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墨書 Inktalez
The trees grew from sparse to dense, the sunlight filtering through them shifting from scarce to abundant. Despite it being noon, the sunlight that fell through the thick canopy was limited, casting a dim light over the forest. In the distance, the swaying branches created ambiguous shadows on the ground. The lack of direct sunlight seemed to nurture something within those shadows.
The forest was eerily quiet, with only the sound of a gentle breeze rustling through the trees and the crunch of leaves underfoot breaking the silence. This stillness often bred a deeper fear than noise; it was like claws coated in a special material, creeping close to the heart, capable of delivering a dangerous blow yet remaining undetected until it was almost too late.
Everyone seemed to be affected by this silence, falling into an uneasy hush. Deng Yinyin, who had been the most carefree about asking questions regarding the secret passage, suddenly became subdued after Xu Hang's warning, choosing to keep her head down rather than cause trouble for the group.
Xu Nuan and Gu Ze walked confidently at the front, generously answering questions posed by others, appearing less cautious than Deng Yinyin. She rolled her eyes inwardly, feeling that Xu Hang was targeting her when it was those two who needed caution.
The two who needed warning were too relaxed, raising suspicion among those who understood their intentions. It was clear they wanted to provoke Well-Meaning Person, and now it was a matter of who would fall for it.
Humans, jungles, and hidden beasts—this had been a recurring scene in Game Base for quite some time. Humans had evolved from primitive societies into civilized ones but found themselves unwittingly adopting some primal instincts upon returning to the jungle. These instincts seeped silently into their very beings; they were often unnoticeable in daily life but would emerge in critical moments. No one could tell whether those expressions were good or bad.
The sun poured down its light and heat relentlessly; while the dense leaves blocked much of the light, they could not prevent warmth from penetrating through and settling in the jungle. Although there was a slight breeze, it did little to alleviate the heat. Soon enough, everyone was sweating profusely.
The heat began to stir irritation among some of them; they were enduring it, but this silence only amplified their discomfort.
As feet kicked through leaves and hands pushed aside overgrown branches, just as Deng Yinyin was about to lose her composure, everyone heard a sound slicing through the air.
“Heart!”
“Heart!”
Several voices called out simultaneously, followed by each person grabbing their chosen companion and rolling aside.
When Xu Nuan was pulled by Gu Ze, her body lurched forward due to inertia. As she stumbled unsteadily, she heard another sound cutting through the air. The atmosphere suddenly thickened with tension as sharp blades grazed their bodies before embedding themselves into tree trunks. Xu Nuan struggled to steady her racing heart.
The first attack came from a row of sharply trimmed bamboo stakes. They had seen such things many times on television; later, thanks to Chi Xiaoming’s introduction, they learned that these sharpened bamboo stakes could sometimes be sharper than knives—dangerous and deceptive.
As they moved forward, they found no signs of destruction on the ground, nor any traces of repeated activity. The bamboo rafts appeared as if they had naturally grown there, and when they triggered a certain point, they all launched their attacks simultaneously.
"Over here!"
After rolling on the ground for a bit, Xu Nuan and Gu Ze released each other's hands. As Xu Nuan observed the situation around her, Gu Ze reached out a few steps away, intending to help her up.
Just as Xu Nuan was about to extend her hand, she heard a familiar scream that made her heart race again.
"Amin? I'm going over there."
Xu Nuan quickly got up, disregarding the dirt on her clothes and hands, and turned to leave. Before she did, she made sure that Gu Ze was in a safe position. Only then did she feel reassured enough to turn away. Gu Ze sighed helplessly, first tossing a short knife to help Fang Zheng and Qi Huan fend off several incoming Bamboo Arrows before chasing after Xu Nuan.
The two thanked him, but their words were lost in the wind. Gu Ze was focused solely on Xu Nuan ahead of him. However, as he took a step forward, something emerged from the ground that changed his expression.
Clearly, these seemingly crude yet deadly traps were not part of the Game Base's design. Someone with time and ingenuity had crafted such mechanisms. Although their target range was limited, it was enough to make Gu Ze wary.
"Nuan, be careful!"
As Gu Ze flipped backward and jumped several meters to avoid the emerging traps from the ground, he didn't forget to warn Xu Nuan, who had just stepped out a few meters ahead.
At that moment, he noticed Chi Xiaoming making a move. While everyone else was in chaos, Chi Xiaoming remained calm. He stood in the safest spot—not by coincidence but due to his keen awareness of traps. In this regard, Gu Ze could never match Chi Xiaoming.
Through their time together, many people, including Gu Ze, had become familiar with Chi Xiaoming's personality and values. To put it bluntly, Chi Xiaoming was someone who would go to any lengths to achieve his goals; more charitably speaking, he was a capable person with certain principles. If there was a way to stay safe, he would avoid danger at all costs. This action of his left an impression on Gu Ze, especially since Chi Xiaoming's focus was on Xu Nuan.
At that moment, Gu Ze felt a mix of emotions as he shouted out and noticed Chi Xiaoming's actions. His feet hit the ground again just as his luck ran out; he triggered another chain reaction of traps and had to leap aside several times. Mid-air, he twisted his body and kicked off a nearby tree for leverage before jumping onto safer ground.
With this series of movements, he had dodged three waves of traps emerging from below—two bamboo rafts and three Bamboo Arrows—executing a perfect evasion that created a significant distance between him and Xu Nuan.
Gu Ze had already distanced himself from the mechanisms, and while most people would have been injured and would take the opportunity to hide far away, Gu Ze was no ordinary person. Not only did he evade the danger, but he also wanted to return.
However, as soon as he stepped forward, he sensed something was off.
This mechanism was not aimed at them; it was aimed at him.
A flicker of solemnity crossed Gu Ze's face, quickly replaced by a cold intensity. He slightly bent his body, his hand reaching for his waist where another short dagger rested, adopting a rare defensive posture.
Xu Nuan found herself torn between two concerns, inadvertently pushing herself into a dead end.
He Min's scream caught her attention. Ignoring everything else, she rushed forward. After running two meters, she triggered a low-level but effective mechanism, forcing her to frantically dodge to the side. Though she had decent skills, she was not superhuman and could not handle every situation.
After rolling clumsily on the ground a few times and getting grazed by a Bamboo Arrow on her arm, she finally noticed Gu Ze's precarious situation.
"Ze!"
Xu Nuan shouted, momentarily forgetting about He Min. She attempted to run towards Gu Ze but triggered another mechanism instead. She stumbled backward and crashed into a tree before having to flip over and fall into a bush. The branches left her with numerous small cuts. When she groggily stood up, she realized her own situation had become dire.
The pain brought clarity; having distanced herself from everyone allowed her to see things more clearly. She found herself in the center of several trees, surrounded by Trees and Bushes arranged in a somewhat orderly manner. The light hesitated among these plants before finally casting a large halo on the ground.
This cleverly utilized geography left her completely exposed to sunlight. She couldn't pinpoint the reason behind it, but she knew that stepping just outside the halo would trigger another mechanism. While she might evade one attack, it didn’t mean she could escape three or four.
It was a choice to make. As she tried to lift her gaze to check on Gu Ze's situation, she realized he was no longer within her line of sight.
"Ze?"
Panic set in for Xu Nuan; there was no time to worry about He Min's plight or Qi Huan's isolation or Xie Huai's difficulties. She searched desperately for Gu Ze's figure, her body instinctively moving toward the edge of the halo when suddenly a bamboo raft came crashing into her path. The force from the raft knocked her off balance, sending her uncontrollably tumbling backward.
Lying on her back, Xu Nuan found it impossible to stand on one leg while the other was raised. Her heart raced, and the wound began to throb painfully. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chi Xiaoming approaching with an urgent expression, though he ultimately stopped just outside the light.
Having fallen to the ground, Xu Nuan instinctively avoided putting pressure on her back, which had been injured multiple times before. Instead, she transferred most of her weight onto her hands, resulting in a significant impact that left her palms scraped and her arms bruised.
Ignoring the pain, she stumbled to her feet and attempted to dash toward the light's edge.
"He's fine; he's in your blind spot."
Chi Xiaoming's voice rang out just in time. He pointed toward a direction that seemed unremarkable. Following his gesture, Xu Nuan's gaze landed on a few trees surrounded by thick bushes. This subtle angle effectively blocked the line of sight between Gu Ze and herself.
If this design was meant to separate them intentionally, Xu Nuan couldn't fathom how much effort someone would expend to create such a low-probability arrangement.
Chi Xiaoming's expression remained stoic, but she could see flickers of emotion in his eyes. This heightened tension did not escape Xu Nuan's notice, and she quickly grasped Gu Ze's precarious situation.
Panic surged within her as she recalled Zhang Xiao, who had already reached this stage. Without a second thought, she bolted forward.
The mechanisms whirred ominously toward her. Xu Nuan steeled herself, dodging each attack with determination. Whether rolling on the ground, crashing into trees, or narrowly avoiding sharp arrows, she gritted her teeth and persevered.
She had always been one to overthink things, but in moments like this, there was little room for contemplation. She knew that because of her mistake, Gu Ze's plan had been compromised; in many ways, he faced greater peril than she did.
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