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Vol. 7 Chapter 113.2
Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil
To be honest, XĂź Beijin is more curious about the conflict between Xie Ji and Dai Wu.
Xie Ji actually said once, that she hated the ‘Second Life’ tomfoolery Dai Wu proposed. She is against the idea of the Tower being a Second Life; but in truth, Dai Wu also thinks the same.
It is simply because of his physical condition, that he has longing for healthy limbs in the Nightmare.
He knows his own ‘Second Life’ theory is an indulgence in convenience. He is letting himself enjoy a mirage of happiness.
That is actually why he keeps calling it a ‘Second Life.’ His ‘First Life,’ is not there.
He would let himself enjoy the moment, but he would not let reality be confused with it.
In essence, that means Dai Wu and Xie Ji thinks exactly the same, even if the former appears far more relaxed and at ease than the latter. His pain in understanding humanity’s condition, does not preclude finding joy in life.
Xie Ji, meanwhile, is wholly distraught at the whole affair.
Xü Beijin isn’t one to judge this difference in attitude. It’s how other people decide to live; his own life is already in shambles right now.
Right. Lin Qin’s feelings…
XĂź Beijin finds himself baffled recalling Lin Qin at this weird moment.
No, that would not do.
He shakes his head inside. Time to get back to business.
Ignoring Xie Ji’s misgivings towards Dai Wu, he decides to avoid the landmine, as befits his usual modus operandi, even if, as Xie Ji and Dai Wu represent two majority factions among the Actors, facilitating this cooperation would mean Xü Beijin still has to keep in touch with the both of them, and possibly mediate in the future──
He might still have to say a few words, even while dodging the ‘ideological differences’ as much as he can.
Then, he says, “so about the favour I have to ask; I need you to convince as many Actors as you can, to help me out at a certain moment in the future.”
“Help out with what?”
As expected, Xie Ji has a similar question to Dai Wu.
So XĂź Beijin simply repeats what he told Dai Wu verbatim.
Xie Ji nods, falling into thought, and commenting, “the Ultimate Nightmare… huh,” there is a slightly ominous smile on her face as she then says, “oh, so the Ultimate Nightmare is real. I always thought, it was another lie.”
XĂź Beijin nods, but then also shakes his head.
He corrects her, “it is an opportunity.”
Xie Ji also sounds hopeful when she then says, “I do wish we can succeed, too,” she almost looks joyful, for once, “we can… can’t we?”
XĂź Beijin cannot give her a watertight guarantee, but if you ask him, the chances for succeeding, are probably 60-40.
Why a 60% chance of success? He’s hedging his bets on NE being on their side.
Though 60% is nowhere near a great chance of success, he still nods, and tells Xie Ji, “yes, we can.”
Mu Jiashi continues walking forward.
He has more important things to do than trying to talk with Xie Ji some more; and her location happened to be on the way he has to go, too.
──Picking out members to enter Xü Beijin’s Nightmare.
Besides Mu Jiashi and Lin Qin, Fei and Wu Jian would certainly enter as well.
They know Nightmares. They might not even have been into many of them, but they definitely have good information on many of them.
So with that, six slots remain.
Xü Beijin wants people who have been to the most Nightmares… which is slightly strange, but Mu Jiashi will do ask he asks, even if he cannot comprehend the reasoning behind it.
As many Nightmares as possible, huh… It’s a requirement that reminds Mu Jiashi of his days back in the Golddigger organisation.
In those large groups of competent Missiontakers, some would be in charge of scouting ahead in new Nightmares.
They might not have had many True Ends under their belt, but they would have been to an unimaginable amount of Nightmares. They would fit Xü Beijin’s requirements to a t.
Mu Jiashi is currently considering it. Perhaps this grand adventure would even involve one or two of his old friends? They would have been the support staff up to now, but putting their skills to the test, they would be the main firepower here.
That is why, Mu Jiashi is heading over to a front for the Golddiggers.
Naturally, such organisations that are on the bottom floor would not be the best choice. That’s why he’s hoping to get into contact with other branches on higher floors, so that they can send one or two experienced Golddigger Scouts down.
It should be just enough time, if they continuously achieve terrible Bad Ends in quick succession.
This is something Golddiggers in large organisations are used to.
Mu Jiashi doesn’t plan to tell the Golddiggers the real purpose of needing the scouts; he is simply going to say, he’s discovered a promising new Nightmare, so he’d like some help exploring.
Letting Golddiggers learn that XĂź Beijin is going to open his Nightmare up is not going to end well.
With Mu Jiashi’s own contributions to the Golddiggers, namely his flawless achievements, plus how he gave all his utility cards up to them before returning to the bottom floor, it would not be difficult to pull a few strings.
Soon enough, a satisfactory response comes from the Golddiggers.
Mu Jiashi nods. Good. Now, he still has a few slots left.
It’s no easy matter to think about, now, as the entry is planned for the night on the day after tomorrow.
Which means he has two days at most to figure it out. Even if he knows a lot of Missiontakers that fit Xü Beijin’s requirements, getting into contact with them in such short notice is going to be tremendously difficult.
So the most efficient way forward is to look for such people on the bottom floor itself.
He turns to the marketplace on the bottom floor for help.
Marketplaces where bartering takes place is a common feature on all the floors of the Tower, and usually the liveliest places, discounting the nightly parties hosted by those indulgent Missiontakers.
In fact, it is not simply utility cards and simple everyday necessities that the marketplaces showcase, but also where Golddiggers and Planners try to find business. And possibly, some even shadier kinds of deals would also happen.
Mu Jiashi would have a best shot finding someone he needs here.
Though first, he finds Fei and Wu Jian standing in front of a stand.
He walks over, greets them, and then asks, curious, “are you here to buy something?”
“No, we’re not,” Wu Jian says, keeping his voice down, “we’re investigating what rumours NE are spreading on the bottom floor.”
Mu Jiashi is already used to the two’s flirting with conspiracies, and casually asks, “so did you find anything?”
Mu Jiashi wasn’t expecting anything when he asked, as he finds it highly unlikely to find clues directly traceable back to NE here.
This is simply of the standard marketplace of the Tower.
No Missiontakers have ever managed to gleam much information on NE in the first place. What fresh information could the two hope to find after simply listening in on stuff in a short period of time?