The smile on the Guild Master's face didn't change despite the sudden words from Myles. Instead, he just sat down and wordlessly stared at Myles.
A tense silence lingered between the two, until—
BANG!
A fist came smacking down against the metal table.
"Say something!"
Myles's face twisted beyond recognition while staring at the man before him.
And yet—
"You're still the same."
The Guild Master's tone and expression remained the same. Casual. It was almost as if he didn't care at all about Myles's current outburst.
No, he really didn't care.
Myles's face twisted further upon realizing this fact, and as his mouth opened to shout once more, he found himself giving up shortly after, his chest heaving up and down in uneven rhythms.
"…Are you done?"
It was only then that the Guild Master began to speak.
"I will speak if you're done. Otherwise, you can keep going for a while. Although… " The Guild Master paused, turning his wrist to check his time. "I don't have a lot of time. There are quite a few things that I need to take care of."
"….."
His words were followed by an immediate silence as Myles kept his head lowered, his eyes focused on the metal table before him.
He remained seated like that, the silence pressing on further.
"Alright then."
Pressing his hands onto the table, the Guild Master stood up.
"Since you don't have anything to say, then I wil—"
"H-how long?"
Myles's voice came out extremely hoarse.
The Guild Master paused.
"How long…?"
"H… how long have you known for?"
"About?"
"….."
Myles slowly raised his head, staring directly at the Guild Master, his lips curling downwards in hatred and disgust.
"How long have you known that I've been here?"
"Oh."
The Guild Master had a sudden look of understanding as he smiled.
"For quite some time, actually. While your face may be different than what I remember, you're still my son. You also reminded me too much of me when I was younger. It wasn't very difficult to make the connections. Your Decree and powers are also a big giveaway."
"Hah."
Myles smirked, his expression filling with amusement.
"Really…? After everything that I did… This is how you found out? Hah…"
Myles's hands shook underneath the table, his hands balling into tight fists as his teeth clenched at the same time.
For nearly half a decade, he had been forcing himself to become the best version of himself, entering gates and living near the edge of death constantly. His goal had been simple.
To join the Guild that his father had set up and catch his attention.
…And the only way to do that was by becoming the best. His father only looked at those who could bring results. He cared nothing for the useless.
He had been confident in his abilities. He thought that it would've been easy for him.
And yet—
'He' showed up.
A variable that he had never expected to appear.
Despite supposedly being a game developer, every time he acted, he would somehow gain the attention of everyone present. Despite saying he wanted to focus on creating games, he ended up becoming a Squad Leader of a fairly successful group. Despite supposedly not wanting to be involved in gates, he had somehow ended up having one of the highest clearance rates within the Guild over the past months.
'He' was grabbing all of the attention that was supposed to go to him!
In order to achieve his goal, Myles had to get rid of 'him'.
He thought he had done so, but… It had all gone wrong.
'How did it go so wrong? Why…?'
"Don't beat yourself up over this, Myles."
The Guild Master's voice whispered in the air, carrying a certain warmth to it that made Myles pause as he lifted his head to stare at his father. For just a brief moment, his face quivered.
The smile on the Guild Master's face softened as he turned away from Myles.
"Sometimes... you have to accept that there are people who are simply better than you. No matter how hard you struggle, they will stay above you. So you do one of two things: remove them, or bend them to your will and make them an ally. You failed at both, and now you find yourself in this position."
Shaking his head, the Guild Master walked towards the door.
"...I'll find you a good place where you can go. Your time with the Guild is over. Whatever you were trying to accomplish, I must unfortunately put an end to it. I hope you won't resent me too much."
He reached for the handle and paused.
After a moment, he turned towards Myles and smiled. As he did, a pair of dimples appeared.
"...Do try your best there."
He left right after.
Clank!
A heavy silence hung over the room after his departure, Myles's eyes remaining fixed on the spot where the Guild Master had stood only moments ago.
Then, slowly, his lips curled into a smile, his body trembling faintly with the motion.
"Ueth... kh...!"
Weird sounds began to emerge from his mouth as he started to comprehend the situation.
'So that's what he did...'
Seth...
He had decided to work with the Guild Master to get rid of him.
"Kek! Uekh!"
The thought made his chest tingle even more, a low laugh slipping from his lips as he found it harder and harder to contain his laughter.
"Kuk... what a fool."
Of all people, he had to choose 'him'.
"Keak."
The devil.
***
Myles's sudden outburst threw the entire Guild into chaos and confusion... especially among those who knew him personally.
"This doesn't make sense. Was he always like this?"
"...Maybe."
Kyle, Zoey, Rowan, and several others gathered in a small room, their brows furrowed in disbelief. None of them could fully grasp what had just happened. They were all still struggling to come to terms with Myles's actions.
And yet, they had all witnessed his words and actions.
There was no denying it.
"But if you think about it, it kind of makes sense."
Rowan was the first to break the silence, his voice cutting through the tension as he drew everyone's attention toward him.
"What do you mean?" Kyle asked, his head tilting.
"No, think about it," Rowan replied, tucking his hand under his chin. "Regardless of how much you can deny it, there's no denying that Seth isn't normal. He came in at the same time as Myles did, and despite him focusing most of his attention on his games, he's constantly been overshadowing Myles. It's understandable that he developed an insecurity."
The room fell silent shortly after. Rowan's words made sense.
Seth's achievements were impossible to overlook. Everyone in the room knew them well, and there was no denying that he was exceptionally capable.
If put in the same position as him, then...
"I guess you have a point."
Kyle let out a weary sigh. He knew all too well how these things unfolded, having faced the same insecurities and jealousy from some of his own colleagues. He could understand why something like this had happened.
"Still though..." Kyle suddenly chuckled, shaking his head as he thought about what had happened. "To even go as far as accusing Seth of being the Jester..."
Kyle sighed.
"He really must've been desperate."
"Yeah..."
Rowan laughed alongside the other colleagues.
The tension in the room eased slightly after that, but there was one person whose expression remained unchanged.
"Jester..."
Zoey mumbled under her breath, her eyes narrowing.
"It can't be, right?"
-x-X-x-
[Effective immediately, Myles Holms's contract with the Guild has been terminated. We thank him for his past contributions and wish him the best in his future endeavors.]
It was a simple announcement, yet it was enough to ignite whispers throughout the entire department. Walking through the main area felt like stepping into an exhibit at a zoo.
Every pair of eyes seemed fixed on me, with every whisper just loud enough for me to hear.
'That's him, right...? He's the one who got Myles kicked out.'
'I heard that Myles was jealous of him.'
'Now that I think about it, there's merit behind that jealousy. That guy... based on his stats, he's actually a monster.'
'I'd also feel the same.'
I forced myself to tune out the whispers, striding toward my office until I came to a halt in front of the door.
A figure appeared right by my door.
"Oh, you're finally here."
The Section Chief gave me a half-hearted wave, his hair disheveled and the dark circles beneath his eyes even more pronounced than usual. He looked even more tired than usual.
'I guess he must've pulled up an all-nighter after what happened yesterday.'
"Don't mind me. I pulled an all-nighter yesterday after the mess that happened."
As expected...
"Anyway, there are a few things I need to discuss with you. Should we do it in your office?"
The Section Chief nudged his head towards the door to my office. My office...? I hesitated for a moment until I relented and nodded my head.
"Yeah, let's do that."
There was nothing to hide anyway.
"Good."
Clank—!
The Section Chief entered as if he owned the place, his stride casual. Stifling a subtle yawn, he made his way to the chair opposite my desk and sat down, crossing his legs and leaning back.
I stared at the scene in silence before following from behind and sitting down in my seat.
A subtle silence followed as the Section Chief yawned a couple more times.
"Huaam."
He blinked his eyes a couple of times, mumbling things like, 'I really need to stop doing all-nighters. I don't think I've slept more than a couple of hours this week.'
I forced a smile.
He was probably exaggerating. There was no way a human could function on so little sleep.
'Right...?'
"Let's get on with this. I'm sure you're busy too."
Placing his hand on the table, the Section Chief leaned forward while looking at me.
"Myles has confessed to everything. You don't need to worry about any disciplinary action. It wasn't your fault. Considering that we all witnessed the scene, there was no way he could have gotten away with it anyway. Especially after receiving your recording. You're all good."
"...Oh."
I had never been worried about it in all honesty.
I had meticulously set my trap, arranging it so perfectly that there was no way I could be at fault.
"Setting all of that aside, there are a couple of things that I want to say to you."
Leaning his back against the chair and lifting his ass up, the Section Chief dug into his pockets and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He placed it on the paper right after.
"Here."
"This is...?"
Confused, I reached for the paper.
When I did, my brow jumped up.
"Yes, you and your team have officially passed the Trials. You've all been selected to participate in the upcoming World Congress. What does this mean? It means you'll receive increased resources from the Guild, along with new sponsorship opportunities. Later, you will most likely receive a call from HR to go up. They will give you a list of potential sponsors to take into consideration."
"...I see."
Despite my lukewarm reaction, I was actually rather excited.
Sponsorships meant money, and I needed money.
"Okay, aside from that, there's another thing that I would like to tell you."
The Section Chief's expression grew more serious, and instinctively, mine did too as the excitement I'd felt moments ago began to fade.
"The situation with Myles is a bit complicated, but he'll most likely be dismissed from the Guild. Another Guild might decide to take him in... or maybe not. We'll review any offers that come in."
"Okay...?"
This didn't seem like surprising news.
What could he—
"He's asked to have a couple of words with you."
I froze, staring at the Section Chief in confusion.
He... I didn't hear wrongly, did I? Opening my mouth, I closed it right after, while staring at the Section Chief.
"He wants to have a couple of words with me...?"
"Yes."
The Section Chief nodded.
"There's no need to worry about him attacking you again, if that's what's on your mind. He'll be strictly monitored in the room. He just wants a brief chat with you. He said that once it's over, he'll comply with everything."
"....."
The words felt as though they were stuck in my throat.
Did I want to talk to him...? Not really. In fact, I wanted nothing to do with him anymore. I just wanted everything to be done.
And yet—
'I still don't know the true reason behind his actions.'
I was dying to know.
Why was he so desperate to get rid of me?
Surely, it wasn't purely because he was insecure. There had to be something more to it, and I knew that there was.
As such...
"Alright."
I decided to agree.
I felt that it was important for me to find out the reason.
"Great."
The Section Chief smiled, clapping his hands together. He stood and began walking toward the door, then paused and glanced back at me. "Aren't you coming?"
"Huh?" I blinked, staring at him in confusion. Then it hit me.
"Now!?"
"Of course! Why? You want to do this next week?"
"Ah, no."
I stood up from my seat and hurried towards the Section Chief.
"This works out well for me, too. I'd rather do it now than drag it for longer."
"Good."
With a smile, the Section Chief reached for the door and pulled it open.
"Let's go then."
*
The interrogation room was located on floor [-1]. The moment we stepped out of the elevator and the doors slid open, a long corridor stretched out before us, seemingly endless like the squad floors below. A soft gray carpet muffled our footsteps as the LED lights above flickered intermittently.
Coming to a stop before a certain door, the Section Chief placed his hand on the wall, causing the door to unlock shortly after as a large room appeared before my eyes.
Several people appeared within the room, but as I stepped inside, the first thing that caught my eye was the large window at the far end.
Behind it, I caught a glimpse of another room.
Through it, a lone figure sat with his head lowered, his hair falling over his face, hiding his expression.
However, with just one glance, I could see that he looked haggard.
Even more than the Section Chief.
My heart skipped a beat at the sight, and just as I stepped further into the room, as if sensing my presence, his head lifted and turned toward the mirror. Our eyes met in that moment, and my heart suddenly stopped beating.
Then—
A pair of dimples appeared before my very eyes.
My stomach churned.
'...I might be getting second thoughts about this.'
-x-X-x-
"...I didn't expect you to come."
The rat's voice was somewhat hoarse as he spoke, his eyes trailing my every movement as I entered the interrogation room. Looking around, the room was rather small, and besides the soft lights coming from above, the metal chairs and table; there was nothing else in the room.
I took another look around before pulling the metal chair and sitting down.
"....."
The room fell silent shortly after, neither one of us speaking.
We just sat in silence, staring at each other wordlessly.
But then—
"Congratulations."
The rat began to speak, his voice lighter than before.
"You've finally gotten rid of me. I'm sure you must feel a lot better now."
"...I won't deny that."
It felt like a massive boulder had been lifted off my shoulders. Knowing that the rat was no longer going to be something that I needed to worry about left me feeling a lot better.
Yet even then, not all the weight seemed to lift from my shoulders. As I looked at the rat, a sense of unease lingered. I knew things wouldn't be that simple, and that thought alone made my eyes narrow.
'I need to figure this out now before it's too late. '
"Hah."
The rat chuckled, bringing his hand to his mouth.
His hands were bound to the table by a pair of chains, a precaution to keep him from lunging at me like he had before.
On the other hand, my hands were free.
If I wanted to, then I could very well attack him.
Not that I would, since there were still people watching outside.
'...It would certainly feel good, though.'
I had done it twice now, and it felt extremely addictive.
"You made a mistake doing what you did."
The rat's words brought me out of my thoughts. As my eyes narrowed further, the rat's dimples became clearer.
"Of all people that you should've made a deal with, that's the last person you should've done it with. He's not someone that you should associate with. He's..."
The rat... No, Myles stopped, his expression trembling for a moment as the dimples faded completely.
"He's no different than a demon."
Myles's voice became even more hoarse upon saying the last words. Staring into his eyes and seeing how bloodshot they were, I started to have a sinking feeling as he stared right back at me.
The room fell silent for a short moment, but that moment lasted just a few seconds as the door to the room opened and several figures walked in.
"It's time."
"Huh? Time...?"
I looked at my watch. Hardly five minutes had passed...
"These are orders. We can't have the talk go on for longer. Please be understanding."
The guards stepped up beside Myles, unfastening the restraints around his wrists as he rose to his feet. Seeing him now, he looked less like a Guild member and more like an inmate from a maximum-security prison.
And yet, the rat continued to keep his gaze fixed on me, the dimples on his face appearing again.
"Here's a friendly warning."
One of the guards tugged him towards the door, his body moving along with the tug.
Just as the two neared the door, the dimples on the rat's face became even more pronounced, something about his face making my heart sink. It was almost as if he was looking at someone... pitiful.
Who...? Me?
And then—
"...Run."
Clank!
The door closed, plunging the entire space into silence.
I stood there, completely absorbed, trying to make sense of the rat's final words.
"Run?"
From who? The competition? The Guild? Or...
The Guild Master?
Who did I need to run away from?
*
The rat's words continued to linger at the back of my mind even as I left the place. Run...? Run from who? While the rat had never specified the person, there was only one person who came to my mind.
The Guild Master.
He was the only person I had made a deal with.
It was just that...
'Is he saying this to make me paranoid, or is there truth to his words?'
I was rather curious about how the rat came to know about the Guild Master. In the game, he was supposed to be a loner whose family had passed away. He was technically supposed to be an orphan.
...He shouldn't theoretically have any relationship with the Guild Master.
Then again, it would be naive of me to think that this Myles and the one from the game were exactly the same. There had been changes to Zoey's story, too.
'I should try to dig some information on the rat. Maybe I can find something.'
I had a rather solid plan in mind, but despite the plan, I still couldn't shake the sense of unease that I felt from his words.
I reflected on my first impression of the Guild Master, and the more I thought about it, the more off it felt... Perhaps my decision to go with him may have been the wrong decision.
"There's no point regretting my decision."
Shaking my head, I sighed.
'It's too late to regret, and this can just be the rat trying to make me feel paranoid. At the end of the day, I need to stick with my decision.'
From what I understood, the Guild Master was the type of person who only cared about useful and non-useful people. So long as I continued to hold his interest with my achievements, I wouldn't have to worry about myself.
"Yeah, I'll just keep doing what I've been doing."
I may have made a deal with the devil, but at the same time, this wasn't without its own benefits.
By working directly with him, I could now act more accordingly and at the same time gain access to far more resources. This would help fuel my growth.
"Yeah, this is good."
Clenching my fists tightly, I walked past the empty corridor and made my way back towards my main office.
The stares continued to linger, their gazes burning even more than before.
I ignored all of it and entered my office.
Clank!
Closing the door behind me, I sat down on my chair and sighed.
"Even though I've gotten rid of the rat, why do I feel even more stressed?"
I rubbed my face while blankly staring at the ceiling. The silence that followed felt comforting, and as the silence continued, I reached into my bag and took out my laptop.
"Right, let's try out that game..."
I needed something to take my mind off the current situation, and what better way to do that than by playing games?
It just so happened that I had a great game to play.
"It should be this one, right? Seeing how the results are good, I take it that the staff they hired after I got fired was good."
Booting up the game, a sleek interface appeared before me, so polished it stirred a twinge of envy. It was far more refined than anything I had ever made.
"I guess this is the difference between a high-budget company and a solo developer."
Moving the mouse cursor over the menu, I clicked on [Play Game].
The game booted right after that.
I cracked my fingers with a little bit of excitement. I really wanted to see what sort of game my old company had made.
But just as the game began, I saw a certain warning appear.
[Please connect the VR headset]
Oh.
'I almost forgot about that.'
This wasn't a computer game.
I scratched the side of my face, let out a sigh, and made my way to the classroom I had converted into a workroom. There, I connected the game to one of the capsules before stepping inside.
The scenery changed for me, and I began the game then.
'There shouldn't be any more problems.'
But—
"What...?"
Halfway through the game, I began to realize that something was terribly wrong.
So much so that a heat began to rise in my chest, a surge of anger unlike anything I'd ever felt before coursing through me.
BANG!
I smashed my hand against the table, rising up as I stared at the laptop.
"How is this possible!?"
From the moment I started the game, I was immediately impressed.
Not just a tiny bit, but genuinely impressed.
The graphics were exceptional, and the general interface and controls were extremely easy to understand.
'The concept of the game is also rather refreshing.'
It was the kind of game where one stayed in a single room, monitoring security cameras of a large circus and controlling different areas remotely. In those rooms were strange objects. Dolls that looked almost lifelike.
The goal was simple: keep an eye on them at all times.
If anything strange happened with the dolls, like them fading out and reappearing in other rooms, one had to make sure they couldn't reach the security room by locking the doors at just the right moments.
Of course, in order to keep the game tense, there existed a 'power supply' that limited the player from keeping the doors closed at all times.
'It's a very interesting game. I can't say I could've come up with something like this. It's no wonder the game is selling so well.'
Checking the cameras, I began to play the game.
The more I played it, the more impressed I became.
But—
"I wouldn't say it's that scary."
Was it because of all the scenarios I had gone through?
This sort of game paled in comparison to real life.
I glanced around the room. It was small, about the same size as my office, with a single desk where I could monitor the cameras. Other than that, the only source of light came from the faint glow of the screen in front of me.
Everything looked incredibly realistic, but there was something that felt missing.
'I don't know. It just doesn't feel—'
Da~ Da~ Da!
A certain tune suddenly played in the air. One that made my breathing pause for a brief moment.
The cameras flickered, and I turned my attention towards the monitor.
"One of the dolls is missing."
I reached for the mouse and clicked on the next camera.
Click!
I began to scroll through each camera, looking for the dool. It didn't take long for me to find them.
'They're in the second room to the security room.'
The room resembled a storage space, cluttered with all sorts of scattered items. My gaze settled on a life-like doll sculpted in the image of a ballerina, her pale face frozen in grace, one arm lifted elegantly in the air. I licked my lips unconsciously as I stared at it.
'...I can't explain what it is, but it feels as if something has changed.'
I licked my lips again, feeling a certain tension in the air.
I took a deep breath, checking on the power supply and pressing on the camera system to check out the other rooms.
But just as I did—
Da~ Da~ Da!
The tune played again.
This time, the tension hit me instantly. My muscles stiffened as my eyes darted around, scanning every corner of the room.
"What the hell is going on?"
By now, it was obvious to me that something was wrong.
This...
Everything about this game felt weird. I couldn't quite explain what it was, but I started to feel a tension that hadn't been present before.
'When exactly did it start?'
I pressed my lips tightly, looking at my surroundings.
Everything looked the same, and as I turned my attention to the camera system, my heart suddenly came to a stop.
That was because...
"....!?"
One of the dolls was standing right outside my room.
Da~ Da~ Da!
My breathing grew heavier and more uneven as the faint tune drifted through the air, a clear signal that the dolls were moving. Without a second thought, I lunged for the monitor and activated the door system, locking the entrance to the room where the doll had been.
BANG!
I heard a loud 'bang' coming from the door. It was enough to jolt me as I hastily turned in the direction of the door.
But as if that wasn't enough...
Da~ Da~ Da!
The melody whispered in the air again, and the camera system sprang back to life.
Another doll had appeared!
"Shit!"
I didn't know when, but I began to take the game extremely seriously, closing the door on the right.
BANG!
The metal door shook, alongside my heart.
Flick! Flick—!
The light above flickered, and as I checked the power percentage, I noticed it was draining rapidly.
"Oh, shit...!"
The camera system was the first part that shut off.
The moment I tried to reach for it, the system had already stopped responding. My heart sank at the sight.
Without the camera system, I wouldn't be able to know where the dools were.
I also knew that I barely had any electricity left.
'What should I do...?' My mind scrambled to think of a solution. I checked the time. I knew that I needed to survive for just a little bit longer in order to clear the game, and after a little thought, I decided to gamble.
To keep the energy system running, I had no choice but to keep one door open.
That was what I did.
Claaaank!
I opened the door where the first doll had appeared.
Since it had been closed the longest, I assumed it was the room least likely to contain a doll.
And for a moment, it seemed like my train of thought was correct.
But soon—
Flick! Flick!
The lights turned off completely, leaving me in a state of darkness.
"Haaa... Haa..."
The sound of my own breathing echoed through the room, so loud it felt as if it were the only thing I could hear.
'Calm. Remain calm.'
I had dealt with a lot worse situations in the past. This was just a game. There was no need to get worked up over a game.
Creaaak!
"....!?"
A creaking sound suddenly echoed, and my head flicked to my left.
All that met my eyes was darkness. I stared into it, my breathing growing heavier with each passing second.
Creaaak! Creaaak!
It was slowly approaching me, and my heart started to speed up rapidly as a result.
Creaaaaaaak—!
The floor creaked once more, my heart hammering in my chest.
And then—
Tap.
Something tapped against my other shoulder, prompting me to turn my head.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
"....Uekh!"
A sickly pale face popped up shortly after, screaming in front of my face and forcing me to jump back as I nearly screamed at the top of my lungs.
A large [Game Over] appeared shortly after as the capsule opened, and I blankly stared at the ceiling above me.
"....."
I didn't know how long I stayed like that, lost in thought, until a certain silhouette appeared before me, snapping me back to reality.
"Huh?"
But looking at the figure before me, I realized rather quickly that something was wrong.
With its normally stitched eyes torn open, along with its mouth, I saw the Conductor glaring at the capsule with a rare fury I had never witnessed before.
'What's going on? Why is the Conductor reacting like this? What could've...?'
"Thief."
The words came out hoarsely from the conductor, its gaze even sharper as it stared at the capsule.
"...Thief."
The Conductor repeated, leaving me at a loss.
But soon, a certain tune replayed in my mind and my eyes widened in shock.
Don't tell me...
-x-X-x-
In my time of knowing the Conductor, this was the very first time that I witnessed his rage and anger. Not even when I insulted his own work during the first scenario with him had I witnessed such rage and disgust from it.
'...Just what in the world is going on?'
My heart palpitated wildly in my chest.
The Conductor's anger didn't ease, and the surroundings trembled.
Rumble! Rumble!
"How dare..."
The room shook further, and I knew then that I had to act.
"Hold on."
I reached for the Conductor, trying to grab its attention. Something was stirring within the surroundings due to the Conductor's anger. I didn't know what it was, but I knew that I had to stop it before it was too late.
"Calm down for a moment. Let me understnd what's going on."
"Understand...?"
The Conductor's voice turned even more sinister, the hair at the back of my arm rising as I struggled to breathe.
"What is there to understand?"
The Conductor's voice hoarsely echoed, my breathing pausing as a result.
Nevertheless, seeing the surroundings tremble further, I knew that I had to act.
"J... just calm down for a moment." I managed to force out the words despite the pressure that was currently enveloping the room.
'For someone who is being so reliant on my strength, he sure is suffocating.'
I took a deep breath, calming my trembling voice.
"Let me properly understand the situation. There's no use being angry at the moment. It won't resolve the situation."
I more or less had an idea as to why the Conductor was angry. It didn't take a genius to understand, but given its current outburst, I didn't have the time to properly assess the situation.
If only the Conductor could just—
"...Alright."
All the pressure eased at once.
The trembling stopped, and the heavy sensation on my chest eased.
What...?
The sudden change took me aback, but swallowing quietly, I snapped out of it and looked at the Conductor directly before turning my attention towards the capsule.
Taking several deep breaths, I got out of the capsule and moved towards my laptop.
'Theft, theft...'
There was only one reason the Conductor would say something like this.
'Its music must've been stolen.'
That was the only possible explanation, and thinking about the rare feeling that I experienced while playing the game every time the music played, I had also vaguely felt the abnormality within the game.
Sitting back on my seat and turning my attention to my laptop, I booted up the game one more time. This time, I did it without the VR functionality. The game was possible to play without VR since it was extremely simple in design.
Of course, it was best with VR.
"Let's see."
I started in the same security room as before.
The dools appeared in each camera angle, and the lights above flickered.
I waited in silence, switching between the cameras until—
Da~ Da~ Da!
The tune began to play.
At the exact moment it played, something within my chest stirred, and I found my mind growing hazy. My concentration slipped, and by the time I regained focus again, I found my breathing growing rougher than before.
"Oh my god..."
I covered my mouth with my hand, staring at the screen with wide eyes.
Rumble! Rumble!
The surroundings shook once more, the Conductor's figure right next to me, but this time, I didn't stop the Conductor as I kept my gaze fully focused on the game before me, at a complete loss.
If before I was skeptical, that was no longer the case.
This game...
'It's copying the Conductor's music.'
***
Nightmare Forge Studio.
Drrrrrr—! Trrr!
The usually quiet and gloomy studio was experiencing a resurgence, like it had never experienced in the past; the phones were constantly ringing, and people ran all over the office, trying to get documents from one place to another.
"Quick! Quick!"
"I just got a sponsorship offer! It's Neuzi!"
"...What is the current status on the bug fixes? There's several bugs that are being reported!"
"We've made it to the news!"
"We're climbing up the rankings!"
Despite how busy everyone was, the atmosphere felt festive. The game was performing phenomenally, and since everyone would be receiving bonuses based on its success, spirits were high all around.
This was the first time in a very long time that their newest game performed so well. It was only right that they all felt happy.
CEO Office.
"The game is projected to reach the top of the rankings nationally. There's a chance that we might even make it to the global rankings."
Reporting to the CEO was Daniel Mier, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Dressed in a crisp suit, he stood with perfect posture, his demeanor calm and professional. As a graduate from the Euston Malovia University, he was a top elite who had just been recently hired by the company.
He was, in fact, partially responsible for the games' success.
"Oh? We might even make it to the global rankings? That's very good news."
The CEO, a man in his sixties, smiled with visible glee. His bushy eyebrows arched high as a result, hiding beneath his thinning hair was neatly parted on top of his forehead. His most noticeable trait was the well-groomed mustache resting just above his lips, something he touched whenever he was happy.
"...How confident are you that we might make it to the global rankings?"
"There's a good chance we might."
Daniel replied, checking the tablet in his hands.
"Based on the current sales records and the fact that the game is starting to reach some audiences outside of the island, I would say that it should be possible for us to place within the top thousand."
"Top thousand?"
The CEO took a deep breath, his chest trembling out of excitement.
While 'Top 1000' didn't sound grand, it was in fact a phenomenal result. This would mean that their game was within the top 1000 in the entire world, not just within their island, but also the surrounding islands.
This was a monumental achievement.
Something that had never been accomplished by anyone within the island or the nearby regions. It would mean that they'd be the first to achieve such a result, bringing their studio to an unprecedented period of fame and growth.
The thought made the CEO's mustache tremble.
"That's good. That's good. It would be really good if we could achieve this."
As he spoke, he turned his attention towards Daniel. His lips pulled into an appreciative smile.
"None of this would've been possible if not for you. You're really a lifesaver."
"...Thank you."
Daniel lowered his head, smiling as well. Raising his head back up, he looked at the CEO, the smile fading slightly.
"However, if we're being honest, none of this would've been possible if not for you."
"Me...?" The CEO paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Haha, well, I suppose you could put it that way."
Daniel's lips similarly curled into a smile.
"Who would have thought that a soundtrack could have such an effect? I even tried to research it further, going so far as to send it to the bureau, but with little to no success. They deemed it to be a normal soundtrack, but I'm sure that's not the case. There has to be some secret to it."
"Who cares? We've already assembled a full team of engineers to see if there's anything more we can extract from the source code of his games. If there is, we can implement it into our own."
"That's true."
Daniel's smile pulled even higher.
A thought occurred to him then.
"Do you think he would mind?"
"Him?"
The CEO blinked, then chuckled again. As he did, he rifled through his drawer and pulled out a contract, slapping it onto the table with a sharp thud.
"To hell if he minds. In fact, arrange a meeting with him. I'd like to have a good chat with him. After all..."
The CEO looked at the contract.
"...Everything that he's created belongs to me. It's in the contract."
-x-X-x-
Da~ Da~ Da!
There was no denying it any longer.
The more I played, the clearer it became; this was none other than the music I had used in my own game. The Conductor's music.
"Fuck."
Rumble! Rumble!
Once again, the room shook, and I turned my attention towards the Conductor.
"Calm down! I can understand your current anger, but it won't resolve a single thing at the moment. Give me some time, and I'll quickly figure out a way to resolve this."
"Why go through such a hassle?"
The Conductor's head cocked, its gaping eyes looking straight at me.
"...Tell me where they are, and I'll eliminate them. I will—"
"No, that won't work."
I cut the Conductor off before it could go on a tangent of its own. While the Conductor's option sounded tempting, I didn't want to kill people for things like these. It would also lead to several troublesome situations.
'Maybe I can use Mr. Jingles?'
I thought about replicating what I had done in the past with Nova Forge Studios or whatever they were called, but I didn't think it'd be a good idea to waste my precious 'materials' in order to get back at them.
Not only that, but I was still unsure of what had happened exactly.
'...Let me at least try and figure it out.'
"Why wouldn't it work?"
"Because it might lead back to me. I'm already walking on thin ice, and you know best that I'm not strong enough to defend myself just yet. Trust me and let me handle this current situation. I should be able to get to the bottom of this quickly."
"....."
The Conductor remained silent, its eyes narrowing within the silence as my heart drummed loudly inside of my chest.
Thankfully, the Conductor eventually relented.
"Alright."
Its voice quietly whispered into the air.
"...I will listen to your command."
"Good."
I sighed in relief, leaning back on the chair.
This was an unexpected turn of events. I had just come out of a deadly gate infiltrated by the Guild and thought I'd finally be able to rest for a while, but then this happened out of nowhere.
"And just when I thought I had gotten rid of the rat too..."
Troublesome things were piling up one after another. I really couldn't catch a break even if I wanted to, huh?
"Let's see."
The first thing I did was open up my mail. I planned on messaging my old company in order to arrange a meeting to better understand the situation, but right as I opened the website, my hand paused.
[New] — Nightmare Forge Studios.
"What...?"
To my utter surprise, it was an email from the very studio that I was having trouble with.
"...It's pretty recent, too. It wasn't even an hour ago since they sent it."
Staring at the mail, I didn't have a good feeling about it as my heart sank.
But—
Click!
I still decided to open up the mail.
———
[To : Seth Thorne]
We would like to formally invite you to the Guild for a meeting at your earliest convenience. The CEO has expressed a desire to have a comprehensive discussion with you regarding recent developments and future opportunities.
This meeting will provide an opportunity to address any questions you may have and to explore potential collaborations in greater detail.
When would be a good time to arrange the meeting?
———
"Discussion regarding recent developments and future opportunities?"
The more I read the mail, the greater the pit in my stomach.
'I really don't have a good feeling about this.'
However, I knew that this wasn't something that I could avoid. In order to get a better understanding of the situation, it was important that I went to the meeting.
'...Although I don't really want to go back there, I know I have to go.'
And so, I quickly arranged a meeting with them.
"Tomorrow morning should do."
I got a confirmation email shortly after.
"...Okay, then."
I stood up from my seat and stretched my back.
"Now that I'm done with that, I should think—"
To Tok!
My words got cut off by a sudden knock on my door. Pausing whatever I was doing, I turned my attention towards the door.
I licked my lips as they suddenly felt dry.
To Tok!
With the knocking persisting once more, I knew that I couldn't ignore it and moved towards the door.
'Who is it...? Is it the Section Chief?'
I couldn't think of anyone else who knew about this place besides him and my squad members. Not even Kyle was aware of it.
Reaching for the door, I opened it slowly.
"Hello."
A smile greeted my sight the moment I opened the door, causing my heart to come to a complete stop.
"....!?"
Of all the people I had expected to encounter, this was the last. The moment I caught sight of them, my entire body froze.
"Oh? This is quite a nice setup. Not bad at all."
The Guild Master walked into the room, his gaze sweeping the place with a certain curiosity. He took notice of the capsules, and the set up by the distance.
Eventually, coming to a stop, he turned his attention back to me.
"...This place looks rather nice. It seems like you've put the money you've received to good use."
"Thank you."
I could only force a smile.
It felt as though I was standing on needles, trying my best to understand the reason behind the Guild Master's sudden appearance.
I swallowed nervously, keeping my gaze locked onto him.
'Come on, just get on with it. What are you here for??'
The more I stared at him, the more I was reminded of the rat's words. I started to feel uncomfortable.
"I can see that you're impatient." The Guild Master chuckled while staring at me. He shook his head. "Don't worry. I'm not here for anything particular. I'm just trying to get back to our previous conversation."
My heart skipped a beat.
"By previous, you mean..."
"Since I've done you a favour, it's my time to ask for something, isn't it?"
I pressed my lips tightly, feeling the air in the room suddenly constrict around me.
That tension lasted for merely a few seconds before the Guild Master raised both hands.
"Please be at ease. I'm not going to ask you to do anything outrageous. In fact, you can even say that this might be a good opportunity for you."
"Good opportunity?"
I looked at the Guild Master hesitantly. What good opportunity could he be talking about?
"I'm curious about your Decree."
Ah.
So that's what it was...
"I've been thinking about it, and I'm certain now. The Dreamwalker you've been using used to be a Nightwalker from our Guild gate. The information I've received from the clips I've managed to look and examine, alongside the reports suggest that to be the case. That makes me wonder..." The Guild Master paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at me. "Do you actually have the ability to enhance the anomalies themselves? If so, are you willing to show me? I'd be willing to sponsor the experiment if you need anything."
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
My heart raced at the sudden offer, my expression unable to remain calm as I looked at the Guild Master.
This...
This was a massive opportunity, wasn't it?
-x-X-x-
I didn't rush to agree to the Guild Master's proposal, if it could even be called that.
There was no free lunch in this world.
The Guild Master's intentions were clear. He wanted something out of this, and I felt hesitant knowing this. I had already revealed to him quite a lot. To what extent was I going to show him my abilities?
Was it safe to do so...?
'I don't know about that.'
The rat's words continued to replay in my mind. The more I thought about those words, the more my heart tightened.
'...I know this might be the rat's way of getting in my way again, but I really can't find myself dismissing his words.'
Staring at the Guild Master and staring at the simple smile on his face, I really didn't have a good feeling.
However, I also knew that this deal was going to benefit me.
It was a no-brainer decision, but I still felt hesitant. Just how much could I show this man? What would happen if he were to learn more?
'I'll need to be careful going down the line.'
"So...?"
"Oh, yes."
I scratched the side of my face, my foot tapping lightly against the floor. A shadow began to take form soon after, a faint sizzling sound filling the air as the overhead lights flickered and the Dreamwalker twitched.
"Hmm."
The Guild Master's attention immediately pulled on the Dreamwalker, leaning his head closer to get a better look.
He was dressed in a black coat that looked slightly too large for him, the fabric draping loosely over his frame. Beneath it, a crisp white shirt and a sharp black tie completed his appearance.
Staring at the Dreamwalker for the next couple of seconds, he pulled his attention back to me.
"Can you evolve it...?"
"It's... possible."
I didn't deny it, trying my best to keep my heart steady while I looked at the Dreamwalker.
It had been stuck in the same tier for quite some time, and despite my efforts to evolve it, the task proved incredibly difficult. Collecting fragments was quite difficult for me. Especially when taking into account that I 'didn't' have any powers.
In order to make my life easier, I had no choice but to start revealing glimpses of it.
At the same time, it was also what pushed me to make a deal with the Guild Master.
With his support...
"What are the requirements for it?"
"I would need around 20 conceptualization fragments."
"Twenty ? Any purity?"
"The purity doesn't matter."
"Oh?"
The Guild Master's brow raised in surprise.
I could understand his surprise. If the Dreamwalker only needed fragments without any purity concern, then it made things a lot easier.
I was certain the Guild had a lot of low-purity fragments in store.
If I could get my hands on them...
"You really only need twenty?"
"Yes, more or less."
Less, actually, since the Dreamwalker already had a few collected.
I needed about fourteen, but I said twenty just to see if he'd allow me to keep the rest. I could've said more, but I wanted to play it safe for the time being.
"...If that's the case, I can arrange it quickly."
Taking out a small flip phone, the Guild Master moved out of the room and dialed a certain number. He came back shortly after with a small bag in his hand.
"This should be everything."
He proceeded to toss the bag at me.
Catching it, I looked through it. There were exactly twenty fragments.
'He really managed to get... So quickly as well.'
As expected of a Guild Master. He really knew how to get things done quickly.
Perhaps it wasn't a bad idea to work with him after all...
"You can start whenever you can."
"Right."
I shifted my gaze from the Guild Master to the bag in my hand, taking a quiet breath before selecting the first fragment.
A notification flashed the moment after.
[Would you like to remove the attribute?]
▶ [Yes] ▷ [No]
I froze the moment the notification appeared, my gaze instinctively drifting toward the Guild Master. Feeling his eyes on me, coupled with that faint smile, a wave of tension began to creep over me.
However, it was too late for me to regret.
'Let's do this. I need to do this.'
With the upcoming cult quest, I knew that I had to be ready.
I pressed [Yes] and my arm stirred.
A gray cloud drifted in the air, pulling away from the fragment below. The Dreamwalker immediately moved towards it and grabbed it, pulling it to its mouth.
Conceptualization: 7/20.
The fragment turned transparent shortly after.
In the moments that followed, the silence within the room grew increasingly stifling. My heart drummed loudly within my chest as I reached for the next fragment and repeated the process.
Conceptualization: 7/20.
This time, however, I didn't let the Dreamwalker absorb the cloud.
Instead, I told it to stay put inside my mind.
"...There's a chance of failure."
I didn't look at the Guild Master while saying this, afraid he would notice what I was trying to do as I pulled out another fragment and repeated the process.
Conceptualization: 8/20.
Thankfully, the Guild Master remained silent the entire time.
He just kept silent as he observed everything that I was doing.
His gaze felt pressuring, but I knew that the only thing I could do was continue.
And that was what I did.
Conceptualization: 10/20.
Conceptualization: 15/20.
Conceptualization: 19/20.
With the last fragment in my hand, I paused. The Dreamwalker looked a little different from before, its presence seeming a lot stronger than before. I could tell that it was squirming with energy, and after holding onto the last fragment, I pressed [Yes].
Conceptualization: 20/20.
"...?!"
The change came quickly.
The Dreamwalker began to shake, its body visibly thickening as the lights above flickered. Its long arms contracted slightly, gaining bulk, while its legs stretched further, and its back arched into a subtle, menacing hunch.
A black veil began to form around its body, covering it from head to toe.
But that wasn't the most noticeable change.
Instead, it was the change in the Dreamwalker's color that drew the eye, deepening into a black so intense it seemed to draw all the light from the room, swallowing the surroundings in shadow.
The transformation didn't last for long.
It took several minutes, and in those moments, I forgot all about the Guild Master as I continued to observe the Dreamwalker.
And then—
"....."
Silence.
The changes finally came to a stop, the Dreamwalker flickering in and out of existence just before my very eyes, leaving me at a complete loss.
Curious, I checked its profile.
My breath paused the moment I did.
─────
[Description]
: Once a Dreamwalker, the Realmwalker has evolved through the assimilation of Conceptualization fragments. Its shadowy form has grown stronger and more resilient, now able to resist the piercing effects of light, though it still instinctively favors darkness. Beyond mere survival, the Realmwalker has gained the extraordinary ability to traverse to different realms.
Loyalty : 55--> 74 [+9] (....)
Skills :
[Body Morphosis]
: Skill enables the Dreamwalker to alter its body in any way possible.
[Shadow Walking]
: Skill enables the Dreamwalker to walk in the shadows and the other realm unobstructed.
Fragments :
Conceptualization: 1/40
─────
'This is ridiculous...'
Staring at the Dreamwa-no, Realmwalker, I tried to make sense of the changes. Most importantly, I was trying to understand the meaning behind the 'other realm' part.
What exactly was the other realm?
'Is it the same realm that I can see from the glasses?'
While I wasn't entirely certain, I had a vague suspicion that the world the anomalies inhabited and the real world were two distinct realms, existing in parallel yet apart.
In that sense, was the Realmwalker's ability to phase in and out of the worlds?
Could it not do that before?
"How interesting."
Pulling me out of my thoughts was the Guild Master. My heart skipped a beat the moment I turned my head in his direction.
'When did he get here?!'
I hadn't even realized his presence until he was already standing before the Realmwalker.
"This is certainly an upgrade from the Dreamwalker. In fact, I've seen such a creature before. Realmwalker, right?"
"....."
I didn't know what to say.
That was exactly right.
"Mhm. Not bad at all."
The Guild Master looked extremely intrigued, moving around the Realmwalker.
"They're certainly troublesome anomalies. They are hard to catch because they have no specific weakness and can hide among people. Of course, their major weakness is that in places with no shadows, they can't exist. That being said, such places are extremely rare and only possible with specific items or settings."
Listening to the Guild Master, I remained silent, carefully absorbing every word he said. The information was invaluable, and as he spoke, countless ideas on how to utilize the Realmwalker began to take shape in my mind.
"If it's possible for the anomalies to stay far away from you, I'd say that you can use the Realmwalker as some sort of spy. You can have it attached to a shadow and monitor their every movement and action. So long as they're not strong enough, they won't be able to detect it."
"....!"
My eyes widened slightly at the idea.
'This might actually be a very good idea. What if I attach it to someone who belongs to the weird cult? Maybe I can find their base faster.'
The more I thought about it, the greater the number of opportunities in my mind.
Especially...
'Trait Transfer. What if I can do the same thing as well?'
My heart started to beat faster.
Just thinking about traveling within the shadows, I felt a sudden surge of excitement.
'...I shouldn't have any problems running away now.'
Although my tolerance for horror had grown recently, I was still a coward at heart. Now that I possessed the perfect ability to escape, I intended to make full use of it whenever the opportunity arose.
'Now that I think about it, can I also travel to the other realm? Is that possible...? Not that I have any plans... That place seems a little bit too dangerous and creepy for me.'
"All of this is intriguing and all, but if I had to say what caught my attention the most, it would definitely be that."
The Guild Master gestured toward my hand. Lowering my gaze, my breath paused slightly as I noticed what he was referring to.
Ah, right.
"If my guess isn't wrong, that's an attributeless fragment, correct?"
"Yes,"
I replied.
There was no use denying it, especially since the proof was right before his eyes.
"May I have a look at it?"
The Guild Master extended his hand in my direction. When I turned my attention towards him, I knew that this was more of an order than I request.
I complied and handed the fragment to him.
"How peculiar."
He examined the fragment closely, his eye magnified through its surface as he brought it near his face, the pale light refracting faintly across his features.
The more he looked at it, the more intrigued he seemed.
And then—
"This is certainly very interesting. I'll be keeping this for now and running some tests on it. This is a very interesting power that you have." The Guild Master pinched his chin while staring at the fragment. "Since you have the ability to remove an attribute from a fragment, I presume that in order to advance, you require attributeless fragments."
"Yes, but they must be of high purity."
"...I see."
The Guild Master turned the fragment over in his hand a few more times before finally slipping it back into his coat pocket. His gaze lingered briefly on the Realmwalker, studying it in silence, before he finally shifted his attention toward me.
"I think I've taken enough of your time. I'll be taking my leave now."
He checked the time.
"I'm running quite late for a meeting myself, but this was certainly worth it."
The Guild Master strode toward the door, his footsteps calm and even. Just as his hand reached for the handle, he paused and turned his attention back to me, his lips curled into a calm and reassuring smile.
"I understand that you're a bit hesitant about showing me your full skills, but rest assured, I'll keep my end of the deal. Between you and me, no one else will know about your powers, unless, of course, you decide otherwise."
I forced a smile in response to his words.
And then—
"I'll be seeing you again."
Clank!
He left the office, leaving the place in a state of utter silence.
Even after he left, I remained in place, my body tense as I stared blankly at the floor beneath me.
I eventually took a deep breath.
"...I really hope he stays true to his words."
***
The Guild Master walked calmly out of Seth's office. As he passed by the others, it was as if he didn't exist; no one paid him any attention. He moved through the crowd like a ghost, completely invisible to their eyes.
Eventually reaching the elevators and ascending to his floor, the Guild Master stepped out to find a certain person waiting for him outside the office. The moment he appeared, the man turned his attention towards the Guild Master.
"Guild Master."
"...How have you been? I apologize for my tardiness. I was just busy handling a certain matter."
"Is that so? Well, that's fine, I guess. Next time, hurry, though. I've got a lot of things that I have to deal with."
The Guild Master smiled upon hearing the Section Chief's words.
He was one of the few people who talked to him like that. He couldn't say that he disliked it.
Clank—!
Opening the doors to his office, the Guild Master took his seat behind the desk, while the Section Chief settled into the chair across from him. For a moment, the room was filled with silence until the Section Chief finally spoke, breaking the stillness.
"I'll cut straight to the chase, Guild Master."
The Section Chief's voice turned unusually low, prompting the Guild Master to look at him curiously. It was a subconscious trait that he used whenever he wanted to talk about serious matters.
"...I'd like to speak with you about VILE - 2013, the Jester."
Taking a deep breath, the Section Chief's brows furrowed tightly.
"I... have a feeling that someone I know might be linked to it."
The room froze in that moment, the Section Chief staring straight at the Guild Master.
And eventually—
A pair of dimples appeared on the Guild Master's cheeks as he looked at the Section Chief.
"Pray do tell me. I'm all ears."
The Section Chief leaned back in his chair, brows drawn together as he rested a hand over his mouth, deep in thought.
He had been uncertain for some time about revealing what he had found out to the Guild Master, but after a little bit of thought, he realized that he had no other choice but to.
'He's very likely already figured something out. If I act as though I'm unaware, he might choose not to mention it, but the fact that he won't say anything... that's the real problem.'
The Guild Master wasn't someone who would directly confront someone about anything.
If he wasn't satisfied with someone's performance, he wouldn't express it outright. Instead, he would quietly take note of it, his silence far more telling than words. The more someone disappointed him, the quicker his interest in them faded.
He was the kind of person who assigned value to people, measuring their worth based on what they could offer rather than who they were.
The more someone disappointed him, the lower their value became in his eyes, until eventually, they were no longer worth his attention at all.
This was the last thing the Section Chief wanted.
"...I'm curious. What have you found out about VILE - 2013?"
"I..." The Section Chief pursed his lips, sorting his thoughts in his mind before coming clean, "Although I am not entirely sure, there's been some suspicion regarding Seth. I honestly don't believe it is him, but there are too many things that simply don't match up."
"Like?"
"Certain timings in certain situations. His appearance. It matches the time when the Jester first appeared. It was around the same time. There's... just a lot of things."
The number of coincidences had piled up to a point where they could no longer be ignored.
Even though the Section Chief tried his best to turn a blind eye to the situation, he could no longer do that.
'I hope that I'm wrong, but it's my duty to report this.'
"I have a file over here that I've compiled with all of my findings." The Section Chief leaned forward while placing a neat folder on the Guild Master's desk. "There are still certain things that don't quite make sense, but I thought it'd be good if I at least showed you this much."
"Mhm."
The Guild Master reached forward and grabbed the file.
He carefully read through the file while the Section Chief sat in silence across from him. The quiet sound of pages turning filled the room, and after a while, the Guild Master finally set the file down on the desk.
"This is not bad. I can see how your concerns came to be. If I were in your position, I'd also think the same."
"Then...?"
"There's no need to worry."
The Guild Master smiled reassuringly.
"I've already handled the situation. The chances of him being the Jester are slim to none."
Reaching for his phone, the Guild Master played a certain video and showed it to the Section Chief.
"There was a reported sighting of the Jester during the Hourglass Gate incident. I assume you're already aware of that much."
"Yes, I am."
The Guild Master tapped on the screen. A new video began to play.
"If you take a look here, you'll notice that Seth was present within the Guild during the entire duration of the Hourglass Gate. In fact, he's been consistently clearing gates alongside his team. Not only that, but the difficulty ranking of those gates hasn't increased in the slightest. The chances of him being the Jester are slim to none."
"I am aware."
The Section Chief replied.
"...These two pieces of evidence are also why I don't believe he's the Jester. Still, I'm convinced there's some kind of connection between them, considering all the suspicious coincidences surrounding him."
"You're right to think that way."
The Guild Master nodded, acknowledging and appreciating the Section Chief's concern.
"However, there's no need to worry about that either. I've also checked in on that, and he has no connection with the Jester."
"He doesn't?"
The Section Chief stared at the Guild Master in surprise. It was hard to believe, yet as he met the Guild Master's deep, unwavering gaze, his astonishment began to fade, replaced by a quiet sense of acceptance.
"I understand."
"...I'm glad you do."
Interlocking his hands in front of him, the Guild Master leaned forward slightly, pressing his fingers just beneath his eyes in an indicative gesture.
"You of all people should be aware of my eyes. There aren't many things that can escape my sight."
His eyes flickered for a brief moment, turning white for just half a second. The Section Chief tensed instantly, his body freezing under the intensity of the gaze, feeling completely exposed and vulnerable in that brief moment.
Thankfully, it lasted only a moment. The Guild Master leaned back against his chair, a faint smile appearing on his face, easing the tension in the room.
"He's innocent. You can say that he's unlucky with his timings."
"Is that so...?"
The Section Chief licked his lips, his throat drier than usual. After meeting the Guild Master's gaze one final time, he nodded and rose from his seat.
"Very well, then."
He adjusted his clothes.
"If that's the case, then I no longer need to worry. I quite like Seth, so I was hoping I was wrong. This puts me at ease."
"I'm glad it does. Take good care of him. He's a great talent."
"I know, I know."
The Section Chief lazily waved his hand, moving toward the door.
"...I'll take good care of him. He might bring us a surprise during the World Congress."
"Oh? I'm looking forward to it."
"Please do."
With that, the Section Chief reached for the door handle and stepped out, closing it behind him and leaving the Guild Master alone in the quiet room. The silence lingered for several seconds before the Guild Master's fingers drummed against the table.
"...I'm really looking forward to it."
***
Trrrrr—!
The alarm woke me up in the morning.
"Ugh."
It was the weekend, and I didn't have any work obligations. That said, there was still a certain appointment I needed to attend.
'I can't believe I'm waking up early on my one day off.'
Groaning, I swung my legs out of bed and took a quick shower. After changing clothes, I left the dorms and headed toward the street, preparing to catch a cab to the studio.
'...I hope things can go well with them. I already have a lot of troublesome things that I need to handle. I don't want to add another thing.'
Scrolling through my phone, I opened the Ranobe app.
"Right, it's been a while since I last checked my profile. I wonder how many followers I have now."
─────
[Seth Thorne]
Posts: 1 Followers: 104.3k Following: 0
─────
"....!"
My eyes jumped up in surprise.
This was a lot higher than I had previously anticipated. I could also see that it was still increasing. The number of notifications that I was receiving was a lot. Thankfully, I had it all muted beforehand.
'I guess the Trials really did help boost my popularity.'
That being said, it was still nothing compared to Kyle and Zoey.
'Right, if I recall correctly, doesn't Zoey have a lot of followers?'
I moved to find her profile.
─────
[Zoey Terline]
Posts: 76 Followers: 23.2M Following: 2
─────
"Oh, wow."
This was even more absurd than I remembered. She really did have a lot of followers.
Scrolling through her stuff, I suddenly noticed a shadow cast over my phone, and when I turned over, I caught a glimpse of a pair of green eyes staring at my phone.
"That's my profile, isn't it...?"
I froze.
-x-X-x-
There had been something that had been bothering Zoey lately. While she tried her best not to show it, the people around her still ended up picking up on her weird behavior.
"Are you okay...?"
"Is something wrong?"
"You look a little off."
"Why do you keep looking there?"
Zoey tried her best to brush it all off with her daydreaming about the Trials, but it was clear that people were starting to look at her suspiciously.
"...Agh."
Ruffling her hair, Zoey walked towards her usual cafe and grabbed her usual.
"This is so annoying. It should've been better if I hadn't overheard it."
Ever since overhearing Seth's conversation with his team at the hospital, Zoey had been struggling to think straight. Every memory of her interactions with him replayed in her mind, each one making her cringe with secondhand embarrassment over how she had treated him.
'It's not like I knew, right? And he did say that about my parents...'
Zoey bit her lips.
Back then, she didn't know, but now that she knew Seth better, she realized that he very likely didn't mean his words. Fracture aside, he was simply the type of person who was indifferent to everything. He was essentially a caveman.
It wasn't surprising for him not to know about her parents' death.
"Agh."
Zoey ruffled her hair again, the people around her stopping to look at her.
'Oh, crap.'
Lowering her cap, Zoey began to move faster.
But right as she began to move, she stopped.
'Talk of the devil...'
Standing by the sidewalk in front of the Guild was none other than Seth, his head lowered and focused on his phone.
Zoey turned away and prepared to head in the opposite direction when she stopped.
'No, I can't avoid this.'
This entire situation had been bothering her for quite some time. She knew that she needed to handle it directly.
Taking a deep breath, she moved closer to him.
But right as she got within distance of him, she took note of something peculiar.
'Isn't that my profile? He's checking my profile?'
Zoey froze, her face turning rigid. A certain thought crossed her mind, and she started to shudder, but after a moment's thought, she paused.
'No, there's no way.'
Seth was too indifferent to such things. He was probably checking her profile after seeing his own profile, which had started to grow recently.
Still...
"That's my profile, isn't it...?"
Zoey suddenly felt like teasing him for some reason.
And as expected, the moment she asked the question, Seth froze.
"....!"
Zoey's lips pulled slightly as she moved to get a better look at him. His face was extremely stiff as he alternated his gaze between her and his phone.
"Oh, you're checking that photo out? That's one of my favorite shots."
Zoey looked at the photo. It was one that she shot with a rather popular beverage brand, 'SyrupJoy'.
"It has quite a lot of likes too. I look nice, no?"
"....."
Seth's face turned stiffer, and Zoey's cheeks trembled.
This...
It was pretty fun, wasn't it?
Zoey was just about to continue when—
"Are you Seth Thorne?"
A car stopped next to him.
Seth hastily turned his attention to the car as if it were his savior, then glanced back at her.
"My car is here. I'll... see you later."
He opened the car and got in, but—
"Wait."
Zoey reached forward with her hand, stopping the door from closing.
Shortly after, Zoey hopped into the backseat with him.
"...I'm coming too."
"Huh?"
Clank!
She closed the door, hand still in her pockets.
"I've got nothing else to do, so..."
She looked at the driver, lowering her cap.
"I'll come with you."
***
As a fairly successful studio, Nightmare Forge Studios was situated near the central zone of the island, around [Zone 2]. While rent in this area wasn't as steep as in the absolute center, it was still relatively expensive.
It took about fifteen minutes to get to the Studio from the Guild.
The moment I stepped out of the cab, I was greeted by a towering square building dominated by glass windows.
I felt a mix of emotions while staring at the building.
'...It's been a really long time.'
This was the place where I had worked for a very long time. I had made many friendships and enemies inside.
With that being said, that wasn't the thing that was bothering me the most at the moment.
"Wow, is this where you're headed to?"
"....."
"It looks quite nice. Nightmare Forge Studios? Oh wow... This is also where you used to work, right?"
"....."
"I'm really curious now."
"....."
True to her words, Zoey ended up following me to the Studio.
I honestly had a lot of things to say, but I gave up when I saw her face. It seemed like she had made up her mind to follow me.
'I don't know what's going on with her, but I'll let her be for now. She'll get bored while I'm attending the meeting anyway.'
"Let's go. I have an appointment."
I just accepted her presence and walked into the building.
The automatic doors swooshed open, and a blast of cold air hit me the moment I stepped inside.
"A-ah."
Fuck.
I shivered for a moment, looking up and cursing.
'They still haven't fixed that damn air conditioner?'
It had been almost half a year since I had left the Studio, and they had yet to do something as simple as this?
I really wanted to curse those from finance.
'It's probably them. Those stingy bastards...'
I could still recall all those times they reduced the budget that I was designated, forcing me to try cheaper and different ways to get something working.
Just the thought made me gnash my teeth.
"Is this really where you worked? It's not bad."
Zoey's voice reached me from the side as she looked around. It seemed like she was totally indifferent to the cold coming from the air conditioner.
And it wasn't like her clothes were heavy.
Her hands were tucked into the pockets of her baggy black pants, the loose fabric contrasting with the cropped shirt that bared her toned abs.
I felt cold just looking at her.
"...Yeah, it's not bad."
I decided to keep the thoughts to myself while looking around.
On the outside, the Studio didn't look bad at all. It had the top-end equipment, and the lobby, alongside the main working areas, was rather clean.
"I see a lot of merch, too. What game is this one?"
"That's..."
I looked at the poster that Zoey was pointing at and frowned. That... I couldn't recognize it at all. This left me a little surprised, but as I looked around and looked at all the other merchandise for the other games, I realized that I couldn't recognize any of the games.
Oh...
This didn't come as a surprise to me.
I had done a little search in the past, and the games that I had worked on in the past, besides the latest one, had all been erased.
'It seems like they've been replaced with other games that I don't remember.'
"Don't tell me you forgot..."
"Hah."
I scratched the back of my head while looking at Zoey.
It seems like I have...
"....."
She stared at me in silence, but then nodded.
"I understand."
"....?"
"You were probably busy handling all the codes and stuff, right? You never really got to see the end product."
"Mhm, let's go with that."
This felt like a convenient excuse, albeit lazy.
For some reason, looking at Zoey's expression, which seemed to hold a twinge of guilt, I found myself frowning.
'What's going on with her?'
"Ah, could you be Seth?"
A voice shook me out of my thoughts.
Turning around, a fairly handsome man in a suit stopped before me and extended his hand in my direction.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Daniel. I'll be the one to guide you around and bring you to the CEO. I hope we can get along."
Staring at him and then his outstretched hand, I paused before reaching to grab it.
"Likewise."
I really did hope we could get along.
"This way, please. I'm sure you're familiar with the place, but it has changed a little bit. I'll introduce you to the CEO. He's very excited to see you again."
The man before me was very cordial. His smile was friendly, and he carried himself with quiet professionalism. There was something reassuring about his presence. The moment I saw him, I felt instantly more at ease.
'He seems rather friendly.'
Of course, the more he was like this, the wearier I was.
There was no such thing as a kind person in this industry.
'He's without a doubt a snake.'
"This is...?"
Suddenly, he turned his attention towards Zoey.
Despite the hat that covered her face, she still stood out quite a bit. With both her hands in her pockets, she looked at Daniel and then me.
"I'm..." Her lips pursed, seemingly from trying to figure out what to say. In the end, she went with, "I'm his assistant."
I nearly smacked my hand against my forehead.
This girl...
"Assistant?"
"Oh, yeah."
Zoey looked at me, pulling her hands away from her pocket.
"He's been doing quite well recently, so..."
"Oh, that's fair."
Daniel just kept smiling, but it was obvious from his expression that he didn't believe her at all. I, too, wouldn't believe her at all. The fact that he had yet to recognize her despite her popularity was the real surprise.
"In any case, we're almost here. The CEO is waiting in his office."
Leading us to a long corridor, a large wooden door greeted us at the end of it.
He stopped just before entering, turning his attention towards the two of us. As he did, several people who had been attending suddenly approached us.
"Huh?"
"What are you doing?"
"Don't mind this. For security reasons, we'll be taking your phones and items. We'll be discussing several sensitive matters. Of course, we'd also like you to sign this."
Daniel handed us several papers while the people patted us and searched for any 'hidden' device.
I frowned, but let them be as I was more focused on the contract.
There weren't many words, but looking at the files, my lips twitched.
'Snakes...'
: I hereby declare that I will not record or film any part of the discussion held within the CEO's office. Should I violate this agreement, I understand that I will be held legally liable in court.
I secretly clicked my tongue. I had been planning on recording the conversation just in case, but it looked like they were extremely careful.
Still, it wasn't like I had to attend this meeting.
I could just leave...
"It would be in your best interest if you sign this. There are quite a few important things that we'd like to discuss, and it's not like we're demanding much."
"....."
I gave the paper another scan, looking at Zoey, only to be surprised by her as she had already signed the paper.
"What?"
She looked at me with a shrug, looking completely unconcerned.
I sighed at the sight.
"Fine."
And as such, I signed it as well.
"That's great."
Daniel smiled happily, taking the contracts away.
Then—
To Tok—!
Knocking once, Daniel pushed the door open to reveal a spacious room with wide windows that spanned the walls, offering a clear view of the bustling streets below. Sitting by the end of the room, and behind a dark wooden table, was a figure I was somewhat familiar with.
He grinned broadly at the sight of me.
"If it isn't Seth! How have you been?"
He didn't even bother standing up while greeting me, remaining in his seat and pointing at the seats on the opposite side of his desk.
"Come, have a seat. There's a lot that I need to talk with you about."
I paused at the door, staring at the CEO for the briefest of moments.
Then—
"...It's a pleasure to see you again."
I followed along with his words and sat down on one of the seats.
"Haha, you've changed quite a lot since the last time that I saw you."
The CEO started with some light talk. One that I tried my best to play along with.
"I've... been doing quite well recently, so I've managed to take care of myself more."
While this was true, the part that was nonsense was his words.
He was the CEO of a major company, while I was just another employee tucked away in the programming division. I could count the number of times I'd seen him on one hand, and even then, our interactions had been brief — little more than passing exchanges in the hallway.
He probably didn't remember me at all.
"Haha, of course. I've been following you for quite some time. Your recent work has been really amazing. I've always known that you were great!"
Then why did you fire me?
I tried to maintain my smile while looking at him.
"Thank you for your compliment."
I felt like spitting on his face, but just barely held back.
"But by the way..." Suddenly, the CEO stopped, turning his attention towards Zoey as he finally took notice of her. "This is...?"
"My assistant."
I just played along with whatever nonsense she had started.
'It's a good thing he doesn't recognize her as well. Well... I guess her hat is lower now, so it's not exactly easy.'
"Oh, assistant."
The CEO nodded, losing interest rather quickly.
The atmosphere in the room shifted then. Although it was subtle, I noticed it rather quickly as the smile slowly started to fade from the CEO's face.
"I'm very glad that you're doing very well outside of your time with us. It brings me a lot of joy when I see someone who was once under our guidance spread their wings and make it big elsewhere. It really does bring me immense joy."
Bullshit.
I kept smiling.
"Thank you."
"With that being said..."
Ah, there it was. The real reason why he had called me.
"...A large part of the reason they were able to spread their wings is because of our guidance. Without us, without the foundation we provided, you, and anyone else who found success after leaving, wouldn't have been able to achieve it on your own."
The smile had long faded from my face. I could already see where this was heading, and the uneasy feeling that had been lingering in my chest from before fully settled.
'I should've known.'
I had really hoped things wouldn't turn out like this...
"You're understanding where I'm getting at, right?"
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Did I understand? Of course, I understood where he was getting at. But did I agree to his stuff?
'Fuck that.'
I opened my eyes while looking at him.
Pressing my palms against the armrests of the chair, I pushed myself up, steadying my balance as I rose to my feet.
"I understand, and that's why I'll be taking my leave."
"You're leaving?"
The CEO didn't look at all disturbed by my sudden actions. In fact, he smiled. He seemed to have expected my reaction from the start as he reached for his drawer and took out a thick stack of papers.
I paused the moment I caught a glimpse of them.
My heart slowly began to sink.
Placing his finger over the papers, the CEO began to read.
"...Any work, creation, or intellectual property developed by the Employee within six months following the termination of this Agreement that relates to the business, products, or services of Nightmare Forge Studios shall be deemed the property of Nightmare Forge Studios."
The more he read, the more my heart sank.
"To summarize this well, any work that you've created in the six months that you've left belongs to us. That applies to any software that you may have developed."
The CEO pushed the contract forward, his hand pressed forward in an inviting gesture.
"If you don't believe me, you can start reading it. I'm sure you have a copy of it in your email. This is the clause that was added to your contract. In this regard, you can say that all the games that you've created are owned by us."
"....."
"Of course, I'm a very reasonable man. I'm not going to take away any of the profits that you've made so far from the games that you've developed. I'm not that petty. All I'm going to ask is for the programs that you've used to create your games. You know... "
Pausing, the CEO gave me a meaningful look. He didn't continue, but the meaning behind his gaze was clear.
He wanted the special programs that the system provided me with.
"If you hand me the programs over, I won't bother asking for any of the profits. I will let you keep the games, too. Just hand over the programs, and we'll both be happy. How about it...?"