I took a couple of days of rest.
There were a lot of things that I needed to do, but I decided to just forget about everything and relax for once. I desperately needed the rest.
I had been working myself to the bone from the moment I had arrived in this strange world.
Taking into consideration what I had previously told myself, I decided to rest.
"It's okay to work a lot, but I also need to relax sometimes."
I walked out of the dorms.
The sun shone brightly outside, causing me to squint lightly as I looked at the road ahead. The number of cars present on the street had decreased drastically as opposed to how the roads were a couple of days prior.
'...It looks like the Guilds have finally started to leave the island.'
I had expected them to leave earlier, but they had stayed more than I had expected. This was most likely due to the chaos that followed the gate. A lot of the Guilds stayed behind in order to understand more about the Jester and the Conductor.
It seemed like there was another commotion that had risen from the gate.
However, it wasn't something that I knew all too well.
'If I have to take a guess, it's most likely due to the fact that the gate reached the next rank, but I'm not sure. Whatever the case is, I should get some coffee.'
Not far from the dorms, there was a cafe that most of the people from the Guild frequented when they had time.
Otherwise, they'd usually go for the quick powdered stuff.
I wasn't that much different.
"I at least want to try this place once."
I was still on leave, so I just thought of trying things that I normally didn't. It was also nice to step out of the Guild for once.
'...And it's not like I'm far from the Guild. I'm still very close, so it's still relatively safe.'
When I arrived at the café, a small line of people was waiting outside. From the street, the place looked inviting; broad, clear windows rising to the top and wrapping around the shop, offering a glimpse of the warm interior within.
The floor was made of dark wood, with the table matching the floor, alongside the counter that displayed all sorts of goods.
They looked appetizing.
But..
"I don't know."
I scratched the back of my head while staring at the line. This felt like too much of a hassle for some coffee.
"Maybe I shoul—"
"Seth...?"
A familiar voice echoed behind me, making me pause. I turned, and there it was, a lock of golden hair and a pair of green eyes fixed directly on me.
Wearing some baggy white pants, alongside a green shirt that stopped at her waist, Zoey looked at me with a confused look.
"You... go to places like this?"
She looked really confused.
My lips twitched when I stared at her. She looked to be dressed in casual clothes, but I could tell from a glance that they were all probably some designer brands that I didn't know about. Just her black purse looked to be more expensive than anything I owned.
But that didn't really bother me.
What bothered me was the numerous stares directed our way.
"Well."
I forced a smile.
Maybe I didn't do a very good job at it as Zoey's brow rose, at the same time mumbling, 'What? Are you trying to fight me?'
I coughed and looked back at the store.
"I'm on vacation. So... I thought about trying something new."
"Vacation...?"
Zoey looked at me as if I were some sort of alien.
"What?"
"Serious...?"
"What's wrong with me taking a vacation?"
"No, it's more like, I didn't know you took breaks."
"...."
She got me there. I didn't know how to reply. I also didn't know that I took breaks.
"I was just tired. I needed some time for myself."
"Well, sure."
Zoey stopped asking from there. She pointed at the shop.
"Are you going?"
"Might as well."
I moved towards the back of the line. However, just as I had taken a step towards the back, a hand grasped my arm, pulling me back.
"Huh? Wha—"
"What are you doing?"
Zoey looked at me as if I were an idiot.
The hell...
"I'm waiting in line, like normal people do."
"You..."
Zoey covered her forehead with her hand. With a sigh that she didn't even try to hide, she pointed at the shop.
"If you're from the Guild, you can directly skip the line, you know? This place is owned by the Guild, and so we naturally have priority over everyone. Come."
Letting go of my arm, Zoey led me into the shop.
I was still not used to the stares, but I tried my best to ignore them as Zoey pointed towards the large blackboard behind the counter.
"Choose something from there and order it."
"...."
"What is it now?"
I pursed my lips before looking at her.
"What does that mean?"
I pointed towards a certain item, and Zoey's face froze.
"....."
Her face grew several different shades before her head lowered.
"Let's not talk about that."
"No, but I'm curious."
"It's—"
"Hello? Can I take your order?"
"Ah, yes."
Zoey stepped up with a smile.
She then started ordering.
"Hi, I'd like a large half-caf, triple-shot, ristretto, oat milk latte with exactly two pumps of toasted white mocha, one pump of sugar-free cinnamon dolce, and half a pump of classic syrup."
Huh?
What sort of—
"Can you make it extra hot but not scalding, swirl it counterclockwise three times, and top it with a light dusting of nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of cocoa powder?"
"....?"
"Oh, and can you also add whipped cream only to the left half of the cup, lightly caramel drizzle in a zigzag pattern over it, and then stir the drink exactly seven times with a reusable bamboo straw?"
Finished with her order, Zoey smiled.
"That's all."
"...."
I took several steps back.
What sort of order is this?
I looked at the staff, but contrary to my expectations, they looked completely fine as they noted everything down with a smile. Eventually, they turned in my direction.
"How about you? What would you like?"
"That's..."
I looked at Zoey and then at the staff. In the end, I pointed at the board.
"I'd like a Kyle special, please."
"...Kyle special?"
The staff smiled.
"Fifteen shots of espresso. Noted."
"Eh?"
"Anything else?"
"No, wait. What did you just say?"
"That's all. I'll pay for both of us."
Zoey cut in, handing over her card.
"No, that's—"
"That would be twelve in total."
Twelve!?
I nearly fainted. What sort of robbery was this!?
"Thank you for your purchase."
I seemed to black out from that moment. By the time I came to, I found myself standing outside the cafe, alongside Zoey as she stirred her drink.
She just took a sip of her drink when I looked at her.
"I think I get it."
"...?"
Zoey looked at me.
I looked back at her seriously.
"This... place. It's a gate, isn't it?"
"S-stop."
Zoey's voice trembled for some reason.
"I'm not wrong, right? Twelve for coffee? Only an anomaly would be this heartless."
"Kuekh...!"
A weird sound came out of Zoey's mouth.
As expected, her drink was bad.
"I'm sure the rank must be high. At least rank. Never seen such dangerous and heartless ano—"
"Pftttt!!!"
Something wet flew onto my face. It landed right onto my eyes and slid down. I froze on the spot.
But as if that wasn't enough...
"Hahahaha."
The spit was followed by a loud laugh.
One that seemed to attract the attention of everyone present.
Trying her best to hold herself, Zoey held onto her stomach while furiously biting her lips.
"Kuhke...! Ekh!"
Standing with my drink in my hand, I didn't have it in me to stop her, as this was the first time I had ever seen her smile or laugh.
In the end, I let her be.
Bringing my own drink to my mouth, I took a sip.
'Well, I guess I still do owe her an apology for what I did back then. She can take this as—'
"Uakkh—!"
I suddenly spat onto the floor, holding onto my neck while staring at the drink in my hand.
What the hell is this?!
"Hue...! Haha! I can't breathe...!"
-x-X-x-
All I took was one sip.
However, that was all it took for me to feel extremely jittery.
'Oh, fuck.'
I had a sudden bad feeling about the situation. By then, it was already too late as I found myself walking back with Zoey to the Guild. And before I knew it, I was in my own office.
"....."
I blankly stared at the painting opposite me.
"Wasn't I supposed to rest a bit more?"
Why was I back in my office?
"Oh god."
I thought about immediately heading back to the dorms to get some rest, but I knew that in my current state, that was impossible.
'This drink better not be made after the same Kyle that I know. Otherwise...'
I clenched my hand into a fist while standing up from my seat and walking towards the door that led to my other office.
Click!
I unlocked the door, slipped inside with my laptop, and made sure to lock it again behind me before stepping further in.
Finding a spot, I sat down on the floor and opened the laptop. Several figures popped up in the room at the same time.
A particular figure stood out among the rest. Its tall frame carried an undeniable presence, alongside it was a certain pressure that pulled at me until I found myself lifting my head almost instinctively.
It was the Conductor.
I blinked a couple of times before speaking.
"I'm thinking of setting up a music studio in one of the rooms of this place. Do you think you'll be able to set it up?"
"...It is possible."
The Conductor answered in a low tone, its voice carrying a quiet heaviness as its eyes shifted to the windows overlooking the room beyond the corridor. For a moment, its gaze lingered on the door before slipping away and returning to the empty stretch of corridor ahead.
Its lips pulled up in amusement shortly after.
"What an intriguing gate. Best be careful, human. This is a very dangerous gate."
I froze for a moment as a chill traced its way down my spine. It lingered there, unsettling, until I forced myself to take a few steady breaths, slowly reining my nerves back under control.
"...I know."
This was something that I had been warned about earlier.
"So long as I stay within the rules, I should be fine."
The Conductor's lips stretched further in amusement, but it no longer said anything. A heavy sense of foreboding stirred within me at that smile, but I forced myself to look away, refusing to dwell on it any longer.
'...I already know the risks of the gate. I just can't think of a better place to do my work without getting interrupted. I might change it in the future, but until I can afford a proper studio, I plan on staying here.'
"If that's what you wish."
The Conductor dropped the topic, moving towards the window and looking at the other classroom.
"In order to build a music studio, you'll need instruments. I'd prefer them to be of high quality. The better the quality, the better the music. Can you handle that?"
"Will better quality music make a difference?"
"It will."
"...Okay."
I took note of it on my laptop. I had a budget of three million dollars. I had yet to touch it. If I spent some of it on the equipment, I'd still have a lot remaining.
'I plan on spending some money to hire some staff too.'
"Oh, right."
I suddenly recalled the message that I sent before. Going to my email, I looked through it before stopping at a certain email.
"Hmm."
My eyes squinted.
"They want to meet up with me directly?"
I scratched the side of my face.
"It's doable."
I replied with an email and set up a meeting for next week, then moved on to the rest of the unopened messages. Most turned out to be nothing but junk, and by the time I finished going through them all, I'd gained nothing of value.
"That's that. I guess I should start planning for my new game."
I opened the app and went to the [Game Developer Mode].
The interface immediately changed. A familiar one appeared.
I was just about to get started when—
[Update!]
A large notification appeared on my screen.
[The Game Developer Mode is now experiencing an update. Please wait a moment!]
"....."
I opened my mouth, but soon closed it.
This threw me off completely. I hadn't expected an update to come.
However, this was more than welcome.
'Is it because I've reached the Third Order? Is that why? Or is it something else...?' My gaze subconsciously turned towards the VR equipment by the side of the room, and my heart started to speed up.
Could it be...?
Ding!
A chime rang right after.
[Update complete!]
I didn't waste a second dismissing the notification and looking directly at the interface.
"It looks crisper than before."
The overall layout looked a bit cleaner than before. Where it had once been just a plain list of features, each one was now framed in its own box, the text styled in a way that felt less tacky and far more modern.
But above all...
[Select Game Engine]
-------------------------
◉ U-Engine
◉ Game Developer Engine
◉ Virtual Game Engine
-------------------------
"It's real... "
A virtual game engine!
I nearly shouted at the top of my lungs. I only just barely held back when I took notice of the Conductor as it stared at me with its head tilted. For some reason, with it here, I didn't feel comfortable screaming at the top of my lungs.
"Ehm."
Clearing my throat, I opened up the description of the engine.
-------------------------
Virtual Game Engine:
An engine built with the main system to make designing virtual games easier for the developer. Not only does it save time, but it also delivers the full sensation of playing within a virtual world; so vivid it almost feels real!
-------------------------
It was a bit of a generic description. It didn't really tell much.
Pondering for a moment, I scrolled down and decided to give the new engine a try.
'I want to experience it for myself and see exactly what it does.'
Click!
I clicked on the feature.
Immediately, the screen shifted. A vast, empty white space appeared right before my eyes as a section opened up on the side of the screen.
I opened it up.
—[—[Furniture]—]—
● Oak Bookshelf: 40 SP
● Mahogany Chair: 25 SP
● Walnut Cabinet: 60 SP
● Pine Stool: 15 SP
● Cherry Dresser: 55 SP
● Ebony Side Table: 35 SP
—[—[Furniture]—]—
"....."
My lip twitched.
Seriously?
"I can't believe I have to pay to set up stuff."
The price wasn't unusually high, but I knew it would add up. With all the programs I was likely to add on top of that, a new headache was already creeping in.
That was also not the only section.
Furniture, Background, Structure, Items, Miscellaneous, Smell, Temperature...
There were quite a lot of things. I didn't even bother clicking on the structure part since I understood I knew I'd get a heart attack.
Still, this was certainly a welcome development.
"This will make the 3D modeling extremely easy. In that case, all that will be needed is the actual programming. This will save me so much time."
I fiddled more with the program. I wanted to see what other features were present.
That was how I spent the next couple of hours.
Just when I thought I had seen through everything, a certain button caught my eye.
[Simulation]
"That's..."
My breath caught for a moment.
But then—
Click!
I pressed on it.
Immediately, my world changed.
-x-X-x-
"Hm~ Hmm~"
A low hum filled a certain cubicle, Zoey taking a sip of her drink. The drink tasted better than usual.
But then again, the Guild cafe was one of the only places that made the drink exactly like she wanted it.
'Maybe they changed the brand of the milk.'
Whatever it was, they did a good job.
"Hmm~"
Humming to herself, Zoey didn't notice the shadow that cast above her.
Lifting her head, she saw Kyle looking at her weirdly.
Her face straightened immediately.
"What?"
"....."
Kyle didn't say anything and just continued to look at her weirdly.
In the end, however, he decided not to pursue the matter further as he tossed a couple of papers over to her desk.
"What's this?"
Zoey looked at the papers in confusion. But after catching a small glimpse of the title, her expression hardened.
"Department Trials."
Kyle's voice followed not long after.
"...I'm not sure when they're going to start, but it won't be long. The Guild is still handling the aftereffects of the gate. They'll make an announcement soon. Regardless, it's going to happen."
"Oh god."
Zoey covered her face.
The Department Trial was an event that occurred each year. Just like the name suggested, it was an event that occurred within the department, and pitted all the squads within the department to compete with each other.
The criteria and way of competition would change every year, so nobody knew the means of competition this year.
The rewards for the winners were also usually really good.
But there was a problem.
The winners...
They would be sent to the main island to represent the Guild at the World Guild Conference, an event where teams from every Guild gathered to compete, striving for both victory and worldwide recognition.
It was an event that Zoey had participated in the past. Kyle had also been present.
But—
"We just barely made it in the mid-tables, didn't we?"
"...Yes."
Kyle smiled bitterly.
"It's not like we couldn't have ranked higher, but the Guilds on the island are simply on another tier. I don't have a good feeling this year either."
"...Same."
Zoey agreed.
It wasn't that they were lacking. In truth, Zoey believed her talent, along with Kyle's, could still stand among the best in the Guilds of the main island. The difference was that, unlike them, those Guilds were filled with entire teams of individuals possessing talents on the same level as them.
Their teams were simply superior in every way.
"I don't think the situation will change much this year. Our current roster is quite thin from the gate, and from what I've heard, Clara is out of commission. Without her, it's practically impossible for us to do well. In fact, we're more likely to be ranked at the bottom than to climb higher."
"I think the same."
Zoey's face turned a little grim.
"Maybe in a couple of years, since we've got Myles and Rowan from our team. The two of them are growing really well. Especially Myles. He's... doing very well."
"Yes."
Kyle thought about Myles. His achievements lately have been quite good. It was just unfortunate that a lot of them were overshadowed by Seth and his team.
That team...
"I guess there's not much hope this year. The future is promising, though."
Kyle smiled, but the smile didn't last for very long.
"...That is if we're still here."
Kyle stopped there as Zoey paused and looked up at him. Neither said a word, but she immediately understood what he was trying to say.
She shrugged.
"I've still not considered it yet. I'm quite happy here. I don't see why I would need to change, but it isn't like this is an offer that I can simply throw away in the trash. The terms are just..."
"Same."
The atmosphere between the two turned a little grim.
"Ehm.
Kyle cleared his throat while giving a quick skim of Zoey's desk. His eyes eventually settled over her drink, and he quickly switched the topic.
"You went to the cafe?"
"Hm? Oh... Yeah."
Zoey raised her drink before taking a sip.
"It seems like they've changed their milk. The drink tastes better than usual."
"It does?"
Kyle stared at the drink for a moment before looking back at her.
"Was that why you were smiling before?"
"Huh?"
"Well, that's good. I'll pop up over there and have my usual. I'll see you later."
Tapping on the cubicle a couple of times, Kyle turned around and left.
Zoey stared at his parting back, her hand pressing against her lips as she frowned.
"Smiling...?"
'I was smiling?'
***
The moment I came to, I was met with a world of white.
It stretched in all directions.
Infinitely.
"Where in the world—!?"
Suddenly, a panel appeared before me, startling me.
But then—
"Wait..."
Taking a look at the panel, I immediately recognized it.
—[—[Furniture]—]—
● Oak Bookshelf: 40 SP
● Mahogany Chair: 25 SP
● Walnut Cabinet: 60 SP
● Pine Stool: 15 SP
● Cherry Dresser: 55 SP
● Ebony Side Table: 35 SP
—[—[Furniture]—]—
This was the very same panel from before.
And as I looked at the white world around me, I realized something.
"Maybe...?"
My heart raced inside my chest as I swallowed silently. Dragging my finger over to the panel, I pressed my finger over the [Pine Stool] picture.
Immediately, another notification followed.
[Would you like to purchase Pine Stool for 15SP?]
▶ [Yes] ▷[No]
The moment I pressed [Yes], the SP was directly taken off from my account, and a stoold materialized from above me.
*Puff*
It appeared exactly the same way as the items that I purchased from the shop, as I hastily grabbed it, only to realize that it was a lot lighter than I expected.
"It feels the same, but it's really light."
I waved the stool a couple of times before putting it close to my nose.
"...It smells like new wood, too."
This...
I examined the stool before me from every angle. No matter how long I studied it, I couldn't find a single flaw. It smelled, felt, looked, and even sounded like an ordinary stool. I wouldn't have been able to tell it apart from one in the real world.
"This is crazy."
Because of how busy I had been, I had never actually gotten to play with a virtual reality game.
That, and the fact that purchasing a capsule was quite expensive.
'I also heard that there are helmets that are quite cheap, but the experience isn't quite the same.'
But still, if this was how realistic the virtual world was...
My heart started to palpitate with even more excitement as I had a hard time containing my excitement.
"The possibilities are endless. Coupled with everything that I currently have, I might be able to create something that is not much different from a gate."
It was scary to think about.
A Virtual Game that was not much different than a Gate.
But this...
This was what the Guilds and people wanted. I could already imagine the craze that a game like this would create in the world.
From this moment forward, I was no longer playing within the island.
With Virtual Reality, I was playing at the world level.
-x-X-x-
"...Thank you all for coming."
I looked at the three figures standing before me. Each wore a suit, but given the wrinkles on it, and how one was too large, and the other was too small, I knew that they had most likely come with their old suits.
That didn't really matter to me.
I wasn't the type to care for this type of stuff.
"Sit down for now. If you wish to get a drink, you can do so. I suggest you don't pick the Kyle special. I'm just here to talk with you about the terms of the contracts that I'm about to offer you, and what I expect from you."
Noah, Ryan, and Joseph.
These were the names of the three employees that I planned on hiring.
After some back-and-forth, I convinced them to meet with me to discuss the possibility of working full-time under my employment. Given how well they had done in the past, I felt that they were the right people for the job.
"Ehm."
I cleared my throat before taking a stack of papers out and laying them on the wooden table.
"I'll keep this brief. I've reviewed all of your résumés, and I believe you three are the right fit, especially after seeing how well you worked together in the previous game. Because of that, I'm offering each of you a fixed starting salary of $10,000 per year, along with a bonus proportional to the sales of the game we develop."
As an old corporate slave, I understood just how hard this industry was.
I also understood the standard salary for those who worked in this industry, which was around 2,000$.
I was now offering them five times that.
'The happier they are, the better they'll work.'
The little performance boost was an extra incentive to have them work to the bon—well. To work well.
"....."
"....."
"....."
What followed my words was an odd silence, broken only by the hiss of coffee brewing and the low murmur of background chatter.
Seeing them so silent, I frowned.
Was my offer too small? Did someone scout them before and offer them more?
'Now that I think about it, with the success of my previous game, they most likely must've received an offer from some serious gaming companies. In that case, should I increase my offer?'
Just when I thought I had to change the terms of the contract, a shaky voice broke me out of my thoughts.
"T.. this is serious, right?"
I turned to the one who had spoken. With ginger hair and freckles scattered across his face, Noah lowered the contract in his hand and fixed his eyes on me. One glance was enough to see he was utterly shocked.
The other two also wore similar expressions.
I looked between the three of them and understood.
'No, it doesn't look like they got a better offer. The opposite. They're probably shocked by my offer.'
It was indeed a good one.
"Yes, this is serious. If you don't believe me, then you can try hiring a lawyer. I'm currently being sponsored by the Severed Stars Guild, so if you have any doubts with regards to me, you can talk to them directly."
The good thing about the Guild backing me was the fact that it made my offer a lot more credible.
I made sure to highlight this in the contract.
"For now, the three of you will be my only employees. You won't have to do much, and you can even work remotely if you wish. I also have all of the equipment ready and have a studio that is being set up. I'm rather flexible with this type of stuff, so just tell me how you want things to work, and I'll arrange it."
To me, how much someone worked was irrelevant.
I only expected results.
Even if they were slacking around the entire time, or even went on vacation for several months, so long as they accomplished the desired task, I was fine with them doing whatever they wanted.
I'd seen it too many times...
Programmers pushed to work beyond their limits, leading to countless errors in the script and hours wasted tracking them down and fixing them.
I didn't want to waste time repeating the same mistakes.
"I'll repeat this again. So long as all of you achieve results, you can do whatever you want. Develop your own game? Feel free to use any of the equipment in the studio. Exercise? Even better. Just do whatever you want. I only want results."
I pressed my hand onto the table and slowly stood up.
I had said everything that I wanted to say.
"Look over the contract carefully and then come back to me. I'll show you the studio further down the line. It's still in the development phase right now."
Thinking about the studio, I started to feel a little excited myself. There were a lot of things that I wanted to do with it. From the dedicated music area to the main development area. I could already imagine the studio turning into a game-making machine.
Of course, that was way further down the line.
For now, I needed to get employees.
"I hope to receive a positive answer from the three of you."
I took my leave after that.
***
After Seth's departure, the café fell into silence. None of the three spoke a word as they stared at the contracts before them, their faces frozen in disbelief.
It took a while for them to recover as Noah tapped on Ryan and Joseph's legs.
"...!?"
"...Huh!"
It was only then that the two snapped out of it as they stared at the documents in front of them.
Swallowing silently, Ryan adjusted his messy hair as his eyes once again swept over the contract.
"This is real, right?"
"...I think so."
Joseph relied, swallowing hard.
This all felt like a dream to him. Not just him, but the three of them. The game they had worked on had only been released recently, and yet, for almost an entire month, it trended throughout the entire island.
Especially when the multiplayer feature was released. The game reached the peak of popularity within the island, with teens and even members from other Guilds playing the game with each other.
Outside of the scare factor, the game had another factor that drew a lot of customers.
...It was funny.
Playing the game and watching their teammates leap into the air generated countless entertaining clips, which only boosted its popularity even more.
The three benefited quite a lot from the game.
They had all received lucrative offers from rather famous studios. In particular, Nightmare Forge Studios, one of the most powerful and important studios on the island.
And yet—
Their offered paled in comparison to the one before them.
Not only was the salary better, but the freedom that they were provided was something that no other company provided.
This contract...
No, this opportunity.
It was the opportunity of a lifetime!
Especially since they were aware of the person who had presented the offer to them. While still not big within the space, Seth Thorne had slowly and steadily built up some reputation within the gaming space.
With three back-to-back successes, he was starting to develop a cult following.
He didn't seem to be aware of it, but his reputation within the circle was growing with each passing day.
Just thinking about what his next game could be made the hearts of the three developers palpitate with excitement.
"Let me send this to my lawyer."
"I'll do the same."
"If there's nothing wrong, let's sign this."
The three got to work.
Standing up, they hurriedly phoned up their lawyers.
-x-X-x-
"...I think I should get an answer soon."
I checked the time while walking into the elevator. It hadn't been ten minutes since I left the coffee shop, and given the expressions that they were by the time that I left, I was certain that they had been enticed by my offer.
'Perhaps I'll get an answer by today.'
The faster the better, honestly.
"Well then, now that I've handled that, what should I do?"
I had already exercised. I had already slept. Team activities were still on pause due to the aftermath of the gate.
In other words...
"Brainstorm game ideas, develop the studio, or dig more information of the company. Oh, right."
I planed my hand against my face.
"Right, I forgot to ask her."
I had been with Zoey not long ago. I should've asked her about the black market then.
Stepping out of the elevator and walking into the main area, I looked around for her, but she didn't seem to be present. I even looked for Rowan, but he also didn't seem to be present.
"Well, I'm not in a rush, I guess."
I had no money, so...
'In that case, should I start brainstorming for the new game?'
I ideally wanted to do this with the new recruits, but then again, perhaps it was best if I was the one who came up with the concept.
'Yeah, I'll do that. I can ask them to help me with the development, and if they have any ideas, I can add them. I'm open to listening to what they have to say.'
Setting my mind to the goal, I walked all the way to my office.
But right as I caught a glimpse of the door, I stopped.
There, standing right before the door, was a figure that I was all too familiar with. My heart pressed tightly against my throat as I stared at her silhouette.
'What is she doing here? It can't be because...?'
A sudden memory of my past interaction with her flashed through my mind, and a wave of nervousness washed over me.
I wanted to retreat back, but not even a second after the thought crossed my mind, her head turned, and our eyes met.
"....!?"
Shit!
I wanted to curse at my luck.
However, right as I started to despair over my situation, something struck me.
Wait...
I looked closely in her direction. In that moment, something became clear to me. She... She didn't look well at all. Her face was pale, her eyes slightly sunken with glaring black circles, and she didn't even try to approach me the moment she looked at me.
She seemed just out of energy.
'What the hell happened?'
Looking around, I eventually moved up to her.
"Can I help you with something? You're looking for me, right?"
"....."
Clara didn't say anything. She just stared at me.
The next few seconds became an awkward hell for me. Eventually, unable to stand the silence, I reached for the handle of my door when she suddenly moved her hand and pointed at the sign.
[Trauma Counselor]
"....."
It was my turn to be silent as my entire body stiffened.
Slowly turning my head in her direction, I watched as her mouth opened and she hoarsely said, "I'm here for a consultation."
I smiled then.
"I'm not a therapist."
*
"So, what is it that you're currently having trouble with?"
I crossed my leg while looking at the empty sheet on the notepad in front of me. Clara sat across from me with her head lowered.
We were currently in a different office.
Given what had happened in the Hourglass gate, I didn't want to risk giving my identity away. Even if she didn't seem to be in the best of conditions, I didn't want to take the risk. Thankfully, she had her own office that I could use.
I was sitting in her seat.
"....I'm having trouble sleeping."
Clara answered after a brief moment of hesitation. I could tell from her expression that she didn't want to interact with me and found this entire situation stupid.
I wholeheartedly agreed with her.
I was no therapist.
'That bastard must've put her up to it.'
Damned Section Chief.
"You're having trouble sleeping? Since when has this been happening?"
"It had been going on for almost half a year. However, it recently got a lot worse."
"How recently?"
"Less than a week."
My hand paused.
A picture of the current situation started to paint in my mind.
"Does this have to do with the recent gate?"
"...."
I tapped my pen on the paper.
"I see."
The picture became clearer in my mind. No, I pretty much understood what was happening.
Err..
At least, I knew enough to work with and come up with a scenario.
I put the pen down.
"You're afraid of failure."
"Huh?"
Clara's expression changed. My thoughts became more clear then.
"You're terrified of failure."
***
Ever since the gate had closed, Clara felt as if her mind had been plunged into the darkest, most unfathomable depths of the ocean. She struggled to concentrate or even formulate a thought.
She felt extremely sluggish.
Clara had hoped she would improve as the days went by, but that had been a naive expectation. The heaviness only deepened with each passing day, and her nights remained restless and sleepless.
The moment she closed her eyes, she'd see 'that' figure.
It haunted her whenever her mind let down its guard, appearing in her dreams or as hallucinations, clutching a needle and whispering for her to stay still so it could stitch her eyes and mouth shut.
Clara's last few days had been a nightmare for her.
She visited the best therapists in the Guild, and yet, none of them seemed to provide her with any relief.
Her nights remained sleepless, and its figure remained in her mind.
Just when she resigned herself to the situation, the Section Chief gave her a last-ditch solution.
'There's a precedent in the past where he's managed to help and even improve one of the recruits' performances with his sessions. I'm not sure of how useful it will be to you, but you should give it a shot.'
In all honesty, Clara didn't believe that he'd be able to help.
Yet, whether driven by curiosity about him or the sheer desperation she felt, she found herself seeking him out.
But she soon regretted that decision.
"You're terrified of failure."
"Wha... "
Clara's lips opened and closed, her mind blanking out for a moment until her teeth slowly clenched together as her chest started to boil.
Terrified of failure?
'What is this bastard talking about?'
How did he even draw this conclusion from just a few questions?
Clara's body shook as she tried her best to hold herself back. But given all the stress she was currently experiencing, that proved to be a way harder task than anticipated.
Just when she thought she had managed to calm herself down, Seth spoke once more.
"You're trying to mask your true fear, convincing yourself that something else is causing these feelings. However..."
Seth tapped his pen onto the notepad.
"...What you're really scared of is failure. Like the one you just faced."
-x-X-x-
"....."
Clara sat in silence, her face shifting through fleeting shades of color until her composure finally broke. Her features tightened, and she fixed Seth with a sharp glare.
"What nonsense are you talking about? This is obviously not about failure."
"Is it not...?"
"It's not."
Clara denied it completely.
"I've failed many times before. This is definitely not it."
"Is that so?"
"What do you mean, is that so?"
Clara's brows knitted further.
"I'm telling you, that's not it. And if I'm the one saying it, then it definitely isn't."
"Okay."
Seth nodded while jotting something down on his notepad. Clara's expression further crumbled.
At the same time, he took something out of his pocket.
It looked like some sort of squishy red ball.
What sort of...
"Are you even listening to me?"
"...Yes?"
Seth paused and looked at her.
"I'm listening to you."
"No, you're not."
"And what makes you think that?"
"Then why are you holding on to the ball?"
"This?"
Seth held out the ball for her to see. Clara's eyes lingered on it, but before she could react, he flicked it aside. She tried to follow its arc, only to watch it vanish into thin air. At the same time, she felt something pierce her mind.
It was extremely subtle, and had she been in her most optimal condition, she would've noticed it.
But she was far from that now. Her thoughts dragged sluggishly, and even the act of thinking straight felt like a struggle.
"Wha—"
"What ball? I don't see any ball."
"...."
Clara's jaw clenched so tightly that it started to make weird grinding sounds. Seth's face remained indifferent to it all as he licked the top of his teeth and started jotting down several more things on his notepad.
The sight made Clara nearly jump him.
'Take a deep breath. Deep breath. Relax.'
Although she said all of this, it wasn't working. The more she looked at him, the angrier she got. Just when she found herself unable to hold back and prepared to leave, Seth opened his mouth.
"Let's say that I'm wrong. What do you think the main cause of your nightmares is? Is it the Conductor? Its appearance? Its presence...?"
"Wha... Yes, that's..."
Taken aback, Clara didn't know how to answer properly.
But she soon recollected herself.
"Yes, it's... because of that. Every time I close my eyes, I imagine the Conductor."
"Hmm."
Seth nodded seriously. For a moment, Clara's brows relaxed at the sight, but just when she thought he had finally understood her, he tapped his pen on the paper.
"Yes, you're scared of failure."
As the words echoed again, something inside Clara snapped. She wasn't sure when it happened, but suddenly she was on her feet, her face flushed red as a crushing pressure erupted from her body.
BANG!
The chair nearly shattered at her action.
At the same time, she advanced on Seth, who stayed seated, his face utterly blank, as if unfazed by everything happening around him.
"Listen up, fucker!"
Clara's voice rose, spitting each word venomously as she grabbed him by the collar and brought her face closer to his.
"Are you stubborn? Or are you here to make fun of me? I've already been having the worst week of my entire life, and I can't tolerate things as I used to. I'm just a few seconds away from snapping, and trust me..." She paused, her voice growing lower and her eyes growing even more threatening. "That last thing that you want to see is me snapping. That's—"
Snap!
A sudden snap echoed, and Clara felt her vision starting to wobble. Something seemed to pierce her mind in that moment, but given her weak state of mind, she found herself unable to fight it off.
"Ukh...!"
In the end, her grip on Seth's collar loosened, fingers slipping away as she stumbled back a few steps, clutching her head.
A constant ringing sound echoed in her mind, drowning all other noise away.
"W-what's... W-what is..."
Flick!
Something flickered in her vision not long after.
She could hardly make out what it was. But it looked like a phone. In it... she saw something red and white.
Clara had a hard time making out what it was, but the moment she caught sight of it, something in her mind clicked.
The ringing faded, and Seth's voice echoed in her mind once more.
"You're afraid of failure."
"Wha..."
Her vision returned to normal as well.
Standing before Seth, she saw him stare at her without much of an expression. With his legs crossed, he began speaking.
"Your record is impeccable. From the moment you joined the Guild until now, you've cleared nearly every gate with outstanding success, never once failing. You've earned the title of the Guild's star, carrying a weighty responsibility on your shoulders."
His voice was smooth and soft to the ears.
Something about the voice made her pause. But it wasn't for long. Her lips soon parted as she tried to argue.
But—
"...."
Huh?
She stood in silence, unable to find her words. It was as if her mind had suddenly stopped working properly.
Seth took the moment to continue.
"This is why, the moment you faced a situation where nothing seemed to work, you began to falter. The weight of the situation pressed down on you, and you likely saw that gate as your first failure, even though the world thinks otherwise. You started to realize just how painful failure is, and you finally felt it..."
No, stop.
Seth paused, his gaze falling onto her.
"The weight of the responsibility on your shoulders."
The room turned completely silent following his words. Clara's chest rose and fell repeatedly, her face bleaching completely.
But as if that wasn't enough, she soon heard it.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
The loud sound of her rapidly beating heart.
Even worse—
Ziiii!
".....!?"
Alongside the beat of her heart, she heard something else. Something akin to the sound of a violin, and one that made the very hair on her body stand on end. And yet, as if her body was completely glued on the spot, she found herself unable to move her head at all.
Her eyes shook as she looked at Seth.
However, his gaze remained calm as he looked at her.
"It is okay to fail."
Seth's voice quietly echoed in the air.
Ziii!
The sound of the violin grew more pronounced. Clara's mind grew more sluggish, and finally, for the first time, she found herself truly paying attention to Seth as he took a moment to sort out his thoughts before speaking.
"Something shifts when you stop trying to prove yourself."
He looked right at her, pointing the pen at her.
"Your worth isn't measured by your achievements. Your worth isn't measured by how others perceive you. The only person who can determine your worth is yourself. Just like how the only person who can criticize you is yourself."
Seth paused, his hand tapping onto the paper before him.
Clara's lips opened and closed multiple times, her mind trying her best to argue with his words.
But she couldn't.
Unknowingly, her lips started to tremble.
His words...
They were strangely convincing.
No, that doesn't make—
"A person's insult only affects you when you allow it to affect you."
Seth didn't care for her thoughts. He continued slowly, his voice quietly drifting in the office space, making its way into her sluggish mind.
"If you don't allow it to affect you, it'll never affect you. That's why your worth is determined by yourself. Because everything that happens to you is based on your actions and thoughts."
"...."
Soon, the only thing Clara could hear was the sound of his voice.
The soft strains of the violin lingered behind his gentle words, and she swallowed quietly. She sensed something stir within her mind.
"The moment you stop letting other people, other than yourself, determine your worth, it'll be the moment you'll forget about all of this."
Seth paused, blinking slowly as the room fell silent.
"Everything starts from you."
Clara looked at him, swallowing quietly.
It does?
He nodded.
"You're your only enemy."
I am?
"You're afraid of failure. Not the Conductor."
"...."
Clara opened her mouth, but soon closed it.
In the end, lowering her head, she nodded softly.
""I... s-see."
"Yes."
A smile formed on Seth's lips as he looked at her. Then, shifting his gaze towards the figure that stood behind her, he scratched the side of his face and secretly gave it a thumbs up.
"Now, feel free to tell me what has been bothering you lately. I'm all ears."
No, not really.
Get out.
I'm not a therapist.
***
Author Note : The salary Seth offered is 10,000 a month, not 10,000 a year. It was a very clear typo. I've fixed it. Stop hounding me!
-x-X-x-
"...Take some time to rest. Get some good sleep and don't come to the Guild for the next couple of days. It's very important that you get some rest."
"Y... yes."
I watched as Clara left her own office with a dazed expression. I pursed my lips and leaned back on her chair. It was a lot more comfortable than mine. That wasn't all. The office in general was a lot bigger than mine, with a massive window that allowed one to overlook the street from below.
"....."
I paused.
I soon realized that it was fake.
'Right, we're underground. There's no way this is possible.'
I forced a smile before turning my attention towards the lanky figure standing opposite me. With a quiet sigh, I asked, "Are you sure that she didn't notice anything?"
"Yes."
The Conductor replied a moment later, its lips pulling upwards.
"That human... Her mind is not stable. There is no perfect moment to infiltrate her mind than now. She won't suspect a thing."
"I hope so."
I was obviously no therapist. If I had actually carried out a therapy, I'd just be rambling some nonsense without any effect. To some extent, this was exactly what I had done. However, by utilizing the Conductor's music, alongside Mr. Jingles, I was able to influence her to some extent.
Since I had only used one ball, the degree of hypnosis was very low. Thankfully, her mind wasn't in the right place.
This was what allowed me to carry on with the therapy session without any problems.
Normally, what I had done would've never worked on her, but with her current state of mind and approval from the Conductor, I went ahead and did it.
It all worked out in the end.
At least, I hoped it did.
'Then again, I could've rejected her at the start and none of this would've happened.'
But this wasn't what I wanted.
Recalling the moment we first met, I realized just how perceptive she was. With a single glance, it was as if she could almost see straight through me. She was simply too dangerous to roam free like that.
This was why I planned on using this chance to completely hypnotize her using Mr. Jingles and make her completely forget everything that she knew about the Jester, or something to that extent.
I wasn't too sure yet.
I needed to tread this carefully.
This was a dangerous path that I was walking.
"But it has to be done."
I stood up from the seat and finally walked towards the door, holding onto the handle.
'She's far too dangerous to be left alone like this. Might as well nip the problem in the bud.'
Clank!
*
"What was I supposed to do?"
Coming into my office, I stared blankly at my desk. I completely forgot what I was supposed to do. Was I even supposed to do anything?
"Err..."
I pinched the middle of my brows, trying to recall the best I could.
In the end, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember anything. After spending so much time holding onto the therapy session, I ended up forgetting everything.
"Great."
I sat down in my seat while secretly cursing the Section Chief.
'I really need to send him a message later and tell him to stop sending people to me. I'm not a therapist.'
The sessions were also hard on me.
"Hm?"
Taking out my phone and scrolling through some news, I suddenly paused. Several messages appeared no longer after, and my lips pulled into a smile.
"Good."
I stood up from my seat and slapped the table.
I had now just received the signed contracts from my three new developers. Without wasting a single second, I sent the papers to the Guild lawyer before heading towards the 'studio'. Since I now had my developers, it was time for me to develop the studio.
Click!
Unlocking the door and entering the classroom, the first thing that I did was stare at the equipment at the end of the room. The good thing about this place was the fact that both the internet and electricity worked. With the devices connected to the adapters, they all worked without any problems.
The issue was that they were all attached to the walls.
There was just empty space at the center of the classroom.
Taking several steps back, I looked at the empty area in the middle.
"I feel like I should use this area for game testing. Should I order several more capsules and have them in the middle over here?"
The price was a single high-end capsule was around 250,000$.
They weren't cheap, and I already had one in my possession.
However, given how multiplayer games tended to have greater sales, it was best for me to buy a couple more.
"Let's say I buy four. That'll be one million dollars of the budget. What next?"
I scanned the room. An anomaly came into vision.
"Alright."
I nodded.
"...I'll get you your equipment."
"Make sure they're of the best quality. The better the quality, the better the effect."
"I know, I know."
That was around 50,000$ down.
"Next...?"
I began walking around the room. With the same notepad that I used while holding the therapy session with Clara, I started to write everything that I needed down. From a recreation room, to new equipment like monitors, computers, and so on...
I started to list all of the things that I needed in order to make this place perfect for work, and before I knew it, I spent the next few hours like this.
By the time I was done, I had almost completely used up the three million that I had at my disposal.
I drew a cold breath upon realizing this.
But...
"This should be it. I don't think I'm missing anything else."
I checked through the long list one more time before nodding, closing my eyes at the same time as I held onto my chest, feeling the rapid beat of my own heartbeat.
"...With this, I can now officially start working on my next game."
I drew another breath.
"One that will break into the world stage."
***
"....."
Clara blankly stared at the white ceiling above her.
Blinking her eyes, she looked around. It looked like she was in her own room. She couldn't even recall how she had managed to get into her room. Her memories were hazy.
All she could recall was a certain voice.
'Your worth isn't measured by your achievements.'
His voice was soft.
'Your worth isn't measured by how others perceive you. The only person who can determine your worth is yourself.'
Comforting.
'Just like how the only person who can criticize you is yourself.'
...And soothing to her ears.
Her eyelids grew heavier with every word.
Even as her vision blurred and the world faded, the voice lingered, threading through her mind. She couldn't remember everything, but as sleep crept closer, Clara did something she hadn't done in what felt like forever.
She let herself go.
She slept.
For the first time since leaving the recent gate, Clara surrendered to sleep.
The moment you stop letting others define your worth... that's the moment you'll forget all of this.
In the company of the strange voice.
-x-X-x-
"Yes, over here. That's good."
It had been a busy week. Standing in the classroom, which looked completely different than it did a week ago, I carefully instructed the workers who had entered the room.
"...I'd like for all of them to be in the middle, preferably."
"For the instruments, I'd like them transported to another room. Yes, make sure to install soundproofing. I need the music to be extremely crisp."
"The monitor...? Yes, it's fine over there."
It was a busy day.
Thankfully, I managed to get everything set up before the day ended.
"Thank you."
I thanked the staff and let my gaze sweep over the studio before me. The transformation was staggering, nothing like the place I remembered. Sleek monitors, powerful stereos, sound capsules, and even a dedicated workspace for the programmers. Every corner of the studio was filled with something.
There was even an entire room dedicated to creating music and sound effects.
This time, the studio lacked nothing.
'I'm starting to feel like working already.'
It was just unfortunate that there was not enough time left until the day ended. I only had about an hour before I'd be stuck here for the night. Considering what would happen once it hit midnight, I knew not to be too daring.
"I guess I'll call it a day."
But before that, I planned on checking something out.
Opening the door of the classroom, I walked into the corridor and stared at the room opposite. Reaching out for the door, I paused and looked at the corridor.
It stretched as far as my eye could see.
It was quiet, and the LED lights from above shone down on the marble floor.
The silence that shrouded the space felt eerie to some extent, and for a moment, I forgot to take a breath.
But then—
"I'd be very careful if I were you."
A shadow cast above me.
I didn't look back to know who it was as a hand pressed against my shoulder and a head leaned closer.
We both stared towards the endless corridor.
"...It's staring right at us."
A soft tear of flesh echoed in my ear, sharp enough to jolt my chest. I couldn't see it, yet I felt every inch of it; The Conductor's smile straining against the stitches, its gaze locked on the corridor ahead.
My body stiffened as its breath brushed my ear, voice slipping through the silence.
"Say..."
It suddenly waved its hand.
"...Hello."
***
At the same time, in a small and quiet room.
"The offer has officially been presented to the Guild Master, and he's given me the green light to make a counteroffer for the two of you."
The Section Chief sat before Kyle and Zoey.
The three were separated by a large wooden oval table. Several documents were spread on the table.
Sliding them over to Kyle and Zoey, the Section Chief started speaking.
"We're planning on matching the salary that Arithmus has offered the two of you. That is, we're willing to offer you an annual salary of 2.5 million each."
In that moment, it was almost as if the air had been sucked out of the room. Neither Zoey nor Kyle knew how to react.
2.5 million...
That was more than double their current salary!
The two also understood that this salary put them above most of the people in the Guild. Despite being a Queen Grade Guild, they couldn't afford to pay as much as the Guilds from the main island.
This sort of salary was a show of goodwill from the Guild.
"Before the two of you say anything, I'd just like to add that this isn't all that we're willing to offer."
"Wha..."
"There's more?"
"Yes."
Nodding, the Section Chief took a deep breath.
He extended his hand, revealing two small, hexagon-shaped glass bottles, each sealed with a delicate glass cork.
The moment Kyle and Zoey caught sight of the bottles, their breathing grew heavier.
"Essence of Light of the purest degree, alongside an Essence of Time. These should be the last remaining items that the two of you need in order to upgrade to the next Order, correct?"
Neither Kyle nor Zoey answered. It wasn't that they didn't want to answer, but it was because they couldn't answer at all.
H-how...?
The two had been working extremely hard in order to acquire the desired essence. While they did manage to find some decent ones, this was the first time that they had seen such pure ones. It was simply not something that could be found easily. Not only that, but with the high demand, even if it was found, it'd usually be already taken by someone.
With this...
"This is how much the Guild is willing to offer you in order to keep you. I won't force the two of you to answer me now, but I'd like to hear from you soon. If the two of you don't wish to continue with us, that is also acceptable. We'll take the offer presented by Arithmus. But like I said, the Guild really holds the two of you in high regard. Please think about this carefully."
The Section Chief didn't say anything else from this point forward, as a tense silence followed shortly after.
Kyle and Zoey then carefully picked up the papers and went through them.
Eventually, the two stood up and left the room. They were most likely trying to reach their lawyers.
"....."
With his arms crossed, the Section Chief stared at the door.
The silence within the room continued to press on until he eventually laughed.
"The Guild Leader really didn't hold back with the terms. He's finally starting to pay attention to our department. Who would've thought?"
It had been a long time since their department drew any real notice. That changed with the recent gate. The event and the wave of coverage that followed brought them significant attention.
This was most likely the reason why the Guild Master had decided to match the offer.
He was finally planning on developing their department.
"...Would've been appreciated if he didn't take so long to do this."
But then again, had it not been for their past poor performances, he would've done this much faster.
The Section Chief's expression turned serious upon reaching the thought.
The Guild Master...
He was the type to measure worth by results. The offers just now were a reward for their success at the gate, but the instant they stopped delivering, so would his attention and favor.
As such—
"We need to produce results."
Something even greater than right now.
"That's easier said than done."
But it wasn't impossible. The only thing that came to mind was the Guild World Conference, but the chances of them doing well weren't very high. Especially now that Clara was not in the right state to compete.
"This'll be troublesome."
Leaning back, the Section Chief ruffled his hair.
In their current state, they might not even achieve a good result. The Section Chief could already imagine the consequences that the department would sustain.
Getting Kyle and Zoey to the Fifth Order would certainly help their chances, but it was still far from enough. There were Myles and Rowan, and several others, but that was far from enough.
If only...
"No."
The Section Chief shook his head, his mind wandering over a certain individual.
'They're too inexperienced, and he doesn't even have an Order. Although they're getting good clearance records right now, it's still not enough. I'm also sure he doesn't want to participate, and there are still the department trials.'
"No."
The Section Chief shook his head.
"...Absolutely not."
His voice grew weaker.
"...No."
He bit his lips.
And then—
"But what if...?"
-x-X-x-
11:59 P.M
Click!
I made sure to lock the door of the classroom.
A stifling silence followed right after.
I stood in silence for a while before finally looking away. Even then, the sound of my heartbeat continued to echo in my head.
Say... Hello.
Thinking back to my last interaction with the Conductor, I struggled to keep my composure as the image of the long corridor resurfaced in my mind. Nothing about it seemed unusual, yet it now almost felt as though the entirety of it was looking back at me.
I unknowingly found myself holding my breath.
"All of a sudden, I don't want to work there anymore."
And yet, it was too late.
I had already set everything up inside.
'I'm just exaggerating. At the end of the day, I just need to follow the rules. So what if it's watching? So long as I stick to the rules, I should be safe.'
Thinking thus far, I felt a lot better.
I was also fairly tired. Besides exploring the place, I returned to Game Developer Mode and assimilated my first game into the Virtual World.
The process wasn't very difficult.
It was time-consuming, but not difficult.
I also had the perfect people to test the game. I planned on asking them for help, and as I looked at the door once more, I decided to head out of the office.
It was time to rest.
*
I woke earlier than usual.
After getting a light breakfast, I decided to head to the gym. There weren't many people today, and after a quick session, I took a quick shower and headed to work. During my sleep and workout, I had managed to get some inspiration for my potential new game.
I was planning on immediately getting started.
But—
'Right, I need to go to my team. The break is over. I should fulfill my duty as the Squad Leader.'
Coming into the Guild, I made a detour and walked all the way to my office.
"Looks like everyone is here."
The place was strangely quiet as they all looked at me.
They did seem a lot better rested than before, but I could still see the lingering fears in their mind as they looked at me.
I could only imagine what the doppleganger had put them through while I wasn't present.
'No, I don't really need to imagine.'
I had already seen it.
"Relax. We're not going to be diving for the next couple of days. The end of the month is approaching in the next few days. We're still ranked first in terms of points compared to the other newly established squads."
In fact, we were first by a long shot.
Our current points were considered high even when compared to some of the more seasoned teams.
The only teams that were ahead of ours were the teams that went to high-ranking gates. But that was only to be expected. The higher the rank of the gate, the greater the points.
"Anyways..."
I opened up one of my emails and looked at the recent message.
"Department Trials."
I tapped on the table before looking at the others.
"...We'll need to put a lot of attention and focus on this."
It said that the bonus that top teams will receive will be quite high. It went without question that we had to achieve a top spot. I was in desperate need of money at the moment.
"Preferably, I'd like us to achieve the top spot, but I'm not sure if we can achieve that."
"Huh? Top spot...?"
"You... you want us to achieve the top spot?"
Hearing the startled voices ahead, I lifted my head to find Mia and Joanna staring at me in surprise.
I cocked my head.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing really..." Joanna answered, staring at me from her cubicle as her brows furrowed tightly. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to achieve the top spot, but it's an unrealistic target. Especially when taking into account the fact that there are far stronger teams than ours."
"Hmm."
She wasn't wrong.
There were indeed several stronger teams than ours.
As far as I knew, Clara wasn't in any condition to participate, and Kyle had said he wouldn't be joining either. The same went for Zoey. He didn't specify why, but it was clear that without the two of them participating, alongside Clara, achieving a good result wouldn't be out of the question.
But maybe I was jumping the gun.
I wasn't the doppleganger. I couldn't carry the team into achieving absurd results like before. It was also true that the team was young.
'I guess I was thinking too much.'
Even without Clara, Kyle, and Zoey, the chances of us ranking at the top were not very high.
"A pity."
I really wanted the bonus.
Whatever the case was, we still had about two weeks to get ready. In the meantime, I planned on allocating my focus on the new game and possibly on building more teamwork with the team.
With that being said...
"Okay, let's go. All of you follow me."
"Eh...?"
"Are we going somewhere?"
Seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces, I said nothing and walked out. After exchanging a few puzzled glances, they all followed me to my main office.
As the new up-and-coming group, we drew a fair amount of attention in the main area, but I ignored it and led them into my office, closing the door behind us.
"Where is this place?"
Nora was the first one to speak.
With her brows furrowed tightly, she looked at me.
"Why did you bring us to the janitor's room?"
"...."
"This painting looks cheap. No wonder it's here."
"...."
"A fax machine? The hell? How old is this place?"
"...."
"A clown outfit, too? They really have too much time on their hands..."
"...."
"What sort of t—Hmm! Hmmmm!"
Nora's words were cut short by Joanna, who stood behind her, hands pressed to her mouth as she looked at me.
"Don't mind her... Squad Leader. This place... Ehm." She looked around, forcing a smile. "It's quite nice. Yeah. Not bad."
"....."
I didn't say anything and just walked towards the other door before unlocking it.
Click!
"Get in."
The faces of everyone changed upon catching a glimpse of what was behind the door, but I didn't give them the chance to speak and urged them with my head.
"Get inside."
"...."
"...."
Without saying another word, everyone proceeded into the classroom. The moment they entered, I could see their faces change, but I didn't allow them to ask any more questions before pointing towards the capsules in the middle.
"Don't ask any questions. Get in the capsules."
I had previously planned on being nice. I just wanted to use them to help me test a few things here and there.
Things were different now.
If before I only wanted them to help test the VR version of A Regular Day in the Office, I now planned to push the difficulty to the maximum.
"What are you waiting for? Oh, right... There are only five capsules. Well, that's fine. This isn't a team game. Just get in. I'll start the game not long after."
"Squad Leader..."
I could practically hear Mia whimpering.
I didn't care and just pointed at the capsule.
"Get in."
"....!?"
-x-X-x-
Following the small incident with the Conductor the day prior, I spent my remaining time at the new studio fiddling around with the new mode and system. I managed to familiarize myself with the capsules and decided to play around a bit.
In the end, I managed to perfectly recreate the same scenario as my first game.
[A Regular Day in the Office]
It took me surprisingly little to no time to develop it.
At the end of the day, the setup was rather simple. Added with the Virtual Mode, I was able to get it done within an hour.
The really tricky part was the coding bits.
Virtual Games still required coding, and the like. Thankfully, the coding for VR games wasn't that difficult.
In just a couple more hours, I was able to integrate everything into the game.
After that, I just added a few touches here and there to make it better. It all looked great, but at the same time, something clicked in my mind as I worked on the game.
It began as a small idea, barely more than a spark. But the more I worked on the makeshift game, the deeper it took root in my mind.
And then, before I knew it, the idea had taken over my mind completely.
'That's... It's certainly possible.'
At some point, my attention shifted away from the make-shift game. But towards something bigger. Grander.
And soon, I began applying the subtle changes to the makeshift game.
A teaser of some sort.
One that would lead to the eventual development of my new game.
'...If you can call it that.'
I smiled at the thought. I was planning something bigger than that.
"Who should we start with first?"
I turned towards the capsules. They had all yet to enter.
Eventually, I settled my gaze over to Nora.
"What are you waiting for? Get in like the others. You'll be the first one."
"Huh? Me...?"
Nora pointed at herself, looking incredulous.
I nodded.
"Yes, you."
"No, but—"
"Get in."
"....."
Nora stood in silence, her mouth opening a couple of times before she eventually closed it while the outlines of her jaw clearly became visible. At last, she stepped into the pod.
I didn't waste the chance and pressed [Enter] on the laptop keyboard.
Swoosh!
The pod closed on its own.
Before starting the game, I opened up the Game Developer Mode and inserted a couple of scripts inside.
'I wasn't planning on doing this, but since everyone is so keen on testing the Virtual Game, it is only right that I go all in.'
Inserting all of the scripts inside, I smiled.
"Let's start with Nora, then."
I moved the mouse over to the side where it said, [Start].
After just a brief pause, I pressed it.
Click!
The game started.
***
'Why am I even doing this? Why am I even listening to him...?'
Nora mumbled to herself, clenching her teeth tightly.
In the end, despite her protests, she sat down in the capsule and watched it close. Her vision grew dark shortly after as she felt a jolt of electricity run down her spine.
The sensation was neither painful nor comfortable.
It was annoying.
Thankfully, it didn't last for very long. Just a few seconds.
What followed was a soft voice.
One that whispered right into her ear,
'This is my third year working for the company. Every day is a struggle, and I hardly get any sleep. I am so tired that I think I'm starting to hear things whenever I leave my office. The only thing keeping me sane is my playbox. Only when I play it do I feel safe.'
For some odd reason, Nora felt her heart quicken at the sound of the voice.
It was almost as if someone was right next to her.
'...I hope it's just because I'm tired. But I did hear about a recent case where one of those in the IT department killed themselves because they were being overworked. I hope I don't end up the same.'
Her spine tingled, and no longer, her eyes opened.
"..."
Her attention was immediately drawn to her surroundings. She found herself in a dimly lit office, the furniture looking extremely monotonous. Alongside it, she heard the subtle, yet repetitive, flickering that came from the lights above.
Flick! Flick!
A faint blend of printer toner and recycled air drifted through the room, undercut by the dry tang of dust clinging stubbornly to the carpet fibers.
From the sound to the smell.
Everything felt so real.
'...Is this how VR games are?'
This was the first time Nora had tried a VR game. It wasn't that she couldn't afford to buy a headset, but she wasn't one who was very interested in games. Her family was pretty well off, and if she wanted, she could've probably have afforded her own capsule.
All Nora cared about was improving.
She didn't have much of a backstory. Born into an elite family, went to an elite school and had everything that she wanted.
There were a lot of things that she could've done.
However, there was only one thing that she wanted.
She wanted to be the best.
Nora wanted to be remembered as one of the most elite in her line of work. She wanted to become one of those figures she used to watch on TV, their presence untouchable, almost inhuman, as if ordinary people could never reach them.
This was why she joined the Guild.
It was because this was the place that would grant her the opportunity to achieve her dream.
But—
'I really had to get paired up with a lunatic for a Squad Leader, didn't I?'
The Squad Leader of the team that she had been assigned to. How could she put him into words...? It was hard to describe. Not only could he create games that felt so realistic and scary enough to be used for training, but he was also... a monster.
He was a monster that even made her shudder at times.
She wasn't the only one who felt this way. The others did too.
There were moments when being near him felt unbearably suffocating, worse than any anomaly they had ever faced.
He was scary.
But at the same time...
He was the perfect person to learn from.
In Nora's mind, he was the key to achieving her dreams. This was why she no longer refused his commands.
"Alright."
Nora looked ahead.
At the same time, a soft voice echoed in the air.
—The game basics are simple. Just walk and look for the exit. That's all you need to do. Good luck.
That was all he said.
What followed was a tense silence.
One that made her nerves twitch. Just as she reached for the door, something in her pocket caught her attention. She pulled it out and found a small MP3 player.
"Hm? They even have this?"
She scrolled through it, but only found a song.
In the end, she decided to play it.
"Might as well."
What followed was a soft and mellow tune that filtered through the silence around.
Nora smiled and reached for the door. Yet, she didn't notice the faint, almost imperceptible sluggishness in her movements.
Clank!
The door opened and she stepped out.
This was also the moment when her nightmare started.
-x-X-x-
Clank!
Nora opened the door and stepped out.
The moment she did, she was greeted by the sight of a long corridor.
'This is...?'
Nora blinked a couple of times. She felt that the setting was somewhat familiar. Almost like...
"The introductory gate?"
As she looked up at the flickering light, Nora felt even more certain. She glanced around, then finally took a step forward.
'If it's like the introductory gate, then it shouldn't be that scary,' she thought, moving with more confidence as she eventually turned the corner to see another corridor greet her sight. This time, she spotted several doors by the side of the corridor.
One door in particular stood out to her.
With flowers scattered on the floor and a portrait at the center, the door was different than the rest. Walking up towards it, she checked the portrait.
[In memory of Ramille Niel]
Her fingers brushed against the coarse texture of the wooden frame. Then, with a slow motion, she let them glide across the glass panel covering the picture, staring at it intently.
'It feels so real. I can't even tell that this isn't the real world.'
Nora placed the frame back down. But as she did, she paused.
Something about the picture felt off.
Picking it up again, she felt that something about the picture felt off.
It... felt almost familiar.
But she had never seen the man before.
"Hmm."
Nora studied the picture for several more seconds before placing it down.
'Maybe I'm overthinking things.'
She then proceeded to head deeper into the corridor. Towards the next corner.
"...Another corridor."
As expected, the moment she turned the corner, another long hallway stretched out before her. Doors lined both sides, just like before. But as she took a few steps forward, something happened.
Flick!
The lights turned off.
She was engulfed in a sudden darkness.
"Hoo."
Nora took a deep breath. She expected this.
And—
*Step*
She also expected the step that came right after it.
But despite expecting it, Nora unknowingly found her steps growing faster and faster as she walked towards the end of the corridor.
'This is just a game. There's no need to be so worked up about it. I just need to look for the exit and I'll be fine. Yeah, let's look for the exit.'
Nora had an idea of how to find the exit.
And just as she took several more steps, the lights flared back on.
Flick!
The steps faded.
Another corridor met her sight.
It was the same as the previous one, with doors on each side of the room. Nora looked around before walking forward again.
Flick!
Darkness engulfed her vision once more.
She didn't let that affect her. Instead, she maintained her breath and ignored the steps behind her.
*Step* *Step*
The steps appeared to be faster than before, and for some reason, Nora found herself matching the rhythm of the steps.
'Calm. Remain calm. I've experienced way worse.'
Despite telling herself this, there was something about the game that made her unsettled. Was it the hyper-realizing of it, or was there something else?
Her mind couldn't help but draw back to the picture from before.
Something about the picture left her completely unsettled. But she couldn't quite understand what...?
Why was the picture constantly appearing in her mind?
Why—
Flick!
The lights flickered back on.
A long corridor greeted her sight yet again. Looking around, Nora's gaze fixed on the doors.
"It should be this cycle, right?"
After a certain cycle, the doors should be unlocked. Maybe not all, but a few.
Nora broke into a run, desperate not to waste the precious moments of light slipping away. She grabbed for each door handle, tugging at them one by one, her urgency growing with every step.
But—
Click! Click!
None of the doors opened.
"What sort of...!?"
Flick!
The lights flickered, and a heavy sensation settled in her chest.
*Step*
The steps returned.
This time, they were faster than before.
So fast that they started to match the rhythm of her heartbeat.
'Shit!'
Nora quickly let go of the doors. Without hesitation, she rushed deeper into the darkness.
'Did I miss something? Is it this cycle, or the next cycle? Maybe it's the next cycle. I just need to hold on until then.'
Nora wasn't discouraged by the situation.
She continued to run until she reached the end of the corridor.
By then, the steps were almost upon her.
"....!?"
Flick!
Thankfully, she just barely managed to survive as the lights flickered back on.
"Haa... Haa..."
Her breathing was quick.
Her body was heavy.
'My god. This game...! It's restricting how much I can run.'
Nora wanted nothing more than to curse her Squad Leader. What kind of sick bastard would put her through this? But as much as she wanted to scream or strangle him, she didn't have the time. After a quick glance around, she rushed to the doors, yanking at each one in desperation.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Sweat trickled down the side of her face. Her breathing was ragged, chest heaving, and her pupils were wide with adrenaline.
'Come on! Come on...!'
Just when she thought the doors wouldn't open.
Click!
One of the doors opened.
"Yes!"
Flick!
Darkness swallowed her vision soon after she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Clank!
Hastily closing the door behind her, Nora took deep and heavy breaths as she looked around. Eventually, her gaze fell on the single desk in front of her. Placed right on top of the desk was a single laptop.
Nora didn't waste a single second and walked towards the laptop.
"I should be safe for now. The Nightwalker doesn't attack unless there's darkness. So long as the laptop is on, I should be fine."
Nora knew exactly what she needed to do from this moment forward. Using the laptop and checking the cameras, she'd be able to determine the right time to leave and rush towards the next area.
All she would have to do was carry on like this until she found the exit.
It was this simple.
"Okay, let's get started. I don't have much battery."
The computer's battery was down to 10%. Nora hurriedly opened the camera logs, fingers trembling as she prepared to check the situation outside, only to freeze mid-click.
"Huh?"
The moment she opened the log, something unexpected occurred.
Nora caught sight of numerous other logs.
Ones that stretched all the way until the previous weeks.
For a moment, her mind went blank at the sight. Without thinking, her fingers moved, and before she knew it, she had clicked on one of the logs; One dated from the previous week.
Flick!
The screen flickered, and an all too familiar corridor appeared.
But something was different about this recording. Several figures, all dressed in black, stood in front of a particular door. Some stood with their heads lowered, while others held onto flowers that they placed down in the corridor.
"This..."
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
Nora felt her heart beat rapidly at the sight.
'This must be the door that I saw before.'
Nora's throat was dry. She could hardly swallow.
Just as it hit her, her eyes fell on one figure in particular. Or rather, an old woman. She stood at the edge of the group, her head lowered, as if hiding from the camera.
Something about her drew Nora's attention.
It made her heart beat incredibly fast, and as she continued to stare at her, the old lady's head began to move.
Slowly.
Until...
It turned to face the camera.
".....!?
Nora's face bleached entirely at the sight of the old lady.
That. She. How...!
A smile cracked on the old lady's face.
One that sent chills down Nora's entire body.
And then—
Flick!
The computer switched off.
The entire room turned dark.
A presence appeared not long after.
One that stood right behind her.
Nora's body trembled further.
And soon...
"Huaaaaakkkk!"
A scream ripped past her mouth.