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墨書 Inktalez
It was noon, and although there was a slight breeze by the Mountain Stream, carrying a hint of moisture, the blazing sun hung high in the sky, relentlessly pouring light and heat onto the earth.
In the game, everyone had to wear various outfits. Besides quick-drying clothes, they needed to layer regular clothing and then add a Tactical Jacket on top. Their backpacks were filled with clothes for different seasons. No one could predict where they would find themselves in the next moment or what the temperature would be like in that area. This meant they always had to dress heavily and carry more gear. At that moment, Chi Xiaoming and Feng Feng were already drenched in sweat.
Despite the shadows cast by trees all around, only a few could block the sunlight. The rays of sunlight seemed to swarm like insects, eagerly burrowing into their clothes.
However, unlike Chi Xiaoming and Feng Feng, who stood in the shade of the trees, Xu Nuan was fully exposed to the intense sunlight. Even though the sun was scorching hot, Xu Nuan felt an inexplicable chill coursing through her body, making her feel as if she were standing in a snowfield at twenty degrees below zero, dressed in thin clothing.
From Chi Xiaoming and Feng Feng's perspective, Xu Nuan sat on the ground, clutching herself tightly. She trembled all over, her face pale as death, and her lips were a deep purple from the cold.
The two merely watched in silence, not considering going up to help or offering her a blanket because they knew Xu Nuan would soon experience another extreme.
After the piercing cold came an equally searing heat. Xu Nuan felt as if she were being roasted over an open flame; every part of her body was engulfed in high temperatures, including her internal organs. The pain was indescribable.
She understood clearly that this alternating sensation of cold and heat was merely a psychological effect. According to Feng Feng's earlier explanation, she had been forced to take some hallucinogenic drugs while ill. After Cheng Ling's treatment, these drugs could have terrifying effects on her brain's nerves. She had no time to contemplate what those effects might be; all she knew was that Feng Feng's antidote countered poison with poison. She was already beginning to experience various hallucinations, and she needed to remain alert within those illusions to have any chance of breaking free from the drugs' control.
She had never realized that she was also one of the test subjects. Was it when she and Qin Yaojie were together without defenses that she was drugged? Or did Another Founder intervene when she became a potential threat to Qin Yaojie?
What about her parents? Could they also be considered a threat to Qin Yaojie? Or was she simply overestimating herself?
These doubts could only be resolved by confronting Another Founder; therefore, she could not allow herself to be defeated by this antidote with only a seventy percent success rate. Whether it was for revenge or to continue being with Gu Ze, she needed strength. If she succumbed now, she would be powerless to do anything.
Just as she steeled her resolve, waves of pain surged through her body as if her bones were being shattered and reformed. It felt like her entire skeletal structure was being dismantled and tortured alongside her flesh. Before long, she was drenched in sweat again, having bitten her lips until they bled. The bright red blood contrasted starkly with her purple lips.
This pain was just the first wave; according to Feng Feng's description, for one hour, she would be tormented continuously by this pain, each wave stronger than the last.
This was merely the initial side effect of the antidote; the true agony that might make Xu Nuan contemplate giving up lay ahead.
Xu Nuan had witnessed her parents being crushed by a car more than once, their bodies shattered before her eyes. The parents who had raised her and opposed her relationship with Qin Yaojie were still fighting for her escape in their final moments.
She saw her parents thrown to the ground, her mother's abdomen torn open, its contents spilling out. She watched as a dent formed in her father's skull. If it hadn't been for her parents pushing her away first, she would have been among them.
She clearly saw the triumphant, twisted smile of the driver responsible for the accident, yet she allowed him to escape.
Now she understood it was a conspiracy; she had dragged her parents into this, and she had always held resentment against them. Even though she survived, her heart never found peace.
Xu Nuan desperately tried to evade the haunting visions before her, but the effects of the antidote felt like a hand violently tearing open all the wounds in her heart. She had no choice but to face it head-on.
Xu Nuan would endure this pain for an hour, while Chi Xiaoming and Feng Feng planned to stay by her side for the same duration. They were certain that Gu Ze wouldn't be able to deal with He Jun and Li Xiangke within that time frame.
The two showed no awareness of taking advantage of Xu Nuan while Gu Ze was absent. The frail Feng Feng glanced at Xu Nuan and then at Chi Xiaoming, softly saying, "It's been an hour, but this is just the beginning."
The tormenting visions would only grow stronger from here on. If Xu Nuan couldn't hold on and sought the drug again, she would face the grim fate of becoming a Zombie. However, if she persevered, Feng Feng wasn't entirely confident that all the toxins in Xu Nuan's body could be completely cleared.
"You didn't tell her," Chi Xiaoming said expressionlessly as he looked at Xu Nuan, an emotion flickering in his eyes that only he understood. "If she just held on until leaving the game after receiving the injection beforehand, there would be a full chance of recovery."
Feng Feng let out a light laugh, devoid of any mirth. "Aren't you aware? You didn't tell her either."
"We're all the same; we're all selfish people."
Feng Feng made a sarcastic remark, yet his expression remained calm and indifferent, as if the sight of Xu Nuan struggling nearby, drenched in sweat, was not worthy of his attention.
"There are still several rounds before reaching the 70th. Is it really wise to make such a hasty decision?"
Chi Xiaoming showed no signs of embarrassment; as long as he wished, no one could read any emotion from his facially paralyzed expression.
"You designers can only leave through the secret passage, and she is the only one who knows where it is. If she doesn't make it through, you're finished too."
Chi Xiaoming was well aware of the situation, perhaps even more than Xu Nuan. While Xu Nuan had been dealing solely with the Third Batch of Players and remained passive, Chi Xiaoming had already gathered all the necessary information and entered the game with different intentions. It was only when he realized that he could not achieve his goals through his own strength that he reluctantly revealed his identity and chose to cooperate with Gu Ze, who had always been in the open.
However, most of the intelligence he possessed was related to the game, the four major factions, and mechanisms. He knew little about game designers like Feng Feng, which somewhat hindered his judgment.
"Who says she is the only one who knows?"
Feng Feng dismissed the notion.
"If she can make this decision, it signifies Gu Ze's importance in her heart. She is a smart person; knowing that something is off, she wouldn't be able to keep such an important matter hidden by herself."
"Are you betting?"
Only then did Chi Xiaoming turn to look at Feng Feng, catching a glimpse of a hint of madness and determination flickering in Feng Feng's eyes. Initially, when Gu Ze introduced Feng Feng to him, he thought Feng Feng was a very patient Pharmacist whose skills were not worth mentioning. Now, however, this once-hidden Feng Feng had become quite unfamiliar to him. He couldn't determine whether this change was due to Feng Feng hiding his true self all along or if being around Gu Ze for too long had inflated his ambitions after seeing hope.
"I don't like to gamble; I prefer certainty."
At that moment, Feng Feng calmly revealed what he knew.
“Gu Ze's departure this time is not just for He Jun and Li Xiangke to see, but also for that person who will appear at the 70th level. Gu Ze is a man with great ambition; he plans to achieve three goals with one move. If he didn’t know where the secret passage was, he wouldn’t dare to act this way. Unfortunately, his ambition may very well implicate Xu Nuan, which was originally his purpose for doing all this.”
Feng Feng held Gu Ze in high regard, but couldn’t help feeling a sense of regret.
“He is an ambitious and formidable man. Once his true nature is exposed, he will treat this game as a stage to showcase his abilities, and in doing so, he will overlook some details. Otherwise, given what we know about his protective instincts towards Xu Nuan, would he really entrust her care to us?”
Chi Xiaoming fell silent; Feng Feng’s words were too reasonable for him to counter. He found himself glancing at Xu Nuan, who was still struggling within herself. Gu Ze was a confident yet not arrogant person. Entrusting Xu Nuan to their care was less about trusting them and more about trusting her. In truth, he also wished to see the Xu Nuan who had once been skilled and charismatic return. However, that return hinged on whether this fragile girl could endure what was beyond ordinary human tolerance.
The two of them were initially connected through Gu Ze and collaborated closely. Once the topic related to him fell silent, they could only exchange glances in silence. Consequently, their attention shifted to Xu Nuan. Upon closer inspection, they noticed she was striking her hands against the ground, and by the time they had rested, her hands were already bloodied.
They exchanged a glance and quickly approached her, squatting down to stop Xu Nuan's actions when they heard her fragmented voice.
“Don’t... worry about me... I’m just... distracting that craving.”
Upon hearing this, Chi Xiaoming and Feng Feng exchanged another look, both surprised and complex emotions reflected in their eyes.
After a moment of silence, they simultaneously reached out to stop Xu Nuan’s actions and instead tied her hands with rope.
At this point, she had not yet reached the stage of complete loss of control; Xu Nuan was still quite aware. She did not resist Chi Xiaoming and Feng Feng’s actions but knew that such restraints could only hold for a short while before becoming ineffective.
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