"An update?"
I was confused. An update? Now of all times? Did it have some sort of correlation with the scenario that I just cleared...?
I had a lot of questions, but no answers.
The only thing I could do was stare at the sudden notification with a frown.
However, I snapped out of it rather quickly as I pressed [Yes] shortly after.
Surely an update was a good thing, right?
[App is updating]
[Please wait a moment...]
The notification stopped from that point, leaving me at a loss.
Scratching the back of my head, I eventually settled my gaze on the painting on the wall.
"It's still here..."
I moved closer to it and traced my finger over it.
Nothing.
Touching the painting, there was no reaction at all. I felt a little relieved knowing this.
The little girl in the picture was in the same position as she once had been, and everything else was in place.
".....!"
But it was only for a brief moment as something streaked into the painting, startling me completely.
'Shit!'
Taking a step back, the painting came to life once again as the girl in the picture lowered the umbrella, exposing her black eyes.
She was exactly the exact same as the first time I saw her.
No, actually...
Taking a closer look, she was holding onto a teddy bear.
Confused, I turned my attention towards my wrist and realized that the white mark was no longer present.
'When did she...'
"I'm hungry."
A certain voice whispered in the air, and I looked up.
Mirelle's face now covered the entire painting as she looked at me.
"Food. You said you would give me... food."
"Oh, right."
I suddenly recalled my promise to her.
"Just give me a minute. I'll go get the food."
"Huuuury."
"Yes, yes."
I dropped whatever I was doing and got out of the office. On the way out, I made sure to lock the door behind me.
Not only was the painting recognizable, but I didn't want anyone to know it was haunted, too.
"Let's see, let's see..."
Moving towards the kitchen area, I rummaged through the cabinets in search of any snacks. However, all I could find were half-empty cereal boxes, a bag of stale pretzels, and a suspicious-looking jar of something that might have once been peanut butter.
I sighed, closing the last cupboard a little too hard.
Looking through the other cabinets, all I saw was instant coffee powder. A lot of it.
Too much of it.
"What sort of drug addicts are these...?"
Moving towards another cabinet and seeing it filled with instant coffee powder, I started to feel bad.
Was this some sort of drug?
"Well, now that I think about it, I kind of need some coffee myself."
I held off on making it for now as I rummaged through every corner of the kitchen. It was only after a minute of good searching that I finally saw something that caught my eye.
"Ha!"
Secretly tucked behind several instant coffee jars was a bag of chips.
"It's also unopened... Nice."
I felt a lot more relieved with the chips in my hand.
I was just about to turn away when—
"What are you doing?"
"....!"
A certain voice reached me from behind, and I almost jumped out in fright. Thankfully, I managed to keep my cool as I turned around while hiding the bag of chips behind my back.
"Kyle..."
Thankfully, it was just Kyle as I sighed in relief.
But my eyes soon narrowed.
"Hm?"
Taking a look at him, he looked quite haggard.
His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were baggy. He looked almost as bad as I did, which I thought was almost impossible to do.
"What the hell happened to you?"
"Ahh... I don't want to talk about it."
Kyle dismissed with his hand, moving towards one of the cabinets and taking out a jar of instant coffee before dumping about a quarter of it into a cup and adding just small amounts of water.
The fuck?
Surely that...
"Oh, not bad."
Kyle smacked his lips while he looked at me.
"What?" He brought his coffee closer to himself. "Don't tell me you want some."
"I'm... okay."
I thought back to the time I stole his coffee.
Don't tell me...
"There's quite a messy situation going on right now."
"Hm?"
I looked at Kyle. I thought he didn't want to talk about it.
"There's been an incident not far from here, and... ehm, I was sent to investigate the stuff. It's a rather complicated situation. It seems to be some sort of High-Order entity. We're still unsure of its rank, but it's extremely powerful."
"How powerful are we saying?"
"...That's what I'm struggling to figure out."
Kyle smiled wryly before taking a sip of his coffee. Smacking his lips, he yet again mumbled, 'This is good stuff.'
Lunatic.
Absolute lunatic.
"So far, all of its victims have been regular people, but the fact that we've yet to find anything related to it is extremely worrying. It's almost as if... It doesn't exist in the first place. Regardless of what we do, we can't detect it."
Seeing the rare look of solemnness on Kyle's face, I felt my chest grow heavier.
For him to look like this, this case must be really dangerous...
"Here, take a look."
Kyle suddenly extended his hand to show me his phone.
That was when I caught a glimpse of his screen, and my entire body froze.
"This..."
A sickly, mummified figure appeared on the screen, the skin shriveled and brown like dried leather. Sunken eyes peered from hollow sockets as it lay slumped on a sofa, hands curled inward, slowly blinking at the recording device while its open mouth just barely moved.
I raised my head to look at Kyle, who stared at the video with a grim expression.
"This right here is the state in which he leaves all of his victims. As you can see, they're not dead, but at the same time, they've lost the ability to do anything."
"....."
I pursed my lips while looking away from the phone. The video was too much for me.
"Are you sure you should be showing me this?"
"...It's not exactly confidential information. In fact, it's probably best if you know about it since the matter is probably going to get escalated to the bureau."
"It is?"
"Yeah... The Guild requested a few scouts from the Bureau to conduct some tests. Based on the results, the Bureau will assign it an international ranking. If it qualifies as Thrall-class or higher, Guilds from other jurisdictions will start coming here. It'll probably make the news too."
"Thrall-class?"
What was that?
"Huh? Ohhh..."
As if recalling my ignorance on most of the matters, Kyle started to explain.
"You might not know this since it's something usually taught later in your second year, but the Bureau classifies anomalous entities into five categories: Sigil, Elcid, Melas, Thrall, and Kermite. Thrall-Class is the second most dangerous."
"I see..."
I was starting to understand.
"Anything ranked below that falls under the sole authority of the local Guilds; no outside interference is allowed. But once an anomaly reaches the higher classes, it's a different story. Those are considered global threats, and when that happens, anyone, regardless of jurisdiction, is permitted to step in and deal with the situation."
Kyle played with the phone in his hands.
"Which is what might be happening in this case. Things will get rather lively if that happens."
Chuckling, Kyle chugged the last remaining of his coffee before taking a deep breath.
"In any case, this anomaly..."
Kyle licked his lips.
"...They call it the twisted man."
"The twisted man?"
That name... It didn't really seem fitting when I thought back to the video that Kyle showed me just moments prior.
Kyle shrugged.
"I know what you're thinking, and I think the same. I don't make the names, though. Mummified man also didn't sound good. I think they just went with twisted man because the insides of all the victims are twisted."
"...Oh."
That felt kind of lazy.
"Well, either way, you should be careful. Things within the island might get quite hectic soon. If things get really bad, then the other departments might also get involved, but I think it's fine for now. An S-Ranked Gate recently opened up on the main island. That's part of the reason the Guild is rather peaceful these days."
"An ranked gate...?"
That sounded pretty serious. As far as I knew, ranked gates were the most dangerous Gates.
They were considered to be almost unclearable gates.
"You don't have to worry too much about the Gate. It's a Horde-Type Gate, meaning that it has nothing to do with us. Our job is to handle this situation currently."
Our?
Yeah, no.
'It's just you. There's no ours.'
"I see."
I still pretended to nod.
I was still somewhat unfamiliar with how the Guild operated and what the other departments did.
However, from the looks of things, each department had its own hands full.
I once again rejoiced at the fact that I didn't join the Guild.
No, wait... I actually did join.
But it was a fake position and stuff.
'Surely that doesn't count, right?'
I shook my head. Whatever the case was, I had to quickly get back to the office and give the chips to Mirelle.
"Well, whatever the situation is... It sounds rough. I hope you manage to figure something out soon."
"Yeah. At the rate things are going, I don't think I'll get much sleep."
Kyle turned around and grabbed another jar filled with instant coffee. I thought about stopping him, but then decided to leave him be.
I could relate.
Continuing to hide the chips behind my back, I glanced at my office in the distance and spoke, "Either way, I need to get back to my office. There are a few things that I need to take care of regarding my game."
"Oh, right... Yeah, your game."
Kyle shook his finger in the air.
"How is that going?"
"...I'd say pretty good."
More than good if someone took into account how long it took to develop.
"Oh, is that so? I'm glad to hear that. I'm glad people are enjoying your game."
"Thanks."
I had yet to check my current analytics, but I was sure they were even better than before.
'Maybe just maybe I cracked the six-digit mark.'
The thought made me excited as I turned around while keeping the chips behind me and slowly moved away from Kyle.
"Well, I'll see you later. I hope you get some rest soon."
"...I wish."
Kyle lowered his head in defeat while dumping the coffee powder into his cup and adding hot water shortly after. I took the chance to turn around and leave, dashing for my office and closing the door right after.
"Huuuungry."
An all too familiar voice reached my ears shortly after as Mirelle appeared by the painting, half of her body hanging out while she looked at me.
"Hu—"
"I got it."
I took out the chips and showed them to Mirelle.
"Eh?"
Her large eyes blinked as she looked at the chips, her head tilting a little.
"What is that?"
"They're chips."
I moved closer to her while opening the package and giving it to her.
"Give it a try. They're good."
"....."
Mirelle peeked further out from the painting as she started to sniff the chips.
Then...
Slowly reaching out with her little hand, she grabbed one chip before shoving it into her mouth.
Crunch!
A crunching sound echoed as she took a bite of the chip.
There wasn't much of a reaction at first.
However, that quickly changed a few seconds after as her eyes widened.
".....!"
Her pupils dilated shortly after as she looked at the chips, and her hands moved right into the bag, grabbing as many chips as she could before shoving them down her face.
Crunch! Crunch!
"Hold on, slow down! Slow down...! I'm not going to steal the chips. What are you doing?"
With how aggressively she was shoving the chips in her mouth, she almost started to resemble a squirrel, and I had a hard time stopping her.
"Stop. Calm down..."
Only when I pulled the chips away did she finally stop as she looked at me, her eyes staring at me with a look that seemed to say, 'Why?'
"Stop for a second. I'm not going to take the chips away from you. Eat them slowly. If you eat them too much, you won't be able to properly enjoy them."
"....."
Mirelle's eyes narrowed, but after staring at the chips, she reluctantly nodded her head.
'Okay.'
Her mouth was still full, so she couldn't speak.
I ended up giving her the chips back shortly after that as she slowed down, taking one chip at a time.
Pleased by the sight, I turned my attention away from her for just a second when...
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
Mirelle started shoving the chips down her throat.
"....."
I didn't even know how to react.
However, right before I could even turn around, another notification appeared.
[Update Complete!]
[Changes have been made. Please load the app to see!]
My lips twitched as I saw the message, as Mirelle continued to shove her mouth with the chips. However, I soon let go of it and moved towards the laptop.
'Just this time...'
She was also a ghost.
Mirelle was already dead, so it wouldn't affect her too much.
"Let's see."
I tapped on the app and loaded its interface.
─────
Game Developer : Seth Thorne
Status : First Order ▶ [See More]
▪ Basic Node : Containment Vessel ▶ [See More]
Items :
▪ Blank Mask.
▪ Spectral Glasses.
▪ Mr. Huggs.
▪ Quickstitch Outfit
Shop : Open
Quests : Unlocked (Available : 1)
▪ Expose the cult and its plans!
- Reward: 40,000 SP
- Time Limit : 2 months.
Developed Games :
[Gentle Whispers] Rating : ⯪☆☆☆☆(0.5)
[A regular day in the office] Rating : ★☆☆☆☆(1.0)
Balance : 4,822 SP
─────
The changes were quite noticeable.
Not only did the interface now have my balance, but I could also see several areas I could expand.
I didn't waste a second and clicked on the [Containment Vessel] area.
There was something that I was really curious about.
Click.
The moment I left-clicked with my mouse, a new interface appeared.
─────
[Description]
: A shadowy entity that thrives in complete darkness and recoils from anything bright. Exposure to light gradually weakens it, and prolonged contact can destroy it entirely. In the dark, however, it possesses strength comparable to that of a grown man.
Loyalty : 40 --> 25 [-15] (Your dare use me as a meatshield?)
[Description]
: The lingering spirit of a young girl who suffered years of abuse at the hands of her family, bound by the cruel traditions they followed. Her soul now haunts the very painting her parents commissioned to celebrate her upcoming birthday, the same day they had chosen to sacrifice her.
Loyalty : 50 --> 55 [+5] (Is very happy with the snack you gave her)
─────
"....."
My lips twitched the moment I read the Nightwalker's loyalty area.
25...
That seemed rather low.
"Err..."
I really needed to think of a way to appease it. Thankfully, with this new interface, I could not see what they were thinking.
'In that case, I might be able to increase its loyalty again...'
But more than anything, I was curious about something else.
"Is it possible for me to upgrade them? To make them stronger...?"
It was a really intriguing thought. If it were possible to make them stronger, then I wanted to know how.
...Of course, before getting them stronger, I also planned on improving their loyalty.
I wouldn't want to make them stronger so they could kill me faster.
I scanned the page, skipping over the description for now. I planned on checking it later.
For now, I wanted to see all of the new features.
I then expanded the first-order area.
─────
Status : First Order
Decree : Shepherd
Requirements for upgrade :
[10x] Attributeless Fragments
Purity : [0%]————————100%]
─────
"Huh?"
My eyes paused on the Decree area.
Shepherd?
What the hell was that?
I knew what a shepherd was.
They were someone who tended and reared sheep.
It was precisely because I knew what it was that I felt confused—but the more I thought about it, the more things began to make sense.
"Decree Shepherd... I suppose it relates to my ability to acquire and command anomalous entities. A shepherd of the anomalous, perhaps?"
That sounded like the most plausible situation.
But if that was the case, I started to grow curious about what the purity meter was and the abilities I would gain once I reached the Second Order.
'Is there also a limit to the amount of anomalous entities that I can contain?'
What about the conductor...?
Would I be able to contain a monster that powerful?
Thinking about the conductor, I slowly turned my head to stare at the large [I] imprinted on the wall and bit my lips.
"One day left..."
There was only one day left until it came.
...Or at least, that was what I assumed to be the case.
I thought back to the scenario when I played the piano alongside it, and hoped it would stop haunting me, but I wasn't so sure.
I had an inkling that it was still going to come.
My chest grew heavy at the thought.
It was rather clear to me that I couldn't defeat the conductor.
It was simply too strong for me.
I needed to quickly think of a way to delay the situation or solve it.
"What a mess."
Rubbing the back of my head, I once again glanced at my computer and focused my attention on the First Order Panel.
"In order to move to the next order, I need ten attributeless fragments. Where can I get those?"
I had pretty much memorized everything available in the shop.
There was nothing remotely close to fragments.
"Oh, wait."
Recalling something, I rummaged through my pocket before retrieving a certain crystal.
"Right, I did acquire this..."
The crystal was long, fitting my entire hand as a gray fog squirmed deep within it. I felt a strange sensation while looking at it.
The gray fog within pulsed in strange patterns, almost as if it were alive, and the more I observed it, the more unsettled I felt.
That was until...
Ding!
[Fragment of Conceptualization]
[Purity: 91%]
A notification crossed my vision, floating right above the fragment.
"What the..."
The notification was so sudden and unexpected that I almost dropped the fragment in my hand. Thankfully, I was able to compose myself quickly as I looked at the notification in astonishment.
"Conceptualization? 91% purity...?"
I read through the notifications with a frown. I didn't really understand, but from what I had managed to learn over the past week or so at the Guild, the Conceptualization was for those following the Conceptualization Decree.
"In that case, does this mean that the fragment I have is useless...?"
Since I followed a different Decree, it meant that I couldn't use this fragment.
Then...
"What the hell do I do with this?"
It wasn't like I could sell this. Maybe in the black market? Was there even a black market?
Not only that, but thinking about how much of a struggle I had gone through to just receive one fragment, my heart sank.
"This feels like bullshit."
At the current rate things were going, it was going to be impossible for me to rank to the next Order.
...Or so I thought.
Ding!
Another notification suddenly appeared in my vision.
[Would you like to remove the attribute?]
▶ [Yes] ▷ [No]
".....!"
My grip on the fragment tightened the moment I saw the notification.
Yes, this made much more sense.
There was no way this strange system would leave me to rot like this.
I didn't even waste a single second and directly pressed [Yes].
[Attribute will be removed.]
[Please wait a moment...]
A strange glow suddenly radiated from the crystal, enveloping the entire room. The light was so intense that I had no choice but to shut my eyes as the crystal in my hand began to grow warm.
"Mhkh..."
A strange wave of dizziness hit me as I held onto the crystal, and my hand started to tremble.
It almost felt as though the energy was getting sucked out of me.
...It wasn't pleasant.
Thankfully, the process lasted no more than a couple of seconds, and once the light died down and I managed to open my eyes again, a white crystal appeared in my grasp.
[Attributeless Fragment]
[Purity: 91%]
"Awesome."
The fragment felt a lot lighter than it was before as I tossed it in my hands.
However, I froze a moment after as I looked up to see a gray cloud floating right before me.
".....!"
My right hand squirmed shortly after as I hastily looked down to see the black tattoo squirm uncontrollably, almost as if it wanted to jump out of my arm.
"What the..."
I started to panic, but there wasn't anything that I could do as the squirming only grew with each passing second.
It grew to such an unbearable degree that I had no other choice but to summon the Nightwalker, as a dark figure appeared before me shortly after.
My expression turned strange shortly after as I saw it stand beneath the lights, its entire body sizzling under it.
And yet...
As though it didn't care about the lights, the Nightwalker stared at the gray cloud floating in the air before suddenly opening its mouth and sucking it.
Swooosh!
The gray cloud funneled into the Nightwalker, and I could only stare at the scene in shock.
What in the...
The process didn't last very long.
It lasted only a few seconds at most, then the Nightwalker shifted its attention to me, its tall, shadowy body standing silently as it stared.
Tension coiled in my chest as my eyes flicked to the painting behind it.
...And just as the atmosphere reached its peak, the Nightwalker vanished, leaving behind only the dark marking reappearing on my arm.
"Huh?"
I stared at the marking on my arm in confusion.
What in the world just happened?
Everything happened so fast and abruptly that I had no time to properly assess the situation. However, after a brief moment, a thought occurred to me and I hurriedly moved for my laptop, loading up the Nightwalker page.
"...Ah."
I soon noticed the change, and my expression changed.
─────
[Description]
: A shadowy entity that thrives in complete darkness and recoils from anything bright. Exposure to light gradually weakens it, and prolonged contact can destroy it entirely. In the dark, however, it possesses strength comparable to that of a grown man.
Loyalty : 25--> 35 [+10] (I'm still mad, but not as much. Feed me more.)
Fragments :
Conceptualization: 1/10
─────
"Conceptualization, one out of ten?"
I swallowed nervously while staring at the page.
"That's..."
I took a moment to process the page before letting out a long breath and leaning back on my chair.
All of a sudden, the answer to one of my questions appeared.
Could I upgrade an anomalous entity?
...Apparently so.
Could it be that it wasn't the system that had enabled the change, but my Decree?
Was this the Shepherd Decree?
"Wait, so as long as I collect fragments, regardless of what attribute they are, I can use them to upgrade my anomalies?"
I tried to type in the question in the app chat, but I received no answer.
This...
How very useful.
'Maybe it doesn't know or just doesn't want to tell me. I guess I need to figure this out by myself.'
I looked towards the app interface one more time and stared at the Nightwalker page. I was curious to see what would happen once it managed to absorb ten fragments of conceptualization.
Would it upgrade in rank?
"Seeing that there's no other fragment, I take it that it can only upgrade in the conceptualization decree..."
What would happen if I were to give it a different type of fragment?
I was genuinely curious.
Unfortunately, I had no other fragments in hand.
"Maybe it's good that I don't have any more. I'm scared I might end up wasting one of the attributes..."
If the Nightwalker wasn't able to absorb the attribute, then it would just be a waste.
'Then again, I don't know if the attribute disappears or not.'
Yet again, a lot of questions but no answers.
"Worst case, I'll just ask Kyle again. I'm sure he might know something."
I tossed all the thoughts away and focused my attention on the crystal in my hand.
"Now, what do I do with this...?"
Tossing it slightly and catching it again, I squeezed it with my hand, but nothing happened. What was I supposed to do with this?
I placed the crystal near my mouth and tried to bite it, but..
"I don't think it's possible."
It was too hard.
I scratched the back of my head while staring at the fragment.
"It says that I need ten attributeless fragments in order to go to the Second Order. I guess I should find a way to collect the remaining nine before thinking about anything else."
I wasn't really worried.
"I guess living inside a Guild has its perks."
I could find all of the information I needed here. There was also Kyle to help me. If I wanted to find a way to gain more fragments faster then the Guild was the perfect place to gain some information about it.
And as such, closing down my laptop, I stood up from my seat.
But... Just as I was about to open the door, I stopped abruptly at the sound of a sudden shout from the other side.
It was quite loud.
—Where the fuck are my chips!?
It sounded very angry, too.
—Who stole my chips??? I'll fucking kill you if you don't come forward now!
"....."
I looked at the knob and pulled my hand back before sitting back down on my chair.
"On second thought, the game needs an update."
I squinted my eyes while hunching over.
"Let's see..."
***
Just before.
Located at the end of the Field Agent Section was the Section Chief's Office.
Zoey stood before her, the Section Chief as he leaned back on his chair, a pencil pressed at the top of his lips.
"....."
The room was silent.
Neither one spoke as the Section Chief drummed his fingers over the table.
He continued like this until his lips straightened and the pencil fell down on the desk.
Tak.
"So you're saying that some sort of figure wearing a Jester mask managed to infiltrate the gate, right under the noses of three of the biggest Guilds within the island, and somehow managed to clear the scenario. Not only that, but the difficulty increased, too?"
Zoey smiled wryly.
Putting it that way, it really did sound unbelievable...
However, this really was what had happened.
Put in the same position as the Section Chief, she too wouldn't believe the situation. There was practically no way for someone to sneak into a gate unless one of the Guilds had planned this in advance.
But... were they really responsible for letting the Jester in?
How would they benefit from his appearance?
As far as she had witnessed, they also appeared surprised and shocked by his appearance.
"Sir... Section Chief. I know it's not really believable, but I wasn't the only one there. You can—"
"Oh, no."
The Section Chief cut Zoey off, dismissively waving his hand.
"It's not that I don't believe you. I do, in fact."
"Eh...? Really?"
"Yeah."
"Then..."
"The reason why I'm stumped is because I've heard of this description before."
"Hm?"
Zoey blinked her eyes, at a sudden loss by the Section Chief's words. What could he mean by his words?
"It happened not too long ago. I'm sure you've heard about the incident before. It has to do with one of your seniors."
"What...?"
Zoey's brows furrowed. If it was about one of his seniors, then... did that mean that the incident occurred in a higher-ranked gate?
And what gate was it?
"It's the most recent ranked gate. The one Clara managed to complete."
".....!"
Zoey's eyes widened in shock all of a sudden.
That was because she was acutely aware of the gate that the Section Chief was talking about.
"You can't be talking about 'that' gate, right? That's..."
"It is exactly that gate."
The Section Chief replied while scratching the stubble on his chin.
"...The departments first ranked Gate."
"W-wha..."
It almost felt as though her breath had been stripped away from her lungs. She couldn't really believe what she was hearing.
After all, clearing the most recent -ranked anomalous-type gate was a huge accomplishment. It was also one of the key factors that had propelled their Guild's rank toward the upper limits of the Queen-Grade.
It was also an extremely difficult gate.
Only the top elites were capable of entering such a gate.
And yet, the Jester had appeared there?
"That Jester... He didn't just infiltrate the Gate, but according to what I know, he was the main reason why the Gate got cleared in the first place. We were unfortunately not able to gain any fragments from it, but the entire squad was able to come out of it alive, which is the most important thing."
"Wait, wait..."
Zoey had to stop the Section Chief.
"Yes?"
"Did you just say that he was the main reason why the Gate got cleared in the first place?"
"Yes, that's what I said."
"W-what..."
Zoey was once again left at a complete loss, her chest growing heavier. The image of the jester flashed through her mind, making the heaviness in her chest deepen.
She recalled her words to the Jester during their dance, and sweat formed in her palms.
'Did I seriously say something like that? Oh my god...'
Zoey felt like punching her previous self. If the Jester was truly the same and had helped clear an ranked gate, then she really almost lost her life.
Cold sweat trickled down her back.
"Well, don't worry too much."
Pulling her out of her thoughts was the Section Chief as he picked his ear.
"There's a chance that the Jester might not just be a single person but an entire group wearing the same mask. We'll be investigating this matter more carefully. You should rest in the meantime."
Looking at his pinky, the Section Chief dismissed her with her hand.
"I'll take care of this matter. I'm sure you're tired. Just relax for now. I'll call you if something happens."
"...Oh, okay."
Biting her lips, Zoey eventually lowered her head and moved out of the room.
However, even as she got out of the Section Chief's office, her mind continued to wander over the Jester.
There was something about the Jester...
Something about him just felt familiar to her.
She felt it then, and she still felt it now.
Could he be someone she knew?
But who?
"Ah, whatever."
Massaging her face, Zoey dismissed the thought.
Just thinking about it was giving her a headache.
"I'll get some rest for now and eat my chips."
Thinking about her chips, Zoey suddenly felt a wave of giddy excitement. Those chips... Ah, those chips. They were special chips. They were something that she usually prepared before going into a gate.
Some sort of good luck charm.
In order not to have anyone stealing them, she tended to hide them.
Of course, everyone was aware that they were her chips, but it was a force of habit she had developed from when she was still weak.
Back then, her seniors didn't care if they were her chips.
"Hehe."
Zoey giggled as she made her way to the kitchen, opening the all too familiar cupboard and reaching for her hidden spot. A place that only she knew.
But...
"Eh?"
The chips. The tasty, slightly salted, and light chips...
They were gone.
"H-how could this be?"
Zoey's eyes shook, until...
"Where the fuck are my chips!?"
She exploded, her hands tossing the jars of instant coffee around.
"Who stole my chips??? I'll fucking kill you if you don't come forward now!"
All hell broke loose.
For just the briefest of moments, several recruits believed that an anomaly had escaped the containment facility.
—What's going on here? Why is it so loud outside?
—I'll kill whoever did it. Wherever you are, I'll find you and I will kill you!!
—Someone hold her back! Stop this farce at once!
—Ahhhh!!
"It sure is lively today at the Guild."
I mumbled while looking through my laptop and checking all the bug reports for my most recent game.
"I wonder what could be causing such chaos..."
I whistled while squinting my eyes.
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
Across the desk, a loud crunch echoed through the room. I looked up to see Mirelle stuffing chips into her mouth frantically, like she expected someone to snatch them away at any moment.
CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
The speed hurried the moment our eyes met.
"....."
Seriously?
"I'm not—"
CRUUUUUUNCH!!!
I gave up and turned my attention back to my laptop.
That greedy little fu-kid.
'Next time I feed her, I'll just make sure to give her small packets.'
Though she was a ghost, she was still a little girl. I couldn't have her develop such bad habits.
Well, whatever the case was, it was time for me to focus on the game.
I checked the analytics.
[Sales : 22,451]
[Income : 78,579$]
I silently whistled while staring at the numbers displayed by the Dock analytics page.
Though the sales seemed to have slowed down just a little bit, the number of sales was still incredibly high, and so was the total income earned.
'It's a bit of a pity that Dock takes a cut, but I can't really complain considering that I'm still making so much money.'
Dock took a rather large cut from the sales of the game.
As far as I remember, it was around twenty to thirty percent.
It kind of sucked to think about considering how I had done all the work, but then again, they were the ones to provide me with the platform to sell the game.
There was no use complaining.
"It sucks that I can't collect my payment already..."
It was depressing to see so much money that I couldn't touch.
'Oh, right.'
It was then that I suddenly recalled something.
"Wait, does this include taxes or not?"
I covered my face with both hands as I slumped my head onto the table.
I had completely forgotten to factor in taxes. The thought made my heart sink. If the taxes in this world were the same, then I could kiss half of my paycheck goodbye.
Fucking taxes!
"No, I need to talk to Kyle about this."
Surely the tax law in this world was different, right?
'I hope it is...'
Be it this world or my other world. Taxes really annoyed me.
Ding!
A sudden notification yanked me out of my thoughts. Blinking, I pulled out my phone to check it, only for my expression to shift instantly. The screen was flooded with alerts; the number of notifications was beyond what I could count.
"What the..."
Clicking on the notification, I was pulled into a familiar page.
─────
[Horror Game Developer - Seth Thorne]
Posts: 0 Followers: 17,457 Following: 0
─────
"Ahhh..."
It all clicked when I saw the number of followers, as well as the numerous DM's I was receiving.
'It looks like Jamie has promoted my account.'
I clicked on the first DM to see what they were messaging me about.
In a way, I was kind of excited.
These guys were in some ways my fans. It always felt nice to see what my fans thought about the game.
[Fuck you cunt! Motherfuck! I hope you die in a ditch for creating that shitty game! Rot in hell, bastard!]
"....."
I pursed my lips and switched to another DM.
A fluke...
[Rotten piece of shit! I got kicked out of my house because of you. I hope that you get kicked out of yours!]
[I got the police called because of you! Die!]
[Fuck you!]
"....."
I grabbed my chest.
Why...?
Why did this feel so damn good?
"Hahaha."
Seeing the flood of people cursing my name, I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Their comments, full of frustration, disbelief, even hatred, only confirmed how deeply my game had gotten under their skin. And somehow, that stirred a strange, unshakable joy in me.
One I couldn't quite explain.
It had been such a long time since I had felt so alive.
My hands grew itchy.
I really wanted to create another game. If this was the effect a one-star game had... What kind of effect would a two-star game have?
"Ahh... I really want to create one."
It was such a pity that I wasn't yet capable of creating one.
'If I combine my most recent experience, coupled with the recording, I might be able to replicate another game similar to 'A regular day in the office', but that won't push me to the two-star rating. At best, it will push me to a one point five. In order to reach the two-star rating, I'll need something else...'
But what?
What exactly could I do?
I sat in a daze while scrolling through the comments and thinking about the potential development of a new game.
I was so lost in thought that I didn't even notice the notification that flashed across my vision.
It was only after a few seconds that I noticed it as I abruptly lifted my head.
"What?"
[Reward calculation complete!]
[We will now be assigning you the rewards for completing the scenario!]
I blinked my eyes slowly before they suddenly widened.
It was then that I recalled the fact that I had yet to receive my rewards for the recent scenario.
'I thought the reward was the app update, but that wasn't the case at all!'
———
[Reward 1 : 10 Fragments]
Type/Item
You may select any type of attribute fragment. Purity will be random!
: Consumable
[Reward 2 : Purity Enhancer]
Type/Item
Place a fragment into the Enhancer, and watch its purity rise! But beware, there's risk in every refinement. The fragment might crack... or worse, its purity could drop. Choose your gamble wisely!
: Non-consumable
———
"What..."
I could hardly believe my eyes while staring at the rewards before me.
Ten fragments...? And I could even choose their attribute?
My heart suddenly sped up as I thought about the Nightwalker. If I were to choose nine conceptualization fragments and feed them to the Nightwalker, would it evolve?
I had a hard time containing my excitement as I almost instinctively went ahead and chose the conceptualization fragment.
However, I quickly calmed down and took a deep breath.
There was no need to rush.
I checked the other reward.
Purity Enhancer...
"Hmm."
My eyes narrowed.
I was still unsure of what this purity thing was. However, this did seem like a good thing.
'I should ask Kyle before finally deciding.'
As such, without rushing things, I made up my mind and moved out of the office.
However, right as I opened the door, a pair of dimples greeted my sight.
"Hi."
My stomach sank.
What's this guy doing in front of my office?
I wanted nothing to do with this guy.
Just his mere presence made me feel repulsed. He didn't show it on the outside, but he was a snake.
He was a snake that couldn't be trusted.
"Do you need anything from me...?"
I looked around to see if he had been lurking around in order to snoop around my office area, or if I was just being too paranoid, and it was, in fact, just a matter of bad timing.
I got my answer a few moments after.
"I was just passing by when you opened the door."
"Oh."
Was this really the case?
I hoped so.
"It's a funny coincidence, I guess."
I looked behind him to see if I could spot Kyle anywhere. However, regardless of where I looked, he didn't seem to be anywhere in sight.
"Are you looking for Kyle?"
Myles suddenly asked as though he could see through my intentions. My brows furrowed a little, but I soon nodded my head. In hindsight, I was probably being a little too paranoid. My intentions were a little obvious from the start.
"Yes. Have you seen him somewhere?"
"Yeah, he's gone with the Section Chief and some other members to the upper floors."
"Upper floors? Isn't that..."
"Guild Master's office."
"...Ah."
I came to a sudden understanding. The Guild Master... I didn't really know much about him despite having been in the Guild for a bit and receiving an offer from him. All that I was able to find out about him was that he was incredibly strong and that he once used to come from the Containment Sector.
In other words...
He was probably a lunatic.
But what was he doing in the Guild Master's office?
"Recently, there's been a complicated situation taking over the city. Something to do with a potential Thrall Class Anomalous Entity. It has yet to be classified as such, but based on the recent reports, it is likely going to be the case."
"Ohh."
I suddenly understood.
This was the thing that Kyle had been talking about just before.
'So it really is that dangerous?'
I secretly shuddered. Thankfully, it seemed to be something outside of my pay grade or interest.
From the description and pictures Kyle had shown me, I really didn't want to get anywhere close to that thing.
"We're all just waiting to see how the Guild will handle the situation. For now, it looks like the Guild will try to get a few more people to investigate the matter. If the situation really turns bad, then it looks like the island will get rather lively."
"I can see that..."
I was actually curious to know about the world outside the island. From what I understood, this island was merely a small part of the greater world.
'Maybe I'll find some time to travel over to the main island.'
When I had time...
There were still several things that I needed to handle over here before thinking about going there.
"In any case, this is just the worst-case scenario. I don't think it'll get that bad, but the Guild will be rather lively soon. The noise might even bother you while you're working. I'm just telling you in advance."
Myles suddenly laughed as he scratched the back of his head.
He looked so innocent as he laughed. So much so that for a moment, I started to question whether he was truly the same character that I knew.
'No, in the first place... just because he's a character that I'm familiar with, it doesn't mean that they're going to be exactly the same as I remember them.'
For example, Zoey's storyline was different.
Her parents died, and she didn't manage to save them.
This wasn't part of the original storyline.
Could the same thing be applicable to Myles? Could I have been overly cautious of him for no reason...?
"Well, it looks like I need to go now. I'll... ah..." Myles paused, looking a little depressed as his shoulders hunched. "I'll sort out some paperwork for now. There are quite a few, so I should get started before it gets too late."
He raised his hand and waved it, his dimples fading.
"I'll get going. It was nice—"
"Wait."
I stopped him before he could leave.
"Hm?"
Surprised, he paused and looked at me. I could see from his face that he was confused.
I didn't bother and went straight to the point.
"There's something that I'm curious about. I'm doing research for my game, and I previously heard Kyle mention things like fragments and purity levels. What exactly does that mean? Do you have any idea?"
"Fragments..? Purity levels?"
For the briefest of moments, Myles's face froze.
His face tensed for a moment, just fast enough to make me question if I was seeing things or not.
"Kyle mentioned this before?"
His tone lowered a little.
"Yes..."
Sort of.
"I see."
Myles scratched the back of his head, his eyes pausing on me. I grew a little tense the moment his eyes fell on me.
Something about his gaze felt uncomfortable...
"And this is just because you're curious, right? It's not because you're interested in joining the Guild?"
"What sort of...?"
I frowned while listening to his words.
'As expected, even if he's different from the character that I know, he still gives me the creeps. I should definitely stay away from—'
"Well, it's honestly not that hard to explain."
Chuckling, almost as if his previous demeanor had never existed, Myles began to explain, "In short, fragments are the things that we acquire by clearing the gates. The better we clear a scenario, the higher the purity of the fragment that we receive."
"...Makes sense."
This I more or less knew.
Well, all besides the purity part.
"I think Kyle told me something similar, but what does purity mean? Why does it matter?"
"The purer the fragment, the lower the risk of developing a fracture, which, simply put, is a crack in the node. The more fractures there are, the more dangerous the situation becomes, as it greatly increases the chance of it becoming a cognitive shard. And if that happens, it may already be too late."
Though Myles's words were light, my chest felt heavy upon hearing his words.
Cognitive Shard...
I was now almost certain that was the name of my disease. The one that had been tormenting me for so long.
'So a Cognitive Shard is an accumulation of fractures on the node?'
"There's no real cure for Cognitive Shards. That's why it's important to build a resilient node. The purer the node is, the more resilient it is to cracks, and the less likely it is for you to develop a Cognitive Shard. You're also likely to develop a stronger skill."
"So that is why you guys look for highly pure fragments?"
"Yeah."
Myles nodded.
"It's really all about averages. The greater your average of the sum of fragments you need to advance, the better. As a rule of thumb, we aim for at least 60% purity before advancing. Nodes developed in that percentage range are resilient enough."
"...Oh."
This made a lot of sense.
No, wait...
60%?
I suddenly thought of the fragment I had received, and my heart skipped a beat.
'91%... Wait, isn't my fragment like super pure?'
I also thought about the purity enhancer reward, and I almost struggled to contain my expression.
"Okay, it looks like I really need to run."
Myles turned his wrist to check his watch, his face falling.
"If I don't get started now, there's a high chance I'll never get started. It was nice talking to you... I wish you luck on your games."
Waiving his hand, Myles excused himself and left.
"Thanks..."
I stared at his departing back for several seconds before turning back and entering my office. Since Kyle wasn't available, there was no need for me to leave and look for him. It would just be a waste of time.
I now had enough information to understand what I needed to do next.
Clank!
Closing the door behind me, I took a deep breath and looked at the rewards section once again.
'If everything that Myles told me is true, then...'
I think it was possible for me to advance into the Second Order right this moment.
But before any of that...
I lowered my head to stare at the black marking on my arm.
'Looks like today is your lucky day.'
*Poof*
".....!"
A chunky machine materialized right above me as I brought my hands forward and caught it.
"Hmpfh!"
Groaning, I hunched over and barely managed to keep it from dropping to the floor before quickly moving to my desk and setting it down there.
Bang!
"That... was heavier than I expected."
I looked at the machine in front of me with a frown. It had a bulky, boxy shape with a small display screen, rows of rubbery buttons, and a paper tray sticking out from the back or side.
From what I understood, this was supposed to be the purity enhancer.
But...
"Why does this look so much like a fax machine?"
No matter how I looked at it, it just seemed like a fax machine; an old, outdated model at that.
"No, wait."
Taking a closer look, there was a small cylindrical tube by the side.
'I presume that's where the fragments are placed.'
I took the only fragment that I had and placed it there. Indeed, it fit nicely.
"So what am I supposed to do?"
I looked around the machine before settling my gaze on a specific switch by the side. That looked to be the power switch, and I didn't waste a single second pressing it.
Cha— Chak!
A weird sound came out from the 'fax' machine as I turned it on, and the display screen lit up.
Shortly after that, a number was displayed on it.
[91%]
"Oh."
So it displayed the purity of a crystal.
Then...
"I presume this button over here is to change the purity."
By the side of the machine was a glaring red button.
I thought about pressing it, but stopped myself.
"This looks pure enough. I don't think I want to risk increasing its purity."
Thus, taking out the crystal, I looked towards the system window and chose the [Conceptualization] area before pressing [Yes] and accepting my other half of the rewards.
*Puff*
A fairly sized brown pouch formed out of thin air, falling right into my hands as I caught it.
"One, two, three, four... ten. Looks like everything is here."
Counting all the fragments and seeing all of them there, I took a random crystal and replaced the previous fragment with the new one.
Cha— Chak!
The machine made another strange noise, and moments later, a new number appeared.
[68%]
"Oof."
The number was lower than I expected.
'No, it's more like the first fragment that I received had an absurd level of purity. This should be normal according to what I heard from Myles.'
He also mentioned that 60% was the optimal purity level.
Unfortunately, that wasn't good enough for me.
I needed my purity to be higher.
I needed to create the most resilient node possible. As someone who most likely already had a cognitive shard, I couldn't afford to take any risks.
But at the same time, thinking about Myles's words, I fell into thought.
"He said Cognitive Shards form when a node suffers too many fractures. But how does that explain my situation? Is it possible I don't have a Cognitive Shard at all, or could someone have a Cognitive Shard without even having a node?"
The entire situation felt weird to me.
Something was amiss and I felt completely blind to it...
"For now, I'll test the other fragments."
I decided to brush those thoughts aside for now and focus on what was ahead.
Cha— Chak!
Like that, I began to test each fragment one by one.
The results were...
55%, 73%, 81%, 14%, 27%, 94%, 39%, 88%, 61%.
"Hmm."
I didn't really know what to make with these numbers. Some were really good while others were really bad. In particular, the 14% fragment.
That was way too low.
"I guess you'll be the one."
Given that I already had a fragment, added to the ten I had, I had one fragment to spare.
I planned on using the low percentage one to test the machine.
But before that...
[Would you like to remove the attribute?]
▶ [Yes] ▷ [No]
"Yes."
The color faded from the fragment as a misty gray cloud formed above me. The fragment grew warm, and my head felt a little light. It was still bearable, and nothing terrible. The moment the cloud appeared, a tingling shot through my arm, and I summoned the Nightwalker.
Swoosh!
It was just like last time. The moment it appeared, it funneled the gray cloud into its mouth before disappearing.
Looking at my laptop, the number on its profile went to 2/10.
I was just about to place the crystal in the fax machine when I stopped.
"Wait, does the purity matter when it comes to anomalous entities?"
From what I understood, they didn't have nodes.
In that case...
I looked towards the other fragments in my hand.
[Would you like to remove the attribute?]
▶ [Yes] ▷ [No]
"....."
I paused for a moment before eventually pressing [Yes].
Immediately, my arm stirred, and the Nightwalker appeared once more. A gray cloud drifted slowly, pulling away from the fragment below.
Conceptualization: 3/10.
I repeated the process twice more.
A new cloud formed each time and the Nightwalker immediately sucked it.
Conceptualization: 5/10.
I could feel changes happening to the Nightwalker as it sucked the gray clouds. It was hard to describe, it almost felt like it was growing stronger.
I didn't waste time.
I removed the attribute of the other fragments.
Conceptualization: 7/10
Conceptualization: 8/10
Conceptualization: 9/10
By this point, my mind was throbbing, and my breath was quite heavy.
I felt rather nauseous, but I continued.
Just one more.
And then...
Conceptualization: 10/10
A change suddenly occurred.
".....!"
The Nightwalker began to squirm, its form shifting as parts of its body expanded. Its arms thickened, its frame broadened, and its already towering height stretched even higher, looming over me with an imposing presence.
I could only stare in silence while the changes happened in real time.
The entire time, I kept alternating my gaze between the Nightwalker and the computer, watching as its profile started to change.
Soon...
"....."
Silence.
The surroundings fell silent as the Nightwalker finished its changes. Its body was now a head taller than mine, and though the changes weren't massive, I could feel its presence was a lot more imposing than before.
I took a silent breath before looking at its profile.
─────
[Description]
: Once a Nightwalker, the Dreamwalker is its evolved form, strengthened through fragments of Conceptualization. Its shadowy body has grown more resilient, now capable of withstanding light far better than before, though it still instinctively clings to darkness. While no longer as fragile in the presence of light, it remains most powerful in the dark.
Loyalty : 35--> 65 [+30] (....)
Skill :
[Body Morphosis]
: Skill enables the Dreamwalker to alter its body in any way possible.
Fragments :
Conceptualization: 1/20
─────
"Hiss."
I drew a cold breath upon seeing its description.
From the description to the new skill tab.
Yes... Skill tab.
It now had a skill.
Not only did the Nightwal-No, Dreamwalker become stronger physically, but it also earned a skill.
This...
The changes were glaring, and I couldn't help but feel excited knowing that such a creature was working for me.
There was also the fact that its loyalty had increased by a whopping thirty points.
I felt so much better knowing that it wasn't going to be killing me anytime soon.
"This is great."
I muttered while staring at the Dreamwalker. With it becoming this much stronger, I started to wonder what would happen once it evolved again.
But then again...
"Twenty fragments. That's... quite a bit..."
I knew I wouldn't get as lucky with the system next time. Remembering how tough it had been to collect just one fragment from the last gate, the thought of gathering twenty felt almost impossible.
But then again...
What does the rank of a gate matter if the reward is just a single fragment?
If so, wouldn't it be more practical to just farm low-ranked gates?
The thought settled into my mind for a brief moment before I shook it away and looked at the fragments in my hand and then at the fax machine.
"Right, I should stop wasting time."
I looked towards the ten fragments in my hand and then settled my eyes over the fax machine.
Taking a deep breath, I moved towards it.
"Hopefully, it'll be my turn too..."
I couldn't wait to reach the Second Order.
What would happen to me then?
"Alright, let's test this machine."
Carefully, I placed the faintly glowing, lowest purity fragment next to the fax machine's cylindrical core. Following the changes that occurred to the Nightwalker, which was now the Dreamwalker, I was excited to see what would happen when I advanced an Order.
"This should be good."
Done inserting the fragment, I looked at the display to make sure it was the right fragment and directly pressed the red button.
Cha— Chak!
The machine started to make weird sounds.
Already used to it, I ignored it and just waited for the changes.
However, a few seconds after pressing the red button, a notification appeared in my vision.
My face froze almost immediately after.
"Huh? What...?"
[Purity Enhancer: 500SP has been deducted from your account.]
The notification came abruptly, without leaving me enough time to process it.
However, when it all finally dawned on me, my face changed drastically as I hurriedly looked towards the fax machine and pressed the red button.
"Motherfucker! Why didn't you tell me this before?!"
That was 500SP!
5,000$
'Shit!!!'
Tap! Tap! Tap!
I continued to press the red button, but it was to no avail.
Tap! Tap!
The machine continued to move and make noise as I looked at it in despair.
And then—
Ding!
A faint chime rang in the air as a new number was displayed on the little display on top of the machine.
[79%]
"Oh?"
All forms of complaints and rejection ceased in that moment.
Seeing the number displayed, I no longer felt that the SP used was that much of a waste. No, never mind... It still hurt, but it hurt a lot less.
"Going from 14% to 79%... This is massive."
I sorted through all the crystals in my possession.
[91%, 55%, 73%, 81%, 79%, 27%, 94%, 39%, 88%, 61%]
I quickly reached for my calculator and put the numbers together, and calculated the average of all the crystals.
"62%..."
The bare minimum requirement set up by the Guild was met!
That wasn't all.
If I were to remove the lowest percentage crystal and redo the average, I'd get around 66%.
"This is definitely not bad."
But...
It was still not enough.
"I'd like the percentage to be at least higher than 70%."
This was the bare minimum that I was going to accept.
In that case...
I looked towards the fax machine with a heavy heart.
Then, with a trembling hand, I reached for the 27% crystal and put it in the fax machine before pressing the red button.
Cha— Chak!
[Purity Enhancer: 500SP has been deducted from your account.]
[Balance: 3822S]
I felt like crying, but I clenched my teeth and just stared at the fax machine nervously.
Hopefully, it would yield something good.
'Please. Please...'
Ding!
The familiar chime echoed, and I looked at the display.
[21%]
"....."
I bit my lips, just barely holding myself from taking the fax machine and tossing it away.
However, taking several breaths to calm myself down, I pressed the red button again. Since I had already committed, I was going to go all in.
Ding!
[44%]
"....."
I needed a punching bag.
I slowly turned my head towards the Dreamwalker. It was looking at me.
'On second thought, it might be strong enough to beat me up now.'
I tossed all thoughts away and pressed the red button again.
"Again!"
Ding!
[9%]
"Hiiiiiiik!!!"
Single digit!?
I clutched my head, struggling to keep it together. But things only spiraled when the Dreamwalker slowly raised its long, slender hand, pointing it at me.
"..."
I stood in silence while watching it, somewhat tense by its actions.
Was it going to attack me?
Why? I thought the loyalty points had increased. That wasn't enough? It still has a grudge against me? If so—
Then...
".....!"
Its body began to tremble, its head lurching backward as its finger continued to point at me.
I stood in frozen shock, mouth hanging open.
That...
It was laughing at me.
"The fuck?"
It could do that?
No, before any of that...
"Get back in!"
I immediately recalled the Dreamwalker, just barely holding myself from shouting all the possible curses I knew.
Biting my lips to the point of bleeding, I glared at the fax machine and pressed the red button again.
Ding!
[87%]
"Motherfuc—Oh..."
I blinked in disbelief. After getting used to the string of low percentages, seeing such a high percentage left me momentarily speechless.
However, I was soon overjoyed.
'Yes, this is just about enough!'
With this new percentage, I was sure to have enough purity to create a resilient node.
I could now try reaching the Second Order.
But...
"Hmm."
I didn't do so immediately and instead looked at my balance.
[Balance: 2322SP]
"....."
I closed my eyes and sighed.
Taking out another fragment, I swapped it and placed it on the fax machine.
'I'll get the SP back eventually. What I won't get back is this moment.'
As such, I pressed the red button again.
Ding!
[14%]
"Again!"
Ding!
[55%]
"Not enough..."
Ding!
[7%]
"Might as well rob me."
Ding!
[0%]
"Eh?"
BANG!
The fragment shattered right before my very eyes, leaving me at a complete loss.
"What the..."
I could only stare blankly at the spot where the fragment had previously been before covering my mouth and staring at my balance.
[Balance: 322SP]
Regret...
I started to feel so much regret.
My hands shook as I stared at the fax machine.
I just barely managed to hold myself back before turning to look at the fragments in front of me. Taking several breaths to calm myself down, a notification eventually flashed before my eyes.
[Ten fragments have been located!]
[You have met the criteria to advance]
[The purity level is 70.9%]
[Do you wish to advance?]
▶ [Yes] ▷ [No]
"As expected, only when I've gathered all of the fragments will it allow me to advance."
I had an inkling before, but this confirmed it.
I didn't hesitate.
The percentage was high enough for me to accept.
As such, I pressed [Yes].
Though I was still suffering from the intense regret of wasting so much SP, I tried my best not to think about it.
Not in such a pivotal moment.
The fragments before me flared to life, flooding the room with blinding light. My vision vanished in an instant. Then came the sharp, sudden stab of pain in my head.
"Akh!"
A scream escaped my lips as I stumbled back.
It was hard to describe the pain, but it was sharp. Almost as though someone had stabbed a sharp needle into my head.
I drew a sharp breath, trying my best to calm the pain, but before I could draw another, my body was wracked with violent convulsions.
".....!"
I stumbled back, my back pressing against the wall as I held onto my arm.
The pain intensified and my face scrumped up.
"Kh..."
Groans inevitably left my mouth.
In spite of my best attempts at trying to suppress them, I realized that I couldn't stop them. The pain was simply too much.
"Akh!"
I lost track of time from that point.
I just waited for the pain to fade away.
The minutes dragged into what felt like forever as I curled into the ground, holding my head with both hands.
"S-shit."
It took a while, and by the time the pain became bearable, I felt several changes occur in me. I couldn't quite pinpoint what they were as I slowly opened my eyes, staring at the notifications before me.
[Advancement complete!]
[Second Order shop unlocked!]
[Basic Node: Trait Transfer]
[Fragments: 0/20]
The notifications were numerous, but the one that immediately caught my eye was the Trait Transfer section.
What was that?
"Ugh..."
Forcing myself up, I dragged my body towards the computer and looked at my page.
That was when I saw it.
─────
▪ Basic Node : Trait Transfer
▶ Dreamwalker
- [Body Morphosis]
▶ Mirelle
- [?????]
─────
"W-what..."
Just when I thought the shock had peaked, my right arm squirmed unnaturally.
A sudden connection snapped into place between me and the Dreamwalker, and then the darkness came. It poured over my flesh like liquid ink, stretching and solidifying until my arm had vanished, replaced by a gleaming, wicked blade of shadow.
"....."
I paused, processing the sight before opening my lips and mumbling,
"Shiiiiit."
Swoosh!
I sliced my arm around the office.
The feeling was smooth, without any hindrance. I stood in silence while staring at my arm, which had now turned completely dark and was sharp at its end.
I wanted to try slicing at the table, but thought better of it as I imagined my hand returning to how it was, and the shadow retreated.
"Haaa."
I felt a little nauseous while staring at my arm once again.
My mind throbbed at the same time.
It wasn't for long, though. Just for several seconds before everything settled back to normal.
'I guess it's most likely because the node is being used?'
This was my best guess.
I was still too unfamiliar with how nodes worked to know.
But still...
"This is ridiculous."
Even now, it felt like I could shift every part of my body in the way that I wanted it to. So long as I imagined it, I could probably make several hands appear.
'Wait, that might actually not be a bad idea.'
The more hands I had, the better.
It would make the programming process a lot faster.
"Well..."
So long as I could keep my focus the same, then maybe.
Still, with some practice, it wouldn't be entirely impossible.
"I'll need to test this out later."
What I was worried about was the toll it took on the node in my head. Although I had developed one at a 70% purity rate, I was worried fractures would still form if I overused it.
'It'll probably be fine, but I can't take any risks.'
For now, I planned to gradually deepen my understanding of this new skill and learn more about nodes and fractures.
"It might take a bit, but this is good."
I was excited about this new skill. The possibilities were endless.
But at the same time, looking at Mirelle's profile and seeing her skill section, I was a little lost.
[?????]
"Why can't I see her skill?"
Could it be because the gap between me and Mirelle was too large for me to properly control her?
It made sense when thinking about it, but...
I was really curious to know what her skill was.
Eventually, my gaze fell on the painting where she was, watching as she held the bag of chips above her, waving it in the air while tilting her head left and right, trying her best to see if there were any chips left.
Dragging her finger into the bag, she sucked on her finger.
"....."
This little...
I shook my head before checking my watch and turning to look behind me.
'It should be almost time...'
To Tok!
"Huh?"
Someone suddenly knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"...Who else would visit you?"
"Oh."
He had a point.
No, but...
I hastily looked at Mirelle, who was still messing with the empty bag of chips.
"What are you doing? Can I come in?"
'Shit!!'
The doorknob twisted, and my eyes widened. Without thinking, I rushed to the painting, brought it down, and the bag fell onto the floor as I flipped the painting over.
Clank!
The door opened right after as Kyle came in, his eyes pausing on me.
"What are you doing?"
He looked at me weirdly as I brushed my hair back while leaning on the wall with my other hand.
"Oh, nothing..."
"....."
Kyle's eyes narrowed, and my stomach sank. Did he figure something out? Why is he looking at me like that? Could it be—
"Are you starved for romance?"
"Huh?"
Starved for romance? What was he talking about?
"First the sunglasses, and now this weird position...? You must be dying to get a girlfriend."
"What sort of..."
That was when I realized it and looked at my current position.
With one hand leaning on the wall, and my body twisted to the door, it really did look like I was practicing some sort of weird move.
'Holy fuck.'
It took all of me to stop my face from changing.
"If you're here to spout nonsense, you can just leave."
"No, I'm good."
Kyle glanced at the turned painting for a brief moment, mumbling something like, 'You even got a painting? You seriously think I don't see through you?'
I forced a smile.
Think whatever you want.
"Anyways."
Kyle sat on my desk, crossing his legs.
"There will be a Section Dinner soon. I was told to invite you since you now seem to be part of the Guild."
"Section Dinner? Can I—"
"You can't skip it."
"What, why?"
"Because I'm not allowing you to."
Kyle hopped off the table, eventually moving towards the door again.
"You're too much of a loner. You're practically stuck in your office the entire time, and wherever someone sees you, they mistake you for some sort of ghost, given the dark circles beneath your eyes. Do you even sleep?"
"Lately, yes..."
I managed to sleep an average of a whopping five hours these past few days. A record for me.
"Lately?"
Kyle covered his face.
"This..."
He looked really speechless.
"What? It's not that bad."
"Not bad?"
Kyle looked even more speechless as he opened his mouth to say something, but eventually closed it and shook his head.
"Whatever the case, you need to come to the dinner. It's in two hours, so don't be late. You need to interact with the others more, and there are several key pieces of information that'll be shared. Even if you're not an active member of the Guild, you need to be there since it might be related to your general safety."
"....."
I stared at Kyle, thinking of all sorts of excuses to reject the invitation.
However, after a while, I gave up.
"Alright."
I realized that going was only going to benefit me.
There was quite a lot that I still needed to learn about nodes and this world, and the best way to learn was by going there.
Although I hated socializing, I had to do this.
"Good."
Kyle smiled, seemingly happy with my decision.
His mouth opened to say something, but it soon froze the moment he caught sight of something on the floor, and his face hardened.
Hastily looking back, he moved out of the room and closed the door.
Right before leaving, he mumbled in a hurried tone,
"It was you..."
He looked really scared as he said those words, leaving me at a complete loss.
What the...
Clank!
The door closed right after, and I could only stare numbly at the door.
Looking around, my eyes eventually fell on the chips on the floor, and realization dawned on me.
"Ah, right."
I almost forgot about that.
I shook my head and started toward the empty bag. But just before I could reach it, the world around me seemed to suddenly freeze.
Flick!
".....!"
The light above snapped off, and in an instant, I was swallowed by darkness.
Click!
A soft, deliberate click echoed through the room. The door had locked.
Then...
The air shifted.
The temperature plummeted, and I began to shiver uncontrollably. A creeping dread coiled deep in my chest, spreading like ice through my veins.
Until—
0
A massive, blood-red zero seared itself onto the wall. My body froze.
Cra—! Crack!
The silence was shattered.
The wall began to split, jagged lines tearing across its surface. Pieces crumbled and fell
away, revealing a growing hole—
And through it, I saw something eerily familiar.
A theater.
An opera-style theater, completely abandoned.
A grand stage loomed in the distance, cloaked in shadows.
I stared, breath caught in my throat as the all too familiar stage presented itself before my very eyes.
But then—
"Hoo."
I closed my eyes... and checked the time.
I sighed.
'How punctual.'
-x-X-x-
"....."
The theater was empty.
From the fine red seats lined in velvet, to the grand balconies that arched above, and the stage looming in the distance.
Everything was silent.
The lights were off, casting the entire theater in a murky darkness. A biting cold lingered in the air, as if the room itself had been abandoned for years, and yet...
It felt as though thousands of eyes were staring right at me.
My entire body tensed at the sensation.
However, I didn't let it show.
I maintained my composure while walking towards the same seat I had sat in the past.
'It should be this one.'
I sat down.
And the moment I did...
Flick!
The lights snapped on, and everything flared to life.
Swoosh, swoosh!
One by one, the seats began to fill. The all-too-familiar faceless figures emerged with the light. It was just like last time... No, not quite. I was alone. And every single one of them... was staring directly at me.
"....."
Tak!
The simple echo of a step echoed all of a sudden as I turned my attention towards the stage, where a towering figure emerged, its elongated body and stitched-together features casting long shadows as its presence took over the entire theater.
"H-Ha."
My chest shook at the sight.
But it wasn't out of fear this time, but out of nervousness.
'He's here.'
I had a plan.
I just needed to execute it.
It had to work.
And then...
The figure stopped.
Silence.
"....."
Slowly, its head turned to face me.
I didn't dare breathe, but at the same time... I didn't dare take my eyes away from it.
I stared back, showing no signs of fear.
At least... I tried not to show it.
'So long as I don't puke now, I'll be fine.'
I was very close to puking.
Still, I managed to remain composed. I somewhat expected this. I had been waiting for it to happen, and as such, was prepared to handle the current situation.
I also knew its weakness.
'I can do this.'
My fists silently clenched.
And then—
A grotesque tearing noise echoed through the theater as the stitches on the conductor's face split apart, forcing its mouth open in a dreadful, unnatural grimace.
"I've... been waiting."
Every part of me shivered the moment its voice reached my ears.
It was almost like a whisper. A cold whisper.
My lips pressed together tightly as I held onto the armrest of the chair.
"Your earlier performance was, I must say.... perfectly adequate. You've revealed something rather intriguing, and I found our collaboration unexpectedly delightful."
"Is that so?"
I forced a smile.
"...I also found the per—"
"But."
The conductor cut me off before I could speak. Its voice was now colder... dryer.
"That does not take away from what you previously stated. You said my music was trash. I cannot accept that."
Every hair on my body rose the moment the conductor spoke.
This situation...
'It's not good.'
"But that's fine."
The conductor slowly turned towards the seats that were nearly arranged on the stage, its hand raising to display the baton.
Then, gradually stopping in the air, the conductor paused.
The silence stretched.
"...Since you've shown me the complete piece, it is now my turn to reciprocate. I will now display to you the very same piece you displayed to me."
Its hand moved down, and...
Wham!
The stage lights flared to life, illuminating several figures now seated gracefully in the chairs by the stage. Almost as if popping from out of thin air. Holding onto several instruments, they stared straight in my direction.
'Oh, no...'
I could see where this was going.
That was when I knew that I had to act. It was now or never.
"As expected... You're mediocr—!"
I didn't even finish the sentence before one of the faceless figures in the front row reached out and grabbed my throat.
Its cold, lifeless hand tightened, lifting me off the seat. My vision blurred as the pressure on my windpipe cut off air.
Riiiip!
With a sickening rip, its mouth pulled apart, and the conductor's voice echoed.
"What... did you say?"
Time froze. The entire world seemed to hang still as the figure's blank face stared through me. I gasped for breath, my lungs burning.
I could only hang suspended in the air as the faceless figure before me stared right through me.
Then, barely managing to speak, I continued, "You're mediocr—Ukh!"
The grip over my throat tightened, forcing the remaining air out of my lungs as the surroundings started to tremble.
Rattle! Rattle!
Everything rattled, and so did I.
I couldn't stop. I had to keep speaking.
"W-why... do I need... to see... s...omething I've already seen?"
"....."
Just barely managing to get my words out, the rattling paused, and the grip over my throat lessened. I took a big gulp of air and continued to speak. I couldn't let this chance go to waste.
"Are you trying to tell me that you're better than me? Someone who does this for a living... versus a mere game developer?"
I almost laughed.
No, I did laugh.
"H-how laughable."
The figure's hand tightened again, but not enough to cut me off completely. I had to keep going.
"...If you're attempting to reciprocate by presenting something I've already performed, doesn't that suggest you consider yourself beneath what I've played?"
If this wasn't the case, why would he stick to the same music?
The conductor could be showing me something else.
Something far more superior.
And yet...
"You're still hung up about my performance."
Rattle! Rattle!
The rattling around intensified. The curtains swayed, the balconies shook, and the seats rocked back and forth.
This right here...
Things were flowing in the same way that I wanted them to from the start.
I could feel it now, that crack in its facade. The power shift was subtle, but I could see it in the way the rattling around grew more intense.
Knowing the conductor's weakness, I directly pressed its buttons.
'Almost, just a little bit more.'
But this wasn't enough.
"You feel inferior to me."
RATTLE! RATTLE!
"...You want to show me you aren't, but what will that achieve? You're trying to compete against someone who hardly knows anything about musi—"
"You were only perfect because of me."
The conductor's voice dropped into a low growl. As if someone had ripped his throat out, and he was forcing his voice out through whatever was left of his mangled throat.
"I am the reason that you were perfect!"
"Are you really?"
I smirked.
"I beg to differ."
My fingers twitched, moving slowly toward the hand that still gripped my neck. I focused on the faceless figure, daring it to respond.
"You don't believe I could've played that piece without you, right?"
"...Of course."
"Then, how about we make a bet?"
"A bet.....?"
I swallowed nervously while staring at the conductor. This was it. This was what I had been trying to achieve and had been planning since the start.
"Yes, a bet."
I licked my lips, feeling the tension within my body rise to a level unlike it had ever hit before.
"Give me a piece of your choice."
I took a small breath while turning my attention away from the faceless figure and towards the real conductor.
"...Give it to me and I'll show you an adequate performance to prove to you that I never needed you."