Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan hoped her guess was wrong.
In the past, she always thought of the best outcomes when faced with challenges, but now she prepared for the worst.
Only by being mentally prepared could she avoid being struck down when the truth finally arrived.
However, at this moment, Xu Nuan sighed lightly; her guess was indeed correct, and her mental preparation had fallen short.
The Six People returned to their original spot from different directions, each sharing their discoveries. Xu Nuan listened carefully, noting that the other five had similar findings to hers. Aside from the adventurous Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai, who was still gripped by fear of being ensnared by Papyrus, the others expressed concerns similar to Xu Nuan's.
Deng Yinyin's expression quickly shifted from joy to pallor as she looked helplessly at Gu Ze and Xu Hang.
A pure girl who had been well protected, Xu Nuan glanced at Deng Yinyin and then at Tang Jingshu, who was biting her lip, wondering if she should show a bit of fear as a woman in this moment.
She was indeed very afraid, but fear wouldn't solve any problems. No one would come to rescue them; they could only rely on themselves for hope.
For a fleeting moment, Xu Nuan's mind flashed with the image of Qin Yaojie, but it quickly faded away. Once upon a time, she too had been well protected by her parents and Qin Yaojie. When she had to step out of that protection, her vulnerability had been tucked away. At twenty-five years old, it was time for her to learn to face the storms.
She had harbored resentment towards Qin Yaojie for their unreasonable breakup that had thrust her into this game, leaving her with a mess to clean up. But after the resentment came worry.
Xu Nuan unconsciously revealed a hint of a bitter smile; even though it vanished quickly, it caught the attention of Well-Meaning Person.
The next moment, Gu Ze's voice rang out.
"We'll head upstream," he said, pointing to his right. The warm yet gentle sunlight poured over him, making him appear like a handsome Apollo in that instant.
"There may be a turning point; after all, we only searched this area of forest, right? Everyone can take a break and have lunch first. We’ll continue forward; perhaps we’ll spot the Special Tree."
Xu Nuan had grown accustomed to Gu Ze's tone—warm and soothing with just a hint of authority—blending together in a way that made one instinctively trust him.
Xu Nuan tilted her head and looked at Gu Ze, the first to agree with the suggestion. She then found a spot to sit down and began her daily necessary tasks, replenishing her energy with food.
As the most unpredictable member of this temporary team, Xu Nuan's agreement prompted several others, friends or colleagues of Gu Ze, to follow suit.
Chewing on a biscuit, Xu Nuan cast a slightly puzzled glance at Gu Ze. After all, this man was a technician. However, in her impression, most technicians were introverted and reclusive; yet this man was quite sociable and articulate.
Suddenly, Xu Nuan thought of the president of her university's student council. He appeared honest and straightforward, but once he opened his mouth, anyone would have to concede. His tactic was to smile while delivering sharp criticisms, even when he knew he was being unfair. Memories of her relatively pleasant university life began flooding back into her mind, calming the anxious heart that had been racing moments before.
She had grown accustomed to her own quirks; one moment serious, the next moment internally mocking herself. This was how she reacted in the face of danger, and it was also how she behaved in everyday life. Xu Nuan tilted her head again, wondering when she had become like this.
She did not acknowledge that it was Gu Ze's words and actions that brought her comfort. She wanted to trust this person who would lead the team well. She wished to follow in his footsteps and succeed in their challenges, hoping to remain in this team that, despite its conflicts, was always finding ways to work together.
The thought startled Xu Nuan; she quickly took several gulps of water, trying to dispel such notions from her mind.
Meanwhile, Gu Ze, who had been under Xu Nuan's gaze for some time, felt somewhat helpless. He certainly enjoyed Xu Nuan's attention but realized she seemed lost in thought about him. At the same time, another gaze fell upon him—one that was undeniably uncomfortable and made him want to avoid it.
The dual test of joy and pain left Gu Ze with little appetite; however, he didn't expect much flavor from these compressed biscuits anyway.
As Xu Nuan swallowed the last piece of biscuit and coughed lightly a few times before speaking up.
"I have something I want to discuss with everyone."
Her words inevitably led to a brief silence followed by a burst of chatter. Xu Nuan blinked, always puzzled by such reactions.
Sure enough, after a moment of silence, Deng Yinyin frowned in dissatisfaction.
"Are you planning to go solo again?" Deng Yinyin asked with a slightly complicated tone.
"Don't always be so willful; we work well together," she added.
Even though she disliked Xu Nuan, Deng Yinyin had to admit that Xu Nuan was well-prepared for every situation, which helped to some extent. She was quite skilled at finding food and her movements were passable. Deng Yinyin sat there, unashamedly making such judgments in her mind.
Xu Nuan's expression changed, revealing a mix of confusion and speechlessness. What impression had she left on these people that elicited such reactions?
Tang Jingshu, who had already grasped Xu Nuan's temperament, first glanced at the suddenly upright Gu Ze before turning to Xu Nuan and asking, "Is it about the challenges?"
This question brought Xu Nuan back from her wandering thoughts, and her gaze fell on the beautiful yet strange Azure River Noodles nearby.
"Yes, as far as I know, each level of this game has a Hidden Level that may contain secret missions, which could be helpful for everyone."
Xu Nuan had initially intended to share this only with Gu Ze for speculation, but somehow felt compelled to tell this group she was gradually getting familiar with.
"However, I haven't encountered one yet. You all might want to pay attention while navigating the levels; perhaps you'll stumble upon something unexpected."
Xu Nuan's words were always concise; she believed that conclusions didn't require explanations.
"Hidden Level? Just like in video games," Deng Yinyin said, her interest piqued, a hint of eagerness appearing on her slightly rounded face.
"I didn't expect this game to have such fun elements."
"Indeed," Tang Jingshu could only agree dryly. All she sought was a peaceful life spent with one person for eternity. She found it hard to adapt to these adventurous days, but reality left no room for her complaints.
Xie Huai's pale face also showed a rare hint of color. In typical games, the word 'hidden' carried a mysterious allure that unconsciously sparked hope.
As everyone shared their thoughts, the collective brainstorming indeed inspired new ideas. This outcome made Xu Nuan feel that her decision was not regrettable.
The lively discussion dispelled the slight unease and fear of the unknown that lingered in everyone's hearts. After a proper rest, they began to move upstream along the river.
The scenery along the way showed little change; the layers of vibrant green, deep green, and dark green Dawn Redwoods and Poplars made one feel drowsy. Coupled with the warm, non-intense sunlight, it should have been a rare moment of comfort.
However, Xu Nuan's expression was not good. Aside from Deng Yinyin, who had finally found her enthusiasm and was chattering away with Tang Jingshu about the surrounding scenery, Xu Nuan thought that the others likely shared her sentiments.
They had not discovered the Special Tree. Of course, they often found the Special Tree only days into a Survival Game, so that could wait. This time, however, their concern stemmed from the Silence. Xu Nuan once again realized that as long as they were on the outskirts, there was no sound coming from within the forest. Suddenly, she began to speculate about the intentions of this Survival Game and the potential attackers that might appear.
Silence?
Xu Nuan narrowed her eyes slightly. The attackers associated with Silence couldn't possibly be living creatures, could they?
Startled by her own thoughts, Xu Nuan casually broke off a branch that had grown across the path. The crisp sound oddly reassured her, but when her gaze fell upon the cut end of the branch, Xu Nuan froze.
She had never seen Poplar branches oozing red liquid before—red liquid that flowed slowly like blood.
As this thought crossed her mind, several drops of red liquid were about to fall onto her hand. It was only then that Xu Nuan reacted and threw the branch away. A few drops splattered onto nearby leaves, immediately creating several corrosive holes.
Xu Nuan gasped in shock and began to admire her own luck.
The few people who had stopped to watch also gasped in surprise, especially those who had been enjoying the scenery; what they were admiring was poison.
"This forest is strange; everyone be careful," Xu Hang finally said after a long pause.
Xu Nuan pressed down on her twitching lips; this warning came a bit late. She rarely criticized in her heart but quickly sensed an unusual ray of sunlight falling on her. Looking up, she saw everyone walking while examining the composition of the liquid without any particular concern.
Xu Nuan tugged at her tied-up ponytail with a puzzled expression. Was her feeling off?
The afternoon passed in a continuous journey, with unchanging scenery, the beautiful yet unsettling river, and the quietly dense forest.
By evening, everyone chose a campsite at a distance that was neither too far nor too close to the river. They each prepared their tasks in an orderly manner, the firelight casting harmonious shadows around them.
As they discussed the next leg of their journey, weary yet steadfast in their beliefs, everything changed.
What should have been a dark blue night sky with pristine moonlight transformed into a blood-red full moon that seemed to drip with blood, along with the sky stained red by the Red Moon's glow.
Everything around them turned crimson, creating an atmosphere of extreme oppression. The overwhelming red felt like heavy chains, making it hard to breathe.
"Look at the color of the river," Gu Ze's voice suddenly broke through the tension. Everyone shifted their gaze from the night sky to the River Surface.
The river flowed in a pure shade of red, a haunting color that seemed to have always existed, not merely stained by the Red Moon.
The once tranquil and motionless river began to stir; something was emerging from its depths.
Comment 0 Comment Count