The Doll’s Blush and the Angelic Reveal

“As expected, I’ve returned…”

Lin Ran looked at the familiar scene, his heart swelling with delight.

‘At least my approach of restarting if I failed the level was correct.’

Yet, the looming challenge was the dolls’ imminent evolution.

Therefore, his first action this time wasn’t to awaken Lim, but to throw open the door.

‘When these dolls are at their weakest, it’s time to strike with full force!’

Initially, the exquisitely crafted dolls showed no reaction as Lin Ran opened the door.

Their button-sized eyes fixated on Lin Ran, seemingly at a loss as to what the human before them intended to do.

This bewildered pause lasted for over ten seconds before the tiny dolls finally realized their objective: to attack the human!

Then—

They pounced onto Lin Ran, their minuscule hands scratching and clawing at him.

‘…Is this really not just tickling?’

He found it utterly impossible to associate them with the three-headed, six-armed monsters they would later become.

Shaking off the dolls, Lin Ran retrieved his remaining spare blanket.

Then—he wrapped it around the dolls, bundling them together and tying a knot.

Finally, he stuffed them into the refrigerator.

This time, his strategy was to control the dolls as much as possible.

The principle was simple: to ensure they would be trapped by his pre-arranged environment when they eventually evolved.

‘Even a doll that has evolved four times would surely be injured if squeezed inside a refrigerator, right?’

Moreover, he quickly recalled the circumstances of his first attempt.

The dolls had begun to evolve the moment he killed one.

However, the current timing for the dolls’ evolution was roughly the same as before.

But—

Neither the dolls bundled in his blanket nor those outside the other student dorm rooms had begun to evolve.

‘Could it be that refraining from killing them actually slows down their evolution?’

The thought struck Lin Ran, prompting him to immediately pull out his phone and open the freshman group chat.

[Lin Ran]: “Everyone, listen up! Do not attack the dolls yet! Their evolution accelerates only when they are killed!”

[Lin Ran]: “Also, if I’m not mistaken, this isn’t the first time any of you have faced this doll stage, is it?”

The moment his message appeared, the group chat exploded.

[Student Union Member – Chen Jing]: “Yes, Lin Ran, your analysis is remarkably calm. Our Student Union reached the same conclusion and was just about to announce it.” Upon seeing Chen Jing’s message, Lin Ran’s eyes narrowed.

He hadn’t noticed before, but it seemed the Student Union possessed no less information than he did; he would need to find a way to connect with them later.

[Anime Club – Li Hao]: “Holy crap! No wonder this attack is evolving much slower than the first one! The slower the evolution, the better! I really don’t want to have my head chopped off by an axe again.”

[302 – Wang Pangzi]: “This is my third time! But I don’t know why I have no memory of the second. Damn it, these puppets are too strong.”

[Invincible and Dominant Athlete – Zhang Ba]: “You don’t either? Buddy, this is my fifth time, and apart from the first memory, I’ve got nothing. Just some guy in a small cabin telling me how many times I’ve restarted!”

[Student Union Member – Chen Jing]: “Everyone, follow Lin Ran’s advice for now. While they are weak, control them by any means necessary! Tie them up! Lock them away! Shove them under the bed! Absolutely do not let them get their hands on weapons!”

With that declaration, a unified response followed.

Most people posted pictures of themselves tying up dolls with ropes, covering them with blankets, or even hanging them outside on balconies like てるてる坊主 (TL Note: Teru Teru Bozu, a traditional Japanese handmade doll said to bring good weather).

Of course, among them were some truly eccentric individuals…

[Anime Club – Li Hao]: “These dolls are actually quite cute. I’m going to try taking off her maid outfit…”

[Anime Club – Li Hao]: “Huh?! She’s not moving?! Guys! Taking off her clothes works! She seems shy!”

With that, he posted a photo of the doll motionless after its clothes were removed, drawing a wave of complaints and eye-rolls from the girls.

Lin Ran couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘This guy has a future!’

Time continued to flow, yet the surroundings had grown quiet.

‘Plan complete.’

Indeed, the evolution time had been postponed.

Lin Ran put away his phone, shifting his full attention to Lim.

She hadn’t woken up, just like during the first attack.

‘So, is this Lim real or fake?’

She was sleeping soundly, affectionately rubbing against his arm.

Unlike the blank-eyed version of Lim from the first attempt, this Lim was identical to the Lim in his memories in every way.

Rather, she was almost *too* similar, which felt strangely off.

‘Whether she’s real or fake, one test will reveal all—’

“Lim, wake up, something’s happening.”

Lin Ran spoke the same words he had used during the first attack.

Lim’s body stirred, and she slowly opened her eyes.

She immediately wrapped her hand around his, still groggy from sleep, yawning as she rubbed against his arm.

“Good morning, Master.”

After a good while of rubbing, and only once satisfied, she half-opened her eyes and got up.

She then accidentally stumbled onto the pile of small slimes, startling them all into their human forms.

Lim, who simultaneously held the roles of big sister, little princess, and leader, was being scolded by a group of half-meter-tall slime humans—a rather comical sight.

Up until this point, it was just another ordinary day.

But—

‘If this alone could expose whether she was an actor or the real deal, then I would be underestimating my opponent far too much.’

“Lim, come here.”

Lin Ran sat on the bed, beckoning Lim with one hand and patting his leg with the other, signaling for her to sit there.

Knowing she could be affectionate with Lin Ran, Lim naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity, even amidst the scolding from her kin; she pounced immediately.

First, under the force of the impact, she transformed into a soft puddle of slime, only to quickly revert to her human form.

She bounced gently on Lin Ran’s lap, her heart undoubtedly filled with joy.

But Lin Ran sighed.

‘Sure enough.’

‘It might sound a bit crass.’

‘But, he couldn’t muster any… desire.’

When faced with the real Lim, he would blush and ponder if sleeping together was a bit too risky.

Yet, the “Lim” before him made him feel as though she were more like a daughter than a romantic interest he needed to win over.

It wasn’t that he and Lim shared some ethereal telepathic connection.

The reason was quite simple.

Because Lim had eaten Xia Li!

Xia Li was a succubus, and since Lim had consumed her, she could naturally mimic the succubus’s inherent allure to men when shapeshifting.

“Lim” noticed Lin Ran was deep in thought and began to rub against him again, her body soft and carrying a hint of coolness.

“Master… hungry…”

She spoke in a soft voice.

Lin Ran lowered his head, looking at her.

This face, this gesture, perfectly replicated Lim.

If there were a Lim impersonation contest, and she and Lim competed together, the true Lim would undoubtedly come in second.

It was a perfection meticulously sculpted.

Like an actor who performed the role even better than the original.

Lin Ran’s thoughts drifted to the dolls in the refrigerator.

In this play, there were dolls tasked with portraying villains and engaging in combat.

Naturally, there would also be dolls playing the heroes.

These slimes in the dorm, including Lim…

‘They might all be enacted by dolls.’

‘Since that’s the case, he wouldn’t hold back!’

“Lim” continued to rub her cheek against his hand, looking utterly docile and eager to be fed.

The next second.

Lin Ran abruptly moved, grabbing “Lim’s” shoulders and pushing forcefully!

“Pfft—”

“Lim” was completely pushed onto the bed, the soft mattress sinking significantly.

Then, Lin Ran once again brought his face close to hers, as if he were about to kiss her at any moment.

“Lim, I can’t hold back anymore, I…”

This time, however, before he could finish his performance.

A new expression, one unlike Lim’s, appeared on that adorable face for the very first time.

It was astonishment.

It was panic.

It was… a glitch…?

“Shy, are we? You’re shy, aren’t you! Hahahahaha!!”

Lin Ran, however, laughed, his mirth like that of a villain who had achieved his goal.

“I knew it! If you’re going to mimic Lim, you’d definitely mimic her high affection for me too! Otherwise, how could you possibly achieve this effect!”

As long as her affection level was close to Lim’s, he was confident this move would make her blush!

Immediately after, an even more incredible scene unfolded.

“Lim’s” cheeks began to flush, and a wisp of white steam actually puffed out from the top of her head!

‘Steam Princess (TL Note: A humorous term combining ‘steam’ and ‘hime/princess’ to describe characters who show visible physical reactions, like steam, when embarrassed or flustered)?!’

‘You high-tech doll, are you actually steam-powered?’

Before Lin Ran could finish his internal monologue, “Lim’s” body began to tremble violently.

The translucent, blue gelatinous skin receded.

Lying on the bed was no longer the slime girl Lim.

Instead, it was a maiden.

A girl dressed in a simple white dress.

Although her face was expressionless, she tightly covered it with her white-gloved hands.

Her shyness was utterly irrepressible, impossible to conceal.

She possessed waist-length silver-white hair, skin that glowed with paleness, and features so flawlessly exquisite that beholding them could make one forget to breathe.

If gods existed in this world, then their most perfect sculpture would undoubtedly be the maiden before him.

Had it not been for the delicate, almost invisible threads connecting the joints of her body, Lin Ran would have believed he was seeing an angel stepping out from a fresco.

Indeed, she was a doll.

She lay there silently, her red eyes gazing directly at Lin Ran through the gaps in her fingers, not uttering a single word.

But that gaze alone conveyed so much.

Upon seeing this, Lin Ran’s heart skipped a beat.

‘Damn it…!’

‘This beauty is against the rules!’

If Xia Li and Lim’s charm relied on their succubus racial talent.

Then this doll before him, purely by her appearance, could achieve a captivating effect comparable to theirs!

‘It has to be a doll, right? They can be designed to be as beautiful as one desires; once the design is set, they just need to be manufactured, completely free from appearance anxiety!’

Almost the instant the maiden revealed her true form, Lin Ran’s system finally reacted.

A series of messages flashed across.

[Ding! New capture target detected!]

[Love Detection Eye – Activated!]

[Target: Self-Disciplined Doll (She is an Angel)]

[System Evaluation: She is the leader of the doll race, possesses self-awareness and an angelic face, an absolute beautiful girl, doesn’t like muscular gay men (not really)]

[Love Potential: 95 (A match made in heaven!)]

“…No, your system really isn’t picky about who it sets me up with, is it? It’s one thing for a slime to shapeshift, but this one probably doesn’t even have *that* function…?”