Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan had seen the diary left behind by Cheng Ling, and rather than being a mere diary, it was more like a glorious history book of Cheng Ling. Before Cheng Ling's death, she had little opportunity to converse with him, so naturally, she couldn't grasp his true nature. However, from the tone that described his glorious history, she could infer something about his character. He was mostly solitary and had a somewhat arrogant mindset, which was not surprising; Xu Nuan could understand that. What concerned her was the obsession that seeped through Cheng Ling's words.
This obsession reached a point that bordered on madness. Cheng Ling's fixation on his experiments was precisely at that threshold; he could even conduct experiments on himself while maintaining a clear mind to record data. From that diary, it was evident that Cheng Ling did not have much thought about finding a secret passage to escape the game. What mattered to him was whether his experiments could be validated within the game; for this reason, he would have no problem living in the game for a lifetime.
Then came the questions: First, why did Cheng Ling, who only cared about his experimental results, ambush them in secret? That person had no interest in the secret passage and even sacrificed his own life for the experiment. Second, what exactly did Cheng Ling's experiments entail?
Xu Nuan had no leads on the first question, and with Cheng Ling already dead, she lacked direct channels to obtain answers. However, she had caught a glimpse of the answer to the second question—just the tip of the iceberg—in this place where strange buildings suddenly appeared.
The figure emerging from the room could not be called human. Dressed in bizarre clothing with pale blue skin and hair devoid of luster like that of a human, its eyes were unnaturally large with dilated pupils and cracked lips that were pale in color. It seemed as if there was no blood flowing through this 'person,' resulting in such a complexion.
She had encountered such lifeless beings more than once. In Beautiful River, although the water ghost had an unusual skin color, it resembled a human and could walk but not speak. Then in Lonely Gorge, there was the Green-Haired Monster, which was similar—a creature akin to a monkey yet more human-like. By the time they reached Terrifying Cave, these beings had evolved into actual Zombies. In Terrifying Cave, those Zombies were initially immobile and submerged in cold waters until they were animated after they took away the Luminous Pearl. Xu Nuan was an advocate of nihilism and naturally did not believe there was any necessary connection between the Luminous Pearl and those corpses that could not be more dead; it was merely a clumsy plot device created by the game to explain why such mechanisms existed. Ultimately, she also encountered similar zombie-like creatures in Crying Forest; those beings could also transform into this category.
However, Xu Nuan could not deny that those corpses felt very real—almost as if they were alive. At that moment, she simply couldn't imagine that this game would be bold enough to kill people and use them as props; nor did she believe there existed anything capable of controlling corpses. In hindsight, she realized she had been too naive; there is a saying: only things one dares not imagine are impossible to achieve. To dismiss those fleeting thoughts based on her limited experiences was akin to digging her own grave. This world lacked talent; yet some individuals began their journey as prodigies from a young age and gathered a group of talented people around them, spending nearly ten years creating a game that belonged to them.
This game marked both the beginning and end for those talents, while beings resembling Zombies were the results of Cheng Ling and the designer responsible for the same project.
Xu Nuan rarely made statements like "I am certain about how something is," stemming from her inner lack of confidence and her belief that everything is subject to change at any moment; thus, she found it impossible to make one hundred percent accurate guesses.
Yet at this very moment, standing alone in this place where reality and illusion blurred together, she could confidently identify this Zombie—or rather, the source of these Zombies within these houses.
As she saw the Zombie approaching her, Xu Nuan's face paled slightly but she did not take a step back. She ultimately understood that the Zombies encountered in Terrifying Cave were once human. The experiment Cheng Ling had been obsessed with involved controlling humanity—whether dead or alive—through drugs, psychological suggestion, or technological means—all completely controlled. Those Zombies were merely failures returned to this game as props or components of mechanisms.
This Game Company—or perhaps Qin Yaojie—and its unseen founder were indeed audacious. This game truly could not continue existing.
Despite feeling some sympathy for these unfamiliar Zombies within her heart, Xu Nuan clearly knew what she needed to do: find others and break through together.
The Zombie was real, but the house might not be. Perhaps the Zombie originated from her dreams, while the house was tangible. She was firmly standing on the ground in a corner of the world.
The sound of the Zombie's footsteps was very rhythmic. At first, Xu Nuan felt a chill at such a sound, but after getting used to it, she thought it was no big deal.
Although the expression on the Zombie's face was eerie, it did not lunge at her to harm her immediately. This encounter was not merely a fight; realizing this, she lightly pricked her palm to keep herself alert and focused on the Zombie.
The Zombie stopped about a meter away from her, leaning slightly forward as if assessing Xu Nuan. The close observation made Xu Nuan's legs tremble, but she remained still. It was a woman's intuition; although Zombies were frightening, she understood that as long as she did not run away, they would not attack. Once human and now a Zombie, their controlled elements were limited, and their actions required commands and signals. As long as she avoided those signals, she would be safe for the time being.
Who was she really fighting against? The Zombie? Cheng Ling? The people in the control room? Or perhaps the founder?
The uncertainty of the answer was overwhelming, and she did not need to dwell on who her opponent was.
Though the Zombie stared at her, its hollow eyes lacked any spark. In the past, she might have been afraid; now that she understood the situation, she found it tragic. She did not believe anyone would willingly become a test subject only to die without peace in the end. Yet the Game Company dared to do this, surely luring these unfortunate souls with promises of profit and lies.
Xu Nuan did not touch the Zombie, but the distance was enough for her to feel its coldness. After all, it was already a corpse—what warmth could there be? The Zombie scrutinized her for a moment before straightening up and gesturing toward a door illuminated by light.
Zombies had no thoughts; they were manipulated by paranoid and selfish individuals. It wasn't the Zombie inviting her in; it was the mechanism doing so. Everything felt like a pre-programmed scenario; amidst these diverse elements of the game, Xu Nuan had yet to uncover its true purpose.
Calmer than she had imagined, Xu Nuan stepped into the house. She even boldly exposed her back to the Zombie, and indeed her speculation proved correct—the Zombie still did not attack her. It seemed that it had not received any commands to attack yet, giving her time to unravel the secret of this mechanism.
It was a simple house, akin to a one-bedroom apartment in an urban setting—old furnishings yet with an exotic charm that made it feel anything but dull. Standing in the center of the room, Xu Nuan surveyed her surroundings; everything felt too real for her to draw conclusions easily.
The Zombie that followed her could not speak; instead, it pulled out a chair as if inviting her to sit down. Before Xu Nuan could walk over, the Zombie went to what resembled a kitchen and poured a glass of water, placing it in front of her.
The rising heat momentarily disoriented her.
The scene before her resembled that of a solitary person living a leisurely yet somewhat lonely life. When an unexpected traveler arrived seeking shelter, the host welcomed them with joy, eager to engage in conversation about the outside world.
Unfortunately, this was not the idyllic rural life that city dwellers yearned for. The Zombie could not speak, or perhaps the designers had not reached that point. In her imagination, to avoid revealing flaws, they needed to make a corpse seem more real than a living person and control it. It was evident to anyone with clear sight that this was a body, and she had more information than others, allowing her to know it was indeed a real corpse.
The Zombie sat down at the other end of the table and began to stare at her. Meeting such eyes required courage; yet under the orange light, she found that the Zombie's face appeared somewhat gentle, as the light added a hint of color to its pale complexion.
Strangely compelled, Xu Nuan reached out to touch the teacup—it was warm.
What does it mean to suggest?
Having fallen for several traps, Xu Nuan could not provide an official definition like a scholar; she could only explain the term from her own perspective and personal experiences.
Long ago, back when she was still a true romantic girl, Qin Yaojie would often tell her stories. The genres were diverse—coming-of-age tales, mysteries, supernatural events, and sci-fi adventures. Some stories she understood, while others eluded her comprehension. Regardless of whether she grasped them fully, she cherished every story and made sure to remember them all, especially those that Qin Yaojie repeatedly recounted.
The stories stored in her brain formed memories; if someone mentioned key phrases related to those tales or if she encountered scenes reminiscent of them, her mind would immediately retrieve those stories and present them before her.
Similarly, long ago, Qin Yaojie would make strange gestures in front of her and draw peculiar symbols. At that time, she was merely confused and understood nothing, allowing Qin Yaojie to decorate their home as he wished. Whether gestures or symbols or stories—they were all subtle hints directed at her. They were meant to trigger emotions that Qin Yaojie desired in the future when she encountered relevant stimuli while also recalling associated memories.
Comment 0 Comment Count