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墨書 Inktalez
At this moment, the twilight was slightly cool, and the wind over the desert had weakened a bit. Although the cold wind was biting, it was not unbearable for an ordinary person. The light in the distance had dimmed further, while the nearby scenery could barely be made out.
Lying on the rooftop, Xu Nuan turned her head to look at He Min, momentarily unable to respond. She had been immersed in the complex emotions brought on by He Min's drastic change in demeanor and had slightly distracted herself by observing the Zombies patrolling the streets like guards, which caused her to lose track of He Min's thoughts.
He Min's gaze was calm, mixed with subtle emotions that only she herself could understand. He Min accepted her scrutiny with ease, even managing a smile at the corners of her lips. Perhaps it was the early onset of twilight that hindered Xu Nuan's vision; for a moment, she couldn't distinguish whether the person before her was He Min or if it was merely a memory of He Min.
"Ah," after a long while, Xu Nuan murmured softly, lowering her head to focus on the weathered stone slabs beneath her. "It's true; I won't go back on my word."
Her hand pressed firmly against the stone slab as she gripped the edge of the rooftop, her knuckles turning white and revealing prominent veins. The scars on her hand appeared even more pronounced under this tension.
With her head lowered, Xu Nuan did not notice the fleeting complexity in He Min's eyes, nor did she realize that her response had earned her an opportunity.
As twilight faded and night deepened, the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, impatiently casting its light upon the earth.
Everything Xu Nuan saw was shrouded in a layer of mist, which hindered her actions. She did not relax simply because there was someone beside her. In times past, when she and He Min supported each other, she always felt at ease. But as that sense of security dissipated, it was replaced by emotions that startled even her.
"Noticed anything?"
He Min's voice rang out again. Her tone, originally warm, now carried a hint of chill due to the night air.
"These Zombies become quite methodical in their movements after dark. They primarily operate around the center of town, and their shifts are clearly organized—it's obvious they are being deliberately arranged."
Xu Nuan followed He Min's gaze and looked out into the hazy darkness. Under the thin moonlight, she saw more dense blackness than anything else—a mystery enveloping her and making it hard to breathe.
"If," as she spoke, Xu Nuan realized her vocal cords protested as if reluctant to vibrate at that moment, "if leaving here hinges on these Zombies, then their reduced activity range at night is our target. If crossing through them is truly key."
Not being able to see clearly did not mean Xu Nuan couldn't analyze everything with clarity. Meeting He Min had somewhat dulled her longing for Gu Ze; having someone around alleviated her loneliness. Yet at this moment, due to He Min's demeanor, she found herself missing Gu Ze even more. She understood deeply that he was her only refuge; without him, she would truly be alone.
"Indeed, let's get a bit closer to observe. Once we confirm things, we can act as soon as they disperse tomorrow morning."
It wouldn't be so simple; knowing well how terrifying this game could be, Xu Nuan thought about how that central area would present another trap by day and how easily they wouldn't shake off the Zombies. She didn't voice these thoughts but merely nodded lightly before preparing to leave the rooftop with He Min.
Before the two could steady themselves on the ground, they heard Xie Huai's scream, distant and slightly piercing, but they couldn't discern any other emotions from it.
Xu Nuan and He Min exchanged a glance and immediately ran toward Xie Huai's location. It was well-known that Xie Huai was weaker than the others, and now he had to protect Deng Yinyin, who was trapped in a state of madness. This was undoubtedly a heavy burden for him. If anything went wrong, the consequences would be dire.
However, this time Xu Nuan was overly worried. By the time she and He Min reached Xie Huai and Deng Yinyin's location, they found only a frenzied Deng Yinyin attacking Xie Huai. In an effort not to harm her, Xie Huai was doing his best to evade her attacks without retaliating.
Deng Yinyin's strength was comparable to Xie Huai's, and as he only dodged, he was occasionally kicked or bitten by the wildly attacking Deng Yinyin.
This scene felt eerily familiar; once upon a time, Fan Beibei had been in a similar situation.
"Has she been suggested to act this way?"
He Min and Xu Nuan thought the same thing, though He Min didn’t dwell on the embarrassment of Fan Beibei’s past experience. It seemed that the fear from her previous encounter in the illusion had faded, and she had emerged from it.
Xu Nuan hoped that He Min wouldn’t cling to the past but also found it somewhat frightening how quickly He Min had moved on from the shadow of murder. This conflicting feeling made her momentarily overlook the fierce glint that flashed in He Min's eyes.
"Ah! I want to kill you!"
Deng Yinyin's words caught Xu Nuan's attention. She couldn’t help but step closer to Deng Yinyin and noticed the turbulent emotions swirling in her eyes, which made her realize something immediately.
"Xie Huai, she only sees you as someone or something from her illusion; she means no harm."
As someone who had been suggested many times before, Xu Nuan could now clearly distinguish between suggestion and madness.
Deng Yinyin's current state was strikingly similar to He Min's earlier condition. The difference was that while He Min had seen the deceased Fan Beibei wanting to kill her, Deng Yinyin saw someone she wanted to kill.
But did Deng Yinyin really have a target for murder? To Xu Nuan, it seemed like Deng Yinyin’s hatred was merely a childish tantrum and didn’t escalate to the level of wanting to kill someone. Perhaps in the illusion, Deng Yinyin’s emotions were being amplified infinitely.
Xu Nuan thought this way as she approached Deng Yinyin in an attempt to awaken her. If this commotion continued, not only would it hurt Xie Huai, but it would also attract those Zombies.
She never expected that as soon as she approached Deng Yinyin, Deng Yinyin would change her target and charge straight at her with brute force, accurately shouting her name.
"I will kill you, Xu Nuan!"
Xu Nuan froze in her tracks, staring in shock at the charging Deng Yinyin, momentarily forgetting to dodge.
Instead, it was Xie Huai, who had been watching Deng Yinyin and willingly putting himself in harm's way, who rushed forward and embraced Deng Yinyin. As he was caught in a bear hug, Deng Yinyin struggled fiercely against Xie Huai, expressing her dissatisfaction in a primal way without any thought, while her bloodshot eyes glared menacingly at Xu Nuan.
"I will kill you, Xu Nuan!"
The murderous intent in those eyes was too obvious and too vicious. Even Xu Nuan couldn't help but feel a chill creeping up her spine.
It was shocking that Deng Yinyin harbored such murderous intent. In the recent Survival Games, Deng Yinyin had mostly stuck close to Xie Huai and had hardly paid any attention to Xu Nuan or Gu Ze. Was this outburst due to long-suppressed feelings or something else?
At that moment, Deng Yinyin's murderous intent resembled that of Guo Xu from before. Xu Nuan unconsciously took a step back, which appeared as something entirely different in the eyes of He Min.
He Min merely observed and had no intention of stepping forward to comfort Xu Nuan. It was clear to everyone that Xu Nuan was greatly affected, and they were all reminded by Gu Ze and Xu Hang that under no circumstances should they provoke Xu Nuan. Though the specific reasons were unclear, everyone silently obeyed Gu Ze and Xu Hang since Xu Nuan was the only one who knew about the secret passage.
Now that Gu Ze and Xu Hang were absent, it was natural for them to forget about this matter.
Xu Nuan looked at Deng Yinyin in confusion, continuously retreating. Meanwhile, Deng Yinyin continued to hit Xie Huai's back and bite his shoulder while lifting her head to reveal a malicious grin directed at Xu Nuan.
"If I don't kill you, you'll kill me! I must kill you!"
The logic was so clear-cut that it didn't resemble someone trapped in an illusion at all.
Xu Nuan suddenly recalled that she had killed Zhang Hui and Dong Keyong right in front of Deng Yinyin. To someone like Deng Yinyin, who had been spoiled during her childhood and still retained a childlike mentality, Xu Nuan naturally became the embodiment of evil—a being to be feared and shunned.
She suddenly felt an impulse to turn and run; Deng Yinyin's gaze was filled with malice, and beneath it lay a chilling murderous intent that was completely unlike her usual demeanor. Yet even so, Xie Huai continued to protect Deng Yinyin, wholeheartedly comforting her.
Xu Nuan felt a mix of envy and melancholy, her heart in turmoil as she contemplated turning away to check on the situation with the Zombies. No matter how perilous the circumstances, it was still better than being targeted by her former companions.
"You murderer! You have no right to live in this world!"
Deng Yinyin's furious shouts continued, her logic painfully clear.
The more Xu Nuan listened, the worse she felt. Her lips moved, but no words of defense came forth. In that instant, a craving surged within her again, and her complexion darkened. Yet, there was no one to seek solace from.
How she longed to see Gu Ze, she whispered in her heart.
The cacophony of accusations and the murderous glares finally compelled Xu Nuan to turn around. Just as she did, Deng Yinyin suddenly broke into a muffled laugh, as if suppressing some emotion.
"If I don't kill you, you will definitely kill me!"
"After all, you know that I saw Fan Beibei push you and then deliberately fall on top of you, which made you uncontrollably kill Zhang Hui!"
Deng Yinyin's voice began low, then escalated into a shout, eventually devolving into a pure outpouring of the pain caused by her deliberate concealment and fear of Xu Nuan's thoughts.
Xu Nuan realized that Deng Yinyin and He Min had experienced similar illusions. Both had been triggered by their inner fears. Deng Yinyin had witnessed her commit murder and believed her to be someone who would stop at nothing. As a companion, Deng Yinyin had hidden such an important truth from Xu Nuan, allowing her to suffer while letting others fear her. Those who conceal secrets often endure greater pain; when such anguish is exacerbated by the mechanisms within the System, it transforms into an overwhelming obsession.
Deng Yinyin's obsession was to strike first.
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