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墨書 Inktalez
The rain kept falling, the dim light making it impossible to tell what time it was.
The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the distant landslide had gradually settled down.
Originally, everyone should have relaxed their minds, but then Deng Yinyin rolled down the slope.
When Xu Nuan and Gu Ze hurried over, they saw Xie Huai holding onto Deng Yinyin as they tumbled down the hillside. Xu Hang was cautiously running down the slope, trying to stop the two from spiraling out of control.
This scene felt all too familiar.
Xu Nuan noticed her eyes stinging even more. This was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. After exchanging a glance with Gu Ze, they both rushed down the slope, struggling to maintain their balance as they ran.
However, Xie Huai and Deng Yinyin were rolling down at a clearly faster pace. Just as Xu Nuan and Gu Ze had not yet reached the bottom, they heard Xu Hang shouting again.
Wiping the raindrops off her face, Xu Nuan barely made out the situation ahead in the gloomy light. The bottom of the slope turned out to be a cliff, and Deng Yinyin had been thrown off entirely. Xie Huai barely managed to grab her with one hand while desperately clawing at the edge of the cliff with the other.
Without daring to delay any longer, Xu Nuan and Gu Ze quickened their pace downwards. They realized that before Xu Hang could reach out to pull Xie Huai back, he lost his grip and fell.
“Xie Huai!”
Xu Hang felt like he was about to break down as he leaned over the edge of the cliff to look down. He took a deep breath; although Xie Huai and Deng Yinyin had fallen off the cliff, they were caught by a tree about five meters below.
Xie Huai displayed an unusual agility as he quickly grabbed hold of the trunk with one hand while using his other hand to hold onto Deng Yinyin.
However, due to the tremendous impact and the weight of two people, Xie Huai's hand that clutched the tree trunk dislocated.
In the dim environment, Xu Hang could see Xie Huai's pale face and beads of sweat mixed with rainwater.
Xie Huai's teeth were chattering, filled with both fear and pain, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Deng Yinyin was hoarsely calling out, "Xie Huai, don't let go, you mustn't let go!"
Xie Huai didn't respond; he was too afraid to speak. He feared that if he opened his mouth, the breath he was holding would escape, and both he and Deng Yinyin would fall.
In that moment, amidst the curtain of rain, there was the sound of heavy downpour, Deng Yinyin's sobs, and Xu Hang's calm reassurances.
When Gu Ze arrived, he immediately pulled a rope from his backpack, handing one end to Xu Hang and the other to Xu Nuan while gripping the middle himself.
Xu Nuan hesitated for a few seconds before running to a spot on the other side where there seemed to be no rolling stones for the time being. Xu Hang quickly tied the rope around his waist, gripping the edge of the cliff with both hands. In the heavy rain, he began to climb down slowly while Gu Ze tightly held onto the middle of the rope, managing the speed on both sides.
Climbing in such heavy rain was incredibly difficult. Xu Hang was anxious and worried about not only saving Xie Huai but also ensuring his own safety.
Xie Huai was also struggling. He appeared frail and indeed looked very weak. Balancing the weight of two people with one dislocated hand in the pouring rain was something he had never imagined doing. Yet at this moment, he had no choice but to hold on.
If he let go, it wouldn't just be him who died; Deng Yinyin would perish as well.
He hadn't been able to protect Tang Jingshu.
He didn't want to fail in protecting Deng Yinyin either.
If he couldn't protect those he should have protected, then he had no right to exist in this game.
Deng Yinyin's cries echoed in his ears; he felt no annoyance at all. He only felt a sense of regret that he couldn't comfort her at this moment or wipe away her tears.
He really wanted to tell Deng Yinyin that he could protect her well, so she shouldn’t be afraid.
Heavy Rain continued to mercilessly pound the pitiful characters in their game, each person doing their best in their respective positions.
Xu Nuan helped Gu Ze stabilize the forces on both sides while keeping an eye on the giant rock. As soon as she noticed any movement from it, she would immediately alert Gu Ze.
Gu Ze felt his hands starting to bleed; the rough parts of the rope were digging into his flesh with every ounce of strength he exerted. Just holding on was already excruciating.
Xu Hang had slipped from the Cliff more than once, but Gu Ze’s control always managed to steady him again. He would grab onto a protruding rock on the Cliff, his fingers already drenched in blood, but Heavy Rain quickly washed away the metallic scent.
In the most dangerous spot, Deng Yinyin cried while watching everyone’s movements. She felt wronged; it wasn’t her choice to come into this game, nor did she want to face these inexplicable dangers. She was determined to find out who had signed that contract on her behalf.
However, after a while, she suddenly felt that finding that bastard might not be so important anymore.
Watching the actions of others, her initial fear of being abandoned transformed into a sense of security. It seemed she was beginning to understand the meaning of "companionship."
Less than five meters away, Xu Hang felt as if he had been climbing for a century, but he finally landed steadily on the fragile trunk that Xie Huai barely managed to hold onto.
Xie Huai's nearly collapsing hand was finally saved, and Deng Yinyin's desire to survive was finally acknowledged.
With the help of the rope, they could slowly climb up bit by bit.
The rain began to change; through the misty edges, some light could be seen piercing through the Swarm’s clouds. The surrounding atmosphere also shifted, bringing a sense of ease as if they were parting the clouds to see the moonlight.
Xu Hang and Xie Huai naturally let Deng Yinyin tie the rope around her waist and climb up first. In fact, there was no need for her to climb; Gu Ze and Xu Nuan could easily pull her up.
This was also Deng Yinyin’s first time not seeking comfort from Gu Ze after escaping danger. Instead, she stood bravely, untied the rope and threw it down, then grasped part of it and positioned her feet like Gu Ze’s, standing firm in the rain on the muddy ground.
The branches supporting Xu Hang and Xie Huai were fragile, already creaking as Deng Yinyin was pulled up. By this time, they could hear the sound of branches snapping.
With dark expressions, Xu Hang and the pale-faced Xie Huai exchanged a glance before simultaneously looking down at the trunk beneath them, growing increasingly anxious.
From high above on the cliff, Gu Ze seemed to sense their unease and spoke directly.
"Just in case, you two should come up together this time. We'll try to pull you up while you also look for some leverage on the rock face."
Xie Huai, a liberal arts student majoring in advertising design, didn’t quite understand the instruction. However, Xu Hang immediately understood and effortlessly hoisted Xie Huai onto his back. He then secured the rope that had been lowered once again around his waist.
It was a long process, yet it was one of saving lives.
When everyone finally stood on solid ground again, the skies had begun to clear.
A gentle golden sunlight poured down from between the clouds, casting a hazy and beautiful glow over everything.
In the distance, the Northern Heavy Tower swayed gently, while nearby, Purple Violets bloomed vibrantly. The cliff was predominantly green, with a thin layer of mist hovering above it, creating an ethereal scene under the sunlight.
They watched as eagles soared in the sky above, black dots moving from near to far and then back again.
The cliff they were on seemed like a solitary figure stubbornly refusing to connect with any of the surrounding peaks.
After climbing most of the mountain, they realized that there were no Special Trees on this cliff.
"It seems we can only continue our search on other cliffs," Xu Hang said.
With the skies clearing and their companion returning from the brink of death, Xu Hang's tone softened slightly as he made his decision.
"We first need to find a way to the other Cliff," Xu Nuan said, squinting as she surveyed the surroundings once more. It was clear that this Cliff was isolated; in other words, the exit of the Supply Station was deliberately constructed on this Cliff, otherwise it would not pose such a threat.
"Right, let's search for a path and conserve our energy as much as possible along the way."
Having just escaped from one crisis, they were already embarking on another journey.
This time, Xu Nuan deliberately walked ahead, trying to appear nonchalant while avoiding someone's gaze, striving to keep her heart from stirring with emotions.
Half a day later, they finally found a passage in a secluded corner of the Cliff. It consisted of one or two long, thick iron chains—one above and one below—connected at intervals to extend from their Cliff across to the opposite Cliff.
The only thing securing these chains were two wooden stakes that seemed deeply embedded in the ground but had become somewhat loose due to the Heavy Rain.
"This iron cable looks really unsafe," Deng Yinyin remarked, twitching her lips as she watched the chains sway in the wind, beneath which lay an unfathomable abyss.
Xie Huai noticed the height of the abyss as he looked at the chains and felt a familiar ache in his recently healed arm. Did this game particularly enjoy pushing them to their limits?
Xu Hang and Gu Ze were more practical; they approached the wooden stakes, inspecting them closely before shaking them side to side. They took out tools and hammered the stakes deeper into the ground before testing the iron chains again, showing a more earnest approach.
"Take it easy and slow down your pace; we can make it across," one of them suggested.
"But it feels like crossing will take a lot of energy!" Xie Huai muttered. He glanced at his teammates' conditions; they were exhausted from the morning's long trek, and their stamina and focus were insufficient to support such a high-intensity task.
"Then let's take a break and head over once we've regained our strength."
Xu Hang naturally noticed that the others were not in great shape. The iron cable passage was right there and wouldn't go anywhere, so it was fine to rest a bit before setting off again.
With that thought, Xu Hang and Gu Ze turned back and found a spot to sit down and rest.
Gu Ze noticed that Xu Nuan had been silent the entire time, not even glancing at the iron cable, but instead furrowing her brow as she stared in one direction.
It seemed that the sound of footsteps and chatter was getting closer, and soon they realized that a few people were approaching their location.
"It's all Zhang Xiao's fault for giving out that information; otherwise, I wouldn't have missed that woman and lost contact with the main group. You all are useless," came a slightly domineering yet pleasant female voice.
Gu Ze noticed Xu Nuan's eyebrows twitching.
At the end of the path, two men and one woman appeared.
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