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墨書 Inktalez
The frail Guo Dafu was rightfully joining everyone in overcoming challenges.
Even though the six of them were currently in a difficult situation, none of them considered abandoning Guo Dafu. Before fully witnessing the cruelty of this game, each person still held onto a flicker of softness within.
Deng Yinyin was very interested in Guo Dafu's experiences. As someone who usually focused on appearances, this was the first time she didn’t mind a man's looks and enthusiastically struck up a conversation with him. Meanwhile, Xie Huai was nervously watching Deng Yinyin, but she didn’t spare him a glance.
The Camel, serving as their backup transportation, was being ridden by the temporarily immobile Guo Dafu, while the others walked steadily along the path marked by the Special Tree.
What should have been a silent journey was interspersed with the sounds of conversation and laughter between Deng Yinyin and Guo Dafu. After a while, Tang Jingshu also joined their chat.
Xu Nuan subtly furrowed her brow, her gaze quickly darting over to Guo Dafu, who was busy complimenting Deng Yinyin. She didn’t even pay attention when her eyes accidentally met Gu Ze’s.
Having spent nearly twenty years with Guo Dafu, she had peeled back a layer of this middle-aged man's facade.
Selfish and profit-driven.
These two phrases seemed unrelated to the game, but whenever Xu Nuan thought of Guo Dafu's past actions, a sense of caution arose within her. What could they, the Six People, possibly offer him? The combined contents of their three backpacks were meager at best; logically speaking, there shouldn’t be any temptation for someone like Guo Dafu.
Was she overthinking it?
Xu Nuan narrowed her eyes slightly and took another quick look at Guo Dafu. Still silent, her mind replayed all his past behaviors, causing her frown to deepen unconsciously.
What Xu Nuan didn’t realize was that her seemingly subtle actions were noticed by both Gu Ze and Xu Hang. Although they were puzzled, they didn’t ask further questions.
Unbeknownst to Gu Ze, his multiple attempts to approach Xu Nuan for conversation were also observed by Xu Hang. All Xu Hang could do was sigh internally; he couldn’t help his friend.
Perhaps he admired Gu Ze even more for not acting impulsively and maintaining rationality in the face of unreasonable emotions. This kind of person would achieve great things. As an elite member of the technical team, Gu Ze had never let anyone down.
However, the suffering of his friends made him even more eager to get through this ordeal quickly.
The scorching sun relentlessly poured its light and heat, making both body and spirit feel unbearably scorched. By evening, the sun finally stubbornly hid behind the clouds, blushing at the horizon, reluctant to leave. Unfortunately, after these days, few were interested in such a spectacle anymore.
Heavy footsteps made everyone wish they could just collapse and sleep, but they all knew that would be unwise. The cold of the night swept in from all directions, seeping through the gaps in their clothing. They even suspected that this chill was spreading outward from their hearts, so cold that they had lost all sensation.
Even so, foraging for food and gathering firewood remained necessary tasks.
Given Guo Dafu's limited mobility, the men didn’t mind him staying at the campsite to rest. Thus, Gu Ze and Xu Hang went to find food while Xie Huai and Xu Nuan searched for firewood. The other two stayed behind to clear the area.
"I'm really sorry for being such a burden. I can't help at all," Guo Dafu said with a guilty expression, but he received understanding nods from everyone.
Xu Nuan and Xie Huai searched for firewood together. As Xie Huai picked up sticks, he couldn't help but glance back at the campsite, a faint worry etched on his delicate, fair face.
"Are you worried about Deng Yinyin?" Xu Nuan asked, breaking the silence.
Xie Huai paused for a moment before shyly scratching his head, his voice tinged with a hint of disappointment.
"Maybe it's just my imagination, but I feel like Guo Dafu isn't as simple as he seems."
Xu Nuan raised an eyebrow in surprise before quickly letting it fall again. This seemingly timid Xie Huai was quite perceptive. She wondered if Gu Ze and Xu Hang had any suspicions as well.
Thinking about how those two hadn’t said much all afternoon made Xu Nuan feel uncertain.
Xie Huai searched for dry branches carried by the yellow sand or pulled up the few plants in the desert while asking Xu Nuan, "You and he are both part of the second batch of Players. Why are you two so distant when you meet?"
Xu Nuan was surprised that Xie Huai was the first to ask this question. She raised an eyebrow slightly and casually explained, "It's normal for a team of twenty-five people to split into different groups, right?"
Xie Huai nodded but still focused on the main point. "However, I feel like something unpleasant must have happened between you. Your attitude towards him isn't just distant; it's cold."
Xu Nuan didn't expect Xie Huai, who often shrank back at the slightest noise, to have such keen observational skills. She thought only Tang Jingshu would notice.
"Indeed, there was a bit of an unpleasant incident, but that doesn't hinder him from joining us in clearing the levels."
With her back to Xu Nuan, Xie Huai didn't see the mocking smile that appeared on Xu Nuan's face at those words.
A bit of an unpleasant incident?
Xu Nuan's light brown eyes darkened in the descending twilight. That incident was nothing more than when Dai Zhengyan was swallowed by Python, and Guo Dafu pushed himself forward to be eaten instead. If it weren't for her teammates pulling her back, she would have met her end in the third level.
Xu Nuan slightly lowered her gaze, but her peripheral vision caught sight of the Campsite not far away. Guo Dafu was still chatting with two ladies, and it was unclear what had made them laugh so heartily.
Indeed, a smooth-talking man could easily win a girl's favor, making it easy to overlook the thoughts hidden beneath his charming exterior.
Xu Nuan's eyes sparkled with a glint of determination. She had no intention of helping Guo Dafu clear the challenges; instead, she was curious about what secrets he might be hiding.
Guo Dafu was indeed poisoned, as he described. According to his account, he had been poisoned at the Fourth Level, making it impossible for him to survive this far. While it was true that he was weakened by hunger and thirst, she couldn't believe that someone who had a well-trained Camel would fall to such depths. Camel's blood could be drunk, and its meat could be eaten. Did Guo Dafu really think of himself as a fool? She would not trust someone who had harmed her.
Let’s see who the real fool is.
No one noticed the cold smile on Xu Nuan's lips at that moment.
Soon enough, Xu Nuan and Xie Huai returned to the Campsite with a large bundle of firewood. They quickly took out their fire-starting tools and easily ignited a flame. The warm tongues of fire instantly brought the desired warmth to everyone, serving as their lifeline in the desert night.
After Xu Nuan and Xie Huai finished their task, Tang Jingshu approached them with two cups of green liquid.
"I just found this new plant. It tastes great and can replenish energy. We've all had several cups already."
Xie Huai hesitated as he looked at the thick green liquid in the cup. The color was quite off-putting, even more so than the plant liquids they had consumed before.
Deng Yinyin shook her empty cup and laughed at Xie Huai and Xu Nuan.
"It tastes really good! I highly recommend it."
Without further ado, Xie Huai downed his cup in one go. Despite its strange and unappealing color, it actually tasted quite nice.
Xu Nuan examined her cup thoughtfully and glanced at Guo Dafu, who was half-reclining against the Camel's leg. Noticing her gaze, Guo Dafu smiled and raised his cup, appearing quite gentlemanly.
That familiar smile… Xu Nuan expressionlessly took a few sips from her cup.
The sound of branches burning played a melody as a few people sat quietly around the campfire. After a while, Deng Yinyin yawned, her voice laced with drowsiness.
"Where are Gu Ze and the others? I'm about to fall asleep."
Tang Jingshu also elegantly stifled a yawn, lazily responding.
Xu Nuan stared at the fire without much reaction. After some time, soft snoring began to fill the campsite.
Xu Nuan glanced around; aside from herself and Guo Dafu, the other three had already collapsed.
Suddenly, Guo Dafu, who had been acting weak, stood up and let out a strange and eerie chuckle.
"Xu Nuan, I knew you wouldn't fall for it again."
Despite his large frame, Guo Dafu nimbly navigated through the clutter on the ground toward Xu Nuan, his words dripping with a hint of menace.
"After all, you are quite the delicacy we want to enjoy."
Just as Guo Dafu attempted to close the distance, Xu Nuan suddenly fell backward and lightly leaped to a spot several meters away. Her expression remained calm, but her eyes held a glint of ferocity as she looked at Guo Dafu.
"So it was you all plotting against me. When you caught up with He Min and Yu Hao and found me missing, were you disappointed?"
Her voice carried the harshness of the desert evening breeze, which lifted their clothes as it passed by.
"You’re very clever," Guo Dafu said, a twisted smile spreading across his fleshy face that was both drooling and resolute.
"Your appearance is quite to my taste, and your figure is good. Of course, I’m also very satisfied with your skills. I followed you all the way here, even throwing that guy who was drooling over you into the crocodile swamp."
Guo Dafu tugged at his clothes, looking impatient.
Xu Nuan remained unfazed, glancing at the three sleeping figures before continuing to focus on Guo Dafu.
"Do you know how you revealed your true intentions back then?"
Xu Nuan took a step closer to Guo Dafu, positioning herself in front of Deng Yinyin and Tang Jingshu.
"Your eyes betrayed your real desires," Xu Nuan noted, observing how Guo Dafu's smile faltered for a few seconds, further confirming her suspicions.
"I know I don’t have that much allure. What you want is money and life. You didn’t come after me for myself or for food, so why did you go through all this trouble? Let me guess."
With a playful gesture, Xu Nuan tapped her chin while mentally reviewing everything she knew, ultimately meeting Guo Dafu's fierce and murderous gaze with a thin, cold smile.
"Then there’s only one possibility: you’re on a mission. Is someone ordering you to do this, or is it the System demanding it from you?"
Before Xu Nuan's words could settle in the air, Guo Dafu lunged at her fiercely.
"Xu Nuan, no one wants a woman who's too smart!"
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