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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan slowly broke into a malicious smile, causing Zhang Xiao to instinctively take a step back.
After a moment of stunned silence, Zhang Xiao suddenly lunged forward like a rabid dog, picking up the notebook that had just fallen. In a flurry, he flipped to the part translated by Xu Nuan, his eyes glued to the words above, his expression growing paler and his breathing more frantic.
"What... what is going on?"
Zhang Xiao hurriedly stepped back two paces, his face filled with panic as he gripped the paper tightly, his hand trembling uncontrollably, as if it would tear the notebook apart at any moment.
"On August 0 of this year, I destroyed another mechanism. This way, the path for future Players will be much smoother."
"On August 5 of this year, I finally understood why he was so certain that no one would discover more than one Game Base. It’s because even if they did find it, their disordered memories would make them doubt their own judgment. The images placed in the Supply Station were indeed insidious; several times I nearly fainted from them. Such hints are powerful, making it difficult for Players who are unaware of the truth to notice."
"Year..."
"Shut up! If you say another word, I'll kill you!"
Xu Nuan emotionlessly read aloud from the notebook, provoking Zhang Xiao's resentment.
"You knew all along that what Su Zihang left behind wasn’t this notebook, so you used it to set me up?"
Zhang Xiao glared fiercely at Xu Nuan, who felt as if she were being targeted by a venomous snake in that instant.
A chill ran down her spine; her left leg ached from the dampness of the secret passage. With the confirmation that Su Zihang was truly dead, Xu Nuan couldn’t help but worry for Gu Ze, who was still in the Game Base.
She had followed Zhang Xiao here merely to uncover the identity of Another Founder, who was legally Zhang Xiao's brother. Zhang Xiao did not belong to the realm of designers and had not been subjected to any suggestions; to some extent, Zhang Xiao's words were more genuine.
However, this clue was not enough. Xu Nuan needed more than just this piece of information that could cost her life; she needed to stay close to Zhang Xiao to gather more intel. Surviving beside a madman required a certain level of cunning.
"Or else?"
Xu Nuan smiled lightly, giving Zhang Xiao a genuine smile. However, to Zhang Xiao, that smile felt malicious, making him wish he could leap forward and tear her face apart.
"If this is such a precious thing, how could I possibly give it to you? That person has been scheming against me, wanting that very thing, right? It's truly unfortunate that you couldn't outsmart your brother."
Xu Nuan articulated each word carefully, her smile beautiful yet devilish, causing Zhang Xiao—who once felt invincible—to turn pale and tremble as if death itself was approaching him, filling him with sheer terror.
"How do you know about this?"
In his panic, Zhang Xiao admitted the truth without Xu Nuan needing to pry further. Yet soon after, he began to flail his arms in agitation, his face twisted with rage and frustration.
"I haven't lost! I haven't lost yet! He hasn't gotten that thing either; this game isn't perfect. He isn't the only son of that person."
Zhang Xiao grew increasingly agitated, his breathing becoming rapid. Xu Nuan observed him closely while searching for an opportunity to strike.
"No, he isn't that person's son at all! He has no right to inherit Rao Group, no right to be by that person's side!"
Just a few simple sentences were enough to confirm many of Xu Nuan's suspicions. She watched coldly as Zhang Xiao lost his composure in some emotional turmoil while subtly inching closer to him.
"Oh really? But your brother created this game; he is talented and the most qualified to inherit Rao Group. Well, at least he can inherit the Rao surname, while you have no such qualification."
Xu Nuan's words were sharp and cutting, each one striking at the heart.
"Hah! He hasn't inherited the Rao name at all! This game is merely him stealing Qin Yaojie's achievements; what kind of talent does he have?"
Zhang Xiao was gradually revealing more than Xu Nuan had intended. However, what she truly wanted was to uncover that person's real name and discover whose face he was using in this game. Since Zhang Xiao had made an agreement with that person, it was certain they had crossed paths within the game.
With this thought in mind, Xu Nuan took a few more steps forward. However, as she approached Zhang Xiao and locked her gaze on the short knife at his waist, Zhang Xiao suddenly lunged at her with a fierce expression, gripping her throat tightly.
"Crazy woman, don't think I'll fall for your tricks. Is that thing with you? Hand it over now!"
"As long as I have that thing, he must admit his defeat!"
Zhang Xiao's grip was terrifyingly strong, leaving Xu Nuan completely powerless. The advantage she once held vanished in an instant, and now she found herself at a disadvantage, her hands flailing in the air without any point of support to grasp. In her desperation, she even saw an illusion—just a few meters away, Gu Ze was smiling at her.
Waiting for you.
Gu Ze was mouthing those words to her.
Someone was waiting for her to return; she couldn't die yet. Even if she was battered and bruised, she had to cling to the last breath of life to get back to that person. This was a matter of life and death; it was the only promise she had made that she was willing to fulfill with her life.
The oxygen was so thin that her brain began to slow down, and her heart felt the pain. Yet amidst all this, she caught sight of Gu Ze's figure fading away, and a sense of unwillingness surged within her. Allowing this feeling to swell in her heart, Xu Nuan suddenly lifted her foot and struck Zhang Xiao hard.
At that moment, Zhang Xiao was deranged; his actions lacked rationality. The notebook left by Qin Yaojie was merely a simple diary and not specifically meant for Xu Nuan. It wasn't something left behind by Su Zihang, whom he and another founder had desperately sought. For him, failing to completely defeat that so-called brother meant that even leaving the game would be meaningless; he remained the illegitimate child unworthy of inheriting even a surname.
Now that the secret passage had been permanently sealed off, he needed to collaborate with Xu Nuan if he wanted to return to the game and continue searching for that thing to utterly defeat his nominal brother.
Xu Nuan's boldness in following him into action without showing despair clearly indicated she had a backup plan.
If Zhang Xiao had been rational, he would never have killed Xu Nuan at this moment. Unfortunately, he was deranged. After painstakingly plotting for over half a year while lurking in the shadows—stirring discord and recruiting allies using various threats and temptations—he ended up in this situation; it was a devastating blow.
Xu Nuan was also driven mad by her desire to live and return to Gu Ze's side. This desperation gave her a surge of power that allowed her to save herself despite being at a disadvantage.
Caught off guard, Zhang Xiao stumbled backward several meters before crashing heavily against the wall.
"Cough, cough."
Xu Nuan, nearly exhausting all her strength, had no choice but to kneel on the ground, trying to ease the pain in her legs while coughing. She greedily breathed in the slightly thin air of the secret passage, not even glancing at Zhang Xiao.
She could do crazy things that left others defenseless, yet she also knew how to handle each situation with a proper measure when it was time for Rationality.
For a moment, the secret passage echoed with her coughing and Zhang Xiao's heavy breathing. After a few minutes, Xu Nuan heard a faint sound. She suddenly looked up and saw the dark opening staring back at her.
Zhang Xiao's hand trembled, his hatred spilling over, surging madly towards Xu Nuan.
"Hah."
Xu Nuan smiled lightly, looking at Zhang Xiao and then raising an eyebrow.
"Tsk, do you think I'm foolish? The weapon in your hand is nothing but scrap metal now, yet you still treat it like treasure. Hah, what a big joke."
Xu Nuan saw through Zhang Xiao's posturing. Without that weapon, they were evenly matched; Xu Nuan's madness and Zhang Xiao's brute force would only lead to mutual destruction after a confrontation.
Zhang Xiao's face twisted with hatred, his expression clearly intent on skinning Xu Nuan alive.
Xu Nuan continued to smile and provoke him. While Zhang Xiao had been scheming against her from the shadows, she and Gu Ze had already gauged his temperament. It was time to put that information to use.
"I'm fine. Even if I die here, it's just fate. Your brother never intended for me to live anyway. Once my value is exhausted, it's a dead end for me. But hey, I can take you down with me. Though it feels disgusting, it might be worth it; I have nothing to regret."
Xu Nuan spoke these insincere words, greatly provoking Zhang Xiao.
Zhang Xiao's breathing grew heavier as he fixed his gaze on Xu Nuan, not missing any of her expressions or movements. Suddenly, he raised his hand and tore the notebook he held into pieces.
Xu Nuan's breath caught in her throat, her gaze flickering before a look of liberation washed over her.
Zhang Xiao silently destroyed one of the relics left behind by Qin Yaojie, while another relic, a short dagger, was tossed to the ground by Xu Nuan.
There was nothing left to remind her of that person. The love and admiration once felt, followed by hatred and resentment, had all dissipated into thin air, leaving Xu Nuan unimpeded.
"Thank you."
Xu Nuan spoke these words sincerely, but as soon as she finished, Zhang Xiao approached with a dark expression and yanked her up, dragging her forward without a care.
This way of moving was hard on her legs, and as Xu Nuan struggled, she kept an eye on Zhang Xiao's expression.
It seemed that her words had backfired; Zhang Xiao was a madman, yet a madman with insight. After their initial frenzy, both had been left wounded, and it was then that Zhang Xiao realized this was not the ultimate solution to their predicament.
Xu Nuan sighed. Zhang Xiao's return to calmness came too swiftly, and he had realized that she no longer possessed that item. The only thing that could save them now was the method to escape the secret passage.
Unfortunately, she did not know that method.
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