Thump! Thump—!
Kyle jolted awake as his body hit the floor, his face slamming into the cold ground. A groan rose in his throat, but he bit it back, swallowing the pain.
A constant ringing filled his ears, drowning out the world, while muffled screams bled through the noise like distant background noises.
'They're here!'
'...They came out!'
'How many are there?'
'There are only three! Quickly provide them with some aid.'
Kyle's mind was sluggish, a thick fog settling over his thoughts as he struggled to properly make out the situation. Where was he? What was going on? What was hap—
"Ah—!"
But he was quick to snap out of it when his eyes flared open.
"Seth!"
He sat up immediately, looking around before settling his gaze towards the distant Team Leader.
His voice immediately rose.
"Team Leader! You need to quickly send a rescue squad! Seth is still there! He—"
"Stop."
The Team Leader's rough voice cut through Kyle's words as he crossed his hands together, subtly nudging his head towards a group not far from where he was. Kyle recognized a few figures.
"What do you think we've been trying to do for the past several minutes since we lost contact with all of you?"
He sighed while turning his attention towards the crack on the floor.
"We've been trying to send several agents into the crack, but the moment someone goes down, they immediately go back up. We've been trying to find a way to crack the situation, but it looks a lot harder than anticipated. I've even personally tried doing something, but the situation is a lot more complicated than expected."
"But...!"
"I understand where you're coming from, Kyle, but we are trying our best. I'm hopeful that we'll be able to figure something out in the next few minutes."
'But we don't have that much time!'
Kyle bit his lip, staring at his hand as it shook. His connection with Seth was still present, his node working overtime to keep Seth's body frozen in time.
His skill had yet to break, meaning that he was fine.
This was good.
'I'll keep it like this so that—'
"You should release him."
Kyle's thoughts were broken by Zoey, who stood not far from him, her hair a little disheveled.
"Eh...?"
Kyle's lips opened, but then soon closed, his brows furrowing tightly. Seeing the clear anger on Kyle's face, Zoey remained calm and explained the situation to him.
"From what I know, they've been trying to get into that weird place since we all entered. The fact that they still weren't able to enter despite the Team Leader's help tells you all you need to know about the situation. It's... going to take quite a while before the rescue squad can be sent. Do you think you can keep up for that long?"
"No, I..."
Kyle didn't have any words to reply to her. It didn't take a genius to know that she was right.
The Team Leader had probably said all that he had said in order to keep him appeased and calm, but did he really think that way?
No, probably not.
Then...
"The only way to get out is through the same way that we did. The device is still loaded to the ground. So long as he reached the second floor, he should be able to get out."
Zoey's tone grew a little softer as she looked at Kyle.
"I may not like the guy, but if there's one thing that he's shown me several times already, is that he's competent. In... strange yet effective ways. When he said he could handle it, he probably meant his words."
She looked at Kyle's hand as it trembled slightly.
"...Release your node and trust him."
After a pause, Zoey continued.
"This is the best thing that you can do in order to ensure his survival."
"I..."
Kyle opened his mouth, trying to say something, but in the end, he merely lowered his head and nodded.
"Alright."
He mumbled, his tone low.
"...I'll trust him."
In that moment, he released the node while clenching his hand tightly.
'You better fucking make it back here.'
***
"..."
I didn't know how long I had been incapacitated for, but the moment I opened my eyes, I was met with a strange darkness. A stifling darkness that would fade every once in a while with the flicker of the moonlight.
'So it looks like they weren't able to bring me back with them.'
I closed my eyes, not entirely disappointed.
I more or less foresaw that thing would turn out this way.
This anomaly was no simple one.
"....."
The one thing that kept bothering me was the pain in my shoulder. I wasn't sure what had happened, but the moment I turned my head to check, I flinched.
Just what in the world had happened while I was passed out!?
The pain almost felt unbearable, and for a moment, I almost found myself groaning.
'Thank god I wasn't awake, otherwise I really would've screamed.'
Silently clenching my teeth, I tried my best to keep myself composed while taking deep breaths. But...
Creaaak!
That became nearly impossible when I heard the faint creak of wood nearby, a sound so quiet yet chilling it sent shivers down my spine.
The Twisted Man...
He was close to me.
Creaaaaak!
It almost felt like the wood next to me sunk in slightly, a foot appearing not far from where I was. With another step, a long, distorted shadow formed right above me, stretching over my body.
'Don't make a sound. Keep composed. It thinks you're dead...'
Though the pain made it hard for me to keep myself from making any noise, I knew that I had no other choice but to remain quiet. Right now... It was just me and the Twisted Man. Kyle was no longer here, and the silence around me felt deafening.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself down, I looked around.
I needed to properly assess my current situation.
I was now alone on the first floor of the house.
The only way out of this place was to go to the second floor. I was already aware of the leaving procedures, having been taught by the Guild and Kyle before entering the crack.
All I needed to do was go upstairs.
The only problem was getting past the Twisted Man.
The moment I made a sound was also the same moment that it would become aware of my presence, and the game... which had finally ended, would resume again.
'I feel like there will be no coming back for me if that happens. I need to quickly think of a way to get to the second floor.'
My thoughts didn't linger for too long on the problem.
I had several means to take care of this situation. Looking down at my arm, I could see two.
'I can just do it like the last time. I don't think it'll be a problem.'
There was a certain risk to it, but I felt that this was the best way to get out.
Or was that truly the case...?
I held my breath. For some reason, I started to second-guess myself.
The Twisted Man had shown me time and time again that it was no simple anomaly. It was smart.
Would it really fall for the same trick again?
'But what other choice do I have? This is my only viable option. What else can I—'
It was in that moment that my eyes fell on the distant poem, and my thoughts paused.
That was when a thought occurred to me, and my heart nearly skipped a beat.
Wait...
Was this really my only option?
-x-X-x-
It was as if I had a sudden epiphany.
Staring at the poem in the distance, I took a moment to properly assess the situation.
'The game started the moment it found my voice. With me being its real and only target due to being haunted, the game was one that would end the moment I died. The goal of the game was to kill everyone until I was the only one left.'
This part was merely speculation at first.
However, looking around and seeing that Kyle was gone and so were the others, it was safe to say that my speculation was correct.
My death was the key to ending this twisted game of his.
'In that sense, the Twisted Man right now thinks that the game is over.'
This...
This was an opportunity!
'While the game might be over, it actually isn't over. It just doesn't know it yet. I can use this to my advantage!'
If I could just exploit the small holes in its game, I could reverse the entire situation.
But how could I do that?
How could I exploit the holes in its game?
'I need to think carefully. This is a second-order mission. The system confirmed it, meaning that I have the ability to clear it.'
I didn't need to use some overpowered ability or call the conductor to help me out.
The answer was somewhere around me.
In this room, or with the abilities that I had. Perhaps in the shop? Was there some sort of item in the shop that could help me?
I thought about it before shaking my head.
I couldn't afford any of the items in the second order shop, and none of the items in the first order shop appeared to be of any use.
So then...
What? What could—!
Voices!
The thought struck me like a lightning bolt.
'That's right, the key to this game is voices... The moment the Twisted Man hears a voice, it will go for the kill, stealing their voices. This is something that I've confirmed and I've seen happen multiple times. In that case, what if... What if... it hears its own voice?'
I unknowingly found myself licking my lips.
My heart sped up at the sudden thought. The idea... it was a dangerous one, but at the same time, it felt like the closest thing to the true solution that the system had been hinting at.
No, this was probably the solution.
'...So long as I manage to get it to hear its own voice, I'll be able to clear the game. Perhaps I might even get it to kill itself, although I doubt it.'
Still...
This was worth a shot.
The idea felt feasible, and I grew excited just thinking about it. However, I didn't let the excitement get to my head. This was still only an idea. There was no proof that it would work, and most importantly...
'How the hell will I even get this thing to speak?'
Getting the Twisted Man to speak wasn't actually hard. I had already heard it speak several times.
The main issue was getting it to speak with its real voice.
How in the world could I get it to speak with its own voice? Currently, I was in an advantageous position.
The Twisted Man wasn't aware of the fact that I was still alive and was most likely assuming the game was over.
In essence, I had the element of surprise.
If I could use this element of surprise to my advantage, then... perhaps getting it to speak with its own voice was possible.
But how exactly could I catch it off guard?
I thought for a few good seconds before once again shifting my attention towards the poem in the distance.
I looked through its words, scanning for any possible clue.
Something about voices. Something about games. Something about—
Ah.
The moment of realization came after a few short seconds.
'Rather than looking at the poem for clues, wouldn't the whole poem itself be the biggest clue of them all?'
It became pretty clear to me that the Twisted Man cared for the poem.
For the Twisted Man to display the same poem twice...
'The poem must also be related to the game.'
What would happen if I were to make changes to it?
Would it notice?
'...I don't think the Twisted Man is blind. It just can't see any humans unless it hears them. In that case, I'm sure it can see the poem.'
Creaaak—
Hearing the floor creak once more, I no longer hesitated.
I called out the Dreamwalker as a long figure appeared, its figure casting a long shadow over me as the moonlight flickered.
Understanding my intentions, the Dreamwalker turned its attention towards the stairs and started to sprint up.
Thump! Thump!
As it ran, it made as much noise as possible.
However, unlike the previous two times, the Twisted Man didn't move.
It just stared in the direction of the noise, its hunched figure straightening slightly.
I stood rooted in place, waiting for it to move.
But...
The Twisted Man never moved. It remained where it was, staring at the noise without much of a reaction.
'...It didn't budge at all.'
It had learned from before.
"Hihihi~"
Even as a certain giggle echoed in the air, the Twisted Man remained still, its mouth flat.
"Play? Will you play with me?"
Seeing it so indifferent to all the noise around, I felt a lump form in my throat.
'I really don't understand the system's ordering system.'
Was this really a second-order mission?
Shaking my head, I quietly moved towards the wall where the poem was located. I took advantage of all the noise around to arrive there without getting noticed.
'Good, it looks like it didn't notice me.'
I sighed in relief when I saw that the Twisted Man had still not noticed me.
Slowly turning my head back to the poem that was etched on the wall, I read each line carefully before settling my gaze on the last few verses.
So bite your tongue and mute your cries,
Lest your last sound be his whispered lies.
The Twisted Man won't leave, you'll find...
Unless you leave your voice behind.
I looked at the last few lines carefully while ignoring all the noise in the background.
"Are you not going to play with me? Please play with me!"
Thump! Thump!
Honestly, it was quite hard to ignore all the noise, but I had no choice but to.
This was closely related to my own life.
I had to concentrate.
'Focus.. What exactly can I write to change things up? What can I write to stir up the Twisted Ma—!!"
BANG!
My thoughts were abruptly cut off by a sudden crashing sound. Immediately, I turned my head, and I felt my expression change.
The Twisted Man...
Where was the Twisted Man?!
BANG!
A sudden crashing sound shattered the silence, jerking me upright as a searing pain tore across the top of my skull.
It was sharp.
Like something had driven a nail straight into my skull.
My vision blurred, and for a moment, I nearly screamed, the sound caught in my throat as I desperately kept my mouth shut. It was also then that I saw it. A black mark blooming across the back of my hand, pulsing like it was alive.
I knew then...
The Dreamwalker had been killed.
'Shit!'
BANG—!
"Ah...! You're getting too close!"
Mirelle's voice echoed, no longer sounding as cheerful and playful as before. I knew then, my time was slipping away. Without hesitation, I turned to the poem etched into the wall, its letters appearing before me under the faint moonlight.
Closing my eyes, I activated my second node, a long shadow slithered over my hand as my hand stretched into a long blade.
Without wasting a second, I moved my hand towards the wall and began to etch the poem.
Skrrr! Skrrr!
A subtle, yet pronounced chiseling sound began echoing in the room.
'This better fucking work...'
-x-X-x-
Skrr! Skrrr—!
Although I tried my best to keep the noise to a minimum, the sound of my finger scraping against the wall was loud enough to be heard, and my entire body tensed at the realization.
"Stop! I don't want to play anymore!"
Mirelle's voice echoed in the background, her voice sounding panicked.
I knew that I had to hurry up.
The moment she was gone was also the moment I had to stop.
Skrrr!
I proceeded to scrape harder, my finger gliding across the wall as sweat poured down the side of my face.
Scraping the wall, I could feel my hand tremble with each motion.
"Stop! Stop!"
Mirelle's screams echoed louder and louder, prompting my body to tense further, but I had to keep going.
'Just hold on a little longer.'
I focused even more on the poem in front of me.
A couple of verses.
That was all I needed to add.
It wasn't hard, but I needed to be as quiet as possible.
I was almost done.
Just a little more.
Just a—
"Ahhh!"
A blood-curdling scream suddenly echoed across the room, and I stopped immediately, my breath pausing alongside my actions as my head started to hurt again. This time, it was a lot more painful than before, causing my vision to turn white for a brief moment as a white marking appeared on my arm.
Standing still, I didn't dare breathe.
Because...
I knew something else was listening.
Creaak!
Once more, the floor creaked, the tapping of the water in the kitchen echoing once more.
My lips trembled, and my mind was exhausted, but I kept firm.
'It... still doesn't know that I'm alive. I d...on't think it sees me.'
Staring ahead, I looked at the poem in front of me.
It was almost done.
I was just missing a little bit.
'No, it doesn't matter if I don't finish. This is good enough.'
Creaak!
The floor creaked behind me, the moonlight flickering into the room, as I saw a large shadow appear right behind me.
I almost choked up, nearly slipping and making a sound. I just barely managed to keep myself from doing so as I hastily covered my mouth with both hands.
Embraced by the darkness, I tried to drown out all distracting thoughts.
The Twisted Man was right behind me.
He was looking at the poem.
Was he going to react? Was he going to finally speak? What was he going to do?
I stood anxiously, hoping for something to happen. Hoping to hear some sort of noise coming from its mouth.
And soon...
It did.
"H-how dare..."
Almost every hair on my body rose the moment I heard the voice, deep and growling.
Creaaak Creaaak!
The window in the distance started to visibly creak, moving back and forth as I opened my eyes to see the Twisted Man place its finger on the wall, tracing it across the poem on the wall.
"Who... dares... to."
I could practically feel the anger from its voice.
It was vivid enough for me to hear.
However, that no longer mattered to me.
'It spoke! It finally spoke in its own voice!'
I could now end the game!
If my hypothesis was correct, then I could, at this very moment, reveal the fact that I was still alive to the Twisted Man and end its twisted game.
I had beaten the game.
I had beaten the twisted man.
I—
'No, I didn't.'
I paused a few seconds after, staring at the fading shadow before me as the moonlight faded and the room faded into the darkness once more.
'...What is there to say that this is its real voice?'
This...
What if this was, in fact, another trap set up by the Twisted Man?
'The anomaly isn't stupid. Although it thinks that I'm dead, I'm sure it felt that something was odd when it felt Mirelle and the Dreamwalker. Although it is aware of the fact that they aren't human, it might still think that something was wrong, purposely baiting me to speak by exposing his 'weakness' when in reality it wasn't even his own voice.'
Perhaps I was thinking too much about it, but at the same time, I knew that the Twisted Man was smart enough to pull something like this off.
No, in fact...
I believed this was exactly what it was trying to pull.
"Not. Acceptable.'
As the Twisted Man's deep and growling voice echoed once more, it brought its finger over to the wall, its eyes falling on the last line that was missing the last part.
Its long and lanky body moved forward, appearing right next to me as I suddenly held my breath, afraid of making any noise.
But..
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
Although I could keep my breath in check, the same couldn't be said for my heart.
It drummed so loudly inside my mind that I feared for a moment the Twisted Man could hear it.
My stomach was also starting to act up, forcing something up my throat.
'No, not now. Just a little bit more. Resist...'
I had to bite my lips so hard that they started to bleed in order to regain my calm.
The only thing I could do was stand in silence.
Waiting for the Twisted Man to slip up.
This was a game of patience. It was either me or the Twisted Man.
Who was going to slip up?
Who was—
"Who... Dares... to... write this?"
".....!"
I felt it then. Although subtle, I felt it! A slight change in the tone of the Twisted Man. It was a mix between its deep and growly voice, with another, more grounded, but eerie one.
'It's angry.'
Yes, I could feel the anger in its voice.
That was also the reason it started to slip up.
The anger was finally taking over its calmness, and its original voice was starting to slip out.
"How...dare. They. Mock... me like this?"
More and more of its original voice started to slip out. That was also the moment that I felt sure about my original plan and idea.
The key to solving this scenario was its voice.
I had managed to piss it off enough to make its real voice slip.
'I'll wait just a little bit longer.'
My toes curled inward as my lips trembled. I really wanted to speak, but I knew I had to remain calm. I couldn't rush it.
I needed to hear it make a full sentence with its own voice.
I needed the Twisted Man to completely lower its guard.
'Soon. It should be soon.'
..And indeed, the moment came not long after.
"I should've killed them!"
BANG!
The twisted man leaned back and swiped at the wall, leaving claw marks all over it as it tried to erase the poem from existence.
"I will kill them!"
The anger in its voice was palpable as it raised its hand to swipe at the wall once more, but it was also in that moment that I finally opened my mouth.
"I will—"
"You will what, exactly?"
The Twisted Man froze on the spot, its entire body freezing on the spot like a statue.
Eventually, it turned its head in my direction as it faced me directly.
I felt shivers while meeting its gaze, but I kept firm.
Opening my mouth again, I looked toward the wall and spoke once again.
"Your voice. It counts, doesn't it?"
I covered my lips to hide my smile.
"...This twisted game of yours. I've won, didn't I?"
I wasn't smiling because I felt like I had won.
I was smiling because I was scared. I was trying to trick myself into believing that I wasn't scared. Was I scared? Beyond shitless.
Still, I couldn't show it on my face.
My heart drummed loudly in my head as I stood before the Twisted Man, its figure hunched over me.
"...You feed on voices, right?"
In the silence that settled around me, my voice was the only sound that broke the silence.
It rang out clearly, and I could hear its faint echo returning to me.
"I heard your true voice. According to the game, you should be feeding on yourself."
I extended both of my hands, trying me best to look confident.
"I'm still alive, no? The game between the two of us isn't over. Now that you've spoken, it's time for you to eat your own voice."
I licked my dry lips, staring at the Twisted Man before me.
I struggled to breathe in its presence, as though the air itself was suffocating me. Every breath felt forced, and the knot in my throat tightened with each passing moment.
But then—
Twitch!
The Twisted Man's head twitched.
As if it had experienced some sort of glitch, it began to twitch.
Twitch! Twitch!
Its hand raised, a shadow casting over me as it tried to attack me, but—
Twitch!
Its action would immediately stop
I was lost and confused at first, but I soon understood everything.
'...It worked. My plan worked!'
Staring at the Twisted Man and seeing it twitch once more, I could tell that it was struggling to come to terms with the situation.
At this very moment, I took a step back.
Away from the Twisted Man.
Creaak!
The wooden floor creaked under my step, and the Twisted Man stared at me.
But...
Twitch!
It didn't move.
That was when I fully understood that my plan had worked.
But I didn't dare relax. Looking around the place, I immediately settled my gaze on the stairs in the distance.
The right course of action would be to directly head there and move to the second floor before leaving. I thought about killing it with the knife in my hand, but I didn't feel that was a good idea.
'It's best to leave. I can't take any risks.'
However, just as I was about to take a step there, I paused.
Slowly turning my head, my gaze fell on the unfinished poem on the wall.
Twitch! Twitch!
The Twisted Man continued to twitch as I stared at the poem.
'It's a pity I can't finish it, but the message is clear enough.'
Looking at the Twisted Man one last time, I moved towards the stairs and rushed towards the second floor, where I noticed a familiar device and activated it.
Swoosh!
Almost immediately, my vision shifted, and it started to dim.
It was also in that moment that I saw a notification appear before me.
[Congratulations!]
[You have completed the scenario!]
[You will now be given your rewards]
[App will now update]
Eh...?
I looked at the sudden notification, dumbfounded.
Another update?
What in the world—
The world turned black before I could finish my thoughts.
***
"Team Leader... Did you find anything? Is there some sort of way to enter?"
"Kyle."
The Team Leader paused, turning his attention towards Kyle, who had been hounding him for the past several minutes. At first, the Team Leader understood where Kyle was coming from. One of the people involved was someone that whom he was close.
He understood that.
But there was a limit to how much he could take.
"If you keep asking me the same question over and over again, how do you expect me to focus and actually try to help your friend out?"
Although he tried his best not to, the Team Leader still ended up raising his voice, prompting Kyle to snap out of it.
Turning his head around and seeing all the eyes that were staring at him, Kyle lowered his head before apologizing.
"I'm sorry."
He wasn't usually like this.
In fact, he was usually the cold one in the team.
He was usually the guy who would act indifferent to someone's predicament and death.
And yet...
When it involved Seth, Kyle found himself growing restless.
This was someone he had grown up with. His brother in a better sense of the word.
How could he not be restless?
"Kyle, I understand that you're worried, but we're trying our best to figure the situation out. I've already called the Section Chief, and he should be on his way. Once he arrives, we should be able to resolve the situation."
The Team Leader's words were encouraging and filled with hope.
But in reality... Even he didn't believe his own words. He had witnessed the entire situation from the start.
He was well aware of what had transpired beforehand, and seeing just how many elite members had died, he didn't have any faith that a regular person like Seth was going to survive the ordeal by the time they managed to find a way into the gate.
The Team Leader just didn't want to tell the facts to Kyle.
He was currently not in the right state of mind.
'That Trauma Counselor would've been really useful at this very moment.'
As a support, Seth was never really supposed to be involved in the scenario. He was supposed to be there to handle situations where teammates lost their minds or had trouble remaining calm.
This would've really come in handy with the current state that Kyle was in.
"Team Leader."
Bringing the Team Leader out of his thoughts was a certain voice.
Turning his head, he saw one of the rescue team members walking up to him. Judging from their face, the situation didn't look great.
"We've tried to do more tests, but it doesn't seem like we'll be able to force our way into the crack. It seems like we'll need the Section Chief to come directly and fo—"
"There's a fluctuation!"
With a sudden shout, everyone's attention turned towards a certain individual as they stood before the crack that led to the strange world.
Staring directly at the crack, they pointed at it.
".....!"
All of a sudden, a hand shot out from the crack, shocking everyone present as it grasped onto the wooden floor before pulling itself out.
All eyes widened in that moment as Kyle's face lit up.
"Seth!"
He immediately rushed towards Seth, helping him out of the hole as the others also rushed to help him.
"Quick! Get the medics!"
"Get the other supports!"
"Quickly!"
Chaos unfolded in that very moment as the place turned extremely lively.
And yet, the person in question seemed completely oblivious to the situation as he stared at the string of notifications that appeared before his eyes.
[Bonus Quest Activated!]
• Difficulty: Second Order
• Reward: 15,000 SP
• Objective: Find out more about the Twisted Man.
• Location: Malovia Island
Time Limit: 1 day.
Even as he watched his balance grow, he didn't look particularly excited.
[Balance : 18,322 SP]
He'd normally be happy upon seeing such a number, but at this very moment, his thoughts were elsewhere.
Another update?
Why? What happened...?
What was it going to be about?
He was dying from curiosity as he wanted nothing more than to just head out of the room and reach for his laptop.
But before he could even do that....
Clank!
The door burst open, and an all too familiar figure walked in.
It was the Section Chief.
-x-X-x-
"I realized that something was wrong the moment that Kyle and the others left me alone in the apartment. I believe it was when I saw the moonlight flicker and a large shadow appeared before me. I immediately stopped moving and did nothing. I thought I was a goner back then. With my strenght, there was no way for me to defeat that thing."
Within the confines of a small room, two people sat in front of a metallic desk. The room was rather plain. Besides the lamp above that shined a white light beneath, coupled with the metallic desk and chairs, there was nothing else in the room.
"...But it was also in that desperate moment that I realized something. The monster... or whatever that thing was, it fed on noise. So long as I made no noise, the anomaly wouldn't attack me."
Currently, Seth was sitting in front of the Section Chief, describing to him everything that had happened in the crack.
He wasn't the only one questioned.
The others were too, with everyone brought to a different room.
Nobody was in trouble or anything like that. These were just the standard procedures the Guild took in order to ensure there was no physical or mental damage to the agents who had just come out from a traumatizing mission.
It was also for the Guild to keep tabs on the situation and understand exactly what had happened.
"So you were able to find out the anomaly hunted through sound with just that observation?"
Sitting opposite Seth with his legs crossed, the Section Chief proceeded to make several notes, his tongue pushing onto the bottom of his lips.
Making his notes, he gestured for Seth to continue.
"Fill me in on the rest."
Seth obliged and proceeded to narrate all the events that transpired shortly after.
From how the anomaly began to use voices to lure him.
From how it tried to trick him many times to make noise.
From how it had several weird corpses try and attack him, causing him to defend himself and barely manage to come out of it alive.
"Wait, you were able to defeat the creatures with just a knife?"
"....They weren't very strong. I believe its goal was just to make me speak."
"I see."
The Section Chief didn't think too much of this part. This sounded a lot like a scare tactic.
He proceeded to write another point in his notebook.
Seth proceeded to narrate the other events. How Kyle and the others arrived. How it had been a trick the entire time, and the reason why the corpses had arrived was due to it wanting to get Kyle and the others to come back and get him to speak.
To the poem on the wall, and everything else that followed.
Seth narrated everything without leaving anything behind. He remained as consistent as possible, knowing that there were other witnesses at the scene.
From his observations and his thought process during the entire situation. He didn't leave anything out.
The only time he made any changes was in the parts where he was by himself.
"When the anomaly went up the stairs to chase after Kyle and the others, it remained on the second floor, and when Kyle canceled his node and I woke up again, I went up to the wall and started sculpting new lines on the walls. I was unfortunately never able to finish. It arrived before I could finish."
"And...?"
"It was still enough," Seth replied, his face lowering as he seemed to fall into deep thought, "...In the end, the anomaly got angry and used its real voice. That was when I knew that the game was over, and how I managed to get out."
Seth's words were followed by a brief moment of silence as the Section Chief's hand paused, the ball of the pen hovering above the paper in front of him.
He quietly processed the words before nodding.
"Is there anything else that you'd like to share with me?"
"...No."
"Alright."
The Section Chief brought the pen onto the table and nodded.
"You may leave. Thank you for sharing everything."
"Understood."
Without wasting a single second, Seth stood up and proceeded to walk in the direction of the door.
'Didn't even waste a second.'
The eagerness in Seth to leave was quite obvious to see, and it made the Section Chief smile wryly. Nonetheless, he understood where Seth was coming from and merely shook his head.
It was understandable.
Watching as Seth opened the door and left, the Section Chief remained seated in his chair, his eyes hovering over the paper in front of him.
All sorts of bullet notes appeared on them, detailing everything that Seth had told him.
And...
"As expected..."
The Section Chief dropped the paper on the table, his fist slowly clenching.
"I really. Really want him."
He wasn't wrong about his previous assessment of Seth.
He really was a monstrous talent that the Guild couldn't do without.
If before he wasn't fully convinced, looking through the thought process Seth had gone through in order to escape the situation, the Section Chief found it extremely hard to contain himself from just forcing Seth to become an agent for the Guild.
It was just a pity that doing so would probably lead to not-so-ideal situations.
'If I want him to join the Guild as a proper agent, I'll need to do it slowly. I'll also need to prepare enough of an incentive for him to make him want to take the switch.'
Seth was a talent that the Guild couldn't do without.
If nurtured properly, he could very well take his position in no time. Of this, the Section Chief was sure.
He was never wrong when it came to judging people.
Trrr—
Lost in thought, the Section Chief didn't even notice his phone ringing. By the time he noticed, the phone had rung multiple times.
"Hm?"
Taking it out and checking who the caller was, his brow rose.
He quickly answered it.
"What is it?"
The Team Leader's voice echoed right after.
His voice was low and sounded rather grave.
—The rescue squad... has just come back.
"And...?"
—There are no survivors. The remaining members have all been turned into the mummified versions, and we've also located the Twisted Man. He appears to be standing still, staring directly at a certain poem.
"A poem?"
The Section Chief suddenly recalled the conversation that he had not long ago with Seth and quickly asked, "Do you have a photo of the poem? Send it to me."
—We do. I'll send it over to you right now.
A few seconds later, the Section Chief's phone rang again, and an image appeared.
The Section Chief didn't hesitate to open the image before settling his gaze over the poem.
As far as he knew, Seth had added a few words at the end in order to anger the Twisted Man. He was curious to see what it was.
Just what exactly did he write to piss off such an anomaly?
And then—
He saw it.
"H-ha."
Covering his mouth, the Section Chief had a hard time holding back his smile as he stared at the last verse of the poem.
While it was indeed incomplete, he could more or less tell what it meant.
And soon, completing the entire poem, he found himself unable to hold his smile.
"What a fitting last verse..."
Tick-tock, listen, don't make a sound,
Or else the Twisted Man comes around.
He walks in echoes, he creeps in noise,
He feeds on whimpers, he drinks your voice.
First, just a shadow, then at your back,
His fingers hum where the sound waves crack.
Speak but a word, and he'll draw near,
Scream but once, and he'll appear.
Games he loves, games he plays.
His voice may change, but his appearance will not.
Careful of the voice, as it may be his.
So bite your tongue and mute your cries,
Lest your last sound be his whispered lies.
The Twisted Man won't leave, you'll find...
Unless you leave your voice behind.
For he steals your voice for his wicked game,
A tale of sound, mind, and shame.
A twisted man, within his twisted tale.
Who lost himself within his game.
-x-X-x-
I didn't waste a single second.
Coming out of the 'interrogation' room, the first thing I did was head to the collection room, where I picked up my bag.
'Looks like everything is inside.'
From the knife to the laptop. Nothing was touched, and I sighed in relief.
"There isn't anything wrong with the knife. Thank god."
I had previously been worried about that, but I was relieved to see that it wasn't the case. The only thing I was a little saddened about was the loss of Mr. Huggs. Although I could just buy it again, the price wasn't small.
'Whatever, I can just ask them to give it to me later.'
As far as I knew, they had sent over a team to the crack and were looking into the situation. In that case, they would probably find the bear, and I could just ask for it back.
Thinking about the bear, my lip twitched as I looked at my arm.
I could already feel my head hurting upon thinking about Mirelle and the Dreamwalker's reactions.
The two of them...
They were certainly not happy about the situation.
'I'll need to get a lot of chips and snacks in order to make her forgive me.'
For the Dreamwalker...
Well, it was already used to the abuse.
I could just give it more fragments.
'I'm sure it will be happy once I provide it with the fragments.'
The only real problem was finding such fragments. How in the world was I going to get my hands on some fragments?
'...Don't tell me I'll really need to look for some sort of black market?'
The thought made my stomach twist, but I quickly pushed those thoughts aside for now.
There were more pressing matters at hand.
Like... the sudden update.
I was dying to know what it was, and after looking around the place, I eventually moved towards a more secluded area as I sat down on the ground and took out my laptop, immediately booting up the app.
"The last time I got an update, it was pretty significant. I wonder what will happen this time?"
I was more or less ready for whatever was going to come at me.
That was what I thought at first.
However, it became very clear to me that I had grossly underestimated what sort of update the app was going to receive.
─────
Game Developer : Seth Thorne
Status : Second Order ▶ [See More]
▪ Basic Node : Containment Vessel
▶ Dreamwalker
▶ Mirille
Items :
▪ Blank Mask.
▪ Purity Enhancer
▪ Spectral Glasses.
▪ Quickstitch Outfit
Shop : Open
Quests : Unlocked (Available : 2)
▪ Expose the cult and its plans!
- Reward: 40,000 SP
- Time Limit : 2 months.
▪ Prove the conductor wrong.
- Reward : Conductor
- Time Limit : 3 months.
Developed Games :
[Gentle Whispers] Rating : ⯪☆☆☆☆(0.5)
[A regular day in the office] Rating : ★☆☆☆☆(1.0)
Balance : 18, 322 SP
[Game Developer Mode]
─────
At first, everything looked good. There were a few changes, but not that many. At least... that was until I noticed the last section of the page.
"...What?"
I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things wrong.
However, even when I moved my hands away, the section remained there, and my heart skipped a beat.
Game Developer Mode?
What in the world was this feature?
No, I had an idea as I immediately pressed the feature.
Click!
Almost immediately, a change began to occur as the screen flashed and several texts began to appear on the screen.
[Welcome to the Game Developer Mode!]
[In order to aid you in your game development journey, the game developer mode was given to you.]
[In this mode, you will be able to create more immersive and more realistic games!]
Following the short lines of messages, the screen lit up again, and an entirely new interface appeared before me.
[Select Game Engine]
-------------------------
◉ U-Engine
◉ Game Developer Engine
-------------------------
--- Core Items for Selected Engine ---
☑ Unknown Recording
→ An unknown recording that has the power to hypnotize anyone listening to it.
Effects vary depending on the user.
☑ Game Adjuster
→ System-provided tool that automatically adjusts games based on both game level and gamer level.
☑ Undetectable Script
→ Prevents detection of abnormal scripts or item usage during gameplay.
--- Gameplay Tester ---
[Select Game]
→ No game currently available
[Score : 0]
-------------------------
[Note: Core Items can be purchased through the shop in order to enhance the experience. Please don't hesitate to do so in order to create the best games possible!]
"....."
I sat there blankly, staring at the unfamiliar interface in front of me without a single word. I was speechless.
I... really didn't know what to say.
Seeing the interface and all the features that came with it, I really didn't know what to say.
This was...
"Insane."
The possibilities felt endless.
With this new system, it felt as though I could improve my abilities to create the games. Not only that, but I could also probably upgrade the previous games that I had created.
'Whether it is worth it or not, I don't really know, but it might be worth taking a shot.'
Opening up the engine, it felt a lot cleaner than U-Engine, the engine that I used to create my previous game.
It felt more professional, and it was also easier on the eye.
But the engine wasn't the only thing that caught my eye. What particularly caught my eye was the 'Core Items for Selected Engine'. Just looking at the three available 'items' that were accessible to me, I didn't know what to say.
I was in particular unable to tear my eyes away from the 'Game Adjuster' section.
One quick read at the description was enough to make my suck my own breath.
"That's... really useful."
There was one thing that had been bothering me for quite some time.
What would happen once the game reached the second star? Would normal people be able to play it? Wouldn't they pass out or even have heart attacks?
There was always that nagging thought at the back of my head.
However, seeing the description of the item, that worry appeared to have finally been relieved.
"Finally, the system is helping me with the games."
I leaned back on the wall and closed my eyes, feeling a massive weight lift off my shoulders.
I had always wondered why the system called itself a 'Game Developing System' when it had hardly even helped me develop games. I didn't dwell on the thought too much due to all the events that had transpired, but finally... Finally, I knew why.
This new update was the exact reason why it was called a game developer system.
'It most likely didn't show it to me before because I was simply not ready yet. I think after this scenario, it finally deemed me good enough for it.'
My fingers twitched as I stared at the interface again.
I felt a sudden urge at this very moment to create my second game. However, I held myself back while smiling bitterly.
"I don't think I'll achieve anything even if I try right now."
Scratching the side of my neck, I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying my best to keep my eyes from closing.
Only at this moment did it truly hit me.
I was tired.
So... damn tired.
-x-X-x-
Clank—
Closing down my laptop, I took a deep and quiet breath.
The app made me excited. It made me itchy to start a new game. I wanted to start at this very moment, but I quickly shut the idea down.
I was in no condition to start a new game.
At least, not yet.
It was only now that the weight of the events prior started to crash down on me, and I started to feel the exhaustion catching up to me.
I could hardly keep my eyes open, and slipping my laptop back into my back, I got up from my spot.
'I'll try my best to resist for a little bit. We should be heading back to the Guild soon. I'll get some sleep then.'
For now, it was best for me to resist until then.
"Ah, Seth! You're here."
"Hm?"
Right as I stood up, I heard Kyle's voice.
Turning my head, I saw him head over me from a distance. I also noticed Zoey standing behind him, alongside another guy I recognized but didn't know much about.
'Now that I think about it, weren't his eyes red when he was in the place? They're different now...'
Was it some sort of skill?
"Are you alright? Are you feeling hurt anywhere? How is your shoulder?"
"...It could be better."
That was a lie.
It hurt like hell. Thankfully, it was all patched up, and I was on painkillers. Coming out of the weird crack, the adrenaline made me forget all about the pain.
However, it didn't take long for it to come back.
If not for the support staff coming to my aid, I would've probably have already passed out from blood loss. I would've also have been brought to some sort of hospital.
That would've been somewhat problematic.
'Good thing people here now know how to heal.'
"I've been told that I should be able to fully move my arm in a few days. For now, it doesn't hurt too much. I can probably move it around without any problems."
Well...
At least until the painkillers wore off.
"I see. That's good to hear."
Kyle smiled, looking relieved as he suddenly recalled something and pointed at the guy standing behind him.
"Right, I forgot to introduce him to you. I think you should have an idea since he was with us in the expedition, but he's Raymond, and he followed the 'Hunter' Decree."
The Hunter Decree...?
As if sensing my confusion, Kyle explained.
"He has the ability to detect anomalies and individuals. That's the summarized version of his abilities at least."
"Oh."
That sounded pretty neat.
But then... Thinking about the events that had unfolded in the strange world, my lips twitched.
If he was capable of detecting anomalies, why did he leave me alone with the Twisted Man?
...Or was it that he couldn't detect him?
"Don't mind his current expression, Raymond. He usually looks like that when he's tired."
"Eh...?"
Looking at Kyle, I didn't know what to say. He was saying some sort of gibberish to him. What do you mean I look like that when I'm tired? Look like what?
"See? He's just tired..."
"Wha—"
"Anyways."
Kyle's face suddenly turned serious as he turned his attention towards me, the smile on his face fading.
Seeing his serious expression, the words that were about to leave my mouth stopped, and I looked back at him. What did he want?
"How did you manage to get back? From what I've heard, the Twisted Man walked all the way back downstairs. How were you able to get past him?"
Kyle wasn't the only one who looked interested. Peeking right above Kyle's shoulder, Zoey tried to act nonchalant, but she was clearly interested. The same was true for Raymond, his gaze falling on me.
"Oh."
So they didn't know yet.
Made sense considering how they had all been brought to questioning not long after.
On any normal occasion, I would've explained it to him, but right at this very moment, I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open.
Covering my mouth and yawning, I brought the strap of my bag over my shoulder and turned around.
"About that... you can ask the Team Leader and Section Chief. I'd rather not recall what had happened back then. Maybe later."
"No, wait...!"
"Later."
I raised my hand and proceeded to ignore Kyle even as he called out for me. Thankfully, he didn't try to catch up to me. Things would've been troublesome then.
'Sorry, but I really can't right now.'
I wasn't lying when I said that I would've told them how I managed to defeat the Twisted Man, but like I said, I was barely hanging on.
"Coffee."
Muttering under my breath, I headed to the makeshift kitchen area and spotted a jar of powdered coffee. I paused, eyeing the layer of powder that filled a quarter of the jar. With a shrug, I dumped the rest into one of the cups, poured in some hot water, and gave it a quick stir before taking a sip.
Smacking my lips, I stared at the cup in my hand.
"...I think I'm starting to get it."
***
At the same time.
Within the crack that had brought Seth and the others into the strange world, a team of researchers worked diligently, accompanied by their Team Leader and the Section Chief.
Following Seth's return, access to the crack became possible for everyone.
It was for this reason that the Section Chief and Team Leader were able to enter.
"Be careful. Make sure someone is keeping watch of the anomaly at all times."
The Section Chief stared at the anomaly that stood by the wall, his heart pulsing slightly as he noticed the pressure coming off of it. Surrounding the anomaly were several researchers, all dressed in white robes, as they took note of the anomaly with their tablets and notepads.
If not for the fact that the anomaly was standing still and not moving, they Section Chief wouldn't have had them get so close to it. Right now, the anomaly's gaze was fixed on the poem written on the wall.
Almost as if it was frozen in place.
In more ways then others, it was safe to say that it was contained.
And to be able to contain something like that...
The Section Chief clenched his fists slowly.
'As expected, I really do want him.'
Calming his thoughts, the Section Chief looked around and opened his mouth.
"If you notice a strange little girl, do let me know. There apparently wasn't just one anomaly present within the place. Be careful, too. You might never know if something else might show up. As far as we're concerned, there could be more than one Twisted Man."
Based on the scale of the recorded events, this wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.
But what the Section Chief was most curious about was the little girl that had shown up out of nowhere to help.
From what he had managed to hear, the little girl had appeared a couple of times, each time saving them and gaining the attention of the anomaly.
But was the little girl really on their side?
The Section Chief couldn't tell. It was always best to remain careful.
"Make sure to be alert. Do be careful with their bodies. They are not dead. We will try to figure out a way to cure them later."
The Section Chief barked one order after another, his eyes sweeping the entire place. He continued like this for the next few hours as the research team took photos, brought the victims away, and collected the anomaly so that they could bring it back to the Guild.
"Looks like we'll be able to get back to the Guild soon."
Whistling to himself, the Section Chief headed towards the kitchen area to do one last check. He opened the cupboards, traced his hand over the walls, and thoroughly checked every nook and cranny of the place.
'Looks like there is nothing.'
It was just as he was about to leave that he suddenly paused.
Tap. Tap.
Hearing the gentle tap of the water, he slowly turned his attention towards the sink.
Tap. Tap—!
For some reason, the tapping unsettled him, and his face grew serious.
He stepped cautiously toward the sink, each step quieter than the last, until he stopped.
A small pool of water had gathered beside it.
Then he saw it, just faintly, scratched into the metal of the sink.
A name.
A single name that read;
"Mirelle?"
-x-X-x-
"We will be departing shortly. If any of you have left anything or need to go to the bathroom, do so now before the buses start. We won't be making any stops on our way back to the Guild."
Hearing the Team Leader speak, I merely glanced in his direction before putting earphones on, allowing the music to filter through my ears.
It helped me drown out all the noise.
Not that there had been much noise to start with. Everyone in the bus sat in silence, gazing out the windows, not uttering a single word.
It was like this for everyone.
Perhaps it was because they were tired, or perhaps because of the events that had transpired, but no one was in the mood to speak.
Neither was I.
As such, even when the Team Leader asked again, he was only met with silence.
"Alright, then..."
The Team Leader turned to look at the driver and ushered him to go.
"Looks like we can go. You can start the journey back."
The bus began to move shortly after, and the scenery outside the window began to change.
"....."
I leaned my head against the glass window, staring at the scene outside absentmindedly.
There was a lot that I needed to think about. For one, I needed to think about the next steps that I needed to take from this point forward.
'I just managed to gain quite a lot of SP. I should be able to buy enough meds to last me a while. No, in fact... I should be able to buy the more effective versions in the Second Order shop. I wonder how much those are... I still haven't gone through to the Second Order shop due to how absurd the prices there are.'
Ever since getting access to the medicine from the shop, I found the disease that had been plaguing me for quite some time finally settle down.
It had been a good while since I had last been affected, and it felt nice to live without worrying about some rare disease taking over my life.
No, in fact, it felt great.
It felt... like for once, I was actually living.
'...Still, I know this is just for now. It won't be long before the drug stops working for me. I need to earn more SP and find better and more effective medicine.'
On any normal occasion, I'd question the things that I was swallowing. Not only did I not know what the pills were, but I also didn't know who was behind this system.
I knew that I couldn't trust them, and yet, I was helpless in the face of the cure.
I could only helplessly earn more SP and improve my strength.
This was the only thing I could do in order to ensure my survival. Slowly, I planned on finding out more about the system and what its real goal was. For now, my own survival was my main priority.
Everything else came later.
There were also two annoying things that I needed to take care of.
Some weird cult, and the conductor.
Just thinking about the other two ongoing quests gave me a massive headache.
I had no clue where to start with either, and each day that passed was a day closer to the time limit of such quests.
'...I really do need to think of something before it gets too late for me.'
But these were all thoughts for later.
Looking at the scenery outside, my eyelids slowly started to close, until eventually the world around me turned dark.
Exhaustion had finally taken over.
*
By the time we arrived back at the Guild, several hours had passed. It was dark outside, and the air felt chilly. Enough to make me shiver.
"Huam.."
Yawning slightly, I looked towards the Guild, the lights still bright from the people working overtime. The building stood out quite a bit, and the entrance was packed with people going in and out of it.
I could even see some people in armor going in and out of the place.
'They're probably from the other departments.'
I was actually quite curious about the other departments. Were their lives as hard as those from the Containment department?
...Or was it harder?
'No, there's no way. If their lives are harder, then you might as well just kill yourself. What's the point of living if you're just sending yourself to your own death?'
"Huam."
Yawning again, I entered the Guild and made it all the way to the elevators that soon brought us towards the familiar office area.
The Team Leader stopped not far from us, turning his attention in our direction.
"I know everyone is tired, so I'll make this quick. The anomaly has been taken by the Guild and is currently being put under containment. Naturally, rewards will be distributed in accordance with the involvement in the situation.
Scanning the members, the Team Leader's gaze fell on Kyle, Zoey, Raymond, and then... me.
I knew where this was headed, and I felt excited.
Rewards?
Who didn't like rewards?
Considering the amount of money I had received just from finding the crack, I couldn't imagine just what sort of rewards I would get.
'Maybe I can ask them for money. No, but would that be the best thing?'
What would happen if I were to ask for something else? Like fragments... I was sure the Guild had spare fragments. Maybe if I asked, I'd be able to get some. I could just go with the excuse that I wanted powers, too.
'I don't know, but it might just work. Then again, if I do find some sort of black market, I could buy the fragments with money, so...'
The only issue was whether I could gain access to the black market.
"You four... As the primary participants in this expedition and the ones who assisted the Guild in containing the anomaly, you will receive the greatest share of the rewards. However..."
The Team Leader paused, his tone turning somber.
"...That doesn't take away from the fact that you made a lot of serious mistakes during the expedition. For that reason, penalties will also be applied to you."
With both hands behind his back, he turned around and nudged us towards a certain room.
"Follow along. There's a lot that the five of us need to talk about. Especially, Kyle... There's quite a bit that I need to talk with you about."
The Team Leader didn't wait for any of us before moving ahead and entering a distant conference room.
I looked at his fading back with a lost look before turning my attention towards Kyle, who held his head down, his expression a mix of acceptance and sadness.
In the end, he raised his head back up and headed towards the conference room.
I wanted to say a few things to him, but seeing the sort of expression he was making, I understood that it was best to keep quiet.
I ended up following them from behind.
'I'm not included in the penalties list, am I?'
I really hoped not.
After all, I did practically all of the work...
-x-X-x-
Clank—
The door shut, and we all sat in front of a large oval table.
Standing by the end of the table was the Team Leader, his bushy and sharp brows furrowed tightly as he crossed his arms together.
"You guys are most likely already aware of the reason why I called you here, correct?"
No, I don't.
"Yes."
"....Mhm."
Seeing everyone else nod, I also nodded.
But really, I didn't know.
"Alright then..."
The Team Leader took out a small white controller and pressed on it, prompting the projector installed right above us to light up and flash the wall.
"Given that we had body cams for all of you, retrieving the data and looking through everything, I was able to see everything that had happened during the time when you guys went offline. Most of the things that you've said in your reports match what you've said, but I'd like to go through your failures with you."
The Team Leader suddenly turned his attention towards Kyle.
Looking at Kyle, he sighed and shook his head. All it took was one look to see just how disappointed he was.
"This is the first time." The Team Leader mumbled, watching as Kyle lowered his head. "This is the first time I've seen you perform this poorly. From your inability to keep calm, to the fact that you weren't able to properly assess the situation on multiple occasions. What happened?"
"....."
Despite the question, Kyle remained silent.
His head remained hung low, and his fists were clenched tightly. This was the first time I had seen him like this.
It was an odd sight to see.
"So...?"
It was when the Team Leader spoke again that Kyle opened his mouth, but before he could get his words out that the Team Leader raised his hand to stop him.
"Never mind. Seeing how much you're struggling to answer such a simple question, I'll answer it for you. I can pretty much tell what happened."
The Team Leader turned his attention towards me.
"He's your weakness, isn't he? He's the reason why you weren't able to keep calm. This is the first time you've entered an expedition with someone you could call family. The mere thought of them dying made you panic, and as a result, forget all your training, correct?"
"....."
Kyle's silence spoke louder than words as the Team Leader sighed once more.
"It's not like I don't understand, and this could be a good thing for you. Since joining the Guild, all you've been doing is clearing gate after gate without any setbacks. Take this setback as a learning opportunity. Dwell over it tonight and come back to me in the morning."
"....Okay."
Kyle quietly nodded his head, accepting the Team Leader's words.
"Of course, you will naturally be punished for your failures. I'll detail your punishment later."
The Team Leader then turned his attention towards Zoey and Raymond.
"For you two, I don't really have too much to say. You were able to remain cool-headed, and taking into consideration the strenght of the anomaly you were handling, your reactions were understandable. However, that doesn't mean that the two of you were perfect. There are several things that you both failed to take into account..."
From that point forward, the Team Leader proceeded to dissect every little thing that came from the bodycam footage.
He detailed all of the things that they did wrong, alongside the things that they should've done.
It was basically a review session.
Everything that was being said was actually quite useful for me, too. I was learning a little bit more about how things worked and the things that one wasn't supposed to do when going on an expedition.
But still...
'Why am I here?'
I was really struggling to understand this part.
From start to end, the Team Leader only addressed Kyle, Zoey, and Raymond. Not once did he look at me or speak to me.
I felt at a complete loss.
'So...? Did I make a mistake or not?'
I didn't get to find the answer until a good half an hour had passed.
"Now, onto you."
With the Team Leader's gaze finally falling on me, I unknowingly started to tense, expecting to hear something from him.
And I did...
"Why in the world would you write something like kill me? While I do understand why you said it, you could've said it in better words, without it needing to be so dramatic. This could've gone extremely wrong. Especially in the condition that Kyle was in."
Ohhhh...
I suddenly started to understand the reason why I was called here.
"Was there a particular reason why you acted like that? Did you need to be so dramatic...?"
"Well..."
I looked at Kyle, who was looking at me, and scratched the side of my neck.
I didn't really have an answer to this. Back then, I just wanted to write the message as quickly as possible, thinking that Kyle would understand immediately.
In hindsight, I really did mess up.
"...So you don't."
The Team Leader nodded quietly before rubbing his head.
"To be honest, I won't really fault you for this. This is your first time in such an expedition, so mistakes can happen. Next time, however, please assess the situation carefully. Your actions could've caused Kyle to die."
"...I understand."
He was right, so I had no words to retort with.
Satisfied with the answer, the Team Leader nodded his head again before asking.
"On another note, do you know the reason why your body camera was off? We tried to look through your footage, but the recording stops halfway into the expedition."
"Oh, is that the case...?"
I was almost tempted to whistle. I did recall that. I was the one to stop the recording. It was simply because I didn't want them to know about my powers since they could be linked to the system.
"Yes, it appears that your body camera was shut off at some point. We believe that it might be due to some interference by the Twisted Man. However, seeing how Kyle and the others looked unaffected, we're not sure. Did you turn it off yourself?"
"No."
Yes, I did.
"I see..."
The Team Leader seemed to fall into deep thought for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, it's whatever. We still managed to see everything that had happened anyway. It's just a pity."
He rubbed his hands together.
"In any case, other than that, you were fairly excellent. Even as a support unit, you were able to perform far above expectations. There's not much to criticize. I just had you come here so you could understand the situation better and to learn from their mistakes."
"Oh."
That made sense...
No, did it?
Something about his words didn't quite make sense.
"In any case, I've finished what I wanted to say. The four of you can go back now. I'm sure you're tired."
Tired?
I was close to passing out.
Even with the sleep on the bus, I was still exhausted.
'I can't wait to go back to the dorms.'
Standing up from my seat, I moved out of the conference room alongside the others and was just about to go back to the dorms when I suddenly paused.
My hand twitched, and my face sank.
"What's wrong?"
As if noticing my sudden change, Kyle paused and looked at me.
The same was for Zoey and Raymond. They both looked at me with frowns.
Slowly raising my head, I looked at Zoey.
"Actually, there is something..."
It was something closely related to my life and death.
"What is it...?"
"You."
I licked my lips while staring at Zoey.
"...Do you have any spare chips?"
-x-X-x-
"….."
I thought about getting on my knees, but decided against it. The floor looked a little uncomfortable.
'Alright, I'm ready.'
My arm pulsed shortly after, and two figures appeared before me. They stood in silence, staring at me without saying a single thing.
The silence that took over the space felt suffocating, and unable to bear it for any longer, I started to speak.
"…Sacrifices were made."
I paused, covering my mouth while keeping my hand from trembling. I wanted to show that I truly meant my words.
"Two innocent souls were hurt under my watch. The thought has been haunting me ever since it happened, and I am struggling to get some sleep while thinking about all the suffering they went through, and while I can't rewrite the past, I can write the future."
Slowly, I raised my head to look at Mirelle and the Dreamwalker. My hand trembled further as I stood up and looked at Mirelle.
Gently bending over, I smiled warmly and extended my hand to pat her head.
"I'm glad that you're safe. I was extremely worried about—"
Smack—!
I felt a powerful sting on the top of my hand.
Then, with a glare that almost made me shiver, Mirelle hissed, "Don't touch me."
The Dreamwalker nodded next to her, its long arms crossed together as it looked at me. Although it didn't have any expression, it was almost as though it was looking at me in disdain.
"….."
I was left speechless by the sight. Since when did the Dreamwalker become Mirelle's bodyguard?
"It hurt… a lot."
Mirelle's voice continued, her voice straining a little. Almost as if she were about to cry.
"I said that I didn't want to play anymore. Why did you continue? It hurt… I didn't want to play..."
Her head lowered a little as she spoke. She looked pitiful, and staring at her, my lip twitched.
'I get it hurts, but I was trying to survive over here. If I die, then pain is the last thing you're going to have to worry about.'
No, thinking about it…
What would happen to Mirelle and the Dreamwalker if I were to die? Would they simply return to where they had been before, or would they vanish?
I was a little curious, but I didn't plan on dying just yet, so it wasn't something I'd find out anytime soon.
But then again…
'If I don't handle this situation well, I might just find out what will happen.'
"Keum."
'Well, it looks like I have to go with plan B.'
Coughing slightly, I looked between the two of them before taking out my bag and retrieving a pack of chips.
"…..!"
The moment the chips appeared, Mirelle's face changed.
She almost started to drool, and I secretly smirked at the sight.
'Yeah, that's right… I've come prepared. With these, I should be able to appease Mirelle. How easy. '
Surprisingly, it was Zoey who hooked me up with the chips. Something about being grateful for my help. Too bad they were barbecue flavor.
Whatever the case was, I now had the means to end this farce.
…Or at least, that was what I thought.
Suddenly, the Dreamwalker placed its hand over Mirelle's shoulder, gathering her attention as it shook its head.
"…..?"
What the fu—
"Humph. You think you can bribe me with chips?"
"....?"
Staring at Mirelle, my eyes widened. Did she really… just reject the chips?
What in the world…?
"Humph!"
Snorting again, Mirelle turned her head away, leaving me at a complete loss. Or at least, that was until I saw her secretly peek at the chips with the corner of her eye as she quickly wiped the drool from her mouth.
My eyes squinted, and I took out another bag.
"What if I were to offer you two bags?"
"T-two?"
Mirelle was truly struggling now. Staring at the chips, she raised her hand and looked at her fingers while mumbling, 'One and then another...? Two?'
Her eyes glimmered, and a long string of saliva was starting to form at the bottom of her chin.
'I've got her now.'
Her expression told me all that I needed to know.
She was about to falter.
But then—
"...!"
The Dreamwalker placed its hand over Mirelle's shoulder and shook its head.
Wha...
That was all it took for Mirelle to snap out of it and glare in my direction as she quickly wiped the drool from her mouth.
"You t-think you can fool me?! Y... you think I'm easy?!"
She crossed her arms and looked away.
"Hmph!"
I almost dropped the bags of chips from my hand while slowly turning my attention towards the Dreamwalker.
It stared at me with its empty face while it kept its arm over Mirelle's shoulder.
Though I couldn't read its expression, it was almost as if it was saying, 'You won't get away with it with me here.'
It is you!
This was sabotage!
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My own anomaly was trying to get me killed!
'No, in hindsight, this isn't the first time, but still...'
I clenched my teeth and stared at my bag. Did the Dreamwalker really think I wasn't prepared? I didn't have just two packs of chips. I had way more than that, and I quickly took out another bag.
"If two is not good enough, how about three?"
"T-three...?"
"Yes, three."
"H-humph! I... am not so eas—"
"Four."
"....."
"The most I will go is five. Take it or leave it."
"....."
Mirelle stood in silence, blankly staring at her open palm. Her finger hovered motionless over her pinky as she struggled to process the number of chips I was offering her.
"Two, four, five, one, three...?"
I could practically see her eyes swirling in confusion.
The Dreamwalker stood next to her, pressing its hand against her shoulder and trying to make her snap out of it, but it was of no use.
In the end, it turned its attention towards me and lunged at me.
I was prepared, though, and grabbed both of its forearms.
"You may have changed, but so have I..."
The Dreamwalker tried to push me, but I didn't budge and tried to push him back. Our strenght was about equal, with neither one of us managing to push the other.
"Kh—!"
The Dreamwalker was a tough opponent, though, as it pulled my hands back before I retaliated and pulled its arms back. We continued like this for the next several minutes until—
".....Hmph!"
Mirelle snorted, and the two of us froze.
My heart sank almost immediately while the Dreamwalker looked at me gloatingly.
"I'm not such a cheap woman."
With both hands behind her back, Mirelle looked at me and shook her head.
'Fuck, I only had five bags... Should I tell her I can get more? Or—'
"Hmph, Hmph!"
Casually walking forward, Mirelle bent over and grabbed all of the bags, holding them until I couldn't see her anymore before walking back towards the painting and tossing them in.
Then...
Casually looking back, she shook her head. The disdain on her face was clear.
"Do better."
She then jumped up and grabbed onto the edge of the painting before climbing back in.
"....."
The room fell silent shortly after as the Dreamwalker and I stared at each other blankly.
Then—
"Are you going to leave, or do you want to keep wrestling with me?"
"....."
I got the answer not long after.
".....Actually, I'm tired. Let me get some sle—eukh!"
Wrestling it was.
Ah, the things that I did to bond with my anomalies.
"Stepping on toes is cheating!"
-x-X-x-
Within the Containment Department, several floors were specifically designated for housing anomalies brought in by the Guild. These areas were strictly off-limits to anyone outside or within the Guild, with exceptions made only for authorized personnel such as researchers and those holding the rank of Team Leader or higher.
Any of the anomalies brought into the Containment Section could cause major harm to the world, and as such, had to be carefully monitored and kept in place.
The only reason why the Guild contained them was so that they could research more about them, and learn about their origin and how they came to be.
"Sir, we've contained the anomaly as you've instructed. The Twisted Man will now be referred to as [VILE - 819]."
"Mhm, I understand."
The Section Chief nodded faintly, staring at the researcher next to him. VILE stood for 'Vaulted Index of Liminal Entities', and it was a prefix that denoted certain anomalies, which helped keep things cleaner and more organized when brought into the Guild database.
"Has there been any reaction from 819?"
"No, not at all. The anomaly appears to be glued to the wall, staring at the poem etched on the wall without moving."
"I see."
The Section Chief massaged the bottom of his chin, his hand grazing against his stubble as he turned towards a certain metallic white door where a small window appeared, displaying an all too familiar figure inside, staring blankly ahead, where a wall appeared.
It took quite a bit of effort for them to extract the anomaly alongside the wall.
However, looking at how things appeared, the anomaly was contained.
"Keep me informed if you notice anything or learn anything about the anomaly. I will talk with the Guild Master about the situation."
"Understood."
Looking at the researcher, the Section Chief nodded and proceeded to leave the facility.
There was still quite a lot that was on his mind.
Although the situation looked to be over, the Section Chief understood that that was the furthest thing from the truth. For now, they had managed to contain the anomaly, but who was there to say there was only one 819?
'From what I've been told, the separate dimension created by the Twisted Man has yet to break down. Not only that, but who is Mirelle? Does this name have some sort of connection to the anomaly?'
Anomalies were still a mystery to the Guild and the world.
They all came out randomly, and they appeared to be manifestations of certain pasts and histories. They were still unsure yet, but with more samples, they were confident in quickly finding out the truth.
In the Twisted Man's case, they hardly knew much about it besides the fact that it reacted to sound and voices. But why? Why did it like to steal voices?
What was the reason behind its appearance?
...And were things truly over?
Given how anomalies worked, there was certainly some sort of context behind the power. And as such, he planned on investigating the situation further.
His face grew a little grim as he thought about the situation with the Twisted Man.
Perhaps...
This was merely the start of something bigger.
'I'll share my findings with the Guild Master first. I'll wait for him to see and decide how to handle the situation.'
The agents from the Bureau were also supposed to come to closely analyze the anomaly.
He wasn't sure how long it would take for them to come, but at least within the month.
If they deemed the anomaly to be Thrall class, then it'd be a massive boon for their Guild, pushing them closer to the King Grade.
'If that does happen, I guess I'll have to think of a good reward for the expedition squad.'
Thinking about the expedition squad, and in particular, a certain figure, the Section Chief's mood alleviated a little as his lips pulled up.
'...What could be a good reward for him?'
***
Days passed since the incident with the Twisted Man.
Nothing eventful happened in those days. Perhaps because the losses were quite big, or because there was truly nothing happening recently, I was able to pass most of my time without any annoyance.
...Well, more or less.
To Tok—
Hearing the knock on the door, I proceeded to ignore it.
But...
'Hello...?'
A voice soon followed.
'Hello? Seth...? I know that you're in there. Please give me a bit of your time. I don't need much. Just ten minutes. No, twenty...'
To Tok—
'Hello???'
On any normal occasion, I would've opened the door. Even screamed at them to stop annoying me, but I had already done that.
They just continued to come back as though nothing had happened.
'...Please. I can't sleep. I need therapy.'
So did I with how much he was annoying me.
I was starting to regret ever doing therapy sessions with Rowan. Ever since that day, he had been hounding me nonstop to get me to do a session with him. At first, I agreed, thinking it wasn't that big of a deal.
But then...
He started to come in every day, talking to me for hours, sharing things about his life.
About how lonely he was. About how Zoey didn't look at him.
...About how he hated this job and his life.
Just a bunch of nonsense.
'I'm depressed as is, hearing him speak makes me even more depressed.'
It was for that reason that I started to only help him three times a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Anymore than that, and I was going to ignore him.
Well, today was Thursday, and as such, he was on his own.
'Please~!'
Putting on my earphones, I booted up my laptop and prepared to fiddle around with the engine when my eyes fell on the date, and my eyes widened.
'Holy shit!'
I nearly jumped out of my seat as I hastily closed down the app and opened the Dock page, where I opened my analytics page.
[Game : A regular day in the office]
[Sales : 25,901]
[Income : 91,154$]
[Ready to collect. Will you collect?]
Finally!
I could finally collect the money from Dock. I didn't even waste a single second and immediately collected the payment, which arrived just a few minutes after.
[You have received 91,154$]
This was the first time I had ever seen this much money in my account, and it felt unreal. I really couldn't believe I had actually made this much money.
There were so many things that I could buy with the money. I could probably even get enough of a down payment for a new house.
I could do so much, and yet...
I could spend none of it.
Sighing to myself, I turned off my phone and leaned back on my chair. Although I wanted to spend the money, I knew that I couldn't.
The game sales had cooled off, and so I knew that the money coming in from it in the future wouldn't nearly be as much as I gained now.
Not only that, but I also needed to think about the future.
"From fragments, to items, and then to medicine. This isn't nearly enough money. I need more."
That wasn't the only thing I needed to spend money on.
There were other things. Perhaps even a new piano teacher.
'Yeah, this is not nearly enough.'
I rubbed my hair while looking ahead at my computer as my eyes fell on the app.
"I guess it's about time."
I have already more or less figured out the layout and structure. It was what I had been working on for the past several days.
All I needed to do was get to work.
Moving my hands towards the keyboard and covering my ears with my earphones, I immediately got to work.
"...Looks like it's time I start my new project."