Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game

X Beijin finds himself back in his bookstore when he opens his eyes.

He stands motionless for a moment, before telling the viewers goodbye.

This stream was really long. It was roughly four hours long from his estimate, but really, it isnt truly over yet for him the impact of this Nightmare on X Beijin is still ongoing.

Bubble tea

Uh, no, not that, the other thing.

The thing about how he could intervene more proactively in Nightmares.

The Server did not prohibit his leaking of information he acquired through other Actors and the stream itself. It seems NE has interpreted them as information he can know and can disseminate to others, the same way Actors can all tell each other about their own experiences.

There is still the fundamental divide between Actors and Missiontakers, though.

So X Beijin is thinking about doing more in-depth attempts and analyses in the next Nightmare.

Though while his thoughts churn enthusiastically ahead, his body involuntarily yawns from sleepiness.

He stands up and walks next to the window.

Not the big, street-side window, but the opposite side. In the Tower, the physical location of your door, your house, is irrelevant, because there is always a window opposite your door when inside that shows the scene outside the Tower.

A dense fog. The heavy, grey smog smothers the entire world, wherein lies the Tower.

There has never been a ray of sunlight; there has never been a drop of rain. This desolate, barren wasteland is and always has been so. It plants fear and anxiety into all who gaze upon it.

The curiosity the Missiontakers had towards this vastness of grey ended quite early on, when some of the nosier Missiontakers treaded into the grey fog, only to never return again. Those sacrifices occurred so long ago, it was almost right after humans realised they were trapped in the Tower.

Back then, perhaps X Beijin was doing the same thing; standing next to his bed in the bookstore, watching the dense fog outside of the Tower in silence, in gloom.

He allows his memories to further digress, not even noticing the passage of time. He is recalling things from many years ago, recalling he when he just arrived in the Tower It really was so long ago.

He is even allowing himself to remember what it was like on Earth, perhaps no doubt inspired by revisiting a shopping centre so reminiscent of home in the last Nightmare.

Then, he recalls Shen Ynj all of a sudden.

He regrets his thought exercise already, because he has no interest in facing those things at all.

Shen Ynj has said that he knew the commercial area back on Earth.

He was hiding something further still, X Beijin could see it, and he even has a vague idea on what it might be.

But There is no meaning to it. Whether Shen Ynj decided to talk about it or not, the situation remains unchanged. In fact, he cant have been the first person to ever realise something is off about all of this after all these years.

Yes, certainly, someone must have.

Then why do their lives remain unchanged?

Or not perhaps

X Beijin is looking at the swirling greyness outside of the air.

Recently, havent there been undercurrents no?

Though, so what? He cant X Beijin is about to activate his habitual, pessimistic inner cynic when he suddenly remembers that, this is not correct anymore. He is now able to use the information in the stream to intervene, to actively participate in Nightmares!

He is energised thinking about that again, when suddenly, knocking interrupts his thought processes.

Whos here for him?

X Beijin tilts his head in confusion; Lin Qin? It cant be?

Oh shit, that possibility is actually quite high.

He slowly trudges over to the door, and takes a deep breath before opening the door Then, his eyes widen in surprise.

Outside the door, presenting a friendly smile with some cans of drinks in his hand, is the self-anointed loser, useless trash Mu Jiashi.

He is here to visit X Beijin, as was his promise.

X Beijins surprise is genuine as he introduces Mu Jiashi inside, his brain wholly distracted with other questions.

Mu Jiashi He didnt go back to a higher floor? Did he choose not to head up, or did he, once again, fail on a higher floor?

It is an awkward question to ask; Mu Jiashi brings it up himself, though, telling him, I did not head to a higher floor.

X Beijin looks slightly uncomfortable with the awkward opener, asking, and the reason being?

Mu Jiashi seems surprised he followed up, but then shakes his head to explain, oh, sorry about that, its not because I had the promise with you, but he sighs before continuing, Im a loser, do you get it? If I cant come to terms and adjust my state of mind, there is no point in me going back to higher floors.

X Beijin stays quiet as he doesnt know what to say.

Mu Jiashi changes the topic then, saying, I was going to come right after that Nightmare ended, but I felt like bringing some drinks along he pushes the drinks he brought towards the front, offering, it took me a while to gather all these, so I couldnt come as soon as possible.

X Beijin asks, a while?

Mu Jiashi is hesitant to answer, you know the dalao, Lin Qin

Oh, great. Hes managed to artificially cause a market shortfall, hasnt he?

X Beijin maintains his poker face while feeling speechless inside.

What he does not know, though, is that it was actually Ding Yi, who, in preparation for that Nightmare from before, has procured all the stock on drinks she could and put them all into a single house to trade with Lin Qin it was a stock constituting more than half of the supplies on this bottom floor of the Tower.

While the most common brands of drinks on the bottom floor have also been seized by Lin Qin prior, it was still nothing compared to what Ding Yi could get her hands on.

Even the raves and orgies of the Missiontakers fallen to debauchery are filled with complaints these days.

Though because X Beijin doesnt know, he is speechless towards Lin Qin instead.

Mu Jiashi is actually observing X Beijins expression; he sees the man as calm as usual, and looking as deep as usual. Even the mention of the name Lin Qin did not seem to bring any disturbance to that mask, save for some minor reactions.

He is wondering why. Perhaps X Beijin isnt on such good terms with Lin Qin yet? Or is he just acting like he doesnt care?

Mu Jiashi cannot tell.

Just like a few years ago, if X Beijin did not suddenly lash out and throw that over-the-top Missiontaker out of his bookstore, then all the Missiontakers will probably still have thought of this bookstore owner as someone without a temper, ever.

The truth, though, is that angering him really is not a commendable course of action.