Chapter 34: The Invincible Little Bear

“What’s going on? Why is Alice suddenly moving so fast? Did someone grab him?”

Zhang Hengheng and Ying Zixin, who were about to reach the last green dot on the Unity Badge, were baffled.

The green dot that had been lazily wobbling on the map suddenly started darting around wildly, as if injected with a stimulant, moving at a jaw-dropping speed.

“So… do we still follow and check it out?” Zhang Hengheng worried it might be a trap.

Ying Zixin insisted, “We should follow. We’ve come this far, after all.”

“Fine.”

Lin Rudong had been following the rabbit for quite some time now.

She recognized that rabbit—the one Yin Luo had been holding in his arms from the very beginning.

Perhaps calling it a rabbit wasn’t entirely accurate, as it was actually a rabbit-shaped doll.

Smooth, soft fur, long white ears, and eyes made of rubies.

It looked exactly like the kind of high-end toy meant to be displayed in a shop window with a pricey tag.

Except for the fact that it could move.

The power types and items of game players were always varied and all-encompassing, so even a doll capable of independent movement and thought wasn’t all that strange.

The real question was why it was now separated from Yin Luo.

Had something happened to Yin Luo, or had it received some kind of command?

Logically, Lin Rudong’s top priority right now should be regrouping with Lei Jue. The longer one moved alone in this mission world, the greater the danger.

But what was interesting was that, according to the Unity Badge’s position for Lei Jue, this rabbit doll’s direction was shockingly consistent with her own.

Was it also looking for Lei Jue, or was it pure coincidence?

So, no matter how many doubts clouded her mind, Lin Rudong could only choose to follow it.

The white rabbit doll was fast, and because of its short legs, its gait looked like a series of hops and skips. If one ignored the surrounding environment, it was adorable, as if it had stepped right out of a fairy tale picture book into reality.

The distance between the girl and the doll was neither too far nor too close—enough to see each other, but not so close as to provoke hostility.

The girl in the tracksuit had initially considered trying to make contact and communicate, or simply probing the other’s intentions.

But the occasional glance from the living doll made her dismiss the idea immediately.

Lin Rudong didn’t quite know how to describe that look. To use a slightly improper metaphor, it was like the expression on her cat after being forcibly bathed and blow-dried, every strand of fur practically screaming: “Stupid human, get lost.”

So, at a time like this, if she actually dared to get close, this irritable cat might just swipe at her with a paw.

It was just ridiculous.

Though being able to discern something like a ‘look’ in the ruby eyes of a doll was also quite ridiculous in itself.

The journey so far had been surprisingly smooth, without much danger encountered. She wasn’t sure if it was thanks to basking in this rabbit doll’s reflected glory.

The few Plastic Mannequins they did encounter only watched from afar, neither approaching nor making any other moves.

Just as the two green dots on the Unity Badge were almost overlapping, the tracksuit girl finally spotted her teammate, Lei Jue, and… herself.

Or rather, a monster that looked exactly like her.

Mid-length hair tied into a neat high ponytail, the same tracksuit and running shoes, the same face, and even holding a butterfly knife identical to hers.

However, this “herself” seemed injured, leaning entirely on Lei Jue for support.

Lin Rudong could faintly hear Lei Jue’s nervous voice: “Rudong, are you alright now?”

The tracksuit girl leaning on him had a weak voice: “It’s fine, Brother Lei. We should find a safe place soon. I noted down a location earlier; I can take you there.”

“Okay. Thank you so much just now. If you hadn’t appeared in time, I would have almost been tricked by that Plastic Mannequin that turned into your form.” Lei Jue trusted her completely. The recent life-or-death fight and mutual support made him feel much closer to her now.

“What’s there to thank me for? We’re teammates, after all.” The tracksuit girl smiled.

Oh man, they were even on a “Rudong” and “Brother Lei” basis now. They seemed to be getting along quite well.

For a split second, the real Lin Rudong felt like rushing over would just be interrupting Lei Jue’s ‘good fortune’.

Seeing the two of them walking further and further off course, she finally couldn’t hold back anymore. She chased after them and shouted, “Lei Jue, you idiot! It’s a fake!”

Even if this guy Lei Jue was stupid, she couldn’t just stand by and watch him walk right into a Ghost’s trap.

Unexpectedly, Lei Jue’s first reaction upon seeing her was to clench his fists, his face full of caution and brows tightly furrowed, stepping protectively in front of the “tracksuit girl”. “Another one?”

Lin Rudong froze. “What are you talking about?”

“This one’s actually quite convincing this time.” Lei Jue hesitated for a moment, but after glancing back at the tracksuit girl behind him, his resolve hardened. “But no matter how convincing, it’s still a fake!”

Lin Rudong was dumbfounded.

The hand holding the butterfly knife trembled slightly, and she had a strong urge to stab it right into his brain right then and there.

Setting aside whether Lei Jue’s IQ was in the negatives, these Plastic Mannequins were indeed evolving to be smarter and more cunning.

She could tell from Lei Jue’s words that he had already encountered multiple Plastic Mannequins disguised as Lin Rudong.

Maybe the first ones weren’t very convincing, always having some flaw or other.

But as time passed, he finally met a Plastic Mannequin nearly identical to the real Lin Rudong. Just when he was almost fooled, the most realistic one appeared.

It saved him in a life-or-death moment, gaining his complete trust. Therefore, even when the real Lin Rudong appeared before him, Lei Jue’s first instinct was suspicion.

Lin Rudong had to admire the intelligence of these Ghosts.

She couldn’t imagine what would happen if these Plastic Mannequins evolved further. Would they be able to replace someone without their family and friends ever noticing? Would that person just silently vanish from this world?

“Still trying to fool me?” Lei Jue breathed on his hands clad in metal gauntlets, ready to attack.

Lin Rudong didn’t want to fight him. She simply took out the Unity Badge. “Then look at this!”

“I won’t fall for the same trick twice.” Lei Jue sneered. “Last time you did this, my Unity Badge was destroyed. Who are you trying to fool now?”

Lin Rudong realized her action had been rash.

She had underestimated the Ghosts in this instance and overestimated Lei Jue’s intelligence.

What she feared most was that if she and Lei Jue started fighting, the enemy would reap the benefits.

The butterfly knife spun in her hand. Just as she was thinking about the fastest way to make this idiot Lei Jue believe her, a sharp gust of wind brushed past her cheek.

…What was that?

A blur of white shot past her eyes at a speed too fast to follow. Like a cannonball, it planted a kick directly onto Lei Jue’s face.

With a muffled groan, the muscular Lei Jue flew three meters back before crashing heavily to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.

Luckily, the body that kicked him was soft and plush. If it had been something hard like metal or stone, with that force, his head probably would have burst open like a watermelon dropped on the ground.

“What… what the hell was that thing?”

Lei Jue felt his entire head buzzing, the world spinning. He was nauseous, the teeth on the side that got hit felt loose, and it hurt so much he couldn’t even speak.

Lin Rudong gulped and quietly took a step back.

She had a pretty good idea of what was about to happen and seemed to understand the rabbit doll’s purpose now.

“Stop! Don’t hurt Brother Lei!” The Plastic Mannequin pretending to be Lin Rudong was still immersed in its role-playing game. It even rushed forward with righteous indignation, butterfly knife in hand.

“Rudong, don’t…”

Once Little Bear started, there was no stopping. Whatever it was, if it tried to block it, it was going down too.

The white rabbit doll wasn’t big, but its strength and speed defied logic. It pushed off Lei Jue’s chest, nearly snapping a few of his ribs, and collided with the “tracksuit girl”.

Without any suspense, the Plastic Mannequin’s arm, along with its shoulder, caved in immediately. A slight tug probably would have ripped it right off.

Who was the real monster here?

Lin Rudong stood dumbstruck.

The Plastic Mannequin disguised as her also realized the danger and immediately tried to flee.

But Little Bear, fired up by the fight, wasn’t about to let it go. It spun around, its round little paw hammering into the mannequin’s fragile neck.

Crack! Blood splattered everywhere.

The Plastic Mannequin was decapitated, its head flying off.

Lei Jue, who had just managed to endure the pain and struggle to his feet, saw the head of “Lin Rudong” rolling right towards him.

The shock was too much. He couldn’t catch his breath, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted again.

Job done.

The white rabbit doll clapped its hands, placed them on its hips, and looked proudly at its accomplishment, its entire plush being radiating satisfaction.

Grudges must be settled on the very same day.

I, Little Bear, would never…

“Little Bear?”

Suddenly, a voice etched into its soul sounded from behind. “What are you doing?”

The white rabbit doll’s body trembled. Its ears slowly, slowly drooped down as it stiffly turned its head around.

There stood the white-haired youth, holding a frost-covered long blade, rushing over furiously.

His clothes were stained with blood from who-knows-what, uncleaned. His hair was disheveled, making him look exceptionally irritable and violent.

It’s over.

The white rabbit doll’s ruby eyes were filled with pure innocence, trying to use its cuteness to escape this calamity.

Yin Luo was furious.

He had searched the entire floor, almost ready to confront the monster’s lair directly. He had finally followed the sounds here, only to find this scene playing out before him.

He picked up the white rabbit doll, inspecting it from top to bottom and inside out. Only after confirming it had no damage did he sigh in relief, but his tone was extremely cold. “You’re dirty.”

“I don’t like it anymore.”

D… don’t like it anymore…

From Lin Rudong’s perspective, the white rabbit doll’s eyes showed a world-shattering despair. Its whole being, ah, its whole plush being, wilted, as if a dark, unshakeable cloud was hanging over its head.

Ah, well.

This was actually quite interesting.

It wasn’t until Lei Jue’s pained groaning sounded that she snapped back to reality and quickly ran over to stuff a “Little Red Pill” into his mouth.

Looking at this big idiot with a face swollen like a pig’s head, Lin Rudong sighed.

In a way, this was a blessing in disguise. If this suddenly appearing doll hadn’t beaten him up, that monster probably would have succeeded.

A bit of pain is fine, at least he’s still alive. Let’s see if he remembers the lesson next time.

She looked at Yin Luo, her gaze a bit complicated. “You…”

Former classmates meeting again years later in this horror game, the past image was gradually becoming unfamiliar.

“Why are you all here? What happened?”

Ying Zixin and Zhang Hengheng arrived late.

By coincidence, the five of them were reunited in this way.

The two newcomers scanned the area, finally setting their sights on the white-haired youth whose aura had drastically changed.

Ying Zixin didn’t speak.

Zhang Hengheng looked at the red-eyed Yin Luo, then at the rabbit doll in his arms that seemed to have lost its soul. His tone was hesitant. “So, uh, is your name Alice because you can borrow the power of this rabbit doll? Possession? Inviting a Deity upon yourself?”

“Or, uh… Bunny Hero?”

“……?”