Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Burned is divided into several levels. Which level can a person endure?
When the cold ointment was applied to her body, Xu Nuan shivered, her heart calming slightly from the refreshing sensation. Yet, she couldn't forget the pain radiating from various parts of her body, which made her brain feel like it was about to shut down.
"Fortunately, it's only the thigh that's more serious."
He Min said while applying the medicine, relieved.
Xu Nuan held her head with both hands, her eyes slightly lowered, gazing at the black ground. Her body was still trembling, and when He Min inadvertently touched one of the Butterfly Marks, a sharp sting made her let out a muffled sound.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I thought it was just a mark."
He Min quickly withdrew her hand but couldn't tear her gaze away from the numerous Butterfly Marks on Xu Nuan's body.
"Just touching you—why does it leave such marks? Does it have another meaning?"
"I don't know," Xu Nuan shook her head, not paying much attention to the marks on her skin. She didn't care about these unsightly things and noticed that He Min had finished applying the ointment and was about to stand up.
"Let's get moving; it will be reassuring to meet Yu Hao sooner."
"Yeah."
He Min put the medicine back in her bag and watched as Xu Nuan briskly picked up her backpack. After hesitating for a moment, she seemed to gather a lot of courage before bending down.
"Nuan, I'm really sorry. It's my carelessness that got you Burned. You've always been helping me, and I've dragged you into this. I'm truly sorry."
"Amin."
Lost in her own thoughts, Xu Nuan was startled and quickly helped He Min up, her words filled with urgency and panic.
"You hurt yourself like this after promising me you wouldn't hold back. Besides, I chose to go back myself; I should bear the consequences of my own actions."
The result was that the two exchanged polite remarks, then one became impolite, and the other followed suit, until they ended up sharing a smile.
Understanding each other was crucial for companions.
"Warm, it's so nice to know you."
"That's too cheesy; you should say that to Yu Hao instead."
"Ah, Warm, you're blushing. So cute."
"You're seeing things."
"Haha."
The lighthearted banter faded away with the wind rustling through the leaves, carrying away Widow Butterfly's nightmares.
Xu Nuan and her companion walked cautiously along the dirt path. As the sun rose higher in the sky, they finally passed the last splashing waterfall. Bright Outlook was a vibrant and lush Special Tree that seemed otherworldly.
"Warm, look! It's the Special Tree!"
He Min completely abandoned her composure, nearly wanting to drop her cane and spin Xu Nuan around in excitement.
"I see it," Xu Nuan replied, her joy more restrained but still surprising He Min.
"Look over there; there's Yu Hao's mark."
Xu Nuan pointed to the southern direction identified by the Special Tree.
"How interesting! Is he nearby?"
He Min's smile blossomed like a field of flowers.
"Maybe it just walked ahead of us."
Xu Nuan smiled at the excited He Min, feeling the joy of her friend about to find her boyfriend. She could almost envision the day she would meet Qin Yaojie.
If, on the day they met, Qin Yaojie greeted her with a smile, then she could reluctantly, truly just reluctantly forgive him.
Thinking of the person she longed for, the joy in Xu Nuan's eyes overflowed, spreading across her cheeks and lifting the corners of her lips. But in the next moment, an animal that appeared before her turned her delight into sheer terror.
"Amin, we need to go."
He Min, still unaware of the animal behind her, felt Xu Nuan grab her left hand. She had no choice but to lean on her cane and follow Xu Nuan.
Xu Nuan quickly chose a direction and led He Min behind a cluster of dense trees, using the waist-high bushes to hide.
The two crouched behind the bushes, and without needing to communicate, they spotted a tiger leisurely stepping out from the other side of the Special Tree. Perhaps due to the distance, the tiger did not catch their scent; it merely wandered around near the Special Tree as if taking a stroll in the afternoon sun.
For the tiger, it was an afternoon walk; for Xu Nuan and He Min, it felt like a knife twisting in their hearts. With every step the tiger took, their hearts trembled in response.
Even though they knew their breathing was light, both instinctively covered their mouths and noses, leaving only their chests rising and falling violently. The heat of the dense forest caused beads of sweat to form on their foreheads, with a few drops landing on Xu Nuan's eyelashes. She dared not blink, fixating on the tiger while silently praying for it to leave quickly.
At that moment, every second felt like torture for Xu Nuan; even a minute could cost her life.
She couldn't keep track of time and didn't dare to communicate with He Min. They remained frozen behind the bushes. After what felt like an eternity, the tiger finally strolled away at its own pace, choosing a random direction to leave.
"Ha."
Xu Nuan collapsed onto the ground, exhaling deeply.
"I feel like I'm suffocating."
Xu Nuan pressed her hand against her chest, her heart still pounding violently.
"Me too." He Min gasped for breath, her right foot injured and immobilized. She didn't dare to sit down carelessly, instead leaning her weight on the crutch, still shaken by her own feelings.
"This is my first encounter with a wild tiger, and just looking at it made my legs weak. Do you remember the tiger attack incident at the July Imperial Capital Zoo?"
"Of course I remember. We entered the game the day after that happened. I was worried that we'd run into a tiger as soon as we logged in."
Xu Nuan's memory wasn't that bad; she hadn't forgotten something that happened just a few months ago.
"That was a domesticated tiger, but it was still dangerous. The one we just saw was completely wild."
Xu Nuan realized that if she stayed in the game any longer, she would inevitably meet an untimely end from being scared.
"I've always found it strange how much investment this game has received and what kind of power it holds to create an island and find so many modified animals as props."
"Think about it: signing the Life-and-Death Contract gives you ten million, and the completion reward is one billion. This biological research company named 'Zero' treats money like it's nothing."
Xu Nuan often marveled at this. She occasionally thought about how she could work her whole life at a company and never earn ten million. The amounts casually thrown around in this game were staggering enough to numb her perception of money.
But there were things more important than money, things that motivated them to keep going.
If Qin Yaojie was truly only in it for the money, then it wasn't such a big deal.
Money wasn't everything, but it was necessary. To survive in real life, one needed money, while what she couldn't live without was emotion.
"But I still want to hit him!"
Xu Nuan couldn't help but sigh.
"Ah, who are we going to beat up?" He Min asked, puzzled, wiping the sweat from her forehead before straightening up.
Living life meant knowing how to vent frustrations.
In the past, when Xu Nuan played games alone, facing danger meant either escaping or resolving it. Surviving was just a solitary experience filled with bitterness and heartache that she had to endure alone, never seeking to alleviate her own feelings.
Now, having someone by her side to share in the joys and worries felt wonderful.
Lost in her thoughts, Xu Nuan didn't hear He Min's question. The gentle expression on her lips made He Min sigh and reach out to ruffle Xu Nuan's hair.
"Let's go."
"Mm."
Counting carefully, Xu Nuan realized they were caught in a continuous cycle of happiness, worry, joy, and fear.
At this moment, they approached the Special Tree with a sense of lighthearted anticipation.
The Mountain Stream continued its relentless flow, sharp-toothed fish occasionally breaking the surface. The stones exposed above the water were covered in moss, their green hue adding a touch of vitality to the stream.
Large boulders scattered across the shallows stood like loyal guardians of the Mountain Stream. Eroded by wind and rain, their surfaces were indented like the dimples on a child's lips—beautiful in their own way.
The sun hung lower between the branches, likely around one or two in the afternoon. It was then that Xu Nuan suggested they stop for lunch and take a break.
He Min, who needed care for the time being, had no objections. However, before they could set down their backpacks, a familiar group of people rushed toward them in a panic, glancing back as they ran.
Xu Nuan did not notice anything behind them, while Gu Ze and the others gradually slowed their pace and approached Xu Nuan and He Min.
"Are you unfamiliar faces? If you're still here, could you be the Third Batch of Players?"
After confirming there was no danger, He Min smiled brightly, her gaze shifting back and forth between Xu Nuan and the Third Batch of Players.
"Hello, I'm Gu Ze, from the Third Batch of Players."
Gu Ze wore a gentle smile as he politely introduced himself and also introduced the others.
"Hi, I'm He Min, from the Second Batch of Players, and I'm a friend of Nuan."
He Min's smile widened as she looked at Gu Ze with a hint of curiosity.
Having a grasp of He Min's character, Xu Nuan suddenly felt a chill run down her spine; both He Min and Gu Ze had a knack for being cunning.
To prevent any awkwardness from arising, Xu Nuan interjected to break their gaze. She glanced over at Xu Hang, Tang Jingshu, and the others, giving a slight nod as a greeting.
"Is something chasing you? You seem quite flustered."
Gu Ze seemingly 'reluctantly' withdrew his gaze from He Min to look at Xu Nuan. His deep brown eyes resembled an unfathomable sea, making it hard to discern his thoughts.
"Yes, according to the System, it's called the White-Lipped Deer. It looks like a deer but is much more aggressive. Its attack power is strong, with sharp teeth and antlers, and it has great strength. You all need to be cautious."
Xu Nuan was merely asking out of curiosity and nodded in response. However, He Min asked with some confusion.
"The System introduced it? The System can provide information about certain animals in the game?"
Now it was Gu Ze and the few people behind him who were surprised. They had no idea that only the Third Batch of Players could receive hints from the System, while Xu Nuan had never received any.
"Well, I'll explain this to you later."
Xu Nuan intercepted Gu Ze's thoughts. She had not yet figured out the uniqueness of the Third Batch of Players, so she hadn't discussed it with He Min. If this were discovered, perhaps she could find a time to share her findings, which might yield unexpected results.
As soon as Xu Nuan spoke, Gu Ze obediently fell silent, and He Min's gaze toward Gu Ze became even more peculiar.
While the three of them were engaged in conversation, the others had no choice but to fade into the background. However, even those in the background had the right to speak.
Tang Jingshu looked troubled.
"Listen, I'm concerned about something. When we were attacked by the White-Lipped Deer, we smelled blood. At that time, we were too focused on escaping to think much of it. Now that I think about it, such a strong smell—was it from an animal or a human?"
"Tang Jingshu, don't scare me! It must have been from an animal, right?"
Deng Yinyin was the first to respond, while Xu Hang maintained a serious expression and reminded them.
"The System introduction states that the White-Lipped Deer is herbivorous but enjoys attacking other species."
The answers from these few people were irrelevant to Xu Nuan. However, she and He Min had just discovered fresh markings left by someone. Was it really just a coincidence?
Comment 0 Comment Count