Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game

Failure

Translated by boilpoil

Edited by boilpoil

Exercise in futility.

The Missiontakers all widen their eyes a little hearing the phrase from Mu Jiashi.

The limbless person wails as soon as he hears it, with so much pain, regret, madness and dissatisfaction, making the Missiontakers shudder.

What happened? Why an exercise in futility?

Mu Jiashi hurriedly leans close to the person again, pleading, were looking for the truth right now. If you do know something, please tell me, alright?

The persons eyes havent much focus, but looking closely, Mu Jiashi can see them responding to movement slowly but clearly. He is conscious, and understands what he is asking.

But the person produces only incoherent refusals, dont, dont dont, trust; dont, trust

Dont trust? Does he not trust them?

Mu Jiashi falls into thought.

Meanwhile, Wu Jian proposes behind him, would it be a good time to put that utility card to use?

Ding Yis utility card, which turns hair into a grue colour, making people believe in whatever the user says.

A uniquely mysterious utility card, and also one that would help immensely with the situation.

Mu Jiashi dislikes relying on utility cards in Nightmares, thinking of it as cheating similar to many other Missiontakers. Also, there is the price to pay for using them.

But this time, after Wu Jian hints at the idea, Mu Jiashi immediately puts the utility card to use.

His hair changes colour, after which he talks to the man again.

And this time, after remaining quiet for some time, the person slowly speaks up.

His voice is rough, with an almost sticky, icky feel to it. It almost sounds like his throat is choked with water or blood.

Even though he is as debilitated as is, he is still breathing and living, somehow.

Death might be a relief for him at this stage.

But he still lives on, solely because

He says, this labyrinth we built, was an exercise in futility.

The labyrinth? It was built?

Mu Jiashi is surprised.

When he saw it, he agreed with A-One and A-Two this did not look like any building on Earth, or even anything likely conjured up in Nightmares in the game.

Its more like, what would be inside the dream of a truly insane person.

The countless electronic colours of blocks flashing inexplicable light. Who could imagine such a scene but mad people?

Even if Shen Ynj asserts that hes seen this building somewhere, Mu Jiashi remained unconvinced. He cant believe Earth once had something abominable like this.

Why build such a meaningless and painful-looking structure?

A labyrinth. Not even a worldwide amusement park would build such a large one.

Here, though, this person who might meet the Reaper at any moment tells them that they built this.

Mu Jiashis mind is now filled with possible scenarios.

Behind him, Fei and Wu Jian are equally excited chatting about their own hypotheses and theories.

Mu Jiashi ignores the commotion behind, and continues asking, if you went so far as to build it out entirely, why do you call it an exercise in futility?

We wanted the trap them, with this place, the person explains, in short, terse sentences, but we were weak so weak There was nothing to do. They came, they went. It changed nothing.

Mu Jiashi finally asks the billion-dollar question, who are they?

The one behind everything, who brought all this on, the person replies, we dont know who, or what, either. They just came, and landed here. The labyrinth couldnt trap them.

Mu Jiashi furrows his brows, were you present the whole time? How did you not see them? They entered the labyrinth, didnt they?

We cant see. Theyre different. Its just different; the form of existence. I dont even know; did they enter the labyrinth?

We built this, we thought they can be trapped. It was useless. An exercise in futility Were useless. Useless.

Then the person starts sobbing. The condition in his throat makes it sound all the more poignant.

Mu Jiashis mind is preoccupied with something else, though.

He is suddenly remembering the Raining Hellfire.

Raining. It came from the skies.

Look up. Up through the endless expanse of the universe.

Behind him, Wu Jian suggests, with a trembling tone, do you remember, when in the last Nightmare, some people were arguing over where the object in the sky came from

Some people said aliens, Fei answers in a daze, but, are there really

Aliens?

In the vast universe, do other intelligent lifeforms besides humans exist?

Humans havent the answer. Is it because humans are uniquely too successful? Or still far too weak?

Well, now it looks like, the answer is being far too weak.

According to this person, they do not even understand in what form they exist.

Mu Jiashi finds his legs slightly numb. He sits down on the flashing ground, quietly staring at the person, but he doesnt have a question to ask right now.

Suddenly, he remembers how X Beijin described this place as where they could be told the truth.

Though, if it werent for this amazing utility card of Ding Yis They probably wouldnt have figured it out so easily.

At least, he suspects the other Missiontakers will have a much harder time when they come across the other living persons.

But really, Mu Jiashi envies those who dont have it so easy.

He is actually, consciously trying to reject this truth.

He remains silent for some more time before saying, so, they caused the madness, and the Raining Hellfire, didnt they?

The person murmurs, I dont know. No one knows. They just appeared, and said, were theirs. No one can just accept that. Right?

We have lived here, for so many years; now, these people from nowhere, said were their slave. Theyre the masters They gave us one month, to mentally prepare, and part with Earth.

No one can accept that, so we built this labyrinth. Weve never seen humanity so united

Or not. I dont know. I dont know how. I just helped build.

They can almost hear the blood gushing out of his throat as he spoke; he starts coughing at this point, nonstop.

He didnt tell them why hes here, or why he looks like this.

And Mu Jiashi doesnt plan to ask.

Hes just taking it all in. So thats what happened. Thats what this labyrinth was.

Why build such disorienting coloured blocks? Possibly, it was identified as a weakness in this species. They are mentally vulnerable.

These sharp, oversaturated colours are immensely uncomfortable for humans to look at, so they might have thought this would be effective against them.

But, it turned out to be simple wishful thinking from humanity.

Is that the truth behind this labyrinth, then?

Mu Jiashi stands up, and looks back at Fei, Wu Jian and Mystic. All three Missiontakers look quite distressed, especially Fei, who is already tearing up. Mu Jiashi thinks, he probably looks no better than they do.

He wants to tell them, its time to go. They need to move on. But some kind of terrible sentiment is gripping at his legs, making his mind cold, drenched, locked up.

He looks at the other Missiontakers. The other Missiontakers, look right back at him.

boilpoil's notes:

Well, Im sure this should come as no surprise having read all that shady Biler business X Beijin set up in previous chapters, but it turns out to be aliens behind the madness and Raining Hellfire.