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墨書 Inktalez
The Blue Creature was a grotesque blue being that evoked images from certain movies, yet it had not harmed anyone on the first night. Xu Nuan and her companions only needed to be wary of the relentless water ghosts gnawing at the tree trunks. Being cautious meant they couldn’t sleep, but after a sleepless day, they were all quite fatigued and could only keep themselves awake by chatting.
Xu Nuan's conversation partner was naturally Zhao Xi. The two spoke almost as if no one else were around, discussing another man. The more they talked, the better Xu Nuan understood the closeness between Zhao Xi and Qin Yaojie. Zhao Xi’s knowledge of Xu Nuan and Qin Yaojie’s past surprised even Xu Nuan herself.
Could it be that Qin Yaojie was chatty in front of her friends? Xu Nuan thought, bemused by her own cold joke.
Having someone reminisce about another person made Xu Nuan feel even less guarded around Zhao Xi, as if in a cold winter environment where one person might freeze to death, but two could keep each other warm.
Meanwhile, Xu Hang was engaged in a half-hearted conversation with Xie Huai about company matters. Although they were in the same department, they belonged to different teams and had little to discuss. The most talkative among them, Gu Ze, leaned against a tree trunk gazing at the night sky composed of the Red Moon and the blue creatures, showing no interest in joining their conversation.
Xu Hang knew Gu Ze wouldn’t fall asleep and was aware that the content of Xu Nuan and Zhao Xi's discussion had likely reached Gu Ze's ears. Though he was taciturn, he understood that earlier in the evening, Deng Yinyin had chosen to leave with Gu Ze during a critical moment. However, Gu Ze seemed more inclined to let those who were injured go first. He appeared confident that he could succeed in overcoming challenges on his own and believed he didn’t want to abandon the experienced Xu Nuan.
This contradiction was a trait they all shared.
Xu Hang was now multitasking—chatting with Xie Huai while keeping an eye on his buddy Gu Ze and monitoring Xu Nuan’s side for any important information.
At that moment, he didn’t miss an important piece of information.
“If you find him after a few rounds, would you consider getting back together?”
Zhao Xi’s voice floated lightly through the air, causing Xu Hang to startle and reflexively glance at Gu Ze, who had indeed stiffened at her words.
Had Xu Nuan already broken up with her boyfriend?
This meant that before Xu Nuan found her ex-boyfriend, Gu Ze had a chance to win her heart.
But did Gu Ze still like Xu Nuan? Aside from occasionally paying attention to her, Xu Hang hadn’t seen Gu Ze do anything particularly special for her. Yet if he didn’t like her, he wouldn’t be so passive; his moods seemed erratic.
Although Xu Nuan had broken up with her boyfriend and no longer faced any moral obstacles, she still seemed to have feelings for her irresponsible ex-boyfriend who had secretly logged into the game. In that case, it appeared that not much had changed.
No, there was still a change; at least some obstacles had been removed, right?
Xu Hang found his thoughts in disarray. Gu Ze's situation was far more complicated than his own with Lan Ling, and his mind felt like a tangled mess.
As his brain began to spiral into confusion, he missed Xu Nuan's response when Xie Huai called out to him a few times.
What? Xu Hang looked at the equally bewildered Xie Huai, then glanced at the composed Xu Nuan and Zhao Xi. Finally, his gaze landed on Gu Ze, who remained motionless with a blank expression on his usually steady face.
What was going on with that woman?
Xu Hang's heart, which had been relatively calm, felt as if it were being scratched by a cat's claws, but no one was there to answer his questions.
A sleepless night passed, and everyone quickly climbed down from the tree. They instinctively chose a patch of ground, casually laid down mats, and used their backpacks as pillows before drifting off to sleep.
By midday, after catching up on some much-needed rest, they all woke up one after another. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, they scattered into the forest in search of the Hidden Level.
Initially, Xu Hang and the others thought about protecting Xu Nuan since she was the only woman left in this dangerous Survival Game. However, considering her skills were on par with theirs and her purpose for entering the game, they all put aside those protective instincts.
Even though they knew how to search for the Hidden Level, the vast forest remained an obstacle. They divided into different directions; each person set off to explore their assigned path. If anyone sensed something unusual, they would call out loudly to ensure that those nearby could hear and come to help.
In a good mood, Xu Nuan didn’t even notice who was heading in a similar direction as hers.
This was the time when the sun shone most brightly and its rays were at their harshest. Xu Nuan wore only a short-sleeved shirt under her Tactical Jacket and was already sweating profusely. With her hair tied up in a high ponytail, several rebellious strands had escaped and were sticking to her face.
In such an environment, she continuously searched through bushes and grass—every hidden or exposed spot—back and forth. Thanks to the protection of her Tactical Jacket, she didn’t have to worry about getting scratched by protruding branches or bitten by unknown insects with potentially harmful venom.
"It’s summer outside as well, and the atmosphere here is quite similar to that."
Just as Xu Nuan was searching, a familiar, warm voice rang out.
"Gu Ze?"
Xu Nuan turned her head to see Gu Ze approaching from another direction.
"So it turns out we’re heading in the same direction."
Her tone was calm, much like when they first met in this game.
Yet, many things had changed.
For instance, the emotions reflected in Xu Nuan's eyes. Gu Ze found himself missing the lively and cheerful Xu Nuan from university, the one who always smiled, as he grew accustomed to her now independent and sharp-tongued demeanor.
Now, as he looked into Xu Nuan's eyes, which seemed to bloom like jasmine in this season, he wished that the person before him was still the distant and guarded Xu Nuan, the one who moved forward with calculated steps.
It was like ice melting—not because of warmth but rather because it was a hard, cold block of ice that pushed others away, leaving them without hope.
Even decades-long married couples might not know what each other is truly thinking; how much less would Gu Ze understand Xu Nuan, who at this moment was merely a fellow alumnus and companion in his eyes?
Xu Nuan had no idea what Gu Ze was thinking, which is why she suppressed the smile that danced on her lips. For now, she didn’t want to know what he was thinking.
He was someone she hadn’t yet become friends with; there was no need to waste unnecessary thoughts on him.
In some ways, Xu Nuan was even more indifferent than she had imagined.
"Indeed, the atmosphere here is quite similar to that outside, yet the people out there have no idea what is happening here."
Xu Nuan echoed Gu Ze's words; after all, they were still companions, and he was a skilled hunter.
Gu Ze kept pace with Xu Nuan, his gaze fixed to the right, indicating through his actions that they were searching together, each on one side.
"Even though we were forced into this game, everything here is astonishing. Just how much power and financial backing does a Biotechnology Research Company need to create a Real Game like this, along with a Life-and-Death Contract?"
Gu Ze's tone was mocking, almost skeptical.
"Are you only starting to doubt now?"
Xu Nuan's response was calm as her eyes scanned the ground dotted with flickering lights, which made them feel somewhat weary.
"If their procedures weren't legitimate, I would question the validity of that contract. But regardless, as long as we can successfully navigate through this safely, this matter will come to an end. Unless something unexpected happens, I don't want to overturn this game."
Gu Ze chuckled softly a few times, his gaze shifting from the towering bushes to the vibrant orange figure ahead. He swallowed back the words he almost said—'That sounds quite domineering and doesn't really fit your character'—and opted for something else.
"You seem to really like orange."
In Gu Ze's memory, when he 'coincidentally' encountered Xu Nuan in college, she often wore orange clothes, exuding vitality like a dancing butterfly—charming and captivating.
Xu Nuan paused for a moment and murmured.
"You really do jump around in conversation."
She kept that thought to herself and responded to Gu Ze's question in a nonchalant manner.
"It's not that I like it, but my mom thinks orange matches my name, so she prepared a lot of orange clothes for me. Eventually, I got used to it and now every time I buy clothes, I end up choosing orange."
Xu Nuan said this expressionlessly, but Gu Ze could sense the underlying resentment. Anyone would feel tired of wearing clothes in just one color. Wouldn't people be the same?
After Xu Nuan finished speaking, she fell silent. Entering the game was actually a selfish act; she had followed the footsteps of her ex-boyfriend who had broken up with her. She even deceived her parents by saying she was on a business trip far away and would be gone for a long time, claiming that the environment was poor with no signal to make calls.
Those clumsy lies had somehow fooled her parents, and while Xu Nuan found it amusing, it also made her heart ache. Her parents loved her, but if they hadn't intervened, she and Qin Yaojie wouldn't have ended up like this.
Xu Nuan struggled to control her heavy breathing and didn't want her mood, which had finally improved, to become burdensome again. She didn't want to be an overly sentimental person, but emotions were the most unreasonable thing.
Gu Ze noticed the change in Xu Nuan's expression and stopped in his tracks, wanting to shift the topic when he seemed to step on something.
Before Xu Nuan could react, Gu Ze grabbed her hand. In the blink of an eye, they found themselves in an incredibly dim environment. Everything around them was blurry, and in front of them was an electronic screen.
Unlike the Hidden Level they had cleared with Deng Yinyin, Gu Ze discovered that this Hidden Level required leaving one person behind while the others could clear it without any limit on numbers.
Leave one person behind?
This must be the task of the Hidden Level; there were no rewards for uninvited guests.
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