Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game

They peek outside of the elevator doorits quiet, save for some slight noise. It sounds like sobbing?

Suits and Teen share a look, slightly surprised.

They step out of the elevator, and first confirms that no other elevator is present on this floor. Mystic is following after them slowly, while murmuring, I can feel it. A fear, a tiny hope the power of tears

Stop the meaningless word soup, Mystic, Teen calls out to her, and says, lets go. We have to check the cargo elevators too.

They check the other elevator lobby, and no other elevator is stopped here either.

During this time, that whimper continued ceaselessly, drifting in and out of their ears. Only Mystic looks somewhat tensed up, though, and Suits and Teen both seem entirely unfazed.

Teen is even dismissing it, saying, tch, what an elaborate performance. Is this all that NE can pull on the bottom floor?

Suits glances at him, and doesnt respond.

He knows how Teens personality is. His companion has always been one to diss and mock. Never mind these Missiontakers of the bottom floor. Even ones on higher floors still have their days of being ripped a new one by him.

At first, everyone was like, ah, as expected of rebellious teenagers.

Although then they immediately recall how this appearance is only reflective of when they entered the Tower. Shouldnt he have matured with how many years it has since been?

So in conclusion, hes just simply temperamental, and also lacking in self-awareness.

Suits is used to it already after working with him these years, the occasional times where he is still pissed off at him notwithstanding; in fact, interacting with him so often has even turned his own temperament worse over time.

Since no one is responding to Teen, he shuts up.

They head for the emergency stairs.

31stfloor Suits remarks with his eyes on the painted number, and says, so theres no pattern to be found in the Nightmare

Teen says, considering it from the Nightmare owners perspective, this might be a tale where they are trying desperately to escape the building, but is trapped by the elevators, and ends up lost and confused, going from floor to floor?

Possibly, although we have nothing conclusive, Suits says, falling into thought to ask, so where might the owner be? In an elevator?

Teen nods, but then shakes his head, saying, possibly trapped in a certain floor as well, given the main scene in this Nightmareis the entire building itself.

If the other Missiontakers of the bottom floor are here to hear their analysis, they would likely be shocked at the sharpness of the wit on display.

Missiontakers on the higher floors tend to be able to analyse Nightmares from a much more macroscopic perspective. They consider things from the Nightmare owners perspective, which is also what they often consider starting from the very beginning a marked far cry from the bottom floor way of doing things.

Because very often, the latter are too preoccupied just responding to the dangers and changes in the Nightmare.

The three of them are unable to answer Suits question for now, but having done everything on their procedure for floor exploration in the building by now, the only remaining thing is

Teens grin is slightly cold. He says, lets go check out where that annoying crying is coming from.

X Beijin was watching the stream in peace.

After incessantly blabbering for a long time, Wei Lezhang finally left, and so X Beijin was going to check on the Missiontakers progress.

After the six Missiontakers further split up, he also split up the windows in his stream. Now there are four of them, and ignoring his own and Lin Qins camera view, it is still largely within his ability to follow on.

However, what is unexpected is that, not a while has even passed when the Actors on this 16thfloor suddenly erupt into murmurs. Something inexplicable seems to have happened.

X Beijin thought it was quite early for the Missiontakers to have already found the 16thfloor by now, but then, he thinks about it more carefully, and then looks at the lower left corner of his stream

Oh great. Lin Qin has managed to find his way here.

Question. How did Lin Qin find his way here? Is his intuition really so powerful that not even Mystic can hold a candle to him?

X Beijin is in absolute shock, even standing up in response, although the next second, a reminder from the Server urges him to sit back down.

X Beijin

So he can only sit back down to revert to looking like hes having a concussion, while thinking about it inside.

Shortly after, the noises at the front slowly dies down as the murmurs also do. Lin Qin is slowly making his way into the furthest corners of this dim floor, with Wu Jian close by his tail. The rest of the Missiontakers move out of the way, to let him pass.

X Beijin lifts his head up to look at him.

Lin Qin walks until he is right in front of X Beijin, and finally, cant help but say, found you.

X Beijin

Uh What, should I praise you now?

He merely asks, having nothing else to respond, how did you find me?

Lin Qin simply says, I heard chatter coming from this floor, so I guessed there are people in here.

X Beijin is amazed at how sharp Lin Qins senses are, though when you take into account how physically capable the young man is He calms back down immediately.

This is probably what normal for Lin Qin is.

Meanwhile, Wu Jian is poking his head around behind Lin Qin, looking effectively constipated. He can recognise X Beijin, having had a deep impression on this Tower resident from the last Nightmare, then also having learnt of legends surrounding him on the bottom floor since.

Including, of course, the tales of the birds and the bees situation surrounding this bookstore owner and the dalao, Lin Qin.

Not that Wu Jian was expecting that relationship to have already progress to such a degree that, merely background noises has alerted Lin Qin to rush straight for X Beijin.

Ah, the power of love!

Wu Jian is currently feeling touched at the genuinely romantic situation.

Although he is of course slightly concerned right now, since they are technically still in the middle of exploring the stairs. He wonders if the dalao will continue to head downwards, since he seems to be happily indulging in his romance right now.

Though that said, Wu Jian is mainly scared, to go back to the dark, endless staircase.

Yes, he is scared.

So Wu Jian merely stands there like a pole that cant read the atmosphere, waiting for Lin Qins response further on.

Not that Lin Qin cares about him in any case.

He merely looks at X Beijin with his sparkling eyes, like a doggy seeing his favourite Frisbee, elated and ecstatic. He remarks, so you are in the Nightmare too I thought you wouldnt be.

X Beijin

What in the world are you going on about?

He gives the guy a rather speechless glance.

Of course, he is largely looking like this only because of the Nightmares requirement, but not because his actual mood is cant be bothered, go away.

Though Lin Qins look changes somewhat seeing how he is, it seems.

X Beijin always looked kind of like that, in general expressionless, distracted, looking like hes daydreaming the whole time. Though though Lin Qin is not too sure. He just feels like, right now, X Beijin is looking, off.

Even though X Beijin asked him a question in complete lucidity and normalcy.

Lin Qin is hesitant, but then settles to ask, are you unwell?

X Beijin remains silent for a moment, and slowly shakes his head.

I see, youre unwell, Lin Qin murmurs for a bit, want any drinks? Anything you want to eat?

X Beijins mouth twitches, as he holds back to urge to speak.

Then Lin Qin asks, is it the Nightmares setting, then? You are notactuallyfeeling unwell.