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墨書 Inktalez
So much had happened that day, and once again, Xu Nuan chose to shut herself off from the world. Regardless of how much anger she felt, even if it might hurt someone, she decided to swallow the consequences alone.
After an unknown creature had destroyed one of their tents, the exhausted group of five could hardly muster the energy to set up another one. They decided to squeeze into a single tent instead.
Xu Nuan didn't want to face Deng Yinyin alone, nor did she want to confront Gu Ze. The idea of five people crammed together was a conflicting situation for her.
She couldn't see the wound on the back of her head, and her arm wasn't flexible enough for her to bandage herself. In this moment of stubbornness, she didn't seek help from anyone else. Instead, she carelessly used a towel soaked in alcohol to disinfect the area without applying any ointment or wrapping it up, letting it be.
She approached the situation with a "what's done is done" mentality. After all, she had sustained so many head injuries before; if there were going to be lasting effects, they would have shown up by now. Moreover, her memory had been fragmented due to medication that suppressed nerve transmission. Random memories that she had inexplicably forgotten would pop up and cause chaos, and she no longer wanted to deal with it.
If only she could truly ignore everything.
With this thought in mind, she wrapped herself tightly in her sleeping bag, trying hard to fall asleep.
But sleep eluded her. Despite her body and mind reaching their limits and protesting against her, she couldn't let herself drift off for even a brief respite. She wondered if the phenomenon of fragmented memories meant that there could be false parts within her recollections—perhaps events that happened to others but were misremembered by her as if they had happened to herself. If that were the case, it could explain the effects of those medications.
She was lost in delusions.
Letting out a soft sigh, Xu Nuan curled up tighter. The untreated wound began to throb with pain, waves of discomfort making it even harder for her to sleep. It was unacceptable that Xie Huai and Deng Yinyin, who were less skilled than her, had come out unscathed while she got injured simply because she had spaced out during a fight.
Beyond the pain, there was a sense of loss and discomfort.
After their argument, Gu Ze really hadn't sought her out again nor insisted on helping her with her injury. That man was genuinely hurt because of her actions; thus, it was only right that she spent this night alone and restless due to various matters weighing on her mind.
In truth, she didn't believe Deng Yinyin's words; however, she also didn't trust Gu Ze's either. Weighing both sides against each other led her back to the same choice she'd made—there was no difference; she shouldn't care.
As dawn approached, Xu Nuan finally managed to doze off for a short while before being awakened by the sounds of others getting up. Reluctantly, she climbed out of her sleeping bag.
As she got up, she reached back to touch the wound on the back of her head and found that the small cut had already scabbed over. A sigh of relief washed over her. She remembered that in the past, her head had been quite resilient; a few bumps would only result in a lump at most. But recently, continuous head injuries leading to bleeding were not a good sign at all.
Xu Nuan tried hard to calm her emotions as she casually put on her jacket. After spending so much time in the game, she had grown indifferent to many details, such as whether to change into pajamas at night or to fix her makeup in the morning. All they needed to do here was survive; no one would appreciate their appearances.
As she set out on her journey again, Xu Nuan was quite pleased to be away from Gu Ze, just as Deng Yinyin had wished. However, Gu Ze no longer approached her with the same disregard for her distance as before. Everyone gets tired, and when one's exhaustion goes unnoticed by the person they care about, that weariness feels doubled.
Yet there were aspects that did not align with Deng Yinyin's wishes. Even though Gu Ze ignored Xu Nuan now, he had no intention of acknowledging her at all. Still, she remained unbothered for the time being, firmly believing that time could change Gu Ze's feelings. All she needed to do was wait.
However, no one knew what the future held. In the face of certain matters, some misunderstandings truly seemed trivial.
Even if there were no strange interactions between Deng Yinyin and Gu Ze, Xu Nuan did not dwell on it. If she stepped out on her own, there would be no turning back. She lacked the energy to correct anything; there was no one colder than her in this world.
The wind in the Gobi was strong, but it lacked the yellow sands of a desert. The air was dry and cold, penetrating to the bone. In fact, they had previously encountered a survival game set in the Gobi, which was similar to those parts of Survival Games like Stone Forest. Those Gobi areas resembled barren grasslands but still held delightful patches of greenery and occasional oases.
However, the level they were currently in focused entirely on the Gobi. As far as the eye could see, it truly resembled the description given in the prompts—vast and endless—but it felt more acceptable than a desert.
The sun hung high in the sky, radiating little warmth and appearing somewhat lazy. The drowsy sunlight spilled over the sandy gravel ahead, creating a faint haze that made everything appear slightly blurred; the indistinct silhouettes left everyone feeling a bit dazed.
As usual, Xu Nuan lagged behind. With every step she took, her head felt heavier. At first, she paid it no mind; after walking for nearly a whole morning, however, the sensation of fainting grew stronger. She began to worry that perhaps neglecting her wound had caused complications.
But at this moment, she couldn't call anyone over to check on her.
Gu Ze was no longer her pursuer or ally; thus, Xu Hang—who had been connected through him—was merely a companion now. Xie Huai cared too much about himself and shared Deng Yinyin's lack of team spirit to be considered reliable. As for Deng Yinyin, due to various reasons and her different personas in front of different people, she was also unreliable.
A chill crept into Xu Nuan's heart as she found herself missing He Min from the Second Batch Players and Liu Minghong, who had taught her how to make explosives. To her, He Min and Liu Minghong—along with the deceased Yu Hao—were the only friends she had made since entering this game. Sometimes friends and companions are not the same; friends are those with whom you can share your heart and relieve stress, while companions are those who fight alongside you for a common goal.
She hadn’t realized how much she had cherished this team until Ning Han pushed her off a cliff; at that moment, all she could think about was returning to them. What surprised her now was that she felt weary of this team at this moment. Once fatigue set in, one often wished to abandon it all.
Yet having drawn warmth from her team, could she survive alone in this game until she found Qin Yaojie and uncovered the truth?
She did not know.
What she did know was that, to some extent, her sense of fatigue towards the team stemmed from Gu Ze.
As she thought this, Xu Nuan, who was walking at the back, unconsciously shifted her gaze to Gu Ze, who was at the front. The sunlight, no longer warm, cast a stark light on him, accentuating his tall figure and long legs. All she could see was his back, a silhouette moving further away with no intention of looking back or lingering on what was behind.
A figure receding into the distance, impossible to chase after.
After reaching this conclusion, Xu Nuan felt as if she were being foolish. Since she had come to such a conclusion after what had happened, she should have turned back without any lingering feelings. Yet, after just one night of indifference, she began to waver. What else could it be but foolishness?
In a daze, she recalled the moment he had handed her the medication; suddenly, that scene transformed into a series of past memories.
The feeling of heaviness in her head and lightness in her feet grew stronger. Xu Nuan looked up at the sun and realized it was nearly noon. They had not seen any other Players or encountered any Special Trees or dangers. She knew that soon Xu Hang would call for a break.
However, before Xu Hang could announce a break, it was the voice of the System that interrupted.
“Good afternoon, Players. A new mission is now announced.”
This was in the Gobi Desert; she had no idea where the advanced surveillance equipment was hidden. The vast emptiness of the Gobi made the System's voice sound somewhat desolate and echo far away.
Upon hearing the System's voice, several people instinctively halted their steps.
In that moment of stopping, Xu Nuan swayed slightly but quickly steadied herself. She lifted her head and continued to listen attentively as the System announced the mission.
“This is a secret mission; each one is different.”
The cold and lonely tone of the voice matched the chill of the wind sweeping across the Gobi, sending a shiver through Xu Nuan.
"Now, everyone choose a different direction and walk forward fifty steps."
The System began to build suspense.
Xu Nuan and the others had no choice but to comply. Regardless of their speculations about the Designers, they were in the game and had to follow the System's arrangements.
Once they stopped, a device emerged from the ground in front of Xu Nuan. After rising to a certain height, a screen appeared before her, and soon her mission was revealed.
When she read the words on the screen, Xu Nuan's eyes widened in disbelief.
How could her mission be this? Why was it this?
She was speechless, and she noticed that others were also silent. Did that mean their missions were just as difficult as hers? Treating people as hunting targets—such a task was truly daunting.
But the System paid no attention to her thoughts and continued on its own.
"I believe you have all seen your missions. Regardless of whether your targets are humans or other creatures, you must complete them. This round is a single-player challenge, meaning each Player must enter the Supply Station alone for resupply and proceed to the next stage. Players who do not complete their missions will find that even if they reach the Supply Station, the doors cannot be opened. The System will monitor whether you complete your missions throughout, so please do not harbor any false hopes."
The System's somewhat desolate voice echoed across the Gobi for a long time.
For the first time, Xu Nuan thought she might not be able to complete her mission and move on to the next stage. That task was likely beyond her capabilities.
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