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Gu Ze took a vigilant stance, one foot forward and the other back, his body slightly leaning forward. The veins in his hand, gripping the short knife, were slightly raised, and the blade pointed outward, as if he would lunge forward at any moment.
Xu Nuan understood that Gu Ze had sensed something, but she had noticed nothing amiss. All she could do was mimic his tension and adopt a cautious posture, though in reality, she had no target and her direction was far from precise.
"Ze?"
She called out softly, hesitant to disturb Gu Ze. At that moment, she became acutely aware of the gap in their abilities; he had long surpassed her in terms of strategic awareness.
Though she felt inferior to Gu Ze, she did not resent it because she was the one being protected.
The feeling of being protected brought both gratitude and unease.
Having accepted Gu Ze meant she was prepared to bear the weight of his life. When she first entered the game, she had no desire to make friends or connect with companions. Few knew that beneath her seemingly indifferent exterior lay a coward—a coward afraid of carrying another's life forward. Back then, her reasoning was simple: as long as she did not grow too close to someone, their death would not sadden her, nor would it frighten her.
Now, however, she finally understood that even if a stranger died before her eyes, it would shake her. This was human nature—something that could not be avoided by mere evasion. To bear and to protect were two different existences; the former acknowledged that someone would die, while the latter sought to shield that person. No one could guarantee they wouldn’t be the next to fall. If that were the case, why not protect those they cared about while still standing? At least then, there would be no regrets.
She did not want to face situations that would lead to her regret.
As these emotions surged within her, Xu Nuan attempted to shift her feet and move sideways, but Gu Ze quickly pulled her back.
Gu Ze seemed certain of the direction from which an intruder approached, firmly positioning himself in front of Xu Nuan.
Xu Nuan sighed lightly; when she wanted something, she felt uneasy about Gu Ze's behavior. Even when he sensed danger before, he had never been this tense. Perhaps Gu Ze was simply someone who rarely panicked; he was confident in his skills and strategy, which gave him an air of calmness amidst chaos.
Was it that the person lurking in the shadows was particularly troublesome?
Xu Nuan speculated this but quickly dismissed it. From what she knew of Gu Ze, if the person hidden away were truly formidable, he would have unhesitatingly taken her away from there.
With this thought in mind, Gu Ze’s behavior seemed somewhat deliberate—as if it were meant for someone else's observation.
Just as this suspicion crossed her mind for a fleeting second, Xu Nuan spotted a familiar figure approaching in her line of sight.
The distance was considerable and the glare from the snow made it hard for Xu Nuan to discern Chi Xiaoming's expression as he walked slowly toward them. She could sense his heavy steps from afar and felt his displeasure radiating even before he drew closer.
Was it because Chi Ming was killed that he was upset? Or was it because he lost track of the person who killed Chi Ming?
Still unaware of Chi Xiaoming's intentions, Xu Nuan began to accept that Chi Xiaoming was moving in that direction. This time, Gu Ze did not stop her; instead, he stepped ahead toward Chi Xiaoming, appearing somewhat anxious.
It felt… strange.
Xu Nuan glanced at Gu Ze, whose pace had quickened, then looked at Chi Xiaoming, who seemed to be moving unusually slowly compared to before. She blinked, unsure of what was happening.
Gu Ze and Xu Nuan walked quickly, clearly worried about the slow-moving Chi Xiaoming.
Chi Xiaoming stared at them with a blank expression, his gaze seemingly drifting past them to where Chi Ming lay quietly on the ground.
"That damn guy got away?"
Gu Ze asked knowingly, his expression still somewhat irritated, which only puzzled Xu Nuan further.
"Sorry."
Chi Xiaoming approached slowly, his face expressionless as he uttered those words. He stopped in front of Gu Ze and Xu Nuan, as if he had something to say.
Standing aside, Xu Nuan clearly saw the two exchange a glance. Suddenly, she remembered that Gu Ze was very sensitive to human presence due to some training. Since Chi Xiaoming was his partner and they had been working together for a while, it was impossible for him not to be familiar with Chi Xiaoming's aura. So why did he look so alert just now?
Xu Nuan grew increasingly confused when she saw Gu Ze suddenly throw off his backpack and spring forward like a coiled spring, moving with incredible speed. Xu Nuan barely had time to react.
Gu Ze dashed toward a snow-covered forest that obscured its original appearance, with a few bare rocks visible outside the woods.
Only then did Xu Nuan realize how far she and Gu Ze had come; they were now quite a distance from where they had been cautious earlier. Coincidentally, Chi Xiaoming had also emerged from this direction, but he hadn't traveled far at all during the entire process.
She finally understood that Gu Ze had done this intentionally. There was indeed someone lurking in the shadows, and Gu Ze had noticed. By pretending to be extremely vigilant, he made that person or those people nervous. Then, once Chi Xiaoming appeared, the hidden individuals would relax their guard. Gu Ze acted as if he were eager to meet Chi Xiaoming when in reality he intended to shorten the distance to those hidden figures and ensure he could subdue them smoothly.
Xu Nuan found herself unsure whether to admire Gu Ze's cleverness or the unspoken understanding between him and Chi Xiaoming. Although they had not worked together for long, it felt as if they had known each other intimately for ages.
These thoughts took her only a few seconds. As soon as Gu Ze disappeared from her sight at a rapid pace, she followed him, unable to let him venture into danger alone.
"Don't panic; he won't do anything without confidence."
In contrast, Chi Xiaoming appeared much more relaxed, even taking the time to pick up the backpack that Gu Ze had thrown onto the snow as he hurried to catch up with Xu Nuan. By then, Gu Ze had vanished, and the sounds of fighting echoed from within the forest, where his original appearance was no longer discernible.
Worrying about someone you care for is unreasonable. Even knowing how capable Gu Ze was, Xu Nuan couldn't allow him to face the battle alone.
She wanted to stand by his side, to fight alongside him, to share the burden. Surely Gu Ze had felt this way too?
However, by the time Xu Nuan caught up, Gu Ze's fight with the person lurking in the shadows was already nearing its end.
Unable to keep up with Gu Ze's pace, Xu Nuan could only watch as he dominated the confrontation.
The man hidden in the shadows wore a grayish-white Tactical Jacket. His skin was uneven in color—black, white, and gray were all present, with some patches peeling off, giving him a somewhat repulsive appearance. Yet this man had a strong physique and agile movements; however, he was no match for Gu Ze.
The man bent down as if planning to sneak behind Gu Ze and escape. Instead, he tripped over Gu Ze's long leg and stumbled. Seizing the opportunity, Gu Ze grabbed the man's collar and yanked him back while using his other hand to pull harshly on the man's hair. The man had no choice but to be dragged along by Gu Ze but did not give up; he still brandished a short knife at Gu Ze. Anticipating the man's move, Gu Ze struck his arm with a swift chop, causing the knife to fall from his grasp.
From Xu Nuan's vantage point, she could clearly see Gu Ze casually kick the knife away before expressionlessly slamming the man down onto the ground. When the man struggled to rise and attempted to resist again, Gu Ze swiftly covered his face with one hand and slammed it back down.
Xu Nuan instinctively closed her eyes but then felt that there was something uniquely captivating about Gu Ze as he fought without expression. She recalled seeing Fan Beibei go wild when Xu Hang was injured. She had also heard He Min mention what Gu Ze did when he was emotionally unstable.
What was this impulse to cry? Why did she find this man who was beating someone so handsome?
The man being beaten let out muffled grunts but did not plead for mercy. Yet it was clear that Gu Ze would not hesitate to strike him unless he confirmed that this man posed a danger.
Xu Nuan opened her eyes again. Before she could closely examine Gu Ze's situation, she caught a faint medicinal scent in the air. It wasn't a smell associated with any supplies from the Supply Station but felt oddly familiar. Xu Nuan's eyes widened in realization; she had smelled this scent before in Friendship Forest—it belonged to the person who had been watching her from the shadows. However, she remembered that night when that figure had been very thin and showed no intention of harming her.
Xu Nuan glanced at Chi Xiaoming, who remained silent and appeared very puzzled.
Medicinal scent? A substance not found in the Supply Station? One person harmless while another lurked in ambush?
Just as Xu Nuan was feeling puzzled, a new scent of medicine wafted through the air. It wasn't very strong, but Xu Nuan, who was paying attention to this detail, still noticed it.
The scent of medicine!
Xu Nuan suddenly realized something, her expression cracking as she quickly turned to Gu Ze and shouted, "Don't get close to him!"
Xu Nuan's warning came too late. By the time she looked over, the man lying on the ground had already thrown a handful of unknown powder towards Gu Ze. The white powder traced a faint line in the air. Gu Ze had dodged quickly, but some of the powder inevitably landed on his clothes.
Centered around that powder, it began to spread outward, and Gu Ze's outer clothing was visibly corroding at an alarming rate. Xu Nuan rushed over, not noticing that the man on the ground was starting to crawl back up, preparing to attack her.
Chi Xiaoming, watching from the side, threw a knife that pinned the man's hand to the ground. Meanwhile, Gu Ze, fuming with anger, stripped off his clothes while raising his foot to stomp on the man.
"Ah!"
A high-pitched scream echoed across the snowy landscape.
"Ze, where else did it touch you?"
Xu Nuan anxiously scanned Gu Ze from top to bottom and noticed that his jacket also showed signs of corrosion, though not as severe as that of his outer coat. After checking Gu Ze's cheeks and neck and finding no serious harm, Xu Nuan sighed in relief. Just as she was about to speak again, she saw Gu Ze pulling his left hand behind his back.
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