After everything had settled down, I headed back to my office and sat down in my chair.
The room looked just the same as always. Mirelle's painting hung on the wall, and a bulky fax machine sat beside the desk, surrounded by neatly stacked papers. A box filled with clown clothing sat in the corner of the room, alongside a small trash can.
The overhead lights shone brightly from above.
I rubbed my eyes and leaned back.
"It'll take a while before I can see the results of the press conference. In the meantime, I should see what I can do next."
I wasn't really planning on developing a new game just yet.
I wouldn't even know where to start.
While I did have some ideas, I didn't have anything concrete. I also had yet to receive my funding from the Guild.
"...I'll put that on hold until I get my funding. I'm not in much of a rush."
If there was one thing that I'd have to prioritize, however, it'd be my eventual meeting and bet with the conductor.
I was really struggling to come up with a way to tackle that situation.
'I've already ordered an electronic keyboard so that I can practice, but that's far from enough for me to play a 'perfect piece'. I need something more.'
But what exactly could I do?
I had spent quite a lot of time thinking, but nothing really popped up in my mind.
I always delayed things in an attempt to see if something would eventually happen, but... nothing.
I was still at a complete loss.
'There are a few items that are interesting in the shop, but outside of improving my abilities, they won't really get me to where I want.'
I pulled up the shop interface and looked through the items.
─────
[Melody Shard]
Type/Item
A shimmering crystal fragment that hums with a faint, unending tune. When held, it plays a melody audible only to the user. The melody may change based on the user's emotional state.
: Non-consumable
[Price : 75,610]
[Harmonic Restraints]
Type/Containment Tool
A set of silver cuffs that emit resonant frequencies capable of neutralizing sound-based anomalies.
Warning: Excessive use may cause temporary hearing distortion or hallucinations.
: Non-consumable
[Price : 108,293]
[Echo Lantern]
Type/Tool
An old oil lantern that captures sounds within a 20-meter radius when lit. The captured sounds replay on command, regardless of the time passed.
Warning: Once captured, the sound remains trapped until released. Prolonged storage may corrupt the echo.
: Non-consumable
[Price : 39,771
─────
These were the only sound-based items that I could find. Each was in the Second Order, and the price for each was ridiculous.
'I can see how they might end up useful, but I'm not sure if they're worth buying.'
I massaged my chin, feeling myself get lost in the situation.
'...I dug my grave back then with the bet, but I really didn't have a choice. How do I get out of this situation? Do I have no choice but to become a Third Order and hope that my new node or the evolved shop will have something that will help me?'
I shook my head.
No, this felt a lot like gambling.
There was no guarantee that I'd be able to become a Third Order by the time the deadline for the quest came. And even if I did somehow manage to pull off the miraculous feat, I'd still need to hope that the system had an item that would help me.
This felt a lot more like a blind gamble.
I needed something better.
Something more... concrete.
"But what can I do? Where can I possibly get more item—"
I stopped mid-sentence, my eyes suddenly blinking as I looked around me. My mind stopped for a brief moment as I almost had the sudden urge to smack my own face.
Fucking...
'The system shop isn't the only place that I can rely on for items!'
The Guild!
Where else could I find items outside of the shop?
It had to be the Guild.
Not only that, but it probably also had items that were of a higher order than the system.
"Right... Why didn't I think of that?"
And even if the Guild didn't have the item that I wanted, there was still the black market and potentially the other Guilds.
That being said, I didn't think the latter options were that feasible.
'If it's the Guild, I can just ask the Section Chief to 'lend' me the items as the squad leader of the new team.'
If I played my cards right, I was sure he wasn't going to suspect a single thing.
"Yes, this might work."
The more I dwelled on it, the more certain I became that this was the right course of action. Just as I was about to rise and storm into the Section Chief's office once more, a faint vibration from my desk stopped me.
Trrr—! Trrrr!
"Hm?"
I paused and patted my pants before taking out my phone.
But...
"Eh?"
The noise didn't come from my phone.
Trrr—!
Another vibration.
This time, I was able to pinpoint it, coming from the right side of my desk, buried beneath a stack of papers.
Trrrrrrr—!
The vibrations grew louder and more powerful.
My hand paused.
But then...
I lifted the paper, revealing a black phone. It looked like an old phone. One of the older models that had just introduced the touch screen feature.
Trrrr! Trrrrrrrrrr!
The vibration intensified in that moment, almost as if the phone were sentient... Aware of the fact that I had finally noticed it.
"....."
There was something about the phone that unsettled me, and I could feel my body growing tense.
I didn't dare touch it.
'Whose phone is this?'
Could this be Rowan's phone? Had he left it here before? ...Or was it someone else's?
The vibrations continued.
They grew even more intense than before.
My breathing subconsciously started to become heavier.
Trrrrrrr— Trrrrrrr— Trrrrrrr—!
I continued to stare at the phone, hoping that the call would eventually end, but...
It never ended.
Even as a minute passed, the phone continued to vibrate, and my breathing grew heavier. This was also the moment that I realized that there was something wrong with the phone.
'This is very likely not something Kyle or Rowan owns.'
In that case...
Whose phone was this?
Who—
Ding!
[Optional Quest Activated!]
• Difficulty: Second Order
• Reward: 5 Fragments.
• Objective: Answer the call.
• Location: N/A
Description: Answer the call.
Time Limit: 1 minute
[Do you wish to accept the quest?]
▶[Yes] ▷[No]
The quest notification appeared, and my entire body froze.
Trrrrrrr—
With the ringing in the background, the world around me suddenly seemed to stretch as I stared at the notification in front of me.
This...
I had finally received my answer to the previous question.
This phone...
It was something that originated from the system.
I took several small breaths to try to calm my rapidly beating heart.
However, I couldn't.
Especially not after I saw what was up for reward.
'The system even grants fragments as rewards?'
This was the first time that it had happened, and seeing the difficulty of the quest, I felt tempted to accept it. I almost did, but I didn't rush the decision.
The quest...
It only said 'answer the call'. But what did that even mean? I just had to answer? Was that really all there was to it?
'No, obviously not. It can't be that simple...'
Tik, Tik—
45 seconds...
I looked around the room and took every single item that I had at my disposal.
I didn't want to make the same mistake as last time.
Tik, Tik—
30 seconds...
I scanned through every item and double-checked with my own system interface.
Should I accept the quest or not?
Tik, Tik—
15 seconds...
I took several deep breaths, calming my raging heartbeat.
Calm.
I needed to be calm.
I couldn't let the fear take over my thinking.
I needed to be sharp.
Tik, Tik—
5 seconds...
Time was almost up.
Should I... Or should I not?
'Fuck it.'
It was now or never.
Holding my breath, I reached for the phone.
Tik, Tik—
It was almost as if I could hear the seconds tickling in my ears.
Time was closing in.
It was about to run out.
And then—
Click!
I answered the call.
The moment I did, I was just about to open my mouth to speak when—
—Haaa...
A long and soft breath whispered in my ear.
Flick!
The lights flickered off, plunging the room into darkness.
With the darkness came a sudden chill that seeped into the air.
Almost as if... by answering, I had invited something in.
-x-X-x-
The room was quiet.
Besides the soft breath that whispered into my ear, I couldn't hear or see a single thing.
The breath dulled my senses, yet somehow made them sharper, as if I were standing inches from someone I couldn't see but could feel. The weight of the presence pressing against the dark.
I felt the pounding of my own heart, ringing inside my ears.
The call stretched every nerve in my body to its limit, like invisible threads pulling tight across my skin.
I sat frozen in my seat, thoughts emptied, letting the breath speak and the silence swallow everything else.
The silence felt as though it stretched on forever.
And just as my nerves pulled taut like an elastic band stretched to its limits, ready to snap...
—Hello...?
The breath turned into something else.
A voice.
Male? Female? I couldn't quite tell. I could hardly focus on the voice. I wanted to reply, but held myself back.
'No, not yet. I need to understand the situation better.'
—Is anybody there?
The voice whispered again.
I chose to remain silent.
But...
—...I need your help. I... just barely managed to get the phone working. I can only call three times for a minute each time. Please help me.
The voice whispered. This time, it felt more desperate.
—I don't know where I am. Concrete walls... I'm underground. I think. I hear water, but... it doesn't drip right. It echoes too long.
There was a pause, filled by a noise I couldn't place... Like meat dragging across tile. The voice swallowed hard.
—I hear something moving. I'm crouching under a shelf... I hope it doesn't hear me.
The call paused.
All I could hear was the heavy sound of the caller's breath.
It was rougher than it was before, and the darkness around me suddenly seemed to stretch. In that moment, it almost felt as though my surroundings had changed.
As if...
I was actually there.
—...It smells like copper.
My nose wrinkled instinctively.
It was faint at first, but then... Yes.
I smelled it too.
I... also started to smell the copper.
—....Like blood left too long in the air. I need your help. G-et me out of this place. I really need you to help me!
I opened my mouth.
But just before I could get the words out.
CLANK!
A loud metallic sound echoed.
"....!?"
I flinched.
It seemed to come from before me as my head flicked up.
But all I saw was darkness.
My body tensed, and I slowly reached for the knife on the table.
—O-oh god. I... something is in front of me. I can feel it. Please don't find me. Please...
The voice became more hurried. I could hear the panic in the caller's voice.
But then...
—....
The noise ceased.
Thump!
The single sound of a step.
Not from the phone, but from before me.
I shivered.
'Footsteps? Is there someone in front of me? ...No, that can't be. It must be from the call.'
My heartbeat, which I had managed to settle just before starting, started to race, and my body tensed involuntarily.
The darkness was dense. Thick enough to swallow even the outline of my own hands. I gripped the knife tighter, my knuckles aching, and instinctively began to crouch.
The space around me felt like it was shrinking, walls bending inward, pressing me down. I slid under my own desk.
My breathing slowed, falling into rhythm with the caller's.
It was shallow, quiet, barely there.
I forced myself to stay as silent as possible.
'...I'm not imagining things. It's really in front of me. I know there's something in front of me.'
The darkness made it impossible for me to see, but I could feel its presence. It stood right before me. Looking in my general direction.
I clenched my teeth, feeling my stomach starting to churn.
'How long is this call going to last? What am I even supposed to do?'
I felt an endless number of questions in my mind, but I could only throw the questions away for later.
I held my position, breath steady, every muscle tense, waiting for the presence before me to vanish.
...Or at least, for something to happen.
Every second felt agonizing.
But then—
BANG!
I heard the sound of something slamming above me.
"....!?"
It suddenly felt as though my heart had given up on me. Whatever figure was above me, it had sensed me!
My breathing continued to sync with the one on the phone as I could hear the panic and fear on the other end.
I was no different.
Holding onto the phone tightly, I held onto the knife with my other hand and pressed my back against the bottom of my desk.
BANG! BANG!
The banging continued.
It was louder than before.
Pieces started to fall on my face as I closed my eyes and tried my best to ignore it.
BANG!
I heard a crack, and the table shattered.
My expression changed drastically. I felt a shadow appear above me, hovering its head over the hole above to stare at me.
Unable to bear the pressure any longer, my body tensed and snapped into action. I lunged forward, knife aimed blindly at the shifting shadow.
"Ha—!"
But just as I moved, the call cut off.
The line went dead.
Du. Du.
Everything turned quiet as I paused mid-motion.
Flick!
The light turned on, and I found myself sitting in my chair, hands clutched against the armrest, while the phone was positioned perfectly in front of me.
"I..."
I blinked a couple of times, unable to understand the situation.
'I could've sworn I had moved under the desk. I could've sworn that...! No, stop.'
The first thing I needed to do was calm my mind as I took several deep breaths before leaning against the chair. My back was drenched in sweat while my hand continued to tremble.
Staring at the phone in front of me, the only thing that I was able to see was the [Unknown Caller] ID.
It was the only thing that was on the phone.
I thought back to the previous conversation that we had, and pressed my lips tightly.
I couldn't focus then, but I could do so now.
'...He said that he can call only three times, for one-minute intervals each.'
I looked at the time.
One minute exactly had passed.
'This was the first call. He's most likely going to call again since he has two tries.'
I closed my eyes and focused.
'...The goal is to help them get out of the place they're in. They've already given me a few clues. Underground... Concrete walls. Hears water that doesn't drip...'
I thought long and deeply before a sudden thought came to my mind, and my breath paused.
'If I'm right, they're probably hiding deep within the cult's base, the very place I'm supposed to uncover. The mission isn't just about listening; it's about using these calls to piece together clues, to track him down, and ultimately locate their headquarters.'
I bit my lips while staring at the phone in front of me.
The more I looked at it, the more I was sure of my assumption.
And as the idea settled in my mind, an unknown feeling settled over me.
...One that I couldn't quite explain.
-x-X-x-
"I don't know. I really don't know."
I couldn't quite put it into words, but a growing tension stirred inside me, tightening with every thought of what might come next.
"I'm almost certain that this might be related to the cult. In that case, I need to write everything that I heard in the call down before it's too late."
Taking a piece of paper, I wrote everything down.
From the sounds, the smells, and every small detail I had managed to pick up during the interaction.
I thought back to the event and recalled how realistic everything was.
"...Maybe next time I can try to explore better? No, I'm not sure."
The thing that bothered me about the call was that it was realistic.
Too realistic.
From the sounds, the smells, and everything...
It really felt as though I was there.
'This is also why I think there's a good chance that by the time the next call comes, if I try, I might be able to find out more.'
The thought made my stomach rumble, but I knew that this was something that I needed to do.
"Ugh."
Covering my forehead, I groaned.
This entire situation was really giving me a headache.
Nonetheless, I knew that I couldn't back down.
It was already too late for me to back down.
Therefore, after a brief pause, I looked at the phone and placed it in my pocket. This was now something that I couldn't afford to not have with me. not to
The next call...
I had to answer it.
***
The chaos that followed the Section Chief's press conference was quite large.
Media outlets covered the entire situation, and within the island of Malovia, nobody could stop talking about the Severed Star Guild.
Arrogant.
...Lost their touch.
Delusional.
All sorts of labels were placed on them.
And yet, the Guild seemed completely unaffected by the labels. It was as if the Section Chief's words reflected their attitude.
As a result, their name started to trend more.
But more than anything...
A Twisted Game also started to hit higher on trending.
Once the chaos died down and everyone processed the press conference, everyone turned their heads towards the game mentioned by the Section Chief. Many speculated that this was some sort of quick cash grab by the Guild in order to fund their operations.
Be it the journalists, the citizens, or anyone who had been paying close attention to the entire ordeal.
No one believed the Section Chief's words.
And yet...
Despite not believing his words, people still flocked to Dock and decided to purchase the game.
Overnight, the sales of 'A Twisted Game' shot up.
So much so that it hit the first page of Dock. And while it was still nowhere near the numbers of the top games, the fact that such a small game could reach the front page of Dock was a massive feat in itself.
With a certain household.
"Haa... Haa..."
Heavy breathing filled the room as a lone figure sat hunched over the desk, their face drained of color. Their trembling eyes locked onto the monitor, and their grip on the mouse was tense, knuckles white from the pressure.
'Don't lock. Don't look. Don't look...'
The man kept repeating to himself.
And yet...
He still looked.
"Haaak!"
A scream pierced through the room as the figure fell back.
Bang!
Within the darkness, the figure stared breathlessly at the monitor in front of him.
"...It was real."
He muttered, feeling his chest growing heavier and heavier.
"It wasn't a lie..."
Such scenes occurred throughout the entire island.
But not everywhere was like this.
The high-ranking Guilds that were paying close attention to the situation all decided to give the game a try and see if there was anything noteworthy with it.
However...
"...It's okay."
"Hm. It's not really that scary."
They didn't feel anything when playing the games.
The main issue lay in the fact that those who did try it were all high-ranking members of the Guild. Given how serious the Section Chief had been with his press conference, the higher-ups themselves were the ones who tried it.
In the end, none of them thought anything of the game.
In fact, most of them only laughed.
The Severed Stars Guild...
It really was starting to fall low.
*
I woke up the next morning feeling rather groggy.
But besides that, there was still a certain amount of joy. How could I not feel happy? Today was my rest day. After working out so much, it was finally time to take a break.
I couldn't help but feel excited.
I hated exercising. I only did it because I had no choice but to.
"I wonder how the game's sales are."
I opened up my phone and checked the Dock app. I was expecting a fairly good amount of sales, but the moment I opened the app and saw the amount that was written on there, I had to rub my eyes a couple of times to make sure that I wasn't seeing wrong.
However...
"Holy shit!"
I really wasn't.
Staring at the number presented before me, it was as if my breath had been taken away from my body.
It just...
How could the impact be so big?
[Sales: 148,091]
This number... It was simply astronomical.
'If I take into account that each game sells for 5$ and Dock takes about thirty percent, then I've made around...'
I paused and opened the calculator app.
My estimates were around half a million, and... it indeed was.
Around 518,000 to be exact.
"This is insane."
This was so much money. It was around 50,000SP if I converted it all. And the best part of it all...?
This was all mine.
This was all the money that I had managed to earn by myself.
"...I don't even have to invest this money into my games anymore since the Guild can now directly fund my games."
I could do whatever I wanted with this money.
This alone made me feel even better.
Hopping off the bed, I quickly got changed before heading to the Guild. It would still take some time for me to receive my money. About a week until the end of the month. In the meantime, I still needed to work.
Today was apparently my first day as Squad Leader.
"Ugh."
Just the thought gave me a headache.
I didn't know the first thing about being a Squad Leader.
However, since this was good for me, I didn't find it in myself to refuse.
"Oh, right."
Leaving the dorm, I opened up the file that the Section Chief had sent to me the day prior. It was the list of the people who were going to be in my squad.
There were six in total, and they were the same people who had taken the training session using my game.
"Min, Mia, Joanna, Niel, Nora, and Sarah."
These were the names of all six members, and as I read each name, I also looked through each of their profiles.
It was also during that moment that my expression slowly started to change.
"...Are you kidding me?"
I looked back at the Section Chief's number.
"I'm supposed to be the squad leader of these people?"
If anything...
They should be the ones leading me!
-x-X-x-
Chaos greeted me at the reception of the Guild.
It was filled with all sorts of people, but looking around, it seemed to be filled mainly with journalists.
'Again? Why are they here...?'
I was a little confused by the sight of them.
I had assumed that everything would return to normal after the press conference, but I had grossly underestimated the chaos that unfolded after the Section Chief's words.
"Hello there!"
Suddenly, I was greeted by a reporter.
She had short black hair, pearly red lips, evidently from the lipstick she put on, and had a fairly decent face.
She brought her phone in my direction.
"Are you a part of the Guild? Any comments on the current situation? Do you know anyone in the Containment Department?"
"...Oh."
I felt like shooting myself in the head.
To those who knew me, they knew that I hated people. However, if there was one thing that I hated even more, it was talking to strangers.
Reporters were included.
It... just made me feel like shit.
"Oh?"
"Yeah.. I work. I'm... the janitor."
"....Huh?"
The woman blinked, and so did I.
Janitor?
Why did I even say that?
"Really? Are you really the janitor?"
The woman looked at me suspiciously, and I nodded.
"...I'm not lying."
I took out a pair of keys and showed them to her.
"These are the keys to my office."
My office had previously been a janitor room. It was the place where people placed all of their nonsense. The keys that I had still had the tag that said 'storage closet'.
"...Oh, that really does seem to be the case."
The woman quickly lost interest from that point and turned around.
I was just about to prepare to slip away when she turned around and looked at me.
I froze.
What? Did she not believe my words? Don't tell me...
"Here."
The woman suddenly presented me with a small card.
"This is my card. If you do have anything interesting to share then you can call me"
Pushing the card onto me, she left right after that. I could only stand there numbly for a few seconds before looking at the card in my possession.
[Elizabeth Smith – Malovia Times]
[Junior Interviewer]
"...."
I could only stare at it at a complete loss before shaking my head and putting it away. I thought about tossing it, but then decided against it.
'There might be a time when this might come useful.'
And with that, I managed to force my way towards the elevators before finally reaching the Containment Department.
The place was doing a lot better than the reception.
But it was still a lot more chaotic than usual.
I looked around but couldn't find any of the usual people that I knew.
'They're probably doing some sort of mission.'
This wasn't surprising. It had been a bit since we had returned from the previous mission. It was now time they all got back to work.
The same went for me as I went back to the office and dropped my stuff before coming out and going back to the elevators and going to the [-2] floor.
Ding!
As soon as the elevator doors slid open, I stepped into a long corridor that seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance. The walls were stark white, and a dull gray carpet muffled my footsteps. Lining both sides were identical white doors, perfectly spaced, each marked with a number centered neatly on its surface.
The entire hallway felt abandoned, the overhead fluorescent lights flickering faintly, casting soft, intermittent glows.
A strange stillness hung in the air. Glancing down at my phone, I began walking, my footsteps sinking lightly into the carpet.
The silence pressed in from all sides, wrapping around me like a shroud. An uneasy feeling crept over me as I finally stopped in front of a particular door.
'Room 507... It should be this one.'
Reaching out for the doorknob, I pulled the door open.
Clank—!
Whatever noise had lingered just moments before suddenly faded, and several pairs of eyes turned toward me. I met their gazes briefly, then let my eyes wander across the room.
'Another office?'
The place looked like a small office space with several cubicles scattered around. At the end of the room was a single desk with a metal plaque.
Looking at it, my face paused.
[Seth Thorne]
'...I guess that's mine.'
I was a bit taken aback by the layout, but I didn't show it as I finally paid attention to the others in the room.
I was already familiar with Joanna, Min, and Mia. They had been the ones I had been paying more attention to during the training session.
I was less familiar with the other three.
'Sarah, Niel, and Nora.'
I scanned the room, and paused my gaze on them.
Niel was on the shorter side, with square-framed glasses, light brown hair, and sharp blue eyes. It was hard to spot him at first since he was partially hidden behind the cubicle, but he was rather loud with his keyboard.
He seemed to be busy writing something.
I then shifted my attention to the other two. Nora was also on the shorter side, with unremarkable features and black hair tied into twin tails. The most unique feature about her was the freckles on her face.
Lastly... there was Sarah.
"....."
Where was she?
I looked around the room.
However, regardless of how I looked, I couldn't find her at all.
One, two, three, four, five...
There were only five people in the room.
'Hm? Am I missing something...? Where is—'
"Are you looking for Sarah?"
"....Yes."
I looked at the one who had just spoken. With her long silver hair and decent features, I recognized her immediately.
'She should be Joanna.'
I felt a mix of feelings while looking at her. I had every profile. I was aware of the fact that she was the one with the most experience here.
Unlike me, she had spent about three years in another Guild.
In terms of experience, there was no one else in the room who had more than her.
If someone had to be the Squad Leader, then it had to be her. The fact that I had been selected instead was the most confusing thing about this entire situation.
Nonetheless, since the decision was made, nobody could really do anything about it.
'That is, unless I quit, or ask for a demotion, but I doubt they'll give it to me...'
I could only secretly sigh while looking at Joanna.
She stared at me with her intense eyes.
And then—
"She's not feeling well."
"Hm? She isn't? Does she have the flu? Or—"
"It's nothing like that."
Joanna waved her hand.
Nothing like that? Then...?
"I'm not sure, but it's really weird..."
"In what way?"
"Hmm."
Joanna paused before lowering her head.
"...She's been a bit off ever since the training session. Right after playing the game."
I paused.
Game?
Wait...
My heart skipped a beat.
Don't tell me...
"...Ever since the training session, she's just been feeling off. I tried asking her what was going on, but she just wouldn't speak at all. It's weird."
"....."
I stood in silence, starting to speak, but the words caught, and I closed my mouth again.
Shit.
'...This is because of my game, isn't it?'
I was a little surprised by this development.
As far as I was aware, Sarah was a top recruit from a regional Academy. She was decently ranked and was supposed to be a highly promising recruit.
For her to be affected by the game...
'Is something actually wrong with her, and it has nothing to do with the game, and I'm overthinking, or is it really related to the game?'
I wasn't entirely sure, but I planned on finding out more later.
"It's really strange..." Joanna muttered while pinching her chin. "She's been acting a little off since that day. I can't quite explain it. Do you possibly think it's because of the game?"
As she asked me the question, I shook my head.
"I'm not sure."
The situation told me that it was.
However, my gut told me that there was more to it.
"I see."
Joanna looked a little dissatisfied with the answer, but didn't probe any further and just as she moved away, the room's door opened and the Section Chief came in.
"Looks like everyone is here."
He looked to be in a better mood.
"...It looks like Seth is also here. Perfect."
He was just about to clap his hands in satisfaction when he paused and looked towards a certain cubicle.
"Oh, wait..."
"Sarah is missing."
Without missing a beat, Joanna pointed out Sarah's absence to the Section Chief.
"Sarah..."
He pursed his lips and looked at me.
I told him what Joanna told me.
"She apparently isn't feeling well."
"Hmm."
His brows furrowed, but he didn't say anything after that.
"I guess that's fine. Today, you're not going to be diving into any gates. It'll be more of an introduction to the gate system and what you're going to be doing."
I felt a little relieved hearing this.
I wasn't quite ready to enter a gate or anything like that. I also didn't know what I was supposed to do, and was fairly ignorant of how the entire system worked.
"Seth, follow me."
Walking towards the desk by the end of the room, the Section Chief motioned me with his hand before sitting down on the chair and booting up the computer. It was also then that I noticed the computer, and I paused.
'Can that even be considered a computer?'
It looked like a massive white brick block.
It resembled something that came in the early nineties.
"I'll give you a general rundown on what you're supposed to do."
Once the computer finished booting up with a series of whirrs and beeps, the screen flickered to life, casting a dim green glow across the white desk. Thick lines of text blinked against the monochrome background, and a blinking cursor waited in the corner.
The interface was barebones. No icons, no windows... just rows of blocky, pixelated letters.
What sort of fossils were they using here?
"...Don't judge the computer because of its appearance."
With his eyes flickering green due to the monitor in front of him, and as though he could sense the shift in my thoughts, the Section Chief smiled before moving the cursor.
"This right here is probably one of the most advanced pieces of technology that we have in the Guild."
Click!
Even the sound of the mouse felt odd.
However, it was also then that I saw changes occur on the screen as several texts appeared.
▶ [Gate 0]
▷ [Null Arch]
▷ [Infinite Path]
▷ [Silent March]
▷ [The Maw of Passage]
Each name blinked in unison as the pixels on the screen refreshed continuously. Pausing the cursor over the first name, the Section Chief looked at me.
"Press 'enter' on any of them and you'll be able to directly bring everyone in the room into the respective gate."
"....!"
My brows couldn't help but jump up upon hearing the words.
Then, shifting my attention back to the computer, I pressed my lips together.
'So you're telling me that I can directly enter gates and bring everyone in the room with just the computer?'
This...
The Section Chief pressed his finger against the monitor screen.
"One more thing. Each gate is classified by level, starting from the lowest rank, F, up to the highest, S. When choosing a gate, you'll first need to select the rank before seeing any available options. The classification gives a general sense of the gate's difficulty. For example, an F-ranked gate typically only requires individuals from the First Order, with higher ranks demanding progressively stronger participants."
Pausing, the Section Chief gave me a knowing look.
"Not that it actually matters... This is just a general safety guideline."
"I see."
I still found it hard to believe that someone with no powers or order could actually clear a high-ranking gate, but I was the living proof of it.
'With the right items and preparations, I guess it truly is possible.'
"Okay, now that I'm done giving you a general rundown of the situation here, I'll address everyone within the room."
The Section Chief raised his head and looked at everyone present in the room.
"...All of you here will be a squad. Your squad name is '507', the same as the number on your door. You will all be under Team Leader Soran, and your main job will be to enter gates and collect fragments."
The Section Chief stood up from the chair and sat down at the table while crossing his arms and scanning the room.
"I'm sure all of you are aware of how things work around the Guild. However, I'll still give a quick introduction to refresh your mind."
'He's just saying it for me, isn't he?'
"Gates provide fragments. We want fragments. We clear the gates. We earn fragments. The higher the clearing, the purer the fragment. We like that. We want that. We repeat that. We call it farming."
"....?"
Visible question marks popped up on the heads of everyone present.
The same was for me as I looked at the Section Chief.
What sort of way of talking was this...?
'No, thinking about his personality, he's probably speaking like this just to save time.'
I pinched the middle of my brows as I continued to listen to the Section Chief speak.
"Each gate has limited fragments. The higher the ranked gate, the more we can farm. And... that's pretty much it. Oh, wait... Right. Each gate also differs with each dive. Just a little bit."
The Section Chief smiled, looking extremely satisfied with himself.
The only thing I felt was a headache.
However, I more or less understood what he was trying to say.
'In essence, our job is to go to gates and 'farm' fragments. The gate rank doesn't really matter in terms of the fragment level, but we can earn more fragments from them. Each gate differs slightly with each dive, and the better we do, the purer the fragment.'
It was pretty straightforward to some extent.
"There will be a quota that you'll need to meet by the end of each month, and for each fragment that you earn, depending on the purity level, you'll be assigned GP, which stands for Guild Points. You'll be able to use the points to buy items provided by the Guild."
My heart sped up in that moment.
This was exactly what I had been looking for!
"You can access the shop directly from the computers before you. There's detailed information on all of them."
I looked at the computer and felt my body itch.
I really wanted to get right onto it.
But...
"Seth."
The Section Chief's voice shook me out of my thoughts as I lowered my head to look at him.
My expression tensed when I saw his serious expression.
"I'd like a word with you outside."
-x-X-x-
Clank—
The door of the office slammed shut, and I stood outside with the Section Chief.
'Why am I outside here? What does he need? Why does he look so serious...? Did something happen? Did they decide not to agree with the previous deal?'
All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind as I stood outside with the Section Chief.
I stood in silence without saying a word, waiting for him to say something. Each second of silence felt like they were dragging for an eternity.
And then—
"There are a few things that I'd like to talk to you about."
The Section Chief finally opened his mouth to speak.
I quietly nodded my head.
"First things first... You've probably noticed a mob outside of the Guild, correct?"
"...I have."
I couldn't forget it even if I wanted.
"In short, we paid a lot of people and bots to review your game positively. The news of it got leaked."
"Huh?"
My face froze.
They did what...!?
But more importantly, who leaked it?
"We were the ones who leaked it."
The Section Chief followed up as though it were the most obvious answer.
"While we do want the people to understand that the game is scary and that we aren't lying, we also want to maintain an advantage against the other guilds. If my guess is not wrong, many of the guild's higher-ups will have tried your game. Most of them will dismiss the game after trying it. For some reason, your game works only after a certain threshold."
"Mhm."
Yes, this I knew.
"By getting the news to leak that we paid people to give the game positive reviews, we're trying to get the other Guilds to not realize the true potential of the game. Of course, this might not work for every guild, or might not work at all, but it'll at least delay things. And coupled with the advantage our games have, we should be able to build a sizable gap with the other Guilds in a few years."
"....I see."
The Section Chief's explanation made sense.
I could see why he'd want to do it. I wasn't exactly losing out in this since the money from all the purchases was going to me.
However, what I was worried about was the potential hit to my reputation.
'I might not suffer that much, but the Guild will definitely suffer a hit from this.'
The Section Chief and Guild Master were probably aware of this and yet still chose to go through with it. This showed just how committed they were to the entire ordeal.
'...It's also true that they might not be able to fully make the other Guilds realize the potential of the game since the lower recruits may try it out of curiosity and eventually spread the news, but this might delay the entire thing.'
This was a price the Guild Master and Section Chief were willing to pay.
"Setting the bad news to the side, I've got good news."
As the Section Chief's face relaxed, he handed me a small paper.
"This is...?"
"A cheque for the money that we're willing to invest in your next game. We already talked about the terms before, but we've changed things up."
"Huh?"
I looked at the number on the paper and nearly forgot how to breathe.
"I'm not seeing this wrong, am I?"
"You're not."
The Section Chief chuckled.
"Three million dollars."
But this...
Was this way too little?
'No, of course it's not little. However, it's nowhere near the amount of money that I need in order to develop a VR game. This is...'
"Don't worry."
The Section Chief placed his hand over my shoulder.
"This is just the money that we'll be giving you to develop the game. Regarding your Virtual Reality requirements, we've already contacted several large suppliers and other studios. We're discussing terms with them. The three million is an addition to that."
"...Oh."
I finally felt my breath return.
Alongside it, my heart also started to leap inside my chest.
'If it's really true, then this is massive! My games will definitely reach a whole new level.'
But with that being said, the learning curve for this was going to be incredibly hard.
Just thinking about it made me feel anxious.
"...That's all regarding the investments. There's one last thing that I want to talk to you about."
"Yes?"
There's more?
What else could he want to talk about?
Tok!
He tapped his knuckle against the side of the wall before looking at me.
"The recruits that are under you are all excellent. None of them is prideful, and while they may not be the best of the best, they all have high potential. The reason why I chose you to be the Squad Leader is that I think you'll be able to lead them well."
The Section Chief pinched his chin.
"...I'm not sure why, but I just think you'll do well."
"I'm not so sure about that..."
How was it that the Section Chief had more confidence in me than I had in myself?
"I trust my judgement and I'm never usually wrong about this stuff. But with that being said..."
The Section Chief's face turned serious.
"...I can only protect you so much. Team Leader Soran isn't as nice as I am. If she does not deem you good enough, then expect her to kick you out of your position. Is that clear?"
"Yes."
This was only fair.
"Good."
A satisfied smile marred the Section Chief's face as he patted me on the shoulder.
He then looked behind him before patting me on the shoulder.
"That's all from me. I'll be going back to the lower floors. Tomorrow will be your first true day as Squad Leader. Take some time to decide which gate to enter and study it well. Oh..."
As if recalling something, he snapped his fingers.
"You should also go check up on your missing member. As the squad leader, it's your job to make sure that she's doing fine."
"Me? But..."
"What? You're going to tell me that you're not good at this stuff?"
Err...
How did he know?
The Section Chief gave me a knowing smile.
"Did you forget your original position in the Guild?"
"Trauma Coun... oh."
"That's right."
With a laugh, the Section Chief patted me on the shoulder.
"It's time for you to do your job."
*
I still didn't fully believe that Sarah got traumatized because of my game. However, the Section Chief wasn't wrong about me needing to check up on her due to my role.
And as such, I followed up on his advice and went to the dorms to meet Sarah.
"This should be the room, right?"
I looked at the door and then back at my phone.
Making sure it was the right one, I knocked on the door.
To Tok—!
"Sarah? Are you in there?"
"...."
No answer.
It was quiet.
I frowned.
Was she not inside?
I paused for a moment, then pressed my ear to the door, straining to catch any sound from inside. But just as I did, something tapped my shoulder.
I turned, and it felt like my soul nearly left my body.
'A ghost!'
Her long hair fell over her face like a curtain, but it did nothing to hide the ghostly paleness of her skin or the stark white dress she wore.
The instant I saw her, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
"You are...?"
Even her voice was creepy.
It was hoarse, almost brittle.
"....."
Seeing that I wasn't answering, the 'ghost' tilted her head, only to make herself look even creepier.
Thankfully, I was quick to recover as I looked at the door behind me.
"Are you Sarah?"
"...Yes?"
Sarah slowly raised a hand to her face, gently parting her hair to reveal deep brown eyes and thin, red lips. There was no denying that she was quite beautiful, but she really did look too much like a ghost.
"Oh."
It also looked like she recognized me.
"You... must be the Squad Leader."
"It looks like you've been filled in."
"...Yes."
Her large eyes blinked before she turned her attention towards the door behind me.
As if getting her message, I took a step to the side as she took out her keys and opened the door, revealing her room. It was relatively tidy. Not much different from mine. Upon entering, she paused by the counter near the door, quietly pouring hot water into a small cup before dropping in a tea bag.
She then looked at me.
"Would you... like one?"
"No, I'm okay."
"...Oh."
She brought the cup to her lip before flinching.
"Hot..."
And yet...
She still brought her lips down.
"Hot."
It was a baffling sight, but I quickly dismissed it as I directly asked her about her situation.
"I've been told that you're sick. What did you get? Is it a cold?"
At the same time I asked her, I raised my hand to show the small plastic bag that I was carrying.
"There's some medicine and snacks inside if you need them. I thou—"
"It's not a cold."
Sarah shook her head while putting the tea cup down.
My breath paused.
Could this really be because of my game?
"I'm not really sure why. It happened after I played the weird game..."
"Was it that scary?"
"It was scary... yes, but not scary enough to make me sick. It's something else."
'So it's not the game?'
I paused and frowned.
'...If it's not the game, then what can it be? This doesn't seem like a symptom of fractures as well. So then...?'
"Maybe you're on your period?"
"Oh, that cou—" I suddenly paused, feeling my entire body freeze as a head popped up beside me and rested on my shoulder. With her short black hair and sharp eyes, she appeared from out of nowhere as I nearly had a heart attack.
However, the moment I caught sight of her face, I instantly knew who she was.
"Team Leader...?"
"Oh, it looks like you recognize me."
Team Leader Soran brought her chin away from my shoulder as she looked at Sarah.
She placed her hand over her chin.
"Are you usually this pale? You look like a ghost."
So you see it too?
As expected of a Team Leader.
Her eyes were sharp.
"...I... am."
"Mhm."
The Team Leader stepped closer to Sarah and gently placed a hand on her forehead. She nodded a couple of times, then turned her gaze toward me.
"This is tough."
"...Is it serious?"
"No."
"Then...?"
"I have no idea what she has."
"....."
She's even worse than the Section Chief!
"Are you maybe related to the Section Chief?"
"No, why?"
"...Never mind."
Right, right.
Everyone in this Guild was a lunatic. How could I forget that?
"I'm surprised you'd think I'm related to the Section Chief. The two of us look nothing alike."
But you both are certainly not mentally sane in the mind.
"Either way, even though I don't know what she has, it's not a big problem. Here. Open your mouth."
Taking out what looked like a pill, she hovered it above Sarah's face, startling her. However, before she could even voice out an objection, the Team Leader grabbed her chin, prompting Sarah to let out a surprised yelp before tossing the pill into her mouth.
"....!"
"Make sure to swallow."
Patting her hands in satisfaction, the Team Leader looked at me.
"What...?"
"I..."
I gave up. Staring at Sarah, whose face turned even paler, I just decided to turn a blind eye. I saw nothing. Wasn't present. And I heard nothing.
"Don't worry about her. She'll be fine. The pill I gave her should heal her real quick. In any case, I actually came here for you."
I froze.
She came for me.
Oh, no...
I tried to take a step back, but she stopped me before I could leave.
"I heard that you're the new Squad Leader under my command. And that you don't have powers too. This is great. Very good."
The more she looked at me, the more satisfied she seemed.
A smile marred her pretty features.
Enough to blind the common man.
However, I was no common man. I could see the devil hiding behind that smile.
That's why I took a step back.
...Or tried to.
With both her hands over my shoulders, she stopped me in place.
"Dinner on you, okay?"
"????"
***
"I feel like I'm forgetting something important."
Kyle muttered while staring at the computer in front of him. Several options were presented before him as he dragged the cursor down and selected [House of Mist].
He raised his head and looked ahead.
"...Is everyone ready?"
Five other people were in the room, each seated in their own cubicle, all with their eyes fixed on Kyle.
They were all about to dive into a gate.
"Just to double check... Do you all have the summary of the gate information? Do you have the necessary items? Things may change in there, so you'd better have all the necessary equipment. While I can do my best to help all of you, if something goes wrong, don't expect me to save your life."
Just like Seth, Kyle was also a Squad Leader.
His squad was a lot more developed and experienced than Seth's.
But it wasn't long ago since he had been put through a similar situation to Seth.
"Nobody is saying anything? Okay, I'll take it that all of you are ready."
Turning his attention towards his computer, Kyle pressed the [Enter] key. Immediately, a loud whirring sound erupted from the machine, its fans spinning up rapidly. The room around him began to flicker, phasing in and out. As if the office around them was merely a wallpaper hiding the reality that hid behind it.
Despite the distortion, none of the other people in the office seemed to notice. Kyle glanced around, his gaze drifting, until something clicked in his memory.
'Oh, right... Today's Seth's first day as Squad Leader, isn't it?'
He clearly remembered when Seth first told him about the promotion. Kyle had been firmly against it, but convincing Seth once his mind was made up was always a losing battle.
The cubicles around him dissolved completely, and the floor beneath his feet began to transform. The once-familiar gray carpet shimmered, then reshaped itself into creaking, timeworn wooden planks. A musty, moldy smell seeped into the air, making Kyle's nose involuntarily scrunch up.
As the transformation continued, he let out a sigh.
'...He's going to end up buying her dinner, isn't he?'
Shaking his head with a mix of pity and amusement, Kyle slowly looked up at his surroundings. The sterile office was gone. In its place stood an old, abandoned house.
His desk was gone, and all that was left were the items in his hand.
Looking around, memories of the past stirred. He thought about the dinner he had had with the Team Leader in the past and smiled.
"...I feel like puking."
"Huh?"
"What...?"
"Squad Leader?!"
"....!"
-x-X-x-
'I'll text you the location later. In any case, good luck tomorrow with your first gate! I want to hear all about it after you're done!'
Even after hours had passed, Team Leader Soran's voice still echoed inside my mind.
She was like a storm.
She came and went, leaving nothing but confusion and chaos behind.
I still recalled the lost and confused look on Sarah's face as the Team Leader lfet. In that moment, she seemed to have even forgotten that she was sick.
'Well, I guess this ended up being a good thing.'
Shaking my head, I looked at the table in front of me. There were several documents scattered about.
"This is a bit troublesome. There are quite a few interesting ones."
There were a number of scenarios in front of me. I was meant to select one for tomorrow's first gate excursion, and I was currently torn on a couple of things.
First, I was unsure of the level of the gate that I wanted to select.
...And secondly, I was unsure of what type of scenario to choose.
There were quite a lot of interesting scenarios in front of me. Each one looked difficult, and while there were instructions on how to clear each scenario, I knew that each gate would end up differing slightly from the previous.
'Let's not even forget to take into account that my luck is incredibly bad.'
I was suddenly reminded of the first gate that I had entered.
From the news that I had managed to read about the incident, the level of the gate had actually been higher than what it was supposed to be. The same thing happened the second time I had entered a gate.
Mirelle's gate...
This made me think.
'Is it possible that whatever gate I enter, the difficulty increases?'
If this were truly true, then things would be extremely troublesome.
"This would mean that I'd have to select a lower-ranked gate."
This was probably going to earn me some judgment from my own team, but if my hypothesis was correct, then I had no choice. I needed to account for it and run the test.
"And even if it turns out to be wrong, I can always say I just wanted to get to know the team better."
Either way, there wasn't much they could do for now.
'Okay, this is good.'
With my thoughts finally clear, I began sifting through the various scenarios. The desk lamp cast a sharp light over the papers as I leaned in, studying each one with care. Time slipped by unnoticed, and it wasn't until I stumbled upon something promising that I realized just how late it had gotten.
"Oh shit."
I checked the time and groaned.
It was way later than I intended it to be.
"But it's all good in the end."
I tapped into the scenario and nodded.
"This will be the one that we'll go to tomorrow. I'll give them a rundown of it tomorrow morning."
With everything set and ready, I put everything back and headed to bed.
I needed to be as well rested as possible. I couldn't make the same mistake as in the past.
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
***
8 A.M.
Room 507.
The recruits all showed up on time.
Joanna was the first one to come as she turned on the lights in the room and got ready for today's excursion. Following her were Mia, Min, Nora, Niel, and lastly Sarah?
"Hieeek! A ghost!!"
It was a scream from Mia that made everyone aware of her presence.
"When did you get behind me?!"
Mia took several steps back, hugging herself tightly, revealing Sarah standing just behind her, hair limp, head tilted in confusion.
"I've always been here."
"Ah... goosebumps. I'm getting goosebumps."
Mia revealed her hand and showed the hair that was rising from it.
Joanna stared at Mia's arm before giving her a weird look.
"If you're scared this easily, you shouldn't be in this line of work."
"That's what I said!"
Mia nodded in agreement, prompting several question marks to appear on the heads of several people.
Joanna opened her mouth, but soon closed it.
'Maybe she was forced by her family. Who knows.'
She never intended to get too close to the others. In this line of work, forming attachments was a mistake. Almost a sin. Very few teams made it through without casualties. Most suffered heavy losses, and growing too close only made it harder when the inevitable happened.
A certain wall and distance needed to be kept in order to protect oneself.
As such, ignoring Mia, Joanna addressed Sarah.
"When did you get here?"
"....Not too long ago."
"I see. Are you feeling better?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Joanna smiled before looking away and heading for her desk. As she did, she brushed her silver hair behind her ear as she looked around.
"Is the Squad Leader still not here yet? We've yet to receive word about the upcoming gate."
"...I wonder about that."
Niel commented from his seat as he took out his glasses and cleaned them.
"Maybe he's taking so long because he doesn't know which gate to choose. From what I've heard, he doesn't seem very experienced at this. In fact, from the rumours I've heard, he has almost little to no experience and has never graduated from an academy."
The room turned silent after that.
Besides Sarah and Mia, everyone else in the room was aware of the 'rumours'. Naturally, as their Squad Leader, they were all curious about him. The only thing they knew about him was that he was part of the people who had been present during their 'game' sessions.
This made them a little bit curious about him.
As such, they all did their own little digging about him.
Since they were going to entrust their lives to him, this was only natural.
And yet...
What they managed to find through the rumours left them completely baffled.
Not only did he have little to no experience, and had never graduated from an academy, but he had only been at the Guild for less than half a year. This piece of information left them all completely stunned.
But that was still fine. They trusted the Guild's jugement.
Especially after the game experience.
"...There's also another rumour that I've heard."
As Niel spoke up, everyone's gaze turned towards him again. He looked around carefully before lowering his voice.
"Apparently, he's very close to one of the stars of the department, and used his identity to pressure one of the members into giving up his credit. Thankfully, the Guild was sensible enough to see that there was no way for him to have done anything and dismissed him. However, he's apparently a snake, and we have to be careful of him as he might try to steal our achievements."
The atmosphere in the room turned tense in that moment.
Everyone looked in the direction of the door with some apprehension. Joanna, in particular, as she looked at Niel.
"Where did you hear this rumour from?"
"That's..."
Niel made a troubled look before shaking his head.
"I'm not supposed to say."
"But—"
Clank!
Before Joanna could speak, the door swung open and the man in question stepped inside. He was dressed in a sharp black suit, and though his hair was slightly tousled, he appeared well-groomed.
His features were undeniably handsome, but what stood out most were his eyes.
Something about them... felt unsettling.
As his eyes scanned the room, some of the members unknowingly tensed, and as Seth slowly settled down on his desk, he placed a couple of files on top.
"I've decided on the scenario that we will be exploring."
He pointed at one of the files.
[The Devil's Hunt]
"This will be the scenario that we'll be exploring."
I could see the shock and surprise in the faces of the members the moment I announced the scenario.
I had already been prepared for it the day prior.
"Wait, Squad Leader... Isn't this scenario a little too low in terms of rank? All of us here have been trained for quite some time, and we've long reached the stage where we can do gates above the
"This isn't about the difficulty of the gate."
I cut off Joanna while shaking my head and looking at the other members present.
"This gate here is to better determine the skill of all of you present, and to get to know all of you better. The same goes for all of you with each other. Take this as a learning opportunity to build some synergy between each other."
I had been thinking about the perfect excuse to have them accept the scenario. In the end, I went with the most obvious excuse, and seeing how quiet everyone became, I could tell that this ended up being the correct choice.
I looked around in satisfaction.
"I've sent all of you a link on your mails. Please check it out and give the scenario a proper study. Alongside the file are the things that are required for the upcoming excursion. I've already placed an order. You can all collect it later once you've read the applicated."
I tilted my watch and checked the time.
"We have about two hours until the excursion. You can spend the time doing your research, and if you think there are other items that you need for the upcoming excursion, feel free to tell me. I'll see what I can do."
Each Squad Leader was given a budget for each excursion.
The budget mainly depended on the gate that we planned on entering. The higher the gate, the higher the budget.
Even so, the lower gate received a good budget.
My budget consisted of 5,000 GP.
For a team of seven, this was a rather acceptable budget. There were quite a few things that I could buy with it.
'...What's crazy to me is how the Guild Points almost have a similar purchasing power to the SP that the system uses. This makes things a lot easier for me to understand.'
Taking out my laptop, I opened the Guild's Database, which I now had access to, and looked through all the numerous items that were available for purchase and loan.
The loan aspect was the one thing that intrigued me the most and made me most excited for the Guild 'shop'.
'While the items might not be as crazy as the ones from the system, I can already see a couple that can be extremely useful for me.'
From a cloak that could hide my presence to a doll that could detect nearby anomalies. There were a lot of intriguing items. The unfortunate thing was that all the intriguing items were extremely expensive and most of them were already loaned out to someone.
But of all the things that had intrigued me, there was one in particular that grabbed my interest.
---
[Devil's Book]
: A cursed tome that grants instant knowledge of any subject upon reading. The effect lasts for 30 minutes.
Beware: Prolonged use may invite whispers from an unknown entity.
Warning: Extremely Dangerous! Use with caution.
Consumable.
Price: 245,500 GP
[On Loan]
---
This was undoubtedly the item I had been searching for. At the very least, it seemed like the most useful tool I could have when the time came to settle my bet with the conductor.
However, there were two major problems.
One...
The price.
It was incredibly expensive. So much so that any thought of purchasing it was out the window.
Secondly, and the most troublesome thing was the fact that it was also loaned out. The most annoying aspect was the fact that it didn't tell me to whom it was loaned.
'Damn it. Maybe I should ask the Section Chief later.'
I was quite desperate to get this item. I felt that this would be one of the keys to helping me solve the bet.
But...
It was far from perfect.
I needed more than this.
'Ah, how annoying.'
Ruffling my hair, I looked at the time. My eyes jumped up in surprise. I had been so absorbed in looking through the shop that I didn't realize that it was almost time for the excursion. Looking at the other members and seeing that they were all ready and looking at me, I coughed.
"It looks like all of you are ready."
They all just nodded their heads slowly.
For some reason, their reactions felt rather cold.
'Did I do something wrong? ...Or is it because they know more about me?'
It was most likely the latter, but as far as I was aware, the Section Chief said that these people weren't very prideful. For them to look at me with this coldness...
'Oh well.'
I shrugged.
This didn't particularly matter to me as I booted up the main PC.
Right after that, I was presented with a few options as I clicked onto the
The moment I did, I glanced at the members one last time before pressing 'Enter.' The PC responded with a sudden, loud whirring as its fans spun up rapidly. The room around me began to flicker, phasing in and out of reality.
I had a difficult time processing the change around me.
I was simply too shocked to properly react.
Flick! Flick!
The fluorescent lights above buzzed violently before cutting out altogether, leaving me in near-complete darkness, save for the glow of the monitor, which pulsed red like a slow heartbeat.
A sharp metallic scent filled my nostrils, something between rust and dried blood, and the faint aroma of damp stone followed close behind.
The floor beneath my feet groaned, warping and shifting into cold, uneven cobblestones. Walls that once held posters and cables peeled away like wet paper, revealing crumbling stone bricks.
The air grew heavy, thick with mildew and the stench of rot, as if something had long since died in the walls.
Clank. Clank—!
Chains clinked faintly in the distance, swaying from above.
A chill crept up my spine as a low wind whistled through cracked arrow slits high above, carrying a subtle whistling sound.
The monitor before me fizzled out, replaced by a flickering torch lodged in a rusted iron sconce on the wall beside me. Its dim flame cast long, dancing shadows that seemed to move in even rhythms.
Then—
Somewhere behind me, I could hear the slow, deliberate creak of a door opening, and as I slowly turned my head, I caught sight of a long, spiraling flight of stairs that seemed to lead toward the unknown.
The office was long gone, and we were now within the confines of what appeared to be an old, middle-aged castle.
Just me.
The others were gone.
I took a deep breath, trying my best to remain calm.
But right as I did...
Ding!
A notification appeared right before me.
[The scenario is now starting...]
[Operation: The Devil's Hunt]
Class : ■■■
: Seven wooden boards. Seven empty rooms. One harbors a cursed soul, desperate to escape. Each may ask but one question. Find the haunted before it finds you, or become one of its victims. You have 66 minutes. When time runs out, you'll find yourself becoming part of the board.
[Scenario candidates will be joining shortly. Do you wish to pruchase any item?]
[From the moment the scenario begins, you won't be able to purchase items]
[You have sixty seconds]
"Huh?"
I stared at the notification in front of me with a blank expression.
'One minute? What do you mean I have one minute...?'
This had never happened to me before. While I wasn't flustered, I was still surprised. Nonetheless, I quickly snapped out of it and frowned.
"This makes the situation more troublesome."
I had purposely saved up my points in order to spend them at the gate. However, it seemed like this was no longer an option.
I frowned before thinking about all the items that were available in the shop.
Unlike the past, I was quite aware of the scenario of the gate.
Looking around the room, my gaze settled on a small wooden table resting in the centre. An unlit candle sat beside it, its wax cold and cracked from years of neglect. Next to the candle lay a weathered wooden board etched with strange runes and letters. It looked no different than an Ouija board.
'No, that's exactly what it is.'
The room was empty besides me.
The other members were all in similar rooms.
The goal of the mission was simple. It was to use the board to ask questions and figure out who the 'possessed' was. The main issue was that we all had one question each, and the only questions we could ask were 'Yes' or 'No' questions.
Furthermore, the 'possessed' could make the board lie once.
At the same time, the possessed could hunt the others and turn them into possessed to hunt the others. There was a time limit of 66 minutes, and in that time, if the 'prime possessed' wasn't found, then the gate would fail and we'd all be stuck here.
This wasn't supposed to be a hard challenge considering how we had a direct list of questions we could ask to figure out the possessed.
However, I understood that things were probably not going to be this simple.
'There's a good chance that the possessed can lie more than once.'
This was the main issue.
If it could lie more than once, then it would make the entire situation more difficult to solve.
I pursed my lips and sorted through all the available items in the shop.
In the end, I decided to buy one item.
---
[Salt of the Sacred Rite]
: Pure white salt with an unusual crystalline pattern. Sprinkling it around a door or window creates a temporary ward that blocks spirits once.
Beware: Ineffective after one use.
Consumable.
Price: 12,000 GP
---
*Puff*
A small bag appeared from above me as I caught it.
Immediately after that, notifications appeared on my screen again.
[The time limit is up]
[The shop is now closed]
[Best of luck!]
'Luck my ass...'
I shook my head before looking at the small bags in my hand. Opening up and seeing the salt in it, I looked at it before closing the bag again.
'This should be able to save me once.'
I wanted to buy more, but it was only useful once.
"Okay, I think I'm ready."
I turned my attention towards the wooden table and the flickering candle. The candle was a sort of timestamp. The moment it completely burned out was the moment that the time was up.
At the same time as I moved to the table, I opened up the salt bag and scattered it around me. I also put some near the door.
There was just enough that it could cover the entrance, too.
'This should be able to guarantee that I won't be the affected one.'
Taking off my bag, I retrieved a small walkie-talkie.
I pressed on the communication.
"I'm ready. Is everyone ready?"
I waited for the next couple of minutes before I received messages from the others.
—Yes, I am here.
—...I am also ready. I'm inside a weird room.
—We're all in rooms.
—I am also ready.
—Me too.
—Mhm.
Seeing that all six members were ready, I nodded and took a deep breath, mentally prepping myself for the upcoming scenario.
If there was one thing that I noticed while entering the scenario as opposed to the times in the past, it was the fact that I wasn't as scared as I expected myself to be. This wasn't even because of the weird 'side effects' that I had been experiencing.
It really did seem that after everything that I had gone through, my tolerance for horror had increased.
'I honestly didn't expect this, but this is good.'
Clearing my throat, I brought the walkie-talkie to my mouth.
"Okay, light up the candle next to you. The moment you do, the scenario will begin. Most of you are already aware of what will happen, so proceed as planned. If something out of the ordinary happens or you notice anything, report it immediately."
My words were met with silence, but the silence was confirmation to me that they had all heard.
"Start."
Taking out a lighter, I lit up the candle.
A faint flicker manifested the moment I did, and the atmosphere changed. Suddenly, the torches that were around the room turned off, and the door that had been open slammed shut.
Bang!
I didn't flinch and kept my expression firm as the surroundings seemed to shift.
The shadows formed by the candles seemed to stretch around me, almost as if they had turned into invisible hands that were trying to grasp me.
Certain whispers that I couldn't quite make out lingered in the air for the next several seconds until...
Silence.
The room turned incredibly silent.
I pressed on the walkie-talkie.
"Is everyone done?"
—....
—....
—....
—....
—....
—...
My words were met with silence.
I opened my mouth and asked again.
"Anyone?"
But...
Yet again, I was met with silence.
It was at this moment that my heart slowly sank as I closed my eyes and put the walkie-talkie down.
"As expected. Things are never easy when I'm participating."
The scenario...
It had, without a doubt, already changed.
This was something that I had expected, and as such, I wasn't very flustered. This was also something that we had already discussed in advance.
We had already taken into account the possibility of the walkie-talkies not working.
As such, staring at the candle, I slowly turned my attention towards the board, and placed my hand over the plachette. I waited like this for the next several minutes until a change occurred.
Skkrrr—
I felt a cold touch over my hand as the plachette moved on its own.
The candle next to me flickered violently as the plachette continued to move and the room plunged into a state of coldness.
Then...
'Is... the possessed a female?'
A soft voice whispered in the air. The voice was cold, but it was recognizable. It was Joanna's voice.
Holding my breath, the pointer stopped at 'No'
I wasn't relieved by the answer.
The possessed could lie.
Thankfully, we had already planned this in advance.
The flame danced again, shadows crawling as the cold deepened. My hand, nearly numb now, returned the plachette to its starting point.
"Is... the possessed a female?"
Another voice.
Min.
The pointer moved once more...
Yes.
I froze and felt a noticeable shift in the air.
One yes. One no.
It suddenly became clear.
One of the two... was lying.
And just as if that wasn't enough...
Kh, Kh—
A sudden static sound came out from the walkie-talkies. Slowly turning my attention towards them, the walkie-talkies started working again.
This...
Wasn't this a little too coincidental?
-x-X-x-
—The walkie-talkies are working again!
—It works for me too!
Hearing the voices coming from the walkie-talkies, I didn't speak.
Something about the situation felt off. This felt like too much of a coincidence.
—...It appears that the suspect is either Joanna or Min.
A voice suddenly spoke through the walkie-talkie. I recognized the voice.
It was Niel's voice.
The moment after he spoke, the walkie-talkie fell silent. Nobody said a word.
And this alone felt surprising.
'Joanna and Min are not saying anything?'
That was unless..
—The walkie-talkies for the two aren't working.
Sarah's voice whispered into the walkie-talkies.
I took a deep breath.
'This makes things quite a bit more difficult.'
I took this chance to speak.
"...There's no guarantee that they are the culprit. The possessed can lie. This could be a chance to pin the entire situation on either one of the two."
—That is true, but won't it be easy to tell who is lying if we just have two more people ask the same question?
About that...
I didn't really know how to answer this.
Realistically speaking, this was the correct route. If two more people asked the same question, we'd all be able to pinpoint the possessed since one of the two was lying. But at the same time, I couldn't shake the feeling that the 'possessed' had the ability to lie more than once.
—Should we proceed like this?
Hearing Niel's words, I still remained uncertain.
All logic said that I was being paranoid; however, my guts were telling me otherwise.
'Even if I'm wrong, it's never wrong to be cautious. The only issue is whether they'll choose to trust me.'
No, it didn't even matter if they didn't trust me.
I was the Squad Leader.
What I said went.
Picking up the walkie-talkie, I shook my head.
"No, not yet."
—What? But-
"There's a good chance that this might be a trick. I need more time to analyze the situation."
—What?! But it's already obvious that one of them has lied. Since it can only lie once, if we-
"But what if it can lie twice?"
The line fell silent after my words.
The silence persisted for several seconds until Mia's voice echoed.
—Lie... twice? But this has never happened before? Why would...
"This is always something that you need to take into account. We all know that not all gates are the same upon entering. There will be subtle changes that make them a little bit more difficult to clear. In that sense, we need to take into account the possibility that the possessed can lie more than once."
I thought that this was a good explanation.
At the very least, I thought I'd be able to buy myself some time with it.
However...
—That's ridiculous.
Niel didn't seem to be on the same page as me.
—I've read through all of the backlogs of this gate. There have been over a couple of thousand excursions, and within each excursion, there's never been a time when the possessed could lie.
With a certain pause, I felt the tone in Niel's voice change.
—Squad Leader... Do you perhaps have another motive in mind? Or are you the possessed one?
The line paused after that.
Despite being so far apart, I could feel the coldness in his voice. Although the others remained silent, I could also feel that they felt the same way.
I stared at the walkie-talkie in my hand without much of an expression.
'What a troublesome situation.'
At the rate things were progressing, I could see the team ignoring my orders. I couldn't remain stubborn. Even if I did choose to go the path of the tyrant, they'd most likely ignore me.
'What do I do...?'
I tapped the back of the walkie-talkie a couple of times before eventually relenting.
"Alright. Do as you please."
Although I didn't want to do this, I knew that my assumptions were groundless. There was a good chance that I was being paranoid and that the possessed really couldn't lie.
If it ended up being that I was right, it still wouldn't be too late.
—...We're proc-
Khhh!
A static sound came out from the walkie-talkie in the midst of Niel's words.
The shadows danced as the flame of the candle flickered, and I turned my attention towards the board once more.
I pressed my hand over the plachette and waited.
Then—
'Is... the possessed a girl?'
Mia's voice whispered in the air. Her voice was soft, but the moment it sounded, it almost felt as though a cold wind had blown past my ear.
I then felt a cold touch over my hand as the plachette started moving once again.
It continued to move until it came to a stop.
[Yes]
I silently groaned at the sight.
'Yes...'
In that case, the 'possessed' was Joanna.
She was the only one who said no, and since the possessed could only lie once, she was the most obvious candidate.
But was that really the case...?
'No, this is far too obvious.'
Khh!
The walkie-talkies worked again.
—It looks like we have our candidate. Let's vote for Joanna.
Niel's voice echoed from the walkie-talkie.
—I'm in favor.
—Yes.
There was a pause after that.
'So Mia is not responding.'
Then...
—Squad Leader? What is your decision?
"This is too easy."
I replied.
"...I will vote if you wish me to vote, but this is far too easy. Do you really think the possessed will lie like this?"
—The records show that it has happened a couple of times. This is also a low-ranked gate. You're thinking too much. I'm casting my vote.
—...Same.
—Me too.
The others all cast their votes, and I secretly shook my head.
'I hope they're right.'
I really did.
"Alright then."
I decided to vote for Joanna as well.
Reluctantly, I reached forward and placed my hand on the planchette. The board was cold beneath my fingers. I began to guide the pointer, each letter scraping against the wooden surface.
All I had to do was spell her name on the board to eliminate her.
All of us had to vote at the same time in order to cast someone out. However, if someone did manage to catch a glimpse of the possessed, they had the ability to vote them out directly without the need of the others.
But this was only applicable if they actually 'saw' the possessed, and the possessed 'saw' them.
J... O... A... N... N... A.
With every push, it felt as though something pushed back. Not violently, but it seemed to resist. Whispers trickled in at the edge of my mind as I pushed the planchette. I clenched my jaw and blocked them out, forcing the planchette to complete the name.
As the last letter clicked into place, the air snapped.
Everything stilled. The temperature dropped sharply, like the room had been plunged into an ice bath. The candle's flame danced wildly, casting distorted shadows that leapt across the walls and ceiling.
Then—
Rattle! Rattle!
The table shook violently beneath my hands. The board rattled as if it might fling itself into the air. I instinctively grabbed the candle, holding it steady, letting the planchette clatter free.
Clank!
The door behind me burst open with a deafening slam, banging against the wall before slamming shut again with unnatural force. The shadows around the room warped and twisted, stretching like they were being pulled by invisible strings.
The air grew thick.
Thick enough where it felt suffocating.
I stayed still. Eyes wide. Muscles tense.
And then—
Silence.
Everything stopped. The tremors. The voices. Even the pressure in the air seemed to pause.
Only the candle flickered, its once-bright flame now dimmed considerably. It had burned halfway down, wax pooling beneath it like melted time.
I stared at the board, waiting, the silence pressing in from all sides.
And then it moved.
The planchette began to slide, a low scraping sound echoing within the silence.
It glided across the board as though guided by an invisible hand.
Each inch felt like a minute. The weight in the room thickened, clinging to my skin like oil.
And finally...
The planchette stopped.
"No..."
The word escaped before I could stop it.
The cold worsened, slicing into me like needles.
The atmosphere shifted, and my expression tightened.
I was right.
I had been right all along.
The possessed.
It could lie more than once.
If there had been any lingering doubts before, this was no longer the case.
This gate had evolved.