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墨書 Inktalez
Azure Sky stretched above, with ethereal white clouds shimmering under the sunlight like the glistening surface of the Sea Surface’s Dune. At first glance, it seemed a beautiful painting, but upon closer inspection, it revealed only solitude and desolation. The occasional mountain peaks emerged, sliced into solitary hills by the Dune. Gazing into the distance, apart from vast stretches of sand, there were only lonely patches of sand sagebrush and Sand Bamboo. Occasionally, one could spot a few twisted willows, already eroded by the wind and sand, losing their original form—truly living up to their name.
The sunlight was unbearably intense; even those who had taken precautions against sunburn were drenched in sweat after just a few steps. The rapid loss of moisture and salt left everyone feeling fatigued, and the first to protest was their hearts. The heat was relentless and endless, and the silence among companions began to breed irritation and dissatisfaction. Many words clamored in their chests, all rushing toward their throats, jostling for space, yet ultimately stifled by the oppressive heat of the desert air.
This was the long-anticipated Desert Level, but no one felt happy about it.
Just moments ago, they had been experiencing extreme cold in the glaciers, trapped by a labyrinth. Just when they thought they would be stuck in the ice forever, they were suddenly whisked away by a Miracle to this sweltering desert.
The stark contrast between cold and heat created immense discomfort in their bodies, but what truly troubled them was their hearts.
Everyone knew that there would be no real Miracle in this game; this ‘Miracle’ was a conspiracy. This was a suspicion shared by everyone except Gu Ze and Chi Xiaoming. Doubts led many to wonder if there was a special mission involved or if the glacier was merely the beginning of a plot, with the real crisis lying within this desert.
Chi Xiaoming understood best that their swift departure from the glacier after less than three days was due to Gu Ze. He knew the Central Mechanism of this level, and his partner Gu Ze held command authority. Whether they left the glacier quickly depended on Gu Ze. He had to admit that Gu Ze had orchestrated a perfect trap; however, a Mastermind always retains the right to act later, which also provides an opportunity for breaking free from such traps. The rapid death of Chi Ming caught both him and Gu Ze off guard. Yet they still obtained crucial information regarding the existence of a fourth party from the city’s largest insurance company, An Insurance. Chi Ming barely managed to utter those four words before fading into silence; no matter how unwillingly he looked at Chi Xiaoming, that person's life came to an end.
Chi Xiaoming realized that Chi Ming’s appearance was merely a pretext; their encounter had been orchestrated by Gu Ze, setting a trap for another individual. Originally, according to Gu Ze’s plan, even if Chi Ming were killed, they only needed to linger in the glacier and utilize those pawns swaying like reeds in the wind to resolve that person once and for all. Unfortunately, due to concerns over Xu Nuan’s instability, Gu Ze left the glacier prematurely, thereby sabotaging his own plan and allowing that person to escape.
Whether it was him or Gu Ze, or even that person—they were all masters of deception. Once that person fled, retaliation would be immediate; he anticipated that their upcoming challenges would be exceedingly arduous. They would not only have to face difficulties posed by the game itself but also be hindered by those driven by greed. All of this could have been avoided had it not been for Gu Ze’s own decision to disrupt his plan.
This led Chi Xiaoming to reconsider the necessity of collaborating with Gu Ze. He glanced at Xu Nuan, who walked alongside Gu Ze, her eyes flickering slightly. This woman seemed lost in her own emotions, unaware of how her instability could lead to dire consequences. The conflict between these two remained unresolved—a fact he found perplexing. Despite mutual affection and understanding between them, conflicts still arose and affected other significant matters. He wasn’t skilled in matters of emotion but despised when feelings disrupted larger plans.
With these thoughts in mind, Chi Xiaoming turned his attention back to the others. They continued to express confusion over why they could leave the glacier so quickly; amidst their bewilderment lay relief, which soon morphed into suspicion towards one another. This was humanity's inherent flaw—gaining something while doubting others without gratitude or deeper reflection. In his worldview, such individuals were destined for elimination.
At the same time, Chi Xiaoming was curious about what unfinished words lingered with Xu Nuan. What did she mean when she said she knew which sector was controlled by Cheng Ling, capable of manipulating humanity? The apprehension displayed by Gu Ze, along with Xu Nuan’s momentary fear, piqued his curiosity and skepticism. Thus, throughout this process, he found himself spending more time observing Xu Nuan, this most valuable yet seemingly underutilized woman.
The sun hung high in the sky, and the Sand Surface was rising with heat. The warmth seeped through their shoes, stimulating the soles of their feet and radiating to every part of their bodies, making for an unpleasant experience.
The heat rising from the Sand Surface blurred the distant scenery, while the sunlight sliced through the landscape, dividing it into different segments. The illusion of reality left one unsure whether they were in a dream or awake.
Once again, that familiar pain struck. Xu Nuan reached up to pat her head, and when the pain temporarily subsided, she walked straight ahead without glancing aside. She realized that she had been feeling this way lately, her emotions swinging wildly. For instance, when she sensed Gu Ze's unhappiness, it caused her distress and led her to recall some unpleasant memories, which ultimately made her faint. Yet upon waking up, she found it impossible to clearly remember those feelings. Looking back at that moment felt like staring into a void. The absence of emotion was more painful than the loss of memory itself, making it even harder for her to distinguish between dream and reality, just as she felt now.
She felt guilty; if she couldn't remember her emotions from that time, it would be unfair to Gu Ze, who had endured those feelings. She was acutely aware of this and felt tormented by it. She understood Gu Ze and believed he understood her in return, yet this very understanding made communication with him all the more difficult. The ability to grasp what the other was thinking through a glance or gesture indicated a certain rapport between them, but that rapport remained superficial and could not reach the depths of their hearts.
However, the more she understood this dynamic, the less able she was to disrupt the delicate balance between herself and Gu Ze during these subtle moments. Previously, she had only experienced one romantic relationship, which had gone so smoothly that when conflicts arose, they became irreparable—leaving her without any opportunity to analyze or resolve issues. In short, she considered herself hopelessly inept at love; she didn't know how to express her feelings or how to comfort him. In everyday urban life, she would have ample time to ponder these matters, but in a game where time and life were at stake, such opportunities were nonexistent.
Xu Nuan turned her head slightly to look at Gu Ze's left hand; it was perfectly fine now.
The powder from Cheng Ling's medicine had caused severe consequences that day. Xu Nuan even feared that Gu Ze might end up like Cheng Ling. Yet each time she fainted and woke up again, she found that Gu Ze's hand had healed. According to his explanation, he had found an antidote among the bottles in Cheng Ling's backpack.
She only needed to look into Gu Ze's eyes to know he was lying.
Someone had helped Gu Ze in secret and healed his hand; she quickly concluded this and realized that the person who assisted him was also a designer. Despite Cheng Ling being arrogant, he had reason to be; he was a Pharmacist and an Inventor—someone capable of creating extraordinary things. Similarly, the person who healed Gu Ze must also be an exceptional designer.
Though curious about who had helped Gu Ze, Xu Nuan refrained from asking since he hadn't brought it up himself. Lacking extensive romantic experience, she thought this showed respect for him by giving him space. At the same time, she firmly believed that Gu Ze would tell her when the time was right to satisfy her curiosity. This created a contradictory mindset but accurately reflected Xu Nuan's true feelings.
Xu Nuan still remembered waking up once more in the glacier when Cheng Ling had died—a death so twisted that his distorted features were eerily familiar. Cheng Ling's death confirmed her suspicions or validated her memories.
Cheng Ling was a tragic genius; he conducted numerous experiments and successfully applied their results within this game, ultimately leading her to uncover oddities. What made Cheng Ling both pitiful and admirable was that he used himself as a subject for his experiments, resulting in such a fate. At that time, fearing that Cheng Ling's body would be repurposed by others, she buried him in the snow alongside Gu Ze and Chi Xiaoming.
As they left the glacier, a sense of unease suddenly washed over her. The buried corpses were not safe, and the bodies stored in the Supply Station's freezer were equally precarious. She couldn't explain what made her feel this way; it was just that this anxiety intertwined with other nightmares, blurring the lines between reality and dreams.
This was not a good omen, but Xu Nuan found herself unable to voice her concerns. She gripped Gu Ze's hand tightly, ignoring how their palms became sticky with sweat from the heat.
She was at a loss for words yet desperately wanted to convey her feelings to Gu Ze. Would she truly be able to communicate them?
Everyone had packed plenty of water in their backpacks, but they were certain it wouldn't be enough. So, each person also carried a significant number of purification tablets. However, those tablets would only be useful when they found a water source, and in the desert, water sources were as rare as miracles.
Yet, after encountering one 'Miracle' in the glacier, the group soon stumbled upon another 'Miracle' as they entered the desert.
They stood at the Ridge, looking down at the flowing Dune below, where endless yellow sands stretched out before them. In the distance lay an oasis—or rather, a small lake surrounded by patches of green. It wasn't much, but it was enough to bring joy to the group, momentarily making them forget that in this game, there were no simple Miracles.
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