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墨書 Inktalez
"Cut it out, I really fell for it. There really is a Survival Game related to glaciers and snow mountains."
While packing her backpack in the Supply Station, Deng Yinyin stared at the green notice board displaying the words ‘Misty Snow Mountain’, and all the frustration she had bottled up during the swamp level erupted.
"What’s with always adding adjectives before the survival environment? There are just too many things to complain about in this game."
Deng Yinyin tugged at her yellow ponytail. In the past, she would have avoided tying her hair up, fearing it would damage her hair quality, preferring to let it down for a more natural look. But now, she understood that tying her hair was more beneficial for escaping in a crisis rather than getting it caught in trees and losing her chance to flee.
Today, she wore a deep blue Tactical Jacket, layered with several pieces of insulation. Previously, she would have complained about how wearing so many layers hid her figure and thought that deep blue made her skin look darker. Now, warmth and dirt resistance had become her top priorities.
Tang Jingshu made similar choices. She recalled the brief exchange with Xu Nuan and Deng Yinyin during the desert level when they mentioned something about snow mountains. Looking back, it seemed that this game, which was always full of surprises, might have some patterns to follow. Did this mean there were other ways to clear the game?
As this thought crossed her mind, Tang Jingshu immediately turned to Xu Nuan, who had already packed her backpack and was quietly watching the notice board.
For some reason, she had a vague premonition that Xu Nuan also understood the peculiarities of this game and was even calculating something.
Just as Tang Jingshu was about to ask something, Xu Hang spoke up, signaling everyone to set off.
On the other side of the door lay a brand new Survival Game.
The moment the door opened, everyone felt a hurricane; a cold wind mixed with ice shards hit them head-on, causing them all to shiver.
As the door slowly closed behind them, the scenery before their eyes came into view.
Black limestone peeked through the snow, while pure white snow wrapped around the mountains like a belt. Green firs and pines stood faintly in the background.
It was a painting composed of black, white, and green.
However, soon enough, this painting was stained with other colors.
It was morning; dawn revealed its shy face at the horizon. The Azure White Clouds looked as if covered with red gauze, while white mist donned brilliant hues. In the distance, mountain peaks were obscured by white clouds, their elegance nearly merging into one another like an ink wash painting.
The gaze shifted from the distant snow-capped mountains back to the ground beneath, lightly dusted with snowflakes. Xie Huai, the boldest among them, was the first to speak.
"They really dropped us right at the mountainside; that's ruthless."
Indeed, Xu Nuan and the others found themselves in a predicament: before them loomed an imposing snow mountain, while behind them stood an impenetrable green gate.
This was also why no one could enjoy the scenery before them.
"I feel like the game is getting harder and harder," Deng Yinyin chimed in, surprisingly agreeing with Xie Huai. Yet, the spark of excitement in her eyes betrayed her eagerness.
After a series of smooth progressions, the reward for clearing this level—a staggering one billion yuan from the Survival Game—had silenced any complaints among the Third Batch of Players about who had signed them into the Life-and-Death Contract.
This shift was not something Xu Nuan was pleased to witness.
She always had a premonition that the more one fixated on the ultimate reward, the more they would be tempted by the hidden secrets within the Survival Game.
After all, their initial goal was simply to survive and escape this game.
However, after surveying her companions and seeing their confident expressions, Xu Nuan refrained from dousing their spirits at that moment.
After all, women's intuition can be an overly mystical thing.
Bundled up tightly against the cold, they embarked on their Survival Game journey starting from the mountainside. The biting wind whipped against their faces like knives, and carrying heavy backpacks made each step feel incredibly burdensome. The limestone ground, covered in snowflakes, had frozen due to the low temperatures; every step required careful control to avoid slipping. Even their special shoes offered little help in these conditions.
Each step was arduous, yet they pressed on against the cold wind.
During this time, Tang Jingshu maintained her serene and elegant demeanor, attempting to offer words of encouragement from her lips.
"The Red Special Tree stands out even in the snowy mountains, which should make our challenge a bit easier."
"I don't feel inspired at all."
Deng Yinyin pouted, wanting to pat the dejected Tang Jingshu, but realized she was bundled up so much that she could hardly lift her arms.
"It's really cold."
Deng Yinyin sighed again.
"Whoa." Xu Nuan, who was usually calm in such situations, was about to speak when she noticed her breath turning into a white mist, and immediately fell silent.
Better to conserve warmth if possible.
The scenery was filled with white snow, Black Soil, and the occasional glimpse of Green Trees, along with white clouds, blue skies, and White Mist.
This was the view before her eyes, and whenever Xu Nuan looked up, she saw heights that seemed immeasurable.
The sunlight reflected off the white snow, creating a dazzling glare. Xu Nuan, feeling a bit blinded, raised a hand to shield her eyes but didn't notice a protruding stone beneath her feet. She stumbled slightly, and with the smooth surface beneath her, she struggled to regain her balance.
A hand reached out just in time to steady Xu Nuan's shoulder. After managing to stand upright, she turned to apologize.
"Thank you."
When she saw that it was Gu Ze who had caught her, her last word came out slightly different.
"Are you okay?"
Gu Ze circled around and decided to fall back with Xu Nuan, walking at the rear with her.
Xu Nuan's habit of lingering at the back of the crowd had not changed, no matter where she went.
Noticing Deng Yinyin glancing back occasionally, Xu Nuan felt a twinge of annoyance. This meant that Deng Yinyin would soon be pestering her with a barrage of nonsensical questions.
"It's nothing."
Xu Nuan replied coldly.
Gu Ze remained unfazed, the curve of his lips unchanged.
"No, I was asking about your injury. If the temperature is too low, it could affect you, right?"
Xu Nuan's indifference quickly shifted to discomfort; the fact that her injury was being remembered made her feel uneasy.
"It's fine, I dealt with it promptly."
Xu Nuan articulated each word carefully, adding, "Thanks to you all."
Her gratitude was genuine.
Keeping her gaze fixed ahead, Xu Nuan pretended not to notice the helplessness of the person beside her.
Unbeknownst to them, the climbing group had naturally formed into a structure where Xie Huai and Tang Jingshu led the way at the front, Xu Hang protected Deng Yinyin in the middle, while Gu Ze and Xu Nuan lagged behind. This arrangement seemed like companionship but was actually a reflection of the gentlemen's protective instincts towards the ladies after spending so much time together.
The mountain was not something that could be conquered quickly, and the Special Tree had yet to make an appearance. The bright sun hung high in the sky, and there were no signs of melting snow around them.
Time passed without them noticing as their pace slowed. Finally, Xu Hang spoke up and suggested taking a break. The group had inadvertently formed a structure centered around Xu Hang and Gu Ze.
Deng Yinyin was the first to cheer, tossing her backpack onto the ground before plopping down beside it.
"Girls shouldn't sit on the ground casually."
Xu Hang lectured seriously, but upon glancing around, he noticed that Xu Nuan and Tang Jingshu were already sitting on the ground.
"Ugh, you're so annoying. Why fuss over so much when we're this tired?"
Deng Yinyin pouted as she pulled a bottle of water from her backpack.
Xu Hang awkwardly took a few steps away, only to hear Deng Yinyin's voice rise again.
"Hey, the water's frozen solid! What am I supposed to drink?"
"Tch, the jerky is frozen stiff too; I can't even bite into it. What are we supposed to eat?"
It wasn't just Deng Yinyin who was dissatisfied; everyone who had taken out food and water felt helpless about their supplies.
After discovering that everything was rock-hard, Xu Nuan gave up and pulled out a few candies. She popped a red candy into her mouth, and the sweetness spread instantly.
"Ah."
Xu Nuan began to stretch her neck and looked around. Judging by the position of the sun, it was about one or two in the afternoon. In four or five hours, it would be dark. The temperature in the snowy mountains at night would surely drop significantly, and they would need a lot of firewood. However, as she scanned the area, Xu Nuan couldn't find many dry twigs. The only hints of greenery were at the edges of the snow-capped mountains. Was it worth venturing out for firewood?
After pondering for a moment, Xu Nuan turned her gaze to Gu Ze, who was also eating candy.
"?"
Gu Ze tilted his head and blinked in confusion.
Xu Nuan turned her face away, feeling her ears heat up beneath the scarf.
Damn it, that infuriating expression.
“Ahem.”
She cleared her throat a few times and turned back to look at Gu Ze, relieved to see his expression had returned to its usual gentle demeanor.
“What should we do tonight?”
Xu Nuan asked succinctly.
Gu Ze, however, smiled as he pulled out Alcohol Wipes from his backpack, along with rolls of cotton cloth and silver charcoal.
“There are plenty of Alcohol Wipes and cotton cloth at the Supply Station, but what’s with the silver charcoal?”
Xu Nuan pressed down on the corners of her mouth that wanted to twitch.
“It was hidden in a very secret place. My eyesight is quite good.”
Gu Ze's smile widened, looking at Xu Nuan as if seeking praise.
She must be seeing things. Xu Nuan shook her head and began stating the facts.
“Even with these, it won’t last long.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll collect more while climbing. By evening, it will definitely be enough.” Gu Ze seemed completely unfazed. “Besides, everyone brought blankets this time, so at least we won’t freeze.”
Xu Nuan nodded slightly. “True, we still have time.”
As they walked, the two of them caught a whiff of a savory aroma. Following the scent, they saw Deng Yinyin and a few others grilling jerky over some burning alcohol wipes.
That was where the delicious smell was coming from.
"It's a bit wasteful," Xu Nuan said, scratching her face with one hand, hesitating whether to advise them against it.
But the warning came unexpectedly from a few black bears that suddenly appeared.
"Could they have been attracted by the smell?"
Xu Hang quickly grabbed one person with one hand, disregarding the alcohol wipes. The group clutched their backpacks and ran to the other side of the mountain, only stopping to look back at the bears from a distance.
"Hey, they don't seem to be chasing us," one of them remarked.
Deng Yinyin held onto her backpack while tightly gripping the jerky in her hand.
"They're probably just marking their territory. We should steer clear of this area," Gu Ze said, squinting as he observed the bears for a moment before turning to leave.
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