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墨書 Inktalez
Most people found themselves in dire situations. Xu Nuan and Gu Ze were separated by mechanisms, each struggling within their own circles. Chi Xiaoming observed from the sidelines; although he seemed safe, one misstep could make him a target for both factions. The balance of his situation was something he had to navigate on his own.
Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai faced similar levels of attack, or perhaps they were simply dealing with the most straightforward form of assault. Their abilities were relatively weak; one was preoccupied with a secret passage, while the other was still recovering from injuries and fixated on the elusive Zhang Xiao.
Given these circumstances, it was no wonder that they appeared the most flustered and unprepared to confront the mechanisms.
At that moment, as they momentarily lost focus, a bamboo raft came hurtling toward them from a distance, striking them with its rear end. The main body of the raft was covered in sharp spikes; if they were pierced, it would surely leave them injured. With such a grand trap set for their initial encounter in the Forest of Hatred, one couldn't help but wonder if those spikes were coated with some strange substance.
However, at this point, they had no time to dodge. The bamboo raft approached them head-on, glistening under the sunlight, its spikes reflecting dazzling light that made it hard to keep their eyes open.
"Don't close your eyes!"
A panicked voice broke through their instinctive reaction.
"Xu Hang?"
Xie Huai was the first to react. When he opened his eyes, he saw a towering figure standing in front of them—Xu Hang—who had braced himself against the incoming raft.
Yet even someone as capable as Xu Hang was being forced back by the premeditated assault of the raft, leaving scratches on the ground beneath him.
Once Xie Huai confirmed that Xu Hang was indeed blocking the attack, he felt a momentary daze. Once upon a time, Xu Hang had been their most reliable ally among the Third Batch of Players. He was taciturn yet decisive; he appeared stern but cared deeply for everyone. Xu Hang was someone they all trusted wholeheartedly, willingly following him toward their goal.
When had that trust begun to fade? When had reliability been replaced by suspicion?
Even though Xu Hang had been protecting Deng Yinyin all along, his demeanor had changed. But upon reflection, was it only Xu Hang who had transformed? Perhaps it also included himself and Deng Yinyin.
"What are you standing there for? Waiting to die?"
Before Xie Huai could ponder further, Xu Hang's sharp words reached his ears—harsh yet familiar.
"Got it."
Xie Huai quickly responded and hurriedly pulled the dazed Deng Yinyin aside. Once he saw that both of them were out of danger, Xu Hang let out a grunt and gritted his teeth, pushing the bamboo raft away just enough before rolling aside to let it drift away with the wind.
It was just a small movement, yet it left Xu Hang drenched in sweat, his arms aching and his legs feeling unsteady. Before he could catch his breath, he heard Xie Huai's voice.
"Qi Huan and Fang Zheng are in danger!"
Wasn't that obvious? Everyone was in danger at this point. Xu Hang glanced over impatiently, only to freeze in shock. Xie Huai was right; Qi Huan and Fang Zheng were in a far worse predicament than the rest of them.
The mechanisms that had emerged from the ground surrounded Fang Zheng and Qi Huan completely. As they hurriedly tried to escape from other traps like the Bamboo Arrow, thin iron cables shot out from the mechanisms, wrapping around them as if they were alive. This was no ordinary trap; it caught even the experienced duo off guard, leaving them helpless.
As the iron cables ensnared them, their weapons fell to the ground, rendering them unable to defend against the impending wave of attacks.
"Damn it, what the hell is this?"
Xu Hang cursed under his breath, instinctively pushing himself forward. He knew he couldn't save those two on his own, so he sought out Gu Ze.
He remembered how he and Gu Ze had teamed up to solve numerous problems in the past, and a sense of nostalgia washed over him. But when his gaze landed on Gu Ze not far away, he was taken aback.
Gu Ze was also in a precarious situation. Although it wasn't as dire as Qi Huan and Fang Zheng's, it was enough to keep him from escaping and left him with some injuries.
However, Gu Ze's skills were superior to theirs; for a mechanism to trap him was no simple feat—it was quite clever and clearly problematic.
The Forest of Hatred was meant to be a showdown, and now they had lost the upper hand. This setback was significant.
"Xu Hang?"
Xu Hang's moment of distraction made Fang Zheng and Qi Huan's situation even more difficult. Unable to hold back, Xie Huai rushed over and called out as he passed Xu Hang.
"Are you okay? Go!"
Xu Hang pulled his gaze away, suppressing his confusion. He chose to trust Gu Ze and sprinted toward Fang Zheng and Qi Huan without hesitation. After running a couple of steps, he suddenly turned back and shouted at the temporarily safe Deng Yinyin.
"Stay here and don't move!"
Without giving Deng Yinyin a chance to respond, Xu Hang dashed straight towards Fang Zheng and Qi Huan, rekindling a long-lost understanding among them.
At this moment, the situation for Fang Zheng and Qi Huan could hardly be described as difficult; it was on the brink of disaster, their lives hanging by a thread.
The two were tightly bound by iron chains, struggling was futile. The sound of slicing air echoed across the land as cold, gleaming daggers flew swiftly from the dense forest. Those daggers, tied to bamboo poles, glinted ominously like the smile of a demon, eager to claim lives.
"Find a way to lie down!"
Xu Hang shouted again, feeling an inexplicable surge of anger at the sight of the two men’s dazed and desperate expressions.
He had once nearly given up on life. After learning part of the truth, he fought against despair and finally grasped a sliver of hope. He had clung to life, relinquished it, and ultimately stood firm here. The experiences he endured were inexpressible; from that moment on, he could no longer bear to witness life slipping away before him. What he once could accept had now become a taboo in this cruel phase.
No one knew of this taboo, and Xu Hang transformed it into action. Those who understood saw it; those who didn’t remained oblivious.
Fang Zheng and Qi Huan were startled by his shout, their instincts kicking in as they instinctively fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding the first wave of attack.
The second wave came just as fiercely and was unstoppable. However, Xu Hang and Xie Huai had already reached them; one pulled on the iron chains while the other attempted to lift the destroyed bamboo raft to shield against the incoming assault.
The two rescuers struggled mightily, but for those being rescued, hope began to flicker.
The efforts of four were far stronger than the despair of two.
He Min was the lone one among them; she too had been attacked but unlike others, she was mentally prepared.
Yet reality proved she was just another pawn like Yu Yu—when the time came, she would be discarded without hesitation. Even with her mental preparation, she lacked sufficient information about this ambush and could only rely on her skills to evade these attacks.
Her initial shout had been half-hearted; she was indeed injured but not to the point of needing help. She had intentionally called out because she had uncovered the true purpose behind this ambush. Diverting Xu Nuan became crucial for their success. Though reluctant to accept her role as a disposable pawn, she had no choice but to cooperate when necessary. If she didn’t comply or was discovered, what would her fate be?
He Min had anticipated this day long ago and had made some preparations for it. Yet reality proved her weak and at an absolute disadvantage; sacrificing her dignity for survival only led to a lingering existence. All of this began with Yu Hao's death.
The unwillingness and hatred in He Min's eyes were glaringly obvious, yet everyone around her was preoccupied with their own struggles, indifferent to her plight. Seeing this, she let out a few cold laughs, tending to her wounds alone—wasn’t that just how it was?
The sudden turn of events caught He Min off guard. The cold smile at the corner of her lips had yet to fade, and her plan to isolate Xu Nuan had not even begun to take shape before she found herself under fierce attack.
Unlike Xu Nuan, who had Chi Xiaoming watching from the outer circle and could count on help in a crisis, or Deng Yinyin, who had quickly secured the safest position, He Min felt utterly alone. Even Qi Huan, at this moment, had the assistance of Xu Hang and Xie Huai.
She was isolated and unnoticed, just like after Yu Hao's death, just like when she stumbled through the game alone, gritting her teeth as she fought through one Survival Game after another until she caught up with the First Batch of Players and leveraged her connection with Xu Nuan to join that team.
Without her connection to Xu Nuan, she wouldn't have received Qin Yaojie's help, wouldn't have joined that team, wouldn't have encountered that person. In the end, she found herself having to lay down all her dignity before that individual, living like a dog.
Xu Nuan, Qin Yaojie, Deng Yinyin...
Each one of them was an object of her hatred. All their concern was merely a guise for harm; she had seen through it long ago yet still foolishly believed that Xu Nuan genuinely cared for her. In the lonely desert stage, she missed a crucial opportunity. At that time, Yu Yu had already met that person and received the latest instructions, even coming to tell her the key to clearing the stage.
One misstep leads to another; that saying proved true.
Hatred flickered in He Min's eyes once more. This surge of hatred focused her mind and gave her enough strength to dodge the barrage of Bamboo Arrows coming her way.
"Hiss."
He Min touched the wound on her face and when she looked at her hand beneath her eyes, it was stained crimson. She let out a soft laugh.
From now on, she would show no mercy. Everyone was her enemy; she had only herself as a master. And she would be the only one to leave the game with the prize money.
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