It had to be noted that Joanna's experience wasn't for nothing.
Clearly understanding the crux of the situation, she was able to stop her group from falling into the first trap.
—....
—....
Min and Mia both remained still.
Neither of the two made a single move.
"Hello? Is something the matter...?"
The old lady's voice whispered once more.
—Keep focused. It's all a trick.
Joanna drew a few sharp breaths, her grip on the mouse tense as beads of sweat gathered on her forehead.
'Focus. Remain focused.'
She began to slowly move the mouse.
The sound of heavy breathing echoed from behind her.
She could feel its breath.
It was almost...
Tickling her ears.
And for a short moment, she almost seemed to feel the sensation.
No...
She did feel it.
Her neck tingled, and she hastily looked behind her.
But...
There was nothing.
Her body shuddered, but she remained firm.
'It must be my imagination. I'm... No, I can't act like this.'
—I think I've found it! I've found the next clue!
That was when Mia's voice came.
Joanna's eyes lit up and she was just about to turn in Mia's direction, when—
BANG!
A loud crashing sound echoed, and a figure stood up, his steps faltering back and startling Joanna as she flinched and looked towards the noise.
That was when she saw Min.
She could only see his face, but she could see that it was extremely pale.
And then—
"Min has been eliminated. Continue with the game."
Seth's voice fell, and Joanna felt as though her entire body had been submerged in the depths of the ocean.
Breathing became more difficult, and her mind started to blur.
'No, remain focused.'
She tried to draw out all of her experiences.
This wasn't the first time she had experienced this sense of helplessness in the past.
There was...
—T... that wasn't my voice. I... I got muted.
Mia's voice broke Joanna out of her thoughts.
She swallowed her saliva and kept her gaze downward while answering.
—I know. I could tell. It seems like the anomaly can copy our voices. It's going to try its best to trick us into looking at it. Whatever you do, don't look at it.
She had already said this before, but she had to repeat it.
But were things really going to be that easy?
The moment her words echoed, it was as if something in the room changed.
The already dim lighting grew dimmer, and the breathing grew heavier.
"Haa... Haa... Haa..."
Her ears tickled.
It really felt as though he was there.
The hair on Joanna's arm rose.
Something was about to happen.
—I don't like this. I don't like this. I don't-
Mia's voice suddenly stopped.
Silence.
The surroundings turned extremely quiet.
Joanna basked in that silence, feeling her nerves tensing.
And then—
—Look up.
Mia's voice echoed.
It was soft, but at the same time, cold.
Joanna immediately could tell that it was a fake.
And yet...
Her hand moved on her own.
As though a string had been attached to her hand, her mouse slowly moved up towards the ceiling.
'No, no, no...! Why am I—'
And that was when she caught sight of it.
The figure standing in the corner of the wall, staring at her with its long and lanky body.
Black suit. Pale face. Top hat.
...And most importantly.
It's twisted smile.
It stared right at her.
Until...
The figure lunged at her.
BANG!
".....!?"
Joanna instinctively shot to her feet, stumbling back as her chest heaved unevenly. Without thinking, she dropped into a fighting stance.
"Stay back! Stay—!"
Her words stopped as she felt a hand press against her shoulder, and a voice followed.
"Joanna has been eliminated."
It was only after Seth's voice echoed that Joanna snapped out of it, and she realized what had happened.
Immediately, her heart sank and her lips trembled.
'I...'
She couldn't believe it.
She... had failed.
She had actually lost to a game.
Despite understanding the situation, her mind refused to accept it.
And yet, there was no denying the reality of the situation.
—Hieeeeek!!
Mia's voice followed right after.
She, too, had been eliminated shortly after as she fell out of her chair.
However, her situation felt different.
Her face was completely pale as she looked behind her.
"I swear... I swear it was behind me. I... I didn't imagine it. It was behind me!"
Joanna looked at Mia in confusion.
What was she talking about?
BANG!
A similar scene occurred on the opposite end where the other team was located, and Joanna's expression couldn't help but turn grim as she looked at the computer in front of her.
She stared at the massive [Game Over] splashed across the screen in blood-red letters, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
By now, it had already become obvious to her.
These games...
They were no regular games.
It was no wonder the Section Chief had wanted them to play them.
They were just, if not scarier than, actual gates.
Trying her best to calm her breath down, Seth's voice brought her out of her thoughts as he sat back down on his seat.
"It looks like none of you have managed to clear the game."
Joanna lowered her head in shame.
'Am I going to get kicked out? But I have just—'
"...Still, for the first try, it wasn't too bad. At least, I don't think it was too bad."
Seth turned his attention towards the Section Chief as he covered his mouth with his hand. For whatever reason, he had been doing so since the start of the entire session.
"Hm, oh!"
As if lost in his own thoughts, the Section Chief snapped out of it after Seth called for him.
He looked at the trainees and nodded.
"Yes, yes. Not bad for a first attempt. Like we mentioned earlier, this is just training. There will be more sessions like this moving forward. You'll encounter unpredictable anomalies, whether inside gates or out in the real world, and this is the best way to prepare you to respond effectively. Of course, since it's all through games, your lives aren't actually on the line."
His words were rather encouraging. A lot different from the speech he had given out on their orientation day.
That speech, alongside the game situation, was probably what pushed some to leave the Guild.
Joanna had also felt the same as they had before.
She also thought that the Guild was silly and regressing with all the nonsense they were trying.
But...
'This might actually be the best decision I've made in my life.'
The games...
Not only were they scary, but they also provided a perfect environment for training. All without needing to risk her life or that of her group.
If before she felt sympathy towards those who had left, she only felt pity now.
This Guild.
No, this department.
It was definitely going to shake the foundation of the massive Guilds that ruled Andora and the other islands.
"Well, I think that'll be it for today. We just wanted to have you all try our newest means of training. It's still relatively new, so..."
Suddenly stepping forward, the Section Chief flashed a professional smile as he looked at the six trainees.
Feeling his gaze, everyone shuddered.
He looked incredibly creepy.
And for whatever reason, they all subconsciously turned their heads in Seth's direction.
But...
With his mouth covered, he wasn't even looking at them.
In fact, his body looked to be trembling.
Was he crying?
'Kuk... Huet.'
What sort of noise was that?
Just as everyone was starting to become worried, the man standing behind the Section Chief stepped up and took out several papers.
"Calm down. We're not here to bite you. We just want you all to sign these papers. It's just a small non-disclosure about the games. That's all."
He smiled too. It was a kind-looking smile.
But for some reason, his smile felt even creepier than the Section Chief's.
This...
The trainees looked at each other.
Was this Guild even normal?
-x-X-x-
I was trying.
I was really trying.
But...
"Hut!"
Thinking about the faces that the recruits made as they played my game, from their slowly paling faces and their eventual screams, I couldn't help but feel the urge to laugh.
Who said my games weren't scary?
This!
Look at this!
Look at them!
Look at how much they're trembling!
I just barely managed to hold myself from screaming the words to the Section Chief as I covered my mouth to hold my laugh.
For the past few days and weeks, I had been constantly abused by people telling me that my game wasn't scary.
Kyle, Zoey, Team Leader Soran, the Section Chief...
Who said my games weren't scary now?
'...That aside, seeing how they've got the contracts already made, it looks like they are planning on keeping this operation a secret.'
I was a little surprised by the development, but chose to remain quiet.
'It doesn't really make sense that they would do this since I plan on releasing each game that I make to the public, unless...'
A thought struck me, and my heart paused.
I felt a sudden sinking feeling, and as I looked at the Section Chief alongside the mysterious man, handing the trainees the papers, the feeling only grew more pronounced.
'Don't tell me they're going to ask me to keep the game exclusive to the Guild and take it off the market.'
If they really did ask me that, then I wasn't entirely sure how to reply. My first thought would be to quit, but then, I also knew they were going to pay me well.
But would it be enough?
I desperately needed money so that I could convert it to SP.
This was why I had no choice but to continue to make games.
Taking them off the market and making them exclusive to the Guild wasn't exactly possible. At least, I didn't plan on doing so.
'Regardless of how much money they'll give me, it won't be as much as I'll make in the long run if I can her everything running properly.'
I felt a massive headache starting to form as all those thoughts crossed my mind, and eventually, as the Section Chief's voice echoed again, the sinking feeling only grew.
"Good. It looks like all of you are on board with the project. In that case, I formally welcome all of you to the Guild. You will all be given a schedule soon. For now, take some time to go back to the dorms and rest. You'll need it."
With an ambiguous smile, the Section Chief turned his attention to me, and I quietly closed my eyes as I heard the sound of shuffling steps as the trainees left the room.
It was only after the silence had fully settled that I realized all the trainees had left. I opened my eyes to find the Section Chief still standing there, with the mysterious man positioned quietly behind him.
I kept my face straight while looking at the Section Chief.
However, he continued to stare at me in silence, his gaze intently fixed on me. A strange sense of discomfort began to settle over me. Unable to endure it any longer, I broke the silence and spoke first.
"...It looks like it was a success."
"Indeed, it was."
The Section Chief finally spoke, raising his hand to stroke his chin as his eyes darted up and down all over my body.
I felt even more uncomfortable by the sight, but this time, the Section Chief before I needed to.
"The more I look at you, the more I want you."
".....?"
That's...
"I previously thought that you had incredible talent to become the next star player of our department. I planned on slowly trying to convert you into one, but..."
The Section Chief paused and turned his attention towards the laptops that were still open, displaying the glowing [Game Over] signs.
"...It seems like you're more of a gem than I previously realised."
The Section Chief slowly approached the computers, bending down slightly to examine them more closely as he began his analysis.
"No matter how much I try to look into it, I can't seem to see any foul play in this. It really does seem like you've managed to create a game that can scare people without the need to use anomalous items."
He took one of the laptops and flipped it upside down.
"I didn't really understand what was scary about the game, and didn't really think it would scare anyone, but when I asked Rowan about it and he really confirmed it, I started to believe a little. I was still not fully convinced, though."
The Section Chief placed the laptop down.
"I nonetheless still drafted several contracts. In case the games were really scary, and could actually scare the trainees."
With a chuckle, the Section Chief turned his attention back to me.
"I have to admit, I did underestimate the impact of your game. I thought that even if it could scare the trainees, I didn't think it would be to this extent. It almost felt as though they were being hypnotized at one point, but I didn't feel anything strange. Really impressive. And for this reason, I'd like t—"
"If it's about making the game exclusive to the Guild and trainees, I'm sorry, but I'd have to refuse."
I cut the Section Chief off before he could finish his sentence. I planned on being extremely firm in this regard.
This was the one thing that I didn't plan on compromising on.
Evidently, the Section Chief had also been planning on asking me to make the game exclusive to the Guild, and my interruption had completely left him stunned as the smile that lingered on his face froze.
"Th—"
"Why?"
A soft voice cut through the Section Chief before he could get his words out.
In that moment, it felt as though a tangible pressure had descended upon the room. My chest tightened, and I began to struggle for breath as I slowly turned my gaze toward the mysterious man.
Our eyes are to meet.
"....!?"
It was as if I had been cast into the ocean's darkest depths, the pressure crushing my chest as I fought to breathe, my gaze trembling under the weight of his.
It felt...
Suffocating.
'W-what is going on? Who... is he? Why—'
"Why don't you plan on making the game exclusive to the Guild?"
His voice echoed softly into my mind, and I swallowed hard.
I was really struggling to open my mouth, but I knew that I had to react. I couldn't stay still.
And so, mustering every little bit of strength in me, I forced my mouth open.
"My games... My rules."
But the words that came out of my mouth were wholly different than what I had intended to.
The regret quickly came in, but by then, it was already too late.
The temperature of the room suddenly dropped by several degrees, and the man's eyes turned even more hollow.
I couldn't move.
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't speak.
I was stuck.
I...
"Really?"
The man's voice whispered into my ear, and I felt like I was sinking lower and lower.
"Your game... your rules?"
A-ah...
I...
"Good."
Everything stopped in that moment.
As if the previous pressure that enveloped the room had suddenly vanished, I felt like I could move again, and as I looked at the man before me, I saw him nod at me with approval.
"I like that firm attitude of yours."
He suddenly smiled.
It was a warm smile.
But... it felt anything but warm to me.
"How about this..." he said, pinching his chin thoughtfully as he spoke again. "Since you're not planning to make it exclusive, why not differentiate the versions? Make the games you upload online slightly different from the ones you give us. Say... make ours scarier, or add more features. Something exclusive. That sounds doable, right? And it's not like we're asking you to do it for free. We're planning to invest in you."
My eyes lit up in that moment.
'Exclusive? Wait, this might actually be good...'
I had previously been thinking of a way to make Mr. Jingles' unique feature work for a global launch, but what if I didn't have to?
If it was just on several occasions, then I was sure Mr. Jingles would be able to handle it without a problem.
I tried my best to calm my rapidly beating heart as I looked at the mysterious man.
I also tried to look like I was struggling to come to terms with his proposal. I couldn't just agree on the get-go. That would lower my negotiation position.
And thus, after a while, I 'reluctantly' nodded.
"...That's possible."
"Great."
The man smiled.
And just when I thought things were over, he suddenly said.
"Aside from that, I also plan on making you a squad leader of the trainees. How does that sound?"
"Huh?"
I froze.
What did he just say?
"Squad Leader...?"
I looked at the man before me in confusion. Did he suddenly lose his mind? He wanted me to be a Squad Leader?
What sort of nonsense was this?
"Wait, what?"
Even the Section Chief looked confused.
And yet...
The moment the man raised his hand, the Section Chief stopped speaking.
It was at this moment that my guesses on the man's identity became clearer.
'He doesn't look like him, but I have a feeling that it's a disguise. Or maybe a sponsor?'
My guess was that the man before me was the Guild Master. From the way he managed to shut the Section Chief with just a simple raise of his hand, this seemed like the most probable conclusion. However, this was all merely speculation from my side.
Unless he confirmed it himself, I could only make the appropriate guess.
He could also be from the Bureau.
"Yes, I'd like you to be the Squad Leader of the trainees. I was originally planning on making Joanna the Squad Leader, considering her resume and skills, but after everything that I've heard from..."
The man paused and turned to the Section Chief.
"After everything that I've heard from him, I think that you'll make a good Squad Leader. You've also got a bit of experience under your belt, and I've also heard that you wanted to gain experience. There's no better way to gain experience from this."
This...
I didn't know how to reply.
In many ways, the man's words were correct. If I were to become the Squad Leader of the team, I'd be able to learn a lot faster and gain the experience that I wanted.
But there were several things that I was worried about.
Could someone like me lead a team?
...And even if I could, would they listen to me?
'No, that's not the most important aspect.'
The most important thing was that I didn't want to reveal my powers. If I were to accept the offer and suddenly become the Squad Leader, there was a chance that they might get me to 'awaken' my powers or something like that.
That'd be very dangerous for me.
"...Is there something that you don't like about the proposal? If you have any requirements, we can discuss them now. I'll let you know that the salary boost from becoming a Squad Leader is quite significant. Bonuses are included."
That sounded rather generous..
Tempting, in fact.
But still, that wasn't where my main issue was.
"About that..."
I began speaking.
"...It's not that I don't want to be a Squad Leader, but if possible, I don't want to gain powers or touch whatever those things in your head are."
"You mean nodes?"
"Ah, yeah. Those."
The man paused for a second.
Then—
"Huhu."
He began to chuckle as he looked at me.
The sight made me freeze, and my body tensed. Was he going to...?
"That's not an issue at all."
"Hm?"
What? This wasn't an issue?
I looked at him.
"What do you mean? I thought that everyone needed to have powers in order to enter the gates. If not, then..."
"That's simply not true."
The man spoke up, shaking his head with another chuckle as he looked at the Section Chief, who also seemed to find the situation amusing.
I was really confused by their attitude.
'What's so funny?'
"It looks like you're unaware."
The mysterious man leaned back on one of the tables and crossed his arms as he looked at me up and down before pointing at his temple.
"The most important things within the Containment Department aren't your powers, but your mind. This is the only department where your mind is more important than your powers."
"What?"
That... did make sense.
But only a little.
I still believed powers were incredibly important when handling high-level anomalies.
"When clearing high-level gates, it is irrelevant how strong you are. Most of the time, the anomalies present will always be stronger than the person entering. Time and time again, we've lost very strong and powerful recruits because they couldn't find the clearing requirements and found themselves getting taken out by the anomaly."
The man didn't show much emotion as he spoke.
"Powers can make a team's job easier, sure, but inside a gate, the mind is your greatest weapon. It's the mind that clears the game. You need to spot loopholes in the gate's rules, figure out the key to containing the anomaly. And if things get desperate, there are always items you can use to supplement your powers."
Turning his head, the man turned to the Section Chief as he laughed again.
"In fact, one of our most competent members doesn't have any powers."
"Hm?"
I blinked my eyes. Was this true?
Who?
I kind of found it hard to believe.
But then again, thinking about how I had managed to clear an ranked gate at the start with just a few items, I realized that perhaps... They weren't wrong.
No, this really did seem to be the case.
"You've met her."
The Section Chief suddenly said, turning his head towards me.
I blinked again.
I met her?
"Who?"
"It's Team Leader Soran."
The Section Chief replied, causing me to pause.
A certain face appeared in my memory, and my mouth hung open.
Her?
"...She's just like you. She doesn't have any powers. And yet, she's also our most valuable and competent member."
I opened my mouth and then closed it.
'What...?'
***
Clank—
The door opened, and the Section Chief and the Guild Master came out. The two didn't say a single thing as they came out. They just walked in silence and made their way towards the elevators.
It was right as they passed the man area, and there was no one around when the Section Chief spoke.
"...Do you think he'll accept the offer?"
"I'm not sure."
The Guild Master replied with a smile.
He didn't look at all concerned.
In fact, he was still thinking about the conversation he just had with the young man from before.
'I can see why he's interested in him.'
Something about the man was intriguing. It wasn't just his gaze that felt empty upon closer look, but it was the way he carried himself. The way he spoke up to him.
'He's certainly interesting.'
"Oh, and do you think he bought the story about Team Leader Soran?"
"Hm?"
The Guild Master cocked his head.
"Why wouldn't he buy it? It's not like it's not the truth."
"Yeah, but..."
"Injury or not, she's still powerless. Been for a long time. It doesn't change the fact that she's been clearing gates without the use of her powers."
"I guess."
The Section Chief shrugged before they both stopped by the elevators.
As they stopped, another thought crossed the Section Chief's mind.
"You know, for a moment there, I really thought you were going to snap. You know... when he said he didn't want to make it exclusive for us. I was a bit worried there."
"You were?"
The Guild Master smiled and paused.
After a while, his smile faded and his eyes flickered.
The temperature dropped a little.
"...In hindsight, maybe you weren't wrong to worry."
"Huh?"
The Section Chief's face tightened.
But just before he could get his words out...
Ding!
The chime rang and the elevator opened.
"Wait, wait, are you serious...?"
The Section Chief looked at the Guild Master with hints of worry on his face.
"...You know he's close friends with Kyle. If something happened to him, then things would get quite messy for me. I—"
"Stop."
The Guild Master raised his hand and stopped the Section Chief.
"I wasn't going to hurt him. I'm not that cruel."
"...."
The Section Chief didn't reply.
However, just subtly, a faint shiver ran down his spine.
At the same time, he felt a hand press against his shoulder.
"And like I said, I like him. There's no need to worry too much. Since I like him, nothing will happen to him. I'll make sure of that."
"Oh..."
The Section Chief nodded slowly.
But at the same time, he was confused.
"What about him made you like him? You've only interacted with him for a short moment. I don't think that's enough time to grow a liking."
"That's where you're wrong."
A smile returned to the Guild Master's face as he looked at the rising numbers of the elevator.
"I liked him the moment he didn't drop everything to meet my demands."
"....?"
A question mark appeared on top of the Section Chief's head.
Or at least, it seemed like it did to him.
"Why—"
"A man who believes in nothing will serve anything."
The Guild Master suddenly spoke, cutting the Section Chief off.
"This is a famous quote I've once heard. One that stuck with me for a very long time."
The elevator continued to rise.
"If a man doesn't have any principles, he isn't being neutral. He's just an empty shell. He's..."
"Programmable."
The Section Chief replied, slowly starting to understand the Guild Master's thoughts.
With a small nod, the Guild Master's eyes turned more hollow.
"If a man is programmable, he becomes what the most powerful source needs him to be. A soldier. A servant. Or... even a slave. This isn't because he believes in the notion, but because he doesn't have the will to oppose."
The Guild Master paused.
The elevator turned silent.
"These are the type of men that I will use before discarding. They're nothing but empty dolls that will be shaped by propaganda, ruled by fear, and numbed by comfort."
The elevator started to slow down as the Guild Master took a step forward.
"They don't think. They don't know where they stand. They don't question. They... don't build their own thoughts. Someone else does for them. Someone... like me."
Ding!
The chime rang, and the elevator stopped as the Guild Master shook his head.
"I have no use for the weak-willed. I want people I can fear. Those who keep me sharp by their mere presence. People who won't wait for orders, who think and act without hesitation. If they can't challenge me, then... I don't need them. These are the people that I want in my Guild."
"But what about the recruits that left? If we go by this logi—"
"They were never planning on joining the Guild seriously. If I had to make an estimated guess, they've probably been pre-scouted by the other Guilds."
"Huh?"
"I expect something interesting to happen in the next few days." With a chuckle, the Guild Master stepped out of the elevator.
As he did, his lips pulled into a smirk as he looked at the Section Chief with a knowing look.
"...Snakes. This Guild is filled with snakes."
***
"I don't know. I don't know."
Coming back into my office, I sat down on my chair while ruffling my hair. The conversation that I had with the mysterious man and the Section Chief continued to replay in my head over and over again.
Their offer in particular continued to linger in my mind.
I was tempted.
...Extremely tempted.
It was everything that I needed, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel cautious.
It wasn't like this offer felt too good to be true, but the man who gave me the offer felt too good to be true.
Something about him felt... off.
I couldn't quite explain it.
But it almost felt as though he had seen right through me.
'Am I just being paranoid?'
"Pftt."
I laughed.
If there was one thing that I'd learned from this world was that if you were paranoid about something, then you were most likely right.
'There's no doubt that there's something off about the man, whoever he is.'
But at the same time, knowing that there was something off about the man, could this be an offer that I could reject?
Not only could I gain experience, but I'd also be able to earn more.
'...They are also going to give me an increased budget for the games.'
Not that this part was included in the deal.
This was a separate one.
One that we spent quite some time on, coming up with the terms.
In short, the Guild was going to provide me with a large budget to operate and create new games. I was still unaware of the true amount that they were planning on giving me, but I was almost certain that it was enough for me to start dabbling in VR.
I made sure to make this clear during the discussion.
"That being said, this seems like an entirely new branch for me, so I should start studying up on it."
VR didn't just include coding.
It included a lot of other, more complicated stuff.
Stuff that I hadn't experienced in.
This felt like a massive jump for me, but I planned on hiring an appropriate team for it.
'I wonder if the three freelancers have any experience in this. They were quite good.'
In fact, they were better than good.
They were really good. The final product ended up being way better than I had originally anticipated.
Not only was the multiplayer better than I had expected, but they had also changed a lot of the dialogue and added several things that hadn't been there before.
It was amazing.
But the best part of it all was the ending.
Right at the last room.
Only one person managed to get there.
'Her name was Mia, if I don't recall wrongly.'
Recalling the face she made once she entered the last room and met my last surprise, I couldn't help but smile.
'...The game will, without a doubt, perform even better than before. In fact, it's pretty much ready. I think I should be able to upload it by tomorrow and get it out on sale.'
The sales for my game had pretty much stopped. Just one glance and I could see that I had only sold fifteen copies in the last day.
It was bad.
Really bad.
With this update, the sales were bound to shoot up.
...Or at least, this was what I thought at first.
However, there was still an issue that I needed to tackle.
"Right..."
Sitting in silence, I looked around the room before settling my gaze onto the box where I reached in to take a button out.
[Matthias: 75%]
[Do you wish to send Mr. Jingles?]
▶ [Yes] ▷ [No]
I paused before looking at the button in my hand.
Fiddling with it for a few seconds, the button soon faded, and the percentage increased to 80%.
'This should be good enough.'
I opened up my phone and looked up information about their latest game.
"...Interesting. It's going to be coming out tomorrow."
I also planned on releasing my improved game by tomorrow.
"....."
Slowly, a thought started to formulate in my mind, and my lips spread into a smile.
"....I guess it's time that I start testing just how efficient this new skill is."
Staring at the notification in front of me, I soon pressed [Yes].
The world shifted.
By the time I regained my bearings, I was inside a cartoon. Standing by a house with my hand waving and lips pulled into a smile.
Opposite me was Mr. Jingles. He was facing me.
He stood before an open square.
One... where I could see the face of a familiar figure.
Matthias...
-x-X-x-
"Get everything ready!"
"...Make sure that we're not missing anything! Tomorrow is an extremely important day! If anything happens, you're all fired!"
"You! What are you doing? Hurry up and do one last check! See if there are any bugs with the game. We can't afford to launch the game with any glitches or bugs! That'll ruin our entire image."
Matthias had been busy at work for the entire day.
Tomorrow was an extremely important day for their studio, and so they had to make sure that everything was ready for the launch of their new upcoming horror game.
With everything that they had invested in the game, there was a lot of hype around it.
"CEO."
Stepping into the CEO's room, Matthias saw the CEO sitting by the desk, grinning to himself as he watched several videos on his computer.
"...The influencers we've hired to make a review about the game have come up with some good material. This is pretty good."
"Yes, indeed, they are."
Matthias had also checked the videos.
They had yet to be put out on the internet, but the moment that the game launched, they planned on getting the videos released.
This was another way for them to 'spam' the market.
A lot of the influencers in question had a good following; therefore, this was definitely going to boost sales.
"Not bad. Not bad."
Pulling his gaze away from the computer, the CEO looked at Matthias.
"What's going on? Is something the matter?"
"No, not really."
Matthias replied while taking out a paper.
"I'm giving you a general forecast of expected game sales post-release. The numbers have been slightly adjusted due to a recent upward trend in horror titles. A few minor global hits have sparked renewed interest in the genre."
"Oh?"
The CEO raised his brow before taking the paper.
Taking a glimpse of it, he soon whistled.
"Wow, this is even better than I expected. The board is going to be very happy soon."
Chuckling, the CEO tossed the paper down before reaching for his drawer, where he took out a small wooden box and opened it to reveal several large cigars.
"This calls for celebration!"
He immediately lit up one and took a long and nice drag of it.
Matthias was just about to excuse himself when the CEO stopped him.
"About that talent from before? The one who bowed down to us in the end? When is he starting?"
"...I've yet to receive a reply."
The CEO stopped.
"Still?"
"...Yes."
"Hmm."
Malone's bushy brows furrowed tightly before he tapped the top of the cigar and looked at Matthias.
"Lower his terms."
That was all he said. However, Matthias didn't need to linger any longer. He understood exactly what he needed to do.
But before that...
He needed to take care of the game.
He had to make sure that the launch was going to be smooth.
And as such, he spent the better half of the day barking orders while also calling and talking with the other departments in order to make sure that everything flowed smoothly.
Before he realized it, the sun dipped down and the moon rose.
It was nighttime.
The studio was silent, the cubicles deserted, save for the rhythmic clatter of a certain keyboard, echoing through the stillness.
Tatatatat—
Matthias wiped the sweat from his forehead as his glasses reflected the light from the screen before him.
Pausing, he checked the time.
"Just a little bit longer. Everything is almos—huh!?"
Flick!
All of a sudden, his screen flicked into darkness.
Matthias sat in silence for a short moment before suddenly shooting up.
"Fuck! Shit—!"
Curses flew out of his mouth.
"Fuck...! I was so close. Shit!"
He hastily reached for the PC power button in order to turn the computer on again, but just as he was about to reach for the button, the screen flashed again.
The light returned.
But instead of it being white.
It was orange.
...And a voice whispered from out of the screen.
"Mr. Jingles is here. Mr. Jingles is there. Mr. Jingles is somewhere. Who here wants to play?"
"....."
Silence.
The world turned quiet after that moment.
But only for a brief moment.
"....Me."
Matthias's voice whispered in the surroundings as his face turned numb and his glasses reflected the dim orange lighting from the computer.
Mr. Jingles appeared on the screen.
It stood with its back facing Matthias.
"Great!"
Another figure stood in the background.
Waving with a smile.
But at the same time... looking.
Then...
"Mr. Jingles says~ Turn around."
Mr. Jingles's voice echoed.
Matthias turned around.
"Mr. Jingles says~ Enter the CEO's Office."
Matthias didn't move.
He stood frozen on the spot.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three—
Step!
Matthias began to move.
His movements were stiff and robotic, but he soon made his way into the CEO's office. He stopped right by the door where a keypad appeared.
Flick!
Another computer turned on.
"Mr. Jingles says~ Open the door."
Matthias inputted the password and opened the door.
Click!
The CEO's empty office appeared.
Flick!
The CEO's computer flicked open, and Mr. Jingles's face appeared right in front of it, covering most of the screen.
"Mr. Jingles says~ Turn on the computer."
Matthias followed the instructions and sat down before the computer.
The screen turned dark again, and Matthias turned on the PC before inputting the password and logging in.
As the CEO's right-hand man, it was only natural that he knew the password.
...And it wasn't like the CEO had anything to hide.
He wasn't crazy enough to do anything shady with his work laptop.
But that was of no importance.
"Mr. Jingles says~ Replace the release file with the file that you received in your email."
Matthias's movements paused yet again.
He sat in silence, his glasses reflecting the screen before him.
His hand trembled.
But then—
He logged in to his email and looked at the email he received.
It was from an anonymous account, and it contained a certain file.
Matthias downloaded the file and replaced it in the 'release' file on the Dock account. He was only capable of doing this through the CEO's computer since only through there could he replace the release file.
Dock also did not have an automatic last-minute check of the game.
Therefore, after the 'new' file was uploaded, there was nothing else that needed to be done.
The room fell silent shortly after.
Mr. Jingles's lips pulled into a sinister smile as the clown looked at Matthias.
"Mr. Jingles says~ Delete all your traces and go back."
Matthias stood up from his seat and did exactly as instructed. Logged out of the computer, removed all footprint of his appearance, alongside the camera footage, before returning and sitting back down at his desk where he had been a moment prior.
Flick!
His screen flickered, and Mr. Jingles appeared once more.
The clown stared at Matthias, seeing its own reflection within his spectacles.
And then—
He waved.
"Mr. Jingles says~ Goodbye!"
Flick!
The monitor flicked back to what it was, and Matthias's eyes snapped open.
"Hm? Ugh..."
He held his head as he did, feeling a massive headache build up.
To the point where he felt he had no choice but to sit down.
As he did, he massaged his head.
"Strange. Am I overworking myself?"
He looked at the monitor in front of him and sighed.
"...Maybe I should go back home."
He wanted to work more, but the pain was simply too much. He had also done everything that he needed to do.
All that he needed to do now was wait for the game launch tomorrow.
And as such, standing up from his seat, he packed up his stuff and decided to head back home.
Despite the pain in his head, he felt relatively happy as he left.
But...
That happiness didn't last for very long.
The moment he came back the next morning, the studio was in chaos.
-x-X-x-
Brrr—! Brrr——!
"Yes, yes! I am apologize! We're quickly working on it!"
Brrr——!
"Yes, I am deeply sorry for the situation. It appears as though we've been hacked."
Brrr—! Brrr——!
"What's going on here?"
The moment Matthias arrived at the studio early in the morning, he found it to be in a state of utter chaos. Phones rang every single second, and papers were scattered throughout.
Wherever he walked, he could see the pale faces of the employees as they answered the phones while lowering their heads in apology.
'What in the world is going on?'
Was this some sort of prank?
The first thing that Matthias did upon seeing the chaos was to immediately head for the CEO's office. The door was closed, but he knew the keycode and immediately answered.
"Yes, yes... I apologize profusely. I... don't know what happened. I will immediately get to the bottom of the situation!"
The CEO had already taken notice of Matthias, and right after he finished with the call, he slammed his hand against the table.
"What the hell did you do!?"
"Me???"
Matthias looked at the CEO in utter confusion.
"Yes, you! Who else would it be but you!"
Veins bulged on his neck as he pointed his finger at Matthias.
"You were the one who oversaw the development of the game! Who else but you is responsible for this?!"
Even more question marks appeared on Matthias's head.
The CEO continued to rant, but Matthias quickly cut him off.
"If you would excuse me, CEO. However, as far as I'm aware, you've given a glimpse of the game when I sent it to you. You're the one who gave the go-ahead for the game. And what even is wrong with the game? As far as—"
"This is what's wrong!"
The CEO suddenly flipped the monitor on his display, and Matthias's face froze.
"That's..."
"This isn't our game! This is another game!"
The CEO shouted, his hand slamming against the desk.
"The game that we released is another game from another company!! The number of calls that I'm receiving with people threatening to sue me is endless! The board of directors is already in talks about replacing me! Fuck!"
The CEO's face was entirely red as he spoke.
One could practically see the anger in his face. And yet, Matthias couldn't even pay attention to it as his gaze was fixed on the monitor in front of him.
"H-how is this possible? This... Have we been hacked?"
"And who would hack us?"
The CEO slammed his hand against the table.
"...We've got some of the best cyber security for stuff like this! The chances of a hacker doing this are slim to none! The only way someone can do this is manually! And guess what...?"
The CEO's bloodshot eyes fell on Matthias.
"You are the only person capable of pulling this shit! You know the keycode to the room. You know my password. It has to be you!"
Matthias felt something boil within him as the finger was pointed at him.
He tried his best to remain calm, but eventually, after the CEO threw several more words of abuse, he snapped.
"Listen up, you bastard! I've been working at this company, and devoted almost my entire life to working side by side with you. I even helped you achieve your current seat as CEO. Tell me why the fuck would I try to mess with the game? This alone will mess with my entire reputation!"
"It's because you want my position as CEO! That's why!"
"You're fucking delusional!"
"Haha! It's true, isn't it! I fucking knew it! You're a fucking snake!"
"What'd you call me?"
The two glared at each other intensely before the CEO rushed forward and threw a punch in Matthias's direction.
"I'll kill you! You fucked my life!"
"....Bastard!"
A loud crash echoed through the space, followed by the sound of objects toppling and scattering. Moments later, the door burst open as the studio members rushed in, scrambling to separate the two as they clawed at each other's hair and kicked wildly in a tangled frenzy.
It was unknown who, but someone took a video of the event and quickly uploaded it online.
The video quickly went viral.
***
"Hm?"
It was just as noon started that I picked up my phone and saw the numerous messages on my phone.
A surprising number messaged me first.
[Hahaha! Check this out!]
A link was pasted right after.
Surprisingly, it came from Idris.
Curious, I opened up the link, and I was brought to a certain video.
"Oh... my."
It was quite a graphic video.
There was glass everywhere, and there was also blood everywhere.
It was quite the mess.
"Kakaka."
I tried to tell myself that it wasn't funny.
But my mouth refused to listen to me as I started to laugh. I even felt the corners of my eyes curl downward due to how hard I was laughing.
It took quite a bit for me to calm down, and when I did, I couldn't help but look at the box that sat in the corner of the room.
This...
'This really is such an amazing skill. I really need to find a way to get more tries.'
I only had one left, and that was far from enough.
Leaning my elbow against my desk and propping my chin up with my hand, I slowly turned my head to stare at the Dreamwalker who stood in the corner of the room.
I suddenly asked it a question.
"Do you think I went overboard with my actions?"
The game I sent was rated 18+, so there were quite a few spicy scenes. Thankfully, the game that was originally meant to be released was also 18+. I wasn't worried about children watching it.
Even so...
It could be quite traumatizi—
"Kakaka—!"
I hastily covered my mouth the moment the 'weird' sounds came out of my mouth.
"Ehm."
Clearing my throat, I calmed down and took a deep breath.
"...Well, maybe I did go overboard. Then again, if you're playing a horror game, then I'm sure you can watch a little bit of that spicy stuff without getting too traumatized."
I was probably thinking too much about it.
It was also the most harmless of all the things I could've added.
The thing I felt the worst about was the studio.
'I wonder if anything will happen to the developers.'
I did do this for revenge, but I also knew that a lot of developers were going to be affected by my actions.
They weren't the ones that I wanted to suffer from this entire ordeal.
I knew that some were going to lose their jobs.
Even when the true game rolled out.
...I planned on hiring them if the chance presented itself.
If not, I was sure some other studios would pick them up. I knew that a lot of them were on extremely bad contracts, so in a way, this could be good for them.
"Ugh"
I ruffled the back of my head.
Just thinking about it made me feel like shit.
I planned on keeping watch of the situation. If things really did go bad for some, I really didn't mind hiring them, but considering how they were programmers from a big company and the main island, I was probably worrying too much.
There were also more important matters at hand.
"Now that I've taken care of that, it looks like it's time for me to load up the update."
Opening up my own Dock account, I assigned a new build to the public branch and clicked [Release].
And with that, the update went live!
-x-X-x-
"Done..."
I took a deep breath while staring at the screen in front of me.
If I said I wasn't nervous, that'd be a lie. I was incredibly nervous. But at the same time, I was also confident.
'I've already seen how the game performed against actual trainees. I'm sure this update will be massive.'
This was going to be a significant boost from the previous version.
Not only that, but with Nova Studios no longer interfering in my game, I didn't need to worry about its performance.
"Well... this is as long as another studio doesn't suddenly come in and try to do the same thing."
A lot of studios were incredibly scummy in this regard.
Thankfully, I was also aware of the fact that they were all probably paying attention to the Nova Studios situation.
There was probably going to be a lot of poaching happening.
"...Okay. I'm done with my part. But even then, this is far from enough."
I scrolled through my comments and paused in Idris's contacts.
After a brief pause, I sent him the link to my game.
[There's an update. I'd appreciate it if you checked it out. I've improved the game quite significantly.]
[Really?]
I received a notification right after.
[What amazing timing! Now that Nova Studios is no longer interfering, I can upload my old video back and create a new video too! Let me get right on it. I can't wait to try it!]
The message ended there.
However, I couldn't help but smile while staring at the message.
'I can't wait for him to upload his video...'
Just thinking about the face he was going to make while playing the game and the absolute look of dread on his face made me—
"Ehm."
I cleared my throat and thoughts as well.
"...I can't wait because it will boost my sales of the game. It'll help out there. Yeah."
I closed down my laptop and stood up, stretching my arms and back in the process. Since I had uploaded the update, and there was nothing else for me to do, I planned on killing some time.
"It'll take some time before the game starts gaining traction again. If... it'll even gain traction."
Coming out of the room, I expected everything to be normal.
Just a bunch of busy people hanging out in the kitchen, dumping several buckets of powdered coffee into their cups.
But...
"Hm?"
The moment I came out of my office, the first thing I noticed was several people huddled up together in one cubicle.
The sight appeared all over the place, and I couldn't help but grow curious.
I spotted Rowan not far from where I was.
He was sitting by himself on his laptop.
"What's going on?"
"Hm? Oh..."
Rowan scratched the side of his face, unsure of how to answer. Eventually, he pulled up a certain video.
"This has been going viral within our space recently."
[Crownfall Press Conference - Introducing Samuel R. Milshine. The newest super recruit!]
"...The hell?"
Crownfall was one of the three King-Grade Guilds on the island.
I was naturally aware of them.
But...
"They do press conferences for new recruits?"
"Yes, sometimes. It really depends on the Guild. Take Crownfall, for example; they like to showcase their recruits, especially those from the main island who ranked within the Top 100."
"...Oh."
Seemed like a bit of overkill, but it didn't really matter to me.
This was their money, not mine.
Just as I was about to lose interest, the screen flickered, and the interview began. But the moment it did, my eyes widened instinctively, and I leaned in, drawn closer to the screen without even thinking.
"Wait, hold on... I recognize this guy."
He—
"He's one of the new recruits that the Guild had hired but left."
"Yes, that's... I can see."
It was hard for me to forget that face.
Staring at the cameras, one of the interviewers asked,
—Sam, hello. I'm from the Daily Voice. Would you like to tell us the reason why you joined Crownfall? Last I heard, you had accepted a deal with another Guild.
Another Guild...
Really?
I was sure everyone present knew what the 'another guild' in question was.
—Haha, you can just say that the two of us were incompatible. I previously joined because they looked promising, but after arriving there, I quickly realized that it just wasn't for me.
—Can you care to elaborate on that?
—Well...
Sam paused for a moment before bringing his face closer to the microphone.
—...Let's just say that the people who run the place aren't exactly the brightest. Their Section Chief, in particular. He doesn't look like he's been to a gate in years. And funny thing...
Covering his mouth, Sam laughed.
—On our first day... They actually made us try a game. A game... Hahaha. I couldn't take them seriously anymore and just left. Several others left with me, but I'm sure all of you are already awar-
Click!
Rowan ended the interview there.
As he did, he turned to look towards me.
"This is basically the gist of it. Right now, the Guild is in a mess because of the interview. The other Section Chiefs have started to file complaints against our departments, and we're getting a bunch of calls from investors asking if this is true."
Rowan pursed his lips before hesitating.
In the end, he found it within himself to ask, "This game he's talking about... It's your game, isn't it?"
"Yup."
I nodded slowly, still staring at the screen.
"...It's my game indeed."
My lips pulled into a smile.
'Looks like I'm going to have to pay a visit to the Section Chief.'
A massive opportunity had just presented itself for all of us.
***
*Buuurp!*
Letting out a large burp, Idris tossed a can to the side and looked back at his own monitor.
"Alright, it looks like the game has updated."
He stretched his fingers and tilted his neck to the left and then to the right.
Pressing onto the game, he loaded it up real quick, and immediately, he couldn't help but be amazed by what he saw.
"Wow, this is so much better than before."
Let alone the opening page, but even the insides of the game felt a lot better.
The game felt smoother, and the graphics looked even better.
"A multiplayer feature?"
Wow...!
This was a much bigger update than he had originally expected.
It was also the realization that made him stop as he turned his attention towards his camera. After a while, he nodded his head, mumbling a brief 'why not' and booted up his streaming apps before suddenly going live.
"How are you doing, guys?"
—Yoooooo!
—First XD
—I'm here!
—You're streaming? This is a surprise. You rarely stream.
The viewer count quickly started to rise as Idris sat in his seat while answering some questions. It was only when the viewership stopped growing after passing the five thousand mark that Idris began to address everyone.
"Alright, everyone. There's something exciting today!"
He pressed the mouse and booted up the game.
"Do any of you remember this game? A Twisted Game? Well... a new update rolled in and a multiplayer feature has been added! This is why I've decided to stream today! I plan on playing this game with five of you!"
—Wah!!
—I've got the game! Pick me!
—Same!
—Wait, shit! I don't! What is the game?
—Twisted Game. It's called a Twisted Game!
The chat immediately started to spasm with messages as they couldn't contain their excitement.
Seeing the scene, Idris couldn't help but chuckle.
"Settle down, everyone. I plan on playing a couple of rounds. There will be more than five lucky winners. Anyways, I'll give you ten minutes to download the game before starting the random selection."
Idris leaned back on his chair as he watched his chat become even livelier.
As he did, his gaze fell on the screen of his computer.
He couldn't help but want to try the game immediately. Following his first failure at the game, as a true gamer, he began to grind the very same game until he finally managed to clear it.
Despite Seth saying that the game had improved, Idris was confident in himself.
He truly believed he could clear it.
And—
"Ten minutes are up. I'll start the wheel!"
He also believed he could carry his followers in the game.
This was, however, a decision he quickly came to regret.
-x-X-x-
—Th... that wasn't me speaking. I swear it wasn't me! The game suddenly muted for me!
—Help! Help...! W-hat am I supposed to do?
It had just been ten minutes since the start of the game, and chaos had already unfolded.
—...I don't know what to do! W-what is this!
—Calm down! Everyone, calm down!
Idris tried his best to keep everyone calm, but even he was struggling. He was at the part where he had first lost during his first trial. In the part where the 'monster' started to hunt.
Idris expected to be able to clear this part without much of a problem, given how he already had built up a lot of experience, but to his utter shock and rising dismay, the monster had changed.
It had evolved.
If before it was terrifying, it had now reached a point where even he left someone in utter despair.
Not only could it copy the old lady's voice, but it could now also mimic the voices of everyone present.
...And as if that wasn't enough, as if the improved graphics had done something to the game, he could now actually 'feel' things. From the warm breath of the monster to the subtle tickling sensations that came from time to time.
It sent shivers down his entire spine and body.
—Haaaaak!
Screams followed, and one by one, the team that Idris had formed disappeared from the game.
The moment they vanished, their channels muted.
It was now just him.
Him and the silence.
But within the silence, he could feel the hot breath of the monster... tickling his ear as he found the last clue of the game. One that included a certain metal key.
'It's the final room. It's the final room.'
Taking several deep breaths, Idris looked at the chat next to him.
—Lmao! He's scared shitless!
—How come I am not scared?
—Is this fake?
—No, I played the game. It was really scary.
—I also played. It was really fucking scary. I think the game is even scarier now. I'm going to download the game again. I previously deleted it because it was repetitive, but this is nice.
Idris brought his eyes away from the chat and walked towards the final room.
He made sure to keep his gaze lowered as he moved.
The gentle creak of his steps echoed across the hall as he finally moved to the final room and placed the key into the keyhole.
Click!
A gentle clicking sound echoed, and the door opened.
"....."
Idris held his breath.
All that met his gaze was darkness.
Slowly inching closer into the room, Idris followed everything according to his memory.
'If the part hasn't changed, the TV will soon turn on and a video will appear. It'll show the lore of the monster and how the husband is the monster, and that the character that I'm playing is not actually the cop, but the husband who turns out to be a cop. After that, the goal of the game is to run away and find the exit.'
Idris followed the steps in his mind as he walked deeper into the room.
Then—
Flick!
The TV turned on, and Idris turned his attention towards the TV.
He prepared to watch the video, but...
"Huh?"
As opposed to what he expected, the TV displayed something different.
It displayed...
His face.
His real face.
".....!?"
Idris's entire body tensed as he raised his head to look at the camera in front of him.
Then, lowering his head again, his gaze fell on the TV once again.
Creeeak—
A loud creaking sound echoed.
It came from right behind.
Idris's entire body was tense as he tried to pull his mouse down, but realized that he couldn't.
His expression changed.
A figure appeared right behind him.
Not in the game.
...In his reflection on the TV.
And then—
Idris felt something tap against his shoulder, and his face changed drastically.
"Hueeek!"
A scream pierced through his surroundings as he jumped up from his seat and hastily looked behind him.
However...
Nothing.
There was nobody standing behind him.
'Wait, what?'
Idris's gaze slowly drifted back towards the game.
And then—
She appeared.
Her face was right before the screen.
"Oh my, did I scare you?"
"Huak!"
Idris nearly choked up at the sight. Unable to take it anymore, he pressed several keys and quit the game.
"Haa... Haa..."
The silence returned to the room shortly after as Idris sat back down on his seat, blankly staring at the chat in front of him.
—What happened?
—What's going on...?
—Why did you suddenly jump on? Is something the matter?
—This has to be fake, right?
Seeing their confused expressions, Idris paused.
A thought occurred to him then.
Could it be...?
'Am I the only one who saw what happened on the TV?'
***
To Tok—!
I knocked on the door of the Section Chief several times.
To Tok—! Tok!
I knew that he was in there. I could see his figure from the obscured glass in front of me. It was just as I was about to knock on his door again that he eventually arrived and pulled the door open.
"Oh, it's you."
His hair was messy, and the circles beneath his eyes looked especially glaring.
I nodded my head.
"It's me."
I then moved into his office.
"Hey, wait..."
I didn't bother with the Section Chief and just found a seat.
Looking around the place, I waited for him to sit back down. He gave me a very suspicious look as he sat back down.
"You know, you've changed. I didn't—"
"Are you busy because of the interview?"
"...It looks like you're aware."
The Section Chief looked at the phone on the table and shuddered. His phone was currently vibrating in silence, numerous missed call notifications appearing on the screen.
He groaned.
"I've been getting calls all day. I can't take it anymore."
"I see."
I could more or less understand his situation.
"Then it's a good thing that I'm here."
"Hm?"
The Section Chief looked at me in confusion.
"You've got an idea?"
"Yes, actually."
"Oh?"
The Section Chief looked intrigued.
"Tell me. I've been trying to solve this entire situation for the entire day. I've also talked to the Guild Master, and he laughed at me, saying stuff like this is just a minor inconvenience."
The Section Chief slammed his hand against the table.
"For him, maybe! But it's really annoying for me! I barely got any sleep today."
"Hmm. That's not good."
I look at the Section Chief with pity.
"Did you know that a human needs at least seven to nine hours of sleep a day?"
"Huh? Really? I thought four hours was pretty good."
"I know, right?"
I shrugged then.
"But this is what science says, so it must be right."
"That's fair."
The two of us nodded in understanding before I quickly snapped out of it.
"No, that's besides the point."
I snapped out of it quickly. I was quickly going into a different tangent.
In any case...
"Double down on the interview."
"Hm?"
The Section Chief cocked his head.
"You want me to agree with the interview and say that everything he said is correct?"
"Yes."
I took out my phone to show him my Dock app.
"Look here. I just released my game today. It's obviously different from the one provided to the Guild, but the essence is still somewhat the same. If—"
"I see what you're trying to do."
The Section Chief leaned back against his chair, covering his mouth as his brows furrowed tightly.
"...In essence, you want us to publicize the game. Get people to try it. Since we're all confident that it'll scare people, it'll reduce the backlash significantly while at the same time make your game more popular."
The Section Chief suddenly smirked at me.
"That's pretty smart of you. Two birds with one stone."
I nodded my head.
"You also don't have to worry too much about other Guilds using the game for training. The game isn't as scary as the one I provided to the Guild. Even if they do use it, we'll have the advantage."
The game that was put on the market was only rated as a 2-star, while the one I gave to the Guild was rated at 2.5 stars.
"Hmm."
The Section Chief's fingers drummed against the table before eventually pausing.
In the end, looking at me, the Section Chief smiled.
"Alright."
He stood up from his seat.
"This might actually work. Let's do it."
"Let me quickly schedule a press conference."
Given his position within the Guild, it wasn't difficult for the Section Chief to arrange a press conference. Especially after the recent bombshell interview, public interest was high, and everyone was waiting to hear how the Guild would respond.
As such, the moment the Section Chief announced the press conference, news quickly spread throughout the entire island.
"...This is becoming much bigger than I thought."
Putting the phone down and letting out a long sigh, the Section Chief covered his face.
He was starting to feel exhausted.
"Maybe I shouldn't have arranged this."
In hindsight, he knew that there was really no need to hold a press conference and explain the situation to the world. However, he understood that a lot of the investors had been calling for the Guild to explain itself.
He couldn't allow the Guild Master to bear the full brunt of their complaints.
And...
'This can turn out to be a good opportunity for our department.'
The Section Chief was now fully aware of the fact that the game worked. At least, against people with low experience and order.
"I'm certain that the other Guilds and people will be interested in the game once we make the announcement, and they'll try it for themselves. Once they realize that our actions weren't baseless and that we have a more exclusive copy, our popularity might actually increase."
This could provide their Guild with the necessary edge that could push their Guild into reaching the King Grade.
Turning around, the Section Chief walked towards the wardrobe that sat in the corner of the room. He walked towards it and opened it.
Staring at the suit that was neatly arranged inside, he smiled.
"How long has it been since I've last worn you?"
***
The news of the press conference had pretty much spread throughout the entire Guild.
By the time I returned to my office and began sorting things out, I eventually had to stop; there was no way to ignore the noise coming from just outside the door.
"...Looks like everyone is starting to panic."
Coming out of the office, I saw that the area was filled with people.
There were a lot of people that I didn't recognize, and I couldn't help but raise my brow at the sight.
'What's going on? Did everyone come back just for the press conference?'
This was a bit surprising.
"Excuse me. Coming through."
Pushing a few people to the side, I eventually moved ahead until I spotted Kyle and the others. They were all together, discussing some things.
"What's going on?"
The moment I approached them, they all paused, and Kyle turned to look at me.
"You haven't heard? It's—"
"I know it's about the press conference, but how come there are so many people here? This is the first time I've seen so many people at the same time."
"Oh."
Kyle had a sudden look of understanding as he turned his attention towards the monitor in front of him.
"...This is the first time that the Section Chief has made a public appearance in quite a while. Most people here are here to see how he handles the situation."
"That's it?"
"Yup."
Kyle nodded before pausing.
"Well, let's just say that everyone is worried. You know..." Kyle pointed at his temple before twirling his finger around. "The Section Chief isn't exactly the most sane of people. He tends to go overboard. We're all just here to watch the show."
"....."
What...?
Seriously?
They weren't here because they were worried, but because they were waiting for him to blow up?
'And you call him crazy?'
"Make some space. I want to see too."
I pushed the others to the side and stared at the monitor.
Zoey turned her head and pressed her finger against her lip.
"Shhh. It's starting."
All noise ceased in that moment.
The monitor flickered, revealing a long table set against a plain cardboard backdrop. One that contained the logo of the Guild, alongside several sponsors. Camera flashes burst in rapid succession as several figures took their seats behind the desk.
"Look!"
"...Oh, my god."
The faces of many changed upon spotting a certain figure.
I couldn't help but feel a jolt of surprise as I looked at the Section Chief. Dressed in a sharp dark suit, his hair neatly combed and his beard freshly trimmed, he looked strikingly put-together, a far cry from his usual disheveled appearance.
"Someone pinch me. I'm not seeing things, righ—hey!"
Feeling a certain glare, I cocked my head.
"What? You said—"
"That was a figurative speech!"
Zoey replied, spitting each word at me.
I opened my mouth but soon nodded.
"Okay."
"You... never mind."
She glared at me once more, but stopped as the interview started.
The Section Chief was the first to speak.
—Good afternoon, everyone. As many of you already know, I am the Section Chief of the Containment Department. I'm here today to address the recent interview that took place at Crownfall and to provide an adequate response.
Even the way he spoke was so different than usual.
I was starting to doubt whether the Section Chief had been possessed or not.
But immediately after the Section Chief spoke, the place erupted into chaos as multiple reporters spoke over each other.
—I have a question!
—Please answer regarding the allegation. Is it true that you're using games to train trainees? Not VR ones, but actual games?
—Is it also true that you suggested your trainees kick little ghosts?
Hearing some of the questions, I saw several people cover their faces in shame.
Groans filled the place.
'He really needs to stop with that.'
'He says it so much that now people will think we are weird...'
No, you are weird.
The press conference was a mess, but thankfully, the Guild was trained for this stuff, and a lot of the mess was quelled as eventually only one reporter remained standing.
—Hello. I'm Adam from the NCPJ Times. I'm a big fan of your work, but I'd like to ask about the question that most of us have been wondering. Is there any truth to trainee Milshine's words? Did you truly use video games to train your recruits?
The place turned silent following the question.
All eyes fell on the Section Chief.
...But not all. Some fell on me.
And then—
—Yes, it's true.
The Section Chief nodded.
—We've started to use games to train the trainees.
Immediately, murmurs and whispers echoed across the entire press conference. Many looked at the Section Chief in doubt.
Although none of them said a thing, I could see that they were all thinking that he had lost it.
I opened up my phone and looked at the live comments on the conference.
[Severed Star Guild has really fallen too low. They've obviously been growing far too fast for their own good. They didn't grow like the other Guilds, and it's clear that its foundation is shaky. They've grown too greedy.
[I was thinking of joining the Guild, but it looks like I'll think of something else.]
[Games? Seriously? Is this a joke? He has to be joking.]
The situation was not good.
A lot of the comments looked to be making fun of the Guild.
It didn't take long for the Guild to start trending.
#DownfallofSeveredStars
I pressed my lips together at the sight.
And then...
Just as the situation was starting to escalate even further, the Section Chief's voice echoed once more.
—...I can see that a lot of you think I'm crazy. That the Guild is falling apart because of this decision.
He smiled, and then looked at the camera.
Then...
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he raised his middle finger.
—Fuck you.
The chat went quiet in that moment.
But not for long.
Following a brief pause, the chat exploded.
This was the moment that I understood Kyle's previous words and turned off my phone.
'...Maybe I shouldn't have suggested the press conference.'
"Hahaha."
"...As expected of the Section Chief."
"Pfftt—!"
Contrary to the world outside, everyone within the Guild was having the time of their lives reading the comments and staring at the Section Chief.
"He really went and did it."
"...He should've done worse. I expected more from him."
"You're right. Am I bad for half-expecting him to just jump at the reporters?"
I looked at the scene around me in stunned silence. As expected, this place wasn't normal.
Everyone here was crazy.
"Funny."
Even Kyle looked amused.
I didn't know what to say. He had been corrupted by this darned place.
Staring at the press conference that had erupted into chaos and seeing the smile that lingered on the Section Chief's face as he looked at the cameras and the chaos around him, I really felt like he was the one who was enjoying the situation the most.
'What did I even expect from him?'
Eventually, the chaos died down, and the Section Chief put his finger away, albeit reluctantly.
A new reporter stood up.
I could feel it through the screen that this reporter had a bone to pick with the Section Chief.
—Do you feel no shame for your actions? Everyone here came expecting a professional and sincere response. Yet instead, you insult us all? I must say, I'm extremely disappointed in this Guild.
—Is that so?
—Yes!
The Section Chief looked at the reporter before looking elsewhere.
—Alright, cool. Next.
—Wha-!
The reporter was brought away, and a new one appeared. Learning from the previous one, this reporter went straight to the question.
—Can you tell us more about the game? Why did you decide to use this for training? Do you think that people are just misunderstanding you? I heard that it's not a virtual game. How do you expect a common game to serve as a good training program?
This reporter was a lot milder than the previous ones.
He didn't look antagonistic and just asked the right questions.
The Section Chief smiled at the reporter as he brought his head closer to the microphone.
—What can I say? The game is good. There's no real misunderstanding. It's just that Samual unfortunately left before he could try out the game. I didn't stop him because I don't need people who are scared of playing a simple game.
"Pftt!"
"Hahaha!"
The subtle diss towards Samual didn't go unnoticed as several people laughed.
I didn't laugh, but I did find my lips slowly pulling into a smile.
'That was pretty funny.'
—...Either way, the Guild has no shame in using the game as a training tool for its employees. We don't simply do things because we're doing it on a whim. We actually do things because we believe in them. There's a reason why we've climbed up all the way toward the Queen-Grade despite being so young.
The Section Chief no longer looked to be trying to bait the people and viewers into rage.
He looked more serious as he spoke.
—I understand that many of you will have doubts regarding our actions, but if you really do doubt our means, then why don't you try the game for yourself?
—Huh? We can try the game?
—...Is it possible for us to try? Or could this be a show?
—You're not going to pick pre-picked volunteers, no?
Hearing the comments made by some of the journalists, the Section Chief couldn't help but laugh.
—No, no.
He waved his hand.
—I didn't mean just you.
He looked directly at the cameras.
—I mean all of you.
The press conference turned silent.
—We've released a beta version of the game to the world. It's not exactly the true version of the game that we provide to our trainees, since that is for training purposes, but this version that we've released should do well enough to give a little clue about what our game is like.
Pressing his hands against the table, the Section Chief slowly stood up from his seat.
—The game is titled A Twisted Game, and it's available on Dock. You can purchase it for the modest price of just five dollars per person.
The Section Chief then smiled before waving at the cameras and interviewers.
—Do check out the game if you don't believe me. You'll soon understand why I find this entire thing laughable.
And with that, under the barrage of flashing cameras and relentless questions from the reporters, the Section Chief made his exit.
Even as he walked away, the questions continued to pour in.
But it was useless.
The Section Chief had already left.
Moments later, the screen faded to black, marking the end of the conference.
The Containment Department fell into a state of silence shortly after as everyone stared at the monitors in front of them.
And then—
"Let's go. I've got quite a bit of work to catch up on."
"That was fun."
"...Really worth coming back."
Everyone began leaving the area. I looked at the people speechlessly before shaking my head.
'I think I've already said it, but the people here are really just a bunch of lunatics.'
But more than that, I felt my heart beating loudly inside my chest as I hastily pulled up the comments and read them.
[This... this has to be some desperate rug pull by the Guild? Don't tell me they created this entire fiasco to get people to buy the game and make them a shit load of money? Fucking scammers!]
[Idiot, it's only 5$. It's really not that big of a deal.]
[That's still money retard.]
[I actually tried the game. It's pretty scary.]
[Paid bot]
There was a lot of discussion about the game, and soon, #ATwistedGame started to trend.
"....Kek."
I tried my best to hold my laugh, but that proved to be a way harder task than I had previously anticipated.
I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the amount of sales that I was going to receive from this stunt.
'If I have to make an estimate, I may even break the six-digit numbers. No, maybe even more...'
I didn't think I'd be able to cross the seven figures since this was mainly a regional situation, and all the people that were truly interested were from this island, but even so, the amount of money I was going to make from this was going to be massive.
"You seem quite happy?"
A certain voice brought me out of my thoughts, and the previous excitement that I felt slowly started to dissipate as a pair of dimples appeared in my vision.
He smiled at me with genuine warmth.
"...I can see why you're happy. I'm sure you're going to make quite a bit of money from this. Looks like things are working out for you."
I really felt like puking.
However, seeing how everyone was looking at us, I forced a smile.
"...Thanks."
Myles nodded before walking next to me and patting me on my shoulder.
"I've also heard that you're going to become a squad leader. A counselor. A game developer. And now a squad leader. You sure are very talented. I'm... quite envious of you."
I felt the pause in his last statement, and as I turned my head towards him, he pulled his hand away from me and walked past me.
"...I'm glad that you're doing well. I am cheering for you."
These were the last words he said before leaving.
I could only stare at his retreating back while trying my best to keep myself composed.
But as if adding insult to injury, Kyle stood up while alternating his gaze between the two of us.
"You two sure get along well."
I pressed my lips together before nodding.
"...More than you'd like to imagine."