the cracks: “Young master, do you like the night?”

Luo Yiran, a bit tired, glanced outside at the dark sky and casually replied: “I like it.” The night was good for sleeping.

Lin Luo’s smile deepened.

Yes, that’s right. The doll always responded naturally, no matter how quickly the topic changed or how strange and disconnected the questions were.

Lin Luo crouched down, his tall body curling into a ball, holding the doll tightly in his hand: “Young master, as long as you like it.”

The magician’s eyes were filled with intense emotions.

The doll met his gaze, his expression indifferent: “What do you want to do to me?”

“…Kill you.”

“Ugh.” The doll quickly showed disdain, he just knew it.

“Because I truly love you.” The magician’s grip tightened, but his expression flickered with a moment of vulnerability-thus, I can’t forgive you.

The doll: “…”

No way, he still couldn’t match the magician with anyone he remembered.

Most of those he knew and loved were adorable children.

Fire spread into the room, and Lin Luo let him go.

Luo Yiran: “?”

Lin Luo placed the doll on the edge of the bathtub, Lin Na still numbly mumbling apologies.

Lin Luo masked all emotion in his eyes and turned toward the bathroom door.

Luo Yiran frowned: “Puppet, are you going to leave me behind?”

Without a magician, he couldn’t move, though the space was about to end.

Lin Luo turned back, signaling silence with a finger to his lips, his black curly hair falling slightly onto his cheek as he smiled: “Young master, I have to ‘protect’ you.”

Luo Yiran quickly understood that this was the only immutable part of Lin Luo’s character setting.

“Anything trying to kill you would have to step over my body first.”

Luo Yiran nodded, then quickly said: “Then you better go, oh and…”

The magician blinked, expectant.

“I love you, take care.” The doll added blandly, sticking to his character setting.

The magician: “…Young master, you’re too casual. Shouldn’t we be more heartbroken at parting if we’re true loves?”

Luo Yiran smeared water from the bathtub edge on his face: “See? I’m shedding tears for you.”

The magician: “…”

[System notification, player Luo Yiran completes task four.]

Being burned to death wasn’t painful at all, but somehow, watching Lin Luo being burned was somewhat unsettling.

Luo Yiran opened his eyes, then met Xia Lang’s worried gaze.

Xia Lang burst into tears: “Ranran, you finally woke up!”

“You’re too dramatic, Xia Lang.” Luo Yiran pushed at Xia Lang’s approaching face, but unable to move him, he resignedly let him nuzzle.

The doll struggled to speak: “Where’s Lin Luo?”

His voice was muffled and soft as he was being nuzzled, just as Lin Luo, who had just opened the door, heard him, smiling over: “Here, young…”

The words ‘young master’ were swallowed back, Lin Luo’s smile altering slightly as he looked at Xia Lang, appearing warm and friendly: “You hurt your hand, let me carry Ranran.”

Xia Lang instinctively wanted to refuse, but Luo Yiran frowned, glancing at Xia Lang’s hand then called out to Lin Luo: “Lin Luo.”

Lin Luo maintained his smile as he took over the doll.

Xia Lang shivered-was it his imagination? He felt like he had just been glared at!

Why?

“Everyone else should have come over by now,” Li Qi Feng looked at the doll.

The doll nodded, but after a quick scan, he noticed Cheng Chen, Wang Xing, and two others were missing.

“They should be downstairs,” Via leaned over the balcony, then added: “I’ll go look for them, you guys wake up Lin Na.”

Lin Ye nodded, leading the way.

Luo Yiran tapped Lin Luo’s hand, and Lin Luo quickly stepped forward to Lin Ye’s side.

Lin Ye glanced at Lin Luo, then his gaze shifted to the doll, accurately guessing the real visitor: “What’s up?”

The doll somewhat suspected Lin Ye knew Lin Luo’s identity, but since Lin Ye didn’t ask, he didn’t say, only asking: “Is this place the same as where we were before?”

“The same.” Lin Ye’s slender fingers touched his face, his red hair tied in a small braid: “When you guys arrived, we took turns searching this house, it’s identical to where we stayed before.”

Luo Yiran suddenly remembered Lin Na’s quiet apologies, he looked at Lin Ye: “What was Lin Na like in the past?”

Lin Ye understood the doll meant his cousin’s past, his expression puzzled but he still shared what he knew: “She was a student, very outgoing, and did well in school. Given her family’s situation, she must have been popular in school.”

“Must have?” The doll’s hands involuntarily clenched.

“I’m not close to her.” Lin Ye pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, his fingers playing with the tip: “I only helped her because she asked me to.”

Plus, with the blood relation, he tried his best to help, but if he couldn’t save her, then that was that.

The doll watched Lin Ye knock on the door, his gaze slightly downcast-popular in school… a murderer?

The door didn’t open.

“Can’t she be woken up?” Duan Miaomiao curiously peeked: “Does she have to wake up on her own?”

The doll leaned forward slightly: “Can we break the door down? She should be awake, since she didn’t die much later than me.” It was Lin Na’s dream, but she should wake up after dying, right?

“…” Lin Ye gave the doll an amused look, then turned to Zhang Mimi: “Mimi, can you open it?”

“Sure thing.” Zhang Mimi rolled up his sleeves and approached.

He wasn’t very muscular, but he was surprisingly strong, kicking the door open after a few attempts.

Lin Luo was positioned at the front, but Lin Ye and Zhang Mimi were in front of him. While they couldn’t block Lin Luo, they could block the doll he was holding.

Thus, Lin Luo had no choice but to place the doll on his shoulder.

Luo Yiran was about to ask Lin Luo to lift him up, but before he could speak, he was already rising, his view broadening.

Lin Na’s room was rather plain, lacking much furniture, resembling a room that had just been moved into and not yet decorated.

However, Luo Yiran had seen her room not long ago, so his gaze shifted, locking onto Lin Na.

Lin Na lay flat on the bed, her eyes empty as she stared at the ceiling.

“Lin Na!” Lin Ye called out to her, then walked towards her.

Lin Na turned her head, as if she had just seen Lin Ye and the others, the emptiness in her eyes fading, tears streaming down.

Everyone was stunned, unclear about what was happening.

Lin Na pulled something from under the blanket, shaking her head frantically, her eyes extremely fragile: “Sorry… I’m sorry…”

What? Everyone was confused.

But Lin Ye’s pupils dilated slightly as he saw what Lin Na had pulled out-

A knife!

Tears continued to flow as Lin Na raised the knife.

“Wait!” Lin Ye rushed forward, but he wasn’t faster than Lin Na’s actions. She raised her hand in despair and then stabbed the knife into her neck.

Blood spurted, and Lin Na, tears filling her eyes, fell back.

[System notification.]

The system’s voice was no longer a gender-neutral electronic sound but a soft female voice, very similar to… Lin Na, who had just died.

[System notification: Congratulations to all players for completing task four. We will now proceed to the final task.]

[Please gather in the living room.]

All? But Lin Na had already…

Thud-The sound of a body contacting the floor.

Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief as they watched Lin Na, a knife still in her neck, slowly sit up, then get out of bed and walk barefoot towards the door, blood dripping down her body.

Thus, she left a trail of bloody footprints as she moved forward.