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墨書 Inktalez
"Sorry, I never intended for you to completely disappear."
Xu Nuan closed her eyes and flicked the tip of the short knife upward from Wang Yiyun's leg. As dark red blood and flesh splattered out, a chip emerged. The chip, designed with special care, was clean, untouched by any bits of flesh.
Only then did she open her eyes and reach out to catch the chip. A foul smell of rotting flesh wafted toward her, and all that remained in front of her was a pool of blood and meat piled inside the Tactical Jacket.
Within that blood flowed a blue liquid, the so-called substance that could prevent decay in corpses, which also worked in conjunction with the chip. Once the chip was removed, the liquid became a lifeless entity, unable to serve any purpose.
Xu Nuan felt a churn in her stomach but did not immediately leave this dangerous place.
She had not expected to encounter Wang Yiyun again so soon after entering Greedy Forest. However, this time, Wang Yiyun was no longer the Zombie she had previously waited for on the Plateau. It was filled with aggression and malice, having received orders to kill Xu Nuan by any means necessary.
Alone in this somewhat desolate forest, Xu Nuan clashed with Wang Yiyun. The actions of the Zombie version of Wang Yiyun were much faster than when it was alive, and its attacks were brutal. Xu Nuan found herself struggling to cope; her leg injury had not healed, preventing her from jumping or retaliating sharply. She had lost the agility necessary for survival and had to resort to strategy instead.
Under Gu Ze's influence, she had learned to seek new opportunities during combat, focusing more on tactics and skill rather than sheer force. This knowledge proved helpful at that moment.
"So, what is all this really about?"
Xu Nuan did not rush to leave; part of her mourned for Wang Yiyun, while another part felt lost about the future. The remaining portion was filled with hatred for the still-absent Another Founder.
Who exactly was that person? She had already gathered all the information about the Players; why was she still unable to uncover their identity? Was the power of the unknown realm truly this terrifying?
Xu Nuan tightened her grip on the chip. As pain shot through her palm, flames flickered in her eyes.
She would not give up!
Suddenly standing up, Xu Nuan quickly used the short knife to slice open the core of the chip. Unsatisfied with just that, she gathered some firewood and ignited the pile of clothes and flesh before finally tossing in the chip as well.
She faintly heard the ticking sound and realized that Wang Yiyun was completely gone, not even a trace of powder would remain in this world, and even the number of people who remembered him was few.
A strong wind swept through, lifting the ashes, which finally drifted calmly towards the blue sky.
Above her head were the Azure White Clouds, and beneath the white clouds lay lush green mountains. The layers of trees gradually changed colors, creating a beautiful painting. Yet, the person living within this painting was utterly exhausted.
Xu Nuan did not look back; she quickly navigated through the forest, hearing the wind rushing past her ears and the protests from her left leg. She could hear the call of life beckoning her.
"Why won't you just disappear, woman?"
Upon hearing that familiar voice, Xu Nuan abruptly stopped. She quickly turned her head, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes, making her profile appear somewhat stern, contrasting with her sweet appearance.
At that moment, sunlight poured over her, casting a faint glow around her, yet it made her face seem even more fierce, like a sword about to be unsheathed. This was how Xu Nuan looked when she unleashed her full power; she had once been innocent and had experienced youthful emotions. She had been strong and independent, cold towards others, and all those facets of her converged into the most formidable version of herself at this moment—a fierce exterior concealing a soft heart.
She was fighting, and Gu Ze was fighting too. On two intersecting battlefields, neither could fall without the other's permission.
Like an arrow released from its bow, Xu Nuan charged forward, following that voice. She pushed aside the branches in front of her, and her vision suddenly opened up. The trees in Greedy Forest were far fewer than those in the jungles she had been in before; they were somewhat sparse. Only the bushes were taller than average, easily obstructing her view. Once she passed through the bushes and with the sunlight aiding her sight, Player's visibility was astonishingly broad.
In Xu Nuan's line of sight appeared Deng Yinyin and the already deceased Rao Tingxue.
Now a Zombie, Rao Tingxue retained some of her former beauty but paired with a skin tone that was disturbingly unsettling; this beauty only made her more terrifying.
Compared to Wang Yiyun, Rao Tingxue seemed not to have received the order to kill Deng Yinyin yet; she merely attacked Deng Yinyin, who still bore human traits, without using excessive force. After all, Rao Tingxue had been quite skilled in life and could hold her own against Xu Nuan for a considerable time after System training.
Deng Yinyin stood with her back to Xu Nuan; being somewhat oblivious to danger made her slow to notice the changes around her and unaware of Xu Nuan's approach. Meanwhile, Rao Tingxue faced Xu Nuan; upon seeing her, a red glimmer flickered in her vacant eyes, giving them an enchanting quality. Dressed in a red Tactical Jacket, she resembled a ghost rising from hell.
Rao Tingxue's movements suddenly became faster, and her attacks grew much stronger. Deng Yinyin, who had previously been able to hold her own, now found herself struggling. Just as she lost her balance from a misstep, Rao Tingxue lunged at her.
A chill ran through her heart. It always seemed to happen this way; whenever she was alone, danger would inevitably find her, and it was always a danger she couldn't handle. She had become someone who would fail without the help of others, and that feeling was unbearable. Yet, the discomfort did nothing to enhance her abilities or help her escape her predicament.
Just when Deng Yinyin thought she was surely doomed, Rao Tingxue flew past her, aiming for someone behind her.
"What’s going on?"
Deng Yinyin couldn't react in time; her confusion outweighed any relief she felt. This was simply her nature—always missing the point.
Xu Nuan had been prepared. The moment she saw Rao Tingxue, she noticed the change in Rao Tingxue's attack speed. Drawing from her experience in the game, she quickly deduced that she was the key to triggering Rao Tingxue's explosive behavior.
This was truly ironic. Xu Nuan couldn't help but laugh at herself; she had never imagined that her gratitude towards Rao Tingxue for protecting Qin Yaojie—even risking herself in a dangerous game to ensure that Qin Yaojie’s body wasn’t devoured by beasts—would lead to such a formidable opponent now.
An opponent who was tough to deal with didn’t require any more politeness.
The cold light in Xu Nuan's eyes did not fade. Ignoring Deng Yinyin's shouts as she realized Xu Nuan's presence, Xu Nuan swiftly sidestepped to avoid Rao Tingxue's charge.
She understood now; her compassion for those Zombies only served to encourage the puppet master to exploit them further. For these Zombies, complete disappearance would be the best form of release. She would make them vanish rather than allow their bodies to be desecrated repeatedly by others.
Xu Nuan was no saint; she simply used this rationale to clear a path for herself and Gu Ze. When all the Zombies received their orders, she certainly wouldn’t hold back any longer.
As she dodged to the side of Rao Tingxue, Xu Nuan suddenly turned around, grabbing Rao Tingxue by the shoulder. The sensation made her feel nauseous; the coldness seeped into her palm and reached deep into her heart, sending chills down her spine.
The chill didn’t slow her down. She executed a shoulder throw, slamming Rao Tingxue hard against the ground. Using her usual technique, she pressed her knee against Rao Tingxue's abdomen while drawing a knife that sliced directly toward Rao Tingxue's throat.
The unhesitating ferocity of Xu Nuan sent a chill down Deng Yinyin's spine as she prepared to step forward to help. She had seen Xu Nuan act decisively before, but never with such ruthless determination. It dawned on her that Xu Nuan must have made a significant decision, one that granted her a rare clarity, allowing her to act so decisively.
Deng Yinyin hesitated to approach, fearing she might disturb Xu Nuan. She understood that as long as she did not oppose Xu Nuan, she would not incur her wrath. However, if she were to harm Xu Nuan or someone dear to her, her fate would be no better than that of Rao Tingxue, whose skull had been crushed beyond recognition.
These creatures, now reanimated as Zombies, were controlled by drugs and chips. No matter how potent those substances and technologies were, they could not change the fact that these beings were dead. Thus, the bodies of the Zombies were inherently fragile. Moreover, the time intervals at which each corpse was retrieved for use varied, resulting in differing degrees of enhancement among the Zombies.
Of course, there was a fundamental distinction: those humans who had initially been treated as experimental subjects had ingested drugs and had chips implanted while still alive. Therefore, when they became Zombies, they were highly controlled and possessed significant lethality. In contrast, the corpses of individuals like Wang Yiyun and Rao Tingxue were different, leading Xu Nuan to realize that Another Founder had been cornered.
It was time for a shift in the dynamics of this game.
A cold glint intensified in Xu Nuan's eyes. With a swift motion, she slashed open Rao Tingxue's throat, causing thick blood to ooze out—a dark red and blue mixture that emitted a foul odor.
Deng Yinyin recoiled, covering her nose and stepping back far away, her face contorted in disgust. She had expected an effortless victory but was taken aback when the throat-slashed Zombie retaliated with even greater ferocity, knocking Xu Nuan down.
Xu Nuan had to tend to her injured leg; as she rolled over and steadied herself, she hesitated for just a moment. In that instant of bending her knee, Rao Tingxue staggered back to her feet and charged again.
The scene was bizarre; at this moment, a significant portion of Rao Tingxue's skull was caved in—her head was far from intact. Coupled with Xu Nuan's earlier throat slash, Rao Tingxue's head wobbled precariously atop her neck as she moved.
Deng Yinyin couldn't help but gag; despite being accustomed to corpses, she wasn't mentally strong enough to remain unfazed by this sight.
Xu Nuan's expression soured as well. What troubled her more was the realization that without locating the chip within the Zombie's body, there would be no way to eliminate these creatures.
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