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墨書 Inktalez
Gu Ze had never turned down Xu Nuan's requests, and right now, this request was beneficial for him to leave the game. However, at this moment, Gu Ze wanted to ask one question.
"If we find the secret passage, will you leave with us?"
Xu Nuan's ultimate goal in the game was not to successfully clear the levels or to win the One Billion prize; it was to find someone.
How could he even ask that?
For a brief moment, Gu Ze hesitated to help Xu Nuan piece together her memories. It was clearly a deliberate act by Qin Yaojie. He would rather have Xu Nuan join them in clearing the levels normally, experiencing life and death together while developing feelings. Until he found Qin Yaojie, he still had a chance. How could he possibly give up that opportunity?
How could he refuse?
While Gu Ze was still hesitating, Xu Nuan added another remark.
"After all, you were forced to come in here. If there’s a shortcut to leave and you can still get a reward, that would be the best outcome for you."
In an instant, Gu Ze realized the answer to the question he couldn't voice, and his heart sank.
"I'm different from Hang and the others," Gu Ze quickly found his words.
"I was pushed in here by my dad to investigate the Mastermind. I think my dad is out there digging into those companies right now, and I need to uncover the truth about this game. If I can't coordinate inside and outside, even if I manage to get out, my dad will definitely give me a beating."
Gu Ze said this very seriously.
Xu Nuan smiled helplessly. "If you're not in a hurry to leave the game, then I seem to have no reason to ask for your help."
Even in an alliance, it would be hard to maintain if the benefits were lost. Xu Nuan felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, unsure whether it was due to her own utilitarian thoughts or the possible rejection from the person before her.
"Weren't we supposed to have agreed on this already?"
Just as Xu Nuan was still feeling down, Gu Ze's voice rang out again.
"After we formed our alliance—no, actually, we agreed on this after Zhang Xiao left. Have you forgotten? You’ve aged a year; is that why your memory is fading? No wonder you need my help to piece things together."
Xu Nuan, who had been tangled in various emotions just a moment ago, was suddenly provoked by Gu Ze's sarcastic words, gritting her teeth in response.
"It's common sense not to discuss a woman's age."
Gu Ze chuckled lightly but fell silent afterward.
Xu Nuan suddenly sensed something was off and asked, "How do you know I’ve aged another year?"
Gu Ze shrugged. "I named you Nuan because I knew your birthday was in early winter. Did you forget that too?"
Xu Nuan blinked, looking confused.
Gu Ze sighed and decided to be more direct. "Your birthday is on Christmas Eve. That day, we were still stuck in the 'Angry Jungle' level. I had planned to roast some game for you to celebrate, but then something happened that neither of us wanted to see, so I didn’t dare bring it up again."
For a woman like Xu Nuan, who plays by her own rules, perhaps being straightforward is the best way to communicate. Gu Ze began to ponder how to get along with Xu Nuan, but unfortunately, this was not the right time for a confession. He needed to choose the perfect moment before pursuing her; he had to be confident in his own charm.
Whenever Gu Ze thought about Xu Nuan, he found himself easily distracted.
Xu Nuan was also aware of what had happened on that day with Gu Ze. She never imagined that her birthday would become Tang Jingshu's death anniversary. Fate certainly has a sense of humor; every time she acknowledged that she had grown a year older, she had to admit that Tang Jingshu had lived one year less.
The pain of losing a friend faded slightly because Gu Ze remembered her birthday, which brought her some comfort.
In this regard, Xu Nuan and Gu Ze were quite similar. Even though they both struggled to come to terms with Tang Jingshu's death, they would not show it outwardly, adding to the worries of those around them. They buried their feelings not to let them dissipate but to wait for the right moment to confront the one responsible for Tang Jingshu's death. Undoubtedly, Designers were the ones who had killed Tang Jingshu.
Having reached an understanding about this matter and sharing a bit of their hearts with each other, their mood lightened as they caught up with Xu Hang and the others.
As soon as they caught up, they heard Deng Yinyin's complaints.
"Are you two planning to isolate yourselves? You always avoid us when discussing things; do you really see us as outsiders?"
Xu Nuan felt a bit embarrassed. She hadn't intended to share these matters with anyone else. Initially telling Gu Ze was an accident, and later it seemed natural. She believed it was safer for the others not to know. If she and Gu Ze managed to find that secret passageway, they could lead these people out; if not, there would be no loss for them as they continued through the challenges. Meanwhile, she could still deceive Zhang Xiao and others with ulterior motives.
Gu Ze appeared much more at ease. "Some secrets are indeed meant only for the two of us."
Lost in her own thoughts, Xu Nuan did not catch the ambiguity in Gu Ze's tone, but Deng Yinyin and the others did and reacted differently.
Deng Yinyin felt both shy and angry, glaring fiercely at Xu Nuan, but unfortunately, Xu Nuan did not see her downcast head. Xie Huai blushed deeply; his fair and refined face looked quite alluring. Xu Hang gave Gu Ze a warning look, urging him to tone it down.
Gu Ze pretended to smile brightly while secretly sighing; this path ahead was long and difficult.
A group of people walked from dawn until noon, finally able to take a brief rest.
Xu Hang chose a nice spot to gather everyone for a break. Gu Ze and Xu Nuan exchanged glances before providing a rough explanation of the possible effects of the lake water, omitting many details that were not necessary. This left everyone, except for Xu Nuan, feeling a bit dazed, only grasping part of the information.
Deng Yinyin didn’t quite understand but felt dissatisfied seeing Xu Nuan’s calm demeanor. She then made her own summary.
“In short, we should avoid touching the lake water. Also, we shouldn’t trust the unpleasant scenes we see; just keep believing they are illusions.”
Xu Nuan blinked; while this summary wasn’t entirely wrong, it felt off somehow.
With their guard up, the group finished lunch and continued on their way, carefully observing how many lakes had merged together and checking for any signs of the Special Tree in the surrounding woods. They all hoped to find a relatively safe campsite before nightfall.
“When night falls, the lake water will boil again, and countless Green Tentacles will attack us. Everyone should be cautious to protect themselves and those who might take their place. I hope you can find some patterns in this,” Xu Hang said before leading the way, quickening his pace through the densely packed lakes, aiming for an area with more open forest.
The group hurried along and finally found a higher clearing just as the sun was setting. The nearest lake was about thirty meters away from their campsite. They thought that as long as they didn’t get too close to the lake at night, those tentacles wouldn’t be able to reach them.
After a busy day, they could finally sit by the fire, eat something, and get a good night’s sleep.
Noticing Gu Ze looking exhausted and on the verge of falling asleep, Xu Nuan decided to postpone piecing together her memories. Her memories belonged to her; even if forgotten, they were tucked away in some corner of her mind and could still be retrieved when sought after. The only unfortunate thing was that she had too many memories—some were meant to be extracted and pieced together while others should not be touched—leaving her feeling somewhat lost and in need of external help.
As soon as dinner ended, Gu Ze wrapped himself in a blanket and lay down under a tree, quickly falling into a deep sleep. Deng Yinyin and others still had plenty of energy and began discussing matters related to the Special Tree. Xu Hang and Xie Huai also joined in the conversation. Meanwhile, Xu Nuan sat by the fire with a cup of hot water, once again feeling out of place.
Xu Nuan felt an odd sensation; it seemed that Gu Ze was the connection point between her and the team. Once separated from him, she felt just like when she first met the Third Batch of Players—unable to engage due to differing viewpoints or attitudes.
Xu Nuan realized that she had been relying too much on this man. Holding a warm cup of water, she turned to look at Gu Ze under the tree, where the firelight danced across his handsome face. From his brows and eyes to his nose and mouth, and even the collarbone that was inadvertently exposed as he slept, this man possessed an allure that stirred her heart. As Gu Ze slept, he lost the gentle elegance he usually displayed, the fresh charm that accompanied his smiles, and even the imposing demeanor he sometimes wore; instead, he resembled a child still untouched by the world.
At times gentle and at times cunning, capable of bright laughter yet also calculating, Xu Nuan found Gu Ze to be a multifaceted man who was hard to read. Yet, deep down, she sincerely believed that Gu Ze had a heart so soft it was almost unbearable. He silently took care of everything, and even when he complained, it was with a smile. He would say something was troublesome while his hands never ceased their work.
Forming an alliance with such a man seemed somewhat dangerous. Xu Nuan forced a smile as she realized she had been staring at Gu Ze for quite some time. She quickly averted her gaze and inadvertently met Xu Hang's contemplative eyes, which made her feel embarrassed enough to lower her head while one hand instinctively pressed against her racing heart.
Everyone was reluctant to disturb Gu Ze's peaceful slumber, but this Survival Game would not let them off so easily. As the moon reached its peak, the lake began to boil once more, and numerous fish corpses surfaced, surprising them with the realization that some fish had escaped last night’s fate.
As the lake boiled, the soil along the shore began to crumble away, causing several lakes to merge together. The dense forest where they were situated acted as a central hub; apart from their group, all around were lakes and embankments. To find another dense forest would require walking several kilometers at least.
The group quietly gathered together. Gu Ze was awakened by the commotion of the boiling lake and rubbed his still-drowsy eyes before joining them.
The lake had been boiling for quite some time now, and heat surrounded the dense forest. The warmth softened the cool moonlight, making the surroundings appear hazy and causing everyone to be on high alert.
Once the lake stopped boiling, they would be met with countless powerful tentacles ready to attack.
When Xu Nuan and her companions were still students, they had encountered elements of the second dimension in various forms—those grotesque tentacles in anime were nothing short of nightmares. Similarly, many online games featured tentacle-related settings.
Tentacles alone made them grit their teeth in dread.
Before long, the lake became calm again, heightening everyone's vigilance.
The calm was short-lived; in an instant of exchanging glances among themselves, countless tentacles shot out from the lake, launching direct attacks at them.
This time, they were positioned farther away from where they had been before; fewer tentacles reached them compared to yesterday. However, for each person who only had two hands, that number still felt overwhelming.
Holding tightly onto the tree or wildly swinging a knife, or even matching strength with the tentacles, everyone had their own methods, but they all proved effective.
The group had been in a stalemate with countless tentacles for quite some time, each of them bearing various injuries.
Xu Nuan spat out a mouthful of blood in frustration and wiped her mouth. She had just failed to dodge in time and had been struck hard across the face; now she could only pray that her teeth were unharmed.
As Xu Nuan prayed and faced the tentacles again, she heard Deng Yinyin's voice calling out names other than her own.
"Gu Ze, watch out!"
Xu Nuan quickly turned to check on Gu Ze. It seemed that he had exhausted himself during the day, and he was struggling against the tentacles. He was focused solely on battling the tentacle on his left and had neglected the large number of tentacles sweeping in from behind.
Given Gu Ze's current stamina, there was no way he could evade them. Xu Nuan immediately reached this conclusion and suddenly remembered the rules of this round. Before she could gather her thoughts, she found herself swapping positions with Gu Ze. She failed to dodge in time and was ensnared by multiple tentacles, which dragged her directly into the lake. At that moment, she realized she had no strength left to struggle.
As she fell into the water, all she could see was Gu Ze's expression filled with self-reproach.
Tch, what’s there to feel guilty about? This is the rule of the Survival Game; it’s not like he set these rules himself. Besides, with so many debts hanging over her head, if she could repay even a little, perhaps her guilt would lessen.
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