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The box containing the significance of Su Zihang to Qin Yaojie was opened, and Dong Keyong suddenly attacked, swiftly killing Shen Shen. This series of events left Xu Nuan's mind, which had just begun to clear, in a state of confusion once again.
As Xu Nuan was in a panic, Dong Keyong, who had just killed Shen Shen, suddenly approached her and knocked her unconscious with a swift strike.
Xu Nuan awoke amidst a jolt, her eyes still hazy as she took in the ground rushing by beneath her. Her stomach pressed against Dong Keyong's shoulder, squeezing her insides and causing her to feel nauseous despite not having eaten anything. The pressure from Dong Keyong's grip around her waist was so tight that she feared her bones might crack under the strain.
In the midst of this turmoil, memories of what had just happened flooded back to her, and panic spread from her heart to her limbs. She trembled continuously, trying to struggle free from Dong Keyong's hold, but in her current state, she lacked the strength to contend with him. Ultimately, Dong Keyong brought her to a place filled with low trees.
Dong Keyong gently set her down. As soon as she hit the ground, she could no longer suppress the turmoil in her stomach and knelt beside a low Birch tree to vomit. The bile that came up was sour and repulsive. Dong Keyong seemed unhurried, allowing her to expel everything until she could no longer bring anything up. When she finally looked up, she realized they were quite close to a range of rolling mountains.
Xu Nuan turned sharply and noticed that the path they had taken was deliberately trampled down, as if someone had prepared this route for them to reach the mountains. Did this mean that Dong Keyong had accomplices?
At the same time, she speculated that the Special Tree and Supply Station were both located near the mountains. Did this mean that Xu Hang and the others would also have to come here to pass through? Was there still a chance for her to meet Gu Ze?
The image of that person flashed in her mind, but Xu Nuan shook her head to dispel it. She did not believe she could escape from Dong Keyong's grasp. Dong Keyong was stronger than Shen Shen and more cunning as well. From what she knew, Dong Keyong's motives were likely related to Su Zihang; this was not a weakness she could exploit. For someone like her who felt utterly powerless, she had no hope of escaping.
Even though she believed there was little chance of escape, instinct drove Xu Nuan to seek an opportunity for herself. She pretended to rest due to her current weakness while observing her surroundings. Ahead lay a continuous range of dark-hued mountains; it was unclear how long it would take to reach them. Behind her was the path they had taken, leading into an open area filled with mossy herbaceous plants. On either side were shorter trees—most were shorter than her—but if she crawled forward, they might conceal her form.
If she could slip into this forest, was there a chance she could evade Dong Keyong?
Xu Nuan quickly calculated in her mind. The sudden death of Shen Shen shocked and frightened her; however, regardless of everything, she had managed to escape from Shen Shen's clutches. Now she faced Dong Keyong.
From what she observed so far, it seemed that Shen Shen trusted Dong Keyong relatively well; however, their relationship appeared more like a partnership. In Shen Shen’s seemingly refined yet proud perspective, Dong Keyong must have seemed weaker and not someone to be wary of; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to act so easily.
Moreover, it was peculiar that Dong Keyong chose this moment—after she inquired about Su Zihang and following an offhand comment from Shen Shen that triggered memories clearly sealed away by Qin Yaojie—to strike. This suggested that Dong Keyong did not want Shen Shen to know about Su Zihang but rather wanted information about what Xu Nuan knew.
What should she know?
Xu Nuan was puzzled, taking deep breaths to buy herself some time to think. What she currently knew was that Su Zihang and Qin Yaojie had a good relationship, and he was also a Game Designer. He had died shortly after entering the game, leaving something behind for Qin Yaojie, who needed to protect that item.
What could be so important that Qin Yaojie treated it with such caution?
Moreover, Qin Yaojie hadn’t told her what that item was. If she was certain she could find it, it meant it was something within her reach.
Something within her reach?
Xu Nuan looked at the two Tail Rings on her right hand in surprise. The only things Qin Yaojie had left for her were those Tail Rings and that notebook. Of course, the Tail Ring she initially brought into the game was also a gift from Qin Yaojie.
Tail Ring? A notebook with special symbols recorded in it?
Which one was the item she should protect?
Or perhaps Qin Yaojie had hidden that item in some corner of the Game Base that she would inevitably visit. If she could survive, she would have to pass through a hundred levels. Each level was a place she had to go through; so which corner was essential for her?
A secret passage!
Thinking she had uncovered the truth, Xu Nuan's breathing became heavy. When Dong Keyong's gaze fell upon her, she pretended to be nonchalant and sat on the ground to rest.
However, Dong Keyong clearly thought she had rested enough and walked over to make her stand up.
Facing those eyes that were hard to read yet intimidating, Xu Nuan offered little resistance and stumbled to her feet.
At that moment, silence would only erode her chances of escaping this person. Xu Nuan contemplated briefly before deciding to take the initiative.
"Why did you kill Shen Shen? Aren't you his companion?"
Xu Nuan noticed a trace of mockery flicker across Dong Keyong's lips, which quickly returned to their usual curve.
"If he doesn't die, your fate will either be death or madness."
The raspy yet charming voice floated into Xu Nuan's ears along with the wind.
At this moment, feeling utterly disheveled, Xu Nuan managed a smile.
"So," her light brown eyes devoid of any emotion locked onto those chilling eyes, "you killed Shen Shen for me?"
How is that possible!
Xu Nuan shouted in her heart, though her expression remained somewhat composed.
Dong Keyong immediately displayed a complex array of emotions.
"I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Dong Keyong, an outsider to this game. I don't understand its design or operation; I entered purely out of interest."
A blatant lie. Xu Nuan had already concluded this fact in her mind, yet she still needed to feign appropriate confusion. She hadn't expected that after enduring Shen Shen's provocation, she had learned to maintain a facade.
"That doesn't explain why you killed Shen Shen. Or are you, like that Su Zihang, a worshiper of Qin Yaojie?"
As the danger flickered in Dong Keyong's eyes, Xu Nuan became fully aware that he had ulterior motives, and that Su Zihang was the key to it all. The so-called thing that needed her protection was merely a means to achieve this person's goal.
The man before her had a fleeting moment of danger in his gaze, quickly replaced by a predatory stare that sent chills down her spine. Xu Nuan instinctively took two steps back, but Dong Keyong interpreted this as an attempt to flee. He instinctively stepped forward and grabbed Xu Nuan's arm, twisting it behind her. Pain shot through her, and she reflexively reached for the short knife at her waist, only to realize with a start that it was still in the cave, along with her backpack.
"Looks like that's not the case."
Xu Nuan focused on Dong Keyong's hand and smiled lightly. This person had been easily seen through, indicating that he was trying to execute a clumsy trick rather than being straightforward like Shen Shen. The key point was that Shen Shen was already dead; no one could hypnotize her into revealing anything. Dong Keyong's initial desire to get close stemmed from his fear of not being able to discern the truth from her.
Was this akin to shooting oneself in the foot?
However, it also reflected that Dong Keyong would rather risk giving him false information than allow Shen Shen to hypnotize him into learning about Su Zihang.
Designers cannot know about Su Zihang—why?
The questions piled up, and Xu Nuan currently lacked enough information to play tricks on Dong Keyong. He had witnessed how she provoked Shen Shen and would certainly be on guard against her. Moreover, Dong Keyong must have gathered information about her through other channels.
"Do you want to live or die?"
As Xu Nuan furrowed her brow in pain, trying to maintain clarity amidst the dizziness it caused, Dong Keyong casually posed a dilemma.
"Do you want me to live or die?"
Xu Nuan believed she should not mention anything related to Su Zihang's belongings first; she wanted to watch Dong Keyong grow anxious and gradually reveal his flaws before seizing the opportunity. This tactic was something she learned from the psychologist Shen Shen.
Her question caused Dong Keyong to pause in his breathing, his expression shifting to one of complex emotions as he looked at her.
“Mind's Eye Too many die quickly.”
Xu Nuan was unconvinced.
“Without Mind's Eye, you die even faster.”
Time passed as the two faced off. Although Xu Nuan was physically exhausted and felt fatigued, she remained patient. She was betting on Dong Keyong’s lack of patience. If Dong Keyong had accomplices in this situation, there must be a predetermined time for them.
Now it was a matter of whether Dong Keyong wanted to resolve this alone or take her to meet his accomplices. Xu Nuan could roughly identify the three types of people in the game who had intentions toward her. The first were those who wanted to know about the secret passage: Zhang Xiao and Ning Han, who were obsessively unaware of their motives, and Shen Shen along with the Designers, who wanted to leave the game and might not necessarily kill her. The second group included people like Guo Dafu and Guo Xu, who wanted her dead. If she wasn't mistaken, Guo Dafu had been tempted by someone, while Guo Xu’s purpose for entering the game was solely her; there was someone behind this, though she didn’t know who yet. The third group consisted of individuals like Dong Keyong, who wanted to take something from her. What important item could Su Zihang, as a Designer, have left for Qin Yaojie, which then ended up with her?
Taking advantage of Dong Keyong’s silence, Xu Nuan reviewed everything once more. However, she did not expect that her words would provoke Dong Keyong, making him appear extremely dangerous.
“If you come out, I can let you live a little longer; if you don’t, there’s only one way out—death.”
Dong Keyong fixed his gaze on Xu Nuan and continued.
“If you’re unwilling, I have ways to make a woman speak. For example, Shen Shen merely makes you lose consciousness to answer questions; my methods involve real pain.”
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