The Unyielding Forest

My initial thoughts had been mistaken. Observing the unchanging scenery around her, Xiang Qi silently calculated the passage of time, arriving at a disheartening conclusion.

She had walked for nearly another half hour, yet still made no progress. The rules had subtly hinted at a time limit, and this weighed heavily on her, causing a growing sense of urgency.

‘Too much time has been wasted… This is not a good sign.’

All in all, she had already spent over two hours in this forest. While her perception of time might not be exact, it was close to that figure.

“This approach likely won’t work,” Uncle Li murmured, offering a suggestion. “What if we abandon this path and try cutting through the side instead?”

By then, the rain had intensified considerably. Xiang Qi’s white dress was completely drenched, clinging to her form and becoming almost transparent. The colors of her inner clothing were faintly visible beneath.

Fortunately, before entering the game, Xiang Qi had layered a beige top underneath and donned blue denim shorts. Although her clothes were somewhat revealing, she wasn’t completely exposed; she simply appeared more alluring.

Or perhaps, with a figure that was hardly different from a flat board, there wasn’t much to reveal anyway.

She swept her long, rain-soaked hair, which had grown heavy, back over her shoulders. She pondered the possibility of cutting it short, as its current weight was a considerable burden on her neck.

“I don’t think that will work… The system wouldn’t offer such an obvious solution. However, we’re out of options now… so let’s give it a try.”

This was a reluctant and desperate measure.

The rules should have embedded clues nearby, but Xiang Qi couldn’t pinpoint their location for the life of her. The only remaining potential clues were the wind and rain; the forest and moonlight could also be considered.

Despite this, the crucial insight remained elusive. She subconsciously resorted to the method from the previous round, but the differences between the trees were impossible for Xiang Qi to distinguish with the naked eye—or rather, even if she could, it held no practical value. The situation seemed to have reached an impasse.

The trio changed direction, leaving the path to explore sideways. Yet, after only a few steps, they discovered that the familiar path had reappeared before them.

“It’s the same one as before.”

Uncle Li shook his head, having found the mark he left on a nearby tree before they deviated. This method, too, had failed.

“As expected…”

Even though she had anticipated this outcome, Xiang Qi couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. Walking for so long had taken a significant toll on her stamina; her legs ached, hindering her mobility.

“I can climb trees. Why don’t I climb up and survey the situation? Perhaps I can find a turning point.”

Du Nan, who had largely been silent, finally spoke. Knowing he couldn’t keep up with their thought processes, he still wanted to contribute to the team, or at least avoid becoming a burden.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” Du Nan replied with confidence. The young man was quite certain of his abilities in this regard.

“Alright, go ahead then.”

Xiang Qi nodded, watching as the young man embraced a sturdy tree by the roadside. In a swift motion, he scaled it, quickly disappearing among the leaves.

‘Good mobility… This could be troublesome. I’ll need to find a way to restrict him later.’

Both individuals present had temporarily overlooked the conflict between their factions, but Xiang Qi had not forgotten. Her mission wasn’t to solve puzzles or wander aimlessly; from the very beginning, it was simply to eliminate everyone.

Indeed, even the unseen teammate was included in her elimination list. If found, that would be acceptable; if not, it wouldn’t hinder her. She only needed to eliminate everyone together, saving the effort of painstakingly distinguishing who her teammate truly was.

It was time-consuming, thankless, and not a worthwhile endeavor.

“Well, did you find anything?” Du Nan had already descended by this point. Uncle Li seized the opportunity to inquire, eager for any new information.

“I saw it!” The young man seemed excited. “We’re on the edge of the forest, not far from the exit. If we just keep going, we’ll be out very soon!”

“We won’t get out.”

Xiang Qi poured a basin of cold water on his enthusiasm, already having a theory about their current predicament.

“They clearly want us to solve a hidden enigma. Believe me, we’ve likely been in this exact spot since shortly after we entered the forest.”

This was merely a difference in reference frames. The internal reference frame of the forest was very likely not the same as the external one. Thinking about it with common sense was clearly unrealistic.

She continued to ponder the puzzle, feeling her mind grow increasingly complex and unable to sort through the clues.

“Why are you so fixated on solving a puzzle?” Xiang Qi felt a heavy pat on her shoulder, a flicker of unnatural expression crossing her face. Looking up, she saw Uncle Li standing beside her.

“Perhaps the system is designed this way. We have to try it to know the outcome.”

‘That’s right, why do I insist on believing this is a puzzle?’ The girl paused, then realized her own question, feeling a strange sense of bewilderment.

“You’re right, I was overthinking it,” the girl apologized sincerely. “Then let’s try that first. If it doesn’t work, we’ll think of other solutions.”

This state felt abnormal, as if she were being influenced by something. While her intuition told her this line of thought was correct, Xiang Qi inexplicably felt a hint of resistance, involuntarily returning to ponder what kind of mystery this truly was.

Wind, water, forest, moon.

The wind and moon should be largely unrelated; they had been present before entering the forest, both in the clearing and the hut. Therefore, the clues must lie with water and the forest.

Did ‘forest’ also represent ‘wood’? ‘The wind slips into the night, moistening all things silently’? Or ‘The small rain on the celestial street is like cream, the grass looks green from afar but is gone up close’? Or ‘a bustling scene’? ‘Do not enter the forest’?

Her thoughts drifted uncontrollably. Xiang Qi began to consider things related to these elements, from tangible objects to abstract concepts, and even poetry. Her understanding grew increasingly abstract, veering into strange, inexplicable directions.

‘This is truly troublesome, what in the world does it mean!’ Tugging at her hair in frustration, Xiang Qi’s pace slowed more and more, leaving her trailing behind the other two.

“Is she alright?”

Seeing the girl’s state, Du Nan turned to Uncle Li, his voice tinged with worry.

“I don’t know. Should we stop and find shelter from the rain?” Uncle Li also seemed helpless; his nature prevented him from dismissing Xiang Qi’s condition.

‘This girl really isn’t listening to me.’

“Shelter from the rain?”

Xiang Qi abruptly lifted her head. Rainwater streamed down her fair cheeks, yet she remained oblivious, her pale purple-black eyes exceptionally bright and clear.

“I understand… So that’s it!”