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墨書 Inktalez
Humans easily become anxious when they leave solid ground. The feeling of unreality can lead to overthinking, especially when drifting over the vast ocean for a long time without sighting land; this anxiety intensifies.
Recalling their earlier heart-to-heart conversation, Xu Nuan had finally managed to relax her mood. Although she was still worried about what Gu Ze had mentioned, she wouldn’t let it throw her off balance. However, the game seemed to enjoy playing tricks on her. After spending most of the day observing their surroundings through binoculars, they still hadn’t spotted any land.
“Every aspect of this game is set up deliberately; there’s a reason we can’t see land. We must have overlooked something,” she said.
Xu Nuan quickly turned her mind over, her gaze darting around, but all she could see was the Blue Ocean, unchanged and endless.
Few responded to her suggestion. Gu Ze and Chi Xiaoming had been seriously observing their surroundings from the start, while Xu Hang was only half-heartedly trying to look for something. Ever since the Love Forest incident, his spirit had been low. Xu Nuan had asked Gu Ze about it, but he admitted he wasn’t sure either, only vaguely sensing it was related to An Liran.
The others seemed completely indifferent or perhaps were content to let the few take charge, as these were always the ones who played a major role in the team. With the mindset of ‘the capable do more,’ they shamelessly guarded against others while naturally accepting the results.
Seeing no response to her concerns dimmed Xu Nuan’s eyes momentarily, but she quickly feigned nonchalance and turned away. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Qi Huan and He Min. When her gaze met their expressions, she couldn’t help but sigh.
“There’s definitely something wrong.”
As Xu Nuan worked hard to figure out the mechanism of this level, she tried to lift her spirits. Just as she had prepared herself mentally, a hand suddenly ruffled her hair.
“We’ve been standing still; even the position of the sun hasn’t changed. The mechanism must have been triggered when we entered this level.”
“Standing still?”
Xu Nuan’s attention was fully captured. She looked up at Gu Ze with intense focus, struggling to grasp his words.
“This isn’t land; how could we be standing still?”
Her confusion faded with her unintentional remark. When she caught sight of the amusement in Gu Ze's eyes, realization dawned on her—this could be an unexpected breakthrough.
"Not everything we see is real!"
Xu Nuan raised her voice slightly, showing a hint of excitement. She had understood this principle long ago, but often forgot it during challenges. This habitual forgetfulness had a negative impact on her judgment. However, once she remembered, many problems became clear.
Her excitement was a rare occurrence, and Gu Ze and Chi Xiaoming looked at her with approving eyes. The others, who had been indifferent, finally expressed their concern and began to speculate.
"So we are actually on land, but what we see is an ocean?"
Fang Zheng, who usually minimized his presence and leaned towards Chi Xiaoming, spoke up. His voice was slightly hoarse, but he got straight to the point.
"What we see is an illusion!"
He Min concluded decisively. Her dark eyes shone brightly at that moment, and Xu Nuan's intuition told her that He Min wasn't happy just because she had discovered this mechanism; she couldn't quite explain why.
The group began to piece together the secret of this challenge in a flurry of voices. Before they had thought of this, everyone was confused as their boat drifted aimlessly on the ocean. But once they hit upon the idea, they felt the game was just repeating old tunes—lacking novelty and interest.
Regardless of how many were merely echoing others' thoughts, thanks to Gu Ze and the others' serious and meticulous observations, the secret of this challenge finally came to light. However, new questions soon followed.
"How do we leave this place?"
Xie Huai timely voiced his concern. He had been preoccupied with the thought that Deng Yinyin might no longer like Gu Ze and hadn't participated much in the discussion until now. Finally catching up with everyone's train of thought, he quickly asked.
"Close your eyes?"
Deng Yinyin chimed in, also brainstorming but recalling a previous method.
"Or looking at things through a layer of something?"
At that moment, Xu Nuan had nothing to say. The same trick wouldn't always work; after all, the game was created by people, and their way of thinking was not something ordinary minds could comprehend. Based on her understanding of those individuals' habits, she believed there might be even more malicious methods that they needed to discover.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, she saw Fang Zheng already testing Deng Yinyin's hypothesis. The result? Seeing that gloomy face grow even gloomier told her everything she needed to know.
In an instant, everyone began to propose their own ideas, even Qi Huan, who had been quiet due to his injuries, joined the discussion. They tried every conceivable method, but the outcome was fruitless.
Xu Nuan wasn't just complaining; she was thinking seriously. However, seriousness alone wouldn't guarantee good results. After pondering for a while and realizing she lacked the talent for this, she naturally turned her gaze toward Gu Ze. The fact that Gu Ze was more capable than her had become deeply ingrained in her mind, and she had no desire to chase after it anymore. As long as she looked back, she could see that person's smiling face; there was no need for further gratitude.
But upon this realization, Xu Nuan's expression froze. She trembled as she reached out her hand, only to let it fall weakly. Her lips quivered in shock and disbelief.
"Ze, you?!"
What did she just see? Gu Ze had actually pushed Xu Hang into the water.
"Wait a minute, this must be my illusion!"
Xu Nuan rubbed her eyes and shook her head vigorously. However, feeling a bit dizzy already, the shaking only made it worse and reinforced her belief that what she saw was merely an illusion.
How could Gu Ze possibly push Xu Hang into the ocean?
"What are you imagining? That isn't even the sea."
Gu Ze felt helpless and a bit guilty. He hadn't really discussed it with Xu Hang beforehand; he had simply pushed him in because he sensed from Xu Hang's expression that they were thinking along the same lines. So he had just gone ahead and done it.
Xu Nuan looked utterly incredulous, her expression reflecting disbelief as she observed the stunned faces of several people at the other end of the boat. He began to reflect on his own 'carelessness.'
This was something that would never happen in Xu Nuan's understanding; it was hard for her to accept, and she felt confused. But now that she had cleared her mind, everything made sense.
"Right, it's not the ocean at all. Why should we worry about whether it's an illusion or something else?"
Now that Xu Nuan had figured it out, she couldn't help but chuckle. In a vast ocean like this, a normal person's instinct would be to avoid falling overboard at all costs. The more one tried not to fall into the water, the harder it became to find land and locate the Supply Station. Only those who were unafraid of falling into the sea would be lucky enough to solve the puzzle.
"What is going on here?"
Xu Nuan sighed, not bothering to comfort the others who were still confused. Her demeanor eased Gu Ze's anxiety considerably. The two of them calmly awaited Xu Hang's return with good news, ignoring the others who were still in shock.
When Xu Hang returned with good news, equally astonished, he found Xu Nuan and Gu Ze looking rather pleased with themselves, while the others stared at him in surprise.
He realized he had been too careless lately. Xu Hang touched his face; there was no water on it at all. Now leaning over the bow of the boat, he felt as if he were floating on the surface of the water, surrounded by rippling waves that seemed ready to sweep him away. In reality, there wasn't a single trace of being wet on him, and what lay beneath the surface was a world entirely different from what one would expect underwater.
"Next time, give me a heads-up."
Xu Hang didn't adopt a sulky expression; instead, he spoke calmly. His words finally prompted a reaction from the others.
While the process had been surprising, the outcome was favorable. For most of them, what mattered most was always the result. Their earlier astonishment was merely an instinctive reaction, coupled with observing Gu Ze and Xu Hang's relationship.
Well-Meaning Person always seized every opportunity to turn advantages in their favor; those who acted without intention would never know they were being used and would foolishly believe they had gained an upper hand.
Once everyone entered the sea, they discovered it felt as solid as walking on land; breathing was effortless. After traveling a short distance underwater, they spotted a Red Special Tree and couldn't help but smile joyfully at each other.
"I... gurgle."
Deng Yinyin, in a moment of excitement, wanted to share her joy with everyone, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she swallowed a lot of seawater and ended up choking, her face turning pale.
The expressions of the others changed as well.
They had thought they understood the mechanism's principle, filled with information as they entered the sea and boldly moved forward. However, the mechanism was not going to let them off so easily. This was a breathable underwater world, but it could also be land. Yet once they spoke and tried to communicate with those around them, they truly found themselves submerged in the depths of the sea, at risk of drowning.
Deng Yinyin covered her mouth with one hand, her wide-open eyes revealing her panic. She desperately tried to convey her thoughts through her gaze, but the others simply could not comprehend the emotions reflected in her big eyes. Moreover, everyone was looking at each other through a layer of 'water,' making everything appear hazy.
Unable and unwilling to speak, she felt puzzled by the figure appearing in the distance beneath the sea. The distance was too far for her to see clearly; she only sensed that the person looked familiar, someone she had encountered a few times before and left a certain impression.
That person showed no intention of approaching, which relieved Deng Yinyin. She obediently kept her mouth covered and followed the others forward. The journey through the underwater Special Tree was relatively short; they arrived at the Supply Station after just a short walk and entered in single file.
It wasn't until everyone settled down in the Supply Station that they finally caught their breath.
"Did we just pass a level without even realizing it?"
Xie Huai exclaimed in surprise, then couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. It was a good thing; why did it sound like such a bad thing when he said it like that?
Fortunately, the others did not express their emotions like he did, and this matter quickly faded into the background.
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