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墨書 Inktalez
In Chi Xiaoming's eyes, Gu Ze was an unfathomable person.
Despite the altercation and scuffle between Gu Ze and Xu Hang in Friendship Forest, the situation concerning Xu Nuan had not yet reached an irretrievable point. This was largely due to a deal Gu Ze had struck with him before entering that phase.
As Gu Ze's ally, Gu Ze had only one primary requirement of him: as long as their agreement remained valid, he must not harm Xu Nuan and should protect her as much as possible. To ensure he willingly fulfilled this requirement, Gu Ze endlessly provided him with the information he desired and required his assistance in achieving his plans.
If Xu Nuan's health had not been an issue, she was inherently a formidable individual. Since Gu Ze's goal was for Xu Nuan to recover quickly, there was no problem in helping Gu Ze; once Xu Nuan got better, he would gain two powerful allies instead of being stuck with someone like Zhang Hui, who was foolishly honest, or Fan Beibei, who was too dim-witted to see others' strengths.
The astute Chi Xiaoming accepted this deal and thus became privy to many of Gu Ze's plans. Those plans varied in scale, but the vast majority were related to Xu Nuan. He felt it was somewhat regrettable that Gu Ze, a capable person who could achieve great things, was squandering his talents on a woman. Consequently, the ultimate victor might not necessarily be Gu Ze. However, because of this, he had to pay close attention to Xu Nuan—both to meet Gu Ze's demands and out of curiosity about what made this seemingly ordinary woman so captivating to warrant such efforts from Gu Ze.
Setting that aside, he was even more curious about Xu Hang's thoughts. Two individuals with similar temperaments could either become good friends or the most troublesome enemies. He believed that Xu Hang was aware of his interactions with Gu Ze and Xu Nuan and could sense the changes within their team. As the leader of this group, would Xu Hang make appropriate arrangements?
Chi Xiaoming looked at Xu Hang with an emotionless gaze. After spending nearly half a day alone together, he had come to a conclusion: someone who became restless due to their own thoughts and failed to accurately judge the true purpose of the System's tasks lacked the strength to save this gradually crumbling team.
Just as he reached this conclusion, the voice of the System echoed.
"The two of you have been in the tree for a full hour; a new mechanism will be triggered."
Chi Xiaoming raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze shifting from Xu Hang's serious face to the relaxed leopards below that had yet to leave. He understood why these leopards had neither climbed down nor departed.
"Please make your choice within five minutes; the tree you are on will collapse. If no choice is made after five minutes, both trees will fall."
The two leopards below showed no intention of leaving, as if programmed to remain there at this moment.
"The five-minute countdown begins now; please accept this test from Love Forest."
Chi Xiaoming's lips twitched slightly before quickly settling back into place. However, a cold light flickered in his eyes as he finally understood that the so-called Love Forest was merely a ploy to further divide each team, breaking their relationships apart. He and Xu Hang were not a couple; they would only make choices based on their own interests. True couples, on the other hand, had to choose between their own interests, even their lives, and the bond they shared. The System's tactic was particularly ruthless; after destroying the relationships among companions, it began to undermine those between couples. Thus, even if someone made it to the final stage, standing before the exit, they would have inevitably sacrificed many important people and become isolated.
This meant that his allies Gu Ze and Xu Nuan were in danger.
Images of Xu Nuan's determined almond-shaped eyes flashed through Chi Xiaoming's mind before he refocused on the choices before him.
Meanwhile, Xu Nuan and Gu Ze, who had briefly received Chi Xiaoming's concern, were playfully bickering as they walked forward.
It was around four in the afternoon; night would soon fall, marking the end of their first day in this stage of the game.
After parting ways with the others, they had already taken on several tasks—some difficult and some simple. Just as Chi Xiaoming had guessed, all task decisions were left to Gu Ze by Xu Nuan, which Gu Ze was more than happy to accept. As he partnered with Xu Nuan in this game, he no longer viewed it as a bloody affair; a touch of pink romance amidst the thrilling challenges was quite appealing. With more of this romantic atmosphere surrounding him, he found himself reluctant to return to his previous team. Everyone noticed the shift in dynamics within the group, but no one attempted to maintain prior relationships. Therefore, he preferred to protect his woman while temporarily setting aside everything else.
"Ze, why are you suddenly smiling like that?"
Xu Nuan looked up to see a smile spreading across Gu Ze's face. She hesitated over her words but caught sight of the determination and chill in his eyes, prompting her to retract her uncertainty.
"Never mind, just keep smiling."
Xu Nuan quickly turned her head again to observe their surroundings. They had just arrived at a clearing nestled among a cluster of trees. Towering ancient trees surrounded them while flowers and grasses huddled together at their feet—most of which were unnamed plants. Yet all these flora formed a natural enclosure reminiscent of an intentionally designed park landscape. However, this scenery felt more genuine and captivating. For players who had endured much torment, though, the beauty of this game world was merely a backdrop; the true focus lay on the endless array of bizarre and powerful traps.
As Xu Nuan walked and observed, she recalled the various traps they had encountered along their journey and an idea began to form.
"Perhaps once night falls, there will be fewer tasks. We could take this opportunity to venture further away and give ourselves ample time for any more challenging tasks we might face later."
She waited for Gu Ze's response, her gaze fixed on the brilliantly blooming flowers. After several seconds of silence, Xu Nuan found it strange that Gu Ze had not spoken. She turned her head to look at him, wondering if he had once again become lost in his own emotions, wearing that peculiar smile.
However, when Xu Nuan looked over, she froze, a look of terror spreading across her face.
Standing beside her was not Gu Ze, but someone indescribable.
His eyes seemed to have been forcibly gouged out, blood tears streaming from the corners. The eye sockets were empty, and one half of his face was rotting away, exposing decayed flesh that emitted a nauseating odor. Among the putrid meat, white worms appeared to be crawling.
Xu Nuan felt a wave of nausea and instinctively took two steps back, staring blankly at the figure before her.
The shape was similar to Gu Ze's, and the intact half of his face was familiar. But what was wrong with the other half? What about those hollowed-out eyes?
"...Ze?"
Xu Nuan hesitantly called out, only to see the figure resembling Gu Ze smile at her—a chilling grin. One half of his lips was decayed, twisting the smile into a particularly sinister curve. It was then that Xu Nuan noticed one of his ears had been bitten off halfway, blood dripping from the remaining part onto his tattered clothes.
As she took in his body, Xu Nuan gagged again and stepped back once more, but he followed closely behind her.
His body was also in shambles; a large gash opened in his stomach revealed intestines spilling out—some fresh and covered in blood, a strong metallic scent filling the air. Mixed in were portions that were rotten, creating a vivid yet repulsive sight.
Xu Nuan covered her mouth and widened her eyes at the sight before her.
This person could not possibly be Gu Ze!
Xu Nuan was absolutely certain of this; her Gu Ze had just been standing beside her, showing a smile that no one else could see. He could not possibly be the half-dead person in front of her.
However, Xu Nuan's eyes were filled with confusion. If this person was not Gu Ze, then where had Gu Ze gone? When had this person arrived here?
It had only been a few minutes since she had hurriedly turned around. How could Gu Ze have vanished so completely?
This was illogical. Xu Nuan felt as if her heart were being twisted, and she couldn't utter a single word.
This had to be her illusion. Grasping at the fleeting thought in her mind, she glanced around at the unfamiliar plants nearby, convinced that it must be the strange scent they emitted that was causing her hallucination.
Just as she solidified this idea and prepared to face the person before her, she saw him placing his hand into his abdomen, stirring something within. She couldn't help but retch again, and the urge to flee surged within her.
At the same time, upon hearing Xu Nuan's question, Gu Ze softly replied with a "good" and waited for her to continue. After a moment of silence, when Xu Nuan still did not speak, he turned to look at her and was taken aback.
The person before him was still the Xu Nuan he loved, but her appearance had changed significantly—or perhaps it was just the passage of time.
In that instant when he turned his head, he saw Xu Nuan gradually transforming from a beautiful young woman in her twenties. The beloved Xu Nuan began to show crow's feet around her eyes; slowly, frown lines appeared as well. Her skin started to sag, and the sparkle in her almond-shaped eyes faded away. After several more seconds, the Xu Nuan he loved had become an elderly woman with gray hair, hunched over and trembling. Her face was covered in age spots, her skin a dull yellow, teeth missing—she resembled a frail old woman nearing the end of her days.
He had fallen in love with Xu Nuan over twenty years ago, and in those few seconds, she had aged into an old woman. He witnessed what Xu Nuan would look like in the future.
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