Doll Survival Game - Chapter 63 - The Pass

“Why not Lin Na…”

“Because she’s dead?” The doll looked up.

The magician gently shook his head, raising a finger to his lips with a sly smile. “If I say any more, I’ll get another warning.”

“…”

The phone buzzed again. The doll lowered his gaze and opened it.

The magician, meanwhile, turned to the window. Outside, figures built from building blocks moved back and forth. The puppet had assigned each of them families, personalities, and social circles.

Their interactions and conversations appeared remarkably lifelike.

The doll paid no attention to these artificial scenes. His focus remained on the phone, where a message from “Teammate-Lin Ye” had popped up: [I want to discuss the revival potion with you.]

There was also a message from Xia Lang, asking to meet.

The doll replied with a brief “Wait a moment,” then looked up. “I need to take Xia Lang to meet Lin Ye.”

The magician blinked, his voice tinged with mock grievance. “And what about me?”

The doll responded as if seeking confirmation, “You stay home and wait for me?”

The magician: “…”

The magician: “Well, since you’re being so sweet about it, I suppose I can manage.”

The doll: “?”

The magician retrieved a blue schoolbag from the box-filled room. “Take this with you. If you get bored, it’ll help pass the time.”

The doll opened the bag and froze. His expression darkened, and after a long pause, he slung it over his shoulder with a blank face. “Thanks.”

But the way he said “thanks” sounded like he was grinding his teeth.

The magician’s gray hair slipped off his shoulder as he gazed at Luo Yiran, whom he had personally styled. His voice brimmed with satisfaction. “Adorable.”

“What would the young master like to wear tomorrow?”

“Whatever,” the doll replied absentmindedly. Then he glanced up and noticed a faint shimmer in the room. Xia Lang’s figure materialized.

“Well, I’m off.” The doll turned to Xia Lang.

The magician said nothing, watching as the doll and Xia Lang checked their phones and left together.

Once they were gone, the magician raised a hand and began meticulously peeling the bandages from his face, starting from behind his ear.

The bandages fell to the floor at his feet. The skin revealed beneath was unnaturally pale, as if it hadn’t seen sunlight in ages. His lips were faintly colored, and his features were obscured by the shadows of his hat and hair.

But on the magician’s stark white skin, red lines crisscrossed like cracks on glass. Upon closer inspection, one could see thin streams of blood seeping along these “red lines.”

“Ah… it really hurts.” The magician stared at the growing red stain on the bandage in his hand, his voice low and heavy with a sigh.

“No more warnings, alright? I won’t break the rules again.”

The room was minimalist, decorated in shades of black, white, and gray. Posters of heavily made-up rock singers adorned the walls, giving the space an eccentric vibe.

Xia Lang shifted uneasily before finally choosing a chair to sit on.

“Didn’t think you’d actually show up. Aren’t you afraid I’ll just take it from you?” Lin Ye’s full makeup was striking, her Shamate style startling Xia Lang, who was seeing it for the first time.

“And you didn’t even bring your puppet.”

The doll smiled without saying a word, his gaze fixed on Lin Ye and Zhang Mimi.

Zhang Mimi’s smooth blond hair glimmered under the light as he held a cigarette between his lips. “Don’t mind him. Personal space doesn’t allow for any funny business… Besides, we’re teammates now.”

Xia Lang had already explained this to Luo Yiran, which was why the doll had come here so confidently. “What do you want to ask?”

“I want to buy this potion,” Lin Ye said directly, serving tea to Xia Lang and Luo Yiran. “I want to know if you’re willing to sell it.”

Luo Yiran was placed beside Xia Lang, his gaze falling on the oversized teacup. Even if he could drink, how was he supposed to manage a cup this big?

“Apologies, I don’t have smaller items,” Lin Ye remarked, taking a sip of tea. The black lipstick on his lips left a mark on the edge of the cup. “Keeping the potion on you isn’t practical. You’re not the type to die easily, and in future games, you’ll likely be targeted by other players. Why not just sell it to me?”

Through the steam rising from the tea, Luo Yiran’s gaze fixed on Lin Ye. “Are you planning to use it to save your cousin?”

Lin Ye froze for a moment. “No.”

The doll and Xia Lang exchanged glances. “?”

“I have no intention of saving Lin Na,” Lin Ye said, standing up. He rummaged through the cabinet behind him and pulled out two talismans, handing them to Luo Yiran and Xia Lang. “Take these. They can block one non-lethal attack. Even though the game tricked us, you two ended up in that instance because of me. Consider this a small token of appreciation.”

Xia Lang glanced at the doll.

The doll nodded.

Xia Lang accepted the talisman and offered a polite “thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Lin Ye replied, taking the cigarette from Zhang Mimi’s hand. His slender fingers rolled the cigarette thoughtfully. “I visited my uncle today… Lin Na’s father. They’ve completely forgotten they ever had a daughter.”

Both of them paused, and Zhang Mimi let out a sigh.

“The school, too,” Lin Ye added, tilting his head slightly. “The entire world, except for me, has forgotten Lin Na ever existed.”

“It sounds cruel, but I was never close to her. I’ve done my best to help her once, as repayment for the time I stayed at her house when I was younger.” Lin Ye’s expression remained somber. “The potion is just an extra layer of insurance for me and Mimi. I haven’t considered using it for her.”

The doll didn’t know Lin Ye well and had no insight into his past, so he refrained from commenting. Instead, he said, “I don’t mind telling you. Before coming here, I checked. The potion can’t be used right now. The system says it’s unavailable in this mode.”

Lin Ye’s reaction was quick. “After the June 21st update?”

The doll didn’t nod but replied, “Possibly. But for now, I have no intention of selling it.”

Lin Ye didn’t push further; he had only been inquiring. However, he added, “If you ever decide to sell it, please consider me first.”

The doll gave a slight nod. “I’ll sell it when I’m really broke.”

Lin Ye chuckled.

“Oh, by the way,” Zhang Mimi chimed in with a sly grin. “Did you guys get any new titles? Like ‘Tang Bai’s Enemy’?”

Xia Lang’s eyes widened, and he instinctively nodded.

Luo Yiran responded, “Yes.”

Zhang Mimi tapped the table thoughtfully. “So it seems everyone who survived got that title.”

“A petty boss,” Luo Yiran confirmed without hesitation.

Lin Ye laughed. “You’re quite bold.”

“It’s not like I said anything bad,” Luo Yiran replied matter-of-factly. “Besides, I’ve cursed the game itself while playing.”

The doll pulled out his phone and began scrolling. “By the way, let’s dissolve our teammate relationship.”

Lin Ye nodded with a smile. “I hope we get the chance to share another instance in the future.”

Luo Yiran raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. “After I threatened you all?” Had they forgotten the dense silver threads under the table during the final moments of the Lin Na instance?

Zhang Mimi had indeed forgotten. He gasped audibly. “When I looked down and saw them, chills ran down my spine.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” Lin Ye said, the faint scent of smoke lingering as he narrowed his eyes slightly. “But I think we still got along reasonably well.”

The doll was noncommittal, responding with a dismissive, “Well, let’s hope we meet again.”

Though, before the game update, that seemed unlikely. After all, they could only participate in one instance during this period.

It wouldn’t be that much of a coincidence.

The teammate relationship was officially terminated, leaving Luo Yiran with only Xia Lang as his sole remaining teammate.

Once the termination was complete, the two left. When they returned, the magician was nowhere to be found. No one knew where he had gone. Xia Lang set Luo Yiran down and sighed, “What do you think the next instance will be like?”

Luo Yiran sincerely wished, “Hopefully, it won’t require much physical strength, and there won’t be too many people.” He really wasn’t keen on moving around.

Besides, having too many people around was mentally exhausting-always having to stay on guard.

Xia Lang nodded in agreement. Then he began fiddling with the miniature room inside Luo Yiran’s box. “This is so pretty. The girls in our class would definitely love it.”

Expressionless, Luo Yiran pulled a notebook out of his schoolbag. “Stop gawking. Let’s do some exercises.”

Xia Lang blinked, confused. “What?”

Luo Yiran opened the notebook. “See if you can find a magnifying glass, a notebook, and a pen. If you do, bring them over so we can work on these exercises together.”

Xia Lang was utterly baffled. “W-What exercises? Why are there exercises? Did the game give them to you?”

“The puppet did,” Luo Yiran replied, his face blank. “No idea where he got them from. I asked, but he wouldn’t say.” Most likely, it was one of those answers that would trigger a system warning if revealed.

Xia Lang, whose grades were average at best, had always hated studying. The sight of the exercise book in Luo Yiran’s hands left him dazed. Still, he obediently turned around to search for the magnifying glass, albeit in a state of utter confusion. Why… why did they have to study?

“What are you looking for?” The magician’s voice suddenly came from the doorway. He was now dressed in a black robe with an oversized hood, and no one had noticed when he had returned.

Xia Lang jumped instinctively, blurting out like a machine gun, “A magnifying glass! Paper! Pen!”

The magician glanced at Luo Yiran, who was sitting at the table, and seemed to understand. He pointed to a cabinet. “There’s another set in there.”

Xia Lang nodded nervously, his movements shaky.

Luo Yiran looked up, his gaze landing on the puppet’s bandaged chin-the only part of his face visible. He noticed the magician’s posture and asked, “Are you heading out?”

“Something like that,” the magician replied with a chuckle. “Just wandering around. Study hard, young master. It took quite some effort to acquire these human things, so don’t let them go to waste.”

Luo Yiran showed no reaction, but Xia Lang felt a chill run down his spine. He flipped open a random page of the exercise book, only to find the content eerily familiar. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pinpoint why. It was like recognizing someone you’d seen before but couldn’t quite place.

Luo Yiran ignored Xia Lang’s despairing expression as he stared at the exercises. With a numb tone, he said, “Thank you.”

The magician chuckled softly before turning and leaving the room.

Luo Yiran lowered his head to examine the exercise book in his hands. The content was all material he had studied before-but how had the magician gotten hold of it?

A strange feeling crept over him. The game and reality… they seemed to be uncomfortably close.

The magician walked about ten meters ahead before leaping onto a rooftop. The wind swept up his gray hair and long robe, revealing bandages underneath dotted with faint red stains.

Suddenly, the magician turned to his side.

A black vortex appeared, and out stepped a young man with short black hair, wearing a cap. His loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt and shorts gave him a casual air. “Haven’t seen you injured in a while,” he remarked.

The magician offered no explanation. “Got time to kill?”

“Pretty much,” the young man in the cap replied nonchalantly. He pulled an iron tag from his pocket and pressed it against the back of his neck. When his hand moved away, a string of black numbers-2657-appeared on his skin.

“The ones we scouted ahead of time and who are still alive have mostly been pulled into the ‘World Human’ program,” the young man said as he sat down casually. “I don’t have much to do until the third mode kicks in.”

The magician glanced at the numbers on his neck.

The young man in the cap continued, “Once the game starts updating, progress will speed up. I figured I’d check in on you guys and then head to the real world for some fun.”

“After all, the real world is way more interesting,” he added, tipping his cap slightly before touching the 2657 on his neck. “By the way, I remember you borrowed my pass to visit the real world once, didn’t you? I think you even helped me pick out-”

“You’re the only one with the right to go to the real world,” the magician interrupted.

The young man shrugged. “Well, my job is to select people for the game, after all.”

“Speaking of which, when you guys use my pass to go out, you end up as random creatures, right? What were you, magician?” The young man’s curiosity was piqued. “I just came from Idia. He told me he turned into a fish once, got caught, and was steamed to death before returning. You didn’t die like that, did you?”

“You’re too noisy,” the magician said coldly, tearing open a black rift in midair. “I’ve got kids at home doing homework. Kindly leave.”

Homework?

The young man in the cap barely had time to process this before a force began pulling him toward the black rift.

“Wait! What homework? Is it from those problem sets I brought over?”

The magician remained silent.

The young man didn’t resist the pull and was dragged into the rift.

Fine, fine, he thought. If he had to leave, he might as well go find Little Red to hang out!