Being an Extra Actor Volume 4 - Ch 68.5

Fei and Mu Jiashi both agree that the tattered man in front of them has lost his mories as well. He seems to have entirely forgotten about the fact that he already got a piece of bread, that he already had food.

He feels like he did not, so he is still hungry, like how Wu Jian felt hungry a very short ti after forgetting he has already eaten.

This is like so terrible curse, a curse that he will gain food but forget about it, ending up as much ado about nothing.

But why? Are other survivors in the Nightmare similar? Why are the ruins causing this shadow of forgetting and endless exercise in futility to blanket the area?

The Missiontakers try whatever they could to spur the forgotten mories of the man of their previous eting, but the man only impatiently denies it all along, and is now looking wary, no longer willing to cooperate.

Hugging the bread, he looks like he is nervous to get away.

Fei suddenly says, soone has died.

The man stops in place.

Fei observes the mans micro-expressions and movents, while explaining, soone pushed the person down from the building, but the killer has gone missing.

Shut up! The man suddenly reveals a violent, angry look he has never shown before, while yelling at them, you, stop pestering ! I know nothing!

Fei is quite spooked by the reaction, and doesnt react.

Mu Jiashi follows up instead, but you actually know sothing, right? Was the dead person soone you knew?

The man almost wrathfully proclaims, no, I know nothing! Stop pestering !!!

Then he forcefully drags his hunger-addled feet up to get away from them. He slowly disappears from view.

It seems he is once again headed to his self-proclaid ho off the southwest corner of the ruins, inside the fog.

Mu Jiashi stares at his retreating silhouette as he analyses, it seems this Nightmare has another hidden rule This man is also losing his mories, forgetting about the food he got and return to the Treasure Trove for food.

Fei asks, but, why?

Mu Jiashi sighs and says, I have no idea the last run, we didnt even realise he ca back.

Fei nods to say, sorry about that, its on , she is apologetic as she continues, I should have paid more attention to the ruins behind

when you were looking for the killer in the building

Never mind the bla ga, Baldie impatiently interjects, what we should be doing right now is going to the bookstore.

Mu Jiashi nods.

Collector isnt in any hurry to move, however, as he is observing the survivors busy as bees nearby, while inhaling so of the muddled, but distinctly recognisable air of the ruins of the apocalypse.

Then he asks, do you not feel, how this Nightmare felt erratic in places?

The rest of the Missiontakers turn their attention to him.

Collector, with shimring eyes and a glowing smile, explains, the amusent park people may say Humans are Impurities of Earth, but why do they not have to look for food? Then theres the dead person, who the bookstore owner says is punished by those people

But why did that death not cause any visible changes to this Nightmare? And why did the other man keep looking for food fruitlessly? Do you not feel like, there might actually be no underlying logic to it? There is a very clear

Sense of erratic delineation.

Mu Jiashi asks, delineation of what?

Collector shrugs, and answers, the area itself?

I know what you are trying to say, Fei suddenly speaks up, in this Nightmare, there is no single thread, or a single event, that links up the Nightmare;

it is much of a stretch if we say that the man who fell off the building is linking up the group of people from the amusent park, and the man that walks into the fog.

Mu Jiashi slowly nods, saying, the clues in this Nightmare so far can be described as erratic.

Fei then follows up smoothly, but in all Nightmares, there must be one single core that gives rise to the Nightmare itselfGiving rise to the fear or trauma of the Nightmares owner.

That said, Baldie then asks, who is the owner of the Nightmare in the first place?

The Missiontakers then look at each other, nonplussed.

Fei murmurs, could it be that guy? Collecting food every day but still feel hunger; or a survivor of the amusent park who fears the apocalypse, or even fears the ruins itself? Or Then she suddenly cos up with another option, the man that was pushed off the building?

Wu Jian widens his eyes to say, the dead person the owner of the Nightmare?

Collector has an intriguing smile on, comnting, we cant rule that out, especially since his death did not cause the Nightmare to restart. This is a clear enough sign that there is sothing wrong with him.

Wu Jian ekly suggests, it might just be part of the fixed plot

The rest of the Missiontakers all give him looks.

Wu Jian imdiately shuts up.

Mu Jiashi then gives it so thought and idly suggests, what if its a book?

When he says that, he is recalling the book Lin Qin returned to X Beijin; recalling the books cover of a bloodied piece of paper and a pen; recalling how, that day, at a certain intersection, he ran into the Tower resident holding a pen in his hand.

He then changes topic to say, in this Nightmare, all that we write turns into nonsense, but there is still one bookstore here, with countless books insidewhat would those books be like?

Collector is the first to react, but is to his earlier point, and so asks with this shocked but also excited tone, are you suggesting we might be experiencing events of a book?!(TL: Going by Mu Jiashis answer of what if its a book to the earlier question of who is the owner of the Nightmare)

Mu Jiashi shakes his head, and selectively ntions only his encounter with that particular Tower resident, and then says, so not exactly, but I believe it is a direction that is possible to explore.

Baldie isnt interested in working through the leaps of faith in logic here, and just says, then lets hurry up and go.

A short while later, the Missiontakers arrive in the bookstore.

Mu Jiashi takes a step forward, and tells X Beijin, who is sitting behind the counter, owner, weve co looking for a book. A book, that we can read clearly.

He observes this man with pale skin while asking, and notes that he seems to have the hints of a smile on his face.

A smile? Why?

Mu Jiashi is now wondering once again, whether his image of X Beijin in the Tower, can really be applied to the man here inside of the Nightmare.

Although X Beijin is just rely feeling touched, even proud of the intelligent thinking the Missiontakers have displayed thus far.

He, with this face that is almost gentle to a fault, is feeling so glad for the Missiontakers who have co to him for help, which in the Missiontakers eyes, rely resembles how a demon would look seeing prey fall right into his trap.

Well, technically, its similar in how theyre both reactions to people coming to him.

Mu Jiashi could almost be convinced his earlier thoughts about a key book is wrong at this point.

A book?

X Beijin repeats the word with a quiet tone.

Then, he abruptly breaks into a chuckle.

Then, using his long, pale, and elegant right hand placed on the counter, he lifts up his right index finger, to tap lightly on a particular book.