Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game

X Beijin has set an alarm for himself, then by the time he wakes up tomorrow morning, though it was a dreamless sleep, he felt like he just woke up from the sweetest dream ever back to reality.

While it didnt go as far as relieving all his mental stress accumulated over the years, it was quite effectively therapeutic.

He blanks out for a short while, before taking a deep breath, and his expression shifts towards serious and calmness.

He knows what he has to do now.

This morning, X Beijin has contacted all the contacts of each floor of the Tower once, and confirmed plus provided a final list of players yet to be contacted.

X Beijin can see where these people are from his control panel, and the contacts are rushing off to meet them at once.

X Beijin spends the whole day busy with that, while the people on the bottom floor waited patiently.

The bottom floor is the only place where X Beijin didnt need to spare attention for, as the Missiontakers and Tower residents here learned about everything the earliest, and theyve also voluntarily gathered up everyone. They all know about the Ultimate Nightmare already.

The day turned out exceptionally calm but also worrying. They want to know whats going on, but they would rather not disturb X Beijin.

X Beijin is too busy to answer them, as well.

But when he contacts all the strangers he never knew, and occasionally glance at the list of floors of the Tower, its like hes seeing flickers of hope, lighting up, brightening in the Tower.

He can feel an impending atmosphere, its stiff, peaceful, but also depressing. Spreading throughout the Tower. It is, contrary to the description, hope.

Hope for all of them.

Many people might not even know that well, or even know of X Beijins name, or the efforts Mu Jiashi and the others have went through. None of them know about Lin Qin, this Missiontaker, who once successfully left but was casually sent back in all the same.

They are people that, quietly, dedicatedly, work on what they could. They ask no questions, and merely work hard for the goal the goal of hope, that they might even think is destined to failure. They can never achieve.

But now, someone is pulling them aside, and telling them firmlyHope, is right in front of them now.

Its within hands reach.

Sometimes, when X Beijin is talking with the contacts, he can hear the occasional loud noise from their side excited yelps, or even suppressed cries.

Its the first time hes felt such empathy in himself for a very long time.

The contacts themselves might be too emotional to talk clearly, too, apologising profusely, but still cant help but tearing up.

So many of them sobbed in happiness while looking for the remaining Missiontakers and Tower residents to be contacted.

All of them are their companions, their fellow humans.

It is so infectious that even someone as calm as X Beijin is feeling tears welling up. The mood is touching at him. He can feel it spread throughout the Tower.

They will live or die together. Soon, all of them will be rushing through the field of thorns and prickles, to head for the greatest watershed moment in their lives since each of their separate lives, years, dozens long perhaps, was suddenly overturned and they became powerless to go against the flow entirely, without a shred of hope no matter how much desperation they went through; now, someone has finally given them a spark of light.

Everyone is fighting for themselves.

When the contacts established contact with the uncontacted, they would keep stressing X Beijins requirement repeatedly, definitely make sure you stay calm in the Ultimate Nightmare, remember yourself and your sense of sanity. Do not let yourself succumb at all costs.

No one knows for certain why there is such a requirement, but theyve all agreed to the condition.

A lot of them look quite haggard, or even drenched in blood. Someone has their arm full of bite marks a punishment and also a way to keep themselves sane.

Showing the contact that arm, the person said, its fine. If I felt like Id lose myself, I just take another bite. I did this in Nightmares all the time, its effective.

The contact looks quite moved, but doesnt dissuade the person.

Finally, as dusk comes, all the contacts report that theyve succeeded.

On the floors where there are contacts, everyone has been found and told of whats going on.

Since the moment humanity was put into the Tower, humans have never been as united as they are now.

There are, of course, perhaps many undesirables, madmen, and scum among them, but right now, right here, not a single person can refuse the great incentive of hope.

Will there be a traitor? X Beijin cant help but wonder.

He knows it is probably a bad idea to be questioning the possibility right now and affect morale his own morale.

But he also knows that this isnt an impossibility, and he has to take countermeasures as is his responsibility to the whole of humanity.

So, after thinking about it, he sends a message to the contacts of each of the floors.

He asks them to identify a trustworthy Guarantor, and tell X Beijin who this Guarantor is.

Besides the three of them, no one else on this floor is to know who this Guarantor is.

The duty of the Guarantor, is to ensure that, when X Beijin has told everyone what they have to do, theyll be the last one to do so, and before that, confirm that everyone has done as he asked.

Anyone who went back on their word would be forced to make good on their promise by the Guarantor.

Its X Beijins way of a failsafe.

After sending out the message, X Beijin starts going through the Missiontakers and Tower residents of the higher floors not a lot of people up there anymore, at about 100 or so.

They start at floor 50.

Very high indeed, but still falling far short of the top floor of the Tower. They are all the very best of the players remaining in the game.

X Beijin very quickly establishes contact with them, also following the pattern of choosing a contact and then a Guarantor.

They would be people unable to verify X Beijins claims, but theyve already spent so much time in hopelessness, that they decide to trust X Beijin this once.

There are very few people on each individual floor, and in fact, there are even floors that are entirely deserted.

For these Missiontakers, theyve been aware of the issues with the Tower residents perhaps far earlier than everyone else.

Since, on some floors, there are just a few Missiontakers with a scant few Tower residents.

Itd be difficult not to notice how each one of them is doing over a long time.

But knowing the truth doesnt mean that they could do anything about it. Thats why, when they are finally informed that the Ultimate Nightmare is opening up, they are all so happy they could cry. After all these years of silent torment, a change is finally coming.

X Beijin feels more and more conflicted. There is even a moment when he would rather not have contacted these people at all, that he didnt have to learn about how they are living and how they are doing.

But againIts like, theres some higher calling, that is still coldly demanding X Beijin to keep going.

He can catch himself mumbling, its already gone so far its all or nothing

He has to convince himself; sometimes, if he really couldnt anymore, or if his emotions are threatening to spill over, hell go talk to Lin Qin a little.

The deep baggage he has carried with him for so long, is now longer just being carried by him, he can feel.

Many people do not know the truth behind what theyre doing, or where the results will take them, but theyre shouldering the burden nonetheless.

They all have an inkling that, if this attempt fails, the consequences will be brutal and merciless, but they still elected to do so without hesitation.

Nearing completion, X Beijin almost feels like he is being pushed along himself.

Its not a powerful force, but it is firm and resilient; he cant really tell anymore, if the vast search is still going on by his own will, or if it is everyone elses will.

Hes also finally convinced himself for good.

An unprecedented operation, with fate having linked them all up before they knew it.

Everyone is a part of this, for the greater good of everyone, for the good of everyone individually.