Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Once again, the Gobi stretched out before him, its endless yellow sands reaching into the horizon. Under the sunlight, the heat rising from the distant dunes created indistinct silhouettes that blurred the line between reality and illusion.
For Qin Yaojie, the scenery in the distance was hazy, but even the nearby landscape seemed unclear.
He had been relying on glucose to meet his basic needs for several days now. Last night, he had coughed up blood again. Cut off from medication, he no longer knew how much longer he could endure. Regardless of how much time he had left, he would continue to move forward, driven by the goal that resided in his heart.
As he looked around, Qin Yaojie noticed that his teammates were dwindling in number. Those who remained each had their own needs; no matter how much respect they showed him in everyday life, it was merely a facade. Once tempted by that person, their loyalty vanished.
Suddenly, he thought of Xu Nuan from more than half a year ago, crying in his arms, struggling to catch her breath. At that time, he had already lacked the strength to embrace her.
Even earlier, when he was tormented day after day by those poisonous rays, he had sensed his own fate approaching. Ultimately, he had failed to protect the people and things he cherished.
Zhang Xiao still lingered in this team that would inevitably fall apart, using his advantages to stir up trouble in these murky waters.
It was only noon, yet he found himself lacking the strength to push forward any longer. The team had been forced to halt repeatedly because of his condition, which must have caused considerable resentment. However, he would not be so easily defeated. He would keep moving toward that goal; perhaps one day, he would see Xu Nuan again.
Using one hand to support himself on the ground and summoning all his strength to stand up, he heard a gentle voice.
"Are you alright? Do you need to rest a bit longer? We’re not in a hurry."
Qin Yaojie looked up to see He Min, another Second Batch Player like Xu Nuan. She had entered this game for money and had found the courage to catch up with the First Batch Players after losing her boyfriend.
A woman as gentle as water and as resilient as stone.
She reminded him so much of Xu Nuan.
"Cough cough, I'm fine."
In the end, Qin Yaojie managed to stand up. One hand gripped a tree trunk while the other covered his mouth. Under He Min's concerned gaze, he began to cough again. Drops of crimson fell between his fingers and landed on the yellow sand below, quickly buried beneath its surface.
He could foresee his own future, transforming into a handful of yellow sand.
“How are you?”
He Min rushed to Qin Yaojie’s side, wanting to support him while also trying to open his backpack to find medication to alleviate Qin Yaojie’s pain.
“I’m fine, I can hold on.”
He had never been a man who regretted his choices.
He did not regret falling in love with Xu Nuan, nor did he regret choosing this path. He certainly would not regret the fact that walking this path had hurt Xu Nuan and caused him to lose her.
His inherent competitiveness led him to choose to go all in; if life were to begin or end with a gamble, then that was life.
He did not regret paying for it with his entire life.
Meanwhile, He Min continued to persuade him.
“Why don’t you stay here for a while? There’s no rush to move forward. Nuan will catch up soon; maybe she’s just at the next checkpoint. If you wait a minute or two, you’ll see her.”
At this point, He Min paused, her eyes filled with warmth and longing.
“You want to see her too, don’t you?”
Qin Yaojie fell silent, lost in thought.
He did not regret his actions, but he had to admit that at this moment, he longed to see Xu Nuan again. Once, he had been Xu Nuan’s sunshine; she was the warmth in his heart. As time slipped away rapidly, he yearned to touch that warmth once more.
However, reality was often cruel. His time was running out; he had to complete what he most wanted to achieve in the game. Meeting Xu Nuan again was something that could only be left to fate.
Xu Nuan's friend, He Min, was very understanding. After receiving a silent response, she wisely chose not to ask any further questions.
Yet, in every group, there is always someone who lacks tact.
Zhang Xiao continued to hold his proud head high, his narrow eyes squinting with a malicious smile at the corners of his lips.
"Are you really okay with this? If you don't see her this time, you might never get another chance."
Zhang Xiao's laughter cast a shadow over the afternoon, lingering in the air for a long time.
"Of course, it's better not to see her. If she knew what you had done in the past, she would hate you and never want to see you again. Besides, she already has a new protector; why would she come looking for an old acquaintance like you?"
Zhang Xiao's words echoed in Xu Nuan's ears for what felt like an eternity.
Meanwhile, Xu Nuan and Rao Tingxue were also basking in the bright sun of the Survival Game. Ever since Rao Tingxue nearly lost her footing and fell off the Cliff, the two had been navigating together for quite some time and had finally made their way out of that perilous area into the vast forest.
It was indeed a forest, but it was riddled with deep pools and dark caves, fraught with danger.
After Xu Nuan made her remarks, Rao Tingxue fell silent for a long time, ultimately choosing to follow Xu Nuan without saying a word.
She realized that the information she had gathered was completely useless; it did not help her understand who Xu Nuan had been in the past or who she was now.
She had also investigated Qin Yaojie's background and received similar results—she did not understand him then or now.
In the expansive forest, only the sound of wind rustling through the leaves could be heard. After a long silence, Rao Tingxue finally sought to change the subject to mask her fear.
"Did you also discover traces of the Special Tree at the peak of Jiao Feng?"
"Yes."
Xu Nuan responded softly, not planning to say much more, her gaze wandering around the environment, always on alert.
Being with Rao Tingxue did not mean she trusted her. Whether it was out of pity for a discarded person or a desire to see Rao Tingxue's downfall, she didn't mind having someone to talk to at this moment. Their goals were different, but their destination was the same.
That was enough.
This time, Xu Nuan did not lose focus. She quickly noticed the approach of the White-Faced Monkey and took out her short knife, assuming a defensive stance. Rao Tingxue was a beat slower, but she had undergone relevant training; her skills were not as good as Xu Nuan's but were more formal.
As they faced off against the team-oriented White-Faced Monkey, Xu Nuan recalled that last time she had been sent to the peak of Ice Duel Peak in the forest where the White-Faced Monkey roamed, only to be left alone at the edge of a cliff. She felt a twinge of worry that a similar scenario might unfold in this forest.
"The White-Faced Monkey operates as a team; don’t let them lead you around."
While fending off the attacking White-Faced Monkeys, who had numerical superiority but lacked power, Xu Nuan reminded Rao Tingxue.
"I don't need your reminders; I'm not an idiot. I noticed that long ago."
Regardless, being saved by a rival was hard to admit.
"That's good."
Xu Nuan was unfazed by Rao Tingxue's harsh tone and continued to handle the White-Faced Monkeys with ease. She had no intention of helping Rao Tingxue; after being dismissed like that, it would be foolish to offer assistance. Besides, as long as they didn’t get drawn into the territory of the White-Faced Monkeys, everything could be negotiated. Letting Rao Tingxue take some hits wasn’t a big deal.
With this thought in mind, Xu Nuan and Rao Tingxue managed to escape the encirclement of the White-Faced Monkeys.
Once they were temporarily safe, Xu Nuan couldn’t help but reflect that people indeed needed pressure to improve. Previously, she and Gu Ze along with three others had failed to fend off those sticky White-Faced Monkeys, yet today she and Rao Tingxue had managed to drive them back.
"Hey, with these strange creatures causing such a ruckus, I have no idea where we ended up. I’ve forgotten which direction the Special Tree is in."
Xu Nuan noticed that Rao Tingxue hadn’t accurately named the White-Faced Monkey. It could be due to disdain for them or simply because she didn’t know their name. After a series of confirmations, Xu Nuan believed it was more likely the latter. Coupled with the five Tail Rings obtained by the Third Batch of Players in Lonely Gorge, Xu Nuan increasingly felt there were individuals among the Third Batch of Players who were just as special as Gu Ze.
With a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind, Xu Nuan remained as still as a mountain on the surface as she spoke lightly.
"I just need to know where it is."
"Hey, aren't you being a bit too arrogant? What's with the smugness?"
Once the danger had passed, Rao Tingxue quickly reverted to her usual self, unleashing a barrage of venomous words at Xu Nuan in an attempt to assert her superiority.
To Xu Nuan, Rao Tingxue was merely an annoying presence, adding a touch of flavor—salty flavor—to her quest for the Special Tree and Supply Station.
The two cautiously navigated around several bottomless dark pits, avoiding deep pools that seemed to harbor unknown creatures, and traversed through dense forests where ancient trees blocked out much of the sunlight. Yet, they still had not found the Special Tree, and the path ahead remained distant.
Rao Tingxue couldn't help but complain again.
"Do you really know where the Special Tree is? Why are we just going in circles here? I remember there were Rhododendrons and a Maple Forest near the Special Tree!"
At first, Xu Nuan had automatically filtered out Rao Tingxue's words, but as time went on and Rao Tingxue continued to chatter incessantly without showing any signs of thirst or fatigue—her energy reminiscent of a three-day-long tirade—Xu Nuan finally felt compelled to intervene.
It was at that moment that Xu Nuan noticed a thick fog approaching them. A bad feeling crept into her heart. Instinctively, she hurried over to Rao Tingxue's side, grabbing her arm and ignoring Rao Tingxue's protests.
During the ten minutes that the fog enveloped them and then dissipated, Xu Nuan confirmed that Rao Tingxue was still by her side. This was evident from the various words Rao Tingxue used to express her disdain for Xu Nuan while struggling to shake off her grip.
Compared to the last time when she had been taken alone to a cliffside cave without hearing anyone's voice, this felt somewhat reassuring.
As the word "reassuring" floated into her mind, Xu Nuan found herself wanting to laugh but also felt a pang of sadness.
When the fog finally cleared away completely, Xu Nuan realized they had arrived at yet another place filled with numerous cliffs.
"Are we back where we started?"
Rao Tingxue's voice had finally turned hoarse.
Xu Nuan chose a spot with a good view to observe for a while before speaking lightly.
"No, it's not the original Cliff. This time, we can finally get close to the Special Tree."
Xu Nuan pointed in one direction, where at the end lay a vibrant red surrounded by a vast expanse of green.
"Phew, you scared me! We can finally reach the Supply Station."
Rao Tingxue completely skipped over the long path along the Special Tree.
Xu Nuan didn't bother to mock her; instead, she slightly curled her lips. It was truly wonderful to be able to reach the Supply Station quickly.
But soon, Xu Nuan had to take back her words as she heard a somewhat hoarse voice.
"Ting Xue, what are you doing here?"
Xu Nuan turned around to meet Ning Han's gaze, which was as slippery and cold as a snake.
Comment 0 Comment Count