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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Nuan and the others did not truly believe that these vines were there to help them. As the Apes were being strangled and killed, they frantically tried to escape this place filled with countless deadly vines.
At that moment, the vines beneath their feet came alive. Some wrapped around their legs, while others ensnared their bodies. One by one, they fell, and those who were lifted into the air struggled helplessly.
After all, they were human beings, possessing a wisdom that the Apes, who thrived in this forest thanks to their physical advantages, did not have.
When two vines wrapped around her ankles and caused her to fall, Xu Nuan quickly drew the axe hanging from her backpack and violently chopped at the vines trying to bind her. As she tumbled into the mass of vines, she briefly thought she would be overwhelmed by these twisting green creatures. However, she quickly regained her composure. After severing several vines around her ankles, she tossed the axe aside and drew a short knife from her waist to cut through the vines that were wrapping around her chest and attempting to climb up to her neck.
As she sliced through the vines, a green liquid oozed out. Initially worried that it might be harmful, Xu Nuan soon noticed that when it splashed onto her face and body, it evaporated quickly into the air, leaving no immediate effect on her.
After months of rigorous training, their skills had improved to some extent. Although they were somewhat disheveled now, their situation was still better than that of the strangled Apes.
Xu Nuan realized that there seemed to be no end to these vines; the only solution was to leave this cursed land. Yet with every step she took, more vines attacked her—wrapping around her legs or trying to ensnare her neck or arms. She knew clearly that if her arms were caught and she lost control of her knife, it would be over for her. Therefore, she preferred to have her neck ensnared rather than lose the use of her arms. She continued to slash at some of the vines and noticed that as the green liquid evaporated continuously, a serious problem dawned on her as she glanced urgently at Gu Ze nearby.
Gu Ze's immobile hand was tightly bound by vines that were desperately pulling him. His other hand was frantically swinging to cut down the attacking vines. Xu Nuan noticed that his active hand bore wounds from where the vines had struck him; his sleeve was riddled with torn patches revealing splotches of blood underneath. She suddenly recalled having seen someone in a similar situation before, and breathing became difficult for her.
To alleviate the pain in her chest, she rushed toward Gu Ze without hesitation, kicking away some of the vines in frustration. However, some managed to wrap around her ankles again, lifting her uncontrollably into the air. Upside down now, blood rushed toward her head as her vision blurred. In this position, wielding her short knife was impossible. Just when she thought she had been careless, Gu Ze came to her rescue by cutting through several of the vines binding her and reaching out to catch her as she fell.
Xu Nuan didn’t believe Gu Ze had time for such things; as he fought against the vines wrapping around him while lunging forward to catch her, she bent slightly at the knees during her descent and extended one hand to grasp Gu Ze’s shoulder while using the other hand to slice through a vine aiming for his back.
“Trying to be a one-armed hero?” she quipped.
As Xu Nuan cut through another vine binding Gu Ze’s weakened hand and pushed him upward, before she could even see his familiar smile, Gu Ze turned slightly serious and swung his knife behind him. A splash of green liquid hit them both before evaporating instantly into the air.
They found themselves enveloped in a faint green mist. Although they hadn’t yet felt any discomfort in their bodies, the eerie atmosphere sent chills down their spines.
Standing back-to-back with Gu Ze—backpacks pressed together—they kept watch for threats from behind each other. Their cooperation made their situation somewhat better than facing it alone; they could also take a moment to observe their surroundings.
Looking down revealed a mix of severed vines and those still writhing on the ground—a disgusting sight. The once-suspended vines hanging from trees resembled a witch's long hair in a movie, swirling everywhere in thick clusters that made one want to retch.
Xu Nuan noticed Xie Huai managing quite well on his own. Though his slender frame moved slowly and he often got hit by vines leaving wounds on him, he ultimately reacted quickly enough to dispatch those attacking him with relative ease. Overall, he performed admirably without needing help from Gu Ze or Xu Hang like before.
While fending off incoming vines, Xu Nuan glanced through the light green mist toward Xu Hang and Deng Yinyin’s area and saw Deng Yinyin being lifted into the air multiple times by vines. Only a few times did she manage to free herself safely; most often it was Xu Hang coming to her aid against those dangers. She sighed inwardly; Xu Hang had ultimately forgiven Deng Yinyin for whatever reason and chose to protect her throughout this ordeal. Beneath Xu Hang’s serious exterior lay a fervent heart dedicated to his girlfriend Lan Ling.
Though they weren’t being strangled like the Apes, all five of them struggled against an overwhelming number of relentless vines attacking them—more than enough to rival human hair in quantity—resulting in various wounds that went untreated and caused them pain. They also felt fatigued; such rapid depletion of their stamina was unexpected at this stage of their journey. They couldn’t afford distractions; any lapse would result in being struck by a vine or dragged into the air where if help didn’t arrive promptly from those nearby, they would find themselves ensnared by multiple vines around their necks—tightening until they gradually lost oxygen and consciousness blurred into darkness—either suffocating or having their necks snapped.
They were currently facing a dilemma: the severed vines would splatter green liquid, which quickly evaporated in the thin sunlight, forming a light green mist around them. This mist obstructed their vision, making it difficult not only to escape this area but also to evade the attacks of the vines.
Xu Nuan had lost track of how long they had been in this area. Due to exhaustion, her movements had become sluggish. She didn't want to be defeated right at the beginning of this challenge, so she gritted her teeth and continued to struggle against the vines. Meanwhile, Gu Ze, who was behind her, was not in much better shape. Although he was skilled and had many abilities, one of his hands was incapacitated, and his injuries were numerous. His stamina was depleting faster than Xu Nuan's, and she could hear his heavy breathing growing closer.
She clenched her teeth in frustration, feeling inadequate for not being able to think of a better way to escape that would allow Gu Ze a moment to rest. Just then, she heard Xu Hang's voice calling from not far away.
"We can't keep going like this! Everyone try to break out together; let's choose a direction collectively. If you can hear my voice, head toward it!"
It was a desperate measure, but they had no other choice. Xu Nuan and Gu Ze both acknowledged him and maintained their back-to-back stance as they resisted the vines while moving toward Xu Hang's direction.
The green mist thickened around them; Xu Nuan could even see the writhing vines on the ground rising up with the mist. She realized her breathing remained normal and guessed that the mist only served to obstruct their sight.
Xu Hang kept shouting for everyone to gather around him while he desperately tried to break through with Deng Yinyin. After some time without escaping the area crowded with vines, he began to doubt his judgment. Just then, they all heard Xie Huai's voice, tinged with excitement.
"I've made it out! It's safe here; everyone can come this way!"
The group assessed their positions and determined that Xie Huai's location was slightly east of Xu Hang's chosen direction, which seemed reasonable.
Xu Hang couldn't help but smile as he held back his excitement while trying to restrain Deng Yinyin, who wanted to jump up but was entangled by the vines.
"Okay, Xie Huai! Keep calling out; we'll follow your voice to find you."
Xie Huai responded affirmatively and continued repeating,
"I'm here; it's safe here! Everyone hurry over!"
Feeling slightly relieved, Xu Nuan turned to Gu Ze and joked,
"Isn't this a bit too cheerful? He keeps repeating that it's safe."
Gu Ze, drenched in sweat and covered in wounds, managed a faint smile and relaxed a bit.
"It's only human nature; I feel like shouting out loud too."
Xu Nuan shot him a glare, warning him.
"Just let it go, save your strength."
The group, filled with hope of being rescued, slowly made their way away from the green mist, following Xie Huai's voice. As they got closer to the sound, they noticed the number of vines was decreasing, and their attacks were weakening—this was a good sign for everyone.
However, in this game, nothing ever went smoothly. When the four of them finally broke through the green mist and arrived at a more open area filled with large flowering trees, they discovered that Xie Huai had already fainted and was lying on the ground, with a brilliantly colored parrot perched on him.
The parrot had striking red eyes that seemed unnaturally bright and emitted a faint glow, making it appear almost otherworldly. Its beak was opening and closing rhythmically, continuously repeating Xie Huai's voice.
"I'm here, it's safe here."
"How could Xie Huai faint?"
"What’s going on with this parrot?"
"Is this a trap?"
The group was filled with various questions. They wanted to turn back and check if the green mist still lingered behind them or if this was all just an illusion. Suddenly, a nearby plant with broad leaves began to stir.
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