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墨書 Inktalez
The night in the glacier was unbearable for ordinary people. Even those who slept in tents could feel the chill creeping in from all directions.
Because of the cold and the conclusions drawn during the day, Xu Nuan couldn't sleep.
Not far away in the same tent, He Min and Deng Yinyin breathed steadily, showing no signs of distress.
Her wounds seemed to enjoy tormenting her at night, as pain from various sources churned through her flesh. The agony, like a worm named suffering, stirred within her bones. No matter how she adjusted her clothes or hugged her sleeping bag, she couldn't escape this torment. She thought about how she wasn't the only one ensnared by such pain; most of them would leave the game safely but would ultimately be left with many aftereffects. The wounds had become infected due to lack of timely treatment, with bacteria lying dormant within their bodies, waiting for the day they would erupt. Injured bones healed on their own but could become deformed if not corrected in time, potentially leading to disabilities.
Although she anticipated that her body would be in terrible shape afterward, living was still better than not. If she could live alongside that person, it would be even better.
Once her thoughts drifted away, Xu Nuan found it even harder to sleep. The inside of her sleeping bag felt cold, and the chill penetrated her skin, making it unbearable. At this rate, she might as well go out and move around to warm herself up.
Xu Nuan was a doer; once she made up her mind, she acted immediately. She quietly got up, adjusted her clothes, ensured she had her dagger and flashlight before stepping out of the tent.
The moonlight was bright and, being at such a high altitude on the glacier, it carried a chill similar to that of the ice itself, making one shiver just by looking at it.
Seeing the quiet tent next door, Xu Nuan hesitated but decided against turning on her flashlight. Instead, she walked a little further into the moonlight. Although she wanted to share a moment of understanding with Gu Ze at that time, she preferred him to be resting well rather than acting foolishly like herself.
In the stillness of the night, every footstep on the snow became pronounced. Xu Nuan was relieved to have distanced herself slightly from the campsite. Of course, she wasn't bold enough to stray too far; she knew her own limits and wouldn't act recklessly at such a delicate moment.
After jogging for a while, Xu Nuan felt warmth returning to her body. Just as she contemplated heading back, she sensed a familiar gaze upon her once again.
She was being watched again. Xu Nuan slowed her pace and tried to appear casual as she walked back. Having spent so much time in the game had honed her instincts to a beast-like sharpness; she recognized that this gaze was quite calm.
The person in the shadows didn't seem intent on harming her; they were simply observing her. This feeling reminded her of an encounter in Friendship Forest when she had seen the Thin Man running under the moonlight.
Could it be the same person?
Xu Nuan pressed her lips together and slowed down even more.
The person from Friendship Forest hadn't harmed her in the end; what could their purpose for watching her be? And why hadn't Gu Ze seen anyone when he found her back then?
At that time, she had been in a dazed state, physically exhausted and unable to confront that frail man. But now it was different; she was full of energy and had once again caught that gaze. If it came down to a confrontation, her chances of winning were significantly higher.
The Designers from the First Batch of Players wanted to know where the secret passage was, while Dong Keyong's group was curious about the whereabouts of what Su Zihang had left behind, as well as those who wished to harm her. Since she clearly did not belong to any of these groups, she became even more intrigued by the Outsider's intentions.
If they did not intend to harm her, exchanging information upon meeting would not be a bad idea.
For a brief moment, Xu Nuan entertained this thought and paused in her steps.
Her gaze fell on the tent where Gu Ze was located not far away, and she smiled lightly before continuing forward.
She could not take risks; Gu Ze was waiting for her, and she could not place herself in any dangerous situation. After being honest with Gu Ze, she found herself often holding back in her actions out of concern for him. Rather than feeling frustrated or dissatisfied, she felt content. The feeling of caring for someone and being cared for in return gave her more motivation in this game.
In the early morning, sunlight poured over the glacier, intertwining white and gold into yet another breathtaking scene.
Xu Nuan stifled a yawn, which was immediately noticed by Gu Ze as he approached.
"Did you not rest well?"
Gu Ze frowned and reached out to check Xu Nuan's forehead. Finding her temperature normal, he adjusted her collar. At that moment, others were also emerging from their tents, packing up while keeping an eye on their actions.
Noticing the attention from others, Xu Nuan, who was actually quite shy, quickly swatted Gu Ze's right hand away. The two Tail Rings on his hand clinked against hers.
With her head lowered, Xu Nuan did not notice the fleeting shadow that crossed Gu Ze's eyes. When she lifted her head again, Gu Ze was still smiling at her.
As they walked toward the main group, they happened to overhear Deng Yinyin and He Min discussing the Tail Rings obtained by the Third Batch of Players. Deng Yinyin was complaining to He Min.
"It has a positioning function, but the signal is always poor; it hardly serves any purpose. The items provided by this Game Base are just terrible."
Deng Yinyin was not wrong; the positioning function of the Tail Ring often failed at critical moments. However, Xu Nuan knew that this was merely a superficial feature of the Tail Ring. Its true capabilities far surpassed any ordinary item.
"Did Xu Hang not tell her the truth?"
Seeing Deng Yinyin incessantly complain to He Min while He Min picked out several questions regarding the Tail Ring to ask Deng Yinyin, a strange feeling began to rise within Xu Nuan.
"No."
Gu Ze's voice was low, as if he were worried that the people ahead might hear.
"Only the three of us know for now. It won't be too late to reveal it when we actually need it."
"That's true."
Xu Nuan nodded, feeling a bit anxious. She didn't believe that only she, Gu Ze, and Xu Hang knew the true purpose of the Tail Ring. After all, there were still many Players who had yet to show themselves, and it was uncertain how much they knew about them. At the same time, they were facing many strange occurrences, such as the rough artificial traps that kept appearing. What were those who had not yet revealed themselves after? The secret passage or the Tail Ring?
No one could know, but she and Gu Ze would soon find out, as their counterattack had already begun.
"He Min has been getting close to Deng Yinyin lately," Gu Ze spoke again while Xu Nuan was deep in thought. "He Min seems quite concerned about the Tail Ring."
There was an underlying meaning in his words. Xu Nuan glanced at Gu Ze and sighed.
"You noticed it too. Is it Amin who's interested in the secret passage and the Tail Ring, or is it that man?"
What Xu Nuan sensed was the awkwardness between He Min and Yu Yu; it seemed that Yu Yu was controlling He Min. During this time, whatever He Min did, he would always consult Yu Yu and consider her feelings. Yu Yu was not He Min's lover but rather his superior.
"Amin is not someone who easily compromises."
Xu Nuan's voice was soft, almost a whisper. She believed that He Min was someone who loved fiercely and hated fiercely, someone as resilient as stone. Because of this, she couldn't imagine He Min being controlled by Yu Yu. But if He Min was facing difficulties, why wouldn't he tell her?
She pondered over this a lot. Could it be that He Min was being used by Yu Yu simply because he had fallen in love with her? If so, then as long as Yu Yu was removed from the equation, He Min would return to his former self. Although Xu Nuan hoped that He Min would take the initiative to confide in her, if he truly had fallen to such a state because of his feelings, then she felt obligated to wake him up.
Yu Yu wanted to use He Min to deepen their relationship with them so that she could naturally learn about the secret passage and then claim her reward to leave the game. Where in the world does such good fortune exist?
A fierce fire ignited in Xu Nuan's eyes as she glared intensely at Yu Yu, who was chatting with Chi Xiaoming.
Beside her, Gu Ze sighed helplessly and reached over to cover Xu Nuan's eyes.
"It’s too obvious."
Such an obvious thought would surely be noticed by that shrewd man, Yu Yu. However, it was precisely Xu Nuan's overt emotions that allowed Gu Ze to understand her feelings.
He could only sigh, realizing that Xu Nuan was indeed thinking this way because of her feelings for He Min. It was important to note that his thoughts were different from Xu Nuan's. But that was fine; even if Xu Nuan was heading down the wrong path, he could still bring her back. At this moment, giving Xu Nuan someone to lean on emotionally would strengthen her will to live. This way, he wouldn’t have to worry about her doing something foolish.
Two hearts that were very close were calculating different things.
After Deng Yinyin and He Min finished complaining about the Tail Ring, they began gossiping. He Min, rarely shy, displayed a bashful demeanor that only irritated Xu Nuan further from behind.
The group continued their journey across the vast white glacier, battling the cold wind while searching for the Special Tree. Although the chances of finding the Special Tree were slim, they were prepared for the System to use it as leverage against them. Still, each person harbored a desire to discover a Miracle. They had already begun to drift apart; in their hearts, which were hidden from one another, everyone was plotting different ideas. No one could guarantee that the next mission wouldn’t be the one that truly separated them.
After walking for a while, Gu Ze instructed Xu Nuan to move to the middle of the group and let Chi Xiaoming fall to the back.
Xu Nuan didn’t inquire about what agreement Gu Ze and Chi Xiaoming had reached; she admired Chi Xiaoming among these people and had no major objections. More importantly, she didn’t believe Gu Ze would harm her.
"I’ve set up the plan; I’m just waiting for your performance."
Gu Ze's voice was low and deep, carrying a special resonance. Unfortunately, walking beside him was another man, Chi Xiaoming.
"In that case, I will fulfill my part of the agreement."
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