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墨書 Inktalez
"No, one person is bound to lose; with two, there's still a chance."
Xu Nuan watched as the four wolves approached, their movements growing closer. She bent down to retrieve a short knife from her leg, her red lips firmly rejecting Gu Ze's suggestion for her to escape while he stayed behind to face the wolves.
Gu Ze, just a few steps away, held a short knife in his left hand, flipping it between his fingers as it glinted coldly in the moonlight.
"Are you trying to put on a tragic show?"
Gu Ze teased, his sharply defined features appearing even more rigid under the moonlight as he fixed his intense gaze on the approaching wolves.
They both knew that two legs could never outrun four. However, sitting idly beneath that low tree was not in their nature. Without food or weapons, and with several companions potentially under attack, they preferred to confront the wolves head-on.
"They can play their part," Xu Nuan replied coolly, retreating alongside Gu Ze while keeping an eye on the wolves.
The odds were slim, but she wasn't weak enough to leave Gu Ze behind to buy herself time to escape.
"Heh," Gu Ze chuckled lightly as he stealthily approached the large vines hanging down from the bushes, their dark green forms resembling writhing cold-blooded creatures.
"Are wolves considered protected wildlife?"
He asked again.
At this point, Xu Nuan couldn't be bothered to respond. As the first wolf stepped on a fallen vine, she swiftly lunged aside, her short knife slicing through a main vine with precision. Gu Ze mirrored her movements in response.
Speed would determine the outcome of this confrontation.
Humans loved setting traps; even in casual conversation, they often unwittingly ensnared each other. Now, in the wilderness, it was all about laying traps.
Using themselves as bait, they lured the enemy deeper into the trap. The mutual shoving set up a snare.
They believed in the wisdom and cunning of wolves, and they exploited that cunning.
Countless smooth vines fell, surrounding the four wolves. As their claws impatiently sliced through the vines, a green liquid splattered out, quickly corroding the gray fur, eliciting a chorus of wolf howls.
Xu Nuan and Gu Ze swiftly jumped out of the encirclement of vines, the flowing green liquid devouring everything around like a demon. In fact, the thick outer skin of the vines was incredibly tough, yet it was light enough to be easily dealt with by the wolves' claws.
"Good eye!"
As Gu Ze ran outward, he sincerely praised Xu Nuan. It was Xu Nuan who had discovered the properties of these vines. Even while frantically fleeing, she remained keenly observant of her surroundings and calmly thought about how to utilize the environment.
Gu Ze suddenly understood why Xu Nuan was a candidate for the new manager position; such calmness and wisdom would naturally be appreciated by discerning leaders. Although Xu Nuan's current personality differed greatly from who she was before entering the game, these abilities had been cultivated little by little during her university years and after joining the company.
I need to work hard too, Gu Ze silently sighed to himself.
Xu Nuan, running alongside him, responded lightly.
"Great acting!"
The two exchanged smiles, a tacit understanding flowing through the dark forest.
They only stopped when the howls of wolves faded away.
"We can no longer tell which direction to go; it will be difficult to regroup with them."
Standing under the thin moonlight, Xu Nuan's voice remained consistently calm, showing no immediate concern for their current predicament.
"The forest at night is dangerous," Gu Ze said, narrowing his eyes as he observed the surroundings, aware that the lurking threats could erupt at any moment.
"We should find a place to rest for the night and continue in the morning. If we stray too far from them, we can head straight for the Special Tree; everyone will meet there."
As Gu Ze spoke, he paused slightly, a hint of guilt crossing his features, which left Xu Nuan feeling perplexed.
"Unfortunately, we left our backpacks behind."
"That's not a big deal; we just need to find them quickly."
Xu Nuan didn't react much to this. She had once gone hungry for two days after losing her backpack, with only morning dew as her water source. At that time, she was surprised she had managed to reach the Supply Station alive.
However, she thought it best not to dwell on such embarrassing experiences. With that in mind, she once again overlooked the strange glimmer in Gu Ze's eyes.
"Then tonight..."
As Xu Nuan opened her mouth to speak again and met Gu Ze's gaze, she suddenly heard a rustling from the bushes beside her. The heavy panting startled her, and her body instinctively moved aside before her brain could catch up.
Out of the bushes charged a massive bear. In the darkness, its fur color was indistinguishable, and at that moment, Xu Nuan couldn't focus on anything else.
She hadn't realized that on the other side of the bushes was a slope. She stepped into thin air and lost control of her body as she tumbled down. In a panic, she reached out to grab the bushes for support but ended up getting scratched instead.
As she fell backward, she noticed a look of panic flash across Gu Ze's eyes once more, leaving her confused.
What puzzled her even more was that Gu Ze jumped down after her. As she landed on the slope, she found herself tightly embraced by him. The proximity between their faces allowed her to feel his breath; however, what concerned her more was Gu Ze's hands—one cradled her head while the other pressed firmly against her back to prevent injury from hitting the ground.
Why?
This was no longer a simple act of gentlemanly behavior.
Xu Nuan closed her eyes, unable to meet those piercing eyes.
How had it come to this?
They were just alumni and colleagues.
So why did her heart tremble, not because of the imminent danger, but because of the person in front of her?
The wind that whipped past as they rolled down the hillside was bone-chilling, and her body was bruised from contact with the thorns and stones.
And Xu Nuan distinctly heard Gu Ze's muffled groan.
He was hurt?
Realizing this, Gu Ze began to struggle, trying to break free from his own protective hold, filled with anger at how long and steep this hillside was, wishing there had been some boulder or other object to stop their tumble.
"Don't move, Xin."
The words were whispered close to her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine. Xu Nuan suddenly felt a surge of fear.
No one's feelings should be so humble.
That thought flashed through Xu Nuan's mind as her hands desperately tried to grip the ground, seeking to halt their endless roll.
When pain shot through her fingers, they slipped away from the earth. Xu Nuan kept attempting the same motion, but each opportunity was fleeting, and she failed to seize any of them.
It was only when Gu Ze, who had been holding her, was suddenly thrown away that her body finally came to a stop.
“Gu Ze!”
Realizing her body had stopped, Xu Nuan didn’t bother to check her injuries; instead, she struggled to prop herself up and search for Gu Ze.
In her frantic search, Xu Nuan found herself nearly forgetting to breathe.
Below the slope was a narrow stretch of hard ground, and beyond that lay an expansive swamp, with the flowing Quicksand being a deadly menace.
Xu Nuan was half-lying on the hard ground, while Gu Ze was mostly submerged in the swamp. To avoid sinking deeper, he dared not move as he lay at an angle in the treacherous muck. Even so, the Quicksand continued to flow around him, and it was only a matter of time before he would be completely engulfed.
“Gu Ze, slowly pull your hand out. You have to do it slowly.”
Xu Nuan hurried to the edge where the hard ground met the swamp, took off her jacket, twisted it into a rope-like shape, and threw it out, realizing there was still some distance between them.
Meanwhile, Gu Ze was gradually managing to free his trapped hands. It was a painstaking process. When he turned his head and saw Xu Nuan’s actions, he quickly warned her.
“Don’t come over! I’ll be able to get out soon.”
At that moment, Gu Ze had managed to pull one hand free; the other showed signs of loosening as well. However, his movements caused him to sink slightly deeper.
Xu Nuan, always one for action, carefully lay down on the swamp with the faint moonlight guiding her. The twisted piece of clothing successfully reached Gu Ze’s hand.
“Grab hold of this piece of clothing first. Then try to lie as flat as possible on the sandy ground. Slowly pull your legs out bit by bit—take your time. When the sand loosens up a bit, you can exert a little more force. Don’t rush.”
With utmost seriousness, Xu Nuan instructed Gu Ze on how to escape. This knowledge had been prepared in advance; it was her first time putting it into practice, and she hoped this attempt would be successful.
Her lips pressed tightly together in concentration, her eyes filled with concern as she awkwardly lay on the Sand Surface. The two of them were positioned in a way that seemed somewhat strange given their circumstances.
Seeing this scene, Gu Ze wanted to smile, but he knew that if he did, the person in front of him might think he was being frivolous.
A good image was an important asset for further communication. Gu Ze was a smart man; he understood how to better adjust the atmosphere.
"I understand, you should be more careful."
Being overly serious and blindly rejecting the situation would be unwise.
The sand surface was cold, seeping through her thin clothing to her abdomen, causing Xu Nuan to frown uncomfortably. The reopened wound on her back also forced her to divert some of her attention.
Moving recklessly in the swamp was tantamount to seeking death, especially since she was currently holding onto Gu Ze, who was struggling to escape from the quicksand.
In fact, in the swamp, the only way to escape was to slowly distance oneself from the quicksand, lying on the sand surface and inching away until reaching solid ground. However, Xu Nuan didn’t dare take that gamble. Half of Gu Ze's body was still trapped in the quicksand; if his movements were too vigorous and his upper body sank in as well, then no escape plan would be effective.
The piece of clothing connecting them was their last assurance.
The waiting time always felt long. Both Gu Ze and Xu Nuan were patient individuals. Under the night sky, Gu Ze gradually moved his legs while Xu Nuan lay on the ground, paying close attention to his movements.
There were no unnecessary conversations, yet an unexpected understanding lingered between them.
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