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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan had to grit her teeth and persist, no matter how difficult the process was.
However, despite thinking she had a good temper and could keep her composure, Xu Nuan couldn't help but contort her face when Gu Ze started joking again.
This person was simply infuriating, climbing higher with every opportunity given.
But as she recalled Gu Ze bravely fighting against the shark, Xu Nuan swallowed back those unpleasant words.
Thus, as they circled around the shallow waters of the island, Gu Ze remained relaxed and carefree while Xu Nuan took deep breaths to steady herself.
The sky seemed to be clearing up, with hints of sunlight peeking through the clouds, revealing patches of blue. The surrounding light grew stronger, and the sea surface was no longer shrouded in mist; the distant calls of seagulls sounded much more cheerful.
The sand beneath their feet remained damp and soft, with a light mist spreading from the shallows toward the island's forest. The deep green leaves appeared more vibrant and somewhat endearing.
Xu Nuan refused to walk alongside Gu Ze, always trailing two or three steps behind him. They chatted intermittently as they walked, one ahead and one behind.
As they continued on this path, Xu Nuan realized that the island wasn't very large, and there weren't many dense trees; the outermost trees were all green. The color of the Special Tree was so vivid that logically, it should have been easy to spot it while walking along the perimeter.
However, given the current situation, Xu Nuan arrived at two possibilities. One was that the Special Tree was located in the center of the island, with a short route leading to the Supply Station—a reward for them after experiencing sharks and storms. The other possibility was that there was no Special Tree on this island at all.
Positive and negative.
Xu Nuan suddenly stopped in her tracks and called out to Gu Ze, who was still moving forward.
"Let's go back."
Gu Ze also stopped in his tracks, turning back with a puzzled expression.
Xu Nuan's face looked grim as she pointed to Gu Ze's abdomen, where a small amount of blood had seeped through, standing out starkly against his blue clothing.
“Do you think you're some kind of invincible superhero with endless strength?”
Strangely, there was a hint of dissatisfaction in Xu Nuan's words.
Gu Ze raised an eyebrow, finding it somewhat amusing.
“Your mood swings are quite rapid, aren't they? One moment you're quiet, the next you're like a ticking time bomb.”
“A ticking time bomb?”
Xu Nuan emphasized the three words heavily, suddenly recalling the wasted explosives from when she first met the Third Batch of Players, her expression darkening further.
“I’m tired. I’m going back to rest. You can stay or go as you please.”
Not wanting to deal with Gu Ze any longer, Xu Nuan abruptly turned and walked away with what seemed like determination. However, she kept her ears tuned to see if he would follow. When she heard the familiar sound of his footsteps behind her, Xu Nuan's expression softened, and her furrowed brows relaxed.
The journey back was silent.
When they returned to the Campsite, everyone was still asleep.
Seeing Gu Ze lying down obediently, Xu Nuan, who wanted to rest, instead reignited the smoldering campfire and filled a cooking pot with water to set over the flames.
She had always struggled to sleep when her mind was heavy with thoughts.
The Tail Ring? The Third Batch of Players?
Qin Yaojie?
An experiment?
Xu Nuan worked hard to piece together the fragmented clues in her mind, but to no avail.
By the time the sun fully revealed itself, the few who had been sleeping began to wake up, and the water in the cooking pot had been boiling for quite some time.
The color looked good, and everyone’s mood was fairly decent.
While drinking hot water, Gu Ze informed Xu Hang that he hadn’t found any Special Trees after walking around the perimeter for a while. Xu Hang pondered for a moment before making a decision that pleased Xu Nuan greatly.
“I’ll go to the sea to find some food; it should be fine since it’s close by. Ze and Xie Huai will search for Special Trees in the forest. You two need to keep an eye on each other. Deng Yinyin, you three should also head into the forest, but look for food while searching for Special Trees. Don’t push yourselves; if anything feels off, just come back.”
Since Xu Hang’s previous commands had yielded good results, no one dared to question him anymore.
After a brief organization, everyone set off.
The three men left first, and as Xu Nuan and Deng Yinyin prepared to depart, they exchanged a knowing glance at Tang Jingshu, who was struggling to get up.
“We’ve gone looking for food before and have some experience. You stay here and watch over the camp.”
This was perhaps the moment when the two of them agreed the most.
"That won't do. The more people, the more strength. Gu Ze is out there working, so how can I just stay here and rest?"
Deng Yinyin first glanced at Xu Nuan before raising a finger and waving it around.
"No, no. Guarding the camp is also very important. If all goes well, we’ll still need to rest here tonight. Your task is quite heavy too; you have to make sure those seagulls and the animals in the forest don’t cause any trouble. By the way, we’ll need firewood when we come back, so it needs to be ready to light. I’ll have to rely on you for all of this."
Xu Nuan nodded in agreement from the side. Tang Jingshu had a strong sense of pride, likely due to the disdain she had faced from her boyfriend's family. Her injury was on her leg, unlike Gu Ze's, making it unsuitable for her to engage in strenuous activity at this time. Didn’t Xu Hang’s earlier comment imply this?
At least Xu Nuan picked up on it, and regardless of whether Deng Yinyin caught on or not, she would ensure her close friend took good care of her injury.
The rare consensus and determination between Deng Yinyin and Xu Nuan relieved Tang Jingshu, who agreed to stay behind at the camp while the other two felt reassured as they left.
As they re-entered the forest, their feelings were vastly different this time.
The once sinister atmosphere of the woods had brightened significantly. Although the ground was still muddy and difficult to traverse, it no longer posed a major obstacle.
Deng Yinyin kept last time's lesson in mind and remained vigilant, scanning the trees around them in fear of encountering another "unexpected snake."
Seeing Deng Yinyin react this way, Xu Nuan swallowed back her words about how "low bushes could occasionally harbor snakes." She decided it was better for her to keep an eye out instead.
The two changed direction and walked along that path, which conveniently formed a circle with the route Gu Ze and Xie Huai were taking, allowing them to cover the entire forest together.
This time, Deng Yinyin wasn’t as fixated on finding food; aside from being alert, she was scanning her surroundings. After walking for a while, she finally spoke up with an ambiguous tone.
"You know, you're not a bad person. You care," Tang Jing Shu said lightly.
Xu Nuan had initially wanted to respond seriously, saying something like, "Whether a person is good or bad doesn't really matter when it comes to caring for others. In this world, both good people and bad people have someone they care about." However, she knew that such a statement would end the conversation, so she quickly changed her approach.
"If you were hurt, I would do the same."
Deng Yinyin, who was walking ahead, fell silent for a moment before replying.
"Are you sure you're not cursing me?"
"Huh?"
Xu Nuan blinked and casually plucked an unknown fruit from the roadside.
Deng Yinyin suddenly turned around to look at Xu Nuan.
"You... you wouldn't still be holding a grudge about what happened in the snow-capped mountains, would you?" Deng Yinyin asked, feeling a bit embarrassed and somewhat displeased.
"Who told you to say such harsh things? Whenever I feel wronged, I can't help but cry. It's hard to explain things to everyone afterward. But those who understand you will understand you; those who don't won't get it no matter how you explain it, right?"
Xu Nuan raised an eyebrow, a hint of playful amusement dancing on her lips. She thought Deng Yinyin seemed suddenly smarter; just listen to her words—so righteous and eloquent.
"Ah, no grudges. There's no need for that."
Xu Nuan answered quickly, shifting the topic just as fast as she pointed at the Tail Ring that Deng Yinyin was wearing on her hand.
"How did you think to bring it out?"
Deng Yinyin casually glanced at the Tail Ring in Xu Nuan's hand before raising her own hand.
"Since it's something from the Hidden Level, it must have some use. It's always good to have it with us."
Xu Nuan could confirm that Deng Yinyin had become smarter. Although she didn't know the reason, it was indeed more comfortable to be around someone intelligent.
At that moment, the two of them found a few bunches of Azure Bananas. Unlike before, these bananas were hanging high up in the branches, and they couldn't knock them down with a stick. The tree was also difficult to climb and would take a lot of effort.
"Let's mark this spot. If we can't find any other food later, we can come back and pick them."
It was Deng Yinyin who said this. Xu Nuan raised an eyebrow and nodded in agreement.
The sun had already moved from directly overhead towards the west, casting some light into the forest. However, due to the tall trees and dense foliage, only a little light reached the bushes below. Although there was some brightness in the woods, it still felt dark and damp. Occasionally, a breeze would blow through, carrying the scent of the sea along with hints of grass and soil—quite unique.
"I wonder what others have discovered?"
Deng Yinyin held a few fruits while peering into the dense forest, as if she expected someone she longed for to walk out from that direction, smiling and greeting her.
Meanwhile, after wandering through almost half of the forest, Xu Nuan had confirmed her second guess and had lost interest in continuing to explore.
"Let's head back to camp. It won't be long before it gets dark, and the others probably returned as well."
"That's fine. He's still injured; he won't be able to hold on much longer. He should be resting by now."
Deng Yinyin, who should have been tired, suddenly felt invigorated. She sidestepped Xu Nuan, who had not yet turned around, and headed toward the camp.
Xu Nuan was momentarily stunned. Given Deng Yinyin's straightforward words on the snowy mountain, if she still couldn't figure things out, she would truly be foolish.
With a light laugh and a shake of her head, Xu Nuan chose to ignore the complicated emotions and turned to follow Deng Yinyin toward the camp.
Gu Ze and Xie Huai had indeed returned, gathered around the campfire sipping water in silence. Gu Ze's expression was calm and unreadable, while Xie Huai wore a face of sorrow. Not far away, Tang Jingshu was also sighing, and Xu Nuan quickly understood what was going on.
As soon as Xu Nuan and Deng Yinyin arrived at the camp, Xu Hang returned as well, bringing with him several fish and crabs. Initially pleased with his bountiful catch, his expression shifted to one of concern upon seeing everyone else's faces.
"Did you not find the Special Tree?" he asked in a serious tone.
Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai had split into two groups to search the area, effectively covering the small island.
There was no Special Tree on this island; if they wanted to progress, they would have to venture out to sea and search for another island. What decision would Xu Hang make?
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