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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan crawled forward, first because she detected the faint scent of a Zombie ahead, a subtle medicinal aroma that she had learned to recognize after taking the antidote provided by Feng Feng. Second, her legs had grown too weak to walk, so she pretended to collapse onto the ground.
The bushes around her only reached up to an adult's waist, and by lying down like this, she completely concealed her figure.
However, some unruly weeds on the ground attempted to attack Xu Nuan at that moment. These were plants that had been modified and given a different kind of life. Xu Nuan felt a surge of impatience; after a moment's thought, she decided to scatter the potion left by Feng Feng beside her.
The potion was originally meant to signal specially raised insects, allowing them to identify it without being discovered by others. Previously, Gu Ze and Feng Feng had used it as a means of communication. But this potion also possessed herbicidal properties, and Xu Nuan couldn't afford to think too much about that now.
The sounds grew closer, and as they became clearer, Xu Nuan's expression changed.
What a familiar sound it was; how difficult it was to accept.
She finally stopped in front of a thicket, reached out to push aside some branches, and pressed her face close. Sure enough, she spotted someone familiar standing not far away in a clearing.
He Min.
He Min had her back turned to Xu Nuan, and from her voice, it was clear that she was agitated and unaware of Xu Nuan's presence.
Facing He Min was a Zombie—Yu Hao.
From Xu Nuan's angle, she could clearly see that Yu Hao's abdomen was hollowed out, making its proportions somewhat off for a Zombie. But aside from that, it was just a manipulated Zombie with no other distinctions.
This was the last thing Xu Nuan wanted to see. She didn't want He Min facing Yu Hao; she didn't want Deng Yinyin confronting Xie Huai; nor did she want to face Qin Yaojie herself.
The person was dead; they should have nothing to do with the living world. Why return in another form and cling to those who are still alive?
Xu Nuan speculated that Yu Hao's target was also herself. That was why it hadn't launched a strong attack on He Min at this moment, giving He Min the chance to reminisce about the past.
"Fate really loves to play tricks on people," she thought.
Xu Nuan couldn't see He Min's expression, but she could detect a hint of choked emotion in her voice. She listened as He Min reminisced about her past with Yu Hao, from their first meeting to their romance, and finally to their time in the game.
Xu Nuan had been involved, to some extent, in the moments that Yu Hao and He Min shared in the game. Memories flooded back to her, filling her heart with sorrow. Just as she regarded He Min as a teacher, an older sister, and a friend, she also saw Yu Hao as an older brother and a friend.
When she first entered the game, feeling lonely and lost, it was Yu Hao and He Min who had helped her. In her moments of confusion and naivety, these two had shielded her. Yet now, as she had grown stronger and could face challenges on her own, Yu Hao had died, leaving only He Min behind.
She couldn't bear to watch He Min walk the same path she had taken but felt powerless to change it. All she could do was transform that powerlessness into anger toward those behind the scenes.
She hadn't forgotten Yu Hao's help or the care and life-saving grace that He Min had shown her. However, there was a vast difference between forgetting and facing reality.
"I might have let you down, but I'm sorry; there's nothing I can do about it."
When she heard He Min say this, Xu Nuan sighed heavily within herself.
It turned out that He Min had truly fallen for Yu Yu.
This was indeed something to feel sorry about, yet it shouldn't make He Min feel so guilty. Xu Nuan found it strange but couldn't think of anything at the moment.
She wasn't one to comfort others but felt that with Yu Hao's protective nature toward He Min, he would have wanted her to live the life she desired even until his last moments. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed He Min to enter the game so freely.
With an infinite sigh in her heart, Xu Nuan composed herself. She no longer felt the need to hide her feelings and was just about to stand up to greet He Min when she witnessed a scene that left her utterly speechless.
He Min accurately plunged a dagger into the remaining half of Yu Hao's abdomen, extracting a chip from within.
Xu Nuan stood frozen in shock, watching as Yu Hao transformed into a pool of blood, a foul stench wafting toward her.
She gasped and quickly covered her mouth to stifle any sound of surprise.
She never expected that He Min could act so decisively against Yu Hao. Moreover, how did He Min know that there was a chip inside the Zombie's body?
Despite the fact that many people were already aware of this matter, it was still possible for He Min to extract information from others. But why would He Min want to do that?
Xu Nuan could hardly express her astonishment at that moment. Her large eyes were filled with surprise and a hint of anxiety, her shoulders trembling as they brushed against the branches, producing faint sounds.
If it were her, facing Qin Yaojie, would she be able to take action?
The answer was no.
Perhaps she would accompany Qin Yaojie in discussing the changes in the game, the progress of her plans with Gu Ze, or talk about Qin Yaojie's parents and their current situation. However, no matter what, she would never destroy Qin Yaojie's Zombie herself.
It wasn't that she couldn't bear to do it; rather, she was afraid of hardening her heart and allowing herself to be molded into a ruthless person by the System or that individual's schemes.
This could be seen as an excuse for her weakness, but regardless, she would not take matters into her own hands.
So if He Min took action, could it signify something?
Xu Nuan dared not think too deeply about it, yet in such moments, she had no choice but to ponder.
Suddenly, a hand climbed onto Xu Nuan's shoulder. Startled, she immediately assumed a defensive posture but was careful not to make too much noise and attract He Min's attention.
This hesitation already hinted at something.
"It's me."
As Xu Nuan struggled against the grip, a warm voice brushed against her ear. Upon hearing that familiar voice, she finally relaxed.
Gu Ze's arrival did not allow her to forget what she had just witnessed. She tugged at Gu Ze's sleeve as he knelt beside her, signaling him to look at the situation not far away. However, Gu Ze held her tightly in his embrace and refused to let go.
Xu Nuan felt lost, her expression blank as she listened to Gu Ze's heartbeat. Gradually, her restless heart began to settle down.
No matter how much unease she felt, it all seemed to dissipate when she was with him.
She caught a faint whiff of blood on Gu Ze, just as he could sense the blood on her. When she saw that he was fine, everything else faded into insignificance.
It was hard to tell how long it had been, but Xu Nuan felt a bit uncomfortable before Gu Ze finally let her go.
As soon as he released her, Xu Nuan tugged at Gu Ze's sleeve, signaling him to look over. Just a glance revealed that He Min had already left.
“She left five minutes ago. In that direction are Chi Xiaoming and Liu Minghong; they will run into each other.”
Xu Nuan blinked before speaking up.
“You saw it, right?”
Gu Ze stared at her.
“I saw it.”
Xu Nuan suddenly felt a tightness in her nose; this emotion was overwhelming, and she had no words to express it.
“This is her choice; it has nothing to do with you.”
Gu Ze reached out and tucked Xu Nuan's fallen hair behind her ear, then wiped the smudges off her face.
“No one can make choices for her, so there’s no need to feel guilty.”
She watched step by step as He Min arrived at this point today. She hadn’t stopped it; she felt powerless but also deliberately allowed it to happen, ultimately leading to the scene before them.
“I will never do what she did. Absolutely not.”
Xu Nuan closed her eyes and quickly opened them again, as if swearing to Gu Ze.
Such words made Gu Ze swallow back the plans he had in mind.
"I know you won't. This is your choice, and I respect it."
Xu Nuan revealed a smile that resembled a cry before burying her face in Gu Ze's embrace.
"We must win."
"We will definitely win," Gu Ze replied.
After a moment, Gu Ze pulled Xu Nuan up and sighed.
"So you still remember this medicine; otherwise, I wouldn't have found you."
Gu Ze pointed to the nearby, very well-behaved weeds.
Xu Nuan looked over, her face slightly flushed, unable to explain anything. In fact, she had almost forgotten about it. However, this was a deliberate forgetfulness; she knew what Gu Ze was busy with and hoped he had finished his tasks before coming to find her, rather than being called over by her.
She was very clear about the boundaries in this situation, and now seeing Gu Ze's expression, she understood that the net had already begun to be cast.
She hoped they could win and believed they would win.
However, reality does not bend to hope or belief; everything must be backed by strength.
The seven people scattered in Greedy Forest finally gathered together again. As soon as Deng Yinyin saw Xu Nuan, she opened her mouth to ask what Xu Nuan had discovered after they parted ways, but Xu Nuan raised her hand to cover her mouth.
Due to some strange emotions, Deng Yinyin had said nothing more, yet she caught a glance from He Min.
Misunderstandings often arise unintentionally.
Deng Yinyin seemed to have forgotten the scene she had witnessed earlier. After the crisis, she let her guard down, unaware that someone had been wary and calculating against her. Now, seeing her interaction with Xu Nuan only strengthened that person's resolve.
A twisted mind could no longer be salvaged. The fate of Yu Hao's corpse was enough to prove this; some saw the situation clearly, while others failed to grasp the deeper implications.
Xu Nuan learned from a few others that they had also dealt with several Zombies, but it turned out that Xu Nuan had encountered the most Zombies. This further convinced her that these Zombies were not related to Another Founder but were instead meant to assist Another Founder.
She knew that she still held value for Another Founder and could not afford to die just yet. However, whether in the game or outside of it, there were those who wanted her dead.
She vaguely grasped this thread, a thread that could only be unraveled by leaving the game.
The Life-and-Death Game had been ongoing for over half a year, while her game with those individuals was just beginning.
For both sides, victory was still undecided.
She had to win; she must win!
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