There weren't many things that could make me feel like shit.
I wasn't the type to get angry often. Getting angry meant getting angry at a certain individual or person. I didn't like interacting with other people; therefore, most of the time, I tended to just not bother with things.
But this...?
This was one of the few rare times when I was starting to see red.
'Calm down. Calm down. Calm down.'
"This is a contract that you've personally signed and approved. If you're thinking about hiring a lawyer, then you'll just be wasting money. This isn't a case that you can win. Especially since the terms all align with the current labour laws."
The more I listened, the harder it was for me to hold it in.
I was starting to imagine all the ways I could end his life. Even the Conductor was trying its best to come out and end him on the spot. If not for the fact that I was holding it back, this entire room would've turned red.
"...I'm not asking for much. Just hand over the programs. At the end of the day, we're not going to stop you from using them. I'm just asking you to give them to us so that we can use them as well. We're being extremely generous with the requests."
My lip twitched.
I was really on the verge of losing it.
Setting aside the fact that they wanted the programs that had been given to me by the system, the fact that they had put in such a clause in my contract was enough to make me want to kill them all.
'I've always known they were predatory, but not to this extent.'
Due to my desperation and ignorance, I had never gotten the chance to properly look at the contract or hand it over to a lawyer to check on it. I didn't have the money or time to do such a thing.
All I saw was a job, and I took it without hesitation.
Who would've thought it would come back to bite me in the ass?
"Are you listening to me?"
I raised my head to stare at the CEO.
He was looking at me with a frown, his face cracking, and impatience showing.
"I don't have all day. Hand over the programs, and we can let this be. This isn't a hard request. Do this while I'm still feeling generous. Otherwise..."
He left the sentence hanging. However, I understood it clearly.
'Should I just kill him?'
I was in a very tough spot at the moment.
Legally speaking, he had leverage over me. I had indeed signed the contract and, as such, had no legal grounds.
I also wasn't liquid enough to pay back all the money that I had made from the games that I had created. I had spent a major part of them on the system shop.
There were two options left for me.
Getting rid of them or asking the Guild Master for a favor.
I... was quite against both ideas.
'Should I hypnotize them using Mr. Jingles?'
This seemed like the only possible path forward for me.
"You're still staying silent? I guess you really don't appreciate the olive branch that I'm extending to you. In that case, we can proceed with the legal proceedings."
The CEO suddenly turned his attention towards his assistant.
"Daniel, contact the lawyers, tell them to get—"
"How much?"
A voice suddenly cut across the surroundings.
With both legs on the small glass table by the sofas, she lowered the phone in her hands while staring in the CEO's direction.
"How much does he owe you?"
"Wha..."
Taken aback, the CEO didn't know how to respond at first. He just stared at Zoey with a confused look, blinking his eyes several times until he turned his attention towards me.
"Why is your assista—"
"I said how much. Is that hard to understand, such a simple question?"
Zoey spoke up again, her voice a little higher than before. Although I couldn't clearly see her face as it was hidden by her cap, I could feel the annoyance in her tone.
But...
'What in the world is she doing?'
"Who the hell are you? Aren't you supposed to be his assistant? What gives you the—"
"Ah, fuck."
Zoey reached for her face and massaged it. As she did, she glared at the CEO.
"Are you mentally inept or some shit? Do you struggle to understand basic English? I said, How much does he owe you? Fucking answer the question you—"
"It would be around 1.4 million dollars."
Another voice joined in on the conversation. Turning my head, I saw the CEO's assistant, Daniel, answering with a smile.
"The total amount that has been generated from the games is 1.4 million dollars."
The room fell silent a moment later.
While I was still confused by Zoey's sudden interference, hearing the number coming out of their mouth, I nearly had a heart attack. Did I really earn that much?
"...If you can somehow pay up, then we can consider this—"
"Alright."
Zoey stood up from her seat, putting her phone in her pocket.
"I'll pay the money."
The room froze over, all eyes turning towards Zoey, mine included.
I wanted to get some words out, but Zoey raised her hand to block me.
With her attention fixed on the CEO and the assistant, who both looked stunned, she took out her wallet and tossed a black card on the table.
"Process it."
"...."
"...."
Neither the CEO nor the assistant moved. Both stood motionless while staring at the card on the table. It was clear from the expression on their faces that neither of them had expected such an outcome.
If I had to be honest, neither did I.
But at the same time, I didn't really feel comfortable with this outcome. Why was she suddenly paying for me? Didn't she use to hate me? ...Is it because of Kyle?
Yes, it had to be because of Kyle.
"So? Are we going to stand here all day? I don't really have that much time."
It was Zoey's voice that brought all of us back to focus.
Immediately after, the assistant looked at the CEO. The two exchanged glances before the assistant left the room with the card.
The next couple of seconds felt tense as I kept glancing in Zoey's direction. However, she seemed completely unbothered, her eyes focused on her nails.
And not long after, the door to the room opened.
Clank!
A pale-faced assistant walked in, his eyes focused on Zoey.
"You done?"
Taking her attention away from her nails, Zoey looked at the assistant. Staring at the card in his hands, she snatched it back before grabbing me by the arm.
"...I guess that's all. Thank you very much for the hospitality. We'll be taking our leave. Of course, I assume that there shouldn't be any more issues, right?"
Zoey gave them the CEO and the assistant one more look.
When neither of the two responded, she smiled and moved to the door, dragging me alongside her.
"Very good. We'll be taking our leave."
Clank!
That was the last I heard of them as we moved out the door.
What just...
What in the world just happened?
"Why did you do that...?"
I asked the question the moment we left the office. I was still struggling to grasp the reason behind Zoey's actions.
Why did she do that?
1.4 million wasn't a tiny sum. It was an extremely big sum.
Even if she was rich, this wasn't the type of money that just anyone would take out on a whim.
Was this really because of Kyle?
"You're not going to say anything?"
"....."
Zoey finally came to a stop, her back facing my direction. She turned slowly, her eyes searching my face for what felt like an eternity before she finally started moving toward me.
"You know, I think I've finally realised something."
Coming to a stop, she pressed her finger over my right shoulder.
"You're a pushover."
"....?"
"Is it that you just don't care about anything, or that you're too careful? Either way, you're a pushover. The fact that you let them walk all over you back then without much of a fight pretty much showed me that. You were about to walk away, right?"
"....."
"So you were..."
Zoey pressed her hand against her face, looking completely exasperated.
I didn't even say anything...
Although she did have a point, there was a very good chance I would've just left and dealt with the issue later. But it wasn't because I was a pushover or anything like that. It was just because I thought that I had no real leverage.
The documents were signed, and besides 'killing' them, I really had nothing else on my mind.
I wasn't rich enough to do something like this.
'No, now that I think about it, I might be able to afford it.'
The Guild had recently given me a million dollars in extra budget for accepting Ariel in my team. I could technically use that money to pay for the debt, but...
'It feels like wasted money.'
"It's no wonder they act like that in the first place. It's because they know they can get away with it. Look at how you signed a contract like that. Why would you even sign something like that without reading it? That's like the most basic of this—"
"I'll make sure to pay you back when I can."
I cut Zoey off before she could finish her sentence.
The moment I cut her off, she let out a surprised, 'Huh?', but I ignored it completely. I didn't even feel like talking to her at the moment.
While I was grateful for her help, I was also pretty pissed.
What did she know?
It wasn't like I had signed the contract without knowing that it was a shady one. I knew all along, but it wasn't like I had a choice.
I was at a point where I thought every day would be my last.
What was I to worry about how bad or good a contract was? I had no time to think of such matters.
As if realising something, Zoey's face changed.
"Wait, sorry, I think—"
"It's fine."
I cut Zoey off mid-sentence. I wasn't really in the mood to talk any longer.
Thankfully, she appeared to have taken note of my attitude and stopped speaking. I felt a little bad, but I was quite annoyed at the moment.
Looking around, I headed for the elevators.
I had had enough of this place.
***
'...Ah, shit.'
Zoey covered her face with both hands. Thinking about what she said and his reaction shortly after, she started to feel extremely bad.
"Stupid, stupid..." she muttered under her breath, trailing several steps behind him.
'Why did I say that? I completely forgot...'
The main reason she decided to follow along was that she felt bad about her past behavior. While his words and attitude were also out of order, they don't come from a place of harm. She knew this now that she knew him better.
And yet—
'Agh!!! I really made it so much worse.'
Her intentions weren't bad either. However, when she thought about why he would take such a terrible contract, she was reminded of his words and statement regarding the fracture in his head.
Taking out her phone, she stared at it for a couple of seconds before reaching for the back and removing the chip planted behind it.
This was something that had been given by them in order to prevent her from recording.
Not that it mattered since she was made to sign the NDA.
But more than anything, she was still hung up about the situation.
"Stupid, stupid... How did I not think of the obvious?" She muttered silently, her steps slowing down.
The reason why Seth had taken the contract was obvious. It wasn't that he was unaware; it was that he had no choice.
'But couldn't he have asked Kyle for help...?'
Kyle was just as rich as she was. For him, 1.4 million wouldn't be too much. Certainly, it was no small amount, but taking into consideration how close the two were, she was certain he would pay for it without any problems.
That was unless...
Zoey's eyes widened, and something dawned in her mind.
'That's unless he never told Kyle...'
Thinking about Kyle and the reason why he was working so hard to earn money, Zoey realised why he had never asked.
'It's not about ego or anything like that. He just...'
Zoey's head slowly lifted while staring at Seth's back, biting her lips softly. For some reason, following along from behind, she felt that it was a lot smaller than she had previously expected.
In fact, looking at him now, she realised just how pale and skinny he was.
While he had bulked up a little, he was still considerably skinny.
Her heart sank.
'I really need to find time to apologise.'
***
A tense silence followed in the room after Seth and Zoey left the room. Neither the CEO nor the assistant spoke a single word as they both stood in silence, unable to fully process what had happened.
Eventually—
Ding!
A sudden chime rang, and both heads turned in the direction of the sound.
The CEO reached for his phone.
The silence across the room stretched further.
Eventually, putting the phone down, the CEO closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"The money went through. We've received the full amount."
Daniel didn't say anything and just stared at the transaction. Seeing that it had really succeeded, he didn't have any words to say.
However, he was still relatively calm.
"This is a good amount of money. We can put this in the marketing budget. There will be a new update coming in a few months. It'll be rather big. Let's work towards that."
"Yes, let's..."
The CEO nodded, in full agreement. Eventually, however, his brows furrowed.
"This is leaving a sour taste in my mouth."
He checked the phone again.
"I can see that we've received all of the money, but this is far from the value of the programs that were used in the game."
"That's true."
Daniel nodded in agreement. The two of them were probably the only people who were aware of just how precious the music and programs used in the games were.
Neither fully understood how Seth managed to develop such programs, but they both understood the value of such programs.
"We have to get our hands on them at all costs."
The CEO's fists clenched tightly.
"...It's obvious that such scripts weren't developed in just six months. They're too complicated for that. It's very likely he used company resources to create them. They are rightfully our programs. The fact that he's still not giving them up despite us being so generous is really starting to piss me off."
In the CEO's mind, the programs belonged to him. Seth was merely a developer who had worked on them while using their equipment and teachings.
What he had developed was all because of them.
He owed them the programs.
"I've tried to check the source code of the games to look at the programs, but they can't be replicated. I think he must've realised that people could've copied them and encrypted them." Daniel spoke while going through his phone. He was reading the notes given to him by the staff he had put in charge of checking Seth's games.
"It's good that he did that."
The CEO replied, his brows still furrowed tightly.
"At the very least, this will prevent other companies from taking my programs away. The main issue right now is trying to get that low-end developer to give us the programs. The contract is only viable for half a year. There's not much time left until that passes. This..."
The CEO started chewing on his nails, trying his best to think of a way to get Seth to hand the programs over.
Thankfully, Daniel was one step ahead.
"Please relax, CEO. I've already thought of a way."
"Hm?"
Raising his head, the CEO looked at his assistant. He found a way? Really...?
"Yes."
Daniel nodded, his expression calm.
As his lips slowly pulled into a smile, he began telling his plan. Listening to his words, the CEO's face slowly changed, and a smile soon appeared on his face.
"Yes, yes, yes! Let's do that!"
He laughed out loud, the previous anxiety completely gone from his face as he looked at his assistant with joy.
"Get started immediately. Make sure thata low-end developer never sets foot in this market again!"
Beep! Beep—!
The rhythmic sound of the cardiogram echoed loudly within the hospital room, each beep slicing through the heavy silence. I stood by the bedside, staring at the figure that lay within it.
Her face was pale, her lids closed, and her long black hair fanned out gently across the bed.
As her chest rose and fell in even rhythms, I held onto the metal railing of the bed while keeping a close watch on her.
The more I stared at her, the deeper the sense of guilt that I felt.
'At the end of the day, I'm responsible for this.'
I was the Squad Leader. Making sure that every single member of my team was healthy and survived was part of my job.
An injury or even death meant failure on my side.
I got lucky, but...
'...She may as well be dead.'
While a fracture wasn't as bad as death or a Cognitive Shard, it was still terrible. The doctors from the Guild all advised that she should retire. There was no way for her to continue.
I felt that this was the right call, too.
I knew all too well about the consequences of a fracture. I had experienced it several times myself.
It... wasn't great.
"Maybe getting her to retire is for the best."
I held the metal rail tightly, sighing quietly. I didn't want things to end like this for her, but this was the right call. I couldn't afford for her fracture to get worse and, in turn, develop a Cognitive Shard.
That'd be worse than death.
I knew this better than anyone.
"Yeah, this is the best decision. This—"
"N-no."
"....?"
I felt something grasp my hand. When I looked down, I saw a pair of dark eyes staring back at me. With a trembling face, she shook her head.
"N-no... I... don't want..."
My breath paused at the sight of her.
Sarah wasn't the type to express her emotions. From what I had managed to observe, she was usually quiet and reserved. She was someone who didn't talk much, and whenever she did speak, it'd only be a few words.
For her to say this...
"I... p-please."
The desperation in her gaze was all too clear.
And yet—
"No, I'm sorry."
I remained firm with my decision.
"You've been diagnosed with a fracture. Getting you on the field will be dangerous. I really did consider bringing you back to the team, but I just... can't. I really can't."
I could already imagine the faces that the other members of the team were going to make upon telling them my decision, but I was sure that further down the line, they'd agree with me.
I just... didn't want Sarah to go through the things that I had to go through.
That would be—
"P-please."
"....!"
When I lifted my head again to look at Sarah, my eyes widened in disbelief. Tears traced down her cheeks as her fingers trembled against the sheets, and with visible effort, she slowly pushed herself upright.
"Wait, stop..."
Beeep! Beeep! Beeep!
The steady beeping of the monitor quickened, matching the sudden pounding of her heart.
"I... don't want to quit."
Her hand reached for the corner of my shirt, pulling it with as much force as she could muster.
Hardly anything...
"I... don't."
She continued to shake her head.
Staring at her, something within me stirred.
'Why is she so desperate?'
I had never seen her express this much emotion in the past. I couldn't for the life of me understand it, and as I stared at her, I eventually found myself asking, "Why do you not want to quit? Why are you so insistent on staying?"
If I had to be honest, this wasn't a great job.
The pay was relatively good, but in Sarah's case, it wasn't very good. She was still a new hire, and it would take some time before she made any decent money. Especially since our team had yet to have a single sponsor. But that wasn't all. This job was also very dangerous, with the mortality rate being incredibly high.
One had to face terrifying moments time and time again, often being thrust into situations where every choice felt impossible.
It was a shitty job regardless of how one thought about it.
What was the reason why Sarah would push herself so much? To the point where she could ignore a fracture?
"This is a shitty job, regardless of how you can put it. I can also tell that you're not very fond of it. Why are you pushing yourself so hard? What is the reason...?"
"...."
Sarah didn't answer.
She just stared at the bedsheets covering her legs, her fingers clutching the fabric so tightly that it began to crease beneath her grip. Her shoulders trembled slightly while her face underwent a series of changes.
I didn't push her to speak.
I waited for her to be ready. This wasn't something that could just be pushed. It had to be done willingly.
And eventually—
"I..."
Sarah's lips parted, her grip over the bedsheets tightening.
"...I just.. I j-ust... I j-ust want to achieve something."
"Hm...?"
Achieve something?
My confusion only grew, but I didn't speak. I remained silent and waited for her to speak. This wasn't the time for me to interrupt her. I could see that she was really trying to get her words out.
"T-this isn't the first... place I applied to. I... had also applied to the Hoarding Department and the Collection Department. They both rejected me."
"....."
"I... applied to many Guilds, but... they all rejected me."
"....."
"The A-academy I went to barely passed me, and... I've been told that I don't have talent for this."
Sarah's grip tightened even more, her knuckles paling as her shoulders shook. I could see it clearly... The way she fought to steady her breathing, to gather the strength just to force the words past her trembling lips.
It was really taking a lot for her to say all of this.
For this reason, I continued to remain silent.
"I... know I'm... not very talented, but... I really wanted to do this. I thought that maybe... if I did well here, I might be able to get to the other departments, b-but..."
Sarah's shoulders trembled even harder, her voice breaking off as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. She pressed her lips together tightly, as if holding them shut was the only way to keep herself from completely falling apart.
Despite this, she still tried to speak.
"B-but... b-but..."
To get her voice out.
"B-bu—"
"Alright, stop."
I stopped her before she could speak any further. Her shoulders trembled once more, and her face paled alongside the tremble.
Seeing her like this, I silently groaned to myself.
'Maybe Zoey was right. Maybe I really am a pushover.'
Staring at Sarah and seeing her in this state, I really didn't have it in me to tell her to retire. I could see from her face that even if I were to tell her to retire that she would just join another Guild or do something reckless.
The thought would probably keep me up all night.
"P-please."
Hearing her voice again, I stopped.
Closing my eyes, I clenched my teeth, trying to steady the rush of frustration building inside me, before eventually forcing myself to look back at Sarah.
'As expected, Zoey was right after all. I really am a pushover.'
Rummaging through my pocket, I pulled out a small plastic bottle, the faint rattle inside breaking the tense silence that hung in the air.
"I really didn't want to do this, but... here."
I turned it over in my hand, studying the label for a moment before finally setting it down on the table beside her.
I spoke up before she could give voice to the confusion already forming in her eyes.
"Take it and rest."
I pulled my eyes away from the bottle.
"Don't ask any questions. If you trust me, then take the pill that is inside. It should be able to help you out. While I can't guarantee that they might be able to completely heal you, they should be enough to get the doctors to clear you for field work."
There were several pills that were available to me in the shop.
These pills were the spare ones that I had gotten from the First Order shop. They should be enough to deal with her fracture.
'They helped out quite a bit with the Cognitive Shard. I'm sure they might help with her fragment. If push comes to shove, I can give her the better pills.'
Staring at the small bottle one last time, I tapped the table and turned around.
"The decision is up to you. I'll be taking my leave."
As I was about to leave, I stopped.
"If you ask me what I would want, it would be for you to stop and quit right now. However, if you really wish to continue down this path, then take the pill. The decision is ultimately up to you. I... Hope you won't make me regret this decision."
These were the last words that I said before leaving.
-x-X-x-
"....."
Sarah quietly stared at the pill resting in her palm. It was small and practically indistinguishable from any ordinary pill.
'Will this really work...?'
Sarah had a few doubts while staring at the pill.
She couldn't see how this seemingly ordinary pill could possibly heal her fracture. She knew better than anyone just how severe her condition truly was. The doctors were still in the dark about the side effect her fracture carried, but she wasn't.
She... knew perfectly what they were.
'I'm really tired.'
The side effects left her constantly tired, prompting her to need at least double the amount of sleep that she usually required in order to stay functioning.
This sort of life...
She didn't want it at all.
Even if she stopped using her node and went through every treatment available, the side effects would linger for her entire life. Perhaps things would get a little bit better, but at the end of the day, they were still going to remain.
This wasn't something that could simply be repaired.
Fractures couldn't be fully healed, and knowing that, she found it impossible to believe that a single, ordinary-looking pill could change anything.
But...
"...."
Sarah bit her lips.
Staring at the pill, Sarah knew that this was her last hope.
She thought about her past. The multiple rejections she received from every Guild that she had applied to, each one stating the same thing.
'Not good enough.'
Even at the Academy, she had only just managed to pass. And when she finally made it into this Guild, it hadn't been to the department she'd dreamed of, but to the one that would simply take her.
Not even because of her skills, but because they were desperate.
If not for their desperation, Sarah believed they wouldn't have taken her. This wasn't her being pessimistic; it was simply her acknowledging the truth as it was.
And as such, she knew all too well that by remaining, she'd only be a burden.
But...
"I... can do it."
Sarah never once stopped believing in herself.
Even in failure, she believed she could do it. This was just how she was.
And so—
Gulp!
Sarah popped the pill in her mouth.
'Work. Please work.'
***
'Well, I'm done with my part.'
I didn't leave right away after stepping out of Sarah's room. Instead, I lingered in the hallway for a while longer, just to make sure everything was alright before moving on.
"Haa."
I eventually took a deep breath and leaned back against the side of the wall.
In all honesty, I didn't know if this was a great decision.
The pill I had given her… it would only ease a portion of her symptoms. While it did have the ability to heal the fracture, it wasn't something that would happen overnight. The process would be slow and gradual.
If something happened to her in the meantime, then...
'Ah, fuck. I really am a pushover after all.'
Leaning my head back, I waited several more minutes before eventually leaving.
There were a lot of things that I needed to take care of.
Primarily, those from my old company.
"That's going to be quite annoying to deal with."
I wasn't dumb.
I knew that even though Zoey's intervention had managed to get them off my back for now, this wasn't the end of it. Things were far from over.
They wanted the programs, and unless they got them, they weren't going to stop.
But there was an issue.
The programs...
They weren't mine to begin with. I didn't know how they worked, nor did I have any idea how to create them. The fact that they'd already noticed something was off about them was surprising enough on its own.
"No, I guess I should've seen it coming."
Thankfully, the system had ensured that any anomalous "play" would be impossible to detect, but it was still bound to raise suspicions. The effects of the music were far too obvious to ignore, and considering my current situation, I knew I needed to find a way to make it completely inaccessible to anyone else.
But was it possible to do so...?
'I should try to talk with the Conductor later. I should also think about copyrighting my music. This way, no one else can use it.'
The same could go for the programs.
"Ugh."
I ruffled my hair in annoyance.
'I'm still too new to this. I didn't expect things to turn out this way.'
This was my first time working as an independent developer, and because of that, I wasn't all that familiar with how companies operated or how they handled situations like this. I needed to get a copyright from the start, and most likely should have contacted a lawyer as well.
I made a mental note before walking out of the building.
Things had already reached such a point. There was no use for me to cry over spilled milk. I just needed to do better in the future and focus on my upcoming game.
I couldn't delay it any longer.
Especially since I was so desperate for money.
***
At the same time, Severed Star Guild.
"Hmm."
Kyle carefully studied the long list of names that had made it into the World Congress. A few of them caught him by surprise, but for the most part, the lineup was about what he had expected.
'Even Seth made it, which is a bit surprising, but considering his performance, it makes a lot of sense.'
Kyle had long since given up trying to make sense of Seth's actions or his inexplicable achievements. The more he tried to understand them, the worse his headache became.
He just accepted everything at this point.
A shadow cast over his cubicle.
"Hey."
Tok—!
Lifting his head, Kyle caught a glimpse of Zoey. Her expression seemed conflicted, carrying a trace of annoyance that she didn't bother to hide.
"What's... going on?"
It wasn't exactly rare to see her like this.
"Did you lose in a game?"
"Game?" Zoey blinked before shaking her head. "No, of course. Who do you think I am? I'm not going to get bothered by something like a game."
She rolled her eyes, mumbling something along the lines of, 'I'm actually offended you'd think that way of me.'
Kyle just smiled and accepted her words.
She was spouting a lot of nonsense.
"Yes, yes. You're right. I'm wrong."
He knew how to handle her in such situations. The two had practically joined the Guild together, so he was quite familiar with her character.
"Anyways..."
Zoey finally steered the conversation toward the main topic she had been meaning to discuss, her brows knitting slightly as her gaze settled on Kyle. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should ask, but eventually, she mustered up the courage to speak.
"You... ehm, you know Seth?"
"Seth?"
Kyle's brow rose, suddenly feeling a sinking feeling.
"Don't tell me he—"
"No, it's not that."
Zoey waved her hands, stopping any misunderstanding from forming.
"I'm actually the one in the wrong this time. I won't go into details, but I was wondering if you know about his... condition."
"Condition?"
Kyle blinked his eyes slowly. Why was she suddenly asking that? Although he was confused, he still ended up answering.
"Yeah, I do."
"....!"
Zoey's expression paused.
"You do? Then—"
"He's severely anemic. He gets tired very easily and has to take medications often. He's always been weak since young. There's also something else, but it's not that serious. Why? Did something happen?"
"....."
Zoey's mouth opened, but she soon closed it.
She tried to say something, but the words simply refused to leave her mouth. Staring at Kyle and seeing his expression, she realized he was serious.
That's...
'He really doesn't know at all!'
-x-X-x-
"What? You're acting weird. Is something up?"
Kyle looked at Zoey with a strange look. She was acting rather strangely. Suddenly asking about Seth's illness. In fact...
"How do you even know about Seth's illness? He doesn't usually share it."
"....!?"
Zoey nearly flinched upon hearing Kyle's question.
Seeing his eyes slowly starting to narrow, she quickly thought of something.
"Actually, I overheard him speak about it."
This wasn't a lie.
She had indeed overheard him speak about it.
"Oh...?"
Kyle raised his brow, curious about what Zoey had overheard.
"Well, so..."
"So you're thinking about what happened in the past regarding what he said about your parents?"
"Ehm, yeah."
Zoey's shoulders slumped in defeat.
"That's exactly it."
This wasn't necessarily wrong. This was indeed what had happened. The only difference was that what she had overheard and what Kyle was talking about were two different things.
'It's possible that Kyle is purposely trying to hide it.'
This was a possibility that Zoey didn't toss away from her mind. Knowing Kyle for as long as she did, she knew that he was the type of person who could keep secrets. The only thing that bothered her was the expression he made when she had asked him about the disease. It really did seem like he had no clue at all.
'Is it an act, or is he really clueless?'
Zoey bit her lips, uncertain of whether to speak about it or not.
"There's no need to beat yourself too much over it."
Kyle chuckled, finding the situation to be rather amusing.
"I've known Seth since young. He's not the type of person to care about this stuff. He probably thinks nothing of what had happened. He's a bit of a pushover in that regard."
'That's what I said...' Zoey mumbled under her breath, thinking about his reaction when she said that to him. Though his face remained neutral, his shift in tone and attitude made it painfully clear to her that he was far from happy.
She started to feel even more guilty.
"Relax. You're worrying too much over nothing."
Seeing the concern on her face, Kyle waved at her.
"He really won't care about what you said. He's too indifferent to care about that stuff. The only time I've ever seen him angry was when I scared him as a joke. He freaked out and started chasing me all over the orphanage."
"Pftt."
Zoey suddenly burst into a subtle laugh, caught off guard by the unexpected information.
"He really did that?"
"Yeah, yeah. He was really mad, but not as mad as the Matriarch. His scream woke every kid up, and he got a good beating afterwards."
"Pfttttt—!"
Zoey laughed even harder this time.
Thinking about the story and imagining it, she struggled to contain her laughter.
"That's hilarious."
"Looking back at it now, it was pretty funny. It was more painful than funny for me."
"...I guess."
Zoey kept her smile intact but fell silent, the laughter fading. Kyle raised an eyebrow but said nothing, his focus quickly returning to his work.
"Anyways, don't worry too much. Seth is fine. If you really do feel sorry, then just give him some space. He'll eventually come back acting like nothing happened. It's really not that big of a deal."
"Oh, okay."
Pressing her lips together, Zoey nodded her head, deciding to follow along with Kyle's advice. She didn't bring up what had happened with Seth just moments before, nor did she mention how she'd ended up paying off the debt he owed.
She also kept quiet about Seth's illness, not wanting to risk the chance that he hadn't found out yet.
'But I feel like it's important that he knows.'
This was no light injury, after all.
In fact, it was extremely serious. The fact that there was a possibility that Kyle didn't know was baffling in itself.
However, Zoey also understood that it wasn't her place to share the 'secret'.
'Either way, since he's revealed it to his group, there's a chance Kyle might find out about it later.'
For now, she just had to let things play out like Kyle suggested.
But with that being said...
"What are you doing?"
Zoey turned her attention to the task Kyle was working on. It seemed like some kind of research papers scattered across the desk, filled with strange symbols and notes. One symbol, in particular, caught her eye, standing out among the rest.
It looked rather complicated, with weird lines and crosses.
"Hey, isn't this one..."
"Yup."
Kyle pushed the papers a little.
"These are just a bunch of symbols I'm trying to analyze," Kyle explained, pointing to the papers. "This one right here is the same one we found in the hotel. I'm trying to figure out what it means."
"And did you find anything?"
"Nope." Kyle shook his head, his expression hardening with a hint of bitterness. "I've searched everywhere, but there's barely any information on this symbol. I even asked the Section Chief for higher clearance, but nothing turned up."
Ruffling his hair in frustration, Kyle leaned in closer to the papers, his eyes scanning the symbols again as if hoping they might suddenly make sense.
But...
Nothing.
"....This is really annoying. At this rate, I don't know if I'll be able to find anything."
"That must suck."
Zoey felt a little sympathetic. Field agents not only had to deal with monsters, but they also had to spend a lot of time researching for the Guild. This was probably the most tiresome task they needed to handle.
"I guess I'll stop disturbing you."
Zoey gave Kyle's cubicle a light pat before turning to leave. But as she did, her eyes briefly caught a glimpse of a particular paper on his desk, one that seemed out of place among the rest.
71...
That was all she saw before turning and walking out. But as the number lingered in her mind, a strange unease crept over her. One that she found very odd.
'Am I still hung up about what happened with Seth?'
***
Click! Click! Click!
"Okay, all of it is set up."
I stepped back and looked at the setup in front of me. A wall of monitors lit up before me, each one tethered to the massive machines humming behind them. The steady whir of cooling fans filled the air, and the screens flickered with faint static, casting a pale glow across the room.
Turning my wrist, I checked the time.
"They should almost be here. With everything set up, it shouldn't be a problem to start working immediately."
I was in desperate need of money, and because of that, I couldn't afford to waste another second.
I planned on starting the development of my next game immediately.
But before that, I needed to wait for my new team members.
"I wonder what's taking them so long."
We had agreed to meet at around 15:30, but it was now 15:37.
They were seven minutes late.
I hadn't expected them to be the type to show up late on their first day. As I stepped out of the classroom and checked my phone for any missed messages, I suddenly heard the door to my office creak open before me.
Clank!
Three figures walked in right after, their expressions somewhat pale.
Seeing them like this, I instantly knew that something was wrong, and before I could even voice out my concern, one of them showed me their phone.
"B-boss..."
His voice was haggard; evidently, he had been running quite hard.
"We... have a problem."
Staring at his phone and seeing the headline before me, I closed my eyes and clenched my fist, trying to keep my calm.
As expected...
In the end, they had made their move.
'Those fuckers!'
-x-X-x-
[Ex-Nightmare Forge Studios Employee Suspected of Stealing Trade Secrets, using them for the creation of his own games.]
The headline was glaring.
I only needed one look to understand that it was talking about me.
My heart sank at the sight, but I didn't panic. Instead, I nodded quietly and took out my phone.
"Boss, what is the meaning of this? Did something happen? Is this true...?"
The new employees whom I had hired were understandably confused. However, I quickly reassured them that everything was fine.
"Don't worry. I understand what is going on. None of it is true. It's a bit hard to explain, so for now it's best if you all just get familiar with the equipment. I'll handle the situation for now, and I'll let you know more about the situation when I can."
The three looked at each other, obviously at a loss. In the end, however, they still decided to listen to me and moved towards the main studio.
I felt grateful and moved towards my seat.
"So this is how they chose to retaliate."
I got a better look at the article.
———
[Daily Malovia] — Seth Thorne, a former developer at indie horror game studio Nightmare Forge Studios, is under suspicion for allegedly stealing proprietary materials and trade secrets during his time at the company.
Insiders close to the matter claim Thorne may have used internal design documents, engine assets, and unreleased gameplay mechanics to develop his own line of horror titles shortly after his departure earlier this year.
His new games, released under an independent label, reportedly bear striking similarities to concepts that were still in development during his tenure at Nightmare Forge.
.
.
.
———
Daily Malovia was a fairly popular and reputable source.
"They sure didn't hold back. It must've cost quite a bit of money to get an article like this out. Perhaps they even used the money that Zoey has given them."
My teeth slowly started to grind together.
It was becoming clearer and clearer to me that Zoey was right. I was a pushover, or at least, that was how I used to be in the past. This was the reason why the Guild was taking so many liberties with me.
They believed that they could get away with anything.
This...
I was starting to be really pissed off.
Not only did they steal from me, but they were also claiming that I had stolen from them.
"Hoo."
It was rare for me to get angry, but I was really starting to get angry.
Taking several deep breaths to calm myself down, I started to check the comments.
—Seth Thorne? Isn't he the guy who recently made headlines with the Severed Stars Guild? That maniac with the sunglasses? It's no wonder...
—I played his games. A quiet day in the office, I think...? It was nothing impressive. At least, nothing compared to Death Company by Nightmare Forge. It's really a pity that people would go this low.
—There's really no moral integrity in people these days. It's disappointing to see.
—Used to be a big fan of his games. It's a pity that he was like this. No wonder such crappy computer games were doing so well. Turns out he was just stealing.
Not one positive comment.
The comments were flooded with negative comments, all directed at me.
Staring at them, I felt my grip on the phone tighten.
I wasn't naive. I could see that a lot of the comments were most likely paid by the company in order to further push the smear compaing.
I'd normally not be worried, but looking at my socials, I could see that the smear compaign was working.
—It makes sense if you think about it. He's obviously doing well at the Guild. Where do you think he has the time to develop games? It's obvious that he's stolen from them.
—Didn't they go bankrupt not long ago? That's some pretty shady stuff. Stealing while they were down. I'm thinking of boycotting whatever this developer is making.
—His games are shit anyways so who cares?
—What a rat.
Click!
I had to turn off the screen of my phone to stop myself from staring at the comments. I could see my own blood pressure rising the more I stared at them.
"Should I just go ahead and sue them?"
There were ways for me to prove that the programs and music was mine. This wasn't hard for me to prove. The main issue was the fact that even if I did end up suing them for defamation, the likely situation was that the case would drag on for several years.
The amount of money that I'd need to spend on legal fees would also be quite exorbitant.
It was simply... not worth it.
However, I couldn't let the situation continue like this.
My reputation was on the line.
"Ah, fuck."
Leaning forward, I rubbed my forehead. The situation was really giving me a headache.
"What should I do?"
It wasn't like I was starvered for options. There was the Guild Master. I could very easily send him a message, and he'd probably help me get rid of them in a couple of seconds. That was how much power he held.
But the issue was that I didn't want to rely on him too much.
The more I relied on him, the more control he had over me. This was something that I didn't want to happen.
'Maybe I'm overthinking, but I'd like our relationship to be more equal. If I bother him with something like this, he might bother me for more annoying stuff later.'
"Ugh."
I groaned.
"There's also Mr. Jingles and my new skill. I could attach the Realmwalker to the CEO."
Those options were also viable. I could repeat a similar stunt to what I had done with Nova Studios.
Those were great and all, but it felt like a little bit of a waste.
I didn't have many clothes that I could use with Mr. Jingles, and since they were one time use, I had to be careful when choosing my target.
Then...
Realmwalker?
"That's also a waste."
Sending the Realmwalker to spy the CEO would mean not having the Realmwalker with me. That wasn't an option I was willing to take for a mere gaming company CEO.
The Realmwalker was too valuable for me at the moment.
I needed a meatshi—valuable companion when handling anomalous entities and the like.
"Then...?"
I rubbed my forehead harder, feeling a headache coming. I knew that I was making my life harder by rejecting the several options that I had available, but I knew that choosing such options would have a downside that I preffered not to take.
However, given my current situation, it seemed like I didn't really have much of a choice.
"No... Maybe, I do."
Leaning back on my chair and carefully studying my phone, I eventually unlocked the screen again and logged into my socials.
Seeing the flood of hate comments that still poured in, I chose to ignore them all and instead decided to do something I'd never dared to do before.
I made a post.
"They call me a pushover, right?"
I gritted my teeth.
"Fine! I'll show you who the fucking pushover is!"
I decided to burn all bridges.
[Seth Thorne]
: I will be streaming in a couple of hours. Here is the link. I will be adressing everything there.
-x-X-x-
—I heard the news. You really want to start a stream?
The voice of an old acquaintance echoed from the phone speakers.
I quietly nodded my head.
"Yes, I want to start a stream. That's why I called you."
—Hmm.
There was a little hesitation on the other side of the phone. I couldn't blame him. After all, this wasn't a small request.
But in the end—
—Alright, fine, but you owe me one. I'm thinking of doing another stream soon. I'm not sure if you're willing, but I've found this old factory that I want to explore on the outskirts of Zone 9...
"Fine."
I agreed to the request immediately.
This wasn't a big issue for me. I had already decided to start streaming more frequently to boost my follower count. It had become clear that having a solid audience would be essential in the long run if I wanted my games to truly succeed.
The more followers I had, the less I had to spend on advertising.
—Awesome!
Jamie sounded unusually excited, the sound of shuffling and muffled clattering echoing through the phone. After a couple of minutes, he finally came back on the line.
—Sorry about that, I was jotting everything down on my computer. Anyway, regarding the stream, I can set it up quickly. I saw your announcement. Do you want me to start it in the next few minutes?
"Yes, that would be ideal."
Of all the people that I knew, Jamie was the one who knew how to handle this stuff the best.
His channel had been growing rapidly as of late, and while I hadn't been able to keep up with his recent content, from what I'd heard, he was pulling in anywhere between five to seven thousand viewers per stream. This was a number that was considered quite massive.
'With him helping me, it should be somewhat easy to get everything going.'
Streaming wasn't necessarily hard. All I needed was a phone, but considering the number of people that were potentially going to be entering the stream, I needed someone to make sure that everything went smoothly.
Especially given how hostile the situation was.
—You're going to make a stream? Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself? The evidence is clear. You're obviously a thief.
—Some people really have no shame.
—This guy is getting quite desperate. I really want to hear the excuse that you're going to come up with in order to dodge all responsibility. Don't tell me you're going to say that they stole from you lol.
—Pathetic.
A lot of them were most likely the paid agents from the Studio, but that was more than enough to sway public opinion.
I could see that a lot of people were deeming me guilty.
This was just how the internet worked. Words like 'allegedly' were meaningless. The moment they deemed you guilty, there was no turning back.
I knew this, and yet...
—Everything is ready. Tell me when you want to start. I don't know how many people will join the stream, but I estimate there to be at least ten thousand. I've got a couple of my friends to help and monitor the chat.
"Yes, thank you. I think that sounds about right."
Ten thousand viewers...
The thought of thousands of people watching me while hurling insults all at once made my stomach twist uncomfortably.
Even so, I knew that I had to do this.
"Start the stream."
—You sure?
"Yes."
—Alright.
[●Live]
Viewers — 0
My attention immediately fell on the viewer count, my heart tightening in my chest as I quickly made another post on social media, announcing that the stream had officially begun.
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
I could feel my heart drumming against my chest as I stared at my phone screen, turning my attention towards my reflection.
I didn't look too bad.
Although I could have cleaned up first, the spontaneous nature of the situation left me no time to do so.
'I'll make due with this.'
I was never one to care about my appearance.
Sitting quietly, I waited for the chat to load, but...
"Hm?"
Even as a minute had passed, I noticed that the chat remained quiet. The viewer count also remained the same.
'No one...?'
This left me a little surprised, and even worried.
Was my influence this small? No, but even if nobody cared about it, surely it wasn't this bad...
Just as I moved my head closer towards my phone, something changed.
Ding!
A chime rang.
Ding! Ding!
And then another.
Before I even had the chance to fully process what was happening, one chime after another rang from my phone. I froze in place, my breath catching in my throat as my eyes drifted toward the viewer count.
".....!"
[●Live]
Viewers — 37,280
This...
This was beyond anything I had originally expected.
Not only that, but it was also continuously climbing. Staring at the screen and then the chat, which moved so fast that my eyes could barely keep up, I suddenly felt dizzy.
'Oh, shit.'
Rather than my influence being low, it was a lot higher than expected.
This situation...
It was spiraling out of control.
***
At the same time, Nightmare Forget Studios.
Two figures sat in the CEO's office, both silently watching the monitor before them as a particular stream began to play. The atmosphere within the room was rather light, with the CEO and his assistant not taking the situation seriously.
They had both considered any potential action that Seth might take, and considering how he was back when he used to work, neither feared him.
This was particularly so for the CEO.
He was well accustomed to people like Seth. They were total pushovers that he could do anything to without worrying about any form of retaliation from them.
And even if they did do something, it'd be something tiny.
'Yeah, I've got nothing to worry about. He's a pushover like he's always been. I don't know how he managed to develop such programs, but I'm sure he did it using our technology. If he were that talented, we'd know. He's probably also the main reason why our previous game failed. He must've sabotaged it on purpose, knowing that he'd get fired and be free from us. Little did he know about the clause.'
The CEO tapped his finger over the table, his eyes glossing over the ring on his finger.
"...He's started to stream."
Daniel's voice brought the CEO's mind back from his thoughts. Turning his attention towards the monitor, his eyes fell on the figure that appeared shortly after.
"Ha."
He immediately chuckled upon seeing him.
"Judging from his face, it doesn't seem like he's gotten much sleep."
Seth's eyes looked as dead as ever. No, in fact, they seemed even more dead than the last time they had seen him.
The thought made the CEO smile somewhat.
"Daniel."
He turned to his assistant.
"Get a little bit more traction on this stream. Let's also get more people to comment on it. I'm sure he's going to answer some questions. Let's make it so that he answers our questions. There shouldn't be too many vi—"
"CEO..."
Daniel cut the CEO off, his voice lowering as his expression tightened. Confused, the CEO turned his attention towards the stream, and it was there that he noticed the viewer count.
[●Live]
Viewers — 51,332
".....!"
His expression changed almost instantly, his head turning back towards Daniel almost immediately.
"Quick! Get everything sorted quickly!"
He shouted, prompting his assistant to move immediately.
That was also the moment when Seth opened his mouth.
—I'll cut straight to the chase. Regarding the allegations... It's all true.
"Huh?"
"Ah...?"
Everyone in the room froze at the same time, both heads turning towards the stream once more.
—I stole from Nightmare Forge Studios.
-x-X-x-
I was guilty.
The public already deemed me as such.
Saying words like 'I didn't do it', 'I am being framed', and so on wasn't going to work. It would only incite more backlash.
In such situations, the best thing someone could do was admit their fault.
At least, to some extent.
"I have indeed stolen from Nightmare Forge Studios."
As expected, barely a few seconds after I muttered those words, the entire chat erupted into chaos. It started running so fast that I could barely keep up with it.
—Wait, Seth... What are you doing?!
Jamie's voice echoed loudly within my ears.
In order to communicate with him, I had a separate earpiece. This was done so that we could better organize the stream. Given the current number of viewers, it was certainly going to be messy.
He sounded rather panicked behind the phone.
—You've set the chat on fire! I can barely keep up with the people that I've brought! I can hardly screen the comments! You need to calm the situation dow-Holy cow!
With a startled yelp, Jamie paused for a brief moment.
He then shouted, 'Look at the viewer count! Holy cow!'
I followed his words and looked at the viewer count. The moment I did, my face nearly changed in front of the stream.
[●Live]
Viewers — 78,291
The number of viewers was still growing.
—This is absolutely insane! These are insane numbers! Still not near the top of the Central Island, but we're nearing that! Holy shit!
Jamie's squeals continued to echo in my ears as I watched the numbers go up.
At the rate it was going, it wouldn't be long until it broke the six digits.
This...
'It looks like my statement worked.'
I wanted to bring as much attention to myself at the moment.
I did expect some increase in viewership from my statement, but never to this extent.
'Alright, keep calm. Things are still far from over. I still need to get to the main part.'
"It seems like a lot of you are angry at me."
I looked at the chat.
There was a lot of cursing. A lot of the viewers were calling me all sorts of names.
I merely shrugged.
"...I can see why a lot of you are angry. Stealing is not good."
I shook my head, sighing at the same time. The chat grew even wilder, with some talking about calling the police and whatnot.
What nonsense...
Nevertheless, the chat continued to run wild. I wouldn't be surprised if someone had actually called the police.
'I guess it's time that I stop messing around.'
Reaching for my drawer, I took out a small pen and showed it to the phone.
I sighed while looking at it.
"Just look at it."
I held the pen in front of me.
"Look at its cool transparent plastic exterior. Look at the half-chewed cap. Doesn't it look amazing? Hai..." I sighed again. "I really couldn't help but steal it. I mean, just look at this. It's just such a wonderful pen. How could I not want to steal it?"
The chat, which had been racing by at lightning speed just moments earlier, suddenly came to a complete stop.
I could almost feel the confusion among the viewers.
My lips curled.
"What? Don't tell me you idiots thought I was talking about the programs that the studio was talking about?"
I laughed.
"You're more gullible than I thought. Imagine believing everything you read on the internet like some mindless sheep. It's honestly pathetic. You're defending a multi-million dollar company against an unknown indie developer."
Pushover, huh?
See if I'm a fucking pushover now!
"It must be nice, gargling the balls of such a famous studio. I almost envy how pathetically loyal you all are. The fact that any of you would even compare my games to that exploitative company is insane. My games are on a whole other level."
—Bullshit! Your games are trash!
—You're finally showing your true colors!
—You're a trash-like bastard!
The comments were having a field day. The number of insults that I was receiving was even more than before.
That mattered little to me.
"What? Use your brains, you little mindless minions. If I had actually stolen from them, they would've sued the hell out of me already. The fact that they haven't just proves they've got nothing. My games even came out first."
[Samurai71] — So what if your game came out first? It takes a long time to develop games. Especially VR ones. The fact that your games only came out a little bit before theirs shows that you've stolen from them. I'm sure they took forever to create such a game.
In my tirade, one comment in particular was gaining traction. It came from a verified account. I didn't know who it was, but it was gaining quite a lot of attention.
Staring at it, I smirked.
"You're really too naive. VR games don't take that long to make. I could probably whip one up in three months. Hell! I could make something way better than that trash you're all wasting your time on right now."
—Bullshit!
—Hahahaha! This guy has totally lost it!
Comments once again started to flood the chat.
They were moving so fast that I couldn't keep up at all.
But then—
[Samurai71] — I've been a streamer for a long time, and I've played more games than I can count. I can say without hesitation that the game from Nightmare Forge Studios is one of the best horror titles ever made. I've heard of your games, sure, but I've never played them, and from what I've seen, they're garbage. If you really think you can compete with a major studio like that, and in just three months at that, without the stolen tools you've been accused of using, then the only naive one here is you.
A lot of comments began to back up the verified account.
—That's right! Tell this idiot!
—Does this guy even know that Sumarai is literally the most-watched streamer on this island? Lmaooo! I bet he doesn't even know who he's talking to!
—What an idiot.
'So he's the most watched streamer on the island?'
A lot of things became clearer to me.
However, reading the comment left by him, I felt my blood boil.
My games are garbage?
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.
'He's just a random streamer. Don't stoop down to his level. Don't stoop down to-fucking bastard!'
"You're a big streamer, right?"
I smirked, checking out his page and seeing his face on the stream. He had a long ponytail and looked rather skinny. He also wore a pair of glasses as he put the microphone near his mouth.
I laughed upon seeing it.
"Is this really the guy who's saying all of this nonsense? You look like you were drawn with my left hand."
The chat paused for a second.
Then—
—Wtf...
—LMAOOOO
—Drawn with left hand!? LOOOOL
—HAHAHAHAHA
"And why are you even holding the microphone so close to your mouth? Are you trying to simulate what you're planning on doing with the CEO of Nightmare Forge? Look at all the spit. Disgusting."
The comment section exploded even further.
—Kakakak!
—Holy shit!
—This guy is batshit crazy!
I didn't stop there. I threw one insult after another. In the stream, I watched in real time as that weirdo's face turned into different shades of green.
"Looks like someone also messed up with the crayons when coloring the face. What an unlucky guy."
I shook my head, closing down his stream. I had had enough of seeing that rodent's face.
Turning my attention towards my stream and seeing the viewer count, I nearly lost my composure.
[●Live]
Viewers — 108,672
That's...
The stream had broken the six-digit figure.
It was really blowing up.
I knew that this was the right time to end the stream.
I raised my hand, showing three fingers.
"Three months. I'll release my new game in three months. It'll be VR and much better than that trash company that accuses me of copying. Make sure to clip this and spread it everywhere. You'll see."
And with all that said...
I raised both of my hands and flipped everyone off.
This was a page that I had taken straight from the Section Chief.
Click!
The stream ended there.
-x-X-x-
"Haa."
Leaning against the back of my chair, I felt mentally drained. It wasn't easy to act like that in front of a lot of people.
'At least, I've managed to achieve my goal.'
From the start, I had planned on using this opportunity to fan the flames for my upcoming game.
This felt like the perfect opportunity, and I didn't waste it.
I even acted all over the top on purpose in order to get better engagement. I understood that the crazier one was, the more attention they'd receive.
But seriously...
'It's really too mentally draining.'
This was the first time I had acted like this. It was a little weird for me. Still, thinking about all the insults that I was probably receiving, I decided not to hop on the internet for a bit.
'Right, let me just focus on my games. I'll occasionally fan the flames and leave.'
—That was...
Breaking the silence and pulling me out of my thoughts, Jamie's voice echoed through the room.
—...That was crazy.
He still looked to be in shock from the entire experience.
—I've never seen so many people live at once. It was complete pandemonium. I can still see the chat spamming at the moment. I... didn't think you had that in you, Seth.
"Mhm."
I looked at the phone and smiled bitterly.
"...What's done is done. Do you think I got the message across?"
—Do you think you got your message across? Ha... Are you kidding me?
Jamie's voice rose a little.
—Of course you did! Even now that the stream has ended, people are still talking about you! Clips of the stream are spreading all over the internet! Your name's starting to trend, and I wouldn't be surprised if you hit number one on the island soon. You really went crazy!!
"Oh."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
At the end of the day, this was something I had done on my own. There was no taking it back. So, with a quiet breath, I pulled the phone closer to me.
"What's done is done. Thank you for helping me. Let me know later when you want to do a stream with me. I'll see if I can come. For now, I'll start focusing my attention on my new game."
—You should. Although I have faith in you, this time you really went too far. If your new game ends up failing, then...
Jamie didn't continue further, but the meaning behind his words was clear. I could only press my lips together.
He was right.
My actions were indeed a little reckless, and maybe even childish. In trying to build up hype, I had also put myself in a corner.
On the off-chance that my game turned out to be terrible, it was highly likely that my career as a game developer would be over. That'd be the same as ending my life.
But it had to be done.
I couldn't waste this opportunity.
Especially with the upcoming 'Fourth Order' mission. I needed as much money as possible, which was why I went with this route.
I wanted to benefit the most from this entire fiasco.
A heavy weight pressed on my shoulders when thinking about it.
I had always worked under a certain amount of pressure when creating my games, but never before had the weight of their outcome felt so crushing. This was really both my career and my life on the line.
"Hoo."
Taking another deep breath, I looked at my phone for the last time before standing up.
"I'll contact you later. For now, I'll start working on my new project."
—...Alright, best of luck. I'll be cheering for you. Let me know if you need anything.
"I will."
I hung up shortly after, letting the silence take over.
Placing both of my hands on the table, I stood there in silence for a few seconds before turning my gaze toward the studio. In the end, I stopped hesitating and began working on my new project.
Now that things had turned out this way, there was no time to waste.
***
The stream ended up making waves across the entire island.
While no major news outlet picked up on it, many smaller online websites and magazines picked up on the conflict between Seth and Nightmare Forge Studios.
The more time passed, the more the news seemed to gain traction.
By now, the drama had spread across the entire island, with clips circulating on the internet, some of which had even reached over a million views.
In particular, a certain clip was making the rounds on the internet.
—Is this really the guy who's saying all of this nonsense? You look like you were drawn with my left hand.
The clip started to go viral, with many sharing and reposting the video.
His previous clips started to resurface. From the 'Lunatic with the Sunglasses' to the 'Maniac with the Sunglasses'... The more his videos started to surface, the more his outbursts started to make sense.
He really was a lunatic.
Memes began to form around that specific video, and the man in question, 'Samurai71', soon responded.
[Samurai71] — What do I care about the video? I was polite with him the entire time. Evident from his nickname, he's just a lunatic who thinks he can create games. I was just sharing my objective view about his game. None of the statements that I've made is wrong. His games are objectively horrible, and if you don't believe me, you can watch my stream as I play his games. Regarding the game, he promised in three months...? I've got no hopes on it. It's very likely going to be trash and full of bugs.
He didn't hold back at all, completely trashing Seth's games and character.
At the same time, he used the opportunity to promote his streams, where he played Seth's games and spent the entire time criticizing them.
He didn't hold back at all, trashing the entire system from start to finish.
His stream had a significant impact, and Seth's game ratings started to plummet, dropping from 'mostly positive' to 'mostly negative'.
"Hehe, fucking bastard. I'll make sure your newest game will be even worse. Shouldn't have messed with me. Had you been more humble, none of this would've happened."
Samurai71 spent the entire time gloating, fanning the flames, and driving the games to be review-bombed.
He tried to provoke Seth a couple of more times, but he received no word from him.
"I guess he ran away."
Everyone shared the same sentiment. In the end, after all his grandiose talk, he ended up running away with his tail tucked between his legs.
At the same time, Severed Stars Guild.
"Pftttt—!"
Coffee flew all over.
"Hey! What are you doing?! Why are you suddenly spitting up your coffee?"
"The hell...!"
Despite the protests from those around him, Kyle's face remained blank as he stared at the phone before him, his mouth hanging open in shock.
"What's up with you? You're acting weird."
"Is everything alright?"
Eventually, Zoey stepped closer to Kyle, trying to get a better look at what had him reacting this way. The moment she did, her expression froze. Rowan experienced the same; both of them were locked in shock as they stared at the clip playing on Kyle's phone.
Seeing Seth and his sudden outburst, neither of the three was able to react.
Eventually—
"He's lost it."
"...He's completely lost it."
"He's basically copying the Section Chief. Oh god."
All three turned heads to face Seth's office. They all rushed to it not long after, extremely worried.
-x-X-x-
"I've already got a layout for the new game. The setting will take place inside a hotel, and it'll revolve around a multi-layered puzzle that the player must solve to progress. The main character will be a receptionist whose job is to welcome guests. The catch, however, is that not everyone who enters the hotel is human. The player's goal will be to figure out who among them is normal, and who isn't."
The moment I entered the studio, I got straight to work.
I already had a general outline of the game I wanted to create, so I wasted no time sharing my ideas with my new team members.
My team was comprised of three members: Noah, Joseph, and Ryan.
I had previously worked with them in the past, and as such, they were somewhat accustomed to my type of work.
"Let me guess, you want us to improve on the design board of the game?"
Noah spoke, his ginger hair a little longer than I remembered. Strands fell over his forehead, unkept and uneven, giving him a rougher look than before. At the very least, it was messier than back then.
It was a little odd considering how his career was picking up.
"That's not quite it. I can take care of the design board. All I will need you guys to do is the same thing as last time."
"Which is?"
"Optimize the game. Make sure that there are no bugs, the voices, and movements sync. Make sure that everything checks out, and fix anything that doesn't work out."
"That's not hard to do."
Ryan commented from the side, his arms crossed as he leaned back on a chair. Pulling his hood down to reveal his dark hair and green eyes, he continued, "However, in order for us to start, we'd need to have a framework to work with. I don't think that a general idea of how the game should work will do. I'm particularly worried about the world creation aspect. I feel like that might take us a while."
"He's right."
Joseph, the last person in the group, nodded, agreeing with Ryan. He was the oldest looking of the group, with short blonde hair and blue eyes. His beard, which had previously been unkempt, was better trimmed.
He brought a hand to his chin, thinking for a moment before speaking. "I like the concept of the game so far," he said, his tone even. "But it still needs some refining. Of course, we won't interfere with how you want to build it, but we'll need at least something to start from... something tangible for us to work with. If you'd like, we can begin designing the world. I'm no expert in worldbuilding, but I can at least set up a framework."
"There's no need for that."
I could see their worries, and while they had some merit to them, it wasn't like I hadn't thought of them.
'Good thing I haven't been wasting my time lately.'
Moving towards the monitor of my PC, I booted it up.
"Go to your work stations. I'll send you the file of the world. I've spent the last bit of time building it. Tell me how you feel about it."
"What? Really...?"
"You actually did it? Alone?"
"Let me see."
I could sense the shock from the voices of all three, and it was understandable. One of the hardest aspects of game design was the creation of the world.
Especially a VR-related one.
3D objects needed to be created from scratch. Their measurements needed to be taken, and they also needed to be optimized for the world. The feel, the sound... There was a lot of work needed just for one material.
'Of course, their engine also has objects that can be used, but those are the most basic of materials. Most Studios have their own items that they've copyrighted.'
Thankfully, I had a certain system.
It made my life so much easier, and as such, I was able to build an entire world from scratch.
Of course, it wasn't cheap, but the end result was more than worth the price that I had paid.
"Holy crap!"
"This is..."
"Wait, you really built this yourself?"
Three pairs of eyes turned to me at once, all staring like I was some kind of monster.
I merely laughed to myself in response.
"This should be enough, right?"
"That's... Yes, it's more than enough."
Noah replied, his mouse dragging across the computer screen as he analyzed the 3D modelling of the hotel. He gave it a proper look before taking out a pen and jotting down several things on a blank piece of paper.
"I'll first start by creating the main character. I'll make sure to properly integrate it with the world, and I'll also create the guests. How do you want the game to play out?"
He turned his attention towards me.
Seeing his focused expression, I smiled.
"I've yet to properly think about how the game will play out, but in short, as I mentioned before, the main character will be a receptionist who welcomes guests. He'll have to decide whether to let them in or not. He can't reject too many people, and he'll also have to make sure he keeps the guests he lets in checked with the cameras. If he can determine that they're not human, he lets them out."
"I see."
Noah jotted everything down before suddenly pausing.
"Oh, right."
He looked back at me.
"I remember how you mentioned in the email that you want to link your previous games with this one. Will this still be the case?"
"Yes, it will be."
This still hadn't changed.
I was planning on making sure that all my games were connected. I wanted to build a great climax for when all my games fused in one.
'I'll still need to properly think about how to link it well.'
Previously, I had converted my old game into VR, planning on releasing it soon in order to make some money, but that no longer seemed possible.
At least, not yet.
I needed to deal with Nightmare Forge Studios first.
'...What a pain.'
"For now, focus on creating the characters. We have time. I'll think of the core mechanics and scope of the game. If you guys have any ideas, feel free to share them with me. For now, I'll take care of something else."
"Understood. We'll get to work immediately."
The three immediately got to work, the sound of the keyboard keys pressing echoing loudly. I stared at the trio before moving out of the classroom and onto the main hall.
I looked around before heading towards the room next door.
Clank—
The room was equally as big as the main classroom, but as opposed to the previous room, this entire place was covered with soundproof material alongside many different instruments.
Locking the door behind me, I tapped my foot on the ground.
"Come out."
Several shadows appeared all at once. Mirelle, Mr. Jingles, the Realmwalker, and finally the Conductor.
"This..."
As if sensing something, the Conductor's lips pulled into a smile as it looked around.
I didn't waste a single second and pointed at the instruments all over.
"Each of you take an instrument."
".....!"
".....!?"
".....!!"
Several notifications appeared before my eyes, but I ignored them and headed towards the piano, popping up the lid and pressing my hands on the keys.
'I didn't have any plans on creating a band with my own anomalies, but thinking about everything that has happened, I guess I have no choice.'
Gritting my teeth, I took out my phone and checked several comments that I had saved beforehand.
—Isn't he too arrogant? Creating a game in three months?
—This is what happens when you have too much ego. You promise to do things that you aren't capable of.
—It's a pity. He was talented, but he's let his ego get the worst of him. He'll be completely ousted from the gaming community after this.
Clenching my phone, I looked at the others.
"Get ready. We're going to be making a lot of music from this day forward."
I wasn't going to be holding back.
I have a high ego? Doing things that I'm not capable of? Fine. I'll show you exactly how high my ego can be.
I thrived on seeing people scream; however, I had always held back a little.
But after this...?
I didn't plan on holding back any longer.
"Start!"
I pressed my hands down, a loud tune filling the air.
"Make sure you all keep up!"