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墨書 Inktalez
Several people entered the Supply Station, each scattering to their own tasks—some resting, some bathing, and others organizing.
When Gu Ze saw Xu Nuan sitting in a corner of the living room, her hands clasped around her knees as she stared blankly at the body of Qin Yaojie, which he had placed in the cryogenic freezer, the others discreetly avoided the living room, leaving Xu Nuan alone. This was the only respect they could offer as companions.
Gu Ze took his clothes to the bathroom. As he passed through the living room, he noticed Xu Nuan had buried her head in her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly, though she made no sound.
He could not hear Xu Nuan's cries; all he could sense was the pain in his heart.
After finishing his shower and passing through the living room again, he found Xu Nuan curled up on the sofa, looking at a notebook. He couldn't see what was written inside but noticed tears glistening in her eyes. Her overall expression was serious, as if Qin Yaojie had recorded something crucial in that notebook.
He wasn't curious about its contents; he waited for Xu Nuan to tell him herself. He felt that while the contents might be important, they wouldn't be critical. Otherwise, Zhang Xiao, who had been lurking beside Qin Yaojie and ultimately killed him, wouldn't have allowed the notebook to exist so easily.
With this thought in mind, Gu Ze walked into the rest area and found only Deng Yinyin sleeping inside; the others were absent. He sat on a nearby bench, completely relaxing as he leaned back against it and gazed up at the white Flower Board of the Supply Station. Suddenly feeling dizzy, he straightened up abruptly to shake off the sensation.
Rubbing his temples, Gu Ze felt puzzled. He knew his body well; that dizziness was indeed strange. With this thought lingering, he returned to his previous position and looked up at the Flower Board again when another wave of dizziness hit him.
Gu Ze immediately stood up alertly, squinting as he looked at the Flower Board with a vague thought forming in his mind. He reached for his necklace and pressed a spot on it before walking out with a serious expression. What he didn't notice was that after he left the rest area, Deng Yinyin suddenly opened her eyes and gazed thoughtfully at his departing figure.
As Gu Ze passed through the living room once more, he noticed Xu Nuan had fallen asleep on the sofa, clutching the notebook to her chest. Compelled by an unknown force, he approached and crouched down to observe the sleeping Xu Nuan.
Perhaps due to recent worries weighing heavily on her mind, Xu Nuan's brows were furrowed even in sleep. He instinctively reached out to smooth away her frown and studied her features closely.
Her once round and charmingly cute face had thinned considerably; her chin was sharp and endearing. Her lips were pale pink, trembling slightly even in slumber. Her nostrils flared gently as she breathed; those almond-shaped eyes that once sparkled with mischief were now tightly shut in serene stillness. Her long eyelashes were slightly damp, indicating that her state before falling asleep had not been optimistic.
Since it was a living room, the sofa within it wasn't large either. Xu Nuan curled up on this small sofa made her appear even more delicate and frail. Her hands holding the notebook were pale and bony; if described more severely, they seemed emaciated with prominent veins standing out starkly against her skin—a sight that tugged at one's heartstrings.
Gu Ze withdrew his hand, emotions flickering in his eyes as he quietly watched Xu Nuan for a while before taking his jacket to cover her with it and then walked into the Storage Room.
The storage room, filled with medicine, food, clothing, and accessories, was cramped with three people, each engaged in their own tasks.
The arrival of Gu Ze made the storage room feel even more crowded, yet it brought a sense of ease to He Min.
Originally part of the Second Batch Players, she had maintained a lukewarm relationship with the other players aside from Yu Hao and Xu Nuan. After Dai Zhengyan was consumed by Python, she and Yu Hao and Xu Nuan left that large group. Along the way, she would occasionally greet other players she admired but did not rejoin any larger teams. Later, when Xu Nuan devised a plan against Guo Dafu, she only partnered with Yu Hao. When Yu Hao and she unexpectedly separated and met again, it was as if they were worlds apart. She had spent two days in the Third Batch of Players alongside Xu Nuan but felt indifferent about it. Most of the time after that, she was alone until she joined the First Batch of Players. Even then, she spoke little, mostly maintaining a smile while observing quietly.
Now, joining this team felt like a necessary choice for her, whether to care for Xu Nuan or to succeed in the final challenge.
As she picked through items for the next round, she unconsciously moved closer to Gu Ze. After hesitating for a moment, she maintained an appropriate expression and softly asked, “I remember there’s another companion in this team; she…”
He Min's inquiry paused at just the right moment. The classical beauty who seemed to have stepped out of a painting was unforgettable. She understood Xu Nuan's contradictory nature and recognized the strength and cohesion of this team. Without any pretense, she believed that this team—currently performing best in the game—would not abandon their companion unless something had happened to her.
Her question not only halted Gu Ze's actions but also caught the attention of Xu Hang and Xie Huai nearby.
She scanned their faces and noticed expressions of sorrow among them. Xie Huai's face bore an additional hint of guilt, making him appear even paler.
He Min understood immediately and quickly shifted her tone to one of sincerity. “I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have asked.”
Gu Ze responded on behalf of the others. “We know you meant no harm.”
He Min sighed with relief internally; interacting with these players was much easier than dealing with those arrogant designers.
Although feeling apologetic, He Min was puzzled. The members of this team were not weak, especially Gu Ze and Xu Hang. Despite being newcomers, their skills and mindset were top-notch. Coupled with Xu Nuan, who had trained for a long time, there was no reason for that classical beauty to have lost her life so easily. Unless there were other hidden circumstances involved.
He Min thought about the Survival Game she had traversed and the Players she had encountered, reflecting on the more dangerous Survival Games, her expression growing somewhat serious.
This seriousness caught the attention of the other three. Considering that He Min was among the First Batch of Players, having spent the most time with many Game Designers, their expectations for her increased.
"What are you thinking?"
Surprisingly, it was Xie Huai who asked this question. Although his face was pale and his hands trembled hidden in his sleeves, he stood firmly, gazing intently at He Min.
Gu Ze and Xu Hang exchanged glances, both sighing inwardly. Tang Jingshu's death was ultimately a knot in Xie Huai's heart. Until this knot was resolved, it would pose a significant risk in the increasingly perilous games ahead, potentially even fatal at times. After all, they already knew that the designers of this game included formidable biologists and engineers; the combination of brilliant minds with mad ideas created a game that should not be underestimated.
He Min hesitated as she recalled several Survival Games but chose to look directly at Xie Huai and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Although I feel it's impolite, could you tell me which Survival Game she was in when the incident occurred?"
Gu Ze and Xu Hang silently agreed to let Xie Huai take this opportunity to speak about that Survival Game; for him, it would be a significant first step.
Sure enough, Xie Huai's body began to tremble slightly, and his expression became increasingly uncontrollable. As he struggled to suppress it, his face appeared particularly distorted.
He Min vaguely guessed what was happening but chose not to speak at that moment.
After a mental struggle, Xie Huai finally spoke up.
"Eighteenth Level, Angry Jungle."
He Min was taken aback.
Such a reaction raised doubts among the others, as Gu Ze, who trusted Xu Nuan and thus trusted He Min, directly asked, "Is there something special about this level?"
In that moment of inquiry, he thought of someone—Zhang Xiao.
Their team had encountered Zhang Xiao at that level, where Zhang Xiao had temporarily joined them to help. Later, he deliberately lingered around Xu Nuan, intentionally provoking her memories. Ultimately, he even threatened Xu Nuan in the Supply Station, revealing that he was armed.
Considering that Qin Yaojie had fallen at the hands of Zhang Xiao, and with Zhang Xiao being a suspect as the Mastermind and Xu Nuan's arch-nemesis, Gu Ze paid more attention to matters related to this person.
Meeting several eager gazes, He Min pondered for a moment before speaking up.
"I hadn't encountered the First Batch of Players at that level, but I did run into a few Second Batch Players," He Min paused briefly. "And there was a Hidden Level related to Python."
He Min uttered a term that made the others' faces change color.
Xie Huai's voice trembled slightly as he looked at He Min, his lips quivering. "What kind of Hidden Level is that?"
He Min bit his lower lip, realizing more in his heart. The Pear Blossom Roll resting on his shoulder felt somewhat powerless.
"If we don't send someone within ten meters of Python's Nest, the Supply Station won't appear. Even if we find the Special Tree, it won't matter."
Gu Ze blurted out, "Zhang Xiao!"
Xu Hang and Xie Huai realized why Zhang Xiao, who had lingered for so long at that checkpoint, had not yet arrived at the Supply Station. How could Zhang Xiao, alone, possibly make the Supply Station appear?
"What a malicious thought!"
Xu Hang sighed, feeling a chill in his heart as he recalled his confrontation with Zhang Xiao at the Gentle Prairie checkpoint. A shiver ran down his spine.
Xie Huai was deeply affected; the source of his turmoil was Zhang Xiao's scheme. That person had used him to bring about Tang Jingshu's demise.
How could he not feel hatred?
He Min hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"The rules of the Hidden Level only require sending one person into that area; without that person, escape is not possible."
She had been able to find the Supply Station smoothly because two mutually scheming Second Batch Players had both entered the Python's Nest area and helped each other escape. However, her explanation only served to rub salt in Xie Huai's wounds.
Realizing this, He Min cast an apologetic glance at the others present.
But no one blamed her; instead, they were grateful that her moment of curiosity had inadvertently helped them uncover the true culprit behind Tang Jingshu's death.
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