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墨書 Inktalez
As Xu Nuan approached the patches of green, she sensed something was off. For days, she had struggled to distinguish between reality and illusion, and now the yellow sand beneath her feet and the nearby lake felt too real to be true.
In an instant, she thought she had found the boundary between what was real and what was not, a way to handle all the traps involving drug-induced suggestions that lay ahead. But then, the world shifted, and her surroundings changed.
"Gu Ze!"
Xu Nuan shouted, her voice filled with fear. Despite her wide-open eyes scanning the area around her and her desperate cries against the heat of the desert, she could not find Gu Ze or anyone else.
She was still in the desert, but no longer near that lake. She clearly remembered it being daytime just moments ago, with sunlight so intense it was blinding and the heat wrapping around her like a suffocating blanket. Yet now, although the heat remained, what lay before her was a twilight desert. In the distance, there were only faint streaks of white, suggesting a dusk that had yet to settle fully. Closer to her was darkness, as if indicating that the distant white was the light she should chase after—a cruel irony.
The lake had vanished, the greenery was gone, replaced by a towering Black Building flanked by two massive lion statues.
At that moment, Xu Nuan hesitated and looked back. She noticed that the scenery behind her had also changed; the footprints she had left with others were gone. But this did not mean that the building ahead was not once part of that lake.
Illusions were not inherently frightening; as long as one remained unaware, they would think according to whatever appeared in the illusion. Once awareness set in, one could avoid certain dangers. What was truly terrifying was when reality shifted to illusion in one moment and back again in another. In such cases, a person's brain would instinctively send conflicting signals to their body, forcing them to judge whether what lay before them was real or an illusion—leading them into a vicious cycle where they became puppets of the illusion.
She recalled her previous encounters with Thousand-Faced Lake and Gentle Prairie. The former had seemed real but was actually an illusion; the latter she had accurately identified as an illusion, which is why she hadn’t been trapped.
At that time, she hadn’t known where these Game Bases were generally located. Now she understood that each level represented an isolated Game Base within a global context. Despite not being particularly well-traveled or knowledgeable, she struggled to determine whether this building was a famous landmark or merely another illusion.
She could have stayed put to think everything through carefully or waited confidently for Gu Ze to find her instead of taking risks. However, considering that Gu Ze and his companions might also be separated like herself gave her courage. She walked straight toward the building.
It was an exotic structure; Xu Nuan couldn’t discern which ethnicity or nation it belonged to.
As her hand touched the cold stone surface, Xu Nuan felt that everything was too real.
Standing before the enormous black door, it swung open on its own.
Was it infrared sensing? Or was it simply part of this fantasy that caused the door to open?
The former was real, while the latter was an illusion. She inevitably fell into such a bizarre cycle, leading her to doubt everything she encountered afterward.
Inside the tall building, it was very spacious. The walls, made of massive stones, were adorned with a few ancient oil lamps. The interplay of the gentle breeze and the flickering light from the lamps cast a shadow on the wall that seemed just as illusory.
So real!
Xu Nuan tugged at her clothes with her left hand, trembling slightly, while her right hand rested firmly on her waist. As she walked through the corridor, she finally saw what was referred to as the grand hall. The hall was vast; aside from four towering stone pillars, there were only a few benches arranged in an orderly manner, reminiscent of those found in parks. In one corner of the hall stood a staircase that spiraled upward to the top of the building, where colorful glass adorned the ceiling. Xu Nuan could imagine how this hall would look in daylight.
The staircase was too high; Xu Nuan had no intention of climbing it. If this were all an illusion, she would end up as nothing more than a splattered mess. She noticed that everything in this building was made of stone—whether it was the oil lamps, the walls, the benches, or the staircase—they were all composed of a type of stone that looked familiar yet was unidentifiable.
Which nation or culture had such customs?
Xu Nuan unconsciously began to envision this building as real. The tactile sensations of everything around her made her feel somewhat dazed. She longed for Gu Ze to be by her side at that moment; in her mind, there was nothing Gu Ze did not know. Whenever she was with Gu Ze, she always forgot that she was actually the one who knew the most secrets about this game and that she was the target others sought to hunt.
But Gu Ze was not there now, and without knowing his situation, she became alert. A breeze from behind made her instinctively turn around, her hand already halfway to drawing her dagger. Yet when she turned, all she saw was a long corridor and a door that appeared faintly in the distance.
"How can there be wind?"
Xu Nuan murmured to herself. She remembered that door being tightly shut without any gaps; there were no windows around either, and the colorful ceiling above was intact—there shouldn't be any wind. However, when she had been walking through the corridor earlier, she noticed that the light had been swaying. The hall didn’t feel stiflingly closed off either; in fact, the air felt somewhat fresh—though different from the hot air one would breathe in a desert.
A closed environment yet with wind—this air felt nothing like what one would experience in a desert.
This series of realizations left Xu Nuan utterly confused; it was precisely this kind of deadlock that had terrified her before. Knowing that illusions existed led her to believe she could discern them, resulting in constant doubt—affirming and then denying—ultimately making wrong choices at critical moments.
This was precisely the purpose behind mechanisms related to illusions. The person who designed such mechanisms understood human thought processes exceptionally well and could accurately grasp human psychology, creating cognitive traps for players in every detail.
What meticulous thought went into designing this!
Xu Nuan sighed inwardly and continued forward. She had spotted another door, identical to the grand entrance she had come through earlier. Countless speculations filled her mind, yet she deliberately maintained a calm facade. She had not forgotten that she was under surveillance, always in plain sight. However, those in the monitoring room were unaware that she had already grasped the subtle distinction between reality and illusion.
This was thanks to the hazy days she had experienced recently, as well as the influence of the person who had caused her body to change in such a way. If only she were given a little more time, just a chance to interact with these things, she would surely be able to discern the truth.
She believed there was nothing Gu Ze did not know, nothing he could not accomplish. It was a trust in Gu Ze's abilities and also a belief in her own potential to grow and assist him, rather than merely relying on his care as she had been doing for these past days.
She disliked making promises, so she intended to prove through her actions that she was also qualified and capable of bearing the weight of another's life.
At that moment, she felt grateful for this mechanism that allowed her to be alone; perhaps it would give her the opportunity for a beautiful rescue of a hero.
After a brief separation, once the initial panic subsided, it was replaced by calm contemplation. She had been too dependent on Gu Ze during their time together; any shift in his demeanor left her feeling anxious. After their separation, she could think more clearly about everything. Perhaps she could regain that feeling from before, understanding her own excitement and unease at that time, which would allow her to respond appropriately to Gu Ze and be fair to him.
As Xu Nuan stood before the door, it opened automatically once again. With the widening gap, a strong wind rushed in—cold and dry from the desert night—sending a chill down Xu Nuan's spine.
Her eyes widened, the light brown irises slightly dilating. The corners of her lips trembled faintly, and even her hand resting on the short blade relaxed unconsciously as she found herself in a state of extreme shock.
Beyond the door lay an endless expanse of desert, but it was noticeably dotted with many plants. The most striking features were the low houses, each emanating a soft orange glow. The styles of the houses varied; some appeared to be residences while others resembled churches. This was clearly a place where many humans resided.
Were there humans living in the Game Base aside from Players?
"Absolutely impossible!"
Xu Nuan took a deep breath and vigorously shook her head, immediately dismissing this notion.
"Illusion, just an illusion."
She instinctively made this judgment; the sight of numerous houses lit up like this was entirely beyond her comprehension. Yet she needed to enter and confirm for herself. If it truly was an illusion, then the mechanism to break this mirage must be nearby; all she needed to do was analyze it carefully. Regardless of what Game Rules were at play or how sophisticated the mechanism might be, there must be flaws nearby—this she believed without doubt.
However, that was a matter to confirm later. Xu Nuan stood in place, took a few deep breaths, and then stepped toward the nearest house.
The orange light was supposed to give a warm feeling, but at that moment, Xu Nuan felt anything but warmth; instead, she felt a chill run through her body, and goosebumps rose on her skin.
The glass of the window was frosted, obscuring the view inside. With no other option, Xu Nuan found herself standing at the door of the house, hesitating for a moment before knocking.
The knock was not about politeness; it was a test and a way to buy herself some time to prepare for any unexpected events.
No one responded.
Xu Nuan bit her lower lip. She wasn't as frightened as before and knocked a little harder this time. However, just as she lowered her hand, she heard footsteps.
The familiar rhythmic sound of footsteps struck Xu Nuan as she tried to recall where she had heard that particular cadence before. She slightly shifted her body, placing her hand on the hilt of her knife, watching the door warily.
Footsteps indicated someone was there, yet that person did not respond, which felt very strange.
With a creak, the door opened, and someone stepped out.
Standing outside the house, Xu Nuan finally recognized the source of that familiarity when she saw the person's face.
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