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墨書 Inktalez
No one noticed Xu Nuan's unusual behavior.
To save time on that chilly morning, the group decided against starting a fire to heat water. They quickly consumed some compressed biscuits and moistened their lips with the abundant white snow before setting off.
The summit of the snow-capped mountain remained radiant, an eternal sweep of white formed by the year-round snow. Between the patches of snow, the unique limestone and basalt of the area peeked through. Black and white—this was the purest color combination presented by the snow mountain.
The group still struggled to adapt to carrying heavy loads while climbing in sub-zero temperatures, their complaints rising and falling like the snowflakes around them.
Xu Nuan had grown up in the south and, until graduating from university, had chosen to settle in a southern city. This was her first encounter with weather that could be described as a downpour of goose-feather snow.
The falling snowflakes danced like joyful spirits, embracing the earth with a cleansing spirit. However, this snowfall was too heavy, quickly covering the black earth beneath the white blanket.
After climbing for half a morning, they reached a point where the snow reached their calves. The heavy snowfall continued to increase the height of the accumulation, causing significant difficulties for their ascent.
The vibrant Red Special Tree was nowhere to be seen.
During a brief rest, Xu Nuan brushed off the accumulated snow from her hair and shoulders. Her hands, hidden in thick cotton gloves, began to feel the chill in the air. Looking around at her companions, she noticed that everyone had delicate snow makeup on their faces; it seemed as if each person's eyelashes had grown thicker with the snowflakes.
Xu Nuan moved slowly through these actions, her mind beginning to contemplate her plans for what lay ahead.
"After we climb a bit more, we’ll have lunch. Everyone just hang in there a little longer," Gu Ze's warm voice rang out before she could finish her thoughts.
Pausing her movements, Xu Nuan nodded along with the others in agreement with his suggestion.
With no way to start a fire at any moment and all their bottled water frozen solid, everyone instinctively sought out clean white snow whenever they felt thirsty, treating it like ice cream as they consumed it.
In fact, Xu Nuan had not initially joined the group eating the snow. The seemingly pure and flawless snowflakes were actually quite dirty and tasteless, and it was still winter. In short, Xu Nuan had plenty of reasons to despise such behavior, but when she silently joined the group, she cast aside all her reasons.
As lunchtime approached, everyone finally reached a place where the snow was knee-deep, slowing down the group's progress significantly.
Xu Nuan glanced back at the crooked footprints and frowned slightly. Just resisting the resistance from the snow had already drained her energy. If an unknown creature were to attack now, she wouldn't have the strength to defend herself.
Just as Xu Nuan was having these thoughts and casting an indescribable look at Gu Ze, a strange sound came from beneath her feet. Before she could react, a sudden collapse occurred; the snow on the nearby low cliff fell away, and the snow on the mountain surged toward them like a giant wave. The ground shook beneath them, making it impossible for anyone to maintain their footing.
As Xu Nuan was engulfed by the snow tide, she vaguely saw Guo Dafu appearing high up on the cliff.
Could it be that this person is behind it again?
In her momentary loss of consciousness, Xu Nuan felt furious at Guo Dafu's actions and even entertained some dangerous thoughts. Alongside her anger was confusion—why was Guo Dafu so intent on harming them? This game offered a reward of one billion for successfully clearing it, with no limit on the number of players who could clear it. What conflict could exist between them that would lead someone like Guo Dafu, who prioritized profit, to act in such a way?
Could it be related to Hidden Level again?
Or perhaps it was something different about the second batch of games or the Third Batch of Players?
These thoughts swirled in her mind for a few seconds before Xu Nuan lost her ability to think.
When Xu Nuan regained consciousness, she realized she was nearly buried in snow. The chill seeping through her clothes made her shiver and sneeze several times before she managed to get up, covered in snow.
As she struggled to stand up, the weight of her backpack caused Xu Nuan to instinctively lean backward once more.
Falling into the snow again, Xu Nuan could only lament how soft the snow was; if it had been hard ground, she would have been done for.
Less than a second later, Xu Nuan got back up again and anxiously searched for signs of the others.
In her memory, when the avalanche occurred, the others were not far from her. As her gaze hurriedly scanned the surroundings, she noticed several mounds of snow.
Xu Nuan quickly ran to one of the mounds and crouched down, using her hands to dig through the snow. Halfway through, a hand suddenly emerged from the snow, colliding with Xu Nuan's hand. Startled, Xu Nuan sat down on the ground.
The person who crawled out of the snow was Xu Hang, who looked at Xu Nuan with confusion as her pupils dilated in shock. He calmly spoke, "Let's dig out the others."
Then Xu Hang walked over to another mound with a composed demeanor.
Xu Nuan blinked as she sat there, then reached up to pat her face. The snowflakes touched her warm skin and melted into water within seconds, providing a refreshing chill. Only then did Xu Nuan crawl toward another mound of snow.
After Xu Nuan and Xu Hang managed to dig out the others, they both rested on their hands, panting heavily.
However, after glancing over the few people who were safe, Xu Nuan's pupils constricted once again uncontrollably.
Among them, there was no sign of Gu Ze. In a panic, she looked around again but found no other mounds. Could he be buried deeper?
Xu Nuan tried to comfort herself with that thought, but soon she sensed unease from the serious expressions of the others.
Tang Jingshu hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "When the heavy snow fell, I think I saw Gu Ze standing at the edge of the cliff. He seemed to have fallen."
As soon as Tang Jingshu finished speaking, the expressions of the others changed dramatically.
"Tang Jingshu, think again. Gu Ze will be fine."
Deng Yinyin immediately stood up and shouted Gu Ze's name into the surrounding snow, but her voice was swallowed by the sudden blizzard.
Xie Huai and Xu Hang rushed over to the nearby cliff, anxiously scanning the area.
Xu Nuan quickly calculated how long she had been unconscious, pacing back and forth in the snow. The snowflakes that reached her knees no longer resembled their original form, and the name echoed around her, as if trying to penetrate the clouds and reach that person.
After Xu Nuan had disturbed the surrounding snow, she finally confirmed that Gu Ze was truly not nearby.
"What should we do? With this heavy snow and black bears around, what if something happens to Gu Ze?"
Deng Yinyin's voice trembled, her frozen red face now matched by her tear-filled eyes, resembling a rabbit.
No one among the gathered group felt good. After glancing around, Deng Yinyin tugged at Xu Hang's shirt.
"Xu Hang, think of a way to find Gu Ze. He is our companion!"
Xu Hang frowned and pushed Deng Yinyin toward Tang Jingshu for comfort. Then he turned to look at Xu Nuan and Xie Huai, who were standing side by side.
Xu Nuan's expression remained scarce, but her eyes betrayed her feelings; Xie Huai was a mix of anxiety and worry.
Xu Nuan quietly watched Xu Hang, the core of their team.
"Even though it's snowing heavily now, if we delay even a moment, Gu Ze could be in danger. So I hope everyone will go look for him right away. However, given the harsh conditions, I believe it’s better for us to search together. It may be less efficient, but it can prevent us from getting separated."
In this urgent moment, Xu Hang could also become quite talkative.
"Agreed," Xu Nuan nodded, taking a rope from her backpack. Then she continued.
"The blizzard is too strong, and we don't know when an avalanche might occur. Everyone can tie this around their waist; if someone falls behind, we can quickly notice."
"Good idea."
Xu Hang waved at Xu Nuan and took out the rope he had brought.
"I have a longer one."
Once everyone had tied their ropes securely, the snow intensified, and the sky turned a deep gray. The howling cold wind relentlessly attacked the group.
This atmosphere heightened everyone's concern for the missing Gu Ze.
Tang Jingshu led the way based on memory, with Xu Hang at the forefront and Xie Huai bringing up the rear. The group trudged through the heavy snowfall, leaving behind crooked footprints that were quickly covered by fresh snow, erasing any trace of their passage.
As they moved forward, they had to call out Gu Ze's name repeatedly, but there was never a response.
The growing worry in Xu Nuan's heart surprised her. Without dwelling on why, she firmly believed that the gentle Gu Ze was a strong person who would be fine.
However, this conviction gradually faded with the passing time, the deepening journey, the dryness in their throats, and the fatigue in their bodies.
No one intentionally kept track of time, which only made its passage feel more terrifying.
Xu Nuan's heart sank further as countless speculations swirled in her mind, numbing her feelings.
Despite Tang Jingshu's constant comforting words to Deng Yinyin along the way, Deng Yinyin's visible worry did not diminish. This ultimately led to her frantically untying the rope around her waist and choosing a direction on her own. Before anyone could call out to her, she vanished into the wind and snow.
"Deng Yinyin!"
Xu Hang anxiously untied the ropes binding him, addressing the only man left behind.
"Then you three should continue searching together. Don't stray too far; we should be able to meet up."
Before Xie Huai could respond, Xu Hang's figure vanished into the mist.
Xie Huai remained in a pose as if reaching out to hold him back, standing like a statue in the snow.
Xu Nuan and Tang Jingshu exchanged glances and shook their heads helplessly.
"Let's stick together then; it's safer if we're tied together."
Xu Nuan's cool voice cut through the air, instantly bringing a chill that made Xie Huai shiver. His lips, darkened to a purplish hue, trembled as he spoke, his voice sounding like frozen stones striking the ground.
"Okay... okay."
Even without Xu Hang emphasizing it, she dared not wander too far, fearing she might lose contact with the others. At this moment, she refrained from considering how much easier it would be to navigate alone.
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