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墨書 Inktalez
What is a Regrettable Choice?
Xu Nuan, who had always vowed never to regret anything, found herself regretting a decision long ago.
She desperately wished for time to rewind, yet she rationally understood that it was an unrealistic desire.
At this moment, before she could regret again, she wanted the man in front of her to leave.
If not for this series of events, she would have completed her mission without hesitation, not caring whether the game was cruel or what the System was playing at with its Mind's Eye.
"Ten minutes are up. You go in first; I'll be there shortly."
No one knew better than her that this was a grand lie. Before she changed her mind, she fervently hoped the man before her would open that door while she stayed behind with Rao Tingxue's corpse, becoming a sacrifice in this game. Once she stepped into the next stage, she couldn't guarantee what kind of madness she might unleash.
Dai Zhengyan, Guo Dafu, Yu Hao, Rao Tingxue—familiar and unfamiliar faces had all turned into cold corpses. She didn't want some people to join their ranks.
"Nuan, you're not good at lying."
Gu Ze did not do as she wished and open the door to the Supply Station. Instead, he crouched down in front of her and tucked a strand of her fallen hair behind her ear.
"You've changed a lot, yet some things remain the same."
In the twilight, Gu Ze's face was filled with nostalgia and warmth—something Xu Nuan did not want to see.
"You're still as soft-hearted as you were in college; otherwise, you would have acted by now."
His deep brown eyes brimmed with affection, enveloping her in warmth that sought to melt her resolve.
"I'll only give you this one chance," Xu Nuan said, tilting her head to look at the man who insisted she trust him. "If you don't leave, I will immediately regret my decision."
"Then let me waste this precious opportunity."
Gu Ze wore a calm expression, his smile filled with indulgence, radiating like the dazzling clouds at sunset.
"I have always hoped you would trust me. If I leave you here, wouldn't that mean I've broken my promise?"
Xu Nuan continued to gaze up at Gu Ze, her eyes blinking as she seemed to weigh the credibility of his words, yet also appeared lost in thought, staring at the clouds.
"If she is your end, will you still stay here?"
After a long pause, Xu Nuan withdrew her gaze and glanced at Rao Tingxue, who lay quietly on the ground. Emotions swirled in her eyes, complex enough to swallow all the light in the dusk.
She hated Rao Tingxue, felt sympathy for her; the feelings mirrored each other. This dead woman’s emotions were much like her own.
Both were just pitiful creatures.
"I will not be that end," Gu Ze said firmly, his eyes holding the vision of the flower sea Xu Nuan had always longed for but never reached.
"You won't be that end either."
Xu Nuan smiled quietly, her smile shimmering with tears.
"That’s not certain. I am a very weak person."
Countless times she had wanted to give up, countless times she had risen again. Countless schemes and escapes forced her to grow up too quickly; she didn't know when or where she would break and turn to dust, washed away by wind and rain, resting in eternal slumber beneath the earth.
"Hurry and go," Xu Nuan suddenly grew impatient, not wanting to play out some ridiculous drama with Gu Ze. "If you don't leave now, there won't be any chance left. I am a very ruthless woman."
"You really are heartless," Gu Ze continued Xu Nuan's words, deliberately twisting their original meaning. "You are heartless towards me, and even more so towards yourself."
Xu Nuan fell silent, glaring fiercely at Gu Ze, trying to convey her feelings through her expression. But the next moment, Gu Ze leaned in and embraced her, his warm breath brushing against her ear.
"I should feel honored that you are so conflicted. And your willingness to give this opportunity could prove that I still hold a certain place in your heart. If I continue to strive, can I make that place larger and fill your heart completely?"
The more Xu Nuan listened, the more uncomfortable she felt. This man always liked to take advantage verbally, leaving her speechless. She had given him a chance, and if he didn't seize it, she would regret taking action.
She struggled to break free from Gu Ze's embrace, but instead found her hand pressed against something cold. Before she could react, Gu Ze grasped her hand and pushed it forward.
Her task was to stab Gu Ze.
This man had already guessed it.
And she had been hesitating in a pretentious manner; in the end, she still took action.
"One stab or ten stabs," Xu Nuan refused to look at the wound. The warm liquid that had dripped onto her hand suddenly turned scalding hot, burning deep into her heart. "I will repay you in full."
At that moment, Gu Ze still had the strength to hold her with his other arm, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"You don’t need to repay me. If you continue to struggle with those tasks in the future, and if the target is me, feel free to act. I welcome it willingly."
Truth? Lies?
Should she doubt it?
Xu Nuan suddenly pushed Gu Ze away, releasing his hand. She stood up and hurriedly walked a few steps forward before stopping, suppressing her emotions.
"Don't talk nonsense. I'll do it. You better be alive to enjoy it before I return the ten knives to you."
With that, Xu Nuan hurriedly walked to the door of the Supply Station, gripping the doorknob. Blood dripped from her hand onto the handle, a stark contrast against the metal.
Gritting her teeth, Xu Nuan turned the knob and stepped into the Supply Station.
In the living room of the Supply Station, only Xu Hang was present. He had been resting with one hand propping up his chin and his eyes half-closed. Upon hearing Xu Nuan's entrance, he abruptly opened his eyes. When he recognized her and noticed the blood on her hands, his pupils constricted in shock as he stood up.
"You did it?"
"Yes, I did."
Xu Nuan ignored Xu Hang's disappointed expression and walked straight into the Storage Room, closing the door behind her. She leaned against it and slowly slid down to sit on the floor, her face contorted in pain.
Extending her hand, Xu Nuan saw the fresh bloodstains on her right hand, their vivid color making her dizzy and nauseous. Covering her face with her left hand, she let out a few low, bitter laughs.
Yes, she had done it. If she could turn against her own savior, who could stop her from going mad in this game? Perhaps soon she would fulfill the System's wish and eagerly hunt every target. This place was about to become a hunting ground for Players. Survival Game? Death Game? It was all just semantics. This game was about to present them with a feast, where every survivor would be a performer and blood would be the fine wine of this banquet.
"I don't want to play anymore."
Xu Nuan murmured softly.
"I really want to leave this place."
Leaning against the door, Xu Nuan hazily reflected on the events of the past few days. As her mind wandered in confusion, she heard voices coming from outside.
It was Gu Ze and Xu Hang.
Xu Hang suddenly scolded Gu Ze for being too reckless, while Gu Ze, with a cheerful demeanor that was a stark contrast to his usual self, laughed heartily. His voice was full of energy, sounding lively and animated.
She knew very well that this was merely a facade of the man; it was difficult to discern the truth behind the words of someone who was pretending.
Why should she care?
Yet, she had to care.
With a sigh, she wiped her face with her clean hand. Xu Nuan stood up and walked over to the medicine shelf, beginning to select items.
The Supply Station's facilities were the closest to the city, serving as a temporary resting place for Players—a sanctuary they were reluctant to leave.
The lounge, living room, Storage Room, and bathroom were all compact spaces, with the first three providing brief respite for them.
Once everyone had sorted their belongings in the living room, they each found a spot to take a short break. Xu Nuan locked herself in the Storage Room, wrapped in a blanket, lying directly on the floor. She wanted to sleep but found it impossible.
Blood and corpses.
These two images played incessantly in her mind. She felt as if she were surrounded by blood and bodies, yet she hadn’t mentally prepared herself for the next level. Despite repeatedly telling herself that time was of the essence and she needed to advance quickly, she discovered many things that drained her motivation to continue.
She was afraid to move on; what if another cruel task awaited her? Did she really have to comply with this game and become a Player who disregarded human life? At the same time, there was Qin Yaojie waiting in the next level. She had a strong premonition about this. She no longer wanted to face Qin Yaojie; regardless of what the future truth held, Qin Yaojie was one of the culprits responsible for her current life.
A man devoid of emotion—better not to see him at all.
Lost in thought, Xu Nuan gradually felt drowsy. Her head rested heavily against the floor when a series of faint vibrations traveled through the ground into her ears, abruptly dispelling her fleeting sleepiness.
Xu Nuan opened her eyes, uncertain if it was just her imagination. She had always been action-oriented; after clearing her mind of distracting thoughts, she lay on the ground with her ear pressed against it, listening intently. Indeed, there were vibrations—similar to the sound of a motor—subtle yet undeniably present.
Beneath the Supply Station, there was a vibration that left Xu Nuan feeling somewhat dazed as she tugged at her hair, wondering what it meant.
She sat up, still supporting herself on the ground to feel the tremors, puzzled about why she hadn’t sensed this vibration in the previous Supply Station. It was strange.
Suddenly wide awake, Xu Nuan felt an urge to confide in someone. However, looking around the lounge, she realized that her only options were Gu Ze and Xu Hang. Of course, there was a certain distance between her and Xu Hang, so it seemed she could only share her confusion with Gu Ze.
But how could she possibly bring this up with him at that moment?
She patted her head and lay back down, gazing at the Flower Board in the Storage Room. The vibrations, which had originally required her to press her ear to the ground to feel, were now perceptible through her back and growing stronger.
What was happening? An earthquake? Had a mechanism been activated?
Xu Nuan sat up again, feeling increasingly bewildered by how strange the Supply Station had suddenly become. After some thought, she decided to stand up and check the situation outside. However, before she could fully straighten up, a wave of dizziness hit her, and she collapsed again, unconscious.
The next day, Xu Nuan slowly regained consciousness, feeling pain all over her body. As she sat up, she found it odd; hadn’t she been wide awake last night? How had she suddenly fallen asleep?
Then it struck her—when they were about to enter the Tranquil Deep Sea level, they had all smelled a strong fragrance and then passed out. When they woke up again, they were already on a boat. But last night, she hadn’t detected any scent before losing consciousness. What was going on?
Confusion flooded Xu Nuan’s mind as she felt like her head was pounding from a hangover. Still, she got up and opened the door to the Storage Room to check on the situation outside. In the lounge, Gu Ze, Xu Hang, and Xie Huai were all still asleep, snoring loudly without any sign of waking up.
Xu Nuan found this even more puzzling. Gu Ze and Xu Hang were usually extremely vigilant; they always woke everyone up before leaving the Supply Station when others were deep in slumber. Why were they all sleeping so soundly today?
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