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墨書 Inktalez
A massive cloud of smoke and dust burst through the horizon, while crimson magma surged upwards with the airflow. Some of it spilled from the volcano's mouth, creating a symphony of destruction with the muffled sounds of the air currents and the trembling earth.
The breathtaking spectacle brought a mix of shock, fear, awe, and relief to everyone.
They were relieved that they had run far enough away before the eruption, and they were also thankful that this dormant volcano had erupted again after some time, not with the complete devastation they had seen on television that could obliterate homes and lives. This time, only a small amount of magma had flown out of the crater, flowing downwards and mostly dissipating before reaching the foot of the mountain.
Once they were far enough from the volcano, they stopped. To their side was a slope dotted with sparse trees, the ground still trembling beneath them. Nearby, unstable trees fell one after another as a massive heatwave swept over them, lifting their hair and clothing.
Surviving a disaster.
Xu Nuan had experienced this feeling more than once. The sensation of life returning to her body and being in control felt real.
As a few people paused to look back, Xu Hang, who had quietly climbed up the slope earlier, called out with a hint of excitement.
"Everyone come over here! I found a special tree!"
Fortune and misfortune are often intertwined.
As Xu Nuan and the others climbed up the trembling slope, they spotted the Red Special Tree standing not far away, still upright and unchanged by its surroundings.
The terrain at the foot of the volcano was uneven, with slopes and scattered trees everywhere. The Special Tree stood straight through these varying elevations, indicating that their journey ahead would remain perilous.
The slope resembled an elderly person past ninety years old; even a simple movement was shaky. As they climbed up and down the slope, they had to dodge rolling stones. No one knew how long this tremor would last, but everyone understood that until it stopped, no one could let their guard down.
After multiple expressions of thanks and apologies, Tang Jingshu and Xie Huai obediently joined the group moving forward. Since both of them had lost their backpacks, the other four generously offered them clothes and food. Tang Jingshu was still shaken by their experience, while Deng Yinyin played her role as a close friend perfectly, offering comfort that allowed Xu Nuan to witness a softer side of Deng Yinyin.
Xie Huai's lingering fear was something he had to swallow alone; Xu Hang was not good with words—he could be either reserved or awkward and wouldn’t offer comfort proactively. Gu Ze could be charmingly elegant or intimidatingly fierce. More importantly, in Xie Huai's eyes, Gu Ze was a rival for affection; he wouldn’t seek solace from his rival.
The team was made up of individuals, which meant it would have its own collective mindset while each person held their own thoughts. The six people walked forward in silence or with light conversation, making it difficult to discern each other's feelings.
As dusk began to settle, the tremors of the earth finally ceased. Everyone relaxed their tense nerves and casually found a campsite, each taking on their respective tasks.
Xu Nuan grabbed a few large bottles and hurried to a nearby stream. After carefully observing the state of the water, she began to fill her containers.
While drawing water, Xu Nuan let her thoughts wander.
In just the past couple of days, many events had unfolded.
Among the chaotic happenings, there were several matters she needed to clarify.
Would what Gu Ze wanted to tell her and the secrets of this game be beneficial to her?
According to the Designer's plan, what Survival Games might she encounter, and how could she better protect herself?
Based on their current progress, how far behind were they compared to the First Batch of Players?
And how should she interpret Gu Ze's recent strange behavior and his way of addressing her?
Except for the last point, which she could directly ask the person involved, the answers to the others would require opportunities and time to uncover.
"How should I even ask?" Xu Nuan mumbled, her hands still busy with the task at hand. "It's so confusing."
"What do you want to ask?"
The sudden voice startled Xu Nuan, causing her to drop one of the water bottles into the stream.
Great, now she had to refill it again.
Xu Nuan reached out to retrieve the bottle, then glared at the culprit.
Gu Ze casually played with a piece of rope in his hands, the end of which was tied to a bundle of firewood.
She had found the person responsible, but the words just wouldn't come out.
Xu Nuan felt a bit irritated and continued to glare at Gu Ze.
"That expression of yours makes it seem like I've stolen your food," he said with a teasing smile, his bright eyes shining even more brilliantly than the stars around them, casting a unique charm across the night.
It took Xu Nuan a moment to respond, her annoyance evident.
"I'm not a foodie," she retorted.
She certainly didn't place such importance on food.
The rest of her thought remained unspoken; that would be too childish.
Though she had never been in a relationship, when she tilted her head back and widened her almond-shaped eyes to look at him, she resembled some kind of animal.
Thus, she couldn't understand why Gu Ze suddenly burst into laughter, dramatically clutching his stomach as if he were losing all composure.
"You've changed so much," Xu Nuan remarked, only to be taken aback as she noticed Gu Ze had gone completely still. His once sparkling eyes now appeared profoundly deep, devoid of any light.
Here it comes again, the imposing aura of someone in power.
After a long pause, Gu Ze's voice was hoarse.
"Oh? What has changed?"
"I just said it casually. Why are you taking it so seriously?"
Xu Nuan blinked innocently, confident that she wasn't the only one who felt Gu Ze had changed. He could be as gentle as the boy next door, as cunning as an irritable leader, and as formidable as an unreachable authority figure. Gu Ze had switched between these states multiple times. Compared to her, Xu Hang, her friend, could probably sense his changes even more clearly.
Thinking back, Xu Nuan remembered that it was after encountering Gu Ze at the Gorge that he started to become this way. She understood that people are multifaceted and their personalities can shift depending on the situation. However, sometimes she couldn't help but feel that Gu Ze's behavior resembled someone with multiple personalities.
There was a persona that felt friendly and another that instilled fear.
"You've changed too."
As Xu Nuan reminisced, Gu Ze continued the conversation.
"Hmm? Haven't I always been like this?" Xu Nuan looked at Gu Ze with a hint of disdain; his attempt to change the subject was rather poor.
"Is that so?"
Gu Ze suddenly looked up at the night sky, his tone becoming elusive.
Unreachable.
Xu Nuan gazed at Gu Ze under the moonlight and concluded that he felt both strange and distant at this moment. This sense of alienation was somewhat uncomfortable, prompting Xu Nuan to take a step back and chuckle lightly.
"Perhaps things have changed; there are always some changes between studying and entering society, right?"
"That makes sense."
Gu Ze withdrew his gaze from the sky and turned to Xu Nuan, a refined smile playing on his lips.
"Let's head back together once the water is ready; they are waiting for us."
The change he referred to was the gradual transformation Xu Nuan had shown after entering the game. Or perhaps it was her change following his own transformation.
It seemed that his method had worked.
Xu Hang had once warned him that only one person could reside in another's heart, and once Xu Nuan had someone in hers, she would not open that door again.
He would not wait for that door to open.
He would surround that door, watching it decay from the inside out, until her heart was completely wrapped up by him.
Ha, a person who is sometimes wise and sometimes dull, sometimes strong and sometimes fragile.
When wisdom and strength occupied her, he remained silent.
When dullness and fragility emerged, that would be the moment to act.
Ah, the human heart is always capable of change.
Time is the most ruthless, yet that ruthlessness is an everlasting deep affection.
As Xu Nuan followed Gu Ze towards the Campsite, clutching a water bottle, she failed to notice the slightly strange smile on Gu Ze's lips.
The days spent walking along the Special Tree were anything but dull. Everyone gritted their teeth as they watched stones and trees occasionally tumble down the hillside or encountered sudden large holes that appeared in front of them. Such obstacles severely affected their pace.
"This is never-ending!"
Deng Yinyin glared at a large hole that had appeared before them, too big to bypass and completely blocking the path.
"Tch, we have to climb over and take a detour."
Tang Jingshu and Xie Huai wore expressions of frustration; they had no strength left to complain. Their feet were covered in blisters, and their once delicate soles had developed thick calluses. They now had to rely on those ugly calluses to make walking a bit easier.
"Enough, Deng Yinyin. Complaining is just a waste of energy. Save your strength for climbing up," Xu Hang said sternly, always the one to stop such demoralizing talk.
Deng Yinyin was not afraid of much, but she dreaded Xu Hang, the stern-faced man who, in her subconscious, felt like an elder to her.
As soon as Xu Hang spoke, Deng Yinyin immediately fell silent. She glanced at the usually quiet Xu Nuan and the weary Tang Jingshu, pouting in dissatisfaction but daring not to say anything.
Just as everyone was preparing to accept their fate and climb up the slope, Gu Ze suddenly raised his hand and spoke in a deep voice.
"Wait, everyone listen—what is that sound?"
What sound?
Xu Nuan, who had long since exhausted her energy, forced herself to perk up and strained her ears to listen.
The sound was reminiscent of a heavy thud, like a boulder collapsing down a hillside, or the noise of wheels rolling over soil and clattering against stones.
Xu Nuan blinked, trying to think about what could be making that sound when it suddenly became crystal clear and grew closer.
“Oh no!”
Gu Ze's face changed dramatically, and Xu Hang quickly followed up with his words.
“It might be a volcanic mudslide. Everyone, run to the sides quickly, get far away and then climb up the trees.”
In reality, there was only one direction for everyone to run: back the way they came.
Upon hearing Xu Hang's warning, everyone hurriedly retraced their steps. Just as Xu Hang and Gu Ze had guessed, it was indeed a mudslide triggered by the volcanic eruption.
The mudslide rolled up from beneath the ground, sweeping away trees and rocks in its path.
Gu Ze and the others managed to run far enough to escape the reach of the mudslide.
However, when Gu Ze stopped to look back, he couldn't help but exclaim.
“Nuan!”
Xu Nuan, who had been closest to the cave to observe it, had not escaped the oncoming mudslide.
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