The doll is submerged in the pool, where the water is murky and unclear, and the surface reflects sunlight in faint ripples.
You can see a kind of gray‑black mold growing along the pool's edge, with rotting corpses in the pool that feed the mold, turning this stagnant pool into a veritable dead sea, akin to the downstream of the mythical River of Eternity.
To obtain that doll, you inevitably have to step into this dead pool, which should count as part of the mission's trial.
Bai Mu brings the Witch to the pool's edge; when she approaches the doll, she shows a faint reaction, her struggling palm and glowing eyes fixed on the doll's location, but she faintly shows a tendency to retreat.
In the script's setting, all infected beings fear water; this virus originated from a mutated rabies virus, and one of rabies patients' main traits is a fear of water. As an infected entity, the Witch has clearly not escaped the virus's grip.
She refuses to enter this children's pool, even though its depth barely reaches a meter.
No wonder she seeks help; from her behavior, Bai Mu believes the doll is exactly what she's looking for, and that it's the key to the mission.
Bai Mu strokes the Witch's forehead once more, ensuring she steadies down, then releases his hand and steps into the pool.
The cold water soaks Bai Mu's trousers and shoes; the pool's depth only reaches his calf, about ten centimeters below his knees, the footing is slick, and the bottom is covered with numerous microorganisms and mold, making it easy to slip.
If he were to fall, a loud splash would echo and spray water onto the Witch, likely causing mission failure; thus Bai Mu proceeds cautiously, confirming his footing before each step.
After taking two steps, he steps onto something soft and squishy, most likely a rotting corpse submerged in the water; its severely decayed arms and legs block his path, these bloated limbs are the Witch's handiwork, a jumbled mess, making it impossible to tell who is who.
Surrounded by countless corpses, Bai Mu actually feels oddly at ease; dead bodies are preferable to living ones, though the smell is unpleasant, it remains within his tolerance.
Soon he reaches the rabbit doll; this small item has its ears torn open, with several clumps of cotton protruding from the break.
Bai Mu pulls the doll out of the water, stuffs the cotton back into its body, and ties the broken threads together with a knot.
[You have obtained the quest item “Relaxed Rabbit Plushie”.]
[Name: Relaxed Rabbit Plushie]
[Type: Quest Item]
[Quality: Ordinary]
[Note: It once accompanied someone, being lovingly cared for.]
When Bai Mu picks up the doll, he realizes it's not just a doll; behind it, there is a metal zipper, originally a small bag designed to resemble a doll.
Bai Mu does not tamper with the doll; as a meticulous adult, his duty is to help children in the amusement park find lost items, not to open the zipper of someone else's belongings.
Before ensuring the Witch stabilizes, he shouldn't do anything extra.
He takes the doll back to shore and, by chance, wrings some water out of it, making it feel lighter though still damp.
He places the doll in front of the Witch; the Witch reaches out to hug the rabbit plushie, but Bai Mu notices that, given the trajectory of her hand, her sharp claws would surely puncture the doll's skin, so he quickly pulls the doll back.
[The Witch felt unease.]
The Witch emits a low, muttering whisper, perhaps feeling she has been tricked, her body trembling slightly, a precursor to anger.
Bai Mu strokes the hair on her forehead, stuffing the doll into her elbow to prevent her from accidentally breaking it herself.
[You soothed the Witch.]
She instantly calms down, lowers her head to look at the doll in her arms, looks up at Bai Mu with a somewhat bewildered expression, then looks back at the doll several times.
Then she hugs her doll tightly, like a real little girl, gently rubbing her face against the doll's head.
It seems a bit lonely; perhaps before she became like this, she often hugged the small doll alone, zoning out in this bustling children's park.
After obtaining the doll, the Witch finally stops crying; she no longer reaches for Bai Mu's hand, merely hugging the dirty doll and sitting quietly in a corner.
[You helped the Witch find her Relaxed Rabbit Plushie.]
[Side Quest “Lost” has been completed.]
[The Witch thanks you for helping her find Mr. Robert, and her heart finds peace.]
[You have earned the title “Witch’s Friend”.]
Bai Mu looks at his title column; besides “Walking Headlines” and “Survival Master,” he now has a new title.
[Title Name: Witch’s Friend]
[Title Rank: B]
[Effect: Strength+3, Agility+3, gains the active skill “Berserk”; when equipped with this title, you are considered a friend of the Witch.]
[Note: Since you have earned a Witch’s friendship, other Witches will not attack you proactively, even if you accidentally disturb them; but remember, friendship cannot be endlessly intruded upon.]
It is another B‑grade title, but compared to “Survival Master” which directly boosts health and stamina, this one is far more complex.
It is clearly an offensive title, granting a full +3 to Strength and +3 to Agility, totaling six base points, plus an extra active skill.
Bai Mu eagerly equips the title; a rabbit doll icon appears in his status panel, displaying “You are now a Friend of the Witch.”
After equipping the title, similar to when he learned “Plant Care,” he feels he has acquired another ability.
[Skill Name: Berserk]
[Skill Category: Active Skill]
[Effect: Within three minutes, the user’s physical abilities are greatly enhanced, and can expend up to 50% of stamina; after the effect ends, the user enters a weakened state, the duration depending on the amount of stamina expended.]
[Consumption: 30% of HP.]
[Learning Condition: ???]
[Note: Few people survive angering a Witch, especially when you’re alone and hear her cries; run quickly in that case.]
The Witch shows no signs of proactive aggression; she does not cry or cause trouble, merely sits there staring blankly, hugging her doll.
Bai Mu can move freely around her; when he pulls out a fire axe she shows no reaction; presumably turning on a flashlight won't provoke her further, as long as he doesn't shine it directly into her eyes, their friendship endures.
She has lost her aggressiveness now, just like a real little girl, sitting alone.