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墨書 Inktalez
In the depths of the Dark Cave, everyone yearned for the light. Being surrounded by darkness naturally made them long for brightness.
However, having previously encountered a cave lured by blue light that was actually filled with corpses, they approached this cave, which emitted an eerie green glow, with a sense of caution.
Carefully stepping on the ground, the beam of their flashlights illuminated the surroundings in unison as they moved closer to the source of the green light, their breathing gradually becoming heavier.
As they could see the stalactites connecting the ceiling to the ground, their gaze shifted beyond the long corridor.
Before them lay a vast and spacious hall. Aside from the naturally formed stalactites, everything else was a product of modern technology.
Transparent walls etched with mysterious and bizarre symbols, oddly shaped stone exhibits, and paintings depicting ancient peoples hung sporadically.
But what drew their attention most was in the center of the hall—a Luminous Pearl. Beneath it lay green satin, and through reflections from the satin and stone walls, the entire hall glowed green.
In ancient times, green symbolized hell, and this hall's environment created an atmosphere of ancient culture through modern technology, resulting in a strong sense of dissonance. The most jarring element was that enormous Luminous Pearl. If it were real, it would be worth a fortune.
Unable to resist such temptation, Deng Yinyin had long since cast aside any thoughts of danger and was circling around the large Luminous Pearl. Xu Nuan also found it fascinating; why would a designer place a Luminous Pearl here? Were they waiting for someone to take it?
Thus, the three men watched as the two women circled around the Luminous Pearl, completely ignoring the strange aspects of their surroundings.
Gu Ze stroked his chin while observing Xu Nuan's expression, deep in thought.
"Ze, what are you planning?" Xu Hang asked with an exasperated twitch of his mouth. "Luminous Pearls are taken from graves; they're not suitable gifts."
"Tsk tsk, what a pity," Gu Ze replied with a look of regret.
"Hey, seriously? You’re actually considering that?" Xu Hang said as he facepalmed and pulled Gu Ze away from silently staring at someone.
"Just focus on the work and see what these symbols mean; they might help us."
"Hi."
A weak response came back.
Standing still, Xie Huai glanced at Deng Yinyin's expression, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and then turned to follow Xu Hang and Gu Ze.
They circled around the Luminous Pearl a few times. Xu Nuan reached out with a tissue to touch the Luminous Pearl but found nothing particularly special about it, nor any hidden mechanisms. Losing interest quickly, he shifted his attention to the several paintings hanging down from the air.
From a distance, these paintings appeared to float mysteriously in the air. It was only upon closer inspection that one could see the thin, translucent ropes holding them up.
"Is playing these tricks really that interesting?" Xu Nuan scoffed, studying the content of the paintings closely, hoping to find clues that could assist them in their quest.
Meanwhile, Deng Yinyin remained fixated on the Luminous Pearl, mumbling to herself.
"It's really beautiful. I want it so badly, but what if it's not clean? Still, I really want it."
The group wandered around the hall for quite some time without discovering anything special. Instead, they were unnerved by the sinister winds that occasionally swept through and the eerie green surroundings.
"It feels like there are no mechanisms here, and we haven't found anything useful. Should we leave?" Xu Nuan said, feeling a bit dizzy after staying in such an environment for too long.
Gu Ze subtly glanced at Xu Nuan and immediately agreed. "If we can't find any clues for our quest, staying here is just a waste of time. The wind blowing through means there's an opening; it's either an exit or a gap where we can see outside."
"But," Xie Huai hesitated, "we've been walking for so long and only just discovered such a unique place. Although it's a bit terrifying, it definitely has the touch of a Game Designer. If we spend a little more time studying it, we might uncover something valuable."
"That's true, but," Xu Hang also felt conflicted. He sensed that this place was special and strange, yet they hadn't found any clues. He worried that they might end up wasting their time.
They had no way to obtain food here. There were some fish in the cave, given the numerous currents and pools of water. However, ever since they discovered the corpse, they had abandoned any thoughts of consuming those edible creatures.
Tsk tsk, the captain really is a hassle.
Meanwhile, Deng Yinyin was still circling the Luminous Pearl, wanting to reach out and grab it but afraid of what might happen. She looked quite troubled.
"How about we compromise? Let's take another careful look around. If we don't find any clues, we'll leave without hesitation."
Xu Nuan sighed lightly as she proposed this method. In her heart, she wished she could team up with Gu Ze and Xu Hang to tackle challenges together. They were decisive and capable, which would save a lot of time. However, thinking about Xu Hang's intimidating expression made Xu Nuan feel that teaming up with Gu Ze would be more convenient. It had been a while since she had tasted Gu Ze's cooking. If they could hunt for food in the next challenge, she would definitely ask Gu Ze to do some outdoor grilling. If he refused, she would threaten him with his fear of spiders and some of his embarrassing moments.
Hmm, that's a good plan.
Xu Nuan smiled slightly, feeling cheerful while the others dispersed to repeat their previous tasks.
Time flowed by with the wind that continued to blow in. The hall remained a vibrant green, while outside it was engulfed in darkness, highlighting the uniqueness of this area.
However, despite its peculiarity, they ultimately found nothing.
With a slight sigh, Xu Hang decided that they should continue moving in the direction from which the wind was blowing. As they stepped back into the darkness, the light from their flashlights had dimmed significantly.
"I wonder how long this will last?"
Xu Nuan was using a backup flashlight; each of them had brought two flashlights along. In a place with alternating day and night, carrying extra flashlights was unnecessary as they only took up space in their backpacks and added weight.
"That was a miscalculation."
Xu Nuan had not really considered this point. In fact, as the game progressed, the knowledge she had acquired before entering the game seemed increasingly inadequate.
Knowledge was never enough, especially in a game that defied common sense.
"Don't worry, we'll be able to get out soon," Gu Ze said confidently. "Actually, we haven't encountered any real danger so far; we just need to keep moving. Perhaps this level is designed to test our patience and perseverance?"
"Are you treating this game like an exam?" Xu Nuan retorted without holding back, then leaned slightly toward Gu Ze and lowered her voice.
"Weren't you able to find any information about this level?"
Gu Ze, feeling frustrated at missing an opportunity to show off, still managed to maintain a carefree demeanor.
"No, I only know a bit of important information about the Survival Game. This level isn't very significant in the Survival Game, so there shouldn't be much danger."
What Gu Ze didn't know was that he would soon learn two words: facepalm.
"I see," Xu Nuan replied without much reaction. "I was too anxious; if we just take our time and keep walking, we'll reach a good outcome."
Just like in life, if one walks slowly and steadily without stopping, there will eventually be a satisfying conclusion—it's all part of the cause and effect.
Gu Ze smiled slightly, retracting his gaze from Xu Nuan and walking leisurely through the long cave.
Xu Hang sighed in exasperation. Were these two speaking as if no one else was around? Why did he feel like he was intruding on their conversation?
Before they could walk far in the dim environment, a sudden strong light emerged from behind them, accompanied by a somewhat cold sensation. They quickly turned around to see Xie Huai approaching with a white handkerchief wrapped around a Luminous Pearl.
"Xie Huai, why did you take that out?"
Xu Hang's voice cracked; in this perilous game, it was best not to touch anything inside.
Facing the disapproving gazes of a few people, Xie Huai transformed from his previous timid demeanor and directly handed the Luminous Pearl to Deng Yinyin with a gentle expression.
"Deng Yinyin, this is for you. Don't you like it? I didn't notice any traps when I took it, so it should be fine."
Xie Huai emphasized the latter part of his statement.
Deng Yinyin hesitated as she looked at the Luminous Pearl in Xie Huai's hand. She did indeed like the pearl, but it had been taken from a grave. Would holding it bring her any bad luck?
The scene was quite warm; a refined and fair-skinned man held a shining Luminous Pearl while a charmingly delicate woman gazed down at it, and the eyes of those around them were focused on the two.
Of course, this was all under the condition that they ignored their current surroundings.
Xie Huai held the pearl for a while, and while his arm was starting to feel tired, it was Deng Yinyin's hesitation that made his face pale.
As Deng Yinyin continued to hesitate, Xu Nuan's voice drifted over lightly.
"I heard that the Luminous Pearl has radiation. Think carefully about it."
"I really like it. Thank you for bringing it out," Deng Yinyin said as she quickly took the Luminous Pearl, her face lighting up as she turned to Xu Hang. "We can use it for lighting; it's a great idea, right?"
At this point, Xu Hang had no choice but to look at the delighted Xie Huai and nod approvingly at Deng Yinyin.
"It's a great idea."
On the other side, Xu Nuan was surprised. How had her suggestion backfired? It was strange indeed.
Just as she was pondering this, Gu Ze leaned over with a cheerful smile and chimed in.
"You like the Luminous Pearl too, right? But you should find a cleaner one to hold."
Xu Nuan looked up, slightly serious. "I don't like the Luminous Pearl; I prefer diamonds."
Diamonds, which are known for their brilliance, can be bought in larger sizes. Not only do they look beautiful, but they can also be used to break ice, given that diamonds are incredibly hard.
"Diamonds, huh!"
Gu Ze stroked his chin, adopting a mysterious demeanor.
With the Luminous Pearl providing light, the group could conserve some battery on their flashlights as they quickened their pace in the direction of the wind.
Walking in the cave had its downsides, particularly the difficulty in judging time. They could only rest when most were tired and eat when most were hungry, leading to a rather irregular routine that was detrimental to their health. As long as they stayed healthy, they could navigate the challenges more effectively.
After what felt like an eternity, the group finally stopped to rest and eat their rations. Before eating, Deng Yinyin wiped her hands repeatedly with a tissue. Even though she had wrapped the Luminous Pearl in a handkerchief, she still felt uneasy and wished she could scrub her hands down to the skin.
Xu Nuan pretended not to notice and continued eating her rations while surveying the cave. The others mirrored her actions, and soon the cave fell into silence.
Suddenly, Xu Nuan heard a faint sound.
It was soft yet somewhat muffled due to its frequency. Xu Nuan listened closely and thought it resembled the sound of someone struggling to walk, weak and unsteady.
Just then, a gust of wind swept into the cave, and Xu Nuan and the others caught a whiff of a faint odor of decaying meat.
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