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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan believed she was hiding many things from He Min. Part of it was out of fear, wanting to keep He Min uninvolved; some knowledge was safer when kept at bay. The other part was about boundaries—no matter how close they were, they were still independent individuals entitled to their own secrets.
Just as she had once suspected that He Min was keeping things from her, she felt it was important to give space and not pry. She thought He Min would understand this unspoken agreement. So when He Min brought up Qin Yaojie as a way to ask her something, Xu Nuan was taken aback. There was surprise mixed with confusion; for a moment, she even wondered if He Min had intentionally chosen this moment to ask.
However, Xu Nuan didn’t know how to respond. Hiding the truth was both simple and difficult to explain.
Feeling unexpectedly alert after a satisfying meal, Xu Nuan glanced at Gu Ze, who should have been resting but merely cast a fleeting look in her direction without any sign of fatigue. She quickly turned her gaze to Xu Hang, hoping he would understand her silent plea.
“Hmm,” she said when Xu Hang nodded in acknowledgment. Then she turned back to He Min and nodded seriously, “But I don’t want to discuss it right now; it’s not a good thing.”
He Min frowned and suddenly placed a hand on Xu Nuan’s shoulder, about to say something when Xu Hang spoke up.
“If everyone still has energy, why don’t we go find the statues now? The sooner we find them, the sooner we can leave this place.”
With the tension from before dissipated, Deng Yinyin and the others stood up, ready to leave. They had endured the agony of descending into hell and tasted the joy of Bright Outlook. Initially believing they were the lagging group destined to be submerged by the sea along with the island, they now found themselves among those who could leave quickly. Reflecting on it, life seemed much like this—full of surprises. Despite enduring significant hardships and setbacks, perseverance could lead to a favorable outcome.
The group had relaxed significantly since their initial outrage upon hearing the System's mission. No one thought this challenge was particularly cruel anymore; in fact, no one even remembered the three who were about to be sacrificed—Xiong Qi and his companions—let alone their faces. They understood that those individuals had entered the game for desperate reasons, yet when survival opportunities presented themselves, no one focused on those circumstances because everyone had their own struggles. This wasn’t a game of misery; it was one where survival required ruthless tactics and teamwork.
Xu Nuan eagerly responded to Xu Hang's suggestion, skillfully shaking off He Min's hand from her shoulder as she grabbed her backpack and prepared to follow him. Inside, she hoped He Min wouldn’t press further; otherwise, it would only make things awkward for both of them. She didn’t want to confront He Min directly. In that moment, Xu Nuan realized that Gu Ze and He Min meant different things to her. She could confront Gu Ze countless times and openly express her doubts about him without fear of repercussions because she unconsciously believed he would be forgiving. But with He Min, she couldn’t guarantee that if they clashed once, their relationship could return to its previous state.
It was different. Xu Nuan sighed inwardly as her gaze fell on Gu Ze, who had just stood up. She felt an inexplicable sense of guilt towards him. Although she had wronged him many times before and he never allowed her to utter those words again, guilt surged within her at that moment like never before.
Not daring to look back, Xu Nuan missed the sudden depth in He Min’s eyes as she walked away lost in her thoughts. Meanwhile, Gu Ze noticed something unusual about He Min as he turned away; he simply straightened his lips slightly.
Though Chi Xiaoming believed his analysis carried risks and wasn’t highly accurate, Xu Nuan and the others followed his clues and managed to find the two statues before sunset. The statues were indeed well-hidden and positioned precariously, but when they saw their teammates holding four statues in hand, smiles broke out among them as they forgot their earlier hardships.
The group pressed on with renewed determination, aiming to reach the highest point of the island before darkness fell completely so they could leave without delay.
At this moment, the few people walking along the White Stone Slate Path toward the highest point felt undeniably relaxed. They had not expected to find all the statues within such a short time, a stark contrast to their initial struggles in this challenge. While everyone was pleased, there was also a sense of unreality that led to some doubts about this stage.
"I thought it was going to be brutal and exhausting, but now it feels too easy. What if there are more traps waiting for us ahead?"
Xie Huai, the first to suffer from paranoia, spoke up hesitantly. He did not intend to dampen the group's spirits at that moment, but he couldn't suppress the suspicions bubbling inside him.
Deng Yinyin, the second to be plagued by paranoia, picked up on his thoughts with uncertainty. "What if the platform holding the statues has some issues too? Like needing to meet certain conditions or only being accessible at specific times?"
Although her theory seemed a bit far-fetched, it wasn't entirely unreasonable.
"If that's the case, then we can only face whatever comes our way," Xu Nuan replied. Despite her words, she secretly hoped that such a situation would not arise.
"Can't you think positively for once?" Xu Hang said with some exasperation as he glanced at the group lost in speculation. His gaze briefly lingered on the silent He Min before moving away casually, only to lock eyes with Gu Ze, who startled him with the intensity of his emotions.
He was indeed managing a problematic team.
Ultimately, the six of them reached the highest point of the island before nightfall and were surprised to find that only one platform remained.
"They've already left?"
Deng Yinyin's eyes widened in envy as she watched Xu Hang take the statue from her hands.
"We can leave soon."
It turned out that they had overthought the situation; the platform was not a dangerous place. After they placed the statues into their respective slots, a tremor shook the ground a few hundred meters away, near a low hillside, gradually revealing a white Supply Station.
Xu Nuan and Gu Ze both noticed that the Supply Station was built against the mountainside.
They all knew that passing through the Supply Station would lead them to the next stage, but no one had questioned how they would arrive in an entirely different environment with a different terrain.
Most Players regarded this as the Designers' and Game Base's incredible power, but any such power is based on reality. Therefore, there must be some breakthrough related to the Supply Station.
Suddenly filled with Fighting Spirit, Xu Nuan followed the main group toward the Supply Station a few hundred meters away. After walking several dozen meters, she couldn't help but stop and look back at the island. From the white windmill houses and lemon trees to the coconut trees and boulders on the beach, she still hadn't found Guo Xu. At this moment, she couldn't tell where Xiong Qi and Lin were being held down, but these three would inevitably become part of this island's reality.
She didn't feel sad; she just felt a bit melancholic. Regardless of what motives brought people here, they were merely pawns in the control room. She was acutely aware of this and desperately wanted to uncover the Mastermind.
"Nuannuan."
Perhaps Xu Nuan had stopped for too long; Gu Ze, who was walking ahead, suddenly called out to her. His eyes were dark and impenetrable. This change in him came after they returned to the Campsite with the statues and news, a change that stemmed from Xu Nuan.
Xu Nuan took one last deep look at the island before decisively turning around. Her gaze met Gu Ze's with determination, disregarding his attitude as she strode forward without pausing even as she passed by him. In that moment, she was resolute in her path.
Seeing Chi Xiaoming and his group inside the Supply Station was not surprising; however, Xu Nuan felt a twinge of regret. If Chi Xiaoming's group had already been taken to the next stage by the game operators after they entered the Supply Station, she could have observed its operations as an outsider and perhaps found a breakthrough. But just thinking about how they were all under constant surveillance made her realize that those in the control room would not easily let her succeed.
The Supply Station had never welcomed so many Players at once, making it feel somewhat crowded. The bathroom still had lines, Yu Yu's group occupied the lounge, and Xu Hang's group took over the living room, leaving only one Storage Room available, which Chi Xiaoming claimed.
Initially, Chi Xiaoming only gestured for Xu Nuan and Gu Ze to come in for a talk. However, Xu Hang, who had been silent on the sofa, stood up and walked past Chi Xiaoming without exchanging a word.
Noticing that Chi Xiaoming seemed displeased, Xu Nuan quickly offered an explanation.
"He has a good relationship with Tang Jing Shu."
Chi Xiaoming waved his hand at Zhang Hui and the others, who looked a bit worried, and walked into the Storage Room. In the Supply Station, all Players could settle their differences before reaching the next stage to accept new missions.
Deng Yinyin, with her keen ears, heard Tang Jing Shu's name and lifted her head, looking curiously at Xu Nuan, who had not yet entered. She wanted to stand up but felt uncomfortable being kept in the dark about certain matters.
However, Xu Nuan waved her hand at Deng Yinyin and pointed toward the bathroom.
"Amin will be out soon; you can go in and use it."
The temptation of being able to shower, eat, and sleep made Deng Yinyin pause her movements. She nodded silently and sat back down.
Only then did Xu Nuan breathe a sigh of relief. She nodded at Gu Ze beside her, and the two walked into the Storage Room.
Chi Xiaoming remained calm in the one against three situation, sitting cross-legged in a corner while casually playing with a syringe in his hand.
After exchanging glances, Xu Nuan took the lead in asking, "Do you want to go first, or should we?"
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