Owing to the vast area within the Ultimate Nightmare, people might end up never running into soone they know. Of course, its possible they et up very quickly.
Case in point, Mu Jiashi and Shen Ynj.
Both were surprised at the other when they saw each other, then they both sigh in relief.
Never mind whether it is helpful to encounter a companion in this situation; it is at least reassuring ntally.
Did you run into anyone else? Mu Jiashi asks, soone you know, or soone that is clearly still awake.
Shen Ynj shakes his head, replying, Ive t people I knew, but they have all succumbed.
Mu Jiashi sighs, and says, sa here.
He t A-One, actually, but the guy, with his phone in his hand, playing his mobile ga attentively, happily passes by Mu Jiashi without even so much as a glance. Mu Jiashi didnt even know how he should call out to him.
Shaking his head at the mory, he says, it seems it would be adequate for now to follow X Beijins advice to the letter. Stay awake, stay sane in this Nightmare. Hopefully, that is enough to let us win the Ultimate Nightmare.
Mu Jiashi isnt feeling quite ambitious Or rather, he has fallen back to the most efficient choice with the maximum probability of success.
Right now, staying safe and awake in the Ultimate Nightmare, keeping his sense of self with him, is a far more realistic and practical goal than looking for the truth and ways of achieving a True End.
Shen Ynj nods in agreent.
Theyre outside a university, from which Mu Jiashi just erged, and Shen Ynj just passed by. Shen Ynj cant help but glance at the na of this university.
Qcheng University.
Noticing that gaze, Mu Jiashi explains, I am studying postgraduate here, apparently I dont rember the major, but sothing related to biology or chemistry. I just left a lab.
Shen Ynj sounds surprised, and he hesitantly asks, you still rember?
Not exactly Mu Jiashi says, I think I entered the program when the Apocalypse was already ongoing But after I woke, I looked around myself and got information.
Shen Ynj nods, quiet as is his habit, but then, after thinking a little, also tells him his situation, I believe Im an office worker, andhave been for several years. What happened during the Apocalypse I dont know, and Im not planning to find out.
Mu Jiashi says sa, then he adds after a pause, seeing others tragic experiences is different from seeing your own tragic experience.
They continue walking past the university campus, and they start talking about sothing else soon enough.
Mu Jiashi suggests, we should find a safe location first, take stock, and try to find the other companions; Ive tried using the Internet in the campus, and it still worked, but we dont know when it will go down.
This scene is too big, we might not be able to et up in ti, Shen Ynj says monotonously, we might have to be dispersed.
Thats alright, as long as we stay sane.
They continue discussing their following steps with a dry and chanical tone.
Up to this point, the two of them have taken this Ultimate Nightmare as a simple recreation of the Apocalypse.
They havent fully grasped the reason that this Nightmare is branded Ultimate.
They reach an intersection, when screams erupt nearby, and they turn to see soone in shock, limping, escaping from a bakery
the bakerys window is full of splashed blood.
The escaping person sees Mu Jiashi and Shen Ynj, and they lock eyes with one another.
Then the person quickly yells, youre awake, arent you?! You know the Tower, Nightmares and damned scene is fake!
The man is so agitated and fearful his words are getting incoherent, but the implication to Mu Jiashi and Shen Ynj is clear enough, and they both appear surprised in response.
The man pleads with them, please, my coworkers, they dont believe . They want
to stay inside the bakery with them, I did all I could to run away
He shows them his bloodied, bleeding thigh, theyve slashed my leg
Behind the man, there are already people pouring out from the bakery.
Mu Jiashi imdiately takes the man by the arm while Shen Ynj takes his other arm, and they successfully half-drag-half-run away with the man in their tow.
They run for a while under the overcast, gloomy skies, until they arrive outside of the walls to a residential community a while later.
The man is thanking them profusely, although he looks quite in pain from his wound.
Mu Jiashi examines the man
the very first stranger
Missiontaker? Actor?
hes t that is still awake since entering the Nightmare.
A youthful man in his twenties, it seems. Rather ordinary in appearance, but the fright on his face when he escaped from the bakery is still quite vivid in his mories.
He asks, so you were in that bakery when you opened your eyes in the Ultimate Nightmare? Why didnt you leave imdiately?
The man has a pained smile as he explains, I just couldnt react in ti. I know its the Ultimate Nightmare, but I didnt know itd be this. Itd be the past.
His tone trailing off, his expression contorts visibly.
Then he continues, And my colleague told
to get to baking, and I just followed the orders without thinking much, getting scolded for doing a poor job too
Mu Jiashi furrows his brows at the rather useless descriptions and asks, when did you realise sothing was off?
It was, like, the mood, the man says, they were acting weirdly fixated, dedicated to a really strange degree. I could be convinced theyve fallen in love with the bread theyre baking
It was enough to give
goosebumps, so I said I didnt feel well and wanted the day off. They were unwilling to let
go, telling
I cant leave work early. I cant I cant betray the bread and things like that.
So kind of strange mood seems to be overtaking him. He mumbles, I think, if I stayed any longer, Ill beco them. I like it at the bakery the bread is so soft
I like it I love it I adore it
He keeps mumbling like that.
Mu Jiashi shuts him down calmly, I see.
The man freezes for a while, before looking terrified and asking, what was I saying?! Shit, am I still under that places influence? The madness is it infecting ?!
Shen Ynj furrows his brows and suggests to Mu Jiashi, would this an that we mustnt stay sowhere sa for long? Or the madness there would start to infiltrate
Mu Jiashi asks, do you still rember the scene He Shujn and Mystic ended up in, in X Beijins Nightmare?
Exploring Ruins I think they call it sothing like that, but they say that people who explore the ruins left behind after the madness might bring that madness out.
Shen Ynj quietly comnts, almost like a virus.
The poor guy, anwhile, is looking at them, confused and still in shock.
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