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墨書 Inktalez
For Xu Nuan and Gu Ze, the rumbling sound was familiar. They had heard it when the Third Batch of Players first entered the game, although it had been much quieter then. In their urban lives, they had also encountered similar sounds while watching dramas depicting related scenes.
It was the sound of a bomb exploding!
Xu Nuan couldn't remember what she was supposed to do, and Gu Ze couldn't recall what he wanted to ask. They exchanged a glance and immediately ran toward the source of the explosion. As the cloud of smoke became more apparent, they both realized that the explosion had occurred where Xu Hang and the others were.
Xu Nuan's heart sank like a stone. The blast radius was so wide that even if Xu Hang and his team had started moving immediately, they wouldn't have been able to escape.
Why did the explosion happen? Why was the timing so coincidental?
Countless questions flooded Xu Nuan's mind, but her brain was in such a chaotic state that she couldn't sort through any coherent thoughts. There were friends and mentors like He Min, the admired captain Xu Hang, the seemingly timid yet reliable Xie Huai, the often childish but surprisingly insightful Deng Yinyin, and the seemingly annoying yet pitiable Fan Beibei.
Each person's face flashed through Xu Nuan's mind, only to be replaced by the thick smoke caused by the explosion. It was a suffocating feeling unlike anything she had experienced before; in her panic, all she could do was run desperately. The wind howled past her ears, Gu Ze's heavy breathing filled the air, distant sounds of animals running echoed around them, along with the mournful cries of unknown birds.
She had once run for her life without regard for her safety; now she was running for the lives of others. It was two entirely different emotions.
Overwhelmed by panic and forcing herself to keep going, Xu Nuan stumbled and nearly fell. Fortunately, Gu Ze noticed and quickly steadied her as they ran.
Leaning on Gu Ze's arm, Xu Nuan gasped for breath before suggesting, "You go back to check on things first; I'll follow after."
Her stamina and speed were no match for Gu Ze's. If he returned first, he might be able to save someone. Even before seeing the reality of the situation, she felt an urge to cry—this time for others. She finally understood how treacherous this game could be; after breezing through earlier levels, they were now faced with this 'life-and-death accident.' It was truly a grand scheme!
A sarcastic smile played on Xu Nuan's lips, but Gu Ze took only two steps forward before turning back.
"No way. I can't leave you alone; I'm going with you."
Gu Ze was more rational than Xu Nuan. His usual lack of rationality stemmed from her actions; otherwise, he could think more clearly about what happened around him. While the explosion was shocking, he was more concerned that this might be a ploy to lure him away from Xu Nuan. If she wasn't within his sight range, he wouldn't feel at ease. Besides, he didn't believe his brother Xu Hang would be easily taken down.
He had to calm down in order to pass such power to those around him.
Xu Nuan had no strength to argue with Gu Ze, nor did she consider what Gu Ze was worried about. After catching her breath, she tugged at Gu Ze's hand and continued forward. At this point, they were getting closer to the explosion site. After running for a few more minutes, they saw a vast expanse of scorched earth.
What was once a grassy area covered with green or yellowish moss had turned into a wasteland, emitting a foul odor. Everything in sight was black, with wisps of steam rising from it. Among the debris were several mechanical mice, reduced to mere fragments of their former selves, no longer surrounded by the purple currents that once defined them.
A cold wind swept through, and the unpleasant smell immediately filled Xu Nuan's nostrils, making her feel nauseous.
Panicking, she grabbed Gu Ze's hand tightly, her almond-shaped eyes wide with anxiety and fear at the sight before her.
"Is it just my imagination? I can't see them. Amin, what happened to Xu Hang and the others?"
In contrast to Xu Nuan's panic from the shock, Gu Ze felt relieved not to see any corpses and tried to reassure her.
"They must have left. Don't worry; they're fine."
Even so, Gu Ze squinted into the direction they had chosen earlier but saw no sign of Xu Hang and the others. In fact, on this tundra, their visibility was quite broad. When he had run back earlier, he had scanned the distance and found no trace of Xu Hang and his group in any direction. Since there were no bodies in sight either, there was only one possibility: Xu Hang and his companions had foreseen something and hidden away.
"No bodies mean nothing happened. They must be hiding somewhere; we just need to look around."
As Gu Ze comforted Xu Nuan, he felt a twinge of doubt. Their time apart hadn't been long; how could Xu Hang and the others have known about the danger in advance? He recalled someone's expression from earlier, deepening his suspicions.
"I understand now."
Just recovering from her panic, Xu Nuan wasn't thinking as far ahead as Gu Ze. She was merely leaning against him, gasping for air and trying to calm herself down. Once she felt steadier, she began to survey her surroundings. When her gaze landed on a distant spot, she froze.
"Look at that mark! Isn't it the one Amin used? The one she agreed upon with Yu Yu?"
Xu Nuan tugged at Gu Ze's sleeve, pointing to a low, charred tree in the distance. In reality, she only appeared calm on the surface; her heart was a torrent of questions and fears, surging like a river. Dynamite—what an intimidating word. In everyday life, it was mostly associated with building demolitions. Although fireworks contained trace amounts of similar components, they were hardly noteworthy. Yet, explosives had never appeared in the Survival Game before. With such destructive power, how many Players would survive if they were carelessly scattered around?
However, in a flash of insight, she recalled Liu Minghong, who had taught her how to make explosives, along with the warnings he had given her at that time.
So, was the cause of this explosion as she suspected?
"That mark—it’s still fresh."
Gu Ze lowered his head and saw the expression on Xu Nuan's face, a mix of contemplation and concern. He sighed lightly, knowing it would be impossible for Xu Nuan to reveal everything she was hiding at this moment. Instead, he focused on the urgent matters at hand.
"I think I have an idea of what happened."
Gu Ze turned Xu Nuan's shoulders to guide her toward a safer location.
"I can confirm that Hang and the others are safe."
After saying this, Gu Ze shouted a few names into the air. Though no one responded, he remained undeterred and confidently moved in a specific direction.
Seeing Gu Ze's demeanor brought Xu Nuan out of her thoughts. She followed him and called out a few names—He Min and the others—but received no reply.
"What did you figure out?"
At this moment, Xu Nuan trusted Gu Ze completely. She knew he wouldn’t speak without reason; his confidence reassured her that Xu Hang and the others were indeed safe. The anxiety that had gripped her heart finally began to ease.
"You'll know when we get there."
It seemed Gu Ze had no intention of explaining further. Xu Nuan felt a bit disappointed but upon looking at Gu Ze's unchanged expression, she sensed that he was deliberately keeping her calm by withholding the full truth—just as she had done similarly only moments ago.
"I won't ask anymore then."
Once she knew that those people were safe, Xu Nuan immediately returned to her previous state, her unyielding demeanor making others feel helplessly frustrated.
Having also emerged from a state of fear and worry, Gu Ze decided to clarify one thing before meeting those individuals.
"Did He Min mention any sign she agreed upon with Yu Yu before this?"
Xu Nuan was taken aback, somewhat confused; the speed at which they switched topics was too fast for her to follow.
"No."
Xu Nuan spoke honestly.
"However, I personally believe that Amin wouldn't deliberately agree on any sign with Yu Yu. Their relationship is somewhat special. So far, I think Amin hasn't given this matter much thought."
"That's strange."
Gu Ze recalled something he had seen in a particular Survival Game, a slight smile forming as he looked down at Xu Nuan's expression. He chose not to bring it up; this wasn't the right moment for that discussion.
Gu Ze's silence didn't mean Xu Nuan wouldn't ask. They were currently navigating a path that had been affected but not severely impacted, and along the way, Xu Nuan hadn't noticed any particular signs. They called out to Xu Hang and the others, but no one responded. Unsure of what Gu Ze was hinting at and aware of his frustration regarding past events, she seized the opportunity to press on with her questions.
"Why did you suddenly bring this up? Was it Amin or Yu Yu's behavior that caught your attention?"
Gu Ze was a person with his own thoughts. Though he appeared to be a gentleman who was polite, his true concern lay only with a few members of their team. This wasn't merely being warm on the outside and cold on the inside; rather, Gu Ze simply wouldn't waste time on those he found uninteresting or unworthy of admiration. Xu Nuan understood this well, which prompted her question. However, after asking, she realized her words could be interpreted in multiple ways.
"The Amin you mentioned."
Thinking about the possibility of uncovering that matter in the future, Gu Ze planned to give Xu Nuan a heads-up first. However, even if Xu Nuan did not take any action afterward, it was fine; he would be fully prepared.
"I thought you wouldn't pay attention to her."
Hearing the familiar address, Xu Nuan was momentarily taken aback and turned her face away to hide her surprise.
"You’re not that enthusiastic a person, even though you always help others."
Xu Nuan hurriedly explained a few more things, only to realize that her reasoning was somewhat flawed.
"Love for the house extends to the crow."
Gu Ze casually tossed out the phrase and enjoyed the flustered expression on Xu Nuan's face. Once he saw the fear in her eyes completely dissipate, he became serious.
"Nuan, there's something I want to discuss with you."
Gu Ze's tone was very serious, and his expression was earnest enough to make Xu Nuan serious as well. She turned to look at him, and without realizing it, her pace slowed down.
Anxiety and worry filled her mind. Just a few minutes ago, they had discussed He Min and Yu Yu. So Gu Ze's expression must be related to those two, right? Yu Yu had nothing to do with her, but He Min held special significance for her. She had noticed some oddities about He Min but had never dared to delve deeper. So this time, was Gu Ze trying to tell her about his discovery?
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