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墨書 Inktalez
When people are frightened or surprised, they often scream involuntarily, and the effect of the scream varies from person to person. In this group, each individual's scream is unique.
Deng Yinyin frequently screams, whether out of joy or sorrow, her voice sharp enough to make anyone want to cover their ears. When Tang Jingshu was still around, she would occasionally scream when startled, her screams soft and elegant, evoking concern from those who heard her. Xie Huai, as a man, screamed just as often as Deng Yinyin, but his screams were deep and restrained, causing listeners to frown and think of many unpleasant things.
Xu Nuan rarely screamed, making her screams particularly special; they were pure and factual, devoid of any fear or panic. Because Xu Nuan usually spoke in a calm and steady manner, her rare screams seemed gentle and soft to those who heard them.
Only Gu Ze, who preferred to admit his own shortcomings while finding joy in them despite his occasional dark moods and fits of madness, could analyze Xu Nuan's scream in such an urgent moment.
When Xu Nuan screamed, everyone turned to look at her like Gu Ze did. They then saw her suddenly take a few steps back, causing the flashlight in her hand to slip into the dark current below, splashing water as it sank. The flashlight was produced by this game and was quite reliable; even after falling into the water and hitting a few rocks, it continued to work, illuminating the scene beneath the dark current for those who followed her gaze.
Corpses lay scattered in the dark current, their skin a grayish-white without any signs of decay, suggesting they had not been dead long. They wore ancient white garments tied with black sashes at their waists. The flashlight happened to shine on one corpse's face, allowing everyone to see the deceased clearly. It was a man with short hair and wide-open eyes filled with murkiness; he was unmistakably dead. The most eerie detail was the way his mouth was stretched into a grin, as if he were smiling.
The others reflexively directed their flashlights into the dark current as well and saw that it was filled with corpses all grinning widely—men dressed alike with similar hairstyles; their faces varied slightly but shared an unsettling resemblance.
"Ah!"
It was Deng Yinyin screaming now; her voice could almost pierce through the cave and reach outside. For everyone witnessing the sea of corpses, it was a dual torment of mind and body.
Compared to Xie Huai's clenched teeth suppressing his terror and Xu Hang's unseen expression in the dim cave, Xu Nuan's calm demeanor after her initial scream felt oddly out of place.
Gu Ze raised an eyebrow; just as he intended to approach Xu Nuan, he noticed her bending down to reach into the water for the flashlight. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed her hand.
"Do you dare touch water filled with corpses?"
There was little reproach in Gu Ze's words as he observed something off about Xu Nuan's expression—though she looked somewhat pale from fright, it was mixed with her usual calmness and a hint of confusion.
The first two reactions were normal; but why was there confusion?
Having made a decision long ago, Gu Ze intended to use every means possible to delve into this woman's heart. If their souls drew close enough together, then there would be hope for the future.
"Is something wrong?"
Before Gu Ze could finish his question, the others began to murmur among themselves.
"Why are there so many corpses here? Could they all be players who died in this round? Ah, this round is terrifying!"
After screaming, Deng Yinyin hid behind Xu Hang, her eyes darting around at the dark current, filled with various speculations.
"But are there really that many players?" Xie Huai trembled, "There were only twenty-four in the second batch. Could they be from the first batch?"
Xu Hang squinted at the dark current. In this dim environment, with the pitch-black flow and the scattered corpses, the eerie expressions on their faces created a horror movie atmosphere.
"Would players wear such clothes? They look very ancient."
Gu Ze paid little attention to the others' discussions. In his view, the dead were just that—dead. There was nothing to fear; living people were often more terrifying than the dead. He was more concerned about Xu Nuan's thoughts. Why did she have that expression? What was she pondering?
This woman before him was hiding many things. It seemed quite difficult to get her to open up.
While Gu Ze was lost in his thoughts, Xu Nuan spoke calmly.
"These people are not from the second batch of players; there were only twenty in the first batch."
To clarify some matters, Xu Nuan had specifically asked Zhao Xi about the number of first batch players and later confirmed it with Zhang Xiao; both numbers matched, so she accepted this figure.
"Then where did these people come from?"
Deng Yinyin pointed a finger at the corpses in the dark current and then quickly turned to look at a nearby pond, immediately darting to the other side of Xu Hang while letting out another scream.
"Wow, there are bodies in here too!"
Several people hurried to the edge of the pool, looking down. Sure enough, the water was filled with a mass of corpses, each in different positions, making the sight even more chilling.
"We're surrounded by corpses!"
Xie Huai clearly struggled to accept this reality, swaying as if he wanted to leave immediately. However, since Xu Hang hadn’t spoken yet, he forced himself to stay put.
Seeing that Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai were terrified, Xu Hang speculated quietly.
"Looking at their clothing and appearance, if they aren't players, then they are likely props created specifically for the game to scare us. The game always deceives and tricks us, right? In all the Survival Games we've been through, the greatest dangers have always been the beasts."
Although it was difficult for Xu Hang to voice such thoughts, Gu Ze found this possibility quite plausible. He believed Xu Nuan thought similarly, which was why she remained so calm. However, when he glanced in her direction, Xu Nuan lightly shook her head in disagreement but didn’t say anything.
Deng Yinyin began to panic again.
"Look at those bodies! Could there be props that look so realistic? Just look at their skin and eyes; they are clearly dead."
Xie Huai didn’t understand why Deng Yinyin, who was obviously terrified, insisted on arguing about this point. He had suppressed his fear to its limits and truly couldn’t bear to stay in this space filled with corpses any longer. So he bravely suggested,
"Can we leave here first and discuss it elsewhere? The air feels strange."
Deng Yinyin immediately nodded in agreement.
The sight of so many dead bodies was terrifying but posed no immediate threat to them. Without much thought, Xu Hang decided to move through the cave and continue forward.
This decision met no objections. The group walked toward the other end of the cave, but this time they had to carefully avoid the currents and the pool. Previously, they had only thought that getting wet would be cold, but now stepping into it felt like dancing with corpses. Just imagining that scene sent shivers down anyone's spine.
As Gu Ze cautiously stepped onto the slightly slick ground, he couldn't help but glance back at Xu Nuan, who was trailing behind. He noticed that she frequently looked back or scanned the surroundings, as if expecting to see a corpse appear, her face marked with a look of confusion.
Curiosity gnawed at Gu Ze, like a few cat paws scratching at his insides, making him restless. With this thought in mind, he slowed down to wait for Xu Nuan to catch up and then quietly asked, "Have you noticed something off?"
Xu Hang and the others were moving quickly ahead, skillfully avoiding all the puddles. People often pushed their limits when faced with danger.
When Gu Ze asked his question, he deliberately glanced at the group in front of them and lowered his voice, as if he didn't want the others, including his good friend Xu Hang, to hear Xu Nuan's response.
The reason for his caution likely stemmed from a man's intuition.
Gu Ze saw Xu Nuan hesitate as she glanced at him; her lips moved as if she wanted to say something but remained silent.
She was wavering, but it wasn't enough. Gu Ze quickly added, "I promise I'm listening seriously and won't spread it around."
He nearly raised his hand to swear an oath, his expression as earnest as it could be.
As a result, he successfully caught sight of Xu Nuan's relaxed demeanor, a hint of a smile dancing at the corners of her eyes.
He was immensely grateful for his keen eyesight; his previously slightly gloomy mood lifted instantly, almost as if he had sprouted wings and was ready to soar.
However, it wasn't time for that yet. Gu Ze extended his hand in a gesture as if to support Xu Nuan's back, ensuring she wouldn't accidentally fall into a puddle. They walked leisurely side by side while discussing things. Their relaxed posture and casual attitude stood in stark contrast to the hurried pace of the three ahead.
Finally, Xu Nuan spoke up, tilting her head slightly in a puzzled manner.
Gu Ze was almost laughing out loud, but unfortunately, Xu Nuan, who was looking down at the ground, didn’t notice how openly happy he was.
“It’s simple,” Xu Nuan paused slightly before continuing, “I once had a dream where the corpses looked very similar to this one. They were also submerged in water, wearing clothes like these, grinning widely. So, seeing a corpse like this suddenly feels a bit strange.”
“I can understand that, but…” After a few seconds of surprise, Gu Ze immediately veered off track. “How could a woman like you have such terrifying dreams? What do you think about all day?”
Xu Nuan instantly felt as if she were being lectured by an elder.
“How old are you?”
Xu Nuan also lost focus and missed the point.
“Ah?” Gu Ze was taken aback and blurted out, “Twenty-five.”
“Hmph!”
Xu Nuan let out an ambiguous snort and then realized her own faux pas. She quickly cleared her throat a few times to explain.
“I’ve heard others describe similar scenes before. At that time, I was scared and thought too much, which led to the dreams.”
Gu Ze immediately seized on the key point. “Who did you hear it from?”
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