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墨書 Inktalez
According to Xu Hang, he simply saw a strangely shaped stone by the roadside, kicked it, and then the Hidden Level appeared.
Are Hidden Levels so common now that they can be triggered like this?
Xu Nuan silently complained in her heart as she and Gu Ze watched Xu Hang press the button.
It was similar to what they had seen before; a black device slowly emerged from the ground. Once it reached their chest height, it gradually unfolded, forming a massive screen.
As she looked at the information on the screen, Xu Nuan couldn't help but widen her eyes.
At the same time, a silence enveloped the five of them.
The information on the screen was related to the Special Tree. The gist was that this level would not actively reveal the Special Tree. The only way to make the Special Tree appear was to trigger the mechanism at the Riverbank. This mechanism was called 'Human Sacrifice,' which required throwing a human into the river as a sacrifice to become its nourishment. Once this was done, the Special Tree would appear and would not disappear again.
Xu Nuan suddenly felt a wave of discomfort. Compared to previous Hidden Levels, no matter how unreasonable the demands were, she had never felt this way before. This time, she was directly confronted with the Designers' contempt for human life.
And Qin Yaojie was one of those Designers; Xu Nuan found it hard to accept this realization.
Of course, they would not abandon their companions or want to harm other Players. However, if they did not participate in the river sacrifice, the Special Tree would not appear, and they would not find the Supply Station, leaving them trapped in this level until death.
In short, what this Hidden Level implied was that to survive in this game, one must tread upon the deaths of others.
How could such harsh rules be accepted?
Even in a Death Game, it should be based on the dangers of survival rather than on human lives.
Xu Nuan completely rejected the twisted mentality of the Designers; she desperately wanted to destroy this game.
When her heart was in turmoil, a hand rested on her shoulder, applying a gentle downward pressure as if to help her calm her emotions.
Xu Nuan looked over to see Gu Ze.
Gu Ze did not look at her; instead, he pressed a button to turn off the Hidden Level.
"The Game Designer is not omnipotent. We do not wish to sacrifice anyone to progress. Since the secret lies within the river, we will move forward while studying its mysteries. Of course, we must maintain a certain distance from the river to avoid being infected."
Gu Ze's words were frank. Xu Nuan could see from Xu Hang's satisfied expression that he shared the same sentiment, and the other two also appeared somewhat relieved.
The tension in the air suddenly eased. Xu Nuan walked forward with the others, a warm current flowing through her heart. She felt fortunate that she and her team shared the same ideals.
The group followed Gu Ze's advice, keeping a safe distance from the river while observing its movements, trying to uncover any anomalies. Everything has its cause and effect; if many Survival Games in the future require sacrifices to trigger events, then very few would truly complete all one hundred levels, rendering the game meaningless.
Walking over countless bones requires immense willpower and courage!
Thus, they all believed that the Hidden Level concealed other meanings. There was no need for them to despair too soon; with some time and patience, they could also discover its secrets.
With this mindset, Xu Nuan walked for a while longer before she finally gritted her teeth.
"How much longer are you going to keep your hand there?"
Indeed, Gu Ze had kept his hand on her shoulder for several minutes now, and it had even shifted to just below the back of her neck, almost as if he were embracing her.
Xu Nuan thought she should be polite and express gratitude for Gu Ze's comforting gesture, so she initially refrained from showing any dissatisfaction. However, Gu Ze's hand was becoming too bold; this man seemed to shine brightly with just a little warmth.
It wasn't until Xu Nuan spoke up that Gu Ze slowly withdrew his hand, looking as if he regretted it. The anger simmering within Xu Nuan was burning fiercely. Was this really Gu Ze? The elegant gentleman? The domineering heir? The brooding handsome guy?
Who was this man who seemed to want to take advantage at every turn?
She thought to herself that the saying "distance creates beauty" was indeed true.
So, could she maintain a certain distance from this man?
"Don't be angry; I can provide information," Gu Ze said with a smile as Xu Nuan's face turned darker.
Xu Nuan managed to soften her expression. "Honestly, your pathetic performance almost made me forget."
This time, it was Gu Ze's turn for his face to darken.
Xu Nuan felt a sense of relief and then turned her serious gaze toward the few people ahead who looked somewhat worried.
"So, in your memory, are there really such harsh conditions?"
"Well," Gu Ze said, covering his mouth as he recalled.
"In my impression, there is indeed a Hidden Level in this challenge, but the indicated difficulty level isn't high, so it definitely wouldn't have such strict conditions."
Xu Nuan withdrew her gaze and lowered her head to look at the gravel path beneath her feet.
"Could it be that we encountered a fake Hidden Level? Or is this just the Game Designer's twisted sense of humor?"
She had many questions, but quickly dismissed them.
"No, that's not right. We climbed so high and didn't find the Special Tree; what we saw with our own eyes can't possibly be fake."
"So, the conditions for the Hidden Level might have other meanings that we just haven't discovered yet."
Gu Ze reached out again, but upon seeing Xu Nuan's glare, he sheepishly withdrew his hand.
"Don't rush. Let's take our time to find a suitable solution."
Gu Ze always had a commanding presence in moments like this, which made it easy for others to trust him.
However, Xu Nuan couldn't help but feel anxious at that moment, her expression darkening unconsciously.
An awkward atmosphere settled between them.
Having adjusted his mindset, Gu Ze took the initiative.
"Nuan, I remember you mentioned earlier that in real life, someone is also hunting you down. Do you know why?"
At that moment, Xu Nuan's mind was in a haze; she couldn't recall what she had said earlier. She was unclear about the reasons behind being hunted both in-game and out. While she could still manage to investigate the in-game reasons, there were many things outside the game that she didn't want to remember, making it impossible for her to force herself to uncover the truth.
She couldn't provide an answer and could only remain silent.
Another hand reached out, gently patting her hair, and then she heard that pleasant, gentle voice that evoked a sense of nostalgia.
"I'll listen when you're ready to share."
In that moment, Xu Nuan truly wanted to tell Gu Ze about one of the things weighing on her mind. Ever since she regained that part of her memory, each passing day had been tormenting. But she had never dared to show it; once she allowed herself to indulge in those feelings, every step forward would become incredibly difficult.
Once she released her vulnerability, she would become weak. She couldn't even bear to imagine what she would turn into without support and comfort. So, it was better to shoulder everything alone from the start; after all, she had always been by herself.
Everyone had abandoned her.
"Do I need to repeat myself?"
Xu Nuan repressed the bitterness in her heart, deliberately sounding harsh.
At that moment, Gu Ze's hand still rested on Xu Nuan's.
"It's not my fault; your hair just feels too good."
Gu Ze defended himself earnestly, his expression serious.
Seeing through the facade of this man, Xu Nuan shot him a harmless glare before calming herself and continuing to walk forward.
If her days in the game could always be like this, it wouldn't be so bad.
At least, she wouldn't feel lonely.
At least she still had the strength to keep moving forward.
A few of them walked at a distance from the river, and before they knew it, night had fallen. The temperature at night was relatively pleasant, allowing them to escape the torment of the day, and they were in the mood for a few conversations.
Deng Yinyin still wore a frown; everything that had happened recently had not gone her way, which left her quite irritated.
Across the campfire, Xu Nuan observed Deng Yinyin's expression and glanced at Xu Hang, who was continuously signaling her. She spoke up lightly.
"Is your face feeling any better?"
When women bring up topics related to appearance, it always captures the attention of other women.
Upon hearing Xu Nuan's words and looking at her face, Deng Yinyin excitedly pulled a mirror from her pocket and examined her own reflection closely.
Xu Nuan watched as Deng Yinyin looked into the mirror without saying another word. Ever since Deng Yinyin had an allergic reaction, her mirror had been liberated from her backpack and transferred to her pocket. Throughout their journey, Deng Yinyin had kept her face covered, so Xu Nuan couldn't understand why she would take out the mirror every few steps to check her face, sighing before putting it away again.
Aside from initially showing some embarrassment over her allergy, Xu Nuan had shown no unusual behavior afterward and did not cover her face, leaving someone eager to please quite disappointed.
Xu Nuan remarked that Gu Ze was feeling itchy, while Deng Yinyin seemed to embody womanhood even more than herself.
No, they were both women after all.
"Wow, the rash on my face has reduced a lot! Maybe after a good night's sleep, it will be completely gone."
Deng Yinyin was very happy as she examined herself in the mirror, prompting Xu Hang and Xie Huai to quickly agree with her.
"Yes, you should rest well tonight, and your face will be fine by tomorrow morning."
Seeing Deng Yinyin's cheerful expression, Xu Nuan felt the urge to take out a mirror and check her own face.
However, she suddenly realized that she hadn't brought a mirror with her.
Every time she picked items at the Supply Station, she only chose what she truly needed, and a mirror was irrelevant for her in the game.
Should she borrow one from Deng Yinyin?
Xu Nuan considered this possibility, but then she would definitely be laughed at by Gu Ze beside her.
Not borrowing it?
She felt a bit curious about how her face looked right now, but unfortunately, in the night, she couldn't use the blade to catch the faint light of the campfire to see her reflection.
At that moment, the person beside her spoke up.
"Don't worry, your face looks fine too."
What nonsense! Did he think she was as easily fooled as Deng Yinyin?
Xu Nuan looked up, trying to convey her anger with a fierce glare, but instead found herself gazing into Gu Ze's eyes.
They were filled with affection.
Xu Nuan cleared her throat a few times and turned her gaze to the campfire, her face feeling warm from the heat radiating from it.
Was it just her imagination?
It had to be.
As night fell, it was a rare moment of rest. Xu Nuan found herself tossing and turning, countless scenes flooding her mind, making it hard for her to breathe. With everyone else fast asleep, she could only endure in silence.
Before she knew it, it was deep into the night. Usually, at this hour, Xu Nuan would succumb to sleep due to her exhausted mind, and she had been waiting for this moment.
Just as she began to feel drowsy, she suddenly heard a noise. Blinking awake, she saw Deng Yinyin getting up and walking away from the campsite with a flashlight in hand.
She must be going to the bathroom, Xu Nuan thought, trying to cling to that fleeting sense of sleepiness. However, she soon realized with dismay that sleep was eluding her.
It was a bad habit to be unable to sleep at the slightest sound. Xu Nuan scolded herself while planning to wait until Deng Yinyin returned and everything settled down before trying to drift off again.
But after quite some time, Deng Yinyin still hadn’t come back.
Xu Nuan calculated the time carefully. No matter what Deng Yinyin was doing, it should have taken long enough by now. That left only one possibility.
Deng Yinyin was in trouble.
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