At first, I thought about providing an update for my first game.
It was one of the things that had been requested the most by the comments on Dock. I could add things like new rooms, new environments, and new soundtracks. It would, in general, make the game a little more playable, but that wouldn't change the fundamental problem of the game.
It was repetitive.
Yes, 'A regular day in the office' was an extremely repetitive game with a basic plotline and one simple goal, which was to get out of the infinite loop.
In other words, it was a game that had a short lifespan.
Just one quick look at the analytics, and I could see that the sales were already plummeting to a level where what I'd get would be considered spare change.
That was why I had no other choice but to start a new project.
I was also confident this time.
"...I didn't experience everything that I did for nothing."
Combining all of my recent experiences, I now had a better idea of how to develop my new game. From storyline to the mechanics.
I got to work quickly, booting up the [Game Developer Mode] and loading up the new interface.
Already somewhat accustomed to the interface, I was able to navigate it without a problem and started a new project.
The core concept of the game was simple.
I wanted to create something similar to what I had experienced with the Twisted Man.
In a way, I wanted the people playing the game to experience the same sense of helplessness that I had felt when encountering the Twisted Man. I wanted them to feel the same sense of despair and fear.
I wanted them to really struggle to clear the game.
"...And in order to do that, I need to trick them into making the wrong move. Just like the Twisted Man."
I still shuddered while thinking about the experience.
The fact that I could even sleep despite what had happened was a miracle. However, with all the recent experience, I had grown a little numb to everything.
...And it wasn't like I was one to get much sleep anyway. These days, four hours was considered a good day for me.
"For the mechanics, should I do something like the voice cloning the Twisted Man did?"
My mind churned with all sorts of thoughts and ideas.
Replicating something like that wasn't too difficult.
'I can set up the game to record a person's voice, forcing them to speak. With how well developed AI is right now, setting up a system where the user needs to interact directly shouldn't be too difficult.'
But that was a little complicated to set up.
I could do it, but it could take me quite some time. Especially when taking into account the fact that the coding required for this game was going to be a lot more complicated and difficult.
'I can also make it movement-based, or eye-based... So any movement might trigger the monster, or the direction of where one is looking might trigger the monster. So if they take their eyes away from it, then it will attack.'
Yes, the second idea felt a little more feasible than the first.
The coding would also be a lot simpler.
But...
"Ugh."
Rubbing the back of my head, I felt it throb.
Even though this was a lot simpler, it didn't take away from the fact that it wasn't easy.
Thankfully, the new interface did make things easier to program, but it would still take at least a month for me to fully develop the game that I wanted.
Especially if I wanted to add a storyline.
That was a must in order to get people to play and stick to the game instead of tossing it away after a few hours of gameplay.
There were also other things that I needed to take into consideration. Like the rating of the game. What sort of rating was I looking for?
One star...?
"Creating a one-star game shouldn't be difficult, but creating a two-star...?"
Was I even capable of creating such a game?
No, the better question was, did I have to make such a game? Wasn't one-star enough? It wasn't like I could create a second-start game in the first place. There was also no quest that directly told me to make a two-star game.
In that case, was it necessary for me to make a two-start game?
It wasn't...
At least, that was what I thought at first. However, thinking about it more deeply, I realized that it was necessary for me to do so.
"Right, making a two-star game will increase my reach."
Regular people weren't the only people who existed in this world.
In fact, a majority of the people had some sort of connection to the gates. They were all less prone to horror or thrill, and in order to affect them, a one-star rating was probably not going to be enough.
In order to pull them, I needed to make it at least two stars.
"I also don't have to worry about it being too scary since the game will adjust accordingly to the person playing the game."
This alleviated a lot of my worries. Knowing that I didn't have to worry about making the game too scary, I knew that I could go all out.
And I did just that.
For the next hour, I began setting up the game. From the script, to the design, and the layout of the setting.
Everything was going smoothly until my eyes fell on a certain section.
[Developer Store]
I had been so immersed in my work that I didn't even notice the sudden section on the bottom right of the screen.
Developer Store?
I raised my brow, confused by the setting. I was almost certain it wasn't there before. I knew because I had played a lot with the software.
So... it was a new feature?
Curious, I pressed on it, and immediately after, a massive window popped up on my screen.
"Holy shit!"
─────
[Sentient Guide]
Type/Software
Function: A friendly-sounding voice that gives the player tips, encouragement, or warnings — but it's actually observing. It can see expressions and thoughts.
Effect: Breaks the fourth wall softly. Makes the game feel alive or corrupted — primes the player for unexpected behavior.
Rating : ★★★ [3.0]
Price : 95,000 SP
[Memory Leak]
Type/Software
Function: Makes the player forget several things on occasion, like the placement of certain objects, or the presence of the monster that is right behind them.
Effect: Psychological unease. Creates paranoia — "Was that door always open?" or "Didn't I already come this way?"
Rating : ★★ [2.0]
Price : 41,000 SP
[Whispering Fog]
Type/Software
Description: A visual effect — fog that appears in certain areas and carries whispering voices that mention the player's previous actions or thoughts.
Effect: Implies the game is observing the player. The whispers could escalate over time, repeating things the player shouldn't have said out loud.
Rating :★⯪ [1.5]
Price : 19,000 SP
─────
Just one glimpse of the first three items was enough to make me salivate.
This was...
"Crazy."
I could practically feel myself shuddering at the thought of games containing just some of the effects of the software that was available for the games. If the recording was already good, then this... The possibilities were endless.
...And the fact that it couldn't be detected by others was even better.
But there was only one issue.
The price.
...It was ridiculously high.
"Hah."
I covered my face with both hands while staring at my bank account. Seeing the long string of numbers and then the store, I sighed once more.
"I'm going to be poor, aren't I?"
[Do you wish to convert into SP?]
[You will receive 9,000 SP]
▶ [Yes] ▷ [No]
My hand trembled as I stared at the computer screen, and then at my phone. This was a lot of money. It was practically all of the money that I had made in the game.
The beautiful house. The nice vacation in the beautiful resort. The...
[9,000 SP has been added to your account!]
"Ukh!"
I held onto my chest, trying my best not to pass out from the pain.
'This is a necessary long-term investment. 90,000 will be nothing in the future when I make millions. Yes, I'll make millions.'
Though I said this, I was still feeling the pain from converting this much money.
I had always been poor, and so, this money meant a lot to me.
Seeing it gone like that really left me feeling empty. But not for long. I understood that this was all an investment for my new and upcoming game, and after looking at the shop list available for the developer mode, I was a little downhearted to see that I could barely afford a few software for my upcoming game.
All the good ones were too expensive for the current me to purchase.
But I had been aware of this since the start.
I already had my eyes set on a certain software.
─────
[Whispering Fog]
Type/Software
Description: A visual effect — fog that appears in certain areas and carries whispering voices that mention the player's previous actions or thoughts.
Effect: Implies the game is observing the player. The whispers could escalate over time, repeating things the player shouldn't have said out loud.
Rating :★⯪ [1.5]
Price : 19,000 SP
─────
Of all the software that was available to me, this one appeared to be the best one that I could get with the SP that I had available.
I also had several ideas on how to use this software effectively when creating the game.
"It'll help create tension by making the player stop speaking, adding to the silence that could take over during the most tense moments. If I also add this to the recording, then I can probably elevate the game to a completely different level from my previous one."
I could already feel my own heartbeat racing rapidly at the thought.
But there was one thing that bothered me.
"The rating of the software is only 1.5... Will that be enough to create a two-star game? Surely if I add the recording, I might be able to do it, but..."
I pressed my lips together.
I really didn't know. This was a big investment.
If I spent this much SP and still didn't achieve two stars, then it could be considered a failure. The thought made me hesitant, but I quickly dispelled those thoughts.
"I don't have much time. The deadline for my other quests is coming up, and I'm in desperate need of money. I need to get this game started as quickly as possible."
Time was of the essence, and I couldn't afford to waste any of it.
As such, dispelling all hesitation, I purchased the software pack and immediately got to work.
"This better be fucking worth it..."
***
The days began to pass.
Completely immersed in the creation of his new game, Seth rarely left his office besides the few times when he went back to the dorms to sleep or the times when he went to the kitchen in order to make himself some coffee.
At first, he only did small amounts of it.
Small... as opposed to the others in the Guild. But it didn't take long for him to just dump half of the jars of powdered coffee into his cup before adding some water and drinking them.
He had become an addict.
Such a sight became a frequent one within the Containment Department, as people started to refer to him as the 'wandering ghost' of the department.
With his glaring black circles, pale expression, and hunched back, he looked no different than a ghost.
Thankfully, everyone was already used to seeing such sights, and thus, nobody thought too much of it.
There was also the fact that more pressing matters were taking their attention.
Such as the sudden visit by the Bureau.
That event was particularly large, making everyone within the Containment Department on edge. Thankfully, nothing much came out of it as they were only here for the Twisted Man. After a few hours, they left directly.
The final verdict was that the Twisted Man was a Melas class anomaly.
Not quite Thrall, but almost.
As a result, the Guild was awarded quite a few points, and they were now one step closer to reaching the King Grade.
On the top floor, the Guild Master's office.
"You all must be aware as to why I've gathered all of you here, correct?"
The Guild Master's voice gently traveled throughout the room as several figures stood before him. There were five in total, and they were all the Section Chiefs of each department within the Guild.
Seeing how his words were met with silence, the Guild Master figured everyone understood, and he turned his attention towards a haggard-looking figure.
"Following the recent success of the Containment Department, I've decided to increase their yearly budget by ten percent. I gathered all of you here to let you know that."
The faces of a few Section Chiefs stiffened upon hearing the Guild Master's words. While ten percent didn't sound like much, it was actually quite a lot.
It was enough to considerably boost the department's equipment and power.
The decision was therefore met with some opposition.
"Guild Master, don't you think this is a bit too much? Ten percent is quite a lot, and..." The man speaking, the Section Chief of the Hording Department, a bulky man with bushy brows, short black hair, and beard, glanced at the Section Chief of the Containment Sector before shaking his head.
"If we're talking about contributions, the Containment Department has made the least over the years. I understand that their recent achievement is great, but we're the ones who provide the most profits and points for the Guild. This is unfair."
The Section Chief's words were met with silence, with none of the other Section Chiefs saying a single thing.
However, their silence spoke volumes.
One could see with a glance that they all agreed with the Hording Department Chief.
The Containment Sector was indeed the least profitable department, with its results barely being adequate.
"In terms of sponsorships and brand deals, the talents that provide most of the money come from our departments, while they only have a couple of profitable members. They are also less exposed to danger since all they have to do is solve puzzles and stuff. We need equipment unlike them. Isn't it unfair for us?"
"Unfair?"
The Guild Master looked at the Section Chiefs before shaking his head.
"You guys must already be aware of the disparity in budget between the five departments, correct?"
"That's—"
"You must be aware that even if we add ten percent to the Containment Department, their budget is still far inferior to all of yours, correct?"
The Hoarding Section Chief wanted to argue, but the moment he opened his mouth, he found himself closing it back as he saw the sharpness in the Guild Master's gaze. He knew then that there was no point in arguing.
Whenever the Guild Master made such a face, arguing was pointless.
He could only suck it up for now.
Seeing the Hoarding Section Chief quiet down, the Guild Master smiled faintly before turning his attention towards the other Section Chiefs.
He could tell with a glance that they were all dissatisfied with the decision.
There was a certain stigma between the other four departments and the containment department. It made them look down on them and think they were useless, but that was the furthest thing from the truth.
The Containment Department may not have the greatest of achievements compared to the other departments, but it was extremely important, if not the most important department within the Guild.
That was why he had gathered all the Section Chiefs in his office.
He wanted to break the stigma between the five departments.
"If you guys don't believe that the containment department deserves the raise, how about this..."
The Guild Master paused, carefully chewing on his words before suddenly smiling.
"...How about each department sends a few of their most promising talents to the containment department for a week or so in order to experience the place. Have them do some of the tasks, and see if it's as easy as you think it is."
Pressing his hand against the table, he looked directly at each one of them.
"How about it? Will you accept?"
"So you want to send some of our best talents to the Containment Department?"
Carmen Johansberg, the Section Chief of the Hoarde department, raised his brow as he looked at the Guild Master. He was really struggling to understand what the Guild Master's intentions were with this.
...And that made him extremely cautious.
While Carmen was the Section Chief of one of the most powerful departments within the entire guild, he was still extremely cautious of the friendly-looking man before him.
He, of all people, knew the true nature of the Guild Master.
Though he wore a friendly smile, it was nothing more than a carefully maintained facade. No Guild rose to such prominence without making sacrifices and staining their hands in the process.
Behind the clean and friendly smile were hands that were filled with nothing but blood.
"Yes, that's correct," the Guild Master continued with that friendly smile of his, "That's all you'll have to do. Just send a few of your best talents. Pick whoever you want, and we'll have them interact with those of the Containment Department. Have them perform there to see if it's truly as easy as you think it is."
The room fell silent once again, all eyes focused on the smiling Guild Master.
"...You don't have to send all your talents at once. We can have it happen by department. Or each of you can just send one or two talents each. It doesn't particularly matter, right?" The Guild Master asked, turning his attention towards the haggard-looking Section Chief of the Containment Department.
"Uh... Yeah, sure. It doesn't really matter."
Carmen frowned as he watched the man's nonchalant expression and the ease with which he addressed the Guild Master, doing his best to mask the flicker of displeasure tightening his features.
'Annoying bastard.'
While Carmen did believe that the Containment Department of their Guild was the least useful of all their departments, providing the least profits and results, the main reason for such thoughts was the lazy-looking figure beside the Guild Master.
He couldn't understand it.
What did the Guild Master see in him to treat him so well?
None of the other Section Chiefs even dared to think of treating the Guild Master the way that he did. So... nonchalantly and so unprofessionally.
Not only that, but he also hardly brought any results.
How could any of the Section Chiefs like him?
He was a cancer to them. A cancer that threatened to topple the entire Guild over if not handled correctly.
"So...? I have yet to receive an answer. What do you think?"
Hearing the Guild Master's voice again, Carmen turned towards the other Section Chiefs. They all appeared to have their own thoughts on the matter, but in the end, they all turned to the Guild Master and nodded.
"I'll let Christian know. He'll go down to the Containment Department when this starts."
"...I'm on board as well."
"Same."
In the end, the only one that was left was Carmen, who remained silent as he watched the others agree.
Feeling everyone's gaze, Carmen eventually relented as well.
"I'll do so as well."
"Goo—"
"But!"
Carmen cut off the Guild Master before he could start speaking as he looked straight at him in the eye. Although he feared and respected the Guild Master, there were certain things that had to be done.
"If our talents can excel in the Containment Department, I wish for you to allocate the budget towards our departments. If even people who aren't trained to handle such gates can clear it, I don't see how we should waste money on their department."
His words were met with a bout of silence as everyone looked at him in surprise.
But then—
"That's a good idea."
"...Yes, I agree with this."
"I also think this is a great idea."
With all of the Section Chiefs keen on the idea, the Guild Master could only smile.
"Alright, as you wish."
He waved his hand lightly.
"I'll agree on your terms. If you can truly prove to me that the Containment Department doesn't deserve the budget increase, I'll listen to you. I'll reward them with something else if that's truly the case."
"Understood."
Carmen lowered his head, a thin smile forming on his lips.
That moment marked the start of the agreement
***
News of the exchange rapidly spread throughout the Guild.
There was not one single person who didn't hear or talk about it. This was especially massive for those within the Containment Department.
Although... it wasn't for the greatest of reasons.
"....Ugh, fuck."
With both her feet on her desk, Zoey groaned.
With her phone dangling down her hand, her head rolled around the back of her seat as her eyes settled over to Kyle, who was sitting next to her table, alongside a couple of other figures.
Of those, she managed to recognize Rowan talking to a couple of first years, who included Myles, alongside Terrance and a few others she couldn't quite recognize.
"Say something."
Zoey poked Kyle's thigh with her phone.
"Do you not care at all about the fact that they're sending those bastards over?"
"Hm?"
Looking at her, Kyle cocked his head.
"Why should I care?"
"That's..."
Zoey didn't even know what to say. But then thinking about it, Kyle didn't really care to socialize with the people of the other departments. It was probably why he wasn't aware of how annoying they were.
Not only were those bastards arrogant, but they really thought their department was much harder than theirs.
Just thinking about the last interaction she had with them, Zoey's head throbbed.
"Oh, Seth!"
It was Kyle's words that brought her out of her thoughts.
Seth? Did he say Seth?
Her head snapped up at once, catching sight of a familiar figure approaching in the distance.
His posture was slightly hunched, and his face looked unusually pale. Most striking of all were the dark circles under his eyes, stark against his skin as he turned toward them, clutching what looked like a cup of coffee.
"Oh."
Even the way he sounded felt dead.
What sort of...
Kyle was the first to approach him, his expression somewhat concerned.
"Are you okay? You look...."
"It's... nothing."
Seth replied, his voice slightly hoarse.
"I'm fine."
He didn't look fine at all, Zoey thought. In fact, he looked like a walking zombie.
"...Just a lot of work."
Turning his head slightly, his eyes paused on Rowan, and his face flinched. This didn't escape Zoey's sight as she looked at Rowan, who sat upright, his entire presence radiating respect.
'???'
Did she miss something?
No, he did act strangely before, but it wasn't this strange.
Zoey squinted her eyes, feeling something amiss. Nevertheless, she quickly dismissed the thought as she adjusted her seating and pretended to do some work while secretly trying to peek in on the conversation between Seth and Kyle.
But...
Looking to her right, she also realized she wasn't the only one, with several others peeking at their conversation.
The fuc—
'So what have you been up to lately? I hardly see you these days.'
'Uh, ah... well, like I said. A lot of work.'
'Work? You have a lot of patients?'
'Not really.'
'Then...?'
'I'm developing a new gam—'
Clank!
The conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of something falling. Slowly, everyone's attention turned towards Terrance, whose face twitched.
He then forced a smile as he picked up his laptop and sat down, covering his face with both hands as he saw the massive crack spread on the screen. Zoey felt a little bit of pity for him, but not that much.
He made plenty of money.
Either way, looking at the others, it felt as though everyone was acting somewhat weirdly.
She couldn't quite put it into words, but it felt like everyone was somehow paying a lot of attention to Seth.
It almost felt like he had his own secret fan club.
'No, there's no way...'
Zoey tried to dismiss the thought, but her face sank when she saw the others looking at her weirdly.
Wha—
"Hm?"
Zoey's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a commotion.
Turning her head, her face quickly sank, alongside that of a few others, as several figures appeared in the distance.
"They're here."
She heard someone mumble, and her lips pursed.
Indeed, they were.
Those from the other departments.
-x-X-x-
The moment they appeared, the surroundings quieted down.
All eyes turned in their direction, drawn to the group of figures appearing at the department entrance. Their presence carried a strange magnetism, pulling everyone's focus the moment they stepped in.
Ahead of them was the Section Chief, as he eventually came to a pause as he awkwardly scratched the side of his cheek.
Feeling all the eyes directed his way, he proceeded to clap his hands once.
"May I have everyone's attention?"
His actions brought no change.
He already had everyone's attention.
"Keum."
Clearing his throat, he glanced behind him at the group of ten individuals. While all were dressed in regulation Guild uniforms, five stood out immediately — their appearance, their poise, and their presence were simply different.
"I'm sure most of you are already familiar with the people in this room, so I'll skip the introductions. These over here will be the exchange members for the upcoming weeks. Since the news has already spread everywhere, I'm sure you're all well aware of the current situation. There's really no need for me to explain why they're here either."
Hearing the Section Chief speak, black lines formed on the foreheads of a few people. In particular, Zoey and Kyle looked at each other.
This bastard...
It wasn't that he didn't need to introduce them or the situation. He just couldn't be bothered to do it!
"Ah, Kyle, Zoey. There you are!"
Hearing their names being called, the black lines on the two grew more pronounced.
The Section Chief gave a greasy smile.
"Perfect timing. Why don't you two get them acquainted with the department? I've got a few things to take care of. Thanks in advance."
Neither of the two even got the chance to reply before the Section Chief turned around and left.
By now, Zoey's forehead was covered in black lines. The same was for Kyle, who took a couple of deep breaths, mumbling things like, 'Relax. I've handled worse. Seth is even more troublesome than this.'
From beside him, Seth tilted his head slightly.
Did Kyle not know he was still here?
"It's nice to meet you all again."
Kyle's mumbling came to an abrupt halt as the group began to approach. Each wore a different expression. From smiles to frowns, to indifference...
But what made them stand out the most was their uniforms, clearly marked with the insignias and colors of their respective departments.
Zoey's gaze immediately locked onto the tall figure of Kaelen Jacobs — jet black hair, half-lidded eyes, and a pristine white uniform that clung a little too perfectly to his well-built frame.
He looked every bit the charming heir to some powerful family.
But that was the furthest thing from what he was.
He was the Guild's golden boy. Star recruit of the Hoarding Department.
Kaelen Jacobs. The name was most frequently dropped when one talked about the Guild's most promising talents.
Raising his hand in a handshake motion, he glanced between Kyle and Zoey.
"....I haven't seen you much, but I've seen you quite a fair bit."
He was obviously referring to the fact that Kyle didn't usually attend social gatherings like she did.
But more than that...
"It's a shame, really. With your looks and skill, you could've soared up the ranks anywhere. It's still not too late to transfer, you know. What do you say?"
He smiled, full of empty charm, as if he genuinely pitied her.
Pity that Zoey didn't need. Indeed, right before joining the Guild, she had been recruited by all the other departments due to the talent that she displayed.
But in the end, she still ended up choosing the Containment Department. This was all because of her goal. To her, nothing else mattered.
Fame. Money.
It was all irrelevant to her.
"I'm happy where I'm at. Thank you for the offer, though."
Her answer came with a polite smile, masking her distaste.
Although she disliked the man, she still had to keep up appearances. She even went as far as to shake his hand as Kyle followed right after.
Thankfully, not everyone was annoying.
"...I guess you really haven't changed that much, huh?"
Leaning back casually against a cubicle wall was a woman with waist-length white hair and crystal blue eyes. Her spear rested beside her, her expression a mix between indifference and annoyance.
Serelith Nera. Where Kaelen was the poster child of Hoarding, Serelith was the pride of the Adventuring Department.
With her striking appearance, amazing talent with the spear, she stood out quite a lot. The only thing that set the difference between the two of them apart was their departments.
If not for Hoarding's greater popularity, she might've eclipsed Kaelen entirely.
"Haven't changed much?"
Kaelen turned to look at Serelith and cocked his head.
"Why would I change?"
"Because you're still a pain in the ass."
"Is that so?"
Kaelen chuckled like he hadn't just been insulted.
"This is the first time I'm hearing this."
Serelith rolled her eyes, drawing a chuckle from another girl nearby. Zoey turned to spot the source. With shoulder-length hair, a small mole just below her chin, and a curvy figure, she was hard not to recognize.
Especially when she had a badge dangling down her neck that said, [Sarah Sorloth, Collection Department]
Responsible for retrieving fragments from the gates, the role of the Collection Department was essential to the Guild.
"What's so funny?"
Seeing Sarah laugh, Serelith frowned. Only to be ignored by Sarah as she shook her head and looked around the department.
The commotion that all of them were making was drawing the attention of everyone within the department, making Zoey feel uncomfortable.
"I see that the two of you are as fr—"
"Huaaaaam."
A loud yawn cut through the tension.
Everyone paused, and all eyes fell on the inconspicuous-looking figure standing next to Kyle.
Ignoring all of the attention he was getting and holding onto the cup of coffee in his hand, Seth groggily looked at Kyle.
"...I'm going to go back to work."
Squinting his eyelids as if trying his best to keep himself from falling asleep, Seth proceeded to move towards his office, completely ignoring everything that was going on around him.
Zoey's eyes traced Seth's retreating figure as she watched him slowly enter the office.
Although she didn't know Seth all too well, she knew that if Seth wanted to leave, he'd leave quietly. His yawn was also a little exaggerated, meaning...
'He did that on purpose, didn't he...?'
But why would he do that?
'Is it because he noticed just how uncomfortable the situation was getting?'
Zoey nibbled on her lips. The more she thought about Seth, the weirder he appeared in her mind.
He was one of the few people she couldn't understand at all.
"Who was that...?"
Seeing Kaelen squinting his eyes as his eyes traced Seth's back, Zoey snapped out of it and looked at him.
Opening her mouth, she was just about to answer when Kyle beat her to it.
"He's our therapist."
Chuckling slightly, Kyle hopped off the table and smiled.
"Don't pay him too much mind. He's rather tired from all the work he's had to do recently. How about I show you around?"
Kyle didn't wait for them to say anything before going off on his own.
"Follow me. There's quite a bit you need to get familiar with."
-x-X-x-
Click. Click. Click.
The clicking of the keyboard was all I could hear. It was the only sound I had been hearing for the past week or so.
My fingers were beginning to ache, and the only thing keeping me going was the bitter bite of the coffee beside me.
"Ugh..."
Groaning, I ruffled my hair.
"I really need to find a way to hire a team."
I paused to stretch my fingers and stared at the work in front of me. Over the past several weeks, I'd made solid progress, completing the 3D models, setting up the game's structure, and locking in the core mechanics. Most of it was finally in place.
The game was still far from complete, but the hard part was done.
Furthermore, it was also playable to some extent.
Sure, there were no textures, and the storyline had yet to be added, but the character could move, and the physics was in place.
"I still need to render the game and work on optimization. As for the storyline... I have a rough idea, but I'll need to dig deeper and do more research before it's solid."
In order for the game to fully click, I needed a proper storyline. This was the part that I left for last since I didn't really know where to start in that regard.
"A good horror game needs a proper storyline to immerse the player in the game."
If the storyline fell flat, it'd end up as nothing more than a cheap horror game packed with jump scares — a formula that might barely scrape a one-star rating, if the system was feeling generous.
The issue was that I wasn't very creative in that regard.
I was merely a game developer, not a writer. Usually, games had their own writing department for that stuff.
I thought that by focusing on the game development, I'd eventually think of something for the storyline, but even as the weeks passed, my mind remained blank.
Besides the most basic storyline, I really didn't have anything.
"Things can't go on like this."
Placing the cup of coffee down, I crossed my arms and leaned back on my chair.
The game I was designing was clearly inspired by the Twisted Man and everything I had gone through when experiencing the situation firsthand. The mechanics were also simple. All one had to do was keep their gaze away from the Twisted Man, and they wouldn't be attacked by it.
I thought about adding a voice recording function, but that just felt a little too difficult to program.
I also added several features that forced someone to look around. That way, the game wouldn't simply end with the player never touching their mouse in order to clear.
"...Now that I think about it, there really wasn't too much information about the Twisted Man besides the weird poem, and some of its previous actions in the other islands. I wonder if the Twisted Man had some sort of history behind it."
I felt like understanding the history behind it would help me create a proper background for the storyline and add depth to it.
Unfortunately, even the Guild was unsure, and there were no other cl—
Ding!
[Chain Quest Activated!]
• Difficulty: Second Order
• Reward: 10,000 SP + Lucky Wheel!
• Objective: Discover the origin of the Twisted Man!
• Location: Harmia Island
Description: To deepen your game's storyline, you'll need to uncover more about the Twisted Man. Head to the location where it was first seen. There, you might find clues about its origin and the truth behind its existence.
Time Limit: 4 days.
The sudden notification and the window that appeared out of nowhere in front of my vision left me momentarily shaken.
By the time I snapped out of it, I stood up abruptly.
"This—Uah! Shit!"
But the moment I did, I knocked the coffee on the table and spilled it all over my pants.
"Shit!"
Startled, I pushed back from the table and quickly patted my pants, grabbing a nearby tissue to wipe everything down.
'Fuck, of all times it had to happen it had to be now...'
I really liked the pants too.
Nonetheless, after wiping my pants, I proceeded to look at the quest once more and frowned.
There were a couple of things that immediately caught my attention.
"Lucky Wheel? Harmia Island?"
I could more or less guess what each one was. The lucky wheel was probably some kind of reward spinner, where the prize depended on where the arrow landed, while Harmia Island seemed to be another island orbiting somewhere nearby.
Knowing just how bad my luck was, I wasn't all that excited about the wheel.
The only thing that made the trip worthwhile was the 10,000 SP reward, and the fact that it was given to me to help me with my game development.
There also didn't seem to be any penalty for failing the quest, which was a bonus.
'In fact, thinking about it, none of the quests had any penalties, nor was I really forced to take them on.'
This made me feel much more at ease.
It meant that I had a choice of whether to take them or not, instead of being forced into taking them.
I could very well reject this quest if I wanted to.
Not that I planned to, since it was specifically made to help me.
Dabbing my pants with a few other tissues and cleaning up the table, I did a quick research on the island before closing down my laptop and placing it into my bag. Time was scarce, and there was no time to waste.
"There's a flight that should head out for the island in a couple of hours. I should take that."
Packing all of my essentials, I booked the train using my phone and got out of the office.
Unlike before, the place was completely deserted, with no one in sight.
'A pity. I wanted to tell Kyle that I'm leaving, but I guess I'll just send him a message. Either way, I'm not going to be away for long.'
*
Getting from one island to another wasn't too difficult.
Each island had its own airport, and so, all one had to do was book a flight and go to the nearest airport before flying to said island.
The distance between Malovia Island and Harmia Island was about a four-hour journey.
It was neither too long nor too small.
During the flight, I spent most of the time researching the island. From what I managed to gather, the population of the place was a lot smaller than Malovia's, but it could still be considered quite big.
There were no King Grade Guilds on the island, but several Rook Grade ones and a single Queen Grade. The island's architecture had an older, Gothic style, with the weather being a fair bit colder than Malovia.
It was a pity that I found out about the weather a little late.
'It also says that it rains a lot there. I might be screwed... I didn't bring much with me.'
Just a bit of spare clothes.
"Whatever, I can just buy some clothes when I get there."
I could at least afford that much.
It wasn't like I had converted all my money into SP. I kept some just in case of an emergency.
'Good thing I did that.'
I'd really be screwed otherwise.
'Oh, while I'm at it... I'll see if there's some sort of market I can buy fragments on the island.'
That would be of considerable help.
Thinking thus far, I grew a little restless as I couldn't wait for the flight to finally arrive.
-x-X-x-
"This sure does look different..."
The first thing I noticed while coming out of the airport was the change in the architecture. Long gone was the modern look, replaced by towering spires, narrow archways, and soot-darkened stone.
Lamps lined the cobblestone streets as the gray clouds covered the sky.
It looked like it would rain at any second.
But most importantly...
"It's damn cold."
I quickly covered up with a jacket, bringing my hands to my mouth and huffing warm breath over my fingers. While I knew it was cold, it was still colder than I expected.
'Maybe I should go buy some stuff later.'
"I'd like to go to the city center."
I made a mental note to myself before taking a taxi and going to the heart of the city. For now, the most important thing that I needed to do was understand more about the Twisted Man and its origins.
The quest brought me here, but it didn't specify what I needed to do.
'Still, I don't think it should be too hard. I'm sure some locals might know about the situation, and if worst comes to worst, I can just ask the Guilds.'
If the locals were clueless, the Guilds surely weren't.
They'd at least know something.
*
It took about twenty minutes for the cab to reach near the heart of the city, stopping just at the edge where the old road began to rise in a slight slope.
"Cars aren't allowed in the city. This is as far as I can bring you."
"...This is fine."
Scanning my phone with the driver's, I quickly paid and hopped out of the cab before heading toward the heart of the city. Pubs and cafés lined the street, their signs swinging gently in the wind, and the uneven cobblestones made each step feel just a bit awkward.
The pubs were relatively full, with people standing outside in the biting cold while holding onto large pints of beer. They all talked with one another, some leaning against the side of the buildings.
I tried listening in on their conversation, but I gave up after a few seconds.
Their accents...
'I can't understand a single thing.'
They were speaking English, but it almost felt like they weren't.
Just trying to decipher their words was enough to give me a headache. So I gave up on following their conversation and drifted elsewhere, letting the noise fade into the background.
'No matter how much I search on the web, I can't find anything. Do I have no other choice but to make conversation with the locals?'
The thought made me feel nauseous.
I kind of hated talking to strangers or people in general.
If possible, I didn't really want to talk to anyone, but seeing no news about the Twisted Man on my phone, it looked like I didn't have much choice. With a quiet sigh, I scanned the street and eventually spotted a group speaking English that was clear enough to understand.
I ended up approaching them.
"Excuse me."
"...Hm?"
The first one to stare at me was a chubby man with thinning white hair and a graying mustache. He sat on a stool, his body leaning on the table next to him.
"I've never seen you before. Who might you be?"
"I'm not from around here."
"A tourist?"
The man's brow raised in surprise.
"At such times? You mustn't have done your research."
He began to chuckle alongside his three other friends. I could only force a smile while waiting for them to finish.
The chance came a minute after.
"Actually... I'm not really a tourist. I'm more here for work. I'd love to be a tourist, but I don't have the time to be one."
I retrieved my wall and displayed my Guild badge.
"I'm actually here to investigate a certain case that happened a while back in this city. If any of you have any clues, it would be helpful."
The faces of the group immediately changed the moment I spoke. I could feel a certain tension linger in the air as the group stared at each other. Eventually, the chubby man spoke, his tone a lot heavier than before.
"What... are you trying to ask for?"
I could tell from his sudden change in demeanor that I was touching on some sort of taboo topic.
But that gave me all the reason to ask further.
'The more they act like this, the more likely I'm onto something.'
"I'll be blunt. Recently, there's been an incident with a certain anomaly in Maldovia island. We've managed to contain it, but I'm looking for some information about it. I've heard the anomaly appeared on the island quite a while back. About a certain Twisted Man. Do you have any information for me?"
"...."
My words were met with silence.
The tension that lingered before grew more pronounced as the four men looked at me. Seeing how silent they were, I opened my mouth again, but I was cut off by the chubby man.
"Earl Street 15."
"Hm?"
"Go there and you'll find what you need."
Earl Street 15? Find what I need?
I wanted to ask more, but the moment I tried, the group started talking with one another, completely ignoring my presence. Getting the message, I stopped trying and took out my phone, opening the navigation app and inputting the address.
'Oh, so it's not too far from where I am.'
It said that it was a twenty-minute walk. Which wasn't exactly short, but it was walking distance.
As such, without wasting any time, I headed in the direction of the address.
Walking along the streets, I realized that the closer I got to my destination, the more run-down everything became. The cobblestone path grew increasingly worn, with stones missing and holes all over. Cracks crept along the sides of buildings, and graffiti began to cover the walls in layers.
There was also a terrible stench filling the air.
It smelled rotten, and after a certain point, I found myself covering up my nose due to how bad it was getting.
'How can someone even think of living here?'
Questions began to fill my mind as I drew closer to the destination. Was I being trolled? Did the group mess around with me and tell me the wrong information? That... would make sense when thinking about it.
The moment I pulled out my badge and asked questions, they all felt strangely hostile.
I didn't know why, but I could see why they'd lie to me.
Still, since I had already made my way to the destination, I planned on seeing it through to the end. In the end, I still had four days to find the right place. This wasn't going to set me back by much.
"It should be this place."
Eventually, I came to a stop in front of a residential building. The lower levels were riddled with cracks, the concrete crumbling in places, while garbage bags were piled haphazardly along the outer walls.
A narrow set of metal stairs clung to the side of the building, rusted all over, leading up to the second floor, where the dim lights of a single apartment glowed.
It was the only apartment with the lights on.
After a little bit of hesitation, I decided to make my way there before knocking on the door.
"Hello?"
To Tok—
"...Is anybody in there?"
I took a step back after knocking, waiting for someone to open the door. A stifling silence followed as I waited, feeling the sounds around me enhance. From the creaking of the metal railing beneath, to the slight dripping sound of the broken pipes.
All of it felt pronounced, growing louder with each second.
But soon...
Creeeeaaak!
The door creaked open, and a pair of sunken eyes peered out from behind. Enough to make me shudder as an aged voice shattered the silence.
"W-who are you?"
The moment the eyes locked on me, I froze for a moment, my body shuddering. But it was only for a brief moment as I quickly snapped out of it.
"Ah, pardon for my sudden intrusion."
While trying to be as polite as possible, I took out my Guild badge and showed it to the old woman as she clung to the side of the wooden door.
"....I come from a relatively well-known Guild, and I'm here to investigate a certain matter regarding a recent anomaly that we've caught. I've been told to come here when I asked around. I hope that I didn't disturb you."
I smiled right after I was done speaking, making sure to make it look as friendly as possible.
'This isn't too bad, right?'
I felt like I had been extremely polite with my words. Enough to give a good lasting impression.
However—
Clank!
My smile froze as the door slammed shut right before my eyes.
Wha...
"G-go disturb someone else. I have no time for you people."
Her words were followed by the muffled sound of footsteps leaving, and the silence returned.
I could only stand numbly outside the door.
Errr...
Of all the scenarios that I had formulated in my mind, this was one of the few that I didn't even think of.
'What now?'
I was at a loss. I had come here with the intent of finding something out. But in the end, this ended up being a bust.
So... It was a prank in the end?
I wanted to think so, but at the same time, recalling how fast the old woman closed the door, I had reason to believe that it wasn't the case.
She was hiding something. Or at least, she knew something.
'Knocking on her door again might not bring any result. It might only just make her more annoyed with me.'
Then...
'Should I get the Dreamwalker to sneak in?'
I immediately dismissed the thought.
Firstly, I was afraid the Dreamwalker would lunge at me and start wrestling me. Although it was likely it wouldn't, there was still a chance. Not only that, but what would even come out of me sending the Dreamwalker into the house?
I couldn't share the vision with it, nor could I talk to it.
Then...?
'Should I send Mirelle?'
I also shook my head. That didn't seem feasible. Same situation with the Dreamwalker, and I was also afraid she'd play some sort of prank on the old lady, giving her some sort of heart attack.
Mirelle was definitely the type of anomaly that would do that.
So then...?
'Don't tell me that I have to do it myself?'
I inwardly groaned. Just the thought of forcing my way into the house of an old lady made me want to curse at myself. How could I do that to an old lady?
I shook my head.
'Although I feel like this, it won't change the fact that I'll probably still force my way in.'
I did feel guilty, but my life came first.
I could only secretly apologize to the old lady.
Still, it wasn't like I planned on infiltrating her house just yet. She was probably already alert from my presence. Going in now would only make it easier for her to catch me. The best time for me to go was at night when she was sleeping.
'In the meantime, I'll go elsewhere and look for more clues.'
I felt that this was the most appropriate course of action. I also wanted to make sure she knew that I had left, so that she would be less wary of me.
"Well, I guess it was a prank after all."
Scratching the back of my head while making sure my voice was loud enough, I turned around and headed away from the building.
Making my way down the stairs, I turned around to take one last look at the house. But right as I turned, my expression froze.
".....!"
Peering through the blinds of the window was an eye. It stared straight at me, the sclera was tinged yellow, and a thick clot of dark blood pooled at the edge of the pupil, pulsing faintly as if alive.
A chill rippled down my spine.
Without wasting another second, I turned around and dipped away, holding onto the side of my arms as I felt goosebumps all over my body.
'Creepy. So damn creepy.'
*
Making my way out of the weird area and back onto the main street, I leaned my hand against the side of the wall while letting out a long breath.
"Fuck, that was creepy."
And here I thought I had seen my fair share of creepy things. This world just kept on giving. One creepy thing after another.
"...What should I do now?"
I looked at my watch.
It was still quite early. Even if the old woman was an early sleeper, it would take several hours before the sun set.
Looking around and taking out my phone, I decided to find out more about the situation and ask more locals. Perhaps I didn't even need to go into the old lady's house. In fact, I preferred that it were the case.
"In the meantime, I'll also go ahead and buy some new clothes. It's really too cold in here."
With my mind made up, I headed for the nearest store to buy myself a nice jacket and some thermal clothing.
After that, I went around the city to ask for more information from the locals.
But...
"Ask the old lady at Earl Street."
"...Don't bother me. I don't know."
"Go to Earl Street."
In the end, I received the same two answers. To either leave them alone or go visit the same place as before.
'In the end, I was right. There's something up with the place.'
If before, I could've dismissed it as a prank, that was no longer the case. The key to solving this scenario was that old lady and her house.
Since she didn't want to tell me a single thing, the only thing I could do was sneak into her house and look for clues for myself.
Although I didn't want to do that, this was my best course of action.
I wanted to try and convince the old lady, but considering my time constraint, it was best for me to go ahead and look for the clues myself.
Plus..
She was just an old lady.
There wasn't much that I needed to fear.
"Haa."
With a long sigh, I raised my head to look at the dimming sky. While the environment was already grim due to the clouds that hung in the sky, the moment the sun started to set and the darkness started to take over, something about the place changed.
It felt... darker.
Grimmer.
The faintly flickering lamps by the side of the street didn't help with the ambiance.
Pulling my eyes away, I focused them in a certain direction.
"I'll just go in. Look for whatever I need and leave. I'll be gone before she even realizes it."
I planned on making things quick.
Go in, find a clue, and leave. I also planned to be as silent as possible.
Either way, I planned on making it quick since I didn't want to be there anyway. Just thinking about the place in the darkness was enough to make my stomach churn.
Taking a pause, I focused my gaze on a nearby trash bin while holding onto my rumbling stomach.
Should I...?
-x-X-x-
The streetlights lit the path only so far.
As I approached Earl Street, their glow began to fade.
Until... There was nothing left.
Only darkness remained, swallowing the street in silence, broken only by the faint, rhythmic echo of my own footsteps. Despite my best attempts at keeping quiet, the sound still echoed, and soon, I arrived at my destination.
'The lights are off.'
I sighed in relief when I noticed that.
This made things easier for me as I carefully moved towards the house, slowly climbing the steps to the second floor without making any sound, eventually stepping by the door and lowering my body where I looked at the keyhole.
'...There is no key on the other side, but I can tell that it's locked.'
Standing up again, I carefully placed the tip of my finger over the keyhole as I activated my most recent skill, and a black film began to seep out from my finger, moving into the keyhole and filling the space completely.
Once I felt the entire space was filled, I solidified it before turning my finger.
Click!
And just like that, the door opened.
'This sure is a handy skill.'
Perhaps...
I needed to be nicer to the Dreamwalker.
If the Dreamwalker evolved further, it would provide me with even more useful skills.
Crea—
"....!"
I nearly had a heart attack as a faint creaking sound echoed the moment the door moved, and I hastily reached out for it and stopped it from moving.
Silence returned once more after that.
...Or at least, I thought it did.
I wasn't too sure since all I could hear was the rhythmic drumming of my own heart.
Looking into the house, I realized that the place was even darker than the world outside. Thankfully, I came prepared and slowly retrieved my glasses. With them, I was confident in seeing through the dark, but at the same time, I felt hesitant.
Recalling what had happened the previous time that I had used the glasses, I wasn't so sure if it was such a great idea to use them.
But...
'The circumstances back then were different. I was dealing with an anomaly back then. I'm just dealing with an old lady this time. I don't think I need to worry too much.'
Taking a couple of deep breaths, I eventually put the glasses on, and the world around me turned blue, and the surrounding temperature plummeted even further, causing my lips to start to tremble.
'Ah, f-fuck...'
Even with the new jacket and the thermal, I could feel the cold seeping right into my body.
'I need to make this quick. I don't think I can last long with how cold it is.'
Pulling the jacket around me tighter, I pulled out my shoes and crept into the house, a barely discernible creaking sound echoing as the wooden floor beneath my feet sank. At the same time, I slowly and carefully closed the door behind me, making sure not to create any sound in the meantime as I looked around me.
How could I even describe the place?
It was a mess. Clothes were strewn across the floor, tangled with rotting trash and half-crushed boxes that looked like they hadn't been touched in weeks. The air was stale and heavy with something sour.
Everywhere I looked, there was filth.
Walls split with deep cracks, while the wallpaper curled and peeled like dead skin. It felt less like a home and more like an abandoned unit used by the homeless.
I had to start breathing from my mouth in order to stop myself from gagging. But even then, taking in the air, I felt myself secretly gagging.
'Who can even live like this...?'
Perhaps, I started to understand the real reason why she didn't allow me into the house.
'No, it doesn't matter. Let me start looking for clues. The faster I do this, the quicker I can get out of this place.'
Stepping over the trash that was littered on the floor, I moved from the kitchen area to the living room. The entire apartment wasn't very large, with the kitchen and living room joined together.
A set of stairs appeared at the gap between the living room and the kitchen area, leading to another floor.
'I presume the old lady is sleeping on the second floor.'
I couldn't be too sure, but just in case, I set up the Dreamwalker to watch over in case she decided to come down.
As the Dreamwalker's silhouette appeared before my eyes, I could tell it wasn't looking at me in the friendliest of ways, but in the end, turning its head, it moved toward the stairs to do its job.
This made me feel a lot more at ease as I reached the living room, which was even more of a mess than the kitchen area.
There was even more garbage on the floor, and the moment I stepped into the room, I found myself pausing at the sight. Although I wasn't breathing through my nose, it almost felt like I could smell the stench that lingered in the air.
It was nauseating and biting my lips, so I got to work.
'I just need to find some sort of clue. A painting. A paper. Anything...'
Moving on top of the pile of garbage, I pulled a few apart and carefully sorted through everything. In order to make the least amount of noise, I tried to be as slow and careful as possible.
There were a lot of clothes, and a lot of other nonsense that didn't seem useful.
But then...
'Hm?'
I eventually pulled out what seemed to be a pair of pants. Looking at it, they seemed rather large.
'...Perhaps it's from her husband?'
They were certainly too large for the old woman, and looking through the clothes, there was indeed quite a lot of male apparel.
Seeing how old the clothes looked, it made sense to think that they were from her husband.
But where was he...?
Was he in the house? As far as I was aware, the only appeared to be only one person living in the house, however, it could very likely be that there was someone else living in this dumpster of a place.
Taking note of this information, I began my search once more.
The operation that I thought would only take a few minutes ended up taking a lot longer than I expected due to how much garbage had been piled up on the floor, and just as I started to think that there was nothing useful, I ended up picking up a certain frame.
'This is...?'
It was quite dusty, but after a few swipes across the glass, an image gradually came into view.
It was an image of a couple.
A young couple standing by an old train, the man wearing a black suit and an eerily familiar top hat.
Wait...
I looked closer at the image, feeling my heart starting to slow down.
Those clothes. That top hat.
My eyes started to widen.
And then—
Flick!
Light flared into the room.
Flick!
A bright light suddenly burst into the room, dim yet sharp as it tore through the darkness.
"——!"
I flinched the moment the light came on, and my heart nearly leaped out of my chest.
But as if that wasn't creepy enough, a tune began to play from the TV.
"Trallalalal~"
"Little star, little moon~"
"Shining bright, come back soon~"
A nursery rhyme?
It was one that I didn't hear before, and for a moment, I froze in place.
But not for long.
Creeaaaak!
A creaking sound followed right after, and I immediately grew startled.
'The old lady!'
I glanced around in panic, ready to make a move for the door, only to realize I was trapped, wedged in by piles of garbage. One wrong step, and the noise would give me away.
'Shit, what do I do...?'
I looked around me, looking for some sort of hiding spot.
Creak. Creaaak!
The footsteps drew closer, each one pounding in time with my racing heart. Panic rose as I scanned the room frantically, looking for something, anything.
'Surely there is something. Maybe...'
My eyes eventually landed on the filthy sofa next to me. Gritting my teeth and stifling a gag, I dropped low and crawled beneath it, barely daring to breathe.
The stench beneath became even more pronounced, and even though I was still trying my best to breathe through my mouth, some of the smell managed to enter my nose, almost making me gag.
There were socks and all sorts of boxes littered across the wooden floor.
'I really want to puke...'
And it wasn't even because I was scared.
The sight around me was just sickening. But at the same time, as I quietly pushed some stuff away, I noticed something on the wooden floor around me.
A strange marking.
Staring at it, I couldn't quite make out the color of the marking. Even without my glasses, it was hard to tell given how dark it was. But it looked red. A thin line, winding forward across the floor, like something had been dragged.
It looked to stretch further, but all of the trash covered the particular marking.
I wanted to see what it was, but I unfortunately didn't have the luxury for that as the steps drew even closer, finally loud enough for me to hear, and indicating to me that the old lady had finally arrived on the first floor.
"Drift with clouds, soft and slo~"
"Where the sleepy flowers grow~"
In the background, the nursery rhyme continued to play.
The noise was soft, yet within the silence, it felt suffocating.
Creaaak—
A bare foot appeared before my eyes not long after, as I suddenly held my breath.
'She's here!'
I held my breath, trying my best not to make any noise.
"Strange..."
The old woman's voice whispered in the air, cutting through the nursery rhyme that played in the background.
"...Why did the television turn on?"
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
I could feel my very own heart drumming so loudly that I was almost afraid the old lady could hear it. However, I was quickly able to calm it down not long after.
'She's just a regular old lady. There is no need to be scared. If she finds me, I can just force my way out. I might get in trouble with the police the day after, but I can just figure something out if that happens.'
I was prepping my mind with all sorts of thoughts and ideas in order to calm myself down.
Eventually...
Flick!
The TV switched off, and silence settled over the room.
It was a strangely heavy silence that made me swallow silently.
But most importantly...
A dim light lingered even after the TV switched off, hovering from left to right.
"Hmm."
The old woman's voice echoed after as the light continued to hover from right to left.
"...This feels different from before."
"—!"
My hair rose on end the moment I heard her words.
She could tell?!
But how?
I had been very careful with my actions. Even though I was looking for clues and hints, I still put everything back the moment I was done with a certain area. Realistically speaking, everything should've looked the same as before.
"Ah, yes..."
A thin hand reached for the floor, pulling a certain item. It looked like a used box?
"This wasn't here before."
What?
"And this over here. It was also not here before. How strange...."
The old lady continued to point things out, throwing me off with each item she listed. How in the world did she know?
How could someone living like this have this type of memory?
'No, maybe it's because they have this type of memory that they can live like this.'
Whatever the case was, it was creeping me out as I covered my mouth while waiting for her to leave.
'Please just leave. Please just leave. Please just leave.'
Thankfully, my wishes were soon granted as the old lady tossed the items back onto the floor and mumbled, "I... must be getting old."
Creaaak!
The floor creaked once more as she began to move away.
But even as I heard her leave, I didn't move a single inch from the spot I was in. Not even when I heard her reach the stairs and go up.
Not even several minutes had passed.
I remained glued to the floor with my eyes closed, allowing for the silence to embrace me.
But that was until I remembered something and pulled out the photograph from before, and took a look at it.
'I wasn't convinced before, but now that I am looking at it, I am certain that she has a connection with the Twisted Man.'
The clothes the man in the photo was wearing were identical to those of the Twisted Man.
I could see it clearly.
'...There's no doubt in my mind that this is relevant to the Twisted Man. But who is this man? Is he her husband, like I suspect? And this is her, right?'
I really want to get out of the spot and ask her. However, I was more afraid of scaring her to the point of her getting a heart attack than anything else.
Still, this was a lead.
All I had to do after this was follow up on the lead and figure out more about her husband.
Analyzing the picture in my hand for a little bit longer, I looked out.
'I think it's safe for me to leave.'
I had heard the woman move up to the second floor, and I had waited long enough to make sure there was nobody else in the room.
Carefully pushing some stuff out, I made my way out of the sofa while trying my best not to gag.
Stretching my back, I was just about to leave when...
Flick!
"Trallalalal~"
"Little star, little moon~"
"Shining bright, come back soon~"
The television turned on, lighting up the surroundings once more as I hastily raised my head in the direction of the TV, my entire body freezing in place as an elderly woman stood right behind it, her sunken eyes staring right at me as she held onto a portable lamp.
"...As expected. There really was someone."
-x-X-x-
For a moment, I stopped breathing.
The moment that I saw the old woman standing behind the TV, I momentarily froze before eventually snapping out of it and taking a step back.
How in the world...!?
'I swear I heard her go up the stairs!'
I was quite certain about what I'd heard. How was this possible?
It made absolutely no sense to me, but at the same time, I knew that this wasn't the time for me to dwell on the situation as I felt the old woman's empty gaze fall on me as she held onto a small candle lamp that flickered across the room.
I slowly pulled the glasses away from my face.
"...So it's the same young man from before."
The old woman's voice was brittle, nearly a whisper, but it was that very fragility that sent a chill crawling up the back of my neck.
Creepy.
It was so damn creepy!
"What do we have here?"
Her gaze eventually lowered towards the photo in my hand.
"Oh... dear."
The old woman's empty gaze flickered as she focused her attention on the photo.
"That is a photo that I took with my first husband way back then. He was just about to depart for a long work trip."
For whatever reason, the old woman appeared talkative. I didn't stop her and just listened to her words.
First husband?
So she remarried?
Her face grew a little sullen as her head lowered a little.
"...It's really too bad that he never came back after that trip."
A brief silence followed her words.
A deep and chilling silence that was shattered by the nursery rhyme that continued to play in the background.
"Drift with clouds, soft and slow ~"
"Where the sleepy flowers grow~"
Click!
The old woman pressed the power button, and the TV shut down.
The room grew a little dimmer as a result.
"But tell me, young man..."
Finally speaking once more, the old woman cocked her head to the side, her empty eyes seemingly growing darker within the dark ambiance. I wasn't sure whether it was because of the environment or because I was tired, but it almost felt as though her eyes were growing entirely back, and that was when I understood that I had to leave.
I hastily looked around, settling my gaze on the distant door.
As I did, the old woman's voice echoed once more.
"Why have you come here so late at night? I told you... that I didn't want anything to do with the situation."
I was just about to respond when...
Flick!
The lamp in her hand flickered, and darkness took over the room.
Thump! Thump!
".....!"
It was a darkness that was followed by the sound of muffled steps coming from the direction of the TV, and that was when I understood that the old woman was coming.
I immediately turned around and bolted for the door, sprinting as far as I could.
"Where are you going!? Now that you're here, you might as well stay!"
No, fuck that!
I kicked the garbage in front of me and rushed with all my might, not caring about what I was stepping on. Although logically, it could be argued that I could beat up the old woman, for some reason, I felt that it was going to be a terrible idea.
That was why I directly headed for the door.
But—
Click!
'Shit, shit...!'
Of course, it was locked.
Even though I had somehow managed to pick the door, it was locked. There really was something off about this place!
Thump! Thump!
Hearing the sound of the old lady approaching, I thought about picking the lock again, but I realized I wouldn't have enough time. In quick succession, I looked at the nearby window and rejoiced when I saw that it was open.
'Yes!'
I didn't think twice and rushed in that direction, but...
BANG!
The moment I moved, the window slammed shut, and I froze where I stood. The old lady was there again, not far from me, her features obscured by the thick veil of darkness that cloaked the room.
"...L-like I said. You can't leave."
She almost growled those words as I started to shiver.
But most importantly, I realized something.
'She's no regular person...'
I had already gotten an idea the moment that she appeared out of nowhere, despite me hearing her going up the stairs.
But this went ahead and confirmed all of my suspicions.
This woman, without a doubt, had powers!
'Fuck!'
I really wanted to curse myself for my luck, but at the same time, I knew that I couldn't waste time as I tried to move back towards the door, hoping to waste some time while opening it.
It was just unfortunate that the old lady appeared to see right through my intention as she smiled creepily, the edges of her lips curling into a smile so twisted that it made my breath pause.
Flick!
The lamp turned off again, and I could feel her rushing in my direction.
I acted quickly.
Without a moment's hesitation, I raised my hand, and a tall shadow emerged before me, gliding toward the old woman as I moved past them.
BANG!
I heard a loud crashing sound and saw the Dreamwalker tumbling back with the old woman as she let out a surprised yelp.
I thought about going for the door again, but it was too far from me now, and the old woman was standing not far from it.
'Fuck, where do I go now?'
Putting on my glasses, I quickly located the stairs and rushed up.
There were always the windows upstairs.
I didn't know how long the Dreamwalker could hold her up, but I could only hope it was enough for me to escape as I reached the second floor.
"Wha... where do I go?"
Several doors met my sight the moment I reached the floor, but it didn't really matter. My goal was to break one of the windows and leave.
That was why I reached for the nearest door and tried to pull it open, but...
Click!
It was also locked!
Not just that door. All of the doors were locked.
'...She really isn't making this easy for me.'
Thump! Thump!
My heart jolted as I heard the sound of footsteps coming from downstairs. I could tell that she was coming for me.
Thankfully, the Dreamwalker was still alive, as I didn't feel anything on my wrist.
But given how the old woman was approaching, it failed to stop her.
This made me even more apprehensive.
For her to stop the Dreamwalker... Just how strong was she?
I extended my hand, activated my skill, and pressed a finger to the door key, waiting in tense silence as a black viscous liquid fell into the keyhole.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
In the meantime, the footsteps grew closer, and my heart caught in my throat.
'Come on, come on, come one...!'
Biting my lips, the steps finally became loud enough for me to fully hear, and I understood that the old lady had finally arrived on the second floor.
'There!'
It was also in that moment that the makeshift key solidified, and I twisted the door open.
Click!
I didn't hesitate to enter before smashing it closed.
At the same time that I did, the last thing I saw was a pair of hollow eyes staring right at me.
Clank!
-x-X-x-
Silence followed right after I closed the door.
But that silence didn't last for very long.
Click. Click. Click.
The doorknob started to turn and click as I felt it turn right and left as the old lady was trying to force her way in. Recalling just how powerful she was, I knew that the door was going to break soon enough.
...Or at least, that was what I thought at first.
"....."
After a couple of tries, the clicking sound stopped.
And then—
Thump! Thump!
I heard the muffled sound of her steps as she began to... leave?
'She's leaving?'
I was at a loss at first, but then, recalling what had happened before, I understood that it was very likely a trap. I wasn't going to fall for it again, and without pause, I turned my attention towards the distant window and made my way towards it.
'Still... What a mess. Even her room is just as bad.'
Trash littered the floor yet again. This time, it was even worse than the living room beneath, and I had to take big steps in order to properly move around the trash.
By now, I had already gotten used to the stench, and so it no longer worried me.
Arriving by the window, I tapped on the glass once before a viscous black liquid coated it, turning it into a hammer.
Taking a step back, I prepared to break the window when...
I stopped and looked outside the window.
A pair of hollow eyes stared right at me, and I froze on the spot.
"....Ah."
Standing right outside the window, looking at me from below, was the old woman, her lamp raised as she looked at me.
A quiet dread settled over my chest then as I took a step back
'So it wasn't fake? Were the steps real? She left and moved downstairs? But that was fast...'
I felt my lips tremble as I took another step back.
"Uh? Ukh...!"
But it was also then that I felt something on my ankle, and I tripped back.
The pile of trash broke my fall, but as I glanced down to see what had tripped me, a lump rose in my throat — I was staring at what looked like a shriveled, dried-up hand.
Hand...?
"O-oh, shit."
The more I looked at it, the more certain I was, and my heart slammed so hard against my ribs it almost felt like it was trying to escape.
But that wasn't all.
Looking carefully at the hand, I saw a familiar-looking suit, and despite every part of me screaming to stay away, I reached hesitantly towards the trash around the corpse and moved it away to reveal the body.
"This..."
The sight that greeted me right after I did that left me completely and utterly paralyzed as I covered my mouth and stood up.
The corpse was the same as all of the victims of the Twisted Man. Mummified to the point where it looked like its body was completely drained of all blood, while its eyes slowly blinked, and its mouth opened and closed slowly.
That... it was still alive!
But that wasn't the creepiest part of it all.
The creepiest part was what the corpse was wearing. It was the same top hat and suit as the Twisted Man.
"What sort of..."
Swallowing my saliva, I turned my attention towards the photograph in my hand, and confirmed that it was indeed the same clothes, but at the same time I did, I also noticed another photograph by the corpse's body.
I hesitated for a moment before picking it up and turning it over.
I wished I never did.
Flipping the photograph over, my thoughts paused as I pulled out the other one and stared between the two, my gaze shifting back and forth in disbelief.
That's...
I had a hard time comprehending the situation.
The photographs both depicted the same scene. A couple standing by a train, wearing the same clothes, and posing with the same expression. They looked like the perfect couple.
But there was only one issue.
No, two glaring issues.
The old woman... She was the same woman as in the first photograph. The only difference was that she was older than in the previous photo, a few wrinkles appearing beneath her eyes and nose. But it wasn't her appearance that threw me off. What truly threw me off was the man.
He...
Despite wearing the same suit and top hat, he was a completely different person.
Yes, looking at the two photos, it was clear to me that the two were completely different people. From how he looked older than the man in the previous photo, to the eye color, hair length, and general face structure.
They couldn't have been more different.
It was also then that I recalled the old woman's words.
'That is a photo that I took with my first husband way back then. He was just about to depart for a long work trip.'
'...It's really too bad that he never came back after that trip.'
I took a deep breath, trying my best to stay rational as I sorted through all of the clues and information that I had managed to gather so far.
'Seeing how she looks older here and how the image of the person in the photo looks different, it is safe to assume that this is her second husband? Yes, that must be the case... but why did she decide to replicate the photo? And...'
I looked down at the corpse that was not far from me and looked at the photograph again, trying my best to keep my hand from trembling.
'...Is this her second husband? Why is he like this? What happened? What is her link with the Twisted Man? Why would he be here...? '
There were so many questions in my mind, and yet so few answers.
My head ached just thinking about the situation, but I also knew that I couldn't waste any more time. Taking a closer step, I peeked at the window, trying to see if the old lady was still there, but...
"Hm?"
She was gone.
The area outside where she once stood was empty.
'Wait, if she isn't there, where is sh—'
Click!
A subtle clicking sound echoed across the room and my body stiffened as the door knob by the side twisted gently and an elderly figure appeared.
"Ahhh—!"
I didn't even hesitate.
Rushing towards the door, I slammed my shoulder against the door as the woman's hand wedged between the door. A sickening crack reached my ears shortly after as I let go of the door and rushed towards the window, where I smashed it directly with my fist that was coated in the black substance.
BANG!
Looking back, the door burst open, and the old lady appeared once more.
Our eyes met for the briefest of moments as I eventually jumped down from the second floor, my legs taking on the full impact of the fall as I rushed away.
'Run, I just need to run...!'
I didn't look back once while I rushed away.
I just knew that I had to run.
That was all I knew.
Just run.