Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game

Oh, no

Translated by boilpoil

Edited by boilpoil

Why would the Nightmare owner die?

After considering briefly, Mu Jiashi has come up with a simple reasonStarvation.

The Nightmare owner might have starved to death.

If the building in the dream in a dream, is really what the Nightmare owner has set up as a failsafe to wake him up from the dream-ception, then there must be some condition that would make trigger the failsafe. For example, a dire situation in the Nightmares surface layer.

He would have to realise that he is dreaming. He has to leave the dream. He has to wake up

The surface layer is the Nightmare, and inside of that is his fantasy dream. It goes without saying that the owner wants to stay in his fantasy more, unless He has to wake up.

Because if he does not wake up from his artificial construct, then he might die.

Die of hunger.

After reaching the conclusion, Mu Jiashi sighs in relief. He believes he has managed to unravel the main structure of his Nightmare. Once again, he is recalling the Tower resident he met at a corner of the street in the Tower that one time, who was holding a pen and just smiling dumbly.

A Nightmare owner who, indulging in his fake, loving dream, ignores all that is happening outside, including the pain of his own body.

This sounds positively ridiculous.

Why would there be anyone who could fall victim to such folly?

Yet humans really are such fragile, complex creatures.

Even back in the Tower, Mu Jiashi knew about all the Missiontakers that would rather indulge, and feast themselves upon alcohol and raves. They refuse to participate in the Nightmares, to investigate the Tower, or to seek the truth.

If some temporary, delusional happiness can fill their empty chests, then why should they pursue the painful reality?

Happiness is a drug.

Mu Jiashi sighs. He can understand their motivations, but he does not approve at all. Sometimes, he might retort in his mind, that it is all fakeWhy would anyone see value in falsehood?

But it is a fact that humans are creatures driven by their own emotions.

So Mu Jiashi has stopped thinking about them.

In the end, as a cold, resolute, even merciless man, despite his new sluggish countenance, underneath, the fire, the ambition that once pushed him up through the floors, is still burning fresh.

Just like what he told X Beijin that time, his return to the Tower is merely a respite for him to readjust himself, before he dives right back onto the higher floors.

If that defeat he suffered did destroy him, then from the ashes will be reborn a brand new Mu Jiashi, who will sincerely wish that he would not falter twice.

Though, what else could he do even if he really were destroyed again?

In the Tower, it is easy to lose all hope and motivation.

After all the incoherent thought, Mu Jiashi is finally focusing back on the Nightmare, thinking about ways to identify the mysterious Nightmare owner.

That is when he hears a gasp from nearby, then he sees a body shudder.

Looking around, he finds Fei waking up, and then shortly after that, Wu Jian, Baldie and Biceps all wake up in turn. Finally, Collector also shivers, and wakes up.

Mu Jiashi blinks while thinking, huh, not as unreliable as their actions suggested they were.

Well, this is at least the bare minimum of Missiontakers who descended from higher floors.

So when the Missiontakers have calmed down, Mu Jiashi summarises the current situation with them, then asks for ideas.

So, were looking for the Nightmare owner here? Baldie seems to be in thought, are you sure that pointing out the futility in his actions is enough for a True End?

Mu Jiashi explains with a serious tone, or more accurately, I doubt he would wish that his end would be like that of his enemy in his own book. It will definitely lead to an Ending, an Ending out of this Nightmare, but I am unsure if it will be a True End either.

Though wouldnt a Normal End merely be stopping him from starving? Collector chimes in, with his usual fixed smile, Normal Ends typically dont require that much effort anyway.

Fei asks, so would we have to find the man he holds a grudge to as well?

Mu Jiashi nods at the question.

Fei is looking at Wu Jian with hesitation in her eyes, but she relents to say, I have a Search card still. Two uses left.

Almost instantly, the rest of the Missiontakers turn their eyes to her, with gazes that show shock and even admiration.

Utility cards that are capable of identifying and investigating are extremely rare, not to mention useful. All of those types of cards are.

A Search card can point to locations, clues, key items or NPCs that are not yet found in a scene. Quite the mouthwatering property there.

While a Scrutinise card would be able to reveal secrets of others, regardless of Missiontaker or Tower resident status; then there are even Foresight cards, that would give pointers hinting at the developments and changes that are due to occur in the Nightmare in further runs. It is obscenely powerful and decisive.

Those are the utility cards belonging to the series for identifying and investigating, which is one of the five series of utility cards. Each series contains three types of cards, and that gives a total of fifteen.

There is also the charisma series of cards that are extremely appearance (and luck) dependent; then there is the practical series of cards for fighting; the transformation series of cards that are the most unpredictable and mysterious; the identifying series that was detailed just now; and finally, the information series

Mmhm, the information series of cards that are the most awkward in use.

Though in fact, other than the Infocard, the two remaining cards in the series are actually rather intriguing. Both Definition and Knowledge cards have very useful applications, but unfortunately, in contrast to how common and almost unwanted the Infocards are, the other two cards here are phenomenally rare.

Therefore, when mentioning the information series, its practically unspoken convention that one is merely referring to Infocards. Though, Infocards

Are certainly phenomenally awkward to use.

Awkward as they are, there are still places where they could shine, but in general, all the situations where Infocards are required would be better resolved with other rarer utility cards.

Anyway, back to the Missiontakers looking at Fei with their jaws all on the floor.

Shes practically a charity at this point.

Though immediately Fei names her price, in exchange, I wish for you to tell me about any Nightmares you know, with apocalypse as the underlying theme.

Almost immediately, X Beijin is worrying that his stream would be cut off, but luckily, since it is merely mentioning Nightmares with no overt implications, so his stream remains safe.

The Missiontakers all agree to Feis request, but theyre not going to exchange their clues right here; each one of the Missiontakers have their own little scheme inside, for example, not wishing for other Missiontakers than Fei learning about what they know.

Theyve struck a deal that, while searching for the Nightmare owner and his enemy, they would each talk to Fei separately.

Then Fei tells them that they can also tell the clue to Wu Jian, which would speed things up.

They reach an agreement, and so Fei fires up her utility card.