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墨書 Inktalez
Just like in the dramas on television, someone had done something wrong and was now plagued by guilt, starting to imagine that someone would seek revenge, leading them into a state of panic.
At this moment, He Min's behavior resembled that of a character in a show. Xu Nuan would not deliberately overlook this matter just because He Min was her friend. In this regard, she had to be somewhat ruthless.
In an instant, many faces flashed through her mind. The next moment, Xu Nuan stepped forward and grasped He Min's wrist, trying to make her release her grip.
In principle, no one could strangle themselves; however, seeing the growing terror on He Min's face and the obvious marks on her neck, Xu Nuan was determined to calm He Min down before asking for details.
"Amin, wake up. No one is trying to kill you."
Xu Nuan tried to keep her voice gentle in an attempt to soothe He Min, who was lost in her own world. But He Min remained oblivious, her wide eyes staring blankly at a fixed point.
"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"
He Min repeated these words over and over, her hands tightening around her own throat. Xu Nuan had to exert some force to prevent He Min's hands from reaching her neck while her gaze unconsciously followed where He Min was looking.
What He Min saw was a dilapidated house with a spacious backyard that was empty of people.
Xu Nuan realized that He Min was seeing something she could not perceive. After all, this game contained mechanisms that could induce hallucinations; the countless drugs, suggestions, and high technology were beyond what ordinary people like them could handle.
Seeing something or someone that terrified even He Min only further proved what she had done.
"Amin, wake up. I am Xu Nuan."
With that thought, Xu Nuan moved into He Min's line of sight and forcefully pulled at He Min's hand, only to have it caught again as it moved toward her neck. She placed one hand firmly on He Min's shoulder. He Min trembled violently, and her legs began to convulse from sitting for too long and shaking uncontrollably.
What exactly did He Min see that frightened her so much?
Xu Nuan's attempt to block her line of sight was ineffective, further confirming that what He Min had witnessed, or the shock she had previously experienced, was extraordinary.
Her expression was complex, and she pulled harder at He Min's hand. However, the more terrified a person is, the stronger they become, especially since He Min had always been more skilled than Xu Nuan.
In a moment of distraction, He Min suddenly released Xu Nuan's hand and reached for the short knife at Xu Nuan's waist, bringing it to her own throat. Alarmed, Xu Nuan quickly grasped the knife, but the sharp blade cut into her palm, blood seeping from her clenched hand and dripping onto He Min's hands and clothes.
Xu Nuan remained patient, trying to pull He Min out of her terror. Even after all the changes brought about by the Survival Game, she held onto the hope that her friend He Min might one day not part ways with her for personal gain or Yu Yu. The help she received from He Min and Yu Hao when they first entered the game stayed etched in her mind. To honor the promise she made to the deceased Yu Hao, she could not abandon He Min.
"Amin, it's me. Wake up."
Seemingly startled by the blood, He Min had a moment of dazed confusion. Seizing this opportunity, Xu Nuan pulled the knife away and tossed it aside before reaching out to touch He Min. She forgot that her own hand was still bleeding; the crimson blood made He Min widen her eyes again as she instinctively clutched at her own throat, murmuring repeatedly.
"She’s dead. Throat slit."
"The blood just gushed out—on her face, on her clothes—there’s blood all over me too."
Rather than murmuring, it sounded more like a low scream, akin to a cornered beast displaying an unprecedented madness.
Someone was killed by having their throat slit?
Xu Nuan felt confused. Among the many players who had died in this game, she recognized most of them and had even witnessed their deaths firsthand. In her understanding, no one had died from a throat slitting unless it was one of the first batch or Second Batch Players who had yet to appear. So, did He Min have contact with other players or get involved in some conflict that led to this?
As she stood there in a daze, He Min suddenly began to flail her arms wildly like a madwoman.
"Ah! Ah! Don't come any closer!"
He Min quickly stepped back, her hair becoming disheveled from the frantic movements. Coupled with her frenzied eyes and twisted expression, she resembled a vengeful spirit returned from hell.
"I don't want to kill you, I really don't!"
This time, Xu Nuan understood clearly—He Min had killed someone, and it was a throat-slitting murder.
In this game, killing could happen in many ways: accidental deaths, killings out of necessity due to missions, or being forced to kill to survive. However, regardless of the circumstances, no one would choose such a brutal method as slitting someone's throat unless there was deep-seated hatred involved. If there was such animosity, then it couldn't be called 'not wanting to kill.'
"Amin, who did you kill?"
Xu Nuan could no longer bear to watch. She stepped forward and gently pressed her knee against He Min, who was still trying to retreat. With both hands, she seized He Min's flailing arms and restrained them with her injured right hand while using her left hand to hold He Min's head firmly yet gently, forcing her to meet Xu Nuan's gaze with her dazed eyes.
"You are He Min; wake up!"
Xu Nuan shouted these words loudly.
She had also killed before, albeit for various reasons. Zhang Hui, Dong Keyong, and Ning Han all fell by her hand. She had once been haunted by nightmares; killing was just killing. Her hands had become stained with blood—a fact that would never change. She had transformed from a white-collar worker in the city into a murderer within the game. Her heart was shackled by various moral and legal constraints; with every step forward, her spirit felt heavier. Yet she did not go mad nor did she give up on herself. Whether it was for revenge against her parents or wanting to stand beside Gu Ze, there remained a glimmer of warmth ahead that allowed her to keep moving forward.
Bonds and sins climbed onto her back and seeped into her bones—unshakeable and inescapable. Even if she took a knife to carve them out, those things intertwined with flesh and blood would not leave. Her journey was so arduous, yet she yearned to continue. She firmly believed that He Min felt the same way; after all, didn't He Min love Yu Yu? If Yu Yu could help He Min regain her strength, then even if Yu Yu were using He Min to escape through the secret passage, Xu Nuan could endure it.
Emotions surged within Xu Nuan as she fought against the pain in her head. With a firm grip, she seized He Min's collar and pulled her close.
"In this game, not killing means being killed. Everyone who reaches this stage is responsible for the lives of others."
For instance, in the Suffocating Sea stage, there were three groups of Players, but only two could successfully pass through. Those who made it had to bear the weight of the lives lost from the third group. The same was true in other Survival Games; sacrifices were a constant presence in every round. They were competing against the sacrifices, and when counted carefully, each person had blood on their hands, having caused several deaths. Killing was merely a choice to personally resolve the fate of the sacrificed.
She was prepared to become a sinner and had long proven her resolve through her actions. It was precisely for this reason that she could not tolerate He Min falling into despair. Players were monitored at all times; the more He Min showed concern for that lost life, the more crises she would face in subsequent Survival Games. This was a trap set by the System to hinder He Min; while it seemed like rules were established, they were ultimately dictated by the whims of the true manipulators. So even if Qin Yaojie had sacrificed her youth and life for this game, Xu Nuan did not see it as noble.
He Min's frantic expression slowly faded away, whether from detachment from what she had witnessed or from shock.
Xu Nuan continued to hold onto He Min's collar, her emotions boiling over as she shouted.
"Don't you love Yu Yu? You have to keep living for that man!"
"I promised I would help you and him escape this game, and I will do it!"
"Don't you want the prize money? Only by surviving can you claim it and have a life to enjoy those rewards!"
Rather than calming He Min, Xu Nuan was trying to reassure herself. She had once lost her motivation to continue in the game; if not for her yearning for Gu Ze's warmth, she would have collapsed long ago. There had been countless moments when she nearly fell, and there would be more in the future. But she firmly believed she would not falter; as long as Gu Ze was alive, she wanted to live too. She longed to see Gu Ze safely leave this game. With such faith, she could not be defeated.
In her eyes, He Min was no different. Yu Yu and the prize money were He Min's motivations; with that drive, He Min could certainly survive. The people she loved and admired could live on—that was her desire.
"Yu Yu?"
He Min finally spoke again, but Xu Nuan, overwhelmed by intense emotions, did not notice the mocking glint that flashed in He Min's eyes.
"I love Yu Yu, so I killed her."
The madness that had once been on He Min's face had nearly vanished, yet she still appeared lost and dazed.
"I killed her; is that acceptable?"
Upon hearing the key words, Xu Nuan released He Min's hand. But when she noticed the still-healing wound on He Min's right hand, she suddenly grabbed it again, disbelief etched on her face as she looked at He Min.
"You killed Fan Beibei?"
He Min's face turned ashen in that moment as she answered Xu Nuan.
In an instant, all the information about Fan Beibei flooded into Xu Nuan's mind.
Fan Beibei had disappeared during the Friendship Forest stage. At that time, she had finally managed to break free from Yang Mingyue's influence and returned to normal, creating a delicate atmosphere among Yu Yu, He Min, and herself. The rule of Friendship Forest was "The Minority Obeys the Majority." They needed to choose someone to leave the group, and while everyone hesitated, Fan Beibei vanished. This made the choice much simpler.
At that moment, Xu Nuan had just begun to wake up to the situation, unaware of the finer details. She only felt that Yu Yu's reaction was too calm and that He Min's expression seemed somewhat unnatural.
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