NOVPUBTime was short, and Rita wasn't in the mood to joke with Nivalis. She rushed back to the control console and started searching for the Doll she'd marked earlier.
She didn't bother mentioning that grabbing a Doll cost game tokens — Nivalis was already at Machine #2, clearly on her second round as a Doll Buyer.
Wait… if Nivalis knew it cost Blocks to buy game tokens, why hadn't she warned her?
Something was off.
While tracking her target with the claw, Rita asked in the group chat:
"Did you get a prompt to buy game tokens when you grabbed a Doll?"
Nivalis: "Nope. I didn't pay anything??"
Rita: "You didn't need to buy game tokens with Blocks?"
Nivalis: "Not at all!"
Rita frowned. Could it be tied to the role a player had before becoming Doll Buyer?
She didn't think Nivalis had been an Overstocked Doll, but she asked just in case:
"Before you became a Doll Buyer, were you a Hot-Selling Doll or an Overstocked one?"
Nivalis: "Hot-Selling."
Rita acknowledged the info with a simple "got it" and said no more.
Both of them were fully focused now.
Inside the machine, players were still unlocking items and curios. Rita wasn't greedy; she ignored the shimmering item numbers and focused entirely on the joystick, chasing the Doll she'd had her eye on.
This particular one was easy to spot — Rita had killed them twice back when she was a Hot-Selling Doll.
The first time she got the kill, nothing changed in the machine. No reaction at all — meaning no shift in the Usage Instructions. So at that moment, the target definitely hadn't been an Overstocked Doll.
But just as she pressed the Grab button, the Doll's appearance shifted — into someone Rita had long suspected was an Overstocked Doll!
They had undone their disguise skill? Just like she had before?
Out of the corner of her eye, Rita spotted the original Doll she'd targeted standing in a corner of the machine.
A switch?
No — skill use was still on cooldown during this phase.
No time to think it through. Once the button was pressed, the claw couldn't be retracted.
She yanked the joystick, trying to redirect it away — but the Doll jumped up, voluntarily diving into the claw's grip.
The claw closed around the target.
Rita's chest tightened. She instinctively clutched her head and shouted aloud:
"No, I did nothing wrong!"
[Pride Undying] — the title skill: [Stubborn Mule]!
In that moment, her mind flashed through every action she'd taken in the last five minutes, like a film reel.
She chose to retract her grab attempt — and the skill succeeded.
The claw released the Doll.
Rita was drenched in cold sweat.
Over at the neighboring machine, Nivalis silently watched the whole meltdown unfold:
"…."
She vaguely remembered Rita's new title being something like… Whatever-Doesn't-Die?
Rita didn't pause. The moment she recovered, she cast [Repay] on the Overstocked Doll she'd almost grabbed.
She didn't care what skill it was — she just needed to borrow it.
Then, she immediately swung the claw back around to pursue her backup target — another Hot-Selling Doll she had marked.
She'd paid the price already — no way she was wasting those three grabs.
By now, the 10-second no-skill window from the machine shake had ended. The arena once again exploded in a storm of colors and effects.
It was practically impossible to see clearly. The lights were blinding.
Rita gave up on precision and just aimed the claw into the heart of the most chaotic skirmish — the hardest-fought zone in the machine.
She had a backup plan in mind: if this Doll turned out to be a trap too, she'd immediately cast [Yes, I'm Fish Belly, what about it?] — a skill that would let her forcibly use [Stubborn Mule] even while it was still on cooldown.
The claw rose, gripping a Doll. As soon as Rita could clearly see the Block structure — she relaxed.
It was legit.
Moments later, the Hot-Selling Doll was tossed onto the control platform.
Fifteen Blocks floated from their body and drifted toward Rita, then dropped to the floor.
She rushed forward and began collecting them.
Unlike when she'd collected Blocks from the previous Doll Buyer, these Blocks now had timers hovering above them — likely tied to the Doll's return window to the machine.
She crouched, swept all the Blocks into a pile, then threw her arms around them.
Three seconds later, in the weirdest pose possible, she forcibly attached the Blocks to herself.
Almost immediately, another claw extended from above, grabbed her, and flung her back into Machine #3.
Now holding 242 Blocks, Rita automatically regained Overstocked Doll status.
She didn't bother setting a new Usage Instruction right away. Instead, she confidently sat in a corner and began organizing her Blocks.
Her hands flew — nothing fancy, just fast and functional. Time was of the essence. After all, her [Spring Scenery & Flowers] and [Fourfold Spring] buffs were still active.
She multitasked, skimming through the description of the skill she'd just borrowed from the previous Overstocked Doll.
[Substitute] (Item Skill):
Select a target. Swap appearance and profile with them. Core identity is unchanged. This disguise cannot be detected by identification skills below SSS-tier. Duration: 5 minutes. Mana Cost: 3000. Cooldown: 30 minutes.
This was perfect for Nivalis.
Even if she got caught, it wouldn't matter. But more importantly, this could reduce the chances of her getting targeted in the first place.
Of course, that was assuming Nivalis failed a claw attempt and landed in Machine #3.
Just as she was thinking that, a message came through the group chat.
Nivalis: "I caught a Doll! I'm back in Machine #2."
Rita: "Congrats. What about 913?"
B8017913: "Still in Machine #1. I've earned 17 Blocks so far. I've used up 90% of my internal battery. If I keep fighting, I'll have to tap into my power banks. Should I continue?"
Rita: "As long as you can last until the game ends, that's all that matters."
B8017913: "Got it. I'll hold out."
By now, Rita had finished sorting the 30 Blocks she'd earned as a Doll Buyer. She sent a message:
"Nivalis, I've got a disguise skill that lets us swap appearances. If you take it, you'll become an Overstocked Doll — meaning you won't get grabbed. But I do suspect there's a hidden penalty for Overstocked Dolls. It's up to you."
Since [Substitute] only swapped the outer appearance and info, not the essence, any Block loss would still come from the original owner.
It was now 2:48 AM — only 12 minutes left before Dolls could leave after 30 minutes of play.
The risk was small.
And even if there was a penalty, it was far safer for Nivalis to take that hit than Rita. Nivalis had no rare items or curios, and Machine #2 had milder punishments than Machine #3.
Rita laid out the pros and cons clearly, leaving the final choice to Nivalis.
