Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The river surface was initially calm, making the sudden sound of rushing water seem eerie.
"Is there something next to that lotus flower?"
Deng Yinyin, with her sharp eyes, immediately shouted. Before anyone could protest about the volume, the sound of the water grew noticeably louder.
Xu Nuan saw pairs of red eyes emerging from the water, looking particularly sinister among the black and green intertwining aquatic plants. These eyes resembled those of a lurking demon; the fate of anyone caught in their gaze could only be death.
Xu Nuan felt a sudden chill and instinctively took a step back, only to bump into her backpack. Of course, the backpack was still hanging on Gu Ze's chest.
"What's wrong?"
Xu Nuan's face showed distress. "I have a bad feeling."
As soon as Xu Nuan finished speaking, the owners of the red eyes surfaced from the water.
It was a crocodile.
Measuring over two meters in length, its body was dark brown with scattered spots. Its long snout had some scales along the edges, and its tail, partially visible, appeared long, thick, and hard. Most importantly, these crocodiles had red eyes.
Almost everyone recalled encountering the Steel-Toothed Crocodile in the Fifth Level—one had been blown up while the other had escaped dragging its tail behind it.
It seemed that the crocodiles in the river were not modified, but no one doubted the toughness of their teeth.
However, these crocodiles did not intend to attack them directly; instead, they circled around the Golden Royal Lotus as if acting as guardians.
Before anyone could express their thoughts about these crocodiles, the System's voice echoed.
"Caiman, average attributes. Its primary duty is to guard the Royal Lotus and attack any creature attempting to pluck it. It is easily attracted by blood."
Xu Nuan did not hide her shock; the System had started giving them prompts again, and it was after Zhang Xiao had left. Was this a coincidence?
Thinking about Zhang Xiao's disdain for the Designers and the secrets she didn't want the Designers to know, Xu Nuan felt that this was not a coincidence. Afraid of falling into a trap of her own thoughts, Xu Nuan instinctively glanced at Gu Ze, only to find him wearing a serious expression.
Could it be that Gu Ze had also noticed the System's strange behavior, or perhaps he had observed the peculiarities of the Third Batch of Players? Xu Nuan felt a bit lost as she stared intently at Gu Ze.
Suddenly, Gu Ze looked down at her, his expression still serious.
"It seems you need to move away from the shore; the smell of blood has attracted those creatures."
Xu Nuan was stunned for a second before she quickly turned to look at the River Surface. Sure enough, two crocodiles that had been calmly circling the Royal Lotus were now swimming in their direction, causing everyone to feel tense.
Deng Yinyin even pushed Xu Nuan with her hand.
"Get away quickly; don't drag everyone down with you."
Those words were painfully harsh, but before Xu Nuan could react, Gu Ze directly swatted Deng Yinyin's hand away from Xu Nuan and began to unload two backpacks for her.
"You’re injured. We’ll take care of the task of picking the Royal Lotus; you should rest in the woods."
Gu Ze's demeanor was so gentle, and his words were so soft that by the time Xu Nuan realized what was happening, she was already ten meters away from the shore, with the two backpacks placed at her feet.
It seemed that the crocodiles had a certain range of smell; as Xu Nuan moved further from the shore, they turned back.
She saw Gu Ze standing on the shore discussing something with the others, and then several people started coming in her direction.
"Have you decided how to pick the Royal Lotus?"
Seeing the confident expressions on a few faces, Xu Nuan realized they had come up with a plan.
Gu Ze nodded, "Yeah, the crocodile's attack power is too strong, and we don't know what else is in the river. It's better if we don't go into the water."
Gu Ze pointed towards the direction behind Xu Nuan. Following his gaze, she saw a vast bamboo forest, with tall bamboo swaying in the breeze. On the other side, there were many winding vines, some of which were submerged in puddles but showed no signs of rotting or breaking; they looked quite resilient.
In an instant, Xu Nuan understood what Gu Ze was planning to do.
"This is something we can solve quickly," Gu Ze said gently, patting Xu Nuan's shoulder before bending down to open his backpack and retrieve an axe. Xu Hang and Xie Huai were also ready; together, they began chopping down several thick and long bamboo stalks. They pulled out some wire and rope, cutting through a few vines as they started the meticulous work of binding the bamboo.
Xu Nuan turned back to observe the distance between the shore and Royal Lotus. It was at least fifteen meters away. Creating a bamboo pole that long would be easy, but maintaining its balance would be challenging. There was a high possibility that the pole would tip into the water when extended five or six meters, making it impossible to reach Royal Lotus.
Unless there was a way to secure the extended part while keeping the pole balanced.
What method could work? Xu Nuan furrowed her brows in thought and then looked back at Gu Ze and the others. She noticed Gu Ze digging a hole near the front of the bamboo pole and threading a rope through it before tying a sturdy knot.
Of course! Xu Nuan's eyes lit up. One person could extend the bamboo pole while another stood on the shore to pull on the rope to control its balance. That way, they could reach Royal Lotus and then drag it back.
A smile unconsciously formed on her lips as she realized how clever Gu Ze was—quick-witted, skilled with his hands, adaptable, and able to think on his feet. No wonder he had become a core member of Heng Technology within three years.
Xu Nuan learned about Gu Ze's rise to become a key member from Tang Jingshu, who also told her how many female employees were smitten by him. At that time, Xu Nuan found it strange; after all, she and Gu Ze were from the same company and school. How could she not connect his name with the outstanding student who had consistently topped the honor roll?
Now reflecting on the past, Xu Nuan couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.
Whether it was Gu Ze, herself, or their classmates, everyone had undergone drastic changes upon entering society. Some had become unrecognizable; others clung to their principles and lived fulfilling lives; while some struggled to survive in between.
She had changed; Gu Ze had changed. But unlike them and their other classmates, they would experience this game together, leading to even greater transformations.
Xu Nuan discovered that she did not dislike Gu Ze's changes; rather, she felt a faint curiosity about them.
On the other hand, she hated Qin Yaojie's transformation, yet she was drawn to seek the truth like a moth to a flame.
The truth is often a bloody reality that brings pain.
She prepared for the best and the worst, uncertain if she could accept the truth.
However, this truth still seemed distant from her, so she wanted to cherish the present, blissfully unaware, and then face whatever lay ahead with courage when the clouds finally parted.
Thoughts, once they drifted away, made it easy to reminisce about the past. Xu Nuan shook her head, pulling herself out of such memories and focusing on Gu Ze and the others' actions. But soon, she felt a burning gaze upon her—an unwelcome scrutiny.
Turning her head, Xu Nuan saw Deng Yinyin staring at her intensely, with a hint of mockery and dissatisfaction on her lips. Xu Nuan found it strange; she wondered what she had done to offend Deng Yinyin. It seemed that Deng Yinyin had been targeting her throughout this ordeal.
Though Xu Nuan was not known for having a good temper, she had to give Xu Hang face and also respect Gu Ze from the support team. But that didn't mean she was completely without temper.
"Is there something you need?"
Xu Nuan asked calmly, noticing something flash in Deng Yinyin's eyes before it settled back into the usual indifference.
"Do you remember what I said in the snow-capped mountains?"
Deng Yinyin glanced at the others who were focused on their tasks. They were at a distance, and Deng Yinyin deliberately lowered her voice so they couldn't hear.
"Hmm? You said quite a bit back then. I'm not sure which part you're referring to," Xu Nuan replied, recalling some fragments of their conversation.
At some point, she had become indifferent to those she found uninteresting, directly ignoring them and not bothering to make space in her mind for anything related to them.
Perhaps feeling that her words were somewhat cold, Deng Yinyin's lips twitched slightly, her expression showing dissatisfaction as she glared at her, lowering her voice repeatedly.
"If you have someone you like, then don't cling to Gu Ze."
"I seem to remember that."
To be honest, Xu Nuan really didn't remember, but seeing how angry Deng Yinyin looked, she reluctantly pretended to recall.
"I'm not clinging to Gu Ze; we're just companions."
Xu Nuan stated the fact, recalling that she had said this about someone before.
"But you two are always so close," Deng Yinyin exclaimed indignantly.
Xu Nuan found it strange. "Is there a rule that says we can't be close? We haven't done anything beyond what friends do. Besides, I'm single, he's single; it's not strange if we get a bit closer."
This was Xu Nuan's philosophy all along: everyone has the right to like or dislike others, and vice versa. In other words, a person can choose to like or dislike someone else but has no right to stop others from liking or disliking them.
The same principle applied to friendships; you might consider someone a friend, but they may not see you the same way.
As long as emotions were involved, it inevitably concerned two people. Since it was about two people, it could never be entirely fair.
"But you already have someone you like," Deng Yinyin said, her eyes practically blazing with fire as she looked at Xu Nuan as if she were a fool. "And Gu Ze seems to like you; you shouldn't be so close."
Deng Yinyin's voice was barely louder than a mosquito buzzing, making her seem like a completely different person than usual.
Xu Nuan felt increasingly puzzled, and seeing Deng Yinyin's face filled with indignation and unwillingness to admit it made her find it somewhat amusing. She reiterated her principles to Deng Yinyin and added one final remark.
"If he really likes me, there's nothing I can do to stop it, nor do I have the right to. Getting angry with me is pointless. Similarly, considering him a friend is my personal choice, and I don't need your approval for that."
In essence, Xu Nuan could translate this convoluted statement into a simpler message: Deng Yinyin had no right to interfere in her or Gu Ze's decisions.
However, for the sake of team harmony, Xu Nuan decided to be a bit more poetic. Yet, judging by Deng Yinyin's expression, she understood the underlying meaning of Xu Nuan's words; otherwise, she wouldn't have suddenly exclaimed.
"You are so selfish!"
Xu Nuan blinked. "Aren't people inherently selfish?"
Caring about those they want to care for and prioritizing the interests of those they value, as long as it doesn't cross legal or moral boundaries, is simply human nature.
This thought remained unspoken by Xu Nuan because Deng Yinyin had just failed to control her volume, drawing the attention of a few people working on bamboo poles nearby.
Xu Nuan felt an inexplicable sense of guilt; those three were diligently completing their tasks while the two of them were merely exchanging words.
Comment 0 Comment Count