Chapter 4
by GideonChapter 4: Lilith’s Doll (3)
On a raised platform piled high with gold coins, scattered gemstones had been carelessly tossed about.
A faint layer of firelight illuminated the silver cage, making the two girls trapped inside perfectly visible.
They had identical faces, identical outfits, and even their facial expressions were almost indistinguishable.
They stared fiercely at one another, as though…
They were looking into a mirror?
Ye Lingmei swallowed nervously and called out in a rather dry voice.
“Lilith?”
Unexpectedly, that single call was like poking a hornet’s nest. The moment of calm was instantly shattered.
“Kill her!”
“Kill her!”
Both girls turned their heads at the sound.
“I’m Lilith!”
“I’m Lilith!”
Their eerie gazes turned toward the players outside the cage. Their voices were almost perfectly synchronized, each filled with malicious intent.
“She’s lying!”
“She’s lying!”
The two voices issuing identical commands made it difficult for the players to decide what to do.
And just then—
“Hidden Mission triggered! Players, please kill the doll!”
Upon hearing the game’s notification, the players immediately looked at the cage differently.
After all, completing a hidden mission would not only allow them to clear the dungeon but also reward them with a special hidden item that could be taken out of the dungeon.
The fact that the item could be taken outside already made its value comparable to that of a B-rank item that could not be removed from a dungeon.
And that wasn’t even considering the word special attached to the hidden item’s description.
According to the unspoken rules of the game, this meant that the hidden item, which could be taken out of the dungeon, would be at least A-rank.
An A-rank item that could be taken out of a dungeon…
The previously peaceful atmosphere suddenly changed. An unsettling tension silently spread through the room…
“Don’t forget that the prerequisite for clearing this dungeon is to protect Lilith.”
An He’s eyes darkened.
His warning carried an unmistakable implication.
“If we make even one wrong move, we’ll all be wiped out.”
Is that so?
Ye Lingmei slightly raised her alluring eyebrows.
There wasn’t a single player who had reached A+ rank without being shrewd and calculating.
At this point, the meaning behind the nursery rhyme they had heard at the beginning had become largely apparent.
Rain from the heavens falls ever so softly,
A beautiful doll shall dwell in the tower.
These lines were most likely clues pointing toward Clearance Condition No. 2: returning Lilith’s most beloved doll to her.
In other words, they needed to go to the tower, find Lilith’s doll, and return it to her.
A magnificent prison, chains long and cold,
A lovely little doll shall have no home.
These lines, on the other hand, seemed to indicate the clues for triggering the hidden mission. They also happened to correspond perfectly with their current surroundings.
As for the following lines:
Sharp, jagged edges, flames rising high,
Oh, doll, my doll—
You shall never see the break of day again—
These lines corresponded with the previous ones. When considered alongside the newly triggered hidden mission to kill the doll, they indicated how the players could destroy it and complete the objective.
In other words, sharp weapons and fire could be used to kill the doll.
But how could they distinguish the real Lilith from the doll disguised as Lilith?
Wasn’t the answer also hidden in the nursery rhyme?
Scalding blood, a beating heart,
The beloved doll closes her eyes.
These lines should be describing the characteristics of the doll.
After all…
Even though it was a beloved doll, it was still, in essence, a doll.
Therefore, the method of identifying Lilith’s beloved doll could also be used to identify other dolls.
“Closing her eyes” most likely referred to the doll’s death.
In other words, the preceding description of scalding blood and a beating heart was meant to identify the doll.
That meant the doll had circulating blood and a beating heart.
With that, wasn’t the answer to the hidden mission practically laid out right in front of them?
As long as they could determine which of the two so-called Liliths had blood flowing through her veins and a beating heart, they would know which one was the doll pretending to be Lilith and therefore had to be eliminated.
Ye Lingmei refused to believe that An He, whose codename was Sage, couldn’t figure out something she herself had already deduced.
“Tell me, An He. Don’t tell me you’re trying to persuade us just so you can find an opportunity to monopolize the hidden mission reward?”
This idiot!
Feeling the gazes of the other two players subtly shift, An He’s brows furrowed tightly.
He looked calmly at Ye Lingmei, his voice revealing not the slightest hint of guilt.
“Do you really think a hidden mission in an A+-ranked dungeon would be this easy to complete?”
That…
Ye Lingmei was momentarily taken aback.
However, Doro, whose thinking was straightforward and whose actions were rather crude, didn’t see things that way.
“You clever people always overthink everything. What if this whole thing is simply designed to take advantage of the players’ suspicious nature?”
That argument…
Actually made some sense, didn’t it?
After a brief silence, the three turned their attention to Li Changming, who seemed to be deep in thought.
“…I think it’s safer to follow An He’s suggestion.”
After carefully considering the matter, Li Changming gave his opinion cautiously.
Compared with Doro’s theory that the dungeon was exploiting their suspicions, he was more inclined to agree with An He’s assessment.
After all…
The hidden mission seemed far too easy. It didn’t feel like a hidden mission at all.
Although there was indeed a possibility that Doro’s theory was correct, still…
Li Changming wasn’t willing to gamble with his life.
Especially when even risking his life wouldn’t guarantee that the hidden item would eventually end up in his hands.
The risks and rewards were simply too disproportionate. Li Changming still preferred the safer method of clearing the dungeon.
For example…
Obtaining the key and then finding Lilith’s doll.
As long as they found Lilith’s doll, they could deal with the two Liliths, who were currently trapped in the cage. They could simply hand the doll to each Lilith in turn.
That way, regardless of which one was real and which one was fake—or which one the system recognized as the genuine Lilith—they would ultimately be able to complete the mission of returning Lilith’s most beloved doll to her.
“What good is obtaining an item if we’re dead? Besides, there’s only one item, and everyone wants it. Are we supposed to turn against one another over it?”
After hearing Li Changming’s position, Doro and Ye Lingmei exchanged glances.
Regardless of what they were actually thinking, outwardly, they could only nod, albeit somewhat reluctantly.
Unfortunately, while the players had reached an agreement to let both girls coexist, the two Liliths showed absolutely no intention of making peace with each other.
“Kill her!”
“Kill her!”
They continued insisting.
“It’s either her or me!”
“It’s either me or her!”
This scene left the players speechless.
In the end, the three men, all of whom stood at least 180 centimeters tall, exchanged glances in perfect unison before turning toward Ye Lingmei.
“Get lost!”
The vein at Ye Lingmei’s temple was practically throbbing. She snapped irritably.
“What the hell are you looking at me for? It’s not like I have telekinetic abilities that would let me separate them without touching them! Why don’t you look at An He instead? Didn’t he exchange points for a wood-type ability that allows him to control vines?!”
Oh—
Right. That was true.
An He gave an awkward yet polite smile.
However…
Even his sharp vines were directly blocked by the cage.
At the same time, the two Liliths seemed to have figured out what the players were trying to do.
They sneered.
“Only one Lilith will be allowed to leave this place today!”
“Are you choosing me, or that thing over there?!”
The players: …
I seriously can’t even with this. 🙂
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