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墨書 Inktalez
"Boom! Boom!"
As Xu Nuan and the others had just distanced themselves from the dangerous area, a massive explosion erupted behind them. The few who had run far enough instinctively stopped and turned back, witnessing a scene engulfed in flames, with flesh flying through the air, and the wind carrying the acrid scent of burnt meat.
"Ugh, ugh."
Deng Yinyin couldn't help but gag at the sight. Beside her, Xie Huai continued to show his concern.
"Deng Yinyin, are you alright? Here, have some water."
This was just a minor interlude. After the explosion, flames spread across the area, and it was unclear what lay within that marsh devoid of tall plants. Sparks began to flicker and dance around, threatening to consume everything in their path.
Then, the Purple Dragon appeared, followed closely by thunder. Just as everyone was still astonished by the raging fire, heavy rain began to pour down.
Without needing any urging from the others, Gu Ze quickly scanned the surroundings, pinpointing subtle details as he began to arrange their positions like a general preparing for battle. He clearly included the unexpectedly arrived Qi Huan in his plans, assigning appropriate positions to everyone.
The new mechanism activated once more. Without time to rest, the scenery before them changed again. It was Qi Huan's first time witnessing such a scene. As they landed safely, she took a serious look at Gu Ze; the emotions within her gaze were not particularly intense—true to this dancer's style.
In this new mechanism, it wasn't raining; however, dark clouds and lightning were visible in the distance.
"Were we just there?"
The group, all novices when it came to mechanisms, was taken aback but didn't delve into it further. Leaving that place was naturally a good thing, but the continuous cycle of activating mechanisms and escaping had become quite tiresome. They longed to see the Supply Station.
Players were always in a passive position; as long as the System didn't let them go, they couldn't find the Supply Station—especially under constant surveillance.
This seemingly unimportant issue was soon overlooked by everyone. As dusk approached and fatigue set in, they all hoped for a moment of rest. Xu Hang nodded solemnly and brought the nearly beaten Wang Huacheng over to Gu Ze.
Gu Ze was smiling, just like any other day, but it sent a shiver down Wang Huacheng's spine. Deng Yinyin, who noticed the smile, also felt a chill and instinctively glanced at Xu Nuan.
Xu Nuan did not notice Deng Yinyin's gaze; she was quietly observing Gu Ze and then looked at the shrinking figure of Wang Huacheng, her heart churning with turmoil.
If Gu Ze invited her this time, it would mean he would be honest. If not, she would have to dig for the truth on her own.
Despite being in a moment of uncertainty, Xu Nuan's gaze grew increasingly calm. She could hear snippets of conversation around her, but they were indistinct. Memories from the past unfolded before her eyes, and when she reluctantly closed her eyes and opened them again, her view was occupied by He Min and Qi Huan.
Earlier, Deng Yinyin had asked Qi Huan how she knew Wu Wu would explode—was there a bomb planted inside him? Qi Huan merely smiled and replied, "No need to know; as long as everyone is safe."
Qi Huan must have known something while concealing other information. Following Deng Yinyin's inquiry, He Min was clearly the next to probe.
"Long time no see."
He Min's smile was so familiar that it sent a chill through Xu Nuan's heart. Knowing her friend too well allowed Xu Nuan to see the emotions hidden behind that smile. The more she could discern what He Min was thinking through subtle details, the less she understood her true feelings deep down.
After all this time, Xu Nuan finally realized that He Min was merely projecting the image she wanted to show in front of Xu Nuan. This realization was both chilling and helpless. Everyone was changing because of the game, so she had no right to comment on it.
"Not that long."
Qi Huan was also smiling. Now in her thirties, she rarely acted impulsively and lacked the enthusiasm that Xu Nuan and others had when they first entered the game. This gave her an air of authority that made people want to trust her.
This statement raised doubts in Xu Nuan’s mind, making her aware of the subtle atmosphere between the two, especially when Qi Huan deliberately glanced at Xu Nuan while speaking.
Xu Nuan involuntarily took a step forward, momentarily forgetting that she was waiting for the lord's invitation. She felt uncomfortable with this atmosphere and wanted to join their conversation. Just as she took two steps forward, He Min turned around with her usual smile and spoke gently.
"Warm, I need to talk to her about something. Would you mind if we went over there?"
Xu Nuan felt a blockage in her throat when facing He Min or Gu Ze; she was never good with words. In fact, as a member of the human resources department at the company headquarters, she was quite eloquent. However, that eloquence vanished in front of those who mattered most to her.
He Min's gaze was calm, unlike Qi Huan's, which held a hint of determined confidence. She smiled, but that smile felt somewhat piercing at that moment.
Xu Nuan couldn't refuse He Min because she owed her a life. It was something they had never mentioned, yet it was a crucial reason for their close relationship. When Yu Hao passed away, Xu Nuan had thought about protecting He Min in the game, not only because He Min was her friend and mentor but also her savior.
Without He Min, there would be no Xu Nuan today. If anything happened to He Min, Xu Nuan would have ended her gaming career long ago, right at the second level.
Xu Nuan's heart grew colder; it felt as if she stood atop a peak of extreme cold, with icy winds swirling around her, stealing away all warmth from her body.
It was a long-lost experience, yet it stemmed from her friendship.
Qi Huan cast a puzzled glance. This woman, with whom she had little interaction, seemed to understand Xu Nuan's current feelings even better than He Min did. Xu Nuan managed a faint smile.
"Of course I don't mind; this is your private matter."
As she spoke, Xu Nuan took a few steps to the side and fell silent.
He Min nodded with a smile and glanced at Qi Huan before leading the way in one direction.
Qi Huan hesitated for a moment, looking back at Xu Nuan before following along.
Xu Nuan would never know that if she had chosen to hold on just a little longer at that moment, Qi Huan might not have met such an unfortunate fate. But everyone knew there were no 'ifs' in this world—only the harsh reality.
"Are you two playing a guessing game? With such vague words, who can understand?"
Deng Yinyin, who had been silently observing from the side, held back her urge to comment. Having regained some energy, she began to bounce around again.
Xu Nuan looked at her expressionlessly, causing Deng Yinyin to quickly take two steps back, appearing somewhat frightened.
Realizing her own lapse, Xu Nuan slightly softened her expression and spoke softly.
"It’s better not to understand; the more you know..."
The rest of her words remained unspoken, yet they were clearly implied. To Deng Yinyin, this was evidently a threat. Although she had spent as much time with Xu Nuan as He Min had, she had never truly understood Xu Nuan because she had never made the effort.
Xie Huai held back the anxious Deng Yinyin and offered Xu Nuan an apologetic smile. However, the distance in that smile was palpable. Xu Nuan nodded slightly, not saying much.
Soon, Xie Huai pulled Deng Yinyin aside to rest. One was greatly frightened while the other was still recovering from an injury. Despite not having exerted herself much in recent days, she still felt exhausted.
With the sudden emptiness around her, Xu Nuan felt a pang of loneliness. This feeling of being unnecessary was like poison, eroding one’s Fighting Spirit, and what she feared most was losing that Fighting Spirit.
"Are you really not going over?"
It wasn’t until Chi Xiaoming's voice broke through that Xu Nuan realized there were still people nearby. Chi Xiaoming had once again made his presence felt, seemingly indifferent as he listened in.
Xu Nuan sluggishly turned her head to meet Chi Xiaoming's dark eyes. Beyond him, she saw Gu Ze and Xu Hang animatedly asking Wang Huacheng something. She could only catch a glimpse of Gu Ze's smiling profile without meeting his gaze. She had no idea what He Min or Gu Ze were thinking.
"There’s no need; everyone has their secrets."
Xu Nuan could only delude herself into defining He Min’s behavior as having her own secrets. However, looking back at He Min's gaming history, there hadn’t been much opportunity for her to intersect with Qi Huan, which raised a doubt that Xu Nuan couldn’t ignore but felt lost about.
"Qi Huan is a smart person; He Min is even smarter than her."
As Xu Nuan felt confused and at a loss, Chi Xiaoming spoke again in a languid tone, his voice carrying a chill that matched her current feelings.
"Your words are... Achoo!"
Before Xu Nuan could finish her sentence, she sneezed and quickly turned away to cover her nose.
"Sorry... Achoo! Achoo!"
After a few more sneezes, Xu Nuan finally realized that her forehead was burning with heat.
Seeing this, Chi Xiaoming decided to hold back what he initially wanted to say and instead told Xu Nuan what she wanted to know, falling silent afterward.
"Wu Wu is just an ordinary designer. He was also drugged, but he neither had the antidote nor took any suppressants. He was supposed to turn into a Zombie, but for some reason, an explosion occurred. Feng Feng once used Wu Wu as a research subject for the antidote, so he knows him, but how well is uncertain."
This was undoubtedly the longest string of words Chi Xiaoming had ever spoken, and the information revealed overlapped with some of Xu Nuan's guesses.
This was exactly what Xu Nuan wanted to know, something Chi Xiaoming had failed to fully articulate after his injury. For a moment, Xu Nuan was stunned; by the time she regained her composure, Chi Xiaoming had quietly moved aside to rest. As he sat down, Fang Zheng exchanged a few words with him, but Chi Xiaoming ignored him, and Fang Zheng did not press further.
Xu Nuan's thoughts began to spiral again, but this time she couldn't sort through the timeline of events because dark clouds in the distance seemed to be closing in for some unknown reason. Heavy rain poured down once more, and amidst the downpour, numerous rat-like creatures slowly approached from the swamp.
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