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墨書 Inktalez
If Deng Yinyin had known how easily Xu Nuan and Gu Ze arrived at the entrance of the secret passage, she would have been furious enough to spit blood. But if she also learned that exiting the secret passage meant starting a struggle against the people in the monitoring room without gaining a single cent, what choice would she make?
The difficulty of making choices has always been the essence of this game. Perhaps at this moment, no one was watching through the screens to appreciate the deceit and betrayal among the Players, as interests led to mutual treachery, turning close friends into enemies. However, this was the core of the game; it did not require the monitoring room's spectators to appreciate it, as long as the Players remained immersed in this atmosphere.
Xu Nuan and Gu Ze quietly observed a mechanism appear five meters ahead. They knew that triggering this mechanism, which was not part of the game's original design, would reveal a passage. The time for the passage to appear would be brief, yet it was some people's only hope.
However, there wasn't much hope left. Among the remaining First Batch of Players, only Zhang Xiao, An Liran, and Feng Feng were left. If Su Zihang was feigning death, then there would be one more person.
Now only the two of them were present, and Feng Feng's absence indicated her ultimate fate to some extent. This time, it was a choice made by Feng Feng herself. Xu Nuan was indeed curious about the true deal between Feng Feng and Gu Ze, but at this moment, she could not afford to speak.
Every situation was precarious; Xu Nuan had to remain extremely vigilant.
The crisis came swiftly, so quickly that Xu Nuan didn't even have time to confirm their plan with Gu Ze again. Yet she understood that no plan could keep up with changes; their true plan was to adapt to those very changes.
As Wu Yue lunged at Xu Nuan with determination, Xu Nuan briefly thought of He Min and what He Min had told her.
One of the main characters had appeared; even if it was just for show, Xu Nuan had to satisfy this character's presence.
With that thought in mind, Xu Nuan unceremoniously drew a short knife hidden in her sleeve and stabbed at Wu Yue.
Wu Yue acted decisively because she believed she had caught her opponent off guard; she never anticipated that Xu Nuan had been prepared all along. This strike caught Wu Yue unawares.
However, since Xu Nuan had initially been knocked down by Wu Yue, her center of gravity shifted downward. The stab did not hit a vital spot but was enough to make Wu Yue lose all her initial advantages and bring them to an equal level.
With her left leg impaired from the wound, Wu Yue staggered from the blow. Xu Nuan chuckled lightly and calmly twisted the knife in her direction. Pain immediately flashed across Wu Yue's face as her grip on Xu Nuan's neck involuntarily loosened.
Xu Nuan then delivered a knee strike hard into Wu Yue's abdomen. Wu Yue instantly rolled away in pain. Without hesitation, Xu Nuan pulled out the knife and aimed it directly at Wu Yue's face. At this moment, Xu Nuan used a backhand grip; due to a slight misjudgment of distance, Wu Yue finally found an opportunity to regain control and began to fight back.
It was almost comical; Wu Yue had shifted from being proactive to reactive. Now she sought initiative only because her life was threatened, yet her expression suggested that Xu Nuan had used some underhanded tactics against her.
Xu Nuan couldn't help but laugh out loud as she boldly approached. At that moment, she seemed completely unaffected by her injured left leg, causing Wu Yue—who had been prepared—to tremble and hesitate in her actions.
Wu Yue knew she couldn't defeat Xu Nuan; however, Zhang Xiao had told her that if she completely destroyed Xu Nuan's left leg, victory would be assured.
Naturally disinclined to think for herself, Wu Yue followed orders without question. Yet when it came time to execute this task, she realized she had been deceived.
Xu Nuan had become a presence that even Zhang Xiao found somewhat daunting, not merely because of her robust physique, but due to many other aspects that Zhang Xiao could not hope to match.
After exchanging several blows, Wu Yue found herself with more wounds. Despite her efforts to inflict some damage on Xu Nuan during the fight, she received no reaction from Xu Nuan, as Zhang Xiao had predicted.
Before her stood Xu Nuan, completely unfazed, her focus unwavering despite the chaos around them. She was wholly dedicated to dealing with Wu Yue.
As time passed, even Wu Yue, no matter how foolish, realized that Xu Nuan had her own strategy in play, one that had been discussed with Gu Ze.
"Gu Ze has been taken away by Zhang Xiao. Aren't you worried?"
Wu Yue, clutching her injured abdomen, managed to retreat to the side. Xu Nuan was injured and limping; if she were at full strength, wouldn't it take mere moments for her to defeat Wu Yue?
Foreseeing such a future filled Wu Yue with immense fear, prompting her to invoke the names of Gu Ze and Zhang Xiao in an attempt to intimidate Xu Nuan.
It was important to note that while she fought Xu Nuan, Zhang Xiao had silently appeared and was now entangled with the severely injured Gu Ze. One was unharmed and wielding a formidable weapon; the other was barely clinging to life. The outcome was clear. Yet just moments ago, despite hearing the commotion, Xu Nuan hadn't even spared a glance at the two of them. This left Wu Yue perplexed; lacking critical thinking but rich in imagination, she concocted various scenarios in her mind.
Little did Wu Yue know that Xu Nuan was too afraid to look over.
Xu Nuan was acutely self-aware; she understood that if she saw Gu Ze's situation, she would act recklessly and disrupt their plans.
She was risking Gu Ze's safety while Gu Ze was risking hers. It seemed like something only lovers would do, yet they were gambling with each other's lives.
Outsiders would never understand this dynamic, nor did Xu Nuan need their understanding. She remained focused on confronting Wu Yue, striving not to be distracted by anything else.
This was undoubtedly painful for her; however, it was a determination that matched Wu Yue's initial ferocity.
Wu Yue's strength was even below Deng Yinyin's. In an absolute disadvantageous position and with a divided mind, she naturally had no chance of turning the tide. Even though Xu Nuan held the upper hand, given her current state, it would take time before she could send Wu Yue to her demise; thus, she had to exercise patience in dealing with Wu Yue.
The battle continued between them, the air thick with the scent of blood that lingered heavily—mingling with both Xu Nuan's and Wu Yue's blood as well as blood from afar.
Wu Yue's complexion began to pale as she waited in vain for Zhang Xiao's support. It dawned on her that she had been deceived; if she wanted to survive, it would have to be on her own.
Driven by instinct, Wu Yue began to plead for mercy.
"Let me go. There’s no grudge between us, and you don’t have to go to such extremes, do you?"
This was the conclusion drawn from Wu Yue's perspective, but from Xu Nuan's viewpoint, it was entirely different.
"You belong to Zhang Xiao."
That light remark pushed Wu Yue's already pale face to the brink of fury.
Indeed, as long as Wu Yue was Zhang Xiao's person, she was Xu Nuan's enemy—someone Xu Nuan had to eliminate without hesitation. Everyone understood that one could not let a tiger return to the mountain; if one did not eradicate the roots, the grass would grow back with the spring breeze.
Wu Yue might be foolish, but she understood this principle. With no hope for mercy, a sudden surge of murderous intent erupted from her as she lunged at Xu Nuan.
Until now, she had been the one fleeing from Xu Nuan’s pursuit, but now that she took the initiative to attack, it caught Xu Nuan off guard and threw her aim off balance.
Wu Yue succeeded in leaving a deep wound on Xu Nuan. Their blood intertwined, staining the ground covered with fallen leaves.
Xu Nuan winced in pain but did not reach for her wound to staunch the bleeding. Instead, she rationally utilized their close proximity and struck Wu Yue once more. This blow determined the outcome of their fight.
Sitting helplessly on the ground, Wu Yue had lost any chance of resistance. One more strike would take her life. Xu Nuan gasped heavily, struggling to breathe in the air thick with the scent of blood.
She slowly approached Wu Yue, step by step, closing the distance between them.
Fear filled Wu Yue's eyes as she attempted to crawl backward. Her body remained motionless; she had no strength left and felt utterly hopeless.
"Xu Nuan, are you sure you want to keep moving forward?"
Zhang Xiao's voice came unexpectedly, causing Xu Nuan to shudder and igniting a glimmer of hope in Wu Yue's eyes.
If Zhang Xiao could safely speak, it meant something had happened to Gu Ze.
Xu Nuan did not turn back; she couldn’t afford to. She needed to complete her mission. As she saw hope flicker in Wu Yue’s eyes, she ruthlessly snuffed it out and took a few more steps forward.
"So this person has become unimportant to you."
Following the voice of Zhang Xiao was a muffled groan, and it was clear who the owner of that sound was.
Xu Nuan's heart trembled, her hands shook, but she still moved forward.
Wu Yue was unwilling to let hope slip away just like that; she screamed frantically, fighting for a chance to survive.
"You heartless woman, can't you turn back and look at Gu Ze?"
"He's about to die!"
Wu Yue revealed a malicious smile, yet the despair in her eyes did not fade. This was something she wasn't even aware of; the determination and hatred in Xu Nuan's gaze completely extinguished her hope.
Wu Yue finally realized this and felt powerless to change it.
However, it was not Xu Nuan, who resolutely moved forward, that ultimately ended Wu Yue's life.
Accompanied by a piercing sound, a blood hole appeared on Wu Yue's temple. She widened her eyes in surprise, looking past Xu Nuan, and then fell down in unwillingness, leaving no last words behind.
Xu Nuan was equally stunned; Wu Yue was dead. A part of her mission had been accomplished, and she could finally turn back. But when she did, the scene before her made her heart leap into her throat, suspended in the air and unable to settle.
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