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墨書 Inktalez
Five people, including Xu Nuan, were not the only ones stuck in the vast Gobi. Rao Tingxue and Ning Han, who had entered this stage before them, had also received a mission from the System.
At that moment, they were resting near the Special Tree. Due to Rao Tingxue's urgency, both of them had been traveling from dawn till dusk, and even at night, they showed no intention of setting up a tent for a proper rest.
The only reason Sister Rao, who usually cared about her surroundings, was so unconcerned about their situation was because of Qin Yaojie, the person she held dear.
Using her backpack as a pillow and covered with a blanket, Rao Tingxue tossed and turned but couldn’t fall asleep. She had been raised with care, and the events of recent days were too much for her to process all at once.
After turning over again, Rao Tingxue caught sight of Ning Han lying on his side with his eyes closed. Suddenly, she recalled the scene of this unremarkable man who rarely spoke pushing Xu Nuan off the cliff. A chill ran down her spine, creeping up her back to her heart.
Xu Nuan was dead. She should have felt relieved; after all, that meant no one would compete with her for Qin Yaojie. But then she thought of certain things—like how Xu Nuan had pulled her back when she was about to fall off the cliff, or how Qin Yaojie only smiled at her when talking about Xu Nuan.
Was it really a good thing that woman was dead?
Rao Tingxue suddenly questioned this thought. Her bright face appeared somewhat dim under the night sky. She was about to find Qin Yaojie and save him; how could she explain Xu Nuan's death? She didn’t want that woman’s death to become a deadlock between her and Qin Yaojie.
After pondering for a moment, Rao Tingxue tentatively called out to Ning Han. To her surprise, he immediately opened his eyes, clarity shining in them as if he hadn’t just been asleep. Rao Tingxue felt puzzled but still asked.
“Are they really in the next stage?”
Ning Han remained still in his position, his expression as usual, his voice low and slightly hoarse.
“Yes. Based on the signals they left behind, they just left this stage not long ago. If we can exit this stage within two hours, we should definitely be able to meet them in the next one.”
“That’s great!”
Rao Tingxue immediately cast aside her earlier worries; a smile appeared on her radiant face as she continued asking.
“We will surely find the Supply Station within two hours. But wasn’t the System supposed to allow only one person at a time through the Supply Station? What’s your mission then? Is it also to obtain an egg from the Fierce Faced Camel?”
People tend to relax easily at night, often exposing themselves due to preconceived notions. Rao Tingxue looked intently at Ning Han after asking her question, her face a mix of understanding and lingering pride. Ning Han, as she wished, revealed her mission.
"My target is a unique rodent found here; I'll provide more details when I encounter it."
"That's good. Your mission isn't too difficult. Why did the System suddenly issue these tasks? They lack challenge."
Rao Tingxue mumbled a few words before turning away. After their conversation, she felt much lighter and was ready to sleep peacefully. What she didn't notice was the ambiguous smile on Ning Han's lips after she turned her back.
The night was still deep.
Xu Nuan wasn't new to gazing at the starry sky in this game at night. The Gobi had many places reminiscent of deserts, and the heavy sky, as if about to fall, was one such place.
The night was as deep as water, with stars like a chessboard scattered across it—quiet and beautiful. It was a rare unchanging scenery in this game and Xu Nuan's only pastime during the night.
This was a place devoid of internet and urban nighttime entertainment; those who hustled for survival during the day could only appreciate the night sky at night. Feeling tired also brought a sense of sorrow.
However, this time Xu Nuan had someone beside her looking up at the same sky, making for a different experience.
Due to Gu Ze's insistence, all of Xu Nuan's injuries were bandaged up. She felt like a mummy wrapped in clothing, unable to move comfortably.
After what happened at night, neither of them could enter the tent, so they had to make do with sleeping by the campfire on the ground for the night.
After staring at the night sky for too long, Xu Nuan's neck grew sore. She rubbed her neck while glancing around, deliberately avoiding where Gu Ze was sitting.
Neither of them spoke much. Whenever Gu Ze tried to initiate a conversation, Xu Nuan would mercilessly cut him off with her sharp tongue. After several exchanges like this, Gu Ze finally gave up trying to provoke Xu Nuan's stubbornness at that moment, leading to a prolonged silence between them.
"It’s now completely confirmed what both of our missions are."
Just as Xu Nuan was drowsily contemplating whether she should grab a blanket and lie down for a bit, Gu Ze spoke again about a topic that piqued her interest. This time, she didn’t retort and responded directly.
"If you reveal your specific mission, then you'll know the missions of the three others."
Xu Nuan often found herself thinking in complex directions when faced with problems. She didn't believe that the System would randomly issue tasks; each mission had its underlying significance. For instance, Xie Huai believed that his task was designed to trap him in a nightmare, ensuring that even if he survived, he would carry emotional scars. Similarly, Deng Yinyin's mission had disrupted her relationship with Xu Hang. Regardless of Xu Hang's injuries, Deng Yinyin would find it more challenging to survive in the game from now on—a fact she had failed to recognize. Her own mission would also become her nightmare. Moreover, she strongly suspected that the missions among the five of them formed a cycle. As long as Gu Ze wasn't lying, her objective had already been exposed.
She hoped she was overthinking things.
While she pondered this, Gu Ze suddenly leaned in closer, a sly smile playing on his lips, seemingly unbothered by their earlier conversation.
"If you tell me who your target is, I'll share my specific mission with you. It's a fair exchange."
Xu Nuan instinctively leaned back, meeting Gu Ze's gaze and blinking firmly as she shook her head.
"I'm not interested in an exchange; I'm not curious about your mission."
Even if Gu Ze's claim was true and his target was Deng Yinyin, that would mean his mission was detrimental to her. Xu Nuan had no interest in Deng Yinyin and saw no need to learn more.
"I see. But I'm quite curious about your mission."
Gu Ze showed no signs of giving up, maintaining his position close to Xu Nuan and gazing intently at her. Xu Nuan, whose flexibility was lacking, felt as if her back might break under the pressure. She became even more resolute.
"That's your concern; I have no obligation to tell you."
At this point, Xu Nuan didn't care whether her words would hurt Gu Ze; she simply pushed herself back with both hands and cautiously watched him while reaching for a blanket.
As she hurriedly shook out the blanket, she heard Gu Ze speak softly.
"Even if you don't tell me, I already know who your target is."
Xu Nuan paused mid-motion, then silently turned away and wrapped herself up in the blanket, pretending she hadn't heard him.
She did not see Gu Ze's expression afterward; she only heard the rustling sound. After a while, that sound also disappeared, and she slowly closed her eyes, using her backpack as a pillow.
With the campfire, Xu Nuan and Gu Ze were not frozen by the evening wind of the Gobi, but when they got up early in the morning, they found their blanket covered in dew.
When Xu Nuan got up, Gu Ze was already awake, tending to the resilient fire. Ruffling her hair, Xu Nuan cast a doubtful glance at the calm and gentle Gu Ze. Her hands and feet had been icy cold last night, and since she hadn’t slept in her sleeping bag, she had no doubt that she would wake up frozen at any moment. However, she felt a source of warmth last night and surprisingly slept quite well.
Thinking this way, Xu Nuan shifted her gaze back to the fire, feeling somewhat uncertain.
The three who had slept inside the tent last night seemed to have each gathered their spirits.
Only Deng Yinyin had become a bit more silent, occasionally glancing at Xu Hang, opening her mouth but saying nothing. Xie Huai had grown more attentive, showing enthusiasm towards potential dangers, while Xu Hang remained as reserved as ever—slightly serious and taciturn, maintaining the demeanor of a leader and only teaching when necessary.
Xu Nuan quickly concluded that it was actually Xu Hang who hadn’t prepared himself mentally. She involuntarily looked at Gu Ze’s expression and noticed he had a faint smile but furrowed brows, seemingly displeased about something. When she realized Gu Ze was looking her way, she quickly withdrew her gaze and pretended to observe the surroundings.
However, there was nothing particularly interesting in the Gobi; it was all sand and gravel with little greenery or wildlife.
Xu Nuan was somewhat distracted as she looked around. She thought that until she found the Special Tree, she had plenty of time to consider her personal task. She wanted to pass this stage smoothly but wasn’t particularly eager to complete that task. She pondered whether she could find loopholes in the wording of the mission but came up empty.
At that moment, Xie Huai suddenly became very enthusiastic and shouted.
“Everyone look over there! There’s a Special Tree!”
Xu Nuan looked up; under the sunlight, the Crimson on the sandy ground was indeed the Special Tree. It was the first time she felt so reluctant to see it.
For those who had already completed their personal tasks, seeing the Special Tree was good news; for those who hadn’t completed theirs, its appearance felt a bit premature.
Xu Nuan pretended not to care about it, but deep down she wanted to confirm whether Gu Ze’s words were true. She secretly kept a close watch on Gu Ze and Xu Hang’s actions, trying to discern their specific tasks.
However, after nearly a whole morning of walking, she hadn’t noticed anything particularly unusual from either of them. They even maintained a certain distance from Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai, leaving her puzzled and confused.
At noon, the five of them arrived under the Special Tree, unloading their backpacks and preparing to take a good rest. They were not only physically exhausted but also emotionally drained, and ever since the two incidents from last night, they had all maintained a heavy silence.
During lunch, the silence continued. Deng Yinyin was the first to break down, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Xu Hang. When she noticed that Xu Hang wouldn’t even glance her way, she huffed and stormed off to the other side of the Special Tree. Seeing this, Xie Huai followed her.
Xu Nuan, who was sipping water, glanced at the two leaving and then at the calm duo of Gu Ze and Xu Hang. She decided to ignore their drama.
However, distractions rarely last long when serious matters arise. Not long after Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai moved to the other side, they began to scream.
“Ah! What a fierce Camel! It has horns and it bites!”
Xu Nuan instinctively dropped her water and stood up, ready to check it out. After taking a couple of steps, she noticed that Gu Ze and Xu Hang showed no intention of moving.
“Aren’t you guys worried?” she asked.
As usual, Xu Hang remained silent while drinking water. Gu Ze looked up at her calmly and replied slowly, “Let them learn a lesson.”
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