The sense of relief that I felt was only short-lived. Staring at the old woman in front of me, I knew that it was time for me to get rid of her.
But at the same time, getting rid of her would mean allowing the Twisted Man to roam without her control.
'Thankfully, I've asked the Section Chief to come. Perhaps he might be able to handle the situation.'
The only issue was whether he would come or not. I had high hopes that he would, but there was no guarantee.
'I can only secretly hope that he saw my message.'
Things would be a lot easier for me if he arrived. But I still had to do something about the old lady. She simply knew too much.
From the Dreamwalker to Mirelle... She had seen both of them, and I couldn't afford to have her spill anything on them. Especially the Dreamwalker.
While back then, the Dreamwalker was still a Nightwalker, the two didn't look much different than back in the masquerade scenario. Zoey and the few others who were present were all well aware of the 'Jester' and everything that had happened.
It was for that reason that I couldn't afford to take the risk.
Keeping her alive was the same as killing me.
'She has to leave.'
...Or at least, that was what I planned on doing. But the moment we stopped and prepared for the inevitable, a faint cackling echoed from behind me.
"Kek."
It sounded dry, and every hair on my body rose. The air felt colder, and as I slowly raised my head, I saw the old woman smiling at me with her toothless mouth.
For whatever reason, she looked unbothered by the current situation, almost finding it amusing to some extent.
This made my mind scramble.
'What? Did she figure something out? No, it doesn't matter if she figured something out. What I'm more worried about is whether she has some sort of plan. If that's the case, what do I do?'
My thoughts swam in all directions as I tried to figure out the situation. But by the time I started thinking, it was already too late as the old woman opened her mouth to speak again.
"You... You're wearing the same look that I once had. You are thinking of getting rid of me... right?"
With a sudden laugh, the old woman's wrinkles grew more pronounced as her mouth curled further. I practically felt chills run down my entire body the moment she acted like that, but at the same time, I tried my best to remain calm.
'Nothing good will come from panicking. I need to remain calm.'
I had already experienced my fair share of situations such as these. I was scared, but I was also more experienced in handling the situation.
All I could do was calmly assess what was happening or whatever the old woman was planning before taking care of it. The puking and fear could be pushed for later.
"Let's... say that I am. Do you—"
"I'm a little surprised." The old woman cut me off before I could finish speaking, her hollow eyes squinting slightly as she looked at me. "I am surprised that you're not concerned at all about the Cognitive Shard that is in your body. Do you not care about it at all...?"
Her brows furrowed slightly as she shook her head. "No, that doesn't quite make... sense. Then why? If it were anyone, they would be rejoicing. Wishing to join us...? Why are you different? Why are you..?" The old woman paused, as though a sudden realization struck her.
"I see what it is." She cackled. "...You must have some sort of way to prevent the Cognitive Shard from completely taking over your body. I've seen people who have lost their will to live. You aren't one. You're definitely looking for the cure, and since you're not interested in mine, it must mean that—"
"Who said that I'm not interested?"
"....Huh?"
The old woman took a moment to process my words.
I continued.
"I... did at first think it was a little much, but I'm interested. If I were to say yes, would you accept me?"
"....."
The old woman didn't speak. She looked at a complete loss. I couldn't blame her, I'd also be confused in her situation. It went against what I said before. But it wasn't like I said those words without any merit. I was indeed a little interested in whatever their cult was.
I understood that this quest was probably going to be a very long one. In that case, wouldn't it be more efficient if I just went there directly?
If I became a member of their cult, I could probably solve a lot of troublesome quests without needing to do much. The only issue was them forcing me to do things that I didn't want to do. Illegal things too.
I wasn't really keen on doing that.
...And it wasn't like it really mattered to me. After all, I had only said this to waste time and jumble up her thoughts. Enough for the Dreamwalker to lodge its hands against her mouth.
".....!"
Her expression changed drastically the moment it happened, obviously caught off guard by the situation.
Rumble! Rumble!
The surroundings shook as a result, and figures began to emerge from the shadows, their presence completely taking over the entire room as I found it hard to breathe under their presence.
From their clean suits, to the top hats they were wearing... I recognized the monsters in an instant, and my expression turned grim.
'Twisted Men...'
As expected, there were more than two.
Looking around, I could count six of them in total, and my legs started to feel like jelly as a result. The old lady's eyes changed the moment they appeared, her expression turning triumphant as she looked at me.
Things did indeed look extremely grim for me. I could tell that he was a few seconds away from dying.
But...
'I've observed enough to know it won't happen.'
And exactly as I thought such thoughts, the Twisted Man moved behind the Dreamwalker and stood before the old lady as her eyes widened in shock. She tried to say something, but the Dreamwalker blocked any noise from coming out of her mouth as she started to trash around in an attempt to escape.
But it was useless.
The Dreamwalker wasn't going to let go.
And then...
CRACK!
Her hand snapped with a sickening pop, the bones twisting in the wrong direction as a wet crunch echoed through the air. Her eyes widened, not just in pain, but in sheer disbelief, trembling as she tried to scream.
"Hmmm—!"
CRACK!
Then came her leg, bending backward like it had no joint at all. Her skin turned ghostly pale, veins pulsing beneath the surface, and her eyes filled with blood, turning a deep crimson as she gasped, mouth quivering, but no words came out, only a gurgle.
The Dreamwalker didn't let go. It kept its hand over her mouth.
With another crack, her other arm bent and cracked, producing an extremely grotesque scene as her body started to dry up.
I could only stare at the scene for a certain moment before turning around and moving towards the exit of the place.
CRACK!
Even as I heard another crack, I didn't look back before finally entering the portal and feeling my consciousness fade.
'...In the end, all manufactured products have their own flaws. Even anomalies.'
-x-X-x-
Despite the situation and the fear that I was experiencing, I had been observing everything extremely carefully.
After all my experiences and understanding that the quest was merely a Second Order quest, I knew that it was something that I could clear.
Observation was the key to getting out of this place.
...And that was exactly what I did as I carefully observed the old lady before me.
At first, I thought, 'She has the same class as me. She is a Shepherd.' With how she managed to control the Twisted Man, and with how she also felt familiar with the Dreamwalker, these were my initial thoughts and assumptions.
However, this quickly changed not long after.
Especially when I saw the shock on her face at the moment that she caught sight of Mirelle.
That was the first moment I started to doubt her Decree.
Could she not tell that Mirelle was under my control? Or was the reason for her shock because of Mirelle? That latter seemed to be the most accurate representation of the situation, and I really thought that was the case.
But then...
A thought occurred to me.
'If she's really a shepherd, how come she can control the Twisted Man?'
Her strength was on the same level as mine. While I wasn't certain, I was more or less able to determine that she was around Second Order. Given that the mission was also put at Second Order, I became more certain of this.
Then...
Could a Second Order Shepherd really control something as powerful as a Twisted Man?
I'd normally not know anything about this, but as someone who followed the same Decree, I was aware that it was very unlikely. The proof of this was Mirelle, who was a lot stronger than I, and even now, I struggled to properly control her.
Even her skill was unknown to me due to the strength gap between the two of us.
This was the biggest indicator to me that something was wrong. Especially when the Twisted Man was even more powerful than Mirelle. How could she control them if she was so weak?
That made me start to think.
It made me start to think about everything that I had witnessed, and all sorts of ideas and thoughts scrambled inside my mind as I carefully observed the old lady and everything that she did.
If she didn't control the Twisted Man without her powers, then what could she use to do that...?
Some sort of object? Keyword?
The moment the idea set in my mind, I tried all sorts of ways to get my answer, and it didn't take long for me to get it.
It was on the way to the train station.
It was in that split moment when the figure of the Twisted Man appeared within the lights.
In that moment...
She did something. I was sure of it. I thought it had been my imagination, but it wasn't.
...And that was all I needed to get the answer that I was so desperately seeking.
'She can control the Twisted Man through her voice, or some sort of chant of hers.'
If the Twisted Man needed someone's voice in order to hunt them, then it needed her voice in order to be controlled by her. The 'prime' voice. That was why I had the Dreamwalker seal her mouth.
I did that so that the Twisted Man would turn on her.
What would happen if it could no longer hear the 'prime' voice?
I had followed the history. I was aware of their past. And... I was also aware of their hatred for her.
The idea was simple.
The Twisted Men weren't stupid. They were all quite smart. In that sense... what would be the first thing they did if they were suddenly free?
The answer was simple.
Attack her.
And... the moment she turned silent, my thoughts were proven correct as they attacked her. She couldn't do anything about it. I watched as her body got shredded right in front of my very eyes.
She was definitely no longer alive.
I was sure of this, but I didn't linger any longer to double-check. I didn't want to take the risk of having the Twisted Men attack me the moment that they were done with her.
This was why I immediately entered the gate and returned to the real world.
"Hooo."
Breathing in the fresh and cool air around me, I looked down at the crack that sat right beneath me. It was still squirming with corpses, and the weird rusty smell of the interior of the train was starting to hit my nostrils, but it was far better than being inside the gate.
While there was no real change between the worlds, for whatever reason, the place felt extremely suffocating and stuffy.
The real world was much better.
'I better get out of here.'
Looking around the place, I took a photo of the crack and sent the picture to the Section Chief. At the same time, I moved to a more remote location before finally sending my location to the Section Chief. While he still hadn't answered me, I knew that he had seen my message since he had left it on read.
I glanced around, taking in the dense trees and overgrown greenery surrounding me. It was quite remote, with the nearest building being quite far.
This was the perfect spot for me.
'I would've preferably have stayed in a hotel, but it's not like I have much of a choice considering my current situation. I don't even know who to trust in this place. That cult... or whatever they are. Their influence is far greater than I previously anticipated.'
I was afraid that going into the city would attract unwanted attention.
The only thing I could do for now was stay put and wait for the Section Chief to come before I briefed him on everything. Things were probably going to get quite annoying from this moment forward, but it was something that I was prepared to go through after deciding to message the Section Chief.
But most importantly...
Sitting down on the grass, I took out my laptop from my bag and opened a random blank document as I began to type quietly.
'This whole experience has actually given me a lot of inspiration for my game. I think I finally know how to move forward with the story. It can't be too linear. It needs to keep players guessing, make them wonder what really happened, and how everything ended up this way...'
Psychological horror was one of the most important things that one needed to take into account when creating a game.
This experience had made me learn quite a bit about this aspect.
This was why I decided to write in the middle of nowhere. Inspiration was quite rare, and now that I had found it, I didn't want to get interrupted.
"You suddenly got inspired?"
"Ah, yes."
"For your game?"
"Yeah. It's—"
I froze mid-sentence, snapping my head up to meet the gaze of a figure I knew all too well. He stood above me, staring down at my laptop with a mix of curiosity and stunned disbelief.
Seeing his reaction, I closed down my laptop and gave and coughed dryly.
"Keum... Section Chief, you're here faster than I expected. Let me just brief you on everything that happened."
As I spoke, I spoke in a rather hurried tone.
I wanted to get this over with quickly. I really wanted to get back to work.
But...
For some reason, the more I spoke, the more bewildered the Section Chief became, glancing back and forth between me and the laptop. Eventually, he covered his mouth with one hand and shook his head, as if struggling to process what he was seeing.
What? Why was he even reacting like this?
"Alright, I get the gist of the situation."
He scratched his messy hair and turned around while looking into the distance, sighing.
"...This will be quite a mess that I have to clean up."
-x-X-x-
Although the Section Chief did say that he had quite the mess to clean up, it took him no longer than an hour for him to come back, patting his hands as though he had done some trivial work.
I raised my head and looked at him.
"You're done?"
"...More or less. There were a few... troublesome things that I needed to take care of and check out, but I'm fine now. Are you done? We should go back."
"Oh."
I slid my laptop back in my bag and stood up. I couldn't wait to go back to the Guild. While this trip had been short, it practically took the life out of me. Pausing, I looked back at the Section Chief as I thought of something.
"What?"
"We can just leave like that? We don't have to wait for those from the Guild to come?"
"Those from the Guild?"
The Section Chief looked confused at first, but then, as if understanding the situation, he dismissively waved his hand.
"Ah, that... Right, yeah."
"....?"
What does that even mean?
Wait...
Seeing his expression, my stomach flipped.
Don't tell me he forgot to call them?
Thankfully, that didn't appear to be the case as he answered shortly after, his expression a little annoyed.
"This place falls outside our jurisdiction, so even if I wanted to step in, I couldn't. All I can do now is quietly report it to the Guild and Bureau and wait for them to act. Not that it matters much, I've already handled the most critical parts and uncovered a few key clues I've been chasing for a while."
Important clues...? I was somewhat curious as to what he found out, but didn't pry and remained silent. I knew that asking would probably lead to nowhere. In that sense, it was just best to remain quiet.
'With that being said, it's best to tell him about the cult and everything that I know about them.'
I think it was safe for me to say this to him.
While I was going to leave Mirelle out of this, I could lie about a few other things in order to explain a few of the things that I knew. I believed that this was the best approach since the cult was rather massive, and it was probably going to be impossible for me to deal with them.
'Taking into consideration how the quests are going, I am inclined to believe that the system is trying to pit me against them.'
Whatever the case, I was now entangled in the situation. It made the most sense to work with the Guild and try to learn more about them. Maybe the Guild already knew something, maybe they could provide information I hadn't uncovered yet.
"Hmm, I think we've overstayed our stay. It is time for us to go."
As the Section Chief turned his wrist and checked his watch, he looked at me.
"I can see that you seem to have a few things to say to me, but now is not the best of times. Let's go back on the private jet before we discuss the situation."
"Ok... eh?"
Wait, did he just say private jet?
"Oh? Judging from your expression, you don't seem to be aware of the fact that we're in possession of a private jet? Thinking about it, you could've probably have used it if you had just asked."
The Section Chief cackled, leaving me at a complete loss. Wait, I could also use the private jet?
'No, although the Guild might be rich, there's no way that they can just give out a private jet to just anyone. I'm sure he's just messing with me.'
One look at his face, at that expression, and I felt even more certain. I clicked my tongue quietly, but said nothing. Regardless, we both made our way back to the airport. I was a little on edge during the trip, but with the Section Chief by my side, everything went smoothly. Before long, we were boarding the private jet.
"It's nice, isn't it?"
Taking a seat in the leather seat and feeling the warmth of the seat, I didn't know what to say. This was the first time I had ever experienced such luxury in my life. It once again reaffirmed my thoughts about getting rich.
'So long as my next game does well, I should be able to live much better.'
After everything I'd just experienced, I felt more certain than ever about my upcoming game. The mechanics were solid, and the storyline was almost ready. Now, all that was left was to integrate the story into the game itself. Once that was done, it'd be ready for launch.
'I'd say... give or take two weeks. Two weeks of pure work and I'll be able to launch the second game.'
Lost in thought, I didn't realize that the jet had already started to make its way around the runway. It was only when the jet started to speed up that I realized that it was about to depart, and as soon as that happened, the Section Chief turned his attention back towards me, his expression rather serious.
"We're about to leave the airport. It's just the two of us right now. Tell me exactly what you found, and how you managed to get yourself in this situation."
"....."
Noticing the Section Chief's expression, I sat in silence for a brief moment before letting out a sigh. It was clear there was no need to worry about prying eyes or ears, so I began to tell him everything I knew.
I explained how I'd come to this place to investigate the origins of the Twisted Man, hoping it would help shape my game. I told him about the old woman's house, the photographs I'd found, showing him in the process, and how I eventually discovered the crack near the train station. Finally, I shared my growing suspicion that the city might be under the influence of the cult, at least to some degree.
I even added a little bit of extra detail that I knew about the cult from my previous exploration.
It took about twenty minutes for me to tell the Section Chief everything, and by the time that I was done, he sat in silence with his brows furrowed.
Looking at him, he didn't look surprised.
Rather...
I even heard him mumble things like, 'So the situation has advanced to this extent?'
He looked to be aware of exactly what I was talking about. This didn't come off as a surprise to me. If I knew about the cult, I was sure that the Guild was also aware of them.
I was just about to open my mouth to ask about them when...
Ding!
I received a sudden notification, causing me to stop abruptly.
Blinking my eyes, I stared at the notification that appeared before me as my heart skipped a beat.
'The que—'
I didn't even get the chance to rejoice about the notification when I suddenly received another one.
Ding!
I froze on the spot, my mind pausing for a moment as I stared at the second window that suddenly appeared before my very eyes.
"Oh."
Staring at the second window, I unconsciously let out a sound.
This...
It was rather unexpected.
Instead of completing one quest, I... had completed two.
'I've struck it rich.'
"Eh...?"
[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 quest notification came as expected. This didn't surprise me very much as I had already expected it to come.
But then..
Ding!
The second notification popped up, and my thoughts blanked.
[Continuation Quest Activated]
Difficulty: Third Order
Reward:
40,000 SP
Objective: Expose the cult and its plans.
Location: N/A
Description: The cult has now set its target on you. You must be careful not to get caught by them. Only death awaits if you get caught by them. Find a way around the situation and expose them.
Time Limit: 2 months.
Seeing the sudden appearance of the second quest notification, alongside the reward, I didn't know how to react. I had already been aware of the fact that there was a chance that this quest would complete as well, but now that it actually completed, I didn't know how to react.
Especially when I saw the reward that came with the quest completion.
A whopping 40,000 SP, which added to the 10,000 SP from the first quest, meant that I had made an overall of 50,000 SP.
This was...
'500,000$.'
How could one expect me to remain calm after taking into consideration just how much money I had made?
Even the Section Chief, who sat next to me, appeared to notice the changes in me as he looked at me strangely.
"Are you okay?"
"....Yes."
No, I actually wasn't.
But it wasn't like I could just tell him the reason why.
Taking a couple of quick and steady breaths, I managed to calm myself down before leaning against the back of the seat and closing my eyes.
'Okay, this is a little unexpected, but this is actually good for me. With the new SP, I can buy a lot of things. But what should I spend the SP on?'
My first thought fell on the shop items. With the difficulty of the quests increasing, buying an appropriate item would help me out a lot in dangerous situations.
The greatest example was the most recent situation.
Things would've been a lot easier for me had I gotten an item like the invisible cloak. With it, I would've been able to find all of the information that I needed without any danger.
'Well, there's no guarantee that the old lady wouldn't have found me, but life would've been so much easier for me.'
This was the first thought that crossed my mind when I saw all the SP that I suddenly received.
And I really was planning on buying a new item because of it.
But then... I stopped myself.
I was suddenly reminded of the fact that SP wasn't just used to buy items. I could use SP to buy software for my game. Thinking about my current project, I found myself opening my eyes once again.
That's...
It was just unfortunate that my thoughts weren't able to make it far.
Ding!
Just as the previous notifications came abruptly, so did the new ones.
[The Guild has now learned crucial and important information regarding the Twisted Man and the cult.]
[Your contributions were anything but small. Unfortunately, despite the death of the old lady, the cult was still able to learn information about you and your involvement. The cult has now become even more aware of your presence. Especially with Mirelle's presence.]
[Thread carefully]
[Continuation Quest Activated]
Difficulty: Fourth Order
Reward: 210,000 SP
Objective: Locate the main branch of the cult.
Location: N/A
Description: The cult and you can no longer co-exist. Locate their hideout in Malovia and find out more about the architect, alongside their doctrine. Best be careful, as the cult will now actively look for you. They have eyes and ears everywhere!
Time Limit: 6 months.
"..."
Staring at the new window, I didn't know how to react. It wasn't like I didn't expect it.
I did in fact see it coming.
...But it was just that I didn't expect the quest to escalate to the fourth order while at the same time needing me to locate their main branch. How in the world was I even going to find the branch?
I didn't even know where to start.
This sounded like a massive headache, and it probably showed as the Section Chief raised his brow.
"Are you sure you're not okay? You don't look okay?"
"About that..."
I raised my head to look at him.
"...I actually do feel sick."
Like, very sick.
*
The journey back to Malovia Island wasn't very long. It took a lot less time than when I left.
'I guess these are the perks of flying with a private jet.'
With that being said, the moment we landed, we were escorted by a bunch of people in black suits into a small room where we were questioned before getting released. By the time we returned back to the Guild, it was quite late in the night.
"Huaam."
With the Section Chief letting out a tired yawn, he looked at me and scratched his already messy hair.
"I've yet to get a single ounce of sleep because of you, and I still need to handle quite a lot of things once I go back. I probably won't get much sleep today. Four hours if I'm lucky."
"Oh."
That was about my average.
"In any case, go get some rest. The Guild will most likely question you tomorrow about the situation. Just answer them like you answered me, and you should be fin-huam."
With another yawn, tears formed at the corner of the Section Chief's face as he shook his head and dismissively waved his hand at me.
"Alright, I guess this is my cue to leave. Just don't forget what I said. Oh, and..."
Suddenly pausing, he looked at me.
"You owe me one."
He proceeded to leave right after that.
Staring at his departing back as he entered the Guild, I stood still for a moment before alternating my gaze between the Guild and the direction of the dorms. I was really tired as well. I also didn't get much sleep.
But...
'I don't really have much time.'
Thinking about the new quests and the dangers that I had gone through, I knew that every second mattered.
I also got some sleep on the plane.
As of right now, I had one priority, and one priority only.
Finishing my new game.
That was why, after a few more seconds of hesitation, I sighed and headed back to the Guild.
"Game. Game. Game..."
Mumbling to myself, I entered my office and started working.
With the sudden experience, I no longer needed to worry about the writing, as I had a lot of inspiration. Everything went smoothly from that point forward.
For the next two weeks, I focused entirely on the game.
The only times I came out of the office were when I needed coffee or when I needed to go to the bathroom. I didn't even bother going out to sleep or eat. I just had Kyle send me the food over.
I was like some sort of homeless freak inside of the Guild, with everyone avoiding me for the subsequent days.
But it didn't matter to me.
The only thing that mattered to me was the game, and...
Tak!
"Done."
I was now finally done with it.
Click. Click...
Blankly staring at the monitor and staring at the rendered product before me, I sat in silence without saying a single word.
I was mentally exhausted, and I felt completely drained.
In fact, I could hardly keep my eyes open, but... staring at the interface that stood before me, all the exhaustion and pain felt worth it.
"Done. I'm really done..."
After what felt like forever, I was finally done with my second game. I had spent practically my entire two weeks on it, forgoing sleep and food in order to ensure that it was perfect.
While I couldn't guarantee that the game wouldn't have any glitches and bugs, I was really happy with the final product. At the very least, I had been able to create what I had envisioned for the game.
Unlike the first game, I was confident this time.
This game...
It was certainly going to create a larger splash than the first game.
'It's not like the first game was unsuccessful, but the overall sales are at around 30,000. I am almost certain that this can reach six digits in sales if everything goes well.'
Then again...
I could be severely overestimating myself.
Looking at the screen, I pressed my lips together.
"This won't affect the sales, right?"
The main interface wasn't anything amazing.
It was just a simple black screen with a few smoke graphics and three words.
[Continue]
[New Game]
[Options]
[Quit]
I invested all of my time in creating the game and didn't bother with the aesthetics of it, from the game logo to the interface. Everything was rather plain.
The game logo depicted a tall, slender figure in a black suit, one hand tipping its top hat in a gesture that felt like a disturbingly polite greeting. Its face was mostly obscured by the brim of the top hat, but just enough was visible to reveal a pale complexion and a long, twisted mouth that curved unnaturally at the edges.
The logo was essentially a rip-off of the Twisted Man.
I didn't really see the need to be creative with the logo. The Twisted Man was an anomaly that was registered within the Guild database and was somewhat known to the public.
I wasn't really worried about the cult targeting me because of it.
Well, that and the fact that they were already targeting me.
Since that was the case, I didn't hold back and just went along with it.
"The logo and interface might not be the best thing, but it's not like I'm selling those two things. What I'm confident in is the game. I'm confident even Kyle might get affected by it."
Thinking about Kyle, how was he doing?
I... hadn't really been paying much attention to him or whatever was happening in the Guild.
'I know something has been happening since there's been quite a bit of chaos, but I'm not entirely sure.'
Rubbing my eyes, I closed down my laptop and leaned back against the chair.
Feeling the only source of light fade as the room plunged into darkness, I closed my eyes for a brief moment before finally standing up and heading for the door.
"Might as well check up on him."
I needed a guinea pig to test out my new game.
...I was just about to leave the room to find my guinea pig when all of a sudden, someone knocked on the door.
To Tok—
"Hm?"
I was a little surprised at first, but then a smile formed on my lips.
'Oh, no...'
I hastily covered my mouth, trying my best not to show my smile as Rowan eventually opened the door and looked around the room.
"Seth...?"
One look at his haggard face and the deep, glaring black circles under his eyes told me he was far from doing well.
The smile that was forming on my face grew even more as Rowan turned on the lights and looked in my direction. He looked at me with visible relief.
"You're here. I'm here to have my session."
"....Right."
I turned my wrist and checked the time.
It was indeed time for the two of us to have our session. Apart from eating, working on the game, and sleeping, there had been one other thing that I had been doing.
And that was the private counseling session with Rowan.
If it had been up to me, I would've stopped our sessions and focused entirely on the game. It wasn't like I didn't try. However, the moment I even tried to propose the idea, Rowan's face would turn completely pale. As though the entire world was crumbling before his very eyes.
Seeing him like that, I felt quite a bit of pity towards him.
In the end, I decided to continue the sessions.
'Thank god for that.'
I'd been searching for a guinea pig, then one just happened to appear right in front of me.
What great luck!
"Have a seat, Rowan."
I pointed towards the seat before me as I opened my laptop again and crossed my legs. Watching as he sheepishly sat in front of me, I booted up the game while making some small talk with him.
"You are not looking very great. Having nightmares?"
"...Nightmares? No, not really."
Rowan shook his head while massaging his tired eyes.
"I'm just overworked lately. With the new exchange members coming into the department, we've been forced to enter one gate after another. I've hardly got any time to rest."
"Is that so?"
Oh, right. There was indeed that. I had been so immersed in my game development that I had completely forgotten about the exchange members.
'I haven't really paid much attention to the situation, but seeing how tired Rowan looks, I guess the situation isn't very good.'
Right, Kyle had also not been bothering me much lately, which was kind of odd.
I grew a little interested.
"How are they doing? I'm sure it's hard for them to get adjusted to this department. The gates aren't so ea—"
"Monsters."
Rowan cut me off mid-sentence, leaving me stunned as he covered his face with both hands.
"They're fucking monsters."
"Eh...?"
What did he just say? Did he say monsters?
"It's... as if they aren't bothered at all by the gates. Although we haven't been entering any big gates, they've been clearing them at record times, bulldozing their way towards clearance. Do you remember the initiation trial?"
"Initial trial?"
I thought for a moment. Was he referring to the Nightwalker one?
"...I think so. It was somewhat di—"
"They all cleared it in record time. Beating everyone's record by quite a large margin."
"....."
The words that were about to come out of my mouth stopped the moment I heard Rowan's words. And just before I could even process them, Rowan continued.
"Of course, considering their strenght, it is only natural that they clear the trial extremely fast. If Kyle and the others were to clear the gate at their current strenght, they would pull similar times, but it's not just them. Even their first years are pulling record times. It's gotten to the point where everyone is starting to question the competency of the department."
Rowan's voice grew a little more haggard as he spoke.
"The reason we've been working extra hard is because we've been trying to prove to them that being in this department isn't easy, but..."
Rowan stopped there. However, he didn't need to say anything for me to understand.
'I guess these exchange people are a lot more competent than I initially thought.'
It seemed like they were going to have tough times ahead of them.
Not that it mattered much to me as I stared at my laptop and turned it in Rowan's direction.
"Here."
"Hm?"
Slowly raising his head, Rowan looked at me.
"What—"
"It's a new game that I developed."
I quickly cut Rowan off, trying my best to hide my smile.
"This should help you get your mind off these matters. Have a go."
Staring intently at Rowan, I felt my heart start to quicken. A question emerged in my mind as I stared at him.
How loud was he going to scream?
I licked my lips.
'I really hope this works.'
-x-X-x-
'Why is he asking me to play his game?'
Staring at the laptop in front of him, Rowan was a little confused. However, he wasn't confused for long as he recalled that Seth's 'real' job. That of a game developer. Or at least, that was what he called himself.
In Rowan's mind, Seth was more of a therapist for him than a game developer.
He was the only one who was capable of calming him down whenever he had trouble with sleep or had nightmares about his past.
That was why Rowan forgot all about Seth's real job.
But then again, he wasn't really that interested in playing Seth's game. He didn't want to sound arrogant, but he was one of the top recruits within the Guild. Yes, he was still inferior to Kyle and Zoey, but he was still up there.
He didn't believe for one second that the game could have an effect on him.
He was also not in the mood for it. Especially with everything that had been happening within the department.
'I know he's helped me out a lot, but I don't really want to fake a reaction. I'm not exactly the greatest of actors. If I fake it, and he realizes it, he might just stop doing the sessions with me. But what if I don't fake it and I won't get scared? Will he get angry and kick me away? Or will he lock himself up in his office again? But what about my sessions...?'
Rowan started to sweat.
Regardless of how he tried to see things, he was in quite a disadvantaged situation.
Whichever option he chose seemed to lead to a terrible outcome for himself. The only way for everything to go smoothly was to be genuinely scared, but Rowan knew he wasn't going to get scared.
Just one look at the plain interface was all he needed to know about the quality of the game.
'Ah, shit... What do I do? I can't do without the therapy sessions anymore.'
"Rowan?"
Suddenly hearing his name get called out, Rowan raised his head to see Seth staring at him with his head tilted.
"Is there something wrong? Is the game not loading?"
"Oh, ah... the game. Yes, the game."
Turning his attention back to the game, Rowan secretly swallowed. He was trying to think of all ways to reject playing it. However, lifting his head once more to stare at Seth and seeing the way that he was looking at him, Rowan could only inwardly sigh.
'Since I made an appointment with him, telling him that I have something coming up will feel too obvious. In the end, do I have no other choice but to play the game...?'
Licking his lips, Rowan once again alternated his gaze between the laptop and Seth. However, the moment he looked at Seth and saw the look of anticipation on his face, Rowan felt his hand twitch.
It really did seem like he cared...
'Alright, fine.'
In the end, Rowan sighed once more.
Regardless of how unscary the game was, he was prepared to put out the most amazing performance of his life.
Reaching out for the mouse, Rowan moved the cursor towards the [Play] button and left-clicked.
Click!
The game began.
***
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Figures began to emerge one after another from behind a large portal. Waiting for them before the gate were several figures clad in white clothes, holding onto tablets as they stared at the emerging figures with a look of shock.
In the end, they only snapped out of it when Kyle emerged. He had a complicated expression on his face as he did.
Turning his attention towards the people clad in white, Kyle held onto a large bag and tossed it to them.
"Here. This is our haul for today."
"Uh, ah...? Yes, ah, yes."
Catching onto the bag, one of the figures clad in white opened it and quickly looked through the contents.
"This..."
It didn't take long for their expression to change as they looked at Kyle and the group in shock.
"Not bad, right?"
Smiling at the researcher, Kaelen emerged from behind Kyle as he stared at the bag.
"If I didn't count wrong, we should've been able to fetch about thirty fragments."
"Thirty-four to be exact."
Serelith added by the side, yawning slightly as she gave the bag a casual glance before losing interest. Leaning against her spear, she brushed her long white hair behind her head while also mumbling something to herself.
Something along the lines of, 'What should I have for lunch? Turkey sandwich?'
Staring at the two and then the bag, Leon found himself licking his lips. While the haul wasn't exactly big, considering the gate that they had just entered was a mere
Once a gate was cleared, they wouldn't just disappear forever after closing.
Once a gate was cleared, the Guild would assume authority over it, allowing them to send members back inside to gather fragments.
...Or in their own terms, 'farm' them.
What distinguished the differently ranked gates from one another wasn't the purity of the fragments within; they all scaled with the gate's clearance level. It wasn't the attribute either. What truly set the gates apart in rank was the haul granted upon clearing each successive trial.
The higher the rank of a gate, the greater the number of fragments that could be 'farmed' in said gate.
A
In other words, they had cleared the gate flawlessly.
"This one was quite a bit easier than I expected. I'd expect the fragments to be quite pure this time. The haul isn't so bad." Chiming in from the side was Sarah, who looked at the bag with sparkling eyes as they all started to move back towards the Containment Area.
Coming directly from the Collection Department, Sarah specialized in the collection of fragments from gates.
Her attraction towards the fragments was only natural.
"I can tell with just one look that the fragments are at least 60% above in purity. Fuck!" Sarah enviously looked in the direction of those in the Containment Department. "You guys have it really easy. We hardly did a thing, and we managed to get so many pure fragments. How is this department so unprofitable when it's so easy to farm fragments?"
"About that..."
Kyle could only force a smile while answering her. It wasn't like collecting the fragments was hard. If he went by himself, he could probably collect the same amount.
The issue was that he was too busy trying to clear the higher-ranked gates, leaving the lower-ranked gates for the less experienced people.
The number of resources the Guild had to spend to first clear the gate in the Containment Department was much higher than what it spent on one gate in the other departments. Not only that, but the deaths were much higher, too.
It really wasn't as easy as she thought it was.
Kyle was just about to say this, but was soon cut off by Kaelen, who gave them the side-eye.
"Maybe the reason why they are so unprofitable is that they waste too much time on preparations. I heard that in order to join this department, one needed to be extremely brave. But..."
Kaelen put on a difficult face as he looked away from Kyle and entered the containment zone, filled with its numerous cubicles.
"...As far as I see, rather than bravery, I see something else."
"What else do you see?"
Frowning, Kyle looked at Kaelen. He could feel that whatever Kaelen was trying to imply wasn't anything nice.
Seeing Kyle take the bait, Kaelen's lips pulled up as he opened his mouth to speak when...
Clank!
A sharp smack rang out in the distance, snapping everyone's attention toward one of the doors. From behind the darkness that embraced the insides of the door, a pale figure stumbled forward, his eyes wide and quivering.
He reached out a trembling hand toward the doorframe, barely able to whisper,
"H-help..."
But before his fingers could touch the edge, a figure materialized behind him. The figure tilted his head slightly, voice calm.
"Come on. You barely played the game. Keep going. I still need more data."
"No, no, no..."
"Do me this favor."
Rowan's face contorted, his expression twisting as the color drained from his skin. He jerked his head up, eyes locking with Kyle and the others. With sudden desperation, he reached toward them, screaming at the top of his lungs:
"Help me! Help me!! I can't do this anymore! Help me!"
The commotion was impossible to ignore. Rowan's frantic shouting filled the air, and the sheer panic on his face as he desperately clawed at the doorway left everyone momentarily stunned.
The same was true for the exchange members as they looked at one another.
"What's going on?"
"Did something serious happen?"
The commotion didn't just catch their attention. It drew the eyes of everyone in the area. One by one, heads turned toward the distant office, a heavy silence settling as Rowan's shouts continued to fill the space.
Seeing just how big the commotion they were causing was, Seth's face started to scrunch up. The attention was too much for him.
He raised both of his hands.
"Fine. You don't need to continue. I've gathered enough data."
"Really?"
Rowan fell silent almost instantly, his eyes wide with surprise as he slowly turned to face Seth. For a moment, he almost forgot about everything.
However, the fear quickly clawed back into his mind as he started to stutter.
"A-are you telling the truth? I... I don't have to continue anymore?"
From the way he was speaking, he was still clearly shaken up by the situation. Noticing this, Kyle's brows furrowed tightly as he moved towards Rowan.
"Is everything alright? Did something happe—"
"...Uh?!"
The moment Rowan heard Kyle's voice, he flinched instinctively, startling Kyle in the process.
"Go back! Go..."
But as his eyes settled on Kyle, the panic in his expression gradually eased, giving way to a flicker of relief.
"Ah, it's you."
Rowan covered his mouth in relief.
'What's going?'
This was the first time that Kyle had seen Rowan so shaken up. The two of them had dived in gates together on several occasions, and while he had seen Rowan shaken up on a few occasions, it was never to this extent.
Staring at him and seeing his eyes, which still appeared to be trembling, Kyle felt that something was extremely wrong. Eventually, he turned to look at Seth.
He was just standing behind Rowan with an innocent expression.
He looked like shit. His hair was a mess. His clothes were a mess, and he smelled like shit. His face was also pale, and there were glaring black circles beneath his eyes. He looked to be in even worse condition than Rowan.
And yet...
For whatever reason, Kyle had a feeling that Seth had something to do with the situation.
'But that doesn't make sense. Did something go wrong with their therapy session? But last I heard, Rowan was having a really good time there.'
The more Kyle thought about the situation, the more confused he became.
He wanted to ask more about the situation, but before he could do so, a voice cut through the surroundings.
"Don't mind him too much. He was just doing me a favour."
"Hm?"
Looking up, Kyle saw that it was Seth who spoke. Yawning slightly, Seth's shoulders slumped a little as he looked at Rowan and mumbled, 'It's safe to say that it went well. I might need to make a few tweaks, but this is good.'
He then looked up towards the others, focusing on the exchange members for a brief moment before pushing Rowan out.
"Okay. I have work to do."
As he pushed Rowan out, he kept his eyes on the floor.
Then...
"Have a good day."
Clank—
He proceeded to close the door then and there, leaving everyone stunned.
"....."
It took a few seconds for everyone to register what was happening. The first to snap out of it was Kaelen, his expression growing a little odd.
"Quite the eccentric therapist. He's a therapist, right? Or counselor?"
His words were enough to make the others snap out of it, as several turned to look at the doors with frowns.
"What the hell was that?"
"...Did he just close the door like that? Wh—"
"Don't mind him."
Seeing how the situation was starting to escalate, Zoey promptly cut in.
"He's usually like this. Don't take his actions seriously. He's... very anti-social."
Zoey turned to look at Kyle as she said so. Feeling her gaze, Kyle forced a smile.
"Yes..."
She wasn't wrong. Seth was indeed antisocial.
'No, it's more like he's introverted. Well... same thing?'
Whatever. Kyle wasn't really all too bothered by Seth's actions. He was already used to his behavior. In his mind, this was nothing unusual. He hated interacting with new people, and so this was in line with his character. What really set him off was Rowan, who was still breathing heavily, his face pale, and his back leaning against the wall as he tried to catch his breath.
Kyle wasn't the only one who noticed Rowan's current condition.
By the time Kyle noticed, almost everyone noticed as they started to focus their attention on him.
"Rowan, are you okay? What's going on?"
"...What happened? Why are you acting like this?"
Everyone who knew Rowan was quite worried when they saw him like this. Even the usually indifferent Zoey was taken aback by Rowan's behaviour. Just what in the world had set him off like this?
Why... did he look like someone who had just seen the devil itself?
"Rowan! Rowan—!"
"Ah...!?"
It was after several shouts that Rowan finally snapped out of his state as he raised his head and saw the multiple gazes fixed on him.
"W-what's going on? Why is everyone..."
"Rowan."
Kyle was the first to step forward, placing his hands over Rowan's shoulders to calm him down.
He looked at Rowan straight in the eyes.
"I need you to relax for a second. You're in a state of panic. Take a couple of deep breaths."
"I'm trying... Ha.. I'm really trying."
"Just listen to my words. Take a few deep breaths and calm yourself down."
"But—"
"Just follow my instructions."
Seeing how serious Kyle was being, Rowan closed his mouth and proceeded to follow Kyle's instructions. He began to take a few deep breaths, allowing him to finally even out his breathing as his face returned to normal, and his eyes stopped shaking.
By the time a minute had passed, Rowan was back to his usual self as Kyle removed his hands from Rowan.
"Alright. It looks like you're good now."
"...I am."
With his mind now clear, Rowan was able to process the situation more calmly as he felt the gazes of everyone present more clearly. He could even feel the judgmental ones coming from the exchange members.
Eventually, Rowan settled his gaze back on Kyle, who opened his mouth.
"What in the world happened? Why were you acting like that...?"
"What happened?"
Rowan blinked his eyes slowly, his mind wandering back to the events that had transpired a few moments prior. Everything... began from the moment he began that game.
Yes, that was where it all started.
At first, Rowan didn't think too much about the game. His mind had been preoccupied with ways of trying to act so that he wouldn't offend Seth too much. This was all he thought at first when he started the game.
It was a rather decent game, with decent graphics and good mechanics.
Rowan thought he'd be able to clear it in no time. He... really thought it was going to be an easy game.
But... but that was when everything turned for him.
Rowan didn't know when it happened, but at some point, every thought slipped from his mind. All that remained was the game in front of him. It pulled at his attention like a void, leaving him utterly fixated, unable to focus on anything else.
That was probably when it all started.
The start of his nightmare.
Unable to tear his gaze away from the game, Rowan found himself slowly getting sucked in by the game. Almost as if he were the very character of the game. A weak and helpless character that could only helplessly navigate the game without any way to fight.
Rowan found himself getting more and more absorbed by the game, his eyes glued on the screen and his fingers glued to the keyboard.
He found both his thoughts and mind completely taken over by the game, forcing him to continue the game. Guiding him towards an unknown path.
Rowan could still remember the outline of the environment, and... the whispers.
Yes, the whispers.
As if reading his thoughts, the game whispered them back to him, each echo sowing seeds of doubt in his decisions. His mind began to drift, lulled into a haze, and for the briefest moment, he forgot all about the monster that lurked within.
He let his guard down.
He...
"A-ah."
Rowan covered his mouth, his hand shaking alongside his body as he slowly raised his head to look at Kyle, and then the others.
His previously calm expression once again shattered, and in its place was a clear look of panic.
"What...? Rowan? What's going on? Why are you acting like this? Wha—"
"Don't do it."
Rowan grabbed onto Kyle's arm, his eyes bloodshot as his mouth trembled.
"What?"
Kyle stopped, his expression turning as Rowan put more force in his grip while he looked towards the others.
"W-whatever you do... Don't... agree to play his game. E-ver!"
"What did you just say?"
The moment Rowan spoke, everyone fell silent — even Kyle. Had he really just said that? Kyle blinked, struggling to process the words, unsure if he'd misheard or if Rowan had truly meant what he said.
'Don't play Seth's new game? Why would he say that? What sort of situation is this...?'
Kyle opened his mouth to ask, but was beaten by someone else.
"Game? Wait, did you mention a game?"
Kaelen stared at Rowan, instinctively covering his mouth. He, like the others, had assumed the situation was serious, especially with how much Rowan had been trembling, but he didn't mishear that... right?
"...The reason why you're acting like this is because of a game?"
Kaelen's lips began to tremble as he proceeded to cover them better.
"T-that..."
Feeling everyone's eyes on him, Rowan managed to regain a bit of composure. As he glanced around, especially at Kyle, Zoey, and the others he recognized, embarrassment began to creep in. Admittedly, the reason behind his behavior did sound utterly ridiculous.
But... But...
"I'm... not lying."
Rowan swallowed his saliva, trying his best to remain composed.
"...That game... It's too much. I... don't know what he did. It was like... it could read my thoughts. My mind also felt hazy, and like, I—"
"Please."
Kaelen cut Rowan off mid-sentence. By now, he couldn't contain his laughter.
"I didn't really want to say much before because we were going into low-level gates, but this is starting to get ridiculous."
He turned to look at Kyle and Zoey.
"I thought that this department was supposed to be good at handling scary stuff. And yet, you're telling me that one of your top prospects is acting like this because of a game?"
"It's... a horror game."
"A horror game?"
Kaelen looked at Rowan with an even more ridiculous expression as he turned his attention towards the office.
"A horror game developed by someone who is supposed to be your therapist?"
For the briefest moment, a flicker of disdain crossed Kaelen's face. It vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, but not quickly enough. Everyone present caught it.
"I'm rather disappointed."
Kaelen then turned his attention towards the office before shaking his head. For a brief moment, he thought about trying the game for himself, but decided not to bother. It was probably going to be a massive waste of time.
Shaking his head again, he turned around and proceeded to leave. He had a lot more words to say, but decided to hold himself back.
'In the end, I expected too much.'
Following him from behind were the other members from the exchange program. Although they didn't say anything, they all wore similar expressions on their faces.
"A-ah."
Rowan stared at their departing backs and bit his lips.
Turning his head to stare at Seth's office, alongside the others, his mouth instinctively opened.
"...I am not lying."
Hearing Rowan's voice, Kaelen stopped for a brief moment. However, it was only for a brief moment before he proceeded forward. He had already lost most interest in most of the people in the department.
From the way he saw things, this department wasn't necessary.
Such thoughts only became more clear to him when he saw one of their more talented prospects get scared by a game. How ridicu—
"You will feel the same if you try the game for yourself."
"Not interested."
"But what if I bet fragments?"
".....Hm?"
Kaelen finally came to a halt, and he wasn't alone. One by one, the others stopped as well, a low murmur spreading through the group as they began whispering to one another.
'Wait, did he just say he wanted to bet several fragments?'
'I didn't hear wrong, right?'
'Is he crazy?'
'Did his pride get wounded that much?'
Even Kyle, Zoey, and the others were shocked as they hastily turned to look at Rowan.
"What are you doing?"
"Have you lost it?"
Seeing everyone staring at him with the same shocked, baffled expressions, Rowan clenched his teeth, his gaze shifting sharply toward Kaelen. Of everyone present, he was the most vocal one.
He was also the one who Rowan felt had the highest chances of accepting the bet.
"I am not joking. I will give you five fragments of your choice if you manage to play the game without showing any reaction!"
His words immediately started a commotion.
However, Rowan was prepared.
His thoughts drifted back to the game, the experience, the emotions, the creeping dread that clung to every moment of it. The more he remembered, the faster his heart pounded in his chest. It took everything he had not to start trembling all over again.
'Yes... this feeling of dread that I've rarely felt before... This isn't the wrong decision. I know I'm right.'
However, it appeared as though he was the only one who thought that way.
"Wait, Rowan... Think about this carefully."
"Uhk."
Feeling a pair of hands grip his shoulders, Rowan looked up to find Kyle staring at him, his expression etched with deep concern.
"Don't take their provocation seriously. You don't need to do this. Fragments are not easy to come by. I know that you're going to break through soon. Don't waste your fragments on something like this. Just—"
"I know."
Rowan answered Kyle calmly, placing his hand over Kyle's wrist and pulling it away from his shoulder.
"I'm calm right now. I've never been calmer."
While he had indeed fallen for their provocation, Rowan was confident. If a game could still leave him shaken even after several minutes had passed, he was sure that everyone else would also be shaken.
'Maybe not Kyle and Zoey since they've got a higher threshold. However, I'm at least confident that the people from the other departments will definitely feel the effect of the game.'
While Kaelen and the others were of similar strength to Zoey and Kyle, the main difference between them was that Zoey and Kyle had a much higher fear tolerance, working with anomalies all the time.
Kaelen and the others, on the other hand, mainly brute-forced their way into clearing the gates. If they were put in scenarios where brute force wouldn't help them, then Rowan was sure that they'd start to experience the same fear that he had experienced.
'No, they might suffer even more.'
Staring at them and seeing the way that they were looking at him and the others, Rowan's teeth clenched even further.
There weren't many things he was confident in. However, at this very moment, he was confident in Seth's game.
He was confident that it was going to traumatize them.
As such, staring at Kaelen, he straightened his back.
"How about it? Do you accept the bet?"
"...."
The surroundings fell quiet shortly after. All eyes alternated between Rowan and Kaelen. Kyle tried to say a few things to smooth the situation over, but it was no use. The situation had already escalated beyond control.
Whatever Kyle tried to say, it went in deaf ears.
And eventually, opening his mouth, Kaelen answered Rowan.
"I'm good."
"Huh?"
"What...?"
But the words that came out of his mouth left everyone stunned. Did he just reject the offer? What? Why...? Those were free fragments...
Of everyone present, Rowan was the most stunned. His mouth opened and closed several times, struggling to form words. Did he just get rejected...?
Seeing how everyone was looking at him, Kaelen shrugged his shoulders.
"Five fragments aren't much for me. I've got no use for them. Plus... I've got better things to do than play some game."
Yawning slightly, Kaelen looked at the others and then Rowan before pulling his down and turning once more, leaving the place for good.
From start to end, he looked completely disinterested in the game.
***
"Hmm."
Looking up towards the door and feeling a subtle commotion coming from that direction, I frowned. It was a little annoying. However, it was still less annoying than the current state of his room.
In particular, his desk.
Besides his laptop, almost everything had been thrown and tossed around the room. The chair was still on the floor, and there were visible cracks on the wooden surface of the desk.
"This is quite annoying indeed..."
And yet, even though I said that, I couldn't hold myself from smiling.
"Kuk."
Thinking about Rowan's reaction and the visible fear on his face when he played the game, I couldn't help but laugh to myself.
'Yes, this was the reaction that I wanted. The clear look of fear and despair... That was what I wanted to see.'
I had already been confident in my game, but now...? I was even more confident than before as memories of Rowan's expression resurfaced in my mind.
The reaction was everything that I wanted and then some.
"I can take it that I've completed the game now."
If it could scare someone like Rowan, then that meant that it could scare most people. This was exactly what I wanted!
"I'm sure this game will be a bigger hit than the previous game. But still, I need to properly market this game as well."
Thankfully, I knew just the right person for that.
Taking out my phone, I settled my gaze on a specific contact.
"I guess it's time you repaid me for the past."
"Why didn't you accept the offer? Those were easy fragments."
Serelith asked as she stepped behind Kaelen, tucking a strand of her long platinum hair behind her ear.
She couldn't quite understand the reason for Kaelen's sudden refusal to take on the bet. He didn't strike her as a person who would shy away from such an easy bet. In fact, he was rather famous for his opportunistic personality.
Why did he reject such an easy bet?
Serelith wasn't the only one who was wondering this. Everyone else was also wondering the same thing as they all stared at Kaelen's silent figure.
"...Hm?"
Feeling everyone's gaze, Kaelen paused and turned back.
Eventually, his eyes fell on Serelith.
She once again spoke.
"You may have a lot of fragments, but five is still quite a lot. I don't take you as a person who can simply dismiss this amount. Why did you reject the bet?"
Kaelen opened his mouth, but soon closed it as he smiled and shook his head.
"Like I said before. I've got better things to do."
"That's..."
"If you wanted to play the game, there was nothing to stop you from taking the bet in my stead."
Serelith's brow furrowed further, but before she could say any other words, Kaelen had already turned around and started moving again.
As he walked, he thought about her words.
Why did he reject the bet?
The answer was rather simple.
'It's all some clever scheme.'
Kaelen didn't think for one second that Rowan was the type of person who would simply propose a bet because he was offended by his words. He didn't strike Kaelen as that stupid.
In the end, there was some sort of scheme at play.
'If my guess is right, this was all just a setup to get me to play the game. They probably planned on planting some sort of item to make me lose the bet.'
Kaelen wasn't naive enough to fall for such a trick. Why else would anyone try to propose such an obviously stupid bet?
As if a game could scare him.
Without a doubt, this was a trap. A trap designed to humiliate him in front of everyone.
"Haha."
Laughing to himself, Kaelen shook his head. As if he would fall for something so simple. Despite finding the situation rather amusing, the smile soon disappeared from his face.
'To think that they would resort to such a cheap trick...'
Kaelen's eyes flashed coldly.
'You want me to play the game, right? Don't worry. I'll certainly play it.'
Just that...
It was going to be on his own terms.
'See if that'll do anything to me.'
***
"Thank you, everyone, for watching today's stream. I will tune in with you guys tomorrow, and I hope you have a great day. See ya!"
Jamie reached out for the mouse and ended the stream.
Click!
Double-checking to make sure that the stream was indeed over, Jamie slumped back onto his chair as he sighed.
"Haaa..."
He was both mentally and physically tired. Recently, due to a sudden surge in momentum for his account, he had been upping his streaming hours. If before he used to do about six hours of streams a day, he was now putting up double-digit numbers.
The effort was starting to pay off.
Staring at his peak viewer count [13,081], Jamie felt exhilarated.
These were numbers he had only been dreaming of in the past. However, ever since the stream he had with Seth, the number of viewers that checked his channel had increased drastically.
'Who would've thought that a simple prank, meant to curry a favor with Zoey, would end up becoming one of the greatest blessings of my career?'
The best part of all of this?
He had yet to be promoted by Zoey.
Jamie knew that the moment Zoey promoted his stream, his numbers would skyrocket even further.
He was just one text message away from potentially breaking into the top 100 streamers of Malovia. The thought tempted him to no end, oftentimes causing him to check out his phone repeatedly.
"But not yet."
Still, Jamie held himself back. He knew that the time was not ripe yet.
While his numbers had indeed gone up, his streams hadn't improved much in quality. He knew that if things continued like this, his upward trending momentum was going to fall, and he'd just be back to where he was.
Fortunately, with the added income, he was able to improve the quality of his streams a little bit.
But only a little bit. He still had a lot of work to do.
Trrr—!
"Hm?"
Receiving a sudden notification, Jamie turned his head to look at his phone, where he saw a message suddenly appear. He didn't pay much attention to the message at first, but the moment he saw the person who contacted him, his expression changed.
He hurriedly sat up straight and picked up the phone.
Before he even had the chance to properly read the message, he saw a call notification, and he quickly answered.
"Yo—"
—I need a favour.
He didn't even give Jamie the chance to greet him before Seth cut to the chase.
"Favour?"
Jamie blinked his eyes a couple of times before sinking back onto his chair. His mind churned with all sorts of thoughts before realization dawned on him.
"You developed a new game?"
—Yes.
"Ha."
Jamie wasn't even surprised by the sudden piece of news. Seth had been rather quiet as of late. He had been wondering what he had been up to. Following the success of the first game, he had been wondering when the next game was going to be released.
'Looks like the game is finally ready.'
"You're calling me because you need me to help you promote the game?"
—...Yes.
Jamie nodded. He somewhat expected this to happen.
However...
"I can't help you directly since I specialize in other things, but I can connect you with someone that I know who can promote the game. How is that?"
—That is fine. So long as they can help promote the game.
"Don't worry. You can leave that to me. I know just the right person."
Jamie patted his chest confidently.
It was also in that moment that he thought about something, and his expression stiffened slightly.
"Wait, now that I think about it, is your game scarier than your previous one?"
—Yes. Why?
"Oh, that's a relief."
Jamie's face eased a little.
"Actually, I was thinking of introducing you to someone who is not exactly normal. They actually used to be a part of a Guild. Mainly operated in gates, and so their tolerance for scary stuff is quite high. If your game isn't as scary as your previous one, then—"
—There's no need for that.
Seth's voice calmly echoed through the phone.
—The game is definitely scarier than the previous one. It should have no problem scaring most people. Even someone who used to be a part of a Guild.
Jamie raised his brow.
"That confident?"
There didn't seem to be any ounce of doubt in Seth's voice as he spoke about his game. This made Jamie smile.
"Alright then. If you're that confident, then I'll get in contact with my friend. Let's see if we can make something work."
—I will send you the game file over.
"Okay, send it over. I'll get in contact with him now. I'll message you when I'm done."
Pulling the phone away, Jamie scrolled through his contacts before settling his gaze on a certain contact.
He didn't hesitate to press call a short moment later.
'If he isn't lying about his game, then this should benefit both of them.'
-x-X-x-
"Buuurp!"
A lazy figure sat within the confines of a small room, his legs resting on his desk, as all sorts of trash littered the ground. Scratching his stubble, Idris Diamantis quietly sipped on his beer as he scrolled through his phone.
'This month's statistics aren't too bad. I should be able to make quite a bit of money. While I won't be able to enter the top one hundred streamers, I shouldn't be too far off.'
As a retired containment expert of the Second Order, Idris was fairly skilled.
Had he not picked up an injury during one of his expeditions, he probably wouldn't have retired.
It was an unfortunate circumstance that pushed him towards content creation. Now, he streamed regularly and produced videos for his growing fanbase, dabbling in everything from gaming to commentary and whatever trends caught his eye.
Even so, as of right now, his career had started to stagnate.
While the revenue was good, his growth had completely stalled. He was seeing no new influx of viewers tuning in on his channel.
This was usually not a very good thing since this meant that he could only lose viewers, and not gain them.
In short, if he didn't do something quickly, then there was a good chance that his views would start to sink.
"But what exactly can I even do?"
There was nothing interesting happening as of late. Be it tournaments or games, there was nothing that was particularly interesting or trend-worthy.
Idris was currently stuck in a limbo.
Biting his nails, Idris was just about to make a quick call when he suddenly received a message.
"Jamie?"
Opening up the message, Idris's expression turned strange.
"What the..."
The message was simple.
[Play the game and make a video of it. You can thank me later.]
"Huh?"
Looking down, he also saw a file attached to the message. The name of the file was 'Game Proxy 1'
"Wait, what?"
Idris immediately tried to call Jamie, but his call was immediately brought to voicemail. This left him utterly lost and confused. Why was he not answering, and what even was this game?
"Has he lost it or something?"
Idris scratched the side of his cheek before looking at the file again.
Curious, he loaded the game onto his computer and started it. Soon, a plain interface appeared before his very eyes.
"...."
Calling it plain was an understatement.
Looking at the lazily made interface that only had several lines written, Idris's face fell as he immediately went on to grab his phone and texted Jamie.
[What is this?]
He didn't have to wait long for a reply.
[It's a horror game.]
"Ah...?"
But the answer that he received from Jamie made his face twist.
A horror game?
"Is this a joke?"
Was Jamie not aware of the fact that he was of the Second Order? That he was experienced in handling scary situations?
Why in the world was he trying to get him to play the game?
"...Yes, this must be a joke."
[Haha. Very funny. I take it that you were lonely? Is that why you're suddenly texting me this nonsense?]
Idris shook his head as he wrote the message. Thinking about it, this was how Jamie usually was.
He was the type of person to make these kinds of jokes.
"A horror game..."
Idris felt like laughing.
He began typing another message to Jamie.
[Next time you want to prank me, at least give the game a name and a proper interface. This is just too laz—]
[It's not a joke. Play the game.]
Idris's fingers stopped as his brows furrowed tightly.
Not a joke?
Now he was really starting to get annoyed as he shifted his attention back towards the plain interface. The more he looked at it, the more annoyed he got.
Ding!
Another message came.
[Have you heard of 'A regular day in the office '? It's made by the same guy.]
"What? That shit game?"
Idris was, of course, aware of the game. How could he not? The game had been trending for a short month.
He even gave it a chance due to the few newspapers that mentioned the disturbance the game caused by the screams it caused. Curious, Idris also tried the game.
But..
Shit. Beyond shit.
The game was one of the most boring games he had ever played in his life. Whatever video he had been planning on making, he had to quickly scrap it.
He even went as far as asking for a refund, but was promptly rejected, causing him to waste five dollars on the game. In his opinion, they were five dollars too many.
"Wait, you're telling me that this game is created by the same one that created that garbage?"
Idris shifted his attention towards the interface once more and leaned back on his chair, his face turning strange.
"...Now I have even more reason not to play this game."
Taking aside the fact that he was of the Second Order, given how shit the previous game developed by this guy was, Idris was even more certain that this one was going to be just as shit if not worse.
Chuckling, Idris texted Jamie.
[If it's made by the same guy, then I have less reason to play it. I've got stuff to do, so if you don't have anything else to say, I'll go.]
Sending the message, Idris shook his head before tossing his phone onto the bed.
Ding! Ding!
His phone continued to buzz even as he threw it, but Idris ignored it.
He was done listening to Jamie's nonsense. Letting out a small yawn, Idris reached for his mouse, intending to quit the game. But just as his fingers brushed against it, he accidentally pressed onto the left side of the mouse.
Click!
With the cursor hovering over the [Start] button, the interface changed the moment he left-clicked.
"Ah, shit."
Annoyed, Idris frowned and moved the mouse around in order to quit the game.
However, right as he started doing that, the game loaded.
Immediately, the screen shifted to reveal a small room with a checkered marble floor, a long flight of wooden stairs leading upward, and several open doors lining the walls, whatever was behind them hidden by a deep and foreboding darkness.
An extremely dim lighting enshrouded the space, adding a sense of mystery and grimness to the surroundings.
Idris paused the moment he saw the sight.
The graphics...
They were actually not bad at all. While it wasn't anywhere near most modern games, it was actually quite passable.
But that was just about it.
The graphics were great, but it was still not enough to grab his attention.
At least, that was the case until a sudden light flared to life, followed by the unmistakable sound of footsteps echoing from one of the far-off doors.
A circular dot of light suddenly appeared behind the darkness that enshrouded the doors in the distance, hovering in the air. It expanded slowly, growing brighter with each echoing footstep that crept closer.
Tak. Tak—
The steps were slow, but at the same time rhythmic.
Closer and closer they came, the expanding light dragging a glare across the screen like a searchlight sweeping through the dark. It stopped just inches away from the main screen, making it hard to see.
Then—
The light pulled down, revealing the face of an elderly woman with hollow eyes.
"Ah, you're here."
Idris held his breath.
Idris's brow knitted instinctively as the old lady's face filled the screen. Every detail stood out to him. The deep lines etched into her skin, the emptiness in her hollow, faintly blue eyes, and the mole that rested right beneath her right eye.
Her appearance was enough to jolt Idris out of his lethargic state of mind as he stared at the old lady on the screen.
"They sure didn't skimp out on her design."
Every detail of the old lady seemed meticulously crafted, adding a certain sense of realism to the scenario as the old lady once again spoke.
"I thought you wouldn't have come, officer."
Officer?
The camera panned down, displaying a police uniform before eventually panning back up towards the old lady, who had moved back a few steps.
Her hand was raised to display a small lamp.
"...I have been waiting quite a while. I was starting to get impatient."
Her lips slowly pulled up to reveal her toothless smile, and Idris smirked.
'Are they making her as ugly as possible? What a cheap trick to add horror.'
He shook his head.
He was already starting to lose interest in the game.
No, in fact, why was he even playing it? He was supposed to quit the game. How did he end up playing it?
"It hasn't been long since my husband disappeared. Perhaps you might be able to find some clues if you look inside. I am happy to be of your assistance."
The old lady then proceeded to move to the side, holding onto the lamp to light up the dimly lit surroundings even more.
A series of basic commands appeared shortly after.
W — Forward.
A — Left
D — Right
S — Back
Left Click — Pick Up
"Hm? Rather simple commands."
Just one look, and Idris was able to tell that the mechanics were quite simple. This made his frown deepen.
'I can't even fight or do anything else? What am I even supposed to do?'
He shook his head. He didn't even feel like critiquing the game any further.
Moving the mouse and looking around the place, his gaze once again fell on the old lady who stood by the side, smiling quietly.
"Seeing as she isn't talking anymore, her role is done?"
Idris more or less already had an idea of what he needed to do. In essence, he had to find clues regarding the old lady's husband. Something must've happened to him, and as an 'officer' he came to investigate the situation.
This appeared to be the background of the game.
"...I guess that's all?"
He moved the mouse and looked around before approaching the old lady once more.
He left-clicked, and she smiled.
"Officer? Would you like my help? Feel free to ask me when you need."
The interaction ended there.
'I guess it's safe to say that she's just here for the atmosphere and the info dump.'
Idris drummed his finger over the table before shaking his head.
"I've already had enough of this game."
He wasn't interested before, and he wasn't interested now.
'Why in the world would Jamie tell me to play this? Maybe it scared him, and he thought it would scare me?'
But just the thought made him frown. Did Jamie really think that just because he hung around haunted places, his tolerance would be the same as his?
"That's... ridiculous."
Idris didn't even know whether to feel mad or annoyed. He was feeling a mix of both, and just as he was about to shut the game for good, a sudden tune filled the air.
"Hm?"
It was soft, and yet... the moment that Idris heard it, it almost felt as though the thoughts in his mind faded.
"....!?"
It took a moment for Idris to snap out of it, and when he did, he was shocked to see that his hand was pressed onto the mouse, while his fingers were on the keyboard, moving the character towards one of the open doors in the distance.
"What? What's going on...?"
Idris hastily pulled his hands back, staring at the keyboard in front of him with a deep frown.
Covering his mouth, he looked towards the beer that was resting on the table.
'Did I drink too much? Am... I that drunk?'
Wasn't he just about to quit the game? Why did he suddenly start playing the game?
And...
"Why in the world is my heart beating?"
Pressing his hand against his chest, Idris felt it. His own beating heart. It was beating at a beat that was way above the norm.
Idris sat upright as his frown deepened and his gaze turned towards the game once more. More specifically, towards the open door before him, as all he could see was the darkness that stood on the other side.
A gentle tune played in the air as, for some reason, he found himself swallowing his saliva.
"What..."
It was that simple action that caused him to be taken aback.
Staring at the door, and then his hands, which were slightly sweating, his face started to contort.
"I'm drunk, aren't I?"
The thought that he was scared never crossed his mind once.
In his mind, it was impossible for him to be scared of this game. He had to be drunk. That was the only possible explanation for his weird reactions.
And that tune...
"It's annoying. How do I turn it off?"
Idris pressed the [esc] button and tried to look at the settings, but no matter how he looked, he couldn't deactivate the music.
"The hell? What sort of game won't allow me to turn off the music?"
While he could turn off all sound, all he wanted to do was turn off the music and nothing else. For whatever reason, the music was making him unsettled.
However, it was clear that the game wouldn't allow him to do so.
'This really is a shit game.'
Clicking his tongue, Idris took a deep breath before looking at the door once again. He had previously wanted to quit the game, but now things were a little bit different.
He was actually quite annoyed.
'Jamie wants me to make a video, right?'
"Fine."
His lips curled upwards as he brought his hands onto the keyboard and mouse again.
'I'll do the review. It's just that... It won't be one where I'll be very nice.'
"Kek."
Without wasting a single second, Idris reached towards the top of his computer and activated the camera. Seeing the green dot flash, he suddenly smiled.
"Yo! How ya'll doing?"
He moved the mouse left and right.
"Welcome back to my channel. As you all can see, I'm playing a new game. Er... What was it called again?"
Idris thought for a moment before recalling that the game didn't have a name and rolled his eyes.
"Never mind. It doesn't have a name yet. I guess you can say it's a prototype. An exclusive prototype that you will only get to see on my channel, kuk."
Taking a sip of his beer, he continued.
"Anyways, from what I heard, this game is made by the same guy who made the recent office horror game. As you can see, the graphics have improved since then, but that's about it. Do you think the game can scare me?"
Idris laughed while slamming the can down.
Bang!
"What a joke! I got bored with that game in the first minute. The same can be said for this one."
Clicking his tongue, Idris pressed the [W] key and proceeded forward.
"Let's see if the developer improved since the last game. Did he get better or did he regress? No, wait... Can you even regress from the bottom?"