Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game

Fresh Ideas

Translated by boilpoil

Edited by boilpoil

X Beijin explains the situation of the building with a rather calm and straightforward tone.

I am not sure exactly what happened; there was an explosion, in the city centre outside, the shock of which sent me tumbling to the ground My memories are hazy, and I cant remember much.

However, many people went mad immediately after that.

Something strange seems to have affected their psyche fundamentally, causing hallucinations Or, rather, drastically altered their senses and perceptions.

They would treat blood as paint, and gore as wallpaperYes, many of them are currently working on rebuilding this building, which they seem to treat as their jobs task, somehow, using humans themselves as materials.

We call them the Renovators. They are harmless, as long as you move about and speak in front of them. They will register you as living humans and wouldnt do anything to you.

If you ever faint, or even just stand there in front of them in silence without talking, though, the situation would, lets say, shift to your disadvantage. I would dissuade you from attempting to do so.

That is when X Beijin remembers that Fei already met a Renovator earlier with Jiang Shuangmei and Shen Ynj before, and so smiles to remark, you look like youve already met someone like that.

Fei seems surprised, but nods, thats right

She wonders how X Beijin could tell. Was her expression that obvious?

Or, possibly This mysterious bookstore owner of the bottom floor, really has some form of powerful omniscience?

X Beijins image turns ever more terrifyingly capable in Feis mind.

X Beijin doesnt know Fei is currently terrorising herself with her own thoughts, or know that his impromptu teasing of her has strayed her this far from the truth as he continues, while Renovators are harmless, others are much less so.

There are some that see their own kind of food. While I know this is something that has occurred in desperation in emergencies, for survivals sake, true,

But here, the Cannibals treat this as a normal means of consumption rather than a last ditch resort.

That is why I say something seems to have changed their mindscompletely, fundamentally, altering their perceptions so much that their moral and ethics standard have faded away entirely. It is like being enchanted.

At this point, seeing how pale Fei is looking, X Beijin couldnt help but bitterly chuckle well, he says hes bitterly chuckling, when to Fei, it looks more like a smile out of malice or scorn.

What a common misunderstanding this is for X Beijin.

Then, he says, I suppose you havent met any Cannibals yet.

Fei is quiet for a while before nodding.

X Beijin points to the floor and explains, theyre downstairs from here to the 10thfloor or so. Its easy to identify their turf, as they paint the windows leading to the emergency stairwell blood red.

If you enter, theyll assume youre seeking help because of hunger, and will happily provide you with food.

Ill let you imagine the ingredients

Feis face has had all blood drained from it already. She thanks him, thank you for your reminders. Well steer clear.

Fei is in awe at all the malice hidden away in this Nightmare. In fact, this really does have all the elements of a normal, nonsensical nightmare.

X Beijin then moves on from the Renovators and Cannibals, explaining, while those two types are the most numerous peoples in the building, there are also Mushrooms that hide away in safe corners of the building, and Janitors who are bloody all over and look like they are murderers that just escaped from a slasher movie you might run into them occasionally, but theyre not a common sight.

Fei falls into thought.

She could understand the Mushrooms, for example, that little girl would probably fit X Beijins definition of one.

But Janitors?

Fei cant help but ask, what do the Janitors do?

X Beijin isnt really keen on explaining it either, but since she triggered the question

X Beijin maintains as calm a voice as he can while speaking, they deal with the leftovers generated by the Renovators and Cannibalsand by leftover, I mean corpses. Whether its leftovers from the renovation work, or leftover food since Janitors are always short-staffed, whenever they meet someone alive, they try to drag them into their ranks.

Some floors, meanwhile, are where they use to store the trash. They are exceedingly messy, full of what they would classify as trash. Anyway, I do wish you good fortune in never stumbling into their grounds.

If they successfully take you away, then congratulations, youll have a newfound lifelong career of being a Janitor.

Feis lips are trembling slightly. She is instinctively recalling how, in the first run of the Nightmare, when the elevator door opened in front of her, the whole cohort of Janitors were rushing on for them.

The closest Janitor, with his cold, bloodied finger, was almost touching her face.

It truly was a maddening, disgusting scene.

She cant help but feel relieved she wasnt taken away that time. Even if she would like to know more about this effect on the psyche, she doesnt want to go through it now at all.

Thats about it for the people who have gone insane. There are still more categories though, Im also not sure whether any of them are still alive by now.

The Renovators and Cannibals have already killed most of the people in this building. Perhaps theyll be looking to use the Janitors next, or even each other.

Oh, and strictly speaking, Mushrooms arent really insane by themselves. Theyre harmless, but they absolutely detest having to interact with strangers at all. Its very rare to find one.

X Beijin continues explaining.

Fei listens with a serious expression.

Meanwhile, Lin Qin has just been staring at X Beijins side profile intently. Its difficult to tell whether hes been listening to X Beijin at all. Maybe he did, but in his mind, hes still convinced the best way to resolve this Nightmare is to, find the Nightmare owner, and then beat them up?

X Beijin concludes with, and finally, beyond all the people who have gone Insane, are those who have stayed Sane.

Fei hears him pause, and so asks, where are the Sane people distributed then?

X Beijin remains quiet for a while longer and tells her, right in front of you. All on this 16thfloor.

Fei looks back around her, at the dozen people on this floor-space or so, and is astonished. She cant help but ask, thats it?

X Beijin smiles to answer, thats it.

Fei cant help but wonder, where would the Nightmare owner be, then?

Would she be a Mushroom? Or even a Renovator, a Cannibal, a Janitor? Or perhaps even on the verge of, dying?

That last thought gave Fei some more ideas. Yes.

An hour after the Nightmare begins, the building collapses once. The last run, they had an unexpected Nightmare restart because of that.

When the Nightmare goes on to two hours, could there be another set event that forces another restart?

If it were another collapse, it seems to be too avoidable for the Missiontakers if they are prepared for such a type of change again, even though they all know how deeply malicious these Nightmares are.

So could it possibly be the death of the Nightmare owner, whose whereabouts remain unknown up to this point?

This is Feis guess for now, and she finds it quite likely. More generally, Fei believes the Nightmare owner would very likely meet some kind of danger in this Nightmare, at least.

Fei is furrowing her brows, thinking about how, in this Nightmare, they might not only need to take the little girl, but have to go protect her mother as well.

If so, and considering the Nightmare becomes more dangerous generally the longer it goes on

But, in the end, what would the Ending even look like for this Nightmare?