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Fresh Ideas
Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil
XĂź 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 can’t 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 wallpaper——Yes, many of them are currently ‘working on’ rebuilding this building, which they seem to treat as their job’s ‘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 wouldn’t 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, let’s say, shift to your disadvantage. I would dissuade you from attempting to do so.”
That is when Xü Beijin remembers that Fei already met a ‘Renovator’ earlier with Jiang Shuangmei and Shen Yünjü before, and so smiles to remark, “you look like you’ve already met someone like that.”
Fei seems surprised, but nods, “that’s right…”
She wonders how XĂź Beijin could tell. Was her expression that obvious?
… Or was it simply a guess that just happened to land?
Or, possibly… This mysterious bookstore owner of the bottom floor, really has some form of powerful omniscience?
Xü Beijin’s image turns ever more terrifyingly capable in Fei’s mind.
Xü Beijin doesn’t 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 survival’s 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 minds——completely, 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, Xü Beijin couldn’t help but bitterly chuckle – well, he says he’s bitterly chuckling, when to Fei, it looks more like a smile out of malice or scorn.
… What a common misunderstanding this is for Xü Beijin.
Then, he says, “I suppose you haven’t met any Cannibals yet.”
Fei is quiet for a while before nodding.
Xü Beijin points to the floor and explains, “they’re downstairs from here to the 10th floor or so. It’s easy to identify their turf, as they paint the windows leading to the emergency stairwell blood red.
If you enter, they’ll assume you’re seeking help because of hunger, and will happily provide you with ‘food.’
I’ll let you imagine the ingredients…
Anyway, on their turf, you must eat. That’s their rule. They are helplessly, clinically gluttonous.”
Fei’s face has had all blood drained from it already. She thanks him, “thank you for your… reminders. We’ll 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.
Xü 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 they’re not a common sight.”
Fei falls into thought.
She could understand the ‘Mushrooms,’ for example, that little girl would probably fit Xü Beijin’s definition of one.
But… ‘Janitors’?
Fei can’t help but ask, “what do the ‘Janitors’ do?”
Xü Beijin isn’t really keen on explaining it either, but since she triggered the question…
Xü Beijin maintains as calm a voice as he can while speaking, “they deal with the leftovers generated by the ‘Renovators’ and ‘Cannibals’——and by leftover, I mean corpses. Whether it’s 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, you’ll have a newfound lifelong career of being a Janitor.”
Fei’s 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 can’t help but feel relieved she wasn’t taken away that time. Even if she would like to know more about this ‘effect’ on the psyche, she doesn’t want to go through it now at all.
“That’s about it for the people who have gone insane. There are still more categories… though, I’m 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 they’ll be looking to ‘use’ the Janitors next, or even each other.
Oh, and strictly speaking, ‘Mushrooms’ aren’t really insane by themselves. They’re harmless, but they absolutely detest having to interact with strangers at all. It’s very rare to find one.”
XĂź Beijin continues explaining.
Fei listens with a serious expression.
Meanwhile, Lin Qin has just been staring at Xü Beijin’s side profile intently. It’s difficult to tell whether he’s been listening to Xü Beijin at all. Maybe he did, but in his mind, he’s still convinced the best way to resolve this Nightmare is to, find the Nightmare owner, and then beat them up?
Xü 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?”
Xü Beijin remains quiet for a while longer and tells her, “right in front of you. All on this 16th floor.”
Fei looks back around her, at the dozen people on this floor-space or so, and is astonished. She can’t help but ask, “that’s it?”
Xü Beijin smiles to answer, “that’s it.”
Fei can’t 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 Fei’s 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?