[Develop a game with a 1-star rating.]
[Quest Completed]
A series of notifications streaked across my vision all of a sudden. I could only stare at them, baffled.
"What the hell...?"
Did I manage to complete the quest?
...But why now of all times? I completed the game about an hour ago. Why now, of all times?
The notifications weren't over yet.
[Calculating rewards...]
My mind quickly sobered up when I saw the last notification.
Even though I was still confused about why all of this was happening, I couldn't help but feel excited about the reward part—especially the 'Shop' section. I had a feeling that what I wanted was waiting for me there.
[Rewards calculated]
Ding—!
As a small chime rang in my head, a new window appeared in front of me.
[+ 1000 SP]
[Shop Unlocked!]
─────[Shop]─────
-> [First Order]
[Butcher's Knife]
: Knife with the ability to cut through anomalous objects and entities. The more it kills, the stronger it becomes!
Non-consumable.
Price : 10,000 SP
[Mr. Huggs]
: A dirty teddy bear that reduces aggression in a 5-meter radius. However, extended exposure causes severe dependency and emotional instability when separated.
Price : 2,178 SP
[The Dead Channel]
: A radio that only tunes into a station broadcasting the voices of the deceased. Sometimes, they respond to questions.
Price : 999 SP
[Available Points : 1,000 SP]
[Conversion rate : 1$ = 0.1 SP]
─────[Shop]─────
I was immediately surprised by the interface that greeted me. There were numerous items, each containing a certain description, alongside a certain price.
"10,000 SP?"
Was this the currency used for the shop?
I got my answer soon enough as I quickly spotted the relevant information.
"Conversion rate? One dollar for 0.1 SP? That's..."
Wasn't this daylight robbery? Taking into account all of my savings, which were around 7,000$, that was hardly 700SP. What could I even buy with that?
"No, actually, there are quite a few things..."
To the right of the window, a search bar flickered faintly — a small counter beside it showing the total number of items available.
[Search █──────────]
Total items: 137
Looking at the number, I was pleasantly surprised. These were quite a lot. I could also see that there were even more items available than shown, but those areas were locked.
The only items that I had access to were those under the [First Order] section.
'...I'm curious to see what that means, but that's not important at the moment.'
There was only one thing that was in my mind at the moment, and it was...
"Medicine. I need to find medicine."
I could tell that my condition was starting to worsen. Especially with the added stress and lack of sleep.
I still had my own medicine, but those were merely suppressants. They didn't deal with the actual condition as they slowly started to lose their effect.
"Where is it...?"
Pressing on the search bar, a filter expanded beneath it, dividing items into 'Consumables' and 'Non-Consumables'. A price slider flickered into view shortly after, and I capped it at 1700 SP, the total of my current income.
The balance surprised me. It was higher than expected, but that didn't matter. Finding the medicine was the only thing that did.
Items available : 12
I quickly scrolled through the items before my eyes finally fell on a certain item.
(Recommended) [Lumenol]
: Halts the spread of Fractures for a week, providing immediate relief and preventing new Cognate Shard growth.
Consumable.
Price : 250SP
"Ah?"
Reading the description, I was at a loss. Fracture? Cognate Shard? What in the world did the two words mean?
I didn't understand a single thing.
The descriptions were confusing, but it wasn't like I had anything to help me figure out what they meant.
'I should try asking Kyle later. He might know something.'
I felt like the words were closely related to this world's system.
That aside...
Looking at the price tag, I drew a cold breath.
"250 SP? That's crazy expensive."
Honestly, I would've skipped right past it if not for that quiet little 'Recommended' sitting beside the item name.
I understood with just a glance that this was a clue provided by the system with regards to my condition.
Though I was doubtful, I still decided to purchase the item, clicking on the 'purchase' button right beneath it. The moment I pressed the button, my balance dropped to 750, and a notification flashed across my vision.
[Purchase complete!]
Poof!
A familiar puffing sound echoed, and an item dropped from above me.
"Oish!"
The item fell directly into my hands as I caught it.
"...This is the medicine?"
It was white and about the size of a pill. In fact, it looked and felt like a regular pill. I held it between my fingers, half-expecting it to hum or shift, or do something strange.
But it didn't. It just sat there, still, unassuming.
'Should I drink some water with it?'
There were no instructions, but seeing how it was designed, I went on to grab a cup of water before chugging the pill down.
The pill smoothly entered my stomach shortly after that, and I sat down, waiting for something to happen.
'Surely I'll know soon.'
I waited.
I waited for something to happen.
I waited, and yet...
"...."
Opening my eyes, I frowned.
I didn't feel a thing.
'Did something go wrong? Or did I not eat it properly?'
I opened the shop once again and read the description. However, there seemed to be no instructions alongside the description.
"Maybe the effects aren't obvious...?"
I lowered my head to check the time and date.
"...I usually get an attack every twelve hours. I'll start the timer now and see if it works."
This was the only way for me to check if the pills worked.
Shortly after starting the timer, my eyes fell on the shop once again. My hands began to itch as I stared at the numerous items.
In particular, my eyes fell on the [Butcher's Knife] on the front page.
'If I have that, wouldn't it be easier for me to fight the conductor?'
I really wanted it, but I lacked the necessary money to buy it.
That wasn't the only item that I was interested in. There were so many useful items that I desperately wanted.
But yet again, my issue was the lack of money.
I needed to somehow make money.
But that wasn't exactly easy. I had no job, and the only thing going for me was the—
"Wait!"
A thought suddenly struck me then.
Hurriedly pulling my computer out and opening the app, my eyes fell on the game rating.
"One star..."
I covered my mouth.
'That's right, I wasn't just creating the game to fulfill the quest. I can also sell it and hope that it makes money.'
The only issue that I had was whether it would make money.
Considering that the system had given it a rating of one star, surely it wasn't too bad?
"Let's say the game is good, I'm still considered an indie developer. The audience I can reach is not that big. I need to find a way to market the game and give it the proper kickstart to make it sell."
I massaged my forehead while racking my brain over the situation.
It was in the midst of those thoughts that a notification blinked to life.
Ding!
I looked up slowly to see something flash before me.
[New quest assigned!]
[You've created a fitting game to scare the people of this world. It would be a pity if the world didn't know about your game. Find a way to market your game and reach at least 10,000 sales!]
[Reward : 3,000 SP]
[Failure : Shop closure]
[Time Limit : One Week]
My mouth opened, and soon closed.
Then...
"Alright."
I nodded before tossing myself onto the bed and covering my body with the bedsheets.
"...Fuck this shit."
-x-X-x-
8 PM.
I blinked several times, hoping I was just seeing things, but once reality settled in, a groan escaped my lips. I wasn't imagining it.
...I had really slept through the entire day.
"And I just managed to fix my sleeping schedule."
Tossing right and left, I eventually kicked the sheets away and got out of bed. I couldn't exactly say that I was refreshed, but considering how sleep deprived I had been, I was certainly feeling a lot better than before.
"Right, there's that too."
My head drooped as I recalled the new quest I had just received.
"Sell the game."
That was easier said than done.
Games weren't easy to sell unless they belonged to a reputable gaming studio with a large enough fan base.
Although I was more confident about the game, considering that the system had approved it, if I suddenly released it like this, I was sure it wasn't going to gain any traction. Perhaps in the future, but I didn't have the luxury of time.
I needed to find a way to market the game and make it gain traction.
But that was easier said than done.
I scrolled through the system shop, hoping to find something useful, but when nothing caught my eye, all I could do was sigh in disappointment.
"I guess I'll try asking Kyle. He might have some connections."
Although I wasn't exactly hopeful.
After all, he knew nothing about games.
*
Finding Kyle wasn't exactly hard.
After changing and making my way into the office, I found him loitering around the kitchen area, making himself some powdered coffee. Surprisingly, the Guild was still quite full in spite of it already being closing time.
"Thanks."
"Uh? Ah...? That's mine!"
"Very kind of you."
I took a sip of the coffee.
Tasted like shit.
"...Why are you looking at me like that? I'm doing you a favor. It's already nighttime—if you drink coffee now, you won't get any sleep."
"I already can't get any sleep."
"Then this should help."
I took another sip.
No, seriously. This was really bad coffee.
"....."
Kyle stopped saying anything then. He looked torn. He seemed to agree and also disagree at the same time.
I didn't bother with his expression and got straight to the topic.
"I've finished my game."
"...Oh."
Kyle flinched slightly upon hearing that.
'Ah, right. He hasn't tested the completed version yet.'
"Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to test the game again. I'm here for something else."
"Really?"
Kyle's eyes lit up.
Why did he look so happy?
"Yeah..."
I tried my best to keep his expression out of my mind.
"I just wanted to know if you know someone who can help me market the game. I am planning on releasing it soon, but without any proper way to advertise it, I doubt it'll gain any steam."
"Marketing...?"
Kyle's brows furrowed all of a sudden as he brought his hand to his face. He appeared to be in deep thought, but soon shook his head.
"Nothing really comes to my mi—Ah."
As if something had suddenly hit him, Kyle smacked his fist against his open palm. However, his expression quickly turned strange.
"What? Why are you making a face like that?"
"That's..."
Kyle scratched the side of his face while mumbling, 'It could definitely work, but I'm not sure if she would...'
Pausing, Kyle looked in my direction again.
"...I might not be able to help you, but I know someone who might be."
"You do?"
"Yeah, but..."
"But what? Why are you dragging your sentences so much?"
"Well, fine. Don't say I didn't warn you, though."
Kyle pulled out his phone and started typing something in a hurry. Within seconds, he brought up a page and turned the screen toward me—it was a profile page on some sort of social media app.
─────
[Zoey Terline]
Posts: 73 Followers: 21.3M Following: 2
─────
"...If you want help, then she is the right person."
I opened my mouth, but almost as quickly closed it. 21.3M followers? That many...?
Although I knew she was popular, considering her character profile and looks, I didn't think it'd be to this extent.
She was a full-blown celebrity.
'One that probably hates me.'
I nearly groaned out loud. I knew her well enough to realize that asking her would only make things worse. She'd drag things out endlessly just to get back at me for what happened before—and chances were, she'd never promote it at all.
Asking her was like asking for a headache.
"Forget about it."
In the end, I could only look for an alternative.
I was just about to head back to my office when I bumped into a figure.
"Ah, sorry."
"Watch where—"
I came to an abrupt stop, bracing myself for the guy I'd just bumped into to blow up at me. He was just about to when he suddenly froze, his eyes shaking for some reason.
"Eh...?"
Confused by his reaction, I reached out to him—but he instantly took a step back.
"Don't. touch. me."
There was a subtle tremble as he spoke.
But more importantly...
"Stay away from me."
Why did he look so scared of me?
"Terrance?"
Kyle stepped up shortly after, as he looked at Terrance with a confused look.
"Did you just come out of a gate? Why are you acting like this...?"
"No, I..."
Terrance stared at me, his eyes trembling once again. The longer he looked, the more fear seemed to creep into his expression. Then, shifting his expression towards Kyle, his lips parted.
"You two... Neither of you is normal."
He left it at that, brushing past the two of us as he made his way back to the field agent area. I could only stare at his departing back for a brief moment before meeting Kyle's gaze as he looked to be in deep thought.
"What the hell was that?"
"...He's probably suffering from the side effects of a gate. PTSD is quite a common side-effect of our job."
He spoke so calmly and convincingly that I almost nodded along. That was until I realized what he had said.
PTSD? Normal...?
"What?"
Kyle innocently tilted his head.
"... Never mind."
I stopped trying to understand and just nodded before bidding him goodbye and heading back to my office.
'I don't think I'll ever get accustomed to this world's common sense.'
I really didn't think so.
"Hm?"
I came to a stop in front of my office, my eyes instantly landing on a small black stick lying by the door. My thoughts blanked for a moment before I hurriedly checked my back.
"Oh, crap!"
That was my USB!
I quickly snatched up the USB, giving the top a few hurried blows before unlocking my office door with the keys. The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by the same chaotic mess as before.
I was just about to boot up my laptop to check if the USB's contents were still intact when I suddenly froze.
My thoughts stalled as my gaze shifted to the wall—the one where the blood markings had been.
The VI was gone.
In its place was a single, blood-red V.
But that wasn't all.
Right beneath the markings was a black square, covered in a black cloth.
I felt my chest squeeze.
When...?
When did that get there?
Did someone enter my room...?
That was my first thought the moment I saw the strange black cloth draped over what looked like a square-shaped object.
My body tensed as I scanned the room, eyes darting for any sign.
For anything out of place.
'Could the fact that I found my USB in front of my office not be a coincidence?'
At first, it struck me as odd, but considering how exhausted I'd been earlier that morning after finishing my work, accidentally dropping my USB didn't seem all that far-fetched.
But now...?
I swallowed hard, staring at the draped object.
A thought seeped into my mind.
'...Could it be something by the conductor?'
I raised my head to stare at the large V on the wall and felt that it was more than just likely. I drew a cold breath and stared at my arm.
Then, walking over to the switch—
Click!
The lights turned off, and the darkness swallowed me.
All the sounds around me seemed to sharpen in that moment as I tried to stay composed, instinctively rubbing my forearm.
"Come out."
A presence stirred in front of me. Though I couldn't see it, I felt it all too well.
As I was about to open my mouth to speak, my mouth stopped, and I stepped back. Something about the Nightwalker's gaze... It didn't feel right.
It felt... almost similar to the time in the trial.
'...Oh, shit.'
This wasn't the first time I had seen that gaze from it. It first happened right after the conductor killed it, and ever since that incident, its behavior had changed.
It no longer felt... obedient.
'Could it be that it lost some affinity with me as a result of its death to the conductor?'
The thought clicked into place.
Indeed, something like this could explain the Nightwalker's sudden change in attitude. It was just a pity that I couldn't confirm my thoughts since there was no window for me to reference.
"Unfurl the black cloth."
I still decided to have the Nightwalker unfurl the black cloth by the end of the room. As of now, although it was defiant, it still listened to me.
On the off chance that it did die again, I could just not summon it again.
"....."
The Nightwalker stared at me silently. Its eyes pressed down on me.
Then, wordlessly, it turned towards the covered object.
Step. Step.
Each step echoed through the room like a drumbeat, eventually coming to a stop before the object.
The room felt silent.
It felt dragging, and then...
Swoosh!
It pulled the cloth away.
Immediately, I recalled it into my arm and flicked the lights on, hand braced against the door, ready to run.
Click!
However...
"Uh?"
What stood in the middle of the room wasn't what I expected.
I blinked, once... twice.
And my expression changed.
"A painting?"
Hidden behind the cloth was none other than a painting.
I stepped closer to get a better look, still in disbelief.
"...This doesn't seem like something the conductor would have."
Then.. who placed it here?
I frowned, studying the painting. Its simplicity was deceiving—beautiful, yet unsettling in its minute detail. A woman in white, walking along a narrow path flanked by lush greenery, heading toward the edge of a vast forest. The sky was clear, a brilliant blue, with sunlight pouring down from above. Her face was concealed beneath the shade of a large white umbrella, making it hard to see her features.
"There doesn't seem to be anything strange with this..."
I turned the painting over, expecting the same: a simple wooden frame. And for a moment, that's exactly what I saw. But then, a small marking in the corner caught my eye.
"What's this?"
I leaned my head took a closer look at the mark. It was there that I managed to spot several words. I carefully read them.
[No. 12 Ivory Hollow District - Velora Art Museum]
"An address?"
To a museum, none other?
I was confused. How did something like this end up in my office?
Just as I was about to pull out my phone to do some research, something flashed across my vision.
Ding!
[Optional Quest Activated!]
• Difficulty: Second Order• Reward: 5,000 SP• Objective: Investigate the painting's origins.• Location: Velora Art Museum
Description:Clues hide within the museum's halls. Travel to the Velora Art Museum and uncover the story behind the mysterious painting.
Time Limit: 2 days
[Do you wish to accept the quest?]
▶[Yes] ▷[No]
An optional quest?
"Wait, what? What the hell...?"
I stared at the window, still trying to process the sudden appearance of this new objective. Then, as the realization hit me, my confusion shifted into something else.
"Wait, could it be that the one who sent me the painting was the system?!"
It all made sense now. If it were the system, it would explain the strange timing of the appearance.
At least, it made me feel a little more at ease.
But still, there was no guarantee that it was the system. I then looked around the room and eyed each corner of the room.
"Just in case, I should probably install some cameras so that I can see if anyone tries to enter my office."
The only issue with this thought was that it cost quite a bit of money, and I was severely lacking in that aspect. Therefore, I quickly brushed those thoughts aside and focused my attention back onto the quest.
"Difficulty, Second Order..."
I frowned as my eyes lingered on that part. Once again, I was staring at a familiar set of words. It wasn't the first time I had seen them, and now, more than ever, I felt an undeniable urge to find out what they meant.
'Right, I did say I was going to ask Kyle about it. I should do that now.'
I grabbed the cloth from the floor, about to cover the painting again. But before I could, another notification flashed across my screen.
[Do not cover the painting]
The notification appeared suddenly, catching me off guard. By the time I registered it, the cloth had already been draped over the painting.
"Crap!"
I instantly grew alarmed, pulling at the cloth in an attempt to remove it from the painting. But the moment I tried to, the cloth moved, shifting unnaturally, twisting into the shape of a hand that latched onto my wrist.
"....!?"
The hand gripped onto my wrist tightly, its grip extremely strong as my entire body stiffened.
Immediately, I tried to pull my hand away, but the grip seemed stronger than me as I felt my hand slowly get pulled into the painting.
'No, no, no...!'
My heart pressed tightly against my chest as I saw this, anxiety gnawing at me as I desperately looked around for anything, any way to escape.
But it was no use.
Everything was too far.
The desk, the lights—they were all out of reach!
I couldn't even call for the Nightwalker.
'Shit!'
In my restlessness, I reached for my pocket with my free hand, fumbling for my phone. I opened the recording app with trembling fingers, scrolling through the list of previous recordings.
An idea had occurred to me as I scrolled down the numerous recordings I had.
'Where is it? Where is it...? Come on, come on!'
"There!"
The moment I found the right recording, I hit play.
A tune flowed out almost immediately after.
Ting~
It began with the soft, comforting melody of a violin, soon joined by the rich resonance of a cello.
The familiar tune began to play as I nervously looked at the hand, hoping for a reaction.
'It's reacting!'
And it did.
The hand froze almost immediately, shivering, as if suddenly frightened by the tune echoing through the air. It still refused to release my wrist, but the hesitation was enough.
"Ukh!"
I yanked my hand back, tearing the cloth away with it. I fell back on the floor at the same time, breathing heavily as the cloth dropped next to me.
"Haa... Crap!"
At the same time, I turned off the recording while staring in the direction of the painting.
It was...
The same as it was before.
No.
I narrowed my eyes.
The woman in the painting—
She was closer than before.
I blinked my eyes slowly, moving closer to the painting.
The background was the same. The same winding path, the surrounding greenery, the endless blue sky... it was all the same.
But one thing was different.
The woman in white.
Unlike before, she now felt closer... somehow nearer than ever.
'This is not my imagination, right?'
I leaned in, needing to be sure it wasn't just my eyes betraying me. But given everything that had happened lately, even if I couldn't be certain... it was probably safe to assume it was real.
"...I really can't catch a break."
I let out a breath and leaned back against the wall, covering my face with both hands.
No... now that I thought about it, the only reason I didn't get a break was because I'd willingly entered the newbie trial. If I'd chosen not to, I probably would've been fine.
If anything, I was the reason why I couldn't catch a break.
'But I don't regret my decision.'
I wouldn't have come in contact with the Nightwalker had I not entered it. At the same time, I would've also struggled with the game development.
On a different note...
I turned my attention towards my phone. Or more specifically, the recording.
If it weren't for the constant worry that the Conductor might appear every time I play this, I'd honestly consider it a great weapon to carry when dealing with anomalies.
What just happened right now was perfect proof of it.
But at the same time, it also made me wonder something.
"Can I use this against stronger anomalies in the future? If I end up facing an exceptionally strong one, will the Conductor fight it if I play the music?"
The thought made my heart race.
I wasn't sure as of now, but if it worked, wouldn't I be able to kill two birds with one stone?
"...I can't say that I'm not tempted."
But I quickly threw those thoughts away and stood up. For now, there was no use thinking about it.
After reaching out and picking up the painting, I glanced around the room, then walked over to my laptop and began typing into the chatbox.
[What must I do with the painting?]
I received an answer almost immediately.
[Hang it in the room. Don't cover it. Make sure to stare at it for a minute without blinking, starting at exactly 1 a.m.]
"Ah?"
What sort of...
[Keep this up every day until you complete the mission.]
[Of course, you can choose to throw the painting away, and there will be no consequences. This is an optional quest.]
The chat ended there.
I stared at the message, caught between confusion and suspicion.
"...I can just throw the painting away with no consequences?"
This...
It was somewhat unexpected, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it. I didn't like it when I was forced to do things I didn't want to. I had already experienced too much of that in my previous company.
The fact that I had been given a choice felt a lot better in my mind.
"So... do I play along, or walk away?"
I narrowed my eyes, thinking it over for a long moment before finally placing the painting on top of my table.
"Let me first figure out what this Second Order thing is. I'll think about the rest later."
For now, I put the decision on hold. A part of me wanted to reject the mission, but with the conductor heavy on my heels and the lucrative reward that was waiting for me, I knew that it was worth taking into consideration.
'Like the Section Chief previously said, I can't be passive on this matter.'
But still, for now, my priority was the main quest.
I needed to figure out a way to market my game.
"But that is easier said than done."
Shaking my head, I scanned the room before heading out of my office. I needed to find Kyle and ask him about the strange information I had received.
Thankfully, it wasn't hard for me to find him.
But there was only one problem...
'Ah, shit.'
He was talking to the last person that I wanted to see.
***
"Wait, so you want me to help your friend promote his game?"
Zoey scratched the top of her brows while narrowing her eyes. She wasn't sure if she was hearing wrong.
Did he seriously just ask her that?
"Well... yeah."
But she didn't hear wrong.
Seeing Kyle's wry smile as he held onto a cup of coffee, her expression nearly crumbled.
"You can't be serious."
Nowadays, she felt sour just seeing Seth's face. Every time she moved around the area, her eyes would subconsciously drift towards his office. It was already a miracle she hadn't done anything until this point, considering how petty she normally was.
And yet, fully understanding how she was, Kyle still tried to ask for help for his friend?
'Has he lost his mind?'
"You know what, never mind."
Zoey covered her face and sighed.
"I charge about 100,000 per post. If you want to promote your—"
"Pfttt—!"
Coffee burst from Kyle's mouth as he jerked his head to the side, spitting it all out in one sudden spray.
He then began to cough.
"Cough! What...!? 100.. 100..."
"One hundred grand. Flat."
Zoey interjected while stepping back from him. At the same time, seeing his face pale, she stopped him before he could continue any further.
"I don't do discounts. This is already the cheapest rate I can offer."
"But..."
"But what, Kyle?"
Zoey raised her brow.
"...The only reason I'm even considering helping you out is because of you. Otherwise, there's no way I'm promoting whatever low-quality game your friend is developing. In fact, it would do me more harm than good if I promoted something terrible."
To that, Kyle couldn't argue.
He had tried Seth's game, and it was indeed... not very good. If she promoted it, then it would harm her reputation considerably.
The fact that she was even willing to consider the offer was kind enough of her.
'Can't say that I haven't tried.'
Opening his mouth to thank her, Kyle was just about to speak when Zoey cut him off.
"But you know, if your friend's trying to promote his game, it's not like it's impossible for him."
"Eh...?"
Kyle raised his head, his eyes blinking. Not impossible?
"It's not."
Zoey pulled out her phone, her fingers gliding swiftly across the screen before she flipped it over.
That was when Kyle saw several different titles.
[Exploring an abandoned building!]
Views : 80k live views
[Solving the case of the missing daughter!]
Views : 31k live views
"Livestream."
Zoey answered while pulling the phone back.
"...There's a recent trend with mystery-thriller streams. If your friend's looking to sell his game, I can connect him with a fairly popular creator I know. That way, he can promote the game during the stream."
"Ah."
Kyle looked at the views and then the titles. He could see it certainly helping Seth out, but he soon shook his head.
"I don't think that will work."
He knew Seth well enough to know he hated that type of stuff the most. Even if he did tell him, he'd probably reject it while looking at him in disgust.
"...Thanks for the offer, but I'll try to loo—"
"I'll do it.
A voice suddenly cut Kyle mid-sentence.
Stunned, Kyle turned toward the voice, spotting Seth approaching from a distance. His gaze was vacant, almost lifeless, as it locked onto the phone in Zoey's hand.
"The livestream..."
Seth said, his voice low but steady.
"I'll do it."
"Wait, what?"
I saw the shock flash across Kyle's face as he turned to me. I couldn't blame him. Considering how much I hated anything remotely related to horror, this was definitely out of character for me.
But then again, I had done the same thing with the first trial.
"You're interested?"
More importantly, staring at Zoey and seeing the doubtful look on her face, I nodded.
"Yes, I'm interested."
This was actually a good opportunity.
Not only would this bring potential exposure to my game, but if I could do this well, then... I could also clear the optional quest. This was two birds with one stone.
"But I have a condition."
"Ho? You have a condition?"
Zoey raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a half-smile. I could almost hear her thinking, I'm already doing you a favor, and now you're asking for more?
I ignored her look and just stated my condition.
"There's a certain museum that recently caught my interest recently. I'd like to visit it for some inspiration. It's an abandoned one, so it might be intriguing for your contact."
"...An abadanoned museum?"
Zoey frowned, seemingly not expecting such an answer from me.
Then—
"What's the name of the place? Let me see what it is first."
"Velora Art Museum."
"An Art Museum?"
Zoey appeared a little surprised by the answer, but soon typed up the place on her phone.
"No. 12 Ivory Hollow District?"
"...That's the place."
"Hmm. It says it closed five years ago because of a gas leak? But wait—here it says it shut down due to insufficient funds. No, wait..."
Rolling her finger across the screen, Zoey's eyes squinted.
"Ah, here."
Her finger eventually stopped.
"It says here the museum shut down five years ago after it was robbed of its most important painting—The Lady of the White Umbrella. After it disappeared, a string of unfortunate events followed: a gas leak, the sudden withdrawal of their main sponsor... and eventually, the closure."
Zoey's voice slowed down as she read.
Eventually, tearing her eyes away from the phone, she looked at me.
"This is the place that you want to visit?"
"...Yes."
Though I said that, I wasn't actually sure. I wanted to go, but would the system allow it? It did previously say that I couldn't do anything that would compromise or reveal it. Would something like this be allowed?
And more importantly...
That painting that got robbed, it was none other than the one that was in my office, wasn't it?
"Hmmm."
Zoey tapped her arm thoughtfully, deep in thought.
And then...
"Let me see what I can do."
"Really?"
Kyle's tone rose. It usually happened whenever he was excited. He looked pretty happy for me.
However, I was anything but excited.
I knew her well enough to know things were probably not going to be as easy as they seemed.
"I'll get in contact with him. I'll let you know if they agree soon."
"...Thank you."
"Sure."
Zoey nodded before glancing at Kyle and finally moving away.
I stared at her back as she left.
'She might make things a little harder for me, but at least she won't go too far.'
Zoey was petty, but she knew when to draw the line. I could only get myself ready for whatever she had planned.
In any case, I turned to look at Kyle. There were quite a few things that I needed to ask him.
"There's something that I wanted to ask you."
"...Oh, me too."
His eyes narrowed.
Oh, right. He probably wants to ask me about why I accepted the offer to livestream... I already had an answer to that.
"I want to improve my game—and for that, I need inspiration. I never had the chance before; I was always stuck in the office. But now that I'm free, I'm thinking of exploring new places to find it."
Kyle's mouth paused. He bought my words. In fact, he almost seemed happy.
'Well, whatever pleases him.'
I took the chance to go straight to my point.
"Anyways, I wanted to ask you about something that I've recently overheard."
"Okay. What is it?"
"It's about something called order? First order? ...Second Order? Well, something like that."
It seemed like this topic caught him off guard, as his face stiffened. At the very least, I now knew that he knew something.
"It's... eh."
Kyle scratched the back of his head. Then, looking at me, he made a complicated look before eventually deflating with a resigned look.
"...I guess it doesn't hurt to tell you, considering where we are. You were bound to find out sooner or later."
He paused briefly, then moved to the nearest computer. After booting it up and tapping a few keys, an image flickered onto the screen—a strange gray lattice dotted with various glowing points.
It was weird to look at, but looking at it closer, this looked like a neural network.
'No, that's exactly what it is.'
The only key difference was the strange dots connecting each neural path.
"This is a scan of my brain. Or, well... yeah. Let's just go with that for now."
Kyle's words were enough to confirm my thoughts.
"Do you see the dots on here?" Kyle said as he pointed at the screen.
"Yeah..."
"These here are nodes."
"Hm?"
My ears suddenly perked up. Node? This... I was quite familiar with this term.
"Nodes are separated from Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Prime. See, look, this one right here is the intermediate one, while this one over here is the Basic one."
Kyle pointed towards two dots on the screen. They were rather easy to tell apart. The 'basic' dot or node appeared to be half the size of the 'intermediate' one.
"What about the Prime one?"
"Prime? Pftt.."
Kyle laughed.
"I'll need to be at least in the Seventh Order before I can touch that thing. I'm already struggling to unlock an advanced one."
"...Oh."
I pretended to nod, but I didn't really understand.
Kyle explained further.
"Essentially, nodes are pockets of synthetic energy we can channel into various skills. In order to be of the First Order, you must have access to at least one basic node."
Things started to become clearer to me from this point. Connecting the current information with the bits and pieces that I had already been exposed to, I finally started to understand my current situation.
'So the Containment Vessel I've got now is just a basic node, which means I'm considered this... First Order thing or whatever.'
I thought back to the application window and further verified my thoughts.
"I'm sure you're already starting to get an idea, but the reason why we enter the gates and clear them is so that we can collect what we call 'Myst Fragments'. In short, an extremely dense energy source that we mainly use to keep the island afloat."
"Uh?"
Keep the island afloat? But...
Kyle smiled but didn't elaborate.
"It's also the main source of our powers. By consuming the fragments which come in many different types and forms, we gradually gather enough energy to create new nodes, and eventually, once we've created the node, depending on the type, we rank up to a higher Order."
"So that's the case..."
In that case, considering that I was in the First Order, taking on a Second Order mission was impossible?
"Oh, but don't get too deceived by the Order stuff."
Kyle suddenly interrupted my thoughts.
"While it's true that your power increases with each higher Order, that doesn't mean someone of a lower Order can't win. With the right preparations, items, or depending on the type of Decree you follow, it's entirely possible to defeat someone ranked higher."
"That's good to hear."
In that case, it wasn't completely impossible for me to defeat the conductor. Although I wasn't sure about its 'Order', I knew it wasn't anything low.
'That being said, he did say something about a Decree? What is that...?'
I was just about to ask him when he cut me off.
"Oh, right."
His face suddenly turned serious as he looked at me.
"I'm only telling you this because you asked. But for your sake, I hope you never get involved in something like this."
"Why?"
"...Because it's dangerous."
As if he didn't make the point clear enough, Kyle looked around before shifting his attention back to the computer. His fingers pinched onto the trackpad, slowly moving out, and it was then that I saw it.
The multitude of severed paths.
"There are consequences to using these powers. I'm one of the lucky few who hardly have any fractures, but if you're one of those unlucky ones with a cognitive shard..."
Kyle pursed his lips and shook his head. The meaning behind his words was clear. However, it was also in that moment that I felt my lips quiver.
"Are those shards... dangerous?" I asked, my mouth feeling strangely dry.
"Seizures."
Kyle replied, his gaze locked onto the computer and away from me.
"Muscle stiffness. Loss of cognitive function. Eventually, your mind just starts to deteriorate."
"...Wha.. what else?"
"Bradykinesia."
He added, his voice lower than before.
I could only silently swallow as I tried my best to keep my lips from trembling.
That was because—
These symptoms...
They were identical to the ones from my disease.
"Cognitive Shards are accumulations of fragments that come from the overuse of nodes."
Kyle continued to explain without noticing the change in my expression.
Maybe it was because I was doing a very good job at hiding my face, or he was just distracted, but whatever the case was, I was happy he didn't notice a thing.
Because right now...
I was really struggling to keep my expression in check.
"That's why I don't want you to get in touch with this stuff. If you somehow have the misfortune of forming a Cognitive Shards, then there's really little that I can do to help you. You're essentially doomed to slowly see your entire neurological system fail you. Think of it like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, but worse."
"Oh."
I answered, my mouth just barely flat.
I was struggling to understand the situation.
Taking into account what the shop had recommended to me and the medicine I had taken, coupled with the symptoms listed by Kyle, I was almost certain I had whatever this shard thing was.
'But how does this make any sense...?'
It had only been recently since I had been exposed to this world.
How could something like this happen?
'No, it makes no sense.'
I forcibly recomposed myself while looking at Kyle and forcing a few words out of my mouth.
"So... you're saying that there's no way of curing something like that?"
"Not really."
Kyle paused and thought for a moment.
"Actually, it's more like, only the top brass know how to do it. The resources required are extremely expensive, so the best you can have is mild suppressants to stop the shard from expanding."
I thought about the small pill I had received from the shop. Could it be?
"However, that's merely a momentary solution. It's also rather expensive. Hm, well... at least better than just having a Mender help you out. Those bastards will just strip you of everything if you give them the chance."
Mender?
What was that?
"Don't worry too much. It's best if you don't know or get in contact with them."
"...Are they that bad?"
"Yes. They're also all lunatics."
I paused and looked at him. Thinking about this place, they were all lunatics anyway. What difference did it make?
"You don't seem to believe me."
Kyle shook his head, his expression worsening.
"You may think that the Section Chief and some others are bad, but trust me, compared to those guys, they're mild. Anyone who follows the Mender Decree is not sane. They're the type of people to do all sorts of experiments on your body. Before you know it, they might even be trying to rip your hand off to experiment on some stuff."
"That's..."
"Yeah, so don't bother looking for them."
Kyle made sure to emphasize this part. Seeing how serious he was, I could only nod. If he said so...
"But you said something about a Decree. What's that?"
"Oh, that."
Kyle shifted his attention back onto the screen and pointed at the nodes.
"Look at the nodes. What do you see?"
"Other nodes...?"
As far as I saw, it was some sort of neuron link where each node connected through a path to other nodes.
"You're not wrong, but look carefully."
Kyle pointed toward the connections between each node. Looking closer, I noticed his nodes followed a distinct pattern across the lattice—each one linked in a precise sequence, all stemming from the smallest node.
"A Decree is essentially the path that you take while upgrading and joining your nodes. Each path leads to new powers, and you can only follow the path that has synergy with your nodes. In that sense, I follow the Temporal Decree."
Kyle suddenly tossed a pen in the air, snapping his finger at the same time.
Snap!
All of a sudden, the pen froze mid-air. My eyes widened as I turned to Kyle, who looked at me with a face that seemed to say, 'Cool, right?'
He then snapped his fingers again, and just like that, time resumed. The pen dropped with a soft thud.
"My Decree is rather straightforward. I specialise in time manipulation of time. My nodes are all interconnected to follow that path. And in order to do that, I need to collect certain types of fragments."
"I see..."
It was all starting to make sense to me.
'If we're talking about it in game terms, then this Decree thing is more like a class? Nodes are the skills in the class, and Order is the ranking system?'
If that was the case, what Decree was I? I did recall being in the First Order, alongside having a special skill that allowed me to contain Anomalous entities. And how could I become a Second Order?
"You know, I'm rather surprised that you're showing interest in this topic. You're not the type of guy to care for this stuff usually."
Kyle's words brought me out of my thoughts, and as I looked at him, I licked my lips.
"... I've heard it being mentioned quite often. I thought I could get inspired."
"Makes sense, but unless you're working in some sort of big game, I doubt it will be of any help."
"I guess you're right."
He was right in this aspect. This system was quite complicated, and I knew I had merely scratched the surface of it.
I was satisfied with what I had learned so far.
But there was still something that I wanted to know.
"Is there some sort of book that you have referring to all the different Decrees and requirements to move up?"
"Eh, why?"
Kyle's eyes suddenly narrowed as I asked the question, his face filled with suspicion.
Because I was almost certain the system wouldn't allow me to mention anything relating to the powers I had, and the possible cognitive shard in me, I could only use the same excuse.
"...Inspiration."
Kyle's face twitched, his face seemingly ready to say, 'Don't tell me you're planning on adding something like this to your game?'
I could only wryly smile and answer with an unconvinced 'maybe'.
"Ah, you..."
Kyle covered his face with a resigned look. In the end, staring at me, he shook his head and sat down on the chair next to the computer.
"What's your mail? I'll send it to you."
My eyes lit up, and I immediately told him my email address. Kyle then proceeded to type a few things before pressing the Enter key.
He turned his head towards me after he was done.
"I've sent you the file we all get during our first year. It should have all the information that you need, but.."
Kyle's eyes narrowed as he looked at me.
"...I really do hope you won't do something stupid and try to awaken. You're not cut out for this job."
"I know, you don't have to tell me that."
I patted Kyle on the shoulder while thanking him. At the same time, I secretly shook my head.
If only he knew it was already too late for me.
Without wasting any more time, I bid Kyle goodbye and prepared to head to my office.
"Oh, right."
But right as I moved, I recalled something and moved around the area before picking up a couple of items from around. Once I gathered what I needed, I headed to my office and locked the door behind me.
Click!
I checked the time.
It was 9:30 PM.
"So I still have about three hours and thirty minutes."
I rolled my sleeves up before turning my attention towards the painting.
"I've learned quite a few things from Kyle. He said that it isn't impossible for a lower order to beat something of a higher order if they made enough preparations."
I looked around the room before placing a nail on the wall and slamming the hammer in my hand down.
Bang! Bang!
With the nail firmly set, I turned to the painting, lifted it with care, and hung it exactly where it belonged.
"That's good."
I nodded in satisfaction while staring at the painting.
Now, more than ever, I understand the importance of completing the quests. And for that reason, I no longer hesitated with my choice.
"...If preparations are required for me to defeat a Second Order, I have the perfect thing to help me with that."
I opened the quest window at the same time.
[Do you wish to accept the quest?]
▶[Yes] ▷[No]
I pressed yes.
-x-X-x-
● Live
Viewers: 2,035
"...Looks like this place was a dead end, too. Turns out the noise was just a couple of homeless people yelling to scare off anyone who got too close to the house."
A young man with short brown hair and sharp green eyes muttered while staring into the camera. He was a little chubby, and as he looked at the phone mounted on his selfie stick, a small smile tugged at his lips. Behind him loomed a rundown house, its windows shattered and roof tiles broken.
It was dark outside, with his flashlight being the only source of light.
Jamie Carter forced a smile as he looked at his chat.
—Another bust?
—Lololol, how many does this make?
—L
—Don't stress it, you're doing great!
—Imma check out Randy's channel. Looks like he's fighting some sort of monster. Shit here getting stalte.
Reading his chat, Jamie's lips quivered. He was having a hard time retaining his smile.
"Haha, it can't be helped, guys. It's really not that easy to find a haunted place. Most of them have already been found by the Guilds, so this is what I have left. Just bear with it a little longer, and I'll find something. I promise!"
The chat blew up even more after that. It was a mixed bag—some people cheered him on, while others flooded the screen with L's and called him "washed."
Jamie could only hold himself back while staring at the chat.
At the same time, he glanced at his live viewer count and barely managed to hold back a sigh. Things weren't terrible, but compared to last month's numbers, he was down by a lot.
This couldn't be helped.
He'd been struggling to find any decent places to explore for his livestream, with most of the promising places turning out to be hoaxes.
Not only that, but he was also facing several big competitors. They... were pulling numbers that even surpassed his prime self.
The worst part was that their streams were fake.
They had full-on productions to make everything look real, unlike him. He preferred to keep things genuine.
'I really can't compete if things keep going like this.'
Their level of production was also a tier above his. Rather than streamers, they were more like professionals disguised as streamers.
"Well, chat..." Jamie looked behind him. "Since this one turned out to be a bust too, I'm gonna end the stream here. I'll take some time to properly research the next spot, and I'll keep you all posted. Catch you soon—peace."
Click!
Jamie pressed into his phone, and the stream ended.
It was only then that his facade crumbled and his smile faded.
"Shit..."
He ruffled his hair and chewed on his nails, eyes scanning the screen as he picked up his phone and started frantically searching for new locations.
His streams were rooted in the thriller and horror genres, exploring abandoned places and spending the night there. But he didn't just pick any random rundown spot. He specifically sought out places with even the slightest chance of having some supernatural history behind them.
They were the ones to have the highest chance of having 'something'. Anything.
The reason he blew up in the first place was because of his very first stream. He'd gotten lucky—stumbled upon the perfect location that delivered just the right mix of thrill and horror. It hooked the audience instantly.
After that, he managed to find a few other solid spots, keeping the momentum going for a while. But as time went on, and as more streamers started faking their content, things began to go downhill.
"I need to find a new place. Something that can evoke the same thrill as before. But how? How do I find that?"
All the good ones had already been taken or explored. There were only so many abandoned places on a floating island. Even if it was extremely large.
Jamie groaned as his fingers glided across the screen.
Trrr—!
'Hmm? Who could it be...?'
It was in the midst of his actions that his phone suddenly vibrated.
"No, never mind."
Though surprised, Jamie pushed it aside, his focus on more pressing matters. Just as he was about to dismiss the call, his eyes briefly paused on the ID.
Immediately, his body stiffened.
Trrr—
It wasn't until his phone vibrated again that he snapped out of his daze, quickly answering the call.
"Hello...?"
—It's me.
Hearing the familiar voice, Jamie's body stiffened.
It's really her!
He almost lost it the moment he realized it was her, and he felt his mouth become dry.
Why would she, of all people, call him?
Although they couldn't be considered strangers, they weren't exactly friends. At best, acquaintances.
Back in his heyday as a streamer, Jamie had crossed paths with her and they'd collaborated on a few projects. At the time, she was still relatively unknown, but that was the moment that kick-started her career. Now, she was a massive celebrity.
They had lost contact for quite a while.
Why did she suddenly call him?
"How...ah... How are you doing? Why did you sudden—
—I'll get straight to the point. I need a favour.
"Favour?"
The excitement Jamie had felt earlier faded almost immediately, his expression falling into a more neutral, serious one.
Of course, she wouldn't call him for no reason.
—Yes. There's a guy I know who's looking to promote his horror-themed game. I thought it might be a good opportunity for him to appear on your stream to promote the game since it caters to a similar audience.
"That..."
Jamie frowned. Promoting a horror game? Who in their right mind would even bother making a horror game these days?
Streaming was one thing, but games?
Jamie sighed.
"Is the game any good? Do you have a sample of it?"
—Not sure, but it's made by one person. I think I heard that it was made in less than a week or some stuff like that. I'm not sure. I also don't have a sample.
"Oh."
Jamie almost felt the impulse to throw his phone on the ground. Single developer? Less than a week?
'She's trying to ruin me!'
If he promoted such a game, he was without a doubt going to lose all his audience.
Jamie made his decision then and there.
"I'm sorry, but I would—"
—Hear me out before you reject me.
Zoey cut him off before he could reject her.
Jamie swallowed silently and pretended to listen. In his mind, he had already made up his mind.
There was simply no way he could afford to do something like this.
—The guy that I want to recommend to you. He kind of pisses me off...
"Um?"
Jamie's expression turned even stranger.
'Wait, don't tell me she's going to use me to get back at this guy?'
He almost felt like groaning on the spot. However, considering her reputation, he couldn't afford to do that.
"...And you want me to teach him a lesson for you?"
—Not really. I just want you to go to a certain abandoned place and scare him up a little. Don't do anything dangerous, but just enough to scare him in front of your viewers. I'm sure that can get you some views, right?
"Right..."
Jamie shrugged a little. Yes, this would indeed help him get more views, but it was very different compared to his usual stuff.
There was a good risk that his loyal audience would be turned off by the stream.
'Yes, I can't take this. I need to—'
—If you can do this well, I'll shout you out on my page.
"....!?"
Jamie's eyes almost pooped out of his sockets the moment he heard her words.
"Really...? You would?!"
Zoey had a massive following. A simple shoutout from her was massive. Incredibly massive!
If it was that, then—
—Are you going to take the offer or not?
Take it?
"Of course!"
Only an idiot wouldn't take such an offer. With this, he wouldn't have to worry about his channel dying.
—Good, I'll send you the details soon. I hope you make something entertaining.
"Of course, don't worry."
Jamie nodded hurriedly. He didn't need to be told what to do. All sorts of ideas on how to scare the 'victim' had already popped up in his mind.
At the same time, he felt sorry for whoever the victim was.
But he wasn't going to hold back.
For the sake of his own future, he was going to scare the hell out of him!
***
Meanwhile, as all of this was unfolding, the person in question stood in a small, cramped office, his gaze fixed on a large painting hanging on the wall.
It was almost 1 AM.
Unaware of what was brewing for him, Seth got ready for the inevitable situation that was about to unfold.
"I just have to not blink for one minute, right?"
That sounded quite easy.
In fact, he had already thought of different ways to bypass this rule. His first thoughts drifted towards the most basic strategy. Blink with one eye at a time.
However, thinking about it carefully, doing something like that carried a risk.
What if closing one eye at a time still counted?
That would be pretty unfortunate.
"Well, to be honest, I don't think it's necessary. It's just a minute. I should be able to last the entire minute."
Seth took a deep breath and checked the time.
There were only a few minutes left. With his phone in his left hand, ready to press pay at any second, he felt ready.
His goal in this entire thing was simple.
Figure out enough things and make enough preparations for the inevitable quest.
Tik, Tik—
Time ticked.
It soon became 12:59 AM.
Turning his attention towards the painting, Seth opened his eyes wide.
'Alright, I'm ready.'
He took a deep breath and braced himself.
Tik, Tik—
1:00 AM.
The clock struck. Seth held his breath.
With all the preparation he'd done, he was confident he could pass this trial.
But ten seconds into the trial...
Seth's entire face paled.
In that moment, staring at the hand reaching out directly from the painting and onto his face, his face paled.
One minute...
Could he really last that long?
-x-X-x-
There was nothing at first.
For the first few seconds, the painting appeared completely normal. The silence around me deepened as I focused on the lady in white, standing at the center of the canvas, her umbrella obscuring her face.
Without a doubt, she was the key to this scenario.
She was the key to this. I just needed to resist a little longer, gather every shred of information I could, and prepare for whatever came next.
I took a slow, steady breath.
I can do this.
I can do this.
I can...
"....!?"
"Hihihihi~"
The giggling echoed through the room, soft and cheerful, like the laugh of a little girl. The sound shattered the silence, making my heart race and my focus sharpen.
I kept my eyes fixed on the painting. Nothing had changed, not yet.
But I knew I wasn't imagining it. Without realizing it, my palm began to tense, fingers curling as I held my breath.
"Hihihihi~"
The giggling continued, closer now. It made my stomach churn.
I didn't move. I kept my gaze steady, trying to ignore the noise.
But—
"Hihihihi~"
The giggle was right next to me now. My body went stiff as the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
No, more than that...
'I feel someone standing next to me!'
Creak—
The floor creaked at the weight of its presence.
"Hihihi~"
My hands shook at the realization. Almost by instinct, I turned my head in the direction of the giggle, but I just barely managed to resist the temptation as my ears tickled and the giggle grew closer to my ear, almost whispering into them.
My grip tightened around my phone.
"...Are you not going to look?"
A voice, soft and quiet, whispered in my ear. My whole body froze.
I felt like puking in that moment, and as my eyes turned slightly in the direction of the presence next to me, I felt a change coming from the painting.
It took everything I had to keep my eyes on the painting. But just for half a second, my eyes turned in the direction of the presence.
That was when it happened.
The woman in white, who had been still and distant, suddenly moved. She dashed toward me, impossibly fast, her hand reaching out toward me as the painting itself began to warp, bending in the shape of her outstretched hand.
"....!?"
I gasped, nearly leaping back. But just as I shifted my gaze back to the painting, the hand froze, hovering inches from my face. Every part of me trembled, locked in place as a wave of fear surged through me.
What... was happening?
"Hihihihi~"
The giggling echoed again, now on my left. I felt something brush my cheek.
It was cold.
"Why won't you look at me?"
My heart pounded, my eyes stinging as I fought not to look away.
'How much time has passed?'
Every second dragged on, each one more agonizing than the last. I could now see why this was rated as a 'Second Order' quest.
This was a clear step up from what I had previously experienced, besides the first trial.
"Just give me a little bit of attention. It's hot outside. I don't like the heat. I want to stay inside and play. Just like now~"
The voice continued to whisper in my ear, the sound growing softer with each second.
Though fear had completely gripped my body, my mind was still able to think.
I listened to her voice and every word.
I knew that the clues were all there.
"...You're not a mean person, right? You will play with me, right?"
The seconds ticked, and the voice grew softer and softer.
In the meantime, I moved my attention away from the hand and towards the lady in the painting.
'Lady?'
Taking a closer look now, I finally saw that it wasn't a lady. With the umbrella no longer covering her face, I could see her features.
It was, in fact, a little girl. Her face was deathly pale as her deep obsidian eyes stared at me hollowly. Her features were picture-perfect, seemingly looking like a doll. Her hair was disheveled, and as I stared at her, my eyes fell on her neck.
There, on her neck, a clear rope mark.
No...
BANG!
A sudden bang snapped me out of my thoughts, jolting me with its loudness. My heart raced as I felt something crash nearby, the sound echoing through the silence.
For a moment, my eyes shook, nearly moving away from the painting.
...And though it was only for a brief moment, the hand moved closer, now just a hair's breadth away from my eyeball.
My breath left my body. The stinging in my eyes was unbearable, but I couldn't blink.
Not yet.
But as if things weren't bad enough...
BANG!
"Why aren't you answering?!"
A shriek pierced my ear, followed by a sharp pain on my arm—nails, scraping against skin. I wanted to flinch, but I held still.
'Focus!'
"You're just like them! You're just like them! You only care about my appearance!"
BANG!
Another crashing sound echoed, this time louder than before.
I ignored it, but the more I did, the more restless it became.
'Focus. Focus!'
BANG!
I didn't know what was happening, but it was loud. Did no one outside hear a thing?
I licked my lips. Just a little bit more time.
Just a little...
And then it happened.
"—!"
I gasped as hands, cold and long, locked around my neck, tightening with intense pressure. The air was sucked from my lungs, and I fought to breathe.
"Die! You have to die!"
The voice screeched in my ear as I gasped for air, panic rising in my chest.
The feeling of having someone scream at the top of their lungs while my throat was being squeezed by invisible hands was hard to describe.
However, I still couldn't stop staring at the painting.
I had to resist for a little bit longer.
"Die! Die—!"
The air was practically gone, and my entire body tingled as I desperately sought air.
Time continued to tick, and my toes curled.
'No, I can't resist any longer!'
Feeling the darkness trying to swallow up my body, I moved my finger, trying to press onto the recording when—
"You want to do that again?"
A cold hand reached for my arm, stopping me.
I froze completely, my mind going blank. It... knew?!
"....!?"
The hand latched onto my wrist, squeezing tightly as I started to lose grip of my phone.
No! No!
I desperately screamed in my mind, feeling the darkness starting to swallow my vision.
And just as things were starting to become extremely desperate for me...
Ding! Ding!
The alarm rang. The loud ding cutting through the haze, and I jerked back, kicking at the air in front of me.
Swoosh!
But as expected, I kicked nothing as I stumbled back and crashed against the wall behind me.
"Haa... Haa..."
With one heavy gulp of air, I looked around me, sweat pooling down from my face as I tried to see the damage that the room had sustained.
But—
"Eh?"
Nothing.
The room was completely untouched.
It was the same as it was before. As if the noise from before had all been my imagination. Even the painting in front of me looked no different than it was before.
'No...'
Taking a closer look, the young girl.
She was closer again.
"Hoo."
Taking another breath, I slid down against the wall and caught my breath. There were many things that I wanted to do in that moment, but before anything else, I needed to process all the information I had received.
Then...
A theory formed in my mind.
'The young girl in the painting was most likely abused by whoever had been taking care of her. Driven by despair, she tried to hang herself, but somehow failed, resulting in her living. This painting was probably taken a few days after her attempt.'
I took another deep breath before leaning back.
These were all the clues that I had managed to get so far.
...And the key to solving this quest.
-x-X-x-
The information that I managed to gather wasn't much, but it was enough for me to emulate a scenario in my mind.
What was left for me to figure out was how to use that piece of information to my advantage.
But there was a problem.
However hard I tried to think, I realized that while I had gathered some valuable information, it still wasn't enough to form a proper plan. But even if it wasn't enough for a full plan, at least I understood the situation, and that was all that mattered.
'Plus, it's not like this is the only thing I can do.'
I quickly pulled out my phone and researched the Velora Art Museum.
Soon, several links appeared.
'Since I know where the quest will take place, it would be wise to thoroughly understand the building's layout, as well as its history and the reasons behind its closure. There might even be a connection to the parents of the little girl in the painting.'
I became painfully aware of how insignificant my life truly was. Just moments earlier, I'd come terrifyingly close to death. I was completely helpless, unable to fight back.
I was just like a sitting duck, waiting to be slaughtered.
Had it not been for the time running out, I would've most likely been dead.
'I'd thought the recording would be enough of a safeguard if something like that happened, but clearly, I had severely underestimated the intelligence of the girl in the painting.'
She had most likely remembered what had happened the previous day when I covered the painting and played the music to escape.
As a result, she stopped me from repeating the same action.
If I hadn't used it before, she probably wouldn't have been able to tell.
This thought made my heart drop.
"Is this the difference between a first and second-order anomaly?"
I thought back to the Nightwalker, then to the little girl. She was clearly much cleverer than it, remembering something like that proved it. But not only that, she was also somehow able to seal all noise within the room while she created all that chaos. I doubted the Nightwalker was capable of remembering something like that.
The only way it changed was when it died, and most likely lost points of loyalty to me.
I still didn't know how to increase those, but I wasn't too worried yet.
I could still use the Nightwalker for as long as it didn't die. Once it died... I wasn't sure if it would follow my commands like before.
'I'll have to think of a way to improve its loyalty to me.'
But that was for me to think about later.
For now, I needed to think about the quest at hand.
Considering that the threats were starting to become stronger and more dangerous, this was starting to become a necessity for me.
Only by doing this could I afford the tools I needed to defend myself, along with the medicine to keep me alive longer, and at the same time figure out more about my current situation. There was clearly something off about the entire situation, and by completing the quests and earning SP, I'd be able to gain the necessary progress to learn the truth.
And for that reason, I needed to be extremely prepared for each scenario.
Only that way would I be able to clear the Quests.
"Alright."
I rubbed my eyes, sat down, and clicked on one of the links that appeared on my phone.
"While I wait for Zoey to give me news on the livestream situation, I'll spend the next few hours doing research."
And that's exactly what I did until early morning. I dug into everything about the museum — its structure, the history behind its construction, the reason it was abandoned, and more. Not a single detail slipped my mind as I thoroughly researched everything.
The only time I would stop was the times I had to spend improving my game, adding the finishing touches from the rendering, and so on.
If I were going to sell the game, it had to at least be completed.
"Huu."
By the time I was done, and I was about to pack up and leave, I suddenly received a notification on my phone.
Ding!
"Hm?"
─────
Unknown >
Hi, this is Jamie Carter. I was advised to reach out to you about a potential collaboration. When would be a good time for us to discuss it?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
─────
"Oh..."
That was faster than I expected. I guess Zoey was indeed efficient and fast when it came to these matters.
After a little bit of thought, I dialed the number and brought the phone next to my ear.
'Let me sort out this call and then get some sleep.'
I hoped I could get this done as fast as possible.
—Hello?
Soon enough, a voice answered — dry and groggy, as if they'd only just woken up and hadn't expected my call so soon.
I didn't waste a single second and got straight to the point.
"You called me about the collaboration, right?"
—...Ah, yes!
Sobering up, the pitch of the voice rose up.
—I sent you a message, but I didn't expect you to see it so soon. In that case, I'll-
"When is the fastest time you can do it?"
I cut him off before he could finish his sentence.
Then, before he could even answer, I hit him with a barrage of demands. I was too tired to deal with long conversations. It was best if I laid all of my thoughts out at once.
"Can you do it within the next few days? Even today is good. No, in fact, it would be best if it were today. Next week won't do. For how long can I advertise my game? I need at least five minutes to explain the mechanics. Regarding revenue split from the game, it's not necessary, right? If it's possible, I'd like it if..."
***
Du. Du.
As the end-of-call tone echoed, Jamie stared blankly at the ceiling. His desk was cluttered with empty cans, and the glow from his dual monitors illuminated the otherwise dim room.
He sat there like that for an unknown period of time until he snapped out of it.
"What sort of fucker is this...!?"
Jamie almost ended up throwing his phone against his monitor. It took massive self-restraint to prevent himself from doing so.
However, he had a hard time containing his anger and bafflement.
"With the way he's acting, it's almost as if he's the one doing me a favour!"
The worst part of the entire situation was the fact that he never let him speak once, sharing all of his demands before hanging up. Who even did that?!
And as if that wasn't bad enough...
Ting!
[Today is good, right?]
Jamie clenched his teeth. Of course, it wasn't good! Before each stream, he needed to make ample preparations. From research topics to speak about, and so on. He couldn't just go into it blindly.
Ting!
[Preferably, I'd like to be back at the Guild before 1 AM. It would be troublesome otherwise.]
"Hoo."
Jamie let out a long breath.
He was so close to throwing his phone away. However, thinking about the possible shoutout from Zoey, he contained himself.
"Alright."
He clenched his teeth.
"I didn't really want to rush things, but fuck it!"
He scrolled through his phone and looked through several contacts.
[I have work for you to do. Contact me when you see this.]
Jamie had originally planned on taking it a little bit easy, considering that he felt a little pity for him, but that no longer appeared to be the case.
For this stream, he planned on going all out.
He was going to make him scream until he passed out.
Of that, he swore.