/
Mu Jiashi couldn’t find the four who headed to the right, and is on the middle path for Xü Beijin and the two others; he was surprised when they seemed to emerge from a side path.
Before he could even ask, A-Two, noticing Mu Jiashi’s new hair dye job, happily calls out, “great! Come quick! We need you to ask someone questions.”
Mu Jiashi, though clueless, nonetheless follows after A-Two. They communicate their findings along the way, and everything is adding up.
Mu Jiashi glances at XĂź Beijin, falling into thought.
How… is he going to put that defect to use?
He’s confused similarly to A-Two.
Other than that, he’s also wondering, if this gap that exists in reality would be reflected in the game.
This is ultimately just a Nightmare in the Tower. Does it really recreate everything that exists in reality perfectly?
Even such a tiny difference? And, even if the gap really did exist, how is it going to help them out here?
Are they supposed to escape the labyrinth, the Nightmare, or even the Tower using this tiny gap?
Mu Jiashi is confused.
Clearly, XĂź Beijin needs it, however.
And, while working with Xü Beijin, they’ve come to observe an unspoken rule, or a tacit, mutual cooperation, let’s say.
Xü Beijin does not interfere with the decisions Mu Jiashi has to take regarding the Missiontakers to pick, and what he does in the Nightmares; Mu Jiashi wouldn’t ask Xü Beijin those questions that would be painful to answer.
They will do their best in their respective objectives.
XĂź Beijin needs a group of Missiontakers to achieve something in his Nightmare.
Tool-persons, basically, which Mu Jiashi agreed to, believing that he could find out the truth in Xü Beijin’s Nightmare.
Now, that truth almost seems within reach, right in front of them.
Still, something is still missing… something like, the Tower.
Humanity had an encounter with inexplicable and unfathomable alien creatures, and attempted to build a labyrinth to force a negotiation with them; however, humanity’s own level of development, and the traitor, has caused humanity to fail.
Then what?
Why did these alien creatures, why did ‘they’ lock humanity into the Tower?
Is it really like that game design document Shen Yünjü saw, and like what He Shujün thought, that ‘they’ trapped humanity in the Tower for entertainment?
And when did these aliens make contact with humanity? Were they also behind the two stages of the Apocalypse beforehand?
Mu Jiashi now knows a lot, but he still has a lot he doesn’t know about.
On the other hand, the existence of that ‘traitor’ merely draws a sigh from him.
After the talk and subsequent silence, they finally returned to the area.
Chen Simiao didn’t so much as move, still looking dazed, still silent, still thinking about some question that bugs his mind, it seems.
He doesn’t even so much as flinch at these people coming back for him, merely looking at them approaching.
As the utility card is currently effective on Mu Jiashi, so he walks over to talk to him, and regurgitates what they’re currently doing.
They have to save humanity. They need where the gap is. That way, they will have hope to leave where they are trapped.
Not that Mu Jiashi knows how the gap will help them, but he’s able to talk with such convincing language that he could brainwash himself. He’s genuine and firm.
But Chen Simiao still would not budge.
He shakes his head, and says, “I might believe what you’re saying, but… but, I can’t tell you.”
“Why?” Mu Jiashi is surprised. It’s the first time he’s encountered someone… as nigh-uncooperative as he is.
Ding Yi’s utility card wasn’t faulty, looking at how the two people they met earlier believed in them instantly and gave their information without a second glance. Why is it not effective on Chen Simiao?
Fei, standing behind him, speculates, “it sounds like he just cannot bring himself to face… the fact that his student betrayed humanity at large.”
Chen Simiao’s face contorts painfully, almost like he’s being electrocuted, with his whole body shivering.
He yells angrily, “no! I tell you! It’s impossible! He couldn’t have done it!”
Even though he’s screaming at the top of his lung, that anger fails to hide how desperate he sounds.
Wu Jian quietly mutters, “he’s lying to himself.”
“Maybe even if his student personally admits that he betrayed humanity, he’d still…” Fei says slightly sarcastically, then pauses and asks, “his student…”
Mu Jiashi wonders, “would the traitor be that person we met before?”
“He might be too weak to walk over… and he might not admit it either…”
Fei says, shrugging, before suddenly remembering something else, “the Devil’s Mask!”
The utility card that has been through many hands and hardships, which was largely what ‘killed’ Jiang Shuangmei was well.
Mu Jiashi and Fei are looking at each other.
Then Mu Jiashi says, “the Devil’s Mask… should be in Shen Yünjü’s hands right now.”
Jiang Shuangmei is more familiar with him than the others, and she also recommended him in the first place, which is why Mu Jiashi gave it to him.
They haven’t had any opportunity to put it to use since entering Xü Beijin’s Nightmare.
Until now, that is.
Mu Jiashi looks like he’s muttering something, before saying, “we’ll need to find the rest of the Missiontakers and group up.”
Everyone agrees.
Though it certainly isn’t easy to look for their companions in such a large labyrinth.
And unfortunately, when Xü Beijin himself enters any Cell Nightmare, he can’t leave via normal means to the grey fog, or he could check with his god’s-eye-view where they are.
Mu Jiashi doesn’t want to push his luck by forcing the scene to repeat itself either.
After thinking for a bit, he decides that they should split up again, in pairs this time, and look for the other Missiontakers in different groups.
Of course, XĂź Beijin is excluded. One, they need someone to keep an eye here, and two, XĂź Beijin still looks rather ill here.
So Mu Jiashi and Mystic, Fei and Wu Jian, Lin Qin and A-Two have grouped up.
They’ll head in different directions and return in thirty minutes.
As Mu Jiashi now knows about the directions in the labyrinth as well, they’ve decided to treat the central pathway from the entrance of the labyrinth as a baseline. They would ignore their cardinal senses, and only remember how to turn to return to the path in the middle.
After arranging everything, they head out.
Looking at Mystic by his side, Mu Jiashi feels a little confident.
It was definitely correct to pick her to come to this Nightmare, he thinks.
Though if he asked Xü Beijin, he’d probably tell them it’d be quicker to rely on Lin Qin’s monstrous instincts instead, which have never gone wrong, while Mystic speaks in riddles and her senses aren’t always effective either.
Speaking of which, Lin Qin is still clinging to XĂź Beijin to part with him.
Xü Beijin is speechless, telling him, “it’s only 30 minutes.”
Lin Qin looks all serious, though, saying, “you need to take care of yourself! Watch your surroundings! I don’t want to see you wobbling again when I’m back!”
XĂź Beijin wants to say, who you calling wobbling, oi!
Though after a stare at Lin Qin, he just pats Lin Qin on the shoulder while holding in the urge to smile, “believe in me. It’ll be fine.”
Lin Qin looks like he still has something to say, but he doesn’t in the end. Giving Xü Beijin a light hug, so light that it makes Xü Beijin wonder if Lin Qin thinks he’s weak enough that a touch could shatter him, Lin Qin whispers, “please don’t make me worried again, Beijin.”
Lin Qin is always like this. He’s got his stern poker face on, like he’s angry, but he can never lash out at Xü Beijin. All he could do, is just talk to Xü Beijin dryly.
Xü Beijin widens his eyes a little, before saying, “got it…”
The Missiontakers have all moved out now, so XĂź Beijin and Chen Simiao are the only ones left.
The changing colours hurt to look at, so XĂź Beijin looks up at the ceiling for a while, before shutting his eyes to recover some strength.
In the meantime, he asks Chen Simiao, “you do believe that we’re trying to save humanity, but you don’t believe that we can succeed, right?”
Chen Simiao is still blanking out like he didn’t hear Xü Beijin at all, but finally, and slowly, he says, “no, I don’t. I cannot see anyway, that anyone could go up against… ‘them.'”
The corners of Xü Beijin’s mouth are smirking in a rather derisive angle.
Like student, like teacher, huh.
Nothing would succeed if you’d only think about it, true, but nothing would be destined to fail either, while it remains only a thought experiment.
They need hope, and it’s because…
“If I can do it…” Xü Beijin mumbles so quietly it’s but a whisper.
His body is very weak now. He thinks he might lose consciousness at any moment.
His head is throbbing the entire time, but it’s not too much unlike what he’s been experiencing for so long here.
He still hasn’t given up.
He suddenly turns his head in Chen Simiao’s direction, and sharply, firmly glares at Chen Simiao. There is something about him right now, that not even his weak, pale appearance can conceal. He asks, “what if I can do it?”