Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The towering Tree stood tall, entwined with climbing vines, while the floodwaters along the riverbank had submerged many trees, leaving others battered and unrecognizable. Looking around, the familiar plants were only the kapok and fig trees, but this familiarity was of no use to those surviving in the jungle.
The jungle was a place they had experienced many times, with temperate and subtropical regions alike. Unfortunately, what made the jungle frightening was never its location; even the bizarre creatures that had been transformed were not what instilled fear. Since entering Friendship Forest, the jungle had become a term that evoked dread—a thin thorn that occasionally pricked at their hearts, one that humanity could not remove.
For Xu Nuan, the Forest of Hatred represented a destined confrontation. She had little chance of winning and remained in a passive position. Gu Ze, for various reasons, found his carefully laid plans gradually unraveling. Even if he suspected that someone among them was a traitor, it did not change the fact that he was also at a disadvantage.
Neither Xu Nuan nor Gu Ze feared being in a weak position; facing challenges head-on was their nature. Even when death loomed near, both felt their palms sweating and legs trembling. Their pride would not allow them to take a step back. Even if they were bruised and battered, their dignity forbade them from evading this confrontation.
Indeed, this open confrontation could have been avoided. Xu Hang had once suggested they bypass this challenge, advancing steadily through the seventy-first level before accelerating toward the finish line.
Including Gu Ze, no one knew why Xu Hang had undergone such a change. His temperament had shifted dramatically without reason, and now he suddenly reverted to his former self without explanation. Gu Ze did not know the cause but could still laugh easily at Xu Hang's expense, prompting Xu Nuan to join in.
Their laughter irritated Xu Hang, who could only sigh helplessly in response, silently supporting their decision as he always had—an unspoken understanding between them.
This was a world where Chi Xiaoming could not intrude. Despite Xu Hang's darker moments, Chi Xiaoming had become their most steadfast ally. He was indeed qualified to stand beside them. In fact, many traps were solved by him; based on his own understanding, he demonstrated a value that Xu Hang could not match.
However, value is often the most useless existence in matters of the heart. Chi Xiaoming, who liked to measure those around him by their worth to determine whether to befriend or collaborate with them, ultimately found himself shut out by his own theories of value.
He looked expressionlessly at Xu Hang's helpless smile while his thoughts drifted to the challenge in Love Forest.
At that time, both trapped in a tree together with Xu Hang faced a choice: only one could safely remain on the tree while the other would fall as it broke apart. Below them was a group of leisurely cheetahs. The cheetahs seemed to have heard the System's command and did not rush to attack; instead, they slowly wore down their patience, keeping them constantly on edge about their safety. In that delicate moment, the System presented them with a dilemma.
In terms of overall strength, Chi Xiaoming far surpassed Xu Hang. He entered the game with his own mission and absolutely could not allow himself to die before completing it.
This meant that the sacrifice would have to be Xu Hang's fault; however, this was merely his one-sided thought. He was certain that Xu Hang also wanted to eliminate him while ensuring his own survival. Yet Love Forest required pairs; both had choices to make—if they chose differently, it would be one against one. Most importantly, the System demanded they provide an unbalanced choice; otherwise, both trees would fall simultaneously—and once they did, there would be no escaping the cheetahs' grasp.
For both him and Xu Hang, it was an obvious choice; it simply depended on who seized the opportunity first.
Chi Xiaoming never expected Xu Hang to relent—trading information for a choice meant exchanging one piece of news for a life.
Xu Hang wanted to know everything about An Liran and An Insurance related to this game. Initially, Chi Xiaoming had told Gu Ze about several people but remained unclear about An Insurance's situation. How could that be? He had invested so much effort and even prepared for sacrifice upon entering the game; how could he possibly fail to gather all necessary information?
Deceiving Gu Ze was merely an attempt to leave himself an escape route; equally so, he knew Gu Ze had also left himself an out—both shared similar intentions and thus chose not to expose each other. What he hadn’t anticipated was that Xu Hang saw through this as well.
In relation to An Insurance, exchanging a life seems like a bargain!
Chi Xiaoming made his choice almost without hesitation. He successfully left that dangerous place, believing that Xu Hang was doomed.
When he encountered Xu Nuan on Love Path, he lied. Later, at the Supply Station, he lied again. Thanks to his face and the good fortune he had always displayed, few people truly doubted him. The superficial suspicions were merely posturing, as no one wanted to attract trouble.
At the Supply Station in Love Forest, he sensed that He Min might be problematic but chose not to voice his concerns. To avoid suspicion, he dragged Xu Hang into the mess. When Xu Hang took advantage of the situation, he realized that Xu Hang was of the same ilk as himself.
Since they were cut from the same cloth, why did Xu Hang earn the trust of Gu Ze and Xu Nuan?
For the first time in his life, Chi Xiaoming felt a pang of jealousy. His eyes fixated on the three of them, within which burned a flame capable of consuming everything.
He Min stood nearby, a strange smile playing on her lips.
Unlike the tension among Xu Nuan, Gu Ze, and others, Deng Yinyin, Xie Huai, and Fang Zheng were completely excited. They had arrived at the Forest of Hatred, where they would soon find the secret passage and claim their rewards to exit the game!
The three showed no restraint in their good spirits. Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai always wore their emotions on their faces, while the others had long since grown accustomed to it. What was particularly eerie was the occasional smile that flickered across Fang Zheng's gloomy face.
In contrast, Qi Huan appeared unusually calm. To outsiders, she seemed to get along well with Xu Nuan. Having been with everyone for some time, she was qualified to enter the secret passage. After all, the secret passage could only be activated once and had no limit on numbers; it would be a waste not to take advantage of this rare opportunity with a likable Player.
A few who were kept in the dark genuinely believed that secret passages were common and could accommodate anyone. In reality, if one thought about it for just a moment, it would be clear that if secret passages held such power, they would not be mere game glitches. Given the nature of the founder, who calculated everything with strong possessiveness, how could they allow Zhang Xiao to leisurely interact with Xu Nuan instead of threatening her from the start?
The desire for survival often blinds people to many potential dangers; this is what makes Players so pitiable.
On the large open space by the riverbank stood nine people, each with their own thoughts.
“Xu Nuan, what are we waiting for? Let’s go find the secret passage!”
When it came to secret passages, Deng Yinyin was as carefree as she had been at the Supply Station. However, how could these two places possibly present the same level of difficulty?
Xie Huai felt concerned about Deng Yinyin's overly casual tone. Their past conflicts with Xu Nuan had not been resolved; for her to be the first to speak could easily lead to rejection. In fact, Xie Huai wasn’t particularly eager to find the secret passage quickly. He wasn’t foolish; he had seen early on that there were unspoken issues among Xu Nuan and her group—namely, they were destined to confront Zhang Xiao at this stage.
Zhang Xiao, heh, Xie Huai couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. If it weren't for Zhang Xiao, Tang Jingshu wouldn't have died, and he wouldn't be left with a lifetime of shadows. If he couldn't send Zhang Xiao to hell and give Tang Jingshu some justice, he would never find peace even after leaving the game.
In Xie Huai's view, the only person who could understand his feelings was He Min, who had enthusiastically shared information about Zhang Xiao with him. He was grateful to He Min and genuinely believed that He Min was on his side in this matter. Initially, he thought Xu Nuan would also desperately seek trouble with Zhang Xiao, especially since Qin Yaojie had been killed by Zhang Xiao. However, seeing Xu Nuan and Gu Ze being all lovey-dovey, he felt that Xu Nuan had already forgotten about Qin Yaojie. In the end, he realized that he was the only one wanting to cause trouble for Zhang Xiao, and suddenly felt a heavy burden on his shoulders.
Thinking this way, Xie Huai decided to find an opportunity to talk to He Min later, hoping to gain He Min's assistance. With that, he believed he still had a chance against Zhang Xiao. At that moment, feeling confident that he had gained a lot from this game, Xie Huai thought he possessed the strength to contend with Zhang Xiao, completely unaware of the serious atmosphere among Xu Nuan and the others.
If he had noticed, he would have seriously reflected on his actions and sought help from the right people instead of overestimating himself.
These thoughts were fleeting; it was less than a minute since Deng Yinyin finished asking her questions. Xu Nuan, who had just walked out of her confrontation with Xu Hang, stared at Deng Yinyin for several seconds while noticing the different expressions on the faces of the others before nodding.
"Alright then, let's go."
Xu Nuan turned first, choosing a direction and moving forward. Gu Ze walked beside her, steadfastly keeping pace.
Deng Yinyin was taken aback by Xu Nuan's eagerness but quickly followed joyfully. The others also began to follow suit, though their expressions varied.
This was their first time entering the Survival Game without heading towards the Special Tree. No one knew what awaited them in the future; this journey to the secret passage would lead them to encounters beyond their control.
The uncontrollable nature of it all brought countless possibilities. Xu Nuan hoped that she and Gu Ze could guide things toward a good ending but never anticipated that danger lurked nearby. A good ending became a luxury, and whether that slight hope could turn into reality depended on their own efforts.
Comment 0 Comment Count