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墨書 Inktalez
Hearing Gu Ze's voice, Xu Nuan's mind went blank for a second, and then she looked at Zhang Xiao in panic.
Zhang Xiao was quite pleased with that expression. She raised her index finger and casually pointed to her own clothes.
Xu Nuan instantly understood and made an effort to calm her voice.
"Almost done, we'll be out soon. Could you please pour me a cup of hot water?"
"Sure, I'll wait for you."
As Gu Ze's words faded, footsteps echoed from outside, moving away.
"Oh, waiting for you?" Zhang Xiao looked at Xu Nuan with a half-smile, "You really have completely overlooked me."
Xu Nuan didn't respond. She pushed herself up with one hand and, under Zhang Xiao's gaze, popped her dislocated arm back into place. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the pain, but she didn't make a sound.
"I have a lot of thoughts swirling around; it’s hard to sort them all out at once."
Now free from her restraints, Xu Nuan looked at Zhang Xiao with a calm expression, but her words caused Zhang Xiao to frown again.
"Pick the key points. You can't possibly lack that level of judgment. Do you still need me to guide you?"
Xu Nuan never wanted to hear Zhang Xiao's voice again; it was her nightmare.
"Maybe, but I'm thinking about one question," Xu Nuan hesitated, looking up at the impatient Zhang Xiao before suddenly breaking into a cool smile.
Zhang Xiao was momentarily stunned; Xu Nuan's smile resembled that of Qin Yaojie just before an outburst of anger.
In the few seconds that Zhang Xiao was lost in thought, Xu Nuan seized the opportunity to dart to the door. She placed her hand on the doorknob, turned the locked handle, and then looked back at Zhang Xiao.
"This game would never allow someone who fears no constraints to enter. You are indeed impressive, but you waited until we were alone to make your move. It seems you are wary of something, which means there is someone outside that you cannot touch."
Zhang Xiao coldly stared at Xu Nuan.
Xu Nuan remained unfazed. Just moments ago, she had felt as if she were on the brink of death; that lingering fear was enough for her not to care about Zhang Xiao's icy glare.
"Indeed, you could easily eliminate one of us and threaten the others, but with each person you take out, you will gradually expose the one you cannot touch. It's not about whether I will find out who that person or those people are; you're afraid that the people in the control room will know, right?"
The arrival of Gu Ze helped Xu Nuan regain her rationality and composure. She could suppress her fear and analyze this terrifying man, even though Gu Ze surely had no idea that she owed him a debt.
A debt that she could never repay.
"Heh heh," Zhang Xiao first chuckled lightly, then burst into laughter. His laughter echoed outside, and Xu Nuan could already hear hurried footsteps approaching the door. Before Zhang Xiao could make any terrifying moves, she pulled open the door.
First came Gu Ze's anxious face, followed by Xie Huai's puzzled expression, then Xu Hang's silence and Deng Yinyin's bewilderment.
"What happened to him?"
Deng Yinyin asked curiously as she glanced at Zhang Xiao, who was still laughing uncontrollably in the lounge.
Xu Nuan deliberately covered her chin and mouth with her hand, pretending to stifle a yawn as she casually walked outside.
"It's fine, he just thinks the joke I told earlier was really funny. He'll be okay in a bit."
Xie Huai's lips twitched. "You can tell jokes?"
Xu Nuan blinked. "The world is full of wonders."
"No, that phrase doesn't apply here."
Xie Huai silently criticized her, but Xu Nuan had already walked into the storage room to grab something. The others gradually left as well, and Gu Ze was the last to go. Before leaving, he glanced at Zhang Xiao, who was bent over laughing, his expression serious but saying nothing as he headed to the storage room.
Xu Nuan casually ate a little something, then went to take a shower and changed into another outfit. After skillfully organizing the things she needed to take with her, she walked back into the living room of the Supply Station. Zhang Xiao was already sitting quietly to one side, arms crossed over his chest, seemingly meditating with no particular expression on his face.
At that moment, Xu Nuan finally let out a sigh of relief, knowing she had made the right bet.
Her words to Zhang Xiao were merely her own speculation; no matter how well-founded her guesses were, there was always a risk of being wrong.
She was gambling with her life and the safety of her companions.
Having won this gamble meant that for a long time to come, she would feel guilty and would need to clarify the value of what she knew about people in this game as quickly as possible.
And now that she knew Zhang Xiao was a dangerous individual, she had to quickly figure out his intentions and background while finding ways to prevent any danger from reaching them.
She couldn't harm her companions, she couldn't harm Yaojie.
Xu Nuan realized that in this game, what she truly needed to do was not just to clear levels; unknowingly, she had taken on some burdens. These burdens were heavy, making her struggle to move forward, yet she felt invigorated and determined.
Everything gained comes at a cost.
This was the true lesson the game had imparted to her.
This matter was merely an interlude. After the interlude, everyone still had to continue advancing through the levels. Zhang Xiao fulfilled the promise he made with Xu Hang, stating that he would remain in the team until they found the First Batch of Players. Despite having some differing views from the others, he indeed provided a lot of help, so Xu Hang refrained from commenting on Zhang Xiao's occasional oddities.
Xu Nuan, on the other hand, was solely focused on finding a way to kick Zhang Xiao out of the team. However, she understood that unless Zhang Xiao chose to leave on his own, there was no way to get rid of this terrifying man.
Zhang Xiao leaving voluntarily?
Xu Nuan scoffed; then she could only tell him what she knew.
There was no way she would reveal anything to him.
Even if she didn't fully understand the contents swirling in her mind, she wouldn't share them with Zhang Xiao.
She had to think of other methods!
Xu Nuan slapped her forehead.
"What's wrong? Didn't sleep well?"
Walking beside Xu Nuan, Gu Ze immediately asked, his face filled with concern, which caused Deng Yinyin, on the other side, to snort in dissatisfaction.
Xu Nuan's already chaotic mind instantly recalled Zhang Xiao's first question, and she turned her head sharply to look at Zhang Xiao.
As expected, she saw the mocking smile at the corner of Zhang Xiao's lips.
Xu Nuan's face turned pale as she lowered her head, her tone lacking enthusiasm.
"It's nothing. It's just a bit windy here, and it's uncomfortable."
They were currently in a corner of the prairie, at a relatively high elevation where they could see the green sea below.
As far as the eye could see, the terrain was mostly flat, with grass reaching waist height. The towering ebony and greenwood trees stood like a well-organized army, stretching endlessly to the horizon. Occasionally, shallow rivers meandered through the landscape, shimmering under the sunlight. Blue lakes dotted the area like bright pearls, enticing one to draw closer.
The scenery was aptly named: Gentle Prairie.
In the past, Deng Yinyin would have exclaimed in awe, "Wow, this level must be really easy; even the hints are gentle!"
Then Tang Jingshu would laugh in agreement, while Xie Huai would mumble something mysterious yet insightful.
Xu Hang would quietly watch everyone banter, while Gu Ze wore a gentle smile, his hands tucked into his pockets as he gazed into the distance.
Xu Nuan kept a vigilant eye on her surroundings while smiling.
It was a tacit understanding cultivated over months, a silent bond.
Yet at this moment, one person was missing, and another had joined.
The team was unusually silent.
Deng Yinyin occasionally cast sorrowful glances at Xie Huai, then swayed in front of Gu Ze, trying to catch his attention.
Xie Huai, aware of his shortcomings, looked even paler than usual; his delicate face seemed to have grown thinner, and his gold-rimmed glasses appeared oversized.
Xu Hang walked silently with a serious expression, perhaps lost in thought or simply zoning out.
Xu Nuan felt a warm flush on her chin. Earlier in the bathroom, she had noticed the dark purple bruise there and had applied several layers of powder to cover it up. Otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to explain the injury.
As for cosmetics like foundation, Xu Nuan realized that this game was quite well-prepared. Not only did it provide all the necessary survival gear, but it also included high-end clothing, accessories, and makeup.
Was there going to be a ball in this Life-and-Death Game?
Xu Nuan couldn’t decipher the designers' intentions but wanted to understand Zhang Xiao's thoughts so she could strike decisively.
However, she vividly remembered what had happened in the lounge. Even meeting Zhang Xiao's gaze made her tremble uncontrollably. How could she possibly extract information now?
The layout of this grassland was somewhat similar to the jungle they had been in before. The uneven green trees made it more difficult for them to search for the Special Tree.
Everywhere they looked—dense forest, bushes, grass, rivers—became unbearably tedious.
A sense of frustration suddenly arose among them. They wandered aimlessly through the challenges, without houses, cars, or phones. It felt like they had derailed from modern society yet remained tightly bound to it, making escape impossible.
Most importantly, they faced the threat of death. In this game, dying meant death, and even being alive could lead to death.
Everyone fell into silence.
The first to break the silence was surprisingly Zhang Xiao.
“There are so many more cameras in this level.”
“Hmm?”
Xu Nuan unconsciously responded, and upon realizing it was Zhang Xiao speaking, she shivered again. She then tried hard to calm herself and looked around but didn’t dare to speak again.
Gu Ze had long noticed her unusual behavior and waited for her to speak up. Unfortunately, waiting for Xu Nuan's stubbornness was of no use.
Dealing with Xu Nuan required various approaches at once to have any chance of success.
“Your observation skills are impressive,” Gu Ze finished her thought. “If you find it annoying, we can use these cameras to pass the time.”
"Are you saying," Zhang Xiao raised an eyebrow with interest, "that the competition is to see who can destroy more cameras?"
"You could say that," Gu Ze replied casually, showing no signs of concern about any traps the people in the surveillance room might set.
"Sounds fun, a good way to pass the time," Zhang Xiao said, rubbing his hands together, eager to give it a try.
Xu Hang's cold voice cut through the excitement, extinguishing his enthusiasm. "Before you go breaking things, let's deal with that strange animal over there first."
The group followed Xu Hang's gaze and spotted a creature several dozen meters away. It was about a meter long, covered in bony plates, with pointed ears and sharp front claws. It was staring at them with wide eyes.
"It looks a bit disgusting, not as cute as a hedgehog," Deng Yinyin suddenly remarked, causing the tense group to stare at her in bewilderment.
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