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墨書 Inktalez
A person sat in a rough Wooden Wheelchair.
He was a man whose appearance was quite pleasant.
His short brown hair fell gently by his ears, and he had Sword-Browed, Phoenix-Eyed features. Instead of exuding an air of seduction, his gentle brows and eyes resembled the soft arrival of spring. A light smile graced his lips beneath a straight nose, giving him an approachable charm that drew people in without him needing to shine.
This captivating man wore a thin black Tactical Jacket and sat in a simple wooden wheelchair. His exposed ankles were strikingly green, adorned with delicate scales that felt eerily familiar.
Just like the water ghost encountered last night!
This realization made everyone widen their eyes in shock and glance toward Tang Jingshu, who was bound on the left side. The man in the wheelchair looked at the newcomers with a gentle gaze, showing no intention of speaking first.
Xu Nuan furrowed her brows slightly and tentatively asked, “Are you… Zhao Xi?”
Before the gentle man could respond, Deng Yinyin chimed in as if it were second nature.
“If you know him, then he must be one of the Second Batch Players.”
Xu Nuan opened her mouth to deny it, but before she could speak, the gentle man answered for her.
“No, I’m from the First Batch of Players. My name is Zhao Xi. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
Zhao Xi's calm gaze swept over the group before finally resting on Xu Nuan, accompanied by a faint smile that felt incredibly comforting.
"You are Xu Nuan, right? Just as beautiful as in the photo. I didn't expect Yaojie to take the initiative to talk to you."
"As long as they are his good friends, I know them all."
Hearing that almost forbidden name from someone else's lips, Xu Nuan was momentarily stunned before she smiled lightly at Zhao Xi.
"I didn't expect you to join this game too."
"Everyone has their own motives," Zhao Xi said without hiding her thoughts, her smile fading slightly as she looked seriously at Xu Nuan. "He wouldn't want you to participate in this game; it's too dangerous here."
The smile on Xu Nuan's face remained, her voice still calm. "As you said, everyone has their own motives."
Xu Nuan had countless questions for Zhao Xi, the engineer praised by Qin Yaojie for her talent and a friend she admired. However, now was not the right time.
Gu Ze watched coldly as Xu Nuan and Zhao Xi interacted. They were discussing another man who connected them both, the very reason Xu Nuan continued in the game. Their conversation created a barrier that isolated everyone else, forming another world.
The Flame that had long been dormant within him began to burn fiercely, his heart growing hot with a desire to ignite his anger as well.
It was Tang Jingshu's voice that interrupted his thoughts.
"Excuse me," Tang Jingshu said, forcing herself to regain her composure as she leaned on her left hand, hesitantly looking at Zhao Xi.
"Did you also get bitten by a water ghost, which is why your leg is like this?"
It was rude to ask such a question to someone he had just met for the first time. However, the usually polite Tang Jingshu pushed all thoughts aside when he remembered his own hands.
Zhao Xi noticed Xu Nuan quietly stepping aside and concealed the surprise in his eyes. He looked at Tang Jingshu with a gentle expression, his voice flowing softly like a stream, dispelling the restlessness brought on by the scorching sun, like clear spring water nourishing the heart.
"Are you referring to those green creatures that come out at night? I was indeed injured by one of them, and my legs have turned out like theirs."
After receiving a confirming answer, Tang Jingshu pointed to the wheelchair and asked with confusion and apprehension, "Even if your legs have become like theirs, you should still be able to walk normally. Why can't you?"
Tang Jingshu turned to look at his own hands again and tried to wave them a few times. Aside from their color and shape, there seemed to be no issues at all.
The others who shared Tang Jingshu's confusion also looked at Zhao Xi.
Under the gaze of so many strangers, Zhao Xi remained unfazed, continuing to explain in a gentle manner.
"This kind of creature—ah, no, the creature you call a water ghost—its toxin can spread throughout the body. Eventually, one becomes a water ghost as well, sleeping during the day and hunting at night."
Zhao Xi gently touched a spot on his leg.
"In order to prevent the toxin from spreading, I had to injure parts of my body where the toxin could spread quickly. My legs are somewhat impaired for walking, but it slows down the spread of the toxin."
After hearing Zhao Xi's explanation, Tang Jingshu's face changed dramatically as he looked at his hands, his voice trembling as he spoke.
"I don't want to become one of those water ghosts. I don't want to, I don't want to."
Tang Jingshu began to lose control again, shaking her head vigorously and stepping back repeatedly. Deng Yinyin quickly wrapped her arms around her to prevent her from falling.
"Do you know if the Supply Station has an Antidote?"
As Xu Hang spoke, he was nervously watching Tang Jingshu.
Zhao Xi's tone remained calm and unflustered, making it hard for anyone to get angry.
"I haven't reached the Supply Station yet, so I can't guarantee anything. However, according to the game's settings, the Supply Station is supposed to have necessary items for this level or the next, ensuring that players can continue the game. At least in the Survival Games I've encountered so far, that's how it has been."
Xu Nuan blinked; it seemed Zhao Xi's understanding of the game was similar to hers.
The person in front of them was one of the First Batch of Players. Xu Hang felt slightly more at ease but still maintained a sense of caution due to the Guo Dafu incident.
"Tang Jingshu, it's okay. We'll find the Supply Station."
When facing his companions, Xu Hang let down all his defenses.
Xie Huai, who had been nervously clutching his collar and observing their surroundings, asked a question that everyone was concerned about.
"Are you going through this alone? If not, did your companions find the Supply Station along this path?"
Xie Huai's question indirectly acknowledged his thoughts: Zhao Xi had been abandoned by his companions because he was a burden due to his inability to move easily.
After Xu Nuan understood the implications of Xie Huai's words, she immediately looked up at Zhao Xi, disbelief evident in her eyes.
Could it be that Yaojie had abandoned his friends just to clear the challenge?
No, she should trust Qin Yaojie; they had been together for over twenty years, and she knew him well.
As if he understood Xu Nuan's gaze, Zhao Xi turned to her and offered a calm reassurance.
"I got separated from Yaojie during the Illusory Desert challenge. I wasn't very familiar with my later companions."
Hearing this, Xu Nuan let out a sigh of relief, but soon her expression shifted to concern as she looked at Zhao Xi. He had indeed been left behind. It was unimaginable how difficult it must be for someone with limited mobility to survive here.
Once he finished explaining to Xu Nuan, Zhao Xi turned to answer Xie Huai's question.
"My companions did not reach the Supply Station. To be precise, you won't find the Supply Station by following this path."
"What do you mean? Isn't finding the Special Tree the key to locating the Supply Station?"
Xie Huai immediately tensed up, clenching his fists and staring intently at Zhao Xi. Tang Jingshu, who had been in a state of panic, also quieted down as everyone focused on this first batch of players.
Zhao Xi remained composed, showing no signs of panic. He turned his wheelchair slightly and looked across to Blue River.
"Because the Special Tree is on the opposite bank of the river. If you don't believe me, you can use binoculars to check."
Zhao Xi pulled a pair of binoculars from his backpack and handed them to Xu Nuan.
Xu Nuan silently took the telescope. She had once owned one but had lost it unexpectedly, and she noticed that the Supply Station no longer provided telescopes.
Holding the telescope, Xu Nuan pursed her lips and looked across the river, shifting her body to change angles. Finally, she stopped, gripping the telescope tightly, revealing her unsettled emotions.
After a while, Xu Nuan handed the telescope to Gu Ze, who had been silent since Zhao Xi's appearance and was closest to her.
"The Special Tree is on the other side."
Xu Nuan calmly stated this. While the others were still somewhat skeptical, Gu Ze echoed her words. Eventually, everyone took turns looking through the telescope, and at that moment, no one could deny the answer.
The courage they had just mustered and the confidence they had built up vanished in an instant. Hope was always replaced by disappointment, tormenting their already fragile hearts.
After a few seconds of silence, Tang Jingshu stumbled toward the Blue River. Xu Hang and Deng Yinyin quickly stopped her; coming into contact with the water meant danger, and even though they were disappointed, they wouldn't forget this fact.
Xu Nuan glanced at the few people who were still hesitating and softly asked Zhao Xi.
"So, how did those people manage to pass? Were they...?"
Had they turned into water ghosts sinking into the river? Xu Nuan did not voice the latter part of her question.
Zhao Xi's gentle face appeared particularly unreal under the sunlight, yet his words were undeniably real.
"They indeed passed successfully. It seems there is a Hidden Level in this forest. They activated a Survival Game and completed their tasks to leave. However, I haven't found the Survival Game yet, so I've been stuck here."
Zhao Xi looked directly at Xu Nuan, a smile on his lips that seemed endlessly charming.
"If you trust me, you can choose this place as the Campsite, find the Hidden Level, and avoid the water ghost at night. It's a wiser choice than trying to cross this dangerous river."
"I trust you, of course."
As soon as Zhao Xi finished speaking, Xu Nuan did not hesitate.
"You are Yaojie's best friend; you wouldn't harm me."
This is a common human flaw—loving what one loves.
Gu Ze chose to trust Xu Nuan. She was a rational person in any environment, which he greatly admired. The others chose to trust Gu Ze, and everyone decided to stay in the forest. While it was still daylight, they began to scatter in search of the so-called Hidden Level, looking for their lifeline to progress.
Once everyone had dispersed, Xu Nuan stepped forward a few paces, crouched down in front of Zhao Xi, and looked up at him with a slight tilt of her head. Her voice was weak and anxious, like a flickering candlelight in the dark that could extinguish at any moment.
"What happened to him?"
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