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Vol. 8 Chapter 144.1
A New Explanation
Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil
“A door? Why is there a door?” Asks the confused Lin Qin.
Xü Beijin replies, “this means the Tower is really overlapping with the grey fog now. So the succumbed people of the grey fog are going to come out. Stay on your toes, Lin Qin.”
They’ll have to face unreasonable and irreconcilable Missiontakers and Actors who have succumbed to Nightmares.
They can no longer tell reality from their plots, and they will not hesitate to ‘infect’ Xü Beijin and Lin Qin just because they tell them they’re ‘saving humanity.’
This will be additional danger for while they continue to wait for the data port.
However, Lin Qin asks a pertinent question, “the succumbed people… but aren’t they all in the Ultimate Nightmare right now?”
Surprised, Xü Beijin thinks and nods, mumbling, “that’s true…”
He takes a few steps back.
The grey fog wouldn’t produce two doors for a madman to let them choose between going to the Ultimate Nightmare or back to the Tower.
While the grey fog connects the Nightmares back to the Tower, but there must also be a connection between traversals and doors.
A door for each connection, and a door for each madmen.
In Xü Beijin’s Nightmare, the Missiontakers could go through scenes in the grey fog as much as they liked because it was mechanically Xü Beijin’s Nightmare. It is unlike the current situation.
At least XĂź Beijin was aware that, back in the grey fog, those who have succumbed could not leave the scenes on their own.
And now, the Ultimate Nightmare’s difficulty is being propped up by the succumbed madmen, who have to focus on being the danger inside the Ultimate Nightmare. It is true they shouldn’t have time to attack the Tower themselves.
So he comes to the only possible conclusion – “they must be those who succumbed in the Ultimate Nightmare… the ones after it began.”
It is still a large number, at least four-fifths of those humans who were still in the Tower.
A rather unhelpful conclusion for sure.
Xü Beijin would rather not think about it anymore, and just says, “so be careful, little apple.”
Lin Qin seems unhappy with that, though, saying, “you’re the one who should be more careful, Beijin.”
XĂź Beijin gives him a glance, surprised; then Lin Qin touches his left arm again.
Xü Beijin has nothing to say, and so he can only promise, “alright. I’ll keep an eye out.”
Then a scream interrupts them – looking in that direction, it is the door that is now open in the grey fog. Madmen are erupting from it.
XĂź Beijin and Lin Qin are still standing at the entrance to the Tower.
It’s almost like the two of them are warriors making a last stand to defend the Tower… The irony of that image makes Xü Beijin smile derisively.
Lin Qin asks, “is there a problem if they end up in the Tower?”
“Nothing really…” Xü Beijin says, “let them go, as long as they don’t make our job hunting the last data port any harder.”
Lin Qin nods.
Looking at the control panel, it shows the flickering gold dot limited to a thin ring-like space, representing that space narrowing between the Tower and the grey fog, the buffer zone that is almost gone.
“Let’s move…” Xü Beijin says, “we have to find it before the buffer zone is gone for good.”
Lin Qin nods as he follows closely, while also having to divert his attention to dealing with the endless influx of madmen.
Most of them seem to ignore Xü Beijin and Lin Qin entirely – possibly because, technically, they possess special identities and aren’t ‘players.’
They’re still quite the hindrance to walking normally around though.
And there are often the outliers who are especially aggressive and attacks them regardless.
Lin Qin can easily dispose of each of them and keep them at bay, but the quantity is making him pretty heavily preoccupied.
Seeing this, Xü Beijin decides, “you’ll deal with them, I’ll grab the data port.”
Lin Qin hesitates for a moment, but grits his teeth and agrees.
They continue to chase after the gold dot in the chaos.
It really is like trying to do the impossible. There have already been instances where the gold dot is right under their feet, but when Xü Beijin leaned down to grab it, the madmen’s unpredictable gait would end up blocking of just trampling his hand altogether, or they would just push and shove and force Xü Beijin away at the moment of victory, making him lose his chance.
The reddened marks on Xü Beijin’s hand make Lin Qin react ever more violently, especially those who are interrupting Xü Beijin at all. They get thrown away like toys from the pram of a baby Lin Qin throwing a tantrum.
Not that that helps thin the amount of madmen any, which is like the torrent of water in a waterfall. They have to keep their heads down to look for the data port on the control panel in the chaotic scene.
It’s even fortunate the control panel is there, as the succumbed can’t knock it away either.
XĂź Beijin is irritated at the obscene amount of Missiontakers and Actors who have succumbed to the Ultimate Nightmare. A great majority of those originally succumbed and ended up in the grey fog are already at the Ultimate Nightmare, mind.
They’re all crowded right outside the entrance to the Tower, trying to rush within.
And chasing after the gold dot, XĂź Beijin and Lin Qin have already largely been pushed away from the entrance, ending up somewhere with, instead, a smaller flow of people.
XĂź Beijin takes a breather.
He has some space, as Lin Qin, like some kind of phantom, flying all around XĂź Beijin with afterimages, has cleared enough people from around him.
Seeing Xü Beijin stop, he also comes to a stop to ask, “what’s wrong?”
“We might have to wait a bit longer, ” Xü Beijin has to yell a little, given the background volume of the incessantly screaming madmen, “we’ll need the buffer ring to shrink a little more.”
Lin Qin nods, and then, using his own clothes, he wipes Xü Beijin’s hand clean again.
Xü Beijin watches and can’t help but smile, saying, “it’s fine, it’s just a little dirty.”
Besides, he’ll have to keep digging the dirt of the buffer zone later for it.
But Lin Qin, as if he suddenly has a need for cleanliness, still brushes Xü Beijin’s hand as clean as he could, and Xü Beijin watches quietly.
All around them are mad people trying to rush into the Tower, ignoring them both, like the crowd rushing past them busy with their own lives while they remain in their own happy bubble.
Satisfied, Lin Qin checks Xü Beijin’s hand all over, and leans over for a kiss, boasting, “I like how clean you look.”
Xü Beijin is going to say something, but Lin Qin continues, “it makes me feel like I’ve protected you well.”
Xü Beijin pauses, and chuckles, remarking, “you’re the first person to want to protect me like this.”
“Whenever you’re hurt, or get your hands dirty, I feel it myself,” Lin Qin says frankly, “so I have to keep an eye on you all the time. I can also fight better than you, so of course I have to protect you.”
Xü Beijin isn’t sure of what to say, so after thinking for a while, he manages a “thank you for protecting me.”
It’s so cheesy he makes himself chuckle just saying that.
Lin Qin is still looking at him intently.
It makes Xü Beijin slightly awkward, wanting to diss himself for being so easily embarrassed even after already confirming their relationship… He really can’t be as honest as Lin Qin on this, can he?
So he just gives Lin Qin a gentle hug, and changes the topic, “let’s keep going.”
Then Lin Qin goes back to clearing out any succumbed people interfering with their work, and time continues to pass on.