Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game

A Window

Translated by boilpoil

Edited by boilpoil

Before entering the Ultimate Nightmare, many were unaware that they were all also the owners of the Nightmare.

Even at this point, they still do not feel it in themselves. Its more like theyre being pushed along by the unstopping march of time. Theyre each a tiny ripple, but somehow, they also think that theyre independent of the gushing waters, unaffected by it, nor can they affect it.

Its a problem of a magnitude of scale.

They would thus feel like theyre outside of this affair. They feel like its a blast from the past when they open their eyes, and some are able to identify it for a trickery from the game.

However, no one is certainly feeling like their every action is going to impact humanity and her future at large.

Until, right now.

Besides the three awake persons in the bookstore of the bottom floor of the Tower, and Xiang Cheny, whos inside the Ultimate Nightmare, no one knows why there is suddenly a strange window in front of them, asking,

Do you wish to leave this Nightmare and return to the Tower? Yes/No

Note: You must choose the same option three times in order for the game to recognise the corresponding result;

This choice will significantly affect this Nightmare, and the ending you get for this game.

Your choice will dictate the continuation or not of the artificial intelligence within the Tower.

Ding Yi freezes up for a moment seeing this window out of nowhere in front of her vision, and then turns to her companions.

He Shujn and her male companion, He Xi, are also looking at her, nodding.

Then He Shujn asks directly, you also see the weird window, right?

Yes Ding Yi replies, this looks like, this is the choice we have to make? Maybe this is why X Beijin let us enter the Ultimate Nightmare

He Xi is anxiously asking, what should we choose?

Ding Yi checks the man over. Hes apparently a close acquaintance of He Shujns, despite their distinct personalities.

Introverted, shy and soft-spoken. Whatever He Xi felt like doing, hed always ask the two other companions with him first for their opinions.

Ding Yi believes he is far too meek and unimposing for a Missiontaker. She would certainly not want him as a subordinate for her Necessities business.

Although she would not withhold praise for him as a companion, as the meticulousness and carefulness he exhibits are very helpful.

At He Shujns secondary school, they didnt find anything worthwhile; since it was swallowed up by the fog a long time ago, it took them a while to find it and enter.

Instead, they discovered a group of hostile madmen in the courtyard of the school, and it was He Xi urging for caution that they remained vigilant, having scouted first.

Otherwise, who knows what danger they might find themselves stuck in.

Though it was also demoralising not to find anything useful at the school.

Theyve retreated to an empty and safe classroom to discuss their next steps, when the window suddenly pops up in their field of vision.

Ding Yi says, there are two choices, to leave, or stay in the Nightmare.

He Shujn asserts, I think we have to leave the Nightmare, dont we? Its what her senses are telling her, but she has decided to err on the side of caution. She gives a question, why do you think there would be an option to stay in the Nightmare? I dont understand.

Can this Nightmare possibly continue indefinitely? He Xi suggests.

He Shujn immediately shuts it down, wehave toget back to the Tower in order to achieve what we want, dont we? I cant imagine us staying in the Nightmare being helpful at all.

Ding Yi nods in agreement, youre right, but were all lucid and awake right now. What would those people whove succumbed to the Ultimate Nightmare choose?

He Shujn falls into thought.

Its quite difficult to imagine yourself in the shoes of an insane person, especially when theyre all succumbing to who they were in the past within the Ultimate Nightmare; its like being transported to the past for them.

To the past?

Something seems to click inside her mind.

That is when He Xi mentions an observation, that said, when we walked here, I dont think we we saw many of those succumbed people? I mean those who went here and then succumbed, not the ones coming out of the grey fog.

Ding Yi hasnt noticed that at all, and tries to recall, saying with hesitation, I think you might be right.

In the grey fog, they havent met peoplewho've lost their minds; they ran into others who were lucid and awake, too, knowing theyre still in the Ultimate Nightmare.

Its pretty odd once someone has it pointed out.

He Shujn thinks about it, and then suggests a bold hypothesis from another direction, is it possible, that only people who still have their sense of self with them are left inside the Ultimate nightmare?

Ding Yi is looking at her, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

He Shujn continues her explanation, X Beijin told us to enter this Nightmare and keep our wits about, stay sane. We did as he asked.

And now this weird window is here What if, he wanted us awake and sane in order to make a choice through this window?

We can leave after we make a choice, which means it must be an Ending for this Nightmare, and possibly even the whole game. Having our rationale with us will help us make the right choice.

So if we work backwards from that logic, if there are still people whove lost themselves in the Ultimate Nightmare, this window cannot pop up, as his requirement of us will remain unfulfilled.

Ding Yi nods and works through the logic herself, then says, if so, I believe we all need to choose Yes and leave the Nightmare?

Thats right replies He Shujn, I do think so. Whatever happens, its a given we have to get back to the Tower, dont we? Even though the Tower is itself just a hub world in a game, this Nightmare is even less real than that,

What reason is there to stay in a fake reality?

Ding Yi understands fully now.

So the three of them all confirm Yes to leave the Nightmare, but after that choice, the window just zips out of existence. Nothing has changed around them.

Perhaps, theyll also have to wait for the others to make their choice.

Meanwhile, Mu Jiashi, Shen Ynj and Mystic have also made the exact same choice.

Mu Jiashi explains with mechanical coldness, No is a trap.

Theyre still inside Operating Room 3, having attempted to initiate conversation with Liang Xingyi repeatedly, but have been unable to obtain more useful information.

But as soon as the window pops up, he has been able to work everything out.

He doesnt know what triggered it, whether it was X Beijin, or someone else in the Ultimate Nightmare, but it seems theyre soon approaching the Ending of this Nightmare.

The Ending of this Nightmare? Shen Ynj appears confused, but why is the Nightmares Ending like this? Why is there a window for us to choose? Its almost like

Almost like a game, which this certainly is, comes the firm reply from Mu Jiashi, during the age of gaming on mouse and keyboard, people could literally choose an ending by clicking their mouse on a choice; this is something similar.

Shen Ynj seems quite surprised by all this.

Mu Jiashi then comments, almost looking nostalgic, how ever realistic a games graphics are, and how ever much it resembles reality, it is still a game. A game that is still at the mercy of player choice.

Shen Ynj nods, seemingly better able to understand now.

Mystic is mumbling riddles again, it is time It is time, for the last fight

Like a boss battle? Mu Jiashi smiles at that thought, then continues, perhaps the choice each one of us makes is the key to us winning this battle.

Shen Ynj then asks, so we should all choose Yes?

Mu Jiashi doesnt answer that directly, asking instead, what do you think each of these choices would represent?

Uhm Shen Ynj thinks for some time, and says, returning to the Tower would mean facing, reality? Staying in the Nightmare would be, escapism. Yes, thats what I think.

Mu Jiashi nods and then says, have you realised yet? The note says that the choice will not only affect this games ending, but also this Nightmare.

What is it trying to say?

The choice made it clear to me. Do you think the Ultimate Nightmare is ever going to restart? And if it does, then is it possible for it to never move on to the stage when the Apocalypse hits?

Shen Ynj, hearing that, goes pale immediately.

Mu Jiashi says, theoretically, its possible, he pauses to think, and then says, simply put the time before the Apocalypse strikes on loop. Repeat it forever, like any regular crumbling Nightmare before this.

He goes silent.

Both Shen Ynj and Mystic are also silent.

Until Mystic mutters, that is a perfectly fakeTrumans world.

Shen Ynj then gasps slightly, noting, NE its always been able to manipulate with our memories.

The terrifying revelation has them all feeling sick to the stomach.

They can choose to stay forever in the fictitious happiness. Where there was no Apocalypse, where theyre still on their beloved mother planet, living their dull, normal, everyday lives.

They would not be struggling for survival in bloody, twisted, depressing Nightmares, and leading hopeless, dead lives in a Tower all but shielded from the outside by a wall of fog.

They would be returning to the point of origin, when nothing had gone wrong.

And even forget everything that has gone wrong, all their pain and torment. They can just abandon their pursuit of the absolute truth, and foolishly, ignorantly, happily live out their lives indefinitely.

In a fake world!

Everything has happened. Things do not unhappen just because they want them not to have happened.

Theyre facing the ultimate choice. A painful, but necessary choice.