Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game

Mu Jiashi is immediately backtracking on his own conclusion.

If NE really was on their side, then he should have recovered his sense of self in the first scene he entered.

Yet it was only after three doors that he went into a Nightmare hes been to.

Is this a test? Or, is it some kind of restriction NE has to abide by?

But, this is X Beijins own Nightmare!

Mu Jiashi is very much confused.

Who would be the one to control where the Missiontakers end up after entering doors?

Given this is X Beijins Nightmare, theoretically, he should have complete control over it.

In fact, after realising the problem surrounding the Tower residents, Mu Jiashi decided to reflect on all his experience dealing with Tower residents in Nightmares.

He has managed to prove to himself that whatever they do, the Tower residents are likely aware, and can exert control.

That is how the Nightmare owner helps to push along their progress resolving Nightmares.

So this time, with X Beijin being the owner of the Nightmare, then he should have complete omniscience and omnipotence over it.

Yet this time, there is this contradiction, with him only being able to step into a correct Nightmare after three doors. Why, if X Beijin can really exert complete control, will he arrange the progression of the Nightmare like so?

NEs stance is yet to be determined beyond reasonable doubt, but X Beijin is definitely on their side, isnt he? Why would he employ delaying tactics?

Which means, the more likely explanation, is that NE, overseeing the whole Tower, is also exerting influence over this Nightmare.

So quick question Since when has NE ever directly intervened in a Nightmare? Never, as far as hes aware!

As every Missiontaker will say, NE is the overseer that reigns above them, coldly but fairly.

While every Missiontaker and also Tower resident would know of it, but they know nothing other than its name and its purpose as the main server running this game.

They do not know its form, its actual abilities, and simply suppose that it is omnipotent in the Tower.

In fact, even its name has only been revealed while being passed around as a rumour from who-knows-where.

So, would NE really participate in any same-old Nightmare so proactively? No.

Mu Jiashi, therefore, cant help but wonder once again is there something between X Beijin and NE?

Fei was the first to ask, having come around to the possibility after jumping through some logical hoops, perhaps.

When he first heard the idea, Mu Jiashi was dismissive.

But then, when X Beijin revealed he knew the exit to the Tower was in the Ultimate Nightmare, and also how to open it up, Mu Jiashi started pondering the question more seriously.

Now, Mu Jiashi concludes, that yes, there must be at least some tangential relationship between X Beijin and NE.

Its difficult to elaborate on that, but simply looking at the Nightmare theyre in

The grey fog. Where the succumbed go, like a landfill. Can you imagine any simple Nightmare of any simple Tower resident taking place in this?

In what, to the game, amounts to unusable save slots and corrupted memory?

If he didnt knew this was X Beijins Nightmare, Mu Jiashi would have assumed this to be NEs Nightmare instead.

Mu Jiashi is slightly amused by the thought.

Meanwhile, standing at his side, Fei looks confused as ever.

So, after some thought, Mu Jiashi tries to explain all this in a way Fei can understand, I mean, Ive once been here. Its like reliving my worst nightmare, you know?

Nightmare, huh? Fei, anxious, replies, all those other scenes weve been through have been nightmarish, too.

Mu Jiashi parts his lips a little, but he cant think of what to say.

He knows Fei is right.

Soon enough, he puts his emotions aside and says, lets go. Well have to look for a door here.

When he understood fully what this so-called Nightmare about Nightmares is, he also realised that the key to resolving it wouldnt lie in the countless little Nightmares.

The Ending can only lie outside, within the grey fog, where they stood when they entered.

But the question becomes, how to leave these little scenes.

At the same time, Mu Jiashi is also wondering why X Beijins Nightmare is like this.

Why is his Nightmare about the Tower itself? Unlike the other Tower residents whose Nightmares are about the Earth, the Apocalypse, or madness.

Scratching his head, he doesnt know how to make sense of it, so he decides to focus on the scene at hand instead.

Walking along with the crowd, Mu Jiashi also explains what he remembers of this Nightmare to Fei.

This is in fact, the very first Nightmare he went in after coming to the Tower.

So this is in the far distant past, but Mu Jiashis memories of it are far more vivid than usual. Perhaps, its because he couldnt resolve the Nightmare completely back then.

It would niggle at the back of his mind every so often, during periods of downtime, when he would think about if there was something he could have done to resolve it.

This Nightmare stems from an event at the Cangcheng Intercity Terminal. More specifically, on an intercity bus shuttle heading right for the Terminal.

Cangcheng? Fei mutters the name of the city, commenting, it sounds oddly familiar.

Mu Jiashi is also looking at the electronic display showing the arrivals schedule with some nostalgia. He already forgot the detail that the bus was headed to Cangcheng after all that time.

He never expected he would be able to dig up more idiosyncrasies about this Nightmare; a long time ago, he already tried to look for the Nightmare to achieve a True End, and sever his regrets.

Unfortunately, he never found it again. Then when things got more busy for him, having become a Golddigger, he didnt have the time anymore.

Now, then, he suspects, the owner of the Nightmare may have succumbed entirely.

So the Nightmare ended up in the grey fog, never to show up in the Tower again.

Would such situations be a rarity? Or something common?

Mu Jiashi cant help but feel a little sympathy inside.

He thinks he can understand a little, why X Beijin doesnt talk about his Nightmare much.

If that is what his own Nightmare looks like, he would probably also want to avoid the topic.

He can also understand why X Beijin wouldnt want to let others inside, because this is a Nightmare that lives up to its name, more than merely an instance in a game.

Mu Jiashi sighs heavily, then murmurs, Cangcheng, huh?

Mu Jiashi smiles bitterly, nodding and saying, yeah We might have been there once.

Hes hoping that this could help Fei recover her memories a little, but disappointingly, it doesnt happen so easily.

It seems they would have to revisit their past Nightmares before they can recover their sense of self, which seems unlikely outside of hoping that NE would be kind to them.

And with this situation being what it is, all the utility cards theyve prepared are probably going to waste

Mu Jiashi cant help but shake his head.