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墨書 Inktalez
Super annoyed!
What right does a good friend of Gu Ze have to meddle in her relationship with him? How can they know what Gu Ze is doing without telling her? Clearly, she is the one who knows the most secrets, yet when Gu Ze is not around, they don't support her.
Super annoyed!
Xu Nuan glared at Xu Hang with red eyes, as if she was about to charge at him any second.
She would bet that Chi Xiaoming had already figured out the System's purpose and understood the traps behind each option. However, the captain she respected had yet to see it, blinded by his own biases and limitations.
Choosing a path only led to their divergence; whether to rest or not allowed them a brief respite from their overwhelming disdain for the rules. But this choice was truly life-threatening because the System's words were empty; otherwise, those Eagle Flock would have already swooped down. Once the System spoke again, it would signal the arrival of crisis.
Selfish or arrogant, she couldn't be bothered with the dark thoughts swirling in her mind.
The imminent danger was the Eagle Flock circling above them, searching for an opportunity to strike, yet Xu Nuan felt that some words were better spoken during this meeting.
"Warm, don't be so agitated," He Min spoke up while Xu Nuan and Xu Hang faced each other with grim expressions. Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai stood behind Xu Hang, glaring at Xu Nuan. He Min remained by Yu Yu's side and did not approach Xu Nuan. "Even though you are often in the minority, it doesn't mean we don't respect your opinion. Don't fall into the System's trap. Feeling discontent because your opinion isn't accepted just plays into their divide-and-conquer strategy."
He Min spoke earnestly.
"If we get past this stage, we won't have to follow these rules anymore; we'll return to square one together."
With Gu Ze absent, no one supported her. The sudden realization left Xu Nuan feeling empty again. Xu Hang's earlier question struck at the core: Did she really like Gu Ze?
Where was Gu Ze, who should always be watching over her?
Even without making promises, his actions seemed contradictory.
Could she really like a man who was so insincere?
"Heh heh."
Xu Nuan chuckled lightly, raising her gaze to He Min and pointing at the Eagle Flock still circling above them.
Look, even her good friends don't support her.
This is a game tied to personal interests, where the name of the team doesn't necessarily reflect its true nature. The friends you think you have may not truly consider you a friend; risking life and death together doesn't guarantee genuine loyalty in times of trouble.
This is the reality of this game, striking at the most fundamental truths and desires within people's hearts.
"Do you know why those eagles are diving down again?"
"Why are they allowing us to argue down here?"
Seeing He Min's unpleasant expression, Xu Nuan noticed more the ambiguity around her neck.
"You don't know, none of you know!"
Xu Nuan's tone was overly confident, and her arrogance at that moment sparked resentment among several others, especially Deng Yinyin, who temporarily shifted her target but still disliked Xu Nuan.
"Xu Nuan, who do you think you are? Do you think you're the only one smart enough to know these things?"
Deng Yinyin was very dissatisfied, and Xie Huai beside her shared her displeasure. Xu Hang remained silent with a dark expression, actually angered by Xu Nuan's condescending tone towards them. Gu Ze's instructions had long been forgotten.
"Even if we need you to know where the secret passage is, you have no right to act so smug!"
When people get angry, they often speak without thinking. Only a few knew about Xu Nuan's connection to the secret passage, and to avoid other players coveting it, they had agreed not to disclose this information.
Xu Nuan knew that the Designers were aware of this matter, but that didn't mean she would let other players in on it; doing so would only increase her risk and workload.
Deng Yinyin's flippant remark came without understanding the potential harm it could bring. Xu Nuan's expression darkened further as she stared fiercely at Deng Yinyin.
Did this woman really think that Chi Xiaoming and the others staying with them temporarily made them part of the same team? She had initially accepted these people as her companions for a reason, despite some ulterior motives; this information should not have come out in such a manner.
A group of unreliable people!
Xu Nuan's eyes were red, her breath heavy and labored, her chest rising and falling violently. The coat she had been holding was already thrown aside, and now she was spinning a short knife in her hand, the cold glint of the blade reflecting a newfound ferocity on her face.
Deng Yinyin stepped back in fear, her eyes wide with terror as she raised her hands in a plea.
"Don't kill me! Please, don't kill me!"
Unsteady on her feet, Deng Yinyin stumbled backward and was caught by Xie Huai.
After securing Deng Yinyin in his arms, Xie Huai glared at Xu Nuan with evident displeasure.
"So you've become addicted to killing? You killed Zhang Hui, you killed Dong Keyong, and now you want to kill your own teammate?"
Xu Hang took a few steps forward, seemingly intent on stopping Xu Nuan.
At that moment, He Min rushed over to embrace Xu Nuan, trying to calm her down.
"Nuan, please don't be angry. You can't kill anyone else. If your hands are stained with blood, you'll never be able to wash it clean for the rest of your life."
Did these people really think they could kill their own teammates?
Deep down, did they subconsciously believe they were murderers?
If that were the case, why would they want to stay in the team?
Zhang Hui's death could be considered an accident; the truth had yet to be uncovered. But Dong Keyong's death was different; that knife had been plunged into him while she was fully aware of what she was doing.
Hmph.
"If you're afraid of being killed by me, then I'll leave this team."
Forcing herself to ignore the pain in her head, Xu Nuan fixed her gaze on Xu Hang as he approached slowly. She attempted to pry He Min's hands away from her waist with the hand holding the knife but hesitated before her fingers could touch He Min's hand, pulling back in fear.
In an instant of shock followed by a cold laugh, even He Min thought the same. Indeed, Gu Ze's comforting words were all lies. After killing Dong Keyong, she should have left, rather than forcing herself to stay until now and causing all this trouble.
She knew full well that there were traps behind this rule, yet she was the first to fall into one.
"You can't leave."
Xu Hang's face was grim, his expression complex, his voice hoarse but insistent.
"The grouping set by the System cannot be broken. If we disrupt that rule, all nine of us will be punished."
It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.
So Gu Ze, why did you choose to leave at this moment? Or does your friend represent your opinion?
All those previous words were false; whether domineering or gentle, they were merely facades.
"Then I understand."
Xu Nuan smiled, her smile filled with malice.
"From now on, just treat me as Fan Beibei in this team."
So Xu Hang and the others responded to Fan Beibei simply because she was one of the nine, not out of sympathy?
She had mocked Fan Beibei as a pitiful woman; it turned out she was also a tragic figure herself.
"What do you mean?"
Xu Hang's anger surged, clearly realizing the implications behind Xu Nuan's words. Yu Yu quickly joined in to accuse her of slander.
Was it really slander?
Xu Nuan recalled the scene when He Min and Yu Yu returned hand in hand, a smile almost breaking through, but the pain in her head held her back. Maintaining her current expression was already an achievement.
If she fainted now, it would only make her look like she was throwing a tantrum, and these people would think she was indulging herself.
Taking two steps back, Xu Nuan's gaze drifted past Xu Hang to rest on Deng Yinyin, who was curled up in Xie Huai's arms, trembling with fear. A smile finally broke out on her face, laced with a hint of menace. This behavior immediately drew the ire of both Xie Huai and Xu Hang. However, it was clear that Xie Huai's anger was more pronounced as he approached her, his stance suggesting he might strike.
"I've always felt our goals were incompatible. At such a critical moment, you still choose to be willful. It's truly disappointing. If you want to leave the team for the next challenge, feel free. But if you dare to threaten Deng Yinyin again, don't blame me for being rude."
Once timid and misunderstood, Xie Huai had grown into a man with responsibilities. But what did that matter? He was just a selfish man blinded by emotions.
Xu Nuan had long since concluded that when Deng Yinyin saw Fan Beibei's actions in the cave, she could have spoken up for herself but chose not to. The accidental killing of Zhang Hui? It was merely details she overlooked in her shock and fear; the truth lay with Fan Beibei and Deng Yinyin. Unfortunately, neither of them would speak for her.
Selfish Deng Yinyin, selfish Xie Huai, selfish her.
She had no right to judge others.
"I don't care," Xu Nuan said lightly as the pain in her head subsided. Her smile was different from the fury she had shown earlier; it carried an air of indifference. "So I hope you won't seek me out again."
She noticed Xie Huai's eyes flicker away for a moment.
Indeed, if they were unwilling to give up on the secret passage, they wouldn't want her to leave the team either. That must have been their true intention in trying to keep her around. It was no wonder she hadn't seen it then; she had foolishly thought it was camaraderie. At that time, aside from Gu Ze, no one wanted to retain her. And now, Gu Ze was gone.
She couldn't understand Gu Ze anymore, but she understood these people even less.
Tsk, who would have thought that after nearly a year in this game, she would still be alone?
Alone—this fact had never changed.
As this thought crossed her mind, another wave of familiar pain hit her. Xu Nuan suppressed the urge to pound her head and continued to smile maliciously at the group. Perhaps if she smiled like this, it would lessen the discomfort in her heart and push those dark thoughts back.
"From now on, any disputes would be unwise."
Chi Xiaoming, who had been ignored and had not joined the argument, finally spoke up. He merely glanced at Xu Nuan before continuing.
"Everyone knows the rules have traps, yet we all fell into them. In this regard, we are all the same."
Xu Nuan's heart tightened; she had no words to respond, while Chi Xiaoming continued.
"We should think about what to do next. The System's eagles are really about to swoop down."
"Can't we just attack them while running into the jungle?" Xie Huai seemed still filled with anger.
Chi Xiaoming shook his head expressionlessly, remaining silent. After watching the farce long enough, the System leisurely completed the follow-up options.
"If you choose to attack, everyone's movement will be restricted to the current open area; you are not allowed to go anywhere else."
Choosing to evade would allow access to the dense forest.
This was what Xu Nuan had analyzed, but it was already of no use.
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