Doll Survival Game

A chunk of flesh was bitten off his shoulder, and the serpent man’s cool, slick hair clung to Xia Lang’s neck.

Xia Lang was in such pain that he couldn’t utter a sound, and the sickle slipped from his hand to the ground-how did the serpent man suddenly appear here?

The serpent man wrapped his arms around Xia Lang’s shoulders for support, then slid his lower body down from the tree, his icy tail coiling around Xia Lang’s body, the green scales on his skin creating a harsh, abrasive sensation.

The serpent man’s throat rolled as he swallowed the flesh he had just bitten off, then licked his lips and couldn’t resist taking another bite.

He was going to be eaten, for the second time, he was going to be eaten. Xia Lang’s body trembled violently from the pain.

The serpent man lifted his head, his face becoming more serpentine, with more green scales appearing on his body, and his bloodied mouth slightly ajar, with blackish-brown liquid dripping from his sharp fangs.

“I smelled it before, you really are fragrant… Fragrant and tasty,” the serpent man’s voice was like sandpaper, extremely hoarse yet with a strange rhythm.

The light in Xia Lang’s eyes gradually dimmed.

The serpent man’s forked tongue extended, slowly licking Xia Lang’s wound: “Don’t die, keep your vitality until I finish eating you completely.”

The wound stopped bleeding and slowly scarred over, but blackish-brown spots began to spread from it.

That was the toxin the serpent man injected into Xia Lang, not lethal, but it stimulated the brain to recall deep memories in a continuous loop, keeping the brain active.

This way, when he finally consumed the brain, it would taste exceptionally fresh.

The serpent man hoisted the dazed Xia Lang up, climbed up the tree, and found a spot to lay him down. The sweet scent wafted around his nose, and the serpent man couldn’t resist taking a few more nibbles from Xia Lang’s arm.

Xia Lang shuddered, his eyes vacant as he murmured, “It hurts… it hurts so much…”

The serpent man licked Xia Lang’s wound, and soon it stopped bleeding-delicious food should be savored bit by bit… but if he didn’t finish, it might be discovered, right?

What to do?

The serpent man’s slender eyes lingered on Xia Lang’s pained face, hearing him say, “Help… help me…”

“Don’t look away from me…” The young man’s voice was filled with fear and unease, his vacant eyes staring into the void. The serpent man knew he was seeing deep memories of the past.

“Don’t leave me…” he murmured repeatedly.

Such a painful taste, the serpent man thought about eating the young man’s eyes first, because they were leaking a salty liquid, and he didn’t like the taste of that liquid.

Too much of it would be bad.

The serpent man extended his hand, sharp nails pressing against Xia Lang’s eye socket, ready to exert force when he heard the sound of the wind.

Then, in the next moment, a curly-haired boy with white hair, his right hand wrapped in red cloth, appeared. Upon seeing the serpent man, the curly-haired boy took a deep breath and shouted, “Straight ahead!”

The serpent man was momentarily stunned.

The boy leaped from the tree, the red cloth on his arm fluttering.

A faint sound pierced through the wind, and the serpent man quickly realized it was the sound of a bullet. He had been hurt by this thing many times before.

So he tried to dodge with Xia Lang in his arms, but was a step too slow. The bullet pierced his shoulder, and Xia Lang slipped from his grasp, falling towards the ground.

Via’s pupils widened slightly as he rushed towards Xia Lang, his voice hoarse as he shouted, “Uncle, cover me! I know you can hear this!”

Not far away, Li Qi Feng’s hand tightened around his gun as he looked at the green expanse ahead, unable to see Via or the serpent man from his position.

Li Qi Feng let out a soft breath and closed his eyes, his ears twitching slightly.

Via’s left hand was gone thanks to the serpent man, so he gripped the knife in his right hand with his mouth, using his only remaining hand to catch Xia Lang.

Xia Lang was heavier than Via anticipated, causing him to stagger before quickly adjusting his balance to hoist Xia Lang onto his shoulder. He then reclaimed the knife in his hand and turned to run with swift decisiveness.

The serpent man moved quickly, but Via wasn’t alone.

Each bullet fired was aimed precisely at the serpent man, not hitting any vital spots but effectively hindering his advance.

“Nice shooting, uncle!” Via’s lips were a bit pale, but his voice retained its energy.

He cheerfully praised Li Qi Feng and continued running in the direction indicated on the map, where two figures were rapidly approaching.

Coming from this direction, it was likely Lin Ye and Duan Miaomiao.

Via moved swiftly, yet remained vigilant of his surroundings, wary of encountering a hunter.

Although he knew Li Qi Feng was covering him from behind, the presence of the serpent man was still a threat. If they encountered a hunter now, it would spell danger for them.

“Xia Lang, how did you end up getting bitten on the shoulder?” Via was exasperated. If it had been his arm, like Via, he could have severed it to stay conscious.

The only consolation was that the serpent man’s venom wasn’t lethal. Xia Lang, though disoriented, was still alive.

Fortunately, Via had the presence of mind to sever his own hand; otherwise, Li Qi Feng would have been left with two incapacitated companions.

It was just unfortunate that the delay from severing his hand led to Xia Lang’s predicament.

“You’re just too unlucky,” Via clicked his tongue.

The red cloth wrapped around his right hand nearly got caught in the leaves, and Via struggled to secure it.

The red cloth was meant to help Li Qi Feng easily spot him, as the forest’s visibility was limited. If anything happened to Li Qi Feng’s prized hearing, Via could use the bright red cloth to signal his location.

Now, the cloth was out because Via was injured, and he worried it might affect Li Qi Feng.

Sometimes, a distracted mind could miss sounds it would otherwise catch.

The map showed Lin Ye and Duan Miaomiao were approaching fast, likely flying based on Lin Ye’s wings seen in the last instance.

However, something seemed off about the map, as if something extra had appeared.

Via didn’t have time to examine it closely. He looked up at a dense thicket ahead, beyond which lay a slope with more open space.

For them, a slightly open area was safer, as it allowed for better visibility.

Via intended to cross it, but just as he took a few steps forward, his heart skipped a beat. At that moment, a bullet struck the thicket ahead of him.

Someone!

Via halted abruptly, eyes fixed on the dense bushes ahead.

Li Qi Feng’s bullet had missed, and a man in black clothes stood up from that spot. Gradually, four more people in black emerged around him.

Xia Lang shifted slightly on Via’s shoulder.

“…”

Via gave Xia Lang a reassuring pat on the back, his gaze falling on the red lines on the arms of the men in black. He felt a bit troubled-how did they end up encountering hunters?

The man directly ahead let out a cold laugh. “It’s you… Li Qi Feng must be around too.”

Via shrugged, recalling the doll’s always gentle expression when trying to annoy someone. He smiled warmly, “Of course, we never separate.”

The man was momentarily at a loss for words, his eyes landing on Via’s arm and the young man on his shoulder. Via had killed members of their organization and was on their blacklist, but now they were more concerned with-

“Do you think if I trade you for the vine monster’s flower and the werewolf’s tooth, they’d agree?”

Via chuckled, “No way, do you think they’re that kind-hearted?”

“Then we’ll just have to kill you,” the man said, stepping towards Via. “Who gave you the audacity to come here with just two or three people to steal the treasure… Who gave you that confidence?”

Via glanced at the map without a change in expression, then his eyes twinkled, and his smile became genuine. “Obviously, it’s your own weakness that gives us confidence.”

The man was taken aback, then anger flashed across his face. With the second-in-command absent and no one to give orders, he waved his hand decisively, “Let’s kill these two! They’re on our blacklist!”

The other four didn’t hesitate. They all remembered the people on the blacklist, so once they confirmed it, they charged at Via.

Via stood still, deliberately sighing, then looked up at the sky. “…Seems like your luck isn’t that great either.”

The sound of wings flapping came from above, and the five hunters paused, looking up in unison.

Behind the broad red wings, Duan Miaomiao let out a fierce shout, “Get lost… huh?”

Her voice faltered, then she uttered a surprised, questioning sound.

Lin Ye’s wings fluttered slightly, and he hovered mid-air.

It was a feeling akin to the first time he sensed impending death up close; the killing intent emanated from his shoulder, and Via froze.

He allowed the vacant-eyed Xia Lang to take the knife from his hand and slide down from his shoulder.

There was a strange sensation, as if Xia Lang had become a different person.

“Don’t bully me…”

Via heard Xia Lang’s low murmur, watching as Xia Lang slowly approached the five in black. “Black clothes, school uniform… it’s you…”

The frail, disheveled young man had eyes full of chaos, as if seeing someone else through the five before him, filled with rage and murderous intent. “I’ll kill you!”

He was in pain, unwilling to be bullied anymore… but he couldn’t trouble Ranran either.

So.

Xia Lang moved forward with the knife-he would quietly, while Ranran wasn’t around, kill these people.

At the edge of the vine monster’s territory, the doll perched on the magician’s shoulder suddenly lifted its head.

Zhang Mimi, who was keeping a lookout, was quick to notice. “What’s up? Did you spot that new player who joined us?”

“No,” Luo Yiran replied, glancing down at the map. He saw Li Qi Feng, Lin Ye, and the others gathered together. “They’ve regrouped.”

The magician chuckled softly.

The doll turned to him. “What’s so funny?”

The magician’s voice was light and cheerful. “Well… there’s no harm in telling you, young master. That serpent man is quite formidable.”

Zhang Mimi paused, unable to suppress a flicker of concern.

The doll remained unfazed, asking plainly, “How does he compare to you?”

The magician replied modestly, “I’m a bit stronger, but that’s when I’m in control of my own body.”

Zhang Mimi glanced back and forth between the magician and the doll.

The doll curled its lips into a playful smile. “So, would you be willing to protect me?”

The magician was silent for a moment, then sighed helplessly. “If by that you mean acting on my own, young master, then no, I can’t.”

“The rules concerning you and me are quite complex. I’m not allowed to take the initiative. If I do, I’ll receive a warning, and repeated actions will lead to punishment.”

The doll seemed to ponder this.

“But,” the magician continued, shifting his tone, “you can use me as a shield. In that case, I’ll act in self-defense, which is permitted by the rules.”

The doll said nothing, but Zhang Mimi, listening intently, couldn’t help but ask, “What if you don’t react in time and end up dead?”

The magician laughed as if he’d heard something amusing. “I won’t die.”

Zhang Mimi was taken aback.

The doll frowned, recalling how, when they first entered the game, the magician had been shot in the chest, yet no blood had flowed.

Just as the doll was about to speak, he noticed a movement on the map-a point representing a new member shifted-and simultaneously heard a rustling sound.

The doll looked up in the direction of the sound.

Above them, a dispirited young man with hair covering the upper part of his eyes emerged from the trees. He seemed anxious or something, keeping a distance from them and poised to retreat at any moment.

Luo Yiran’s gaze fell on the paper and pen in the young man’s hands.

The dispirited young man tightened his grip, avoiding eye contact with the doll, but spoke quickly, “My name is Yuan Mo. I won’t join any other faction, nor will I betray you… I’m sincerely joining you. Please believe me!”

“…”

“?”