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墨書 Inktalez
It was a dream, just a dream where Jiangnan Town was no longer present, devoid of the willows by the riverside and the flowers on the banks, and certainly lacking the countless rose paths they once walked together.
It was a bustling city, filled with the hurried footsteps of passersby, their expressions obscured. Everyone appeared gray, while the world around them was vibrant and dazzlingly colorful.
In a not-so-remote area of that city, during the deep silence of midnight, only one room emitted a faint orange glow.
Orange should have been warm, but for some reason, the orange light in that room felt cold and despairing.
Xu Nuan once again saw her former self, dressed in loungewear with bare feet curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees and staring at the phone on the coffee table. The clock on the wall ticked softly as its hands moved.
She didn't even need to look; she could count in her mind what time it would be.
Two o'clock in the morning.
Even though she had work in the morning, she stubbornly remained curled up on the sofa, waiting for that person to return.
Xu Nuan remembered when Qin Yaojie still came home. They hadn’t ended their childhood romance with a single phone call yet; she had begun to learn how to wait at night for him to come back.
They once dreamed of building a family together and facing all future challenges side by side.
But somewhere along the way, Qin Yaojie started coming home later and later. He became irritable and prone to outbursts.
He was supposed to be someone she would cherish for a lifetime, yet he began to yell at her—the very person he claimed he wanted to protect forever.
At first, she thought it was merely a phase of romantic fatigue. As long as one party didn’t give up and both still held feelings for each other, their long-cherished love wouldn’t end.
However, as Qin Yaojie returned home increasingly late, began to ignore her, grew weary of dealing with her parents, and even showed impatience towards his own family, Xu Nuan finally admitted that Qin Yaojie had changed.
Every time she pressed him for answers, it led nowhere. When she secretly asked his friends about him, they told her that Qin Yaojie was under immense pressure—seemingly burdened by becoming an integral part of Fengtong Technology too soon and having to shoulder certain responsibilities.
Wasn't she his responsibility?
They both shared the responsibility of wanting a home together.
Xu Nuan rubbed her eyes as she saw her reflection on the sofa, not out of sleepiness, but because the tears wouldn't stop flowing.
When the clock's hands pointed to three o'clock, Xu Nuan finally heard the sound of the door opening. Even though she knew that if she went to greet him, she would only receive an impatient response and a look of disdain, she stood up with a smile and walked towards the door.
It was then that she realized how humble her love had been in the later stages of that relationship, even though she despised such a humble love.
"Yaojie, you're back!"
Xu Nuan forced a smile, her eyes shining as she looked at the person closing the door.
But when that person slowly turned around, Xu Nuan saw a skeletal figure, and from that figure came Qin Yaojie's voice.
"Why are you still awake? I've told you so many times, don't wait for me!"
Just as Xu Nuan felt like screaming, her eyes flew open. What greeted her was the uneven ceiling made of gypsum in the cave.
She turned her neck to look around; the others were still asleep. She reached up to touch her cheek and felt dampness. Xu Nuan blinked, her face filled with bitterness.
She didn't know if it was due to Zhang Xiao's words, but she began dreaming about Qin Yaojie again. This time, the dreams were no longer filled with beautiful memories to reminisce about; instead, they replayed the six months when their relationship had problems.
During those six months, Qin Yaojie seemed like a different person. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find out what had caused Qin Yaojie's change. In the end, she could only conclude that Qin Yaojie no longer loved her. It was this lack of love that led to impatience and constant concealment.
Now, as she recalled those heart-wrenching moments that plagued her day and night, she noticed something different. Qin Yaojie's change had been so sudden and without warning; he had become rude to everyone around him. He was no longer that talented person who could be gentle one moment and domineering the next.
Xu Nuan thought about Zhang Xiao mentioning that Qin Yaojie had been ill before entering the game. Could Qin Yaojie's change be related to his illness? But she had never seen Qin Yaojie take any medicine or heard anything about it from his parents?
It is also possible that Zhang Xiao intentionally said those words, but Xu Nuan couldn't help but think about Qin Yaojie's strange behavior over the past six months.
She recalled that breakup phone call.
Qin Yaojie's voice had been calm—not gentle, nor irritated, just calm, as if he were recounting something unrelated to him. That attitude shattered all her expectations.
Covering her chest, Xu Nuan slowly closed her eyes.
She still couldn't forgive him. If there were hidden reasons, then deceiving and concealing the truth was unforgivable. If there was no deception, then she should at least have the chance to see him one last time and tell him nonchalantly that she no longer liked him, that she wouldn't cling to him anymore, and that he was free to do whatever he wanted.
Even as she reassured herself in her mind, Xu Nuan remained troubled by the dream she had just experienced. The sight of Qin Yaojie transformed into a skeleton—did it signify that he was in danger?
But she didn't even know where he was. If he was in danger, how could she save him?
Unconsciously, Xu Nuan fell asleep again, this time without dreams.
It wasn't until she heard the rustling sounds of several people packing up that she opened her eyes once more. A faint light filtered in from outside the cave; it wasn't blinding, but Xu Nuan instinctively raised her hand to shield her forehead.
Once everyone had finished packing, they continued to advance through the challenges.
After passing the "Gentle Prairie" level, they managed to get through several more levels, and their anger towards the System's deception gradually dissipated.
Even though they had reached the twenty-second level, their thoughts lingered on the eighteenth level because that was where Tang Jingshu had met her end.
Time had quietly passed for a long while, yet no one had come to terms with Tang Jingshu's death. Occasionally, during moments of frustration or heated arguments, they would still engage in fierce disputes surrounding her demise.
This was an unsolvable deadlock, an unresolvable conflict that had become a thorn in what was once a harmonious team, occasionally disrupting their good atmosphere.
They were currently in the "Terrifying Cave" level, which lived up to its name—truly terrifying.
The surroundings were filled with rocks that had formed over countless years, taking on bizarre shapes. Scattered around were scenes created by the repeated chemical reactions of gypsum within the cave.
The group had long since abandoned any desire to describe the breathtaking sights displayed before them with phrases like "hewn by divine hands" or "magnificent."
Inside the cave, the light was dim; only when the sun shone brightly outside could thin rays penetrate through cracks above, casting faint glimmers within the cavern. Most of the time, it was so dark that one could hardly see their own hand in front of their face, forcing them to rely on flashlights. However, the game provided solar-powered flashlights, and if they continued for too long, they might find themselves without a source of illumination.
Moreover, dark currents flowed throughout the cave—some rivers extended from outside while others were pools of water. In such dim conditions, it was easy to accidentally step into a puddle. Getting shoes and pants wet in that damp environment would be an unpleasant experience.
The group moved forward, stopping intermittently to choose new paths at forks in the cave. After several attempts, they still faced the dilemma of which route to take.
Frustration began to mount among them, especially in such a gloomy atmosphere where negative emotions could easily fester and accumulate until they erupted.
Xu Nuan understood everyone's frustration; she felt it too. Upon reaching this level, they had emerged from the Supply Station directly into the cave without any knowledge of what lay outside. This uncertainty about whether the Special Tree was inside or outside the cave only added to their agitation.
Although it seemed unlikely that the Special Tree was within the cave, this game possessed an almost omnipotent ability and a twisted sense of logic that defied common sense. It was possible that it intended to test them in this way. This uncertainty made them hesitate repeatedly when choosing directions, fearing they might miss the Special Tree in this dark and endless cavern.
If the Special Tree was outside, they would need to find the correct path to exit—a task that seemed incredibly daunting. Even if they managed to escape, they might just end up continuing their challenges within the cave, making it feel like an endless ordeal.
Before entering the game, Xu Nuan had found little information about caves because they were not suitable for prolonged human habitation. In reality, aside from necessary expeditions by exploration teams, few ventured inside. Of course, open cave attractions were a different matter altogether.
The lack of knowledge often left them struggling with each step.
They stopped again at a dimly lit fork in the path when suddenly a rustling sound came from one of the passages. The sound was familiar; they had heard similar noises made by certain animals before.
As those creatures drew closer, they could hear more clearly—a sharp and high-pitched sound akin to a human sobbing with a pinched throat.
"Get down!"
Standing at the front, Xu Hang was the first to spot what an Outsider was and immediately warned everyone.
"It’s a Bat!"
A few people crouched down, holding their heads. Fortunately, the cave was high enough that the Bats just clung to the walls and flew away quickly.
The screams gradually faded.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief and turned their attention to another passage. The unexpected appearance of the Bats actually helped them make a quicker decision.
After walking for a while down that passage, they suddenly saw a faint blue glow ahead, mixed with gold, giving them the illusion that it was the exit of the cave.
The joy on their faces was short-lived; they had suffered too many losses before to believe in illusions.
With anxious hearts, they cautiously approached the source of the light. The cave was so quiet that they could hear their synchronized footsteps.
As they turned a corner and were about to reach the source of the glow, it suddenly vanished. Everyone was plunged into darkness. With little expectation, they naturally weren’t too disappointed; instead, they all switched on their flashlights and began shining them around.
Xu Nuan noticed that there were more dark currents here, and every ten meters or so, there was a pool of water. As she moved her flashlight around, she caught sight of something in the dark current and screamed for the first time.
"Ah!"
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