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墨書 Inktalez
Sheng Chao's body lay quietly, unnoticed by anyone. At a time when human life had begun to be disregarded, his death failed to pique anyone's interest. Long ago, he had been passionate about gossip, digging up scandals about various celebrities outside the game, and would wear a smug smile when witnessing their downfall.
Even within the game, Sheng Chao had not shed this trait. He was deeply interested in Xu Nuan, the First Batch of Players, Zhang Xiao, and the secrets behind the game. Utilizing the skills he had honed as a paparazzo, he lurked behind various factions, uncovering many secrets. He had his own judgments and eagerly awaited the day when the truth would shock everyone. However, that wish would never come true. Along with his secrets, only his lifeless body remained; those secrets he never shared would soon be revealed to all. Yet even then, no one would know that there once was a Sheng Chao who had known this long before.
In stark contrast to the quiet body of Sheng Chao was Qi Huan's corpse, which could be described in exaggerated terms as having been pierced by a thousand arrows. After her death, she was crushed beneath a heavy bamboo raft, leaving her unrecognizable.
Among those present, perhaps only Xu Nuan would have shown concern for her. Unfortunately, from the moment Xu Nuan appeared, her gaze was fixed on Gu Ze, completely unaware of Qi Huan's demise.
Qi Huan had once been a promising dancer but fell victim to scheming and suffered a leg injury that forced her off the stage. She believed she could seek excitement in the game while maintaining her integrity. She refused to take lives or associate with Zhang Xiao and others and did not abandon her dignity like He Min did. She thought she had preserved her purity until the day He Min saw through her facade and she chose to compromise, abandoning her high ideals.
In the end, that purity did not bring her a good outcome; she became like a plum blossom fallen to the ground, trampled underfoot and mixed with dirt, losing her former elegance.
Wu Yue felt panicked and lost; Sheng Chao's death was a significant blow to her. However, she did not express concern for his passing; instead, she worried about her own situation.
Now outnumbered by enemies, her meager skills made escape difficult. In a state of panic, she ran through this trap-laden place until she finally spotted He Min, who was bandaging her wounds without fear of any attacks.
They were allies; she could seek help from her.
Without hesitation, Wu Yue dashed toward He Min, ignoring the dangers along the way. Her thoughts were simple: after all, she was recognized as Yu Hao's sister and had followed He Min's orders in the past. Regardless of whether it was in kindness or hostility, He Min should look after her.
However, Wu Yue overlooked one crucial fact: He Min's current identity.
Everyone must pay the price for their true selves unless they were like Deng Yinyin, who had protection throughout her journey. Of course, one day Deng Yinyin would also have to pay for her truth, and it was uncertain whether she could bear that cost.
It is important to remember that in this world, death is often accompanied by even more unbearable suffering.
He Min was tending to her wounds while sorting through her emotions when she heard someone rushing toward her. Instinctively, she assumed an attacking stance but found Wu Yue’s anxious face instead.
What a foolish woman!
He Min cursed under her breath, noticing from the corner of her eye that Xu Hang and the others were looking over, seemingly assessing whether they needed to come help. It was important to remember that she had been taken hostage by Wu Yue in the previous round; if she showed any signs of being unable to handle Wu Yue again, it would be obvious to anyone that something was wrong.
He Min didn't like to treat others as fools. She considered herself a humble person, neither belittling herself nor exaggerating her abilities. This was simply her self-assessment, but while she thought she was disguising her true feelings well, she never realized she had left many flaws exposed.
In this world, anyone who does bad things will inevitably leave evidence behind. Bad people will eventually have their true nature revealed. Regardless of the reasons, once a situation changes fundamentally, only the outcome remains; no one cares about the extraordinary reasons or any sense of urgency behind it.
People only like to see the beginning and the end.
"You walked right into my trap; you have no one to blame but yourself!"
Xu Nuan quickly stood up and shouted. This sudden outburst stunned Wu Yue, who flailed her arms in an attempt to express her desperation but fell silent under He Min's cold stare.
"Foolish!"
He Min muttered under her breath and charged forward with her dagger drawn, while Wu Yue stood there dumbfounded, unsure how to evade. At this point, even if He Min wanted to pretend she hadn't stabbed Wu Yue, it was impossible.
However, the knife still missed its mark; He Min managed to cut Wu Yue's arm and pushed her down to the ground, falling alongside her as if they were engaged in a struggle. She lowered her voice.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go report this!"
Wu Yue felt pain but didn't understand the meaning behind it all. She had never been good at thinking; no matter who she followed, she always acted on orders without question.
"You idiot!"
Noticing that Xu Hang was approaching, He Min intensified her actions, making their struggle appear more dramatic while continuing to instruct Wu Yue.
"Get moving! Leave a mark so I can find you later; that should work, right?"
Wu Yue had merely lost her composure; without anyone to command her, she had received He Min's promise and was now hastily getting back on her feet, ready to flee.
Seeing this, He Min cursed under her breath. This foolish woman didn’t even realize she should at least pretend to stay put and just ran off instead. It was obvious to anyone that they were just putting on an act.
With that thought in mind, He Min also got up, intending to attack Wu Yue again, shouting a few words in frustration.
"Where do you think you're running?"
In moments of urgency, words often lose their restraint. He Min didn’t even realize what she was saying; she only wanted to drag Wu Yue back for another performance. However, the promised Wu Yue was faster than anyone else, quickly ducking into the bushes. By the time He Min chased after her, there was no trace left.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, He Min adjusted her expression and pretended to be furious as she looked at the approaching Xu Hang.
"Tch, let her get away. We were so close."
Xu Hang maintained a serious expression, his eyes devoid of emotion, which only made him more unsettling.
"Yes, so close."
His voice showed little fluctuation, sounding slightly odd. As the usually confident He Min pondered how to salvage the situation, she noticed Xu Hang was intently looking at something else.
Following Xu Hang's gaze, she saw Xu Nuan and Gu Ze.
Gu Ze had nearly destroyed the mechanism circle, and with Xu Nuan’s more determined involvement and Chi Xiaoming’s swift movements, it wouldn’t be long before Gu Ze could escape from the trap that had ensnared him.
Seeing this, He Min's expression darkened. She knew all too well how perfect and formidable this mechanism was. It had been set up with great effort over a long time by someone. The fact that it couldn’t hold Gu Ze was alarming to her.
If Gu Ze's strength had truly reached such an astonishing level, could that person really succeed? If Gu Ze wasn’t eliminated, controlling Xu Nuan would be impossible. Without control over Xu Nuan, their subsequent plans would fail. Trapping Gu Ze would lead to a deadlock, while trapping Xu Nuan would create a dynamic situation because, based on the current circumstances, Xu Nuan held more value than Gu Ze. Gu Ze’s presence would only undermine that value.
He Min's eyes were clouded with uncertainty. Ever since entering this stage, she had lost contact with that person. She could guess the first step of their plan, but the second step eluded her. Had that person calculated that the first move would not trap Gu Ze?
If not, then all her previous calculations would have been in vain. The thought made He Min bite her lip with some force, a flicker of unwillingness flashing in her eyes.
What she didn't know was that Xu Hang, standing to her right and slightly ahead, appeared to be watching Gu Ze and Xu Nuan, but was actually observing her out of the corner of his eye.
Given Xu Hang's relationship with Gu Ze, how could he remain indifferent while Gu Ze was in danger? The only reason he could do so was that there was something more important at stake.
The dramatic battle of mechanisms finally came to a close at dusk. The group had been fighting since noon, and after several hours of exhausting physical exertion, their spirits had plummeted. Moreover, everyone had sustained varying degrees of injury.
Fang Zheng, who had nearly died, was the luckiest among them; aside from the wounds left by iron chains binding him, he only had a few scrapes. Next was Deng Yinyin, who had been injured at the beginning but remained safe afterward. Xie Huai and Xu Hang, who had desperately tried to save others, bore more injuries.
Following them were He Min and Chi Xiaoming; both had sustained injuries that were somewhat serious and affected their vitality.
The most severely injured were Xu Nuan and Gu Ze. Xu Nuan not only had various scattered wounds but also suffered a severe injury when a large tree fell on her left leg, damaging nerves and bone. While it wouldn't leave her incapacitated entirely, she would struggle to walk properly for a long time to come. In this game with poor medical standards, she would likely be left with lasting effects.
Gu Ze bore the most severe wounds of all. He faced a deadlock—one that only He Min knew was supposed to be impenetrable. Gu Ze accomplished what others could not but paid a heavy price for it.
Even Deng Yinyin could sense something was off as she observed the scene.
"Could it be that this mechanism is specifically targeting you two?"
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