The moment Seth began to work on his game, he dedicated his entire attention to it.
From morning until night, he would work on it endlessly. The only times he would stop would be when it was just near the time to reach the gate's closing time.
Of course, in such times, he also attended his duties as Squad Leader.
However, because of how busy he was, he delegated most of his tasks to Joanna, who took over without any qualms. Thankfully, Ariel remained the same the entire time. While Seth kept a close watch on her, she didn't act out of order and simply followed orders without any issue.
The squad managed to get used to her rather quickly, but despite this, nobody was ever able to get close to her.
This was mainly due to her inability to show much emotion or reaction.
She was more like a... robot.
Still, her performance was quite noteworthy. With her on the team, the squad was able to clear several higher-ranked gates, even going as far as clearing a
Things improved even further the moment Sarah returned.
It took her a moment to get adjusted to things, but the moment she returned, the team performed even better, bringing consistent results every week.
The team was thriving, and Seth was able to focus on his games without any qualms.
Even the Guild Master didn't bother him. He just let him do his thing.
This made things a lot easier for Seth.
Of course, his online outburst didn't go unnoticed by the people within the Guild. The videos were shared everywhere, and as such, it was hard for anyone not to see them.
Seth gained a certain infamy within the Guild.
"...I always thought he was quiet, but I didn't think he was like this."
"I guess he really is a lunatic."
"Does Kyle really hang out with someone like this? It seems a little crazy to me."
"He's a maniac."
His infamy didn't just stop at the Guild.
Certain individuals were making sure that nobody forgot about his videos and words.
[Samurai71]: Check out my latest video. In here, I will be breaking down all the flaws with the games developed by the indie developer. I'll show you how to beat it and how unoriginal his games are.
[Nightmare Forge Official]: Regarding the allegations, we have decided not to pursue legal action, not due to any lack of ability to do so, but rather as a conscious choice to take the higher ground. It is truly disappointing and unexpected that he would conduct himself in such a manner.
As the saying goes, 'give someone an inch, and they'll take a mile'.
Seth's lack of response in regard to the streamer and studio became almost a talking point amongst the community, many claiming that he had run away, while others were simply saying that he didn't reply because he couldn't reply.
He started to lose a lot of followers as a result.
From nearly reaching 100,000 to dropping all the way to 50,000 followers.
His downfall was quite evident.
—It makes sense. You can almost see the similarities in certain aspects. It's quite disappointing considering how I used to be a fan.
—...I was a really big fan of him. Who would've thought he was like this?
—He's all talk. His new game will end up flopping in the end.
—How long until the new game releases? He's been rather quiet. Do you think he's given up on it?
The talk never truly stopped.
This was one of the rare few dramas that occurred within the island, involving a large studio, a large streamer, and an indie developer.
A lot of people were naturally attracted to such drama.
And just when everyone thought that things were starting to cool down...
[Seth Thorne] — 07/04
The all quiet Seth had finally made a statement.
However, unlike how everyone expected, the statement only stated one thing.
A date.
Nobody knew what it meant, but certain ideas started to fill the minds of many of the people on the internet.
—Is this the announcement of his new game? He didn't just run away?
—He's really releasing a new game?
—This isn't a joke, right? Is this what he's been doing the entire time? He can't be serious...
—I bet it's going to be another one of his little computer games. I can bet my entire net worth it's going to be a flop.
The comments were ruthless.
None of them believed in Seth.
But as if that wasn't enough...
[Samurai71]: I will be the first one to try the game when it comes out. None of you needs to buy the game. Let me play it for you. This way, you will be able to save a lot of money.
[Nightmare Forge Official]: We sincerely hope that the individual in question refrains from using our proprietary developer software, as has occurred in the past. Several of these programs are already protected under our copyrights, following prior instances of unauthorized use. Should the individual choose to use our software without permission again, we will have no choice but to pursue legal action.
One more ruthless than the other.
Nobody was giving Seth any chance to breathe. They were all hounding him while he was down.
And yet—
"What do you say? Have you finally accepted the fact that you're scared of failure?"
The man in question appeared to be completely indifferent to all the noise that was happening outside. Staring at the woman who sat before him, he looked at the small notepad in front of him.
"Given how you've been showing up consistently every week, I can see that you've seen the problems that lie within you. The issue stems from the fact that you've experienced your first failure during the ranked gate a while back. I can see that you're still struggling to get over it, but you have to. You of all people should understand how important the mind is in our field."
"....."
Clara listened to Seth's words in silence, her brows furrowing and her head lowering.
It was as Seth said.
After months of battling with her mental demons, she came to realize that the main reason why she was acting like this was due to her sudden experience with failure.
In the past, she had been deemed the main star of the Guild.
An unshakable soldier who cut through all gates without any issues. She had never once experienced true failure like 'that' gate. That was the first time she had ever felt such a profound sense of helplessness, and every time she thought about that moment, her mind would go blank.
"There's nothing wrong with experiencing failure. Failing means that you're not perfect. You can't go lower than failure. You can only go up unless you choose to remain down there. The choice is all up to you."
There was something magnetic about Seth's words that made her come back to him each time. It was only when she experienced his sessions that she'd feel more at peace with the past.
But...
'It's still not enough.'
She was improving, but not fast enough.
Clara wanted to get back on the field, but her recovery was too slow.
Far too slow.
If only—
"Let's try something new today."
"Huh?"
Clara raised her head and looked at Seth in surprise.
Not minding her gaze, Seth took out his phone and placed it on the table in front of him.
"From what I'm understanding, failure isn't the only thing that is holding you back. Anything that reminds you of 'that' incident is also a great cause. In that case, let's try listening to something of a similar wavelength. Let's see how you react."
Seth pressed play right after.
Ziiiiiiiiiiiing—!
A long, dragging violin sound echoed right after, stretching through the air and filling the entire room.
The moment Clara heard the tune, she started to shudder, her expression paling.
There was something about the tune that was making her shudder, and as the tune carried on, the haunting sensation that she had previously felt became more and more prominent, the hair at the back of her neck standing, and her eyes widening.
Unknowingly, her palms started to sweat. Such sensation only grew as more instruments began to join in.
But what truly set her off was the soft voice that echoed shortly after.
"Haa..."
It was soft, almost childlike, but the moment it appeared, Clara felt her heart coming to a stop.
This...
She looked at Seth.
What sort of music was this?
Wham!
Hands slammed against the piano, causing her to flinch.
J-just... what is this?
-x-X-x-
"There are two days left before launch."
Checking the date and time, I sat back in my chair and drummed my fingers over the table. The game was practically done, only requiring a few tweaks.
In all honesty, I was quite nervous.
I couldn't guarantee that my game was going to be a success.
"They say all publicity is good publicity, but I may have gone a little overboard this time."
Taking out my phone and checking out the comments that were flooding my page, I winced at the number of hate comments that I was receiving.
A lot of them belonged to [Samurai71]'s fan club, but there were also several that belonged to outsiders. In particular, people who belonged to other Guilds and just people who didn't find my games scary at all.
Even now, the ratings of my previous games were dropping.
"Still, this isn't necessarily a bad thing."
The more people who played my previous games, the better.
This was because there were a lot of connections between the three games. I was planning something big, and connecting all three games was going to be important.
"I might even go as far as releasing the VR versions of my old games alongside the new game."
I had added quite a few changes in order to make the games sync.
"...It might be hard, but not impossible."
There was still something more pressing at the moment.
Click! Click! Click!
"Come on. Come on. Come on."
I continued to refresh the page on my computer screen. Seeing no changes, I started to grow impatient.
"...I've applied for this a while ago. Come on!"
Right now, I was waiting to get news back regarding the music of my game. It was an original piece that I had created with the Conductor and everyone else. In order not to make the same mistake as last time, I decided to send it over to the copyright department.
Who would've thought that they'd be so slow?
It's been almost two weeks.
"Just what is taking them so long?"
I had even paid them around 1000$ to make it faster. Otherwise, it would usually take several months.
However, they were being unusually slow.
"It can't be that the music is making them go mad, right?"
The thought made my breath pause, but I quickly shook my head.
"No, that's not possible."
I had specifically made sure to send them a copy that didn't have any effect. This was so that it wouldn't accidentally cause someone to throw themselves out of the window... Not that the effect was that strong anyway.
'At least, that's what the Conductor promised me.'
I licked my lips.
On second thought, trusting the words of the Conductor wasn't exactly the best thing to do...
"It should be fine. Yeah, it should be fine."
I closed down the laptop and blankly stared at the painting before me. Unlike usual, Mirelle didn't show up the moment I looked at the painting. She was currently throwing a tantrum, feeling betrayed by what I had done with her.
The same was true for the Realmwalker and Mr. Jingles.
They were all on strike.
The only one who was happy was the Conductor.
'Sorry, but it had to be done.'
This was all for my newest gam—
Trr—! Trr!
"....."
A sudden vibration shattered my thoughts, echoing within the silence of the room as I slowly turned my attention towards the side of the desk where a certain flip phone appeared.
Trr—! Trr!
Hearing it ring again, I felt my breathing quicken slightly.
"Oh, shit."
[Unknown Caller]
I had been waiting for quite some time for the next phone call.
Time was slowly running out for the deadline of the quest, and it appeared as though the final phone call had arrived.
Trr—! Trr!
Hearing it ring again, I took a deep breath before reaching out for it.
'Let's get this over with.'
I had gathered enough evidence to know where the cult was, but it was best to pick up more information so that I wouldn't be blindsided.
"Hoo."
Taking another deep breath, trying to shake the nervousness away, I picked up the call.
—....
The room instantly chilled.
The sound of heavy breathing echoed from the other side of the phone as I stood still, waiting for my surroundings to change like they usually did.
But...
Something was different this time.
Besides the cold, there were no real apparent changes to my surroundings.
My heart tensed, feeling that something was wrong.
And then—
—E... verywhere.
A hoarse voice echoed from the speakers of the phone. It sounded tired, almost desperate, as if they were struggling just to get the words out.
—E-eyes, everywhere.
I didn't need to see to imagine what was happening as I suddenly felt as though a series of eyes were watching me, all latched onto the surroundings of the room, staring down on me.
My throat tightened, and my hand shook.
—They're... looking at me from every direction. It's all I can see. I... don't know what's going on, but there's no way out for me. This is it for me.
I could feel a certain level of acceptance in the voice. As though the person the voice belonged to had finally accepted their fate.
—One, two, three...
Suddenly, the man started to count.
—Nine, ten, eleven...
I didn't need to guess to know what he was counting.
'The eyes.'
He was counting the eyes.
—Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three..
A heavy tension lingered across my room as he continued to count. For some reason, my heart started to beat faster, and cold sweat started to pool down my back.
—Fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-six...
It was just a simple countdown, and yet—
Why did it feel so tense?
—Sixty-eight, sixty-nine, seventy, seventy-one.
I waited for him to continue counting, but no other number came after.
71.
Such was the final number.
"H-haa."
The sound of a shaky breath achoed across the room.
Was it mine, or was it his?
I wasn't so sure anymore, feeling a strange tension spreading across my blood and bones.
'It's that number... again.'
I had done a lot of research regarding that number over the past months, but I hadn't been able to get a proper answer. All I managed to see was useless information and horoscopes.
But what exactly was that number?
Why did it keep popping up?
The more I thought about the number, the heavier the stifling weight in my chest grew. It pressed down hard, almost digging into me, and as I swallowed quietly, the voice from the phone echoed again.
But this time, it was different.
The voice...
It was hoarser than before, almost sinister.
Every hair on my body stood on end.
—Haaa...
The back of my neck suddenly tingled; a warm breath brushed against my skin from behind, sending a sharp chill through me and making me freeze completely.
That...
"So many faces, so many fears. I wear them all, and none are mine."
Slowly, my head turned towards my phone.
It was... off.
The air suddenly seemed to have been sucked away from my surroundings as my back tingled once more, a warm breath brushing against my neck.
Who?
"Who am I...?"
Who was the person standing behind me?
-x-X-x-
I didn't move my head at all.
I... couldn't move my head at all.
Feeling the warm breath against my neck, it was like being dragged into the deepest part of the ocean, lungs tight, air slipping away, every sound swallowed by the pressure around me.
I felt completely suffocated.
'W-who? Who... is standing behind me?'
Whatever it was, I could feel a sinister energy coming from it.
It was far more sinister than anything I had ever encountered, and every second that passed felt as though it dragged on for hours.
Before I knew it, my clothes were entirely soaked in my sweat.
To make matters even worse, I could hardly feel my summons at all. Mirelle, Mr. Jingles, the Realmwalker, and even the Conductor.
I couldn't feel anything.
'W-what... H-how?'
I was in a state of complete shock.
A sense of helplessness I had never felt before washed over me as the warm breath brushed against the back of my neck once more, causing me to freeze.
But then—
"....."
As though it had never been there in the first place, the breath vanished, and the heavy tension that lingered in the room faded completely.
Despite this, I kept my eyes locked ahead.
I didn't dare turn my head.
Tik Tok—!
The tick of the clock continued to echo across the room, every 'tick' matching the rhythm of my heart as I tried to calm it down.
However, despite a good time passing, my heart never calmed down.
It only increased.
My chest trembled, and so did my lips.
Soon, however, I started to feel my connection with the others resurface, and that was when I finally mustered up the courage to look around, turning my head slowly and feeling each movement incredibly stiff.
".....!"
My stomach churned the moment I turned around and caught sight of what was on the blank wall behind me.
Marked in fresh 'red' paint, I saw a sigil.
It was one that I had seen in the past, or at least parts of it.
A circle framed the entire thing, rough and uneven, with two lines cutting through the center; one vertical, one bent slightly to the left.
Small hooks branched off the lower edge, curling inward like they were reaching for something. Near the top, a pair of thin arcs crossed over one another, almost forming eyes, though not quite.
It was hard to describe, but the moment I caught sight of the Sigil, it was as if something in my mind clicked.
Something... within me started to churn.
".....!?"
I felt a sudden throb coming from my mind.
"Argh!"
Pain, unlike anything I had ever felt before, invaded every corner of my mind, causing my vision to go white for a split second.
"Argghh!!"
Despite my best attempts at trying to hold my voice, I found myself unable to.
The pain was intense.
...It took over every corner of my mind, and left me completely breathless.
Clank!
I started to knock things off the table, my hands reaching out for my head.
'Hurts. Hurts. It hurts...!'
I didn't know what was going on, but I could hardly process my own thoughts; the only thing that was consuming my mind was the pain that had suddenly taken over me.
'Hurts...! Hurts!'
All I felt was pain.
All I saw was white.
I could hardly process what was around me as I continued to knock everything that was around me, and just when I thought the pain had reached a point where I could hardly contain it, something flashed in my mind.
An image.
Scribble~ Scribble~
A book.
A pen writing on the book.
From a circle to the strange patterns.
'....!'
Despite the pain, I could recognize the patterns almost immediately.
That's...
'Please help me. Help me, please.'
A voice whispered in the air.
A voice that I was all too familiar with.
My... voice.
'I can't... live like this anymore. I beseech you, Da■■■■■■■! Help me!'
"Haaaaaaaa—!"
A scream ripped through my lungs, and everything faded at once.
"Haa... Haa... Haaa."
By the time I regained my bearings, I found myself back in my own office, the entire place a mess as I sat alone, sweat pooling down my forehead.
"W-What..."
Looking back, the sigil was gone.
It was almost as if it had never been there in the first place, and as I looked at the door, I didn't see anyone moving towards it.
I was... almost sure I had caused a lot of noise.
Did no one notice?
"No.. haa... That's not... haa... what's important."
Reaching for my drawer, I rummaged through the mess that it was before pulling out a certain pill box. Popping the contents in my mouth, I finally started to feel better as I leaned back against the chair, feeling all the energy drain away from me.
For the first time in a while, the surroundings fell silent.
"....."
I sat in a daze, blankly staring at the ceiling.
Despite the wall being black, I could see a certain sigil on the blank wall. It was as if my mind was reconstructing the image, making sure that I wouldn't forget it.
'What.. was that?'
I thought back to the Sigil and vision that I had just experienced.
That... it felt like some sort of distant past. That voice was also mine, but why...? Why couldn't I recall a single thing?
'I know that's me, but I don't ever remember doing something like that. Something is not adding up.'
Could my memory of that incident have been erased?
And what was the last sentence?
It was blacked out, but I could distinctly make out the first two words.
Da...
A name of sorts?
Despite the heavy throbbing of my mind, I still managed to force myself to reach for my phone and type out everything that I knew into the browser.
[71, Name, starts with Da...]
I tried to put everything that I knew and had found out. I even went as far as drawing the sigil by hand and using a reverse image search to get something.
But—
"Nothing."
I wasn't able to find a single thing.
"Is there really nothing?"
I tried again, but the result was the same. There was nothing that I could find on the web that was even closely related to the things that I wanted to find out.
I tried a couple of dozen more times, even going as far as using the Guild Database, but despite doing everything within my power, I wasn't able to find anything at all.
Sitting blankly in my seat, I looked at my phone.
A certain thought popped into my mind.
"Should I... ask the Guild Master?"
I hadn't been in much contact with the Guild Master ever since he had helped me evolve my Dreamwalker into a Realmwalker. He seemed to have understood my current predicament with my game and had left me alone.
But...
'Is it possible for me to ask him?'
I knew the answer at heart.
Yes, it was possible.
However, I also knew that asking wouldn't come cheap.
There was a price in asking, and I wasn't so sure I was willing to pay it.
But then again, I was that desperate.
After all..
This seemed to be the greatest clue I had received regarding the reason behind the sudden shift in the world and the truth behind everything.
"Haa."
I let out a long breath, covering my face with both hands.
"What should I do?"
-x-X-x-
Scribble~ Scribble~
'I can't... live like this anymore. I beseech you, Da■■■■■■■! Help me!'
"Haaa—!"
I awoke with a scream.
A blank ceiling greeted my sight as I sat up in my bed, feeling my breath come out in ragged gasps.
"Haa... Haa..."
My mind throbbed as I held onto my forehead.
"F-fuck."
I felt like utter shit.
In spite of a day passing since the incident with the phone call, the images of what had happened continued to haunt me. They persisted in my thoughts and dreams, making it impossible for me to catch more than a couple of hours of sleep.
Even if I were to return to my bed right now, I was certain that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.
This...
It was almost as if it were a curse.
'I can't live like this anymore.'
There had been times in the past when I used to get little to no sleep, but it had never been this extreme. I felt haggard, and my mind was constantly hazy.
Plop!
The only relief that I had was the pills that I had gotten from the shop.
For just brief moments, they relieved a lot of my symptoms.
"...Ugh, what time is it?"
I checked my watch.
It was still [3:00 A.M]. It was very early in the morning.
Knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep, I got off the bed and turned on the light, heading to the bathroom to wash my face and wake myself up.
But the moment I did, I paused.
"....."
I stared at the reflection that greeted me.
"Is this me?"
The entity that greeted me in the reflection felt foreign to me. My eyes were extremely dark, and the dark circles beneath were more glaring than ever. I could even see that the tone of my skin was extremely pale, and for just a second, I almost thought I was looking at a ghost.
"This is pretty bad."
I looked like someone suffering from a terminal disease.
'No, I am suffering from a terminal disease.'
Shaaa—!
Opening the tap, I calmly washed my face.
The situation was dire, but I still remained calm. I could more or less tell the reason for my current situation, and also knew how to stop it.
'I need to get going with the cult mission.'
Thankfully, I was almost ready.
But more importantly, there was another thing that I needed to handle.
Today...
Today, my new game is going to be released.
*
Click! Click! Click!
The moment I headed to my office and entered the 'Studio', I was greeted by the repetitive sound of keyboards clicking.
I checked the time.
It was around 8:00 A.M.
Looking ahead and seeing my team members working, I felt gratified.
While I still felt like shit, popping a few more pills into my system, I was able to function properly. Besides the small headache that lingered at the back of my mind, I felt completely normal.
"When did you guys get here?"
"...Not too long ago," Noah replied, his attention focused on the keyboard in front of him. "Since you didn't allow any of us to work overnight, we decided to come at the earliest possible time in order to add the finishing touches to the game. We're trying to see if there are any bugs and glitches that we may need to fix before it's too late. Dock has also approved of the game. We can launch at any moment."
"Mhm. That's good."
It usually took a couple of weeks for a game to be released. One had to send the game for review in advance before getting Dock's approval in order to send.
Given how it had been approved, we could now launch it any given time.
"Hmm."
I headed towards my desk and booted up the developer system.
Because of my limited budget, I wasn't able to add any additional software to the game. In fact, I even removed a couple of software that had been present in my past games.
This wasn't an easy decision to make, but that didn't matter.
'There's no need to add any new software. The main star of the show will be something else entirely.'
By something else entirely, I meant the music track that I had added, worked on with the Conductor and the others.
This was the key to everything.
Not just because of the effect provided by the Conductor, but because of the combined effect of Mr. Jingles and Mirelle. Indeed, the music alone had three different effects. This was no simple piece.
'Nobody can complain that I stole as well since I've just gotten the approval for the copyright.'
Finally, after a couple of weeks of waiting, I had the official confirmation that the music was mine. There was no way for Nightmare Forge Studios to say anything about it.
Taking out my phone, I immediately looked through my socials.
As expected, it wasn't pretty.
—Who here is hyped for the new game that is coming out?
—What? Don't tell me you're actually planning on wasting your money on that crap? Just watch it from streams. There's no way I'm wasting money on crap like that. I bet it's gonna be way worse than Death Company.
—Speaking of Death Company, I heard that there's a new patch coming out today.
—Holy shit! You're right! Hahaha! How fucking sinister! They're releasing it on the same day that the game is coming out. They're doing it on purpose!
—Are you sure it's on purpose? Nobody was going to buy the game anyway..
To say it wasn't pretty was an understatement.
The comments were utterly ruthless.
A lot of the people were completely dismissing my games, with some even going as far as encouraging people not to buy the game.
The comment section was heated, and I was also starting to get heated reading it.
But at the same time...
[07/04 #21]
The date of my announcement was starting to trend.
It wasn't anywhere near the top, but it was around the 21st spot. This was good in my opinion.
The more people talked about it, the more interest there was.
I could see how my entire debacle from a few months back had helped keep the game relevant until the launch date.
'Yeah, there's no need to be too worried. I know the game better than anyone else. This is not just a computer game, but a VR one. The graphics are also not some low-level graphics, with the Game Developer helping me create the best setting possible. Even the noise and texture are incredibly realistic. There's just no way for the game to be a flop. I am extremely confident.'
I wasn't the only person who was confident in the product.
"I'm almost done, hehe."
"Same here. I can't wait for the game to be released. I can't wait to see what sort of reaction the trolls will show online."
"...I bet they'll be scared out of their wits."
Noah, Joseph, and Ryan were all extremely excited. Having worked on the game for the past few months with me, they were all confident in the product.
I felt even better when seeing them like this, and just as I put my phone away, they all stopped moving at the same time, their heads turning in my direction.
"Are you guys done?"
"Yes, it's completed."
"I'm also done."
"Same with me. We've also got Dock's approval. They have validated the game."
"Good."
I stood up, taking a deep breath and calming my racing heart.
Checking the time, I looked back at them.
"Officially launch the game."
But...
"Huh?"
"What the...!"
The launch wasn't as smooth as previously anticipated.
Turning my attention towards the others, I saw Noah look at me in shock.
"The game..." He spoke, his voice shaky, "It's been blocked from launching!"
-x-X-x-
Blocked?
"What do you mean by blocked?"
"Have a look!"
Noah turned the monitor in front of him, displaying a large notification.
——
: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the game you are attempting to launch is temporarily unavailable. Our team is actively working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
If you require further assistance, please contact us at [email protected]
We appreciate your understanding and patience.
——
I read the notification once. Twice. Three times.
The more I read it, the colder my heart grew. Eventually, I closed my eyes and sat back down in my seat.
"Boss...! What should we do?! No, give me a second. Let me just try again!"
"What just happened? Why are they blocking our game from launching?"
"This doesn't make sense! Let me quickly contact them. No, let me call them!"
The entire Studio was a mess. Everyone quickly moved to do their own thing. I just remained seated, absorbing the chaos around me.
"....."
Honestly, I didn't feel very sad.
Rather...
I felt a boiling rage that simply wouldn't die down.
I had been feeling like this quite a lot lately, but this was the first time that I felt such anger that my hands were twitching.
'Relax. Calm down.'
I kept telling myself to keep calm. To not explode.
However, maybe because of the nightmare, the Cognitive Shard, or the constant stress I'd been under for the past few months, something in my mind just... snapped.
Snap.
When I opened my eyes again, everyone in the studio was gone... only I remained. Everyone had gone out to handle the aftermath of the situation. My gaze fell to my shadow, where a faint shape stirred within it. As I watched it move, I activated my second node.
[Trait Transfer]
I watched as my entire body began to darken, turning pitch black from head to toe. The lights around me flared, growing painfully bright, and before I could react, I felt myself slowly sinking into the floor.
A certain cold gripped me as the surroundings changed, and soon—
"....."
I found myself sitting in the same seat again.
This time, however, the world felt different. Everything around me looked exactly the same, and yet different.
Looking around, I saw Mirelle, the Conductor, and Mr. Jingles looking at me.
This was when I knew.
I was in the anomaly realm.
Standing up from my seat, I headed towards the door.
There was a certain place that I had to be.
***
"Thank you very much. I owe you this favor. Please don't worry. I can guarantee you that you won't be implicated in all of this. Yes, please don't worry. Thank you again."
A voice echoed quietly within a large office.
With a kind smile, Theodore, the CEO of Nightmare Forge Studios, talked on the phone with a certain figure.
He kept his tone polite the entire time, his hand holding onto the phone very carefully.
"...I'll take care of this matter quickly. Please don't worry."
Theodore hung up the phone shortly after, the smile wiping off his face.
Making sure the phone call was off, he turned his attention towards the other figure that stood in the office.
"It should be done."
"That's great news to hear."
Daniel, the CEO's direct assistant, smiled.
"With this, it should be hard for him to get the game released. At the very least, it should be impossible for him to release the game in the upcoming weeks. This should halt his momentum further."
"That's the plan."
The smile finally returned to the CEO's face, his back leaning against the chair as he chuckled.
"Hur. Hur."
He wasn't a CEO for nothing.
Although Nightmare Forge Studios wasn't exactly the biggest gaming Studio, they were still relatively big. In that regard, most of it was due to the CEO's connections. He was well acquainted with the Regional Head of Dock.
As a result, one quick call and he was able to halt the release of Seth's game.
His plan was obvious.
To use this as leverage in order to get Seth to hand over the programs.
Given the amount of money he had invested in the game, he was certain that he was running dry. The more the launch of the game, the more he'd operate at a loss.
He was bound to cave in to their demands sooner or later.
Of that, he was sure.
"Here."
Taking out a small USB from his deck, he passed it across the table.
"This is a copy of the game that I've managed to acquire from the Station Head. Try to see how the game is and see if you can alter it a bit. Make sure that when it launches, it'll be the worst game that people can play."
The CEO's smile grew even more arrogant as Daniel's lips curved into a faint grin, his eyes lingering on the USB.
Picking it up, he nodded.
"I'll do so immediately."
He left shortly after that.
Staring at the door, Theodore didn't stop there. He focused his attention on his monitor and quickly drafted an email.
——
To: BUA (Bureau of Unusual Affairs)
Attached to this email is a certain game. I'm reaching out because I believe there's something suspicious about this product. While I don't usually jump to conclusions, I've noticed something strange about the soundtrack. Please look into it, and make sure that...
——
It didn't take long for the CEO to draft the email quickly.
"Hur. Hur."
The occasional laugh escaped his lips as he stared at the email. He wasn't planning on sending it immediately, but he was surely going to use it once Seth contacted him.
Theodore wasn't stupid. Neither was the BUA.
He could easily tell that there was some sort of foul play in the kid's game.
"I did see that he's been making a name for himself in one of the Guilds. I'm sure he must've used some trick from there."
Theodore made sure to report everything.
This was just how he was. It was also how he had managed to survive in this industry for so long.
His hands weren't clean.
There had been many other people he had done similar things to in the past.
This was all so that he could propel the company to greater heights.
"Hur. Hur."
He laughed once more.
"Yes, this is all for the compa—"
"This is the next step that you're planning on taking?"
A cold voice sliced through the silence, making the CEO freeze in place.
The temperature in the room dropped sharply as the shadows around the CEO began to twist and writhe. From the reflection in the glass pane of his wardrobe, he caught a glimpse of a dark figure standing right behind him.
The CEO's entire body shuddered at the sight.
But it was too late.
A hand came, grasping against the back of his neck.
"Very well."
A cold voice followed right after.
"I was trying too hard to keep it civil. I realized that I shouldn't be like this. I'm too much of a pushover. For situations like these..."
His grip over the CEO's neck tightened, his voice growing colder.
"...It's best to get rid of the problem at once."
-x-X-x-
The cold chill within the room intensified.
Theodore felt the grasp at the back of his neck intensify, his breathing growing heavier with each passing second.
"Y-you..."
His mind raced, all sorts of thoughts crossing his mind.
'What's going on? What's happening...? Why is this happening?!'
It felt as though his entire body had been plunged into the depths of the ocean, sinking deeper and deeper as the pressure closed in and the cold gnawed at him from every direction.
"I... I..."
"This was the last thing that I wanted to do."
The cold voice whispered in the air once more, the grip over the CEO's neck tightening further, almost causing him to squirm in pain.
"I kept telling myself that I could've resolved this amicably. That's so long as my new game comes out, I'd be able to resolve everything. But..."
The voice stopped, and the chill spreading across the room intensified.
But that wasn't what grabbed the CEO's attention.
No...
It was his words.
New Game?
His mind reeled, and realization dawned on him.
"It's... you!"
His gaze fell on the glass plane of his cupboard once more, and it was there that he realized the shadow that had appeared behind him had changed completely, turning into a figure he knew all too well.
The previous fear that he had been experiencing faded.
"What the hell are you doing!? Do you know that this is assault!? I've got cameras arranged here! You're done! I'm telling you that you're don—"
"Q... quiet."
Seth's voice came out hoarser.
Something about his tone felt off, and the CEO picked it up immediately.
'Is he sick?'
His voice...
It didn't sound normal.
It sounded like someone who was sick with a cold.
Whatever the case was, he was no longer scared. This was the pushover, Seth! He knew that this was all just for show. He was probably trying to threaten him with some sort of bullshit ability he had learned at the Guild.
Ha!
As if he'd be scared of something like this.
'Just wait until I report you to the BUA. I'll make sure to end your career in the Guild industry as well!'
Twitch. Twich.
With a sudden twitch of his head, Seth stared at the CEO.
He could almost sense what the CEO was thinking, and his grip over the back of his neck started to loosen up.
Feeling this, the CEO smirked.
'I knew it! He's all bark and no bite! A pushover until the end!!'
Seth's grip over the CEO continued to loosen until he eventually fully let go of the CEO's neck. He moved away shortly after.
"...It looks like you've finally come to your senses."
Feeling the grip disappear completely, the CEO adjusted his clothes and stood up straight once more, his lips pulling into a smirk.
"I'm sure you've realized just how badly you fucked up with all of this. How about this...? I'll make a deal with you. Give me the programs and I won't report you to the BUA for what you've done?"
He only mentioned the BUA because he had already noted in his mind that he was going to make sure that Seth would never step into the gaming industry.
This was the price he had to pay for crossing the line.
'But who am I kidding? I'll also make sure he gets reported to the BUA.'
The CEO was no kind person.
He wasn't going to let anyone who had crossed him live. This was so that he could avoid any future trouble.
Adjusting his clothes, he turned around to face Seth.
"Let me make it clear. This is the last chance that I'll give to someone like yo—"
The moment he turned around, however, the smile wiped off his face and his expression changed.
Greeting him behind him wasn't anything scary.
No monster, or anything of the sort.
However...
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
Staring into those lifeless, hollow eyes, the CEO felt his heart begin to race. He couldn't explain why, but the longer he looked, the weaker he felt, his breathing turning shallow and uneven as a creeping dread took hold of him.
"S-so... I..."
He tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat.
All he could see were the pair of hollow eyes that were so focused on him.
Something about them made his heart pound, and before he realized it, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he instinctively took a step back.
But...
Thud!
His own desk stopped him from moving further.
"..."
Seth's gaze remained locked onto the CEO. From start to finish, he didn't say a single word, but it was that silence that made the CEO feel more and more uncomfortable.
"You.. heard me, right? I wil... make sure that nothing will happen so... long as you hand the programs to me. I c-can have this written on paper. How about it?"
"....."
No response.
The CEO started to sweat bullets.
"I... I can also promise you that I won't report you to the BUA. I'll promise you that... D-do you need that written on paper?"
"....."
Yet again, no response.
The CEO's back was now entirely drenched in sweat.
"O-okay."
He licked his lips, which had grown entirely dry.
"I'll... forget about this entire accident and even stop Dock from blocking you. T-that should be good enough, right? E-either way, it was never going to be permanent. I could've only blocked it for a week at most. Ha... ha."
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
The CEO retreated on his own terms each time he spoke.
Although Seth didn't do anything at all and just stood in silence, something about his current presence brought chills to the CEO's body as he swallowed nervously and tried his best to make Seth happy.
At this very moment...
The CEO was keenly aware of one thing.
'If I don't please him, he'll kill me! He'll really kill me!'
Those lifeless and soulless eyes...
Having dealt with horror games his entire life, the CEO was keenly aware of anomalies and what the Guilds had to deal with. He had gone over multiple times in order to do research on the monsters, and... at this very moment, Seth was giving off the very same feeling.
Standing before him wasn't a human, but an anomaly in itself.
An extremely powerful and eerie one at that.
".....!!"
The chills running down the CEO's body intensified, and just as his lips parted once more in an attempt to appease the man standing before him, Seth's lips finally parted open.
"I... am not the one you should apologize to."
His voice was even hoarser than before, grating even.
The CEO felt the air get squeezed out of his lungs as he tried to make sense of the words.
"Not... apologize to you?"
Huh?
But then... Who should he apologize to?
Who did he offend besides Seth?
Who did h—
".....!!!!"
Something brushed against the CEO's face, making his entire body seize up. If the pressure in the room had felt suffocating before, it now turned icy, sinking into his skin. He couldn't move, every muscle locked in place, as a thin, cold hand settled on his shoulder.
And then—
Flick!
His computer suddenly turned on.
Da Daaa!
A tune followed right after as a cold and grating voice followed, a head moving next to the CEO's shoulder.
"Me."
-x-X-x-
Click! Click! Click!
A steady, monotone clicking echoed through the stillness of a dimly lit office.
Behind the desk sat a lone figure, his eyes fixed on the glowing monitor before him.
Click! Click!
His gaze stayed locked on the monitor, his movements mechanical and empty. It was as if he'd become a soulless machine... His empty eyes stared blankly at the screen.
'Are you sure you don't want me to eliminate him? I can do so if you command it.'
A certain voice whispered across the room.
A tall and lanky figure appeared behind the man sitting by the desk, its hand pressed against its shoulder. Giving it a light squeeze, it turned to the man standing beside it.
'...Just let me know and I'll—'
'No.'
Seth's voice remained hoarse.
He stared at the CEO and then the Conductor.
'We've done enough.'
He didn't come here to kill. That would bring too much unnecessary attention to himself. If the BUA were to notice something abnormal, it wouldn't be too hard for them to link it to him or at least cause him trouble.
Thankfully, Seth wasn't too worried about this.
'I'll let the Guild Master handle the trouble if it comes.'
He didn't reveal his secret to the Guild Master for no reason. He had to serve his uses after learning of such a secret.
Seth knew his worth, and as such, he knew that if the BUA were to find faults with him, they'd take him away.
This would negatively impact the Guild and the Guild Master.
Still, it never hurt to play things safely.
To Tok—!
A certain knocking sound came from the door.
Seth's body turned black, vanishing into the ground while the Conductor faded alongside him.
A certain figure came in shortly after.
"CEO."
It was Daniel, the CEO's assistant.
Holding onto several papers, he walked in.
"I've done as requested. Is there anything else that you would like me to do?"
The CEO didn't react immediately.
Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the monitor in front of him.
"CEO...?"
His actions brought confusion to the assistant's face, prompting him to raise his brow, and just as he began to suspect that something was wrong, the CEO turned his head.
"...I've just gotten in contact with the Station Head from Dock. I've requested him to retract his actions."
"Huh?"
Daniel blinked his eyes, entirely confused by the situation.
"W-what do you mean by that? Weren't we supposed to stop him from posting? I've already sent the file over to the team. They're looking to see what they can learn from it. I'm sure—"
"There's no need."
"What?"
Getting cut off again, Daniel was left confused.
What was going on? Why was the CEO acting like this? Wasn't he extremely adamant on making sure that the game would never launch?
What about the programs?
"Ah."
A thought occurred to him.
"You've gained control over the programs?"
"...That's correct."
The CEO replied after a brief pause, his face twitching for the briefest of moments. If one looked closely, they'd notice the subtle trembling of his eyes.
"You got it!?"
A look of excitement crossed Daniel's face.
"Did he finally give in?!"
There weren't many people who truly understood the effect of the programs that Seth used, but he was one of the few people who did. They were extremely revolutionary concepts, and they were also the key to helping them create their recent success after a series of flops.
"This is great!"
Daniel shouted with joy, unable to hide his joy.
"Haha."
He moved towards the CEO, laughing as he sat down on the seat opposite him.
"I guess you were right. He really was a pushover."
He gloated over the situation, relaxing back.
"...To be honest, I expected him to put up a little bit of a fight, but I guess this is good too. It makes things a lot easier for us. The newest patch of the game is getting released today. I'll notify them about the programs."
"Yes."
The CEO nodded, pushing a certain USB stick forward.
"Here are the programs. Tell them to install them in the newest update."
"Got it!"
Standing up, Daniel reached for the USB stick.
After which, he headed out of the room.
But just as he was about to leave, he stopped, turning his attention towards the CEO.
"About Seth..."
He mused for a moment before lowering his voice, "I would advise we get rid of him. Given what we've done to him, I'm sure he's holding onto a grudge. Let's make sure that he doesn't have any leeway to operate. I'm only advising this so that we can protect ourselves."
"I understand."
The CEO replied, his tone the same as before.
However, the trembling in his eyes only grew stronger. He looked to be desperately trying to say something, but it was unfortunate that Daniel didn't pick anything up, chuckling as he reached for the handle of the door.
"That's great! I'll get to work."
Clank!
The door closed right after, leaving the CEO sitting by himself.
What followed was an unsettling silence, thick enough to make the air feel heavy. Then, from the shadows, a figure emerged, placing a hand on the CEO's shoulder as he leaned in close and began to whisper into his ear.
"Struggle as you might, the outcome will remain the same. From this point forward, you'll forget everything that has happened. You'll watch your newest update completely and utterly destroy the little reputation you've built. And..."
Seth paused, pulling his hand away.
The CEO's eyes shook even more fiercely, his head straining as he tried to shake his head in despair.
No, please...
Such was what his eyes said.
But—
"...You'll see the Empire that you've created burn right before your eyes, and my game take everything that you've ever wished to happen to your games. I'm going to make sure that I'll take everything from you."
Seth took a step back, his eyes indifferent to it all.
Flick!
The monitor of the CEO flickered, a certain clown appearing.
A red ball faded from Seth's hands, a notification appearing in his vision shortly after. Although the hypnosis needed more time to take effect and more clothes, in the current state of the CEO, this was enough.
DaDaDaDa~
A tune began to play in the air.
"Mr. Jingles says..."
As the tune began to play, Seth's entire body was surrounded in darkness as he began to disappear from the surroundings.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the room.
This time, however, there was no one else present. It was just him and his anomalies.
He looked around, scanning the place before moving towards the door.
"Let's go."
In the other realm, no other human was present.
He could move as he wished in such a realm.
However...
The sinister energy that lingered within this world was enough to make the hair on anyone's skin crawl.
All besides the current Seth.
At this very moment, he felt at peace in this world.
It was almost as if... He was one with the world.
He carried on in the silence, slowly making his way out of the building and walking back towards the Guild, where he appeared right near the entrance. Using Mr. Jingles to deactivate any operating camera, he cancelled his node, appearing in the real world once more.
As he did, his brows twitched.
"...How uncomfortable."
-x-X-x-
Click! Click!
The steady clicking of the keyboard echoed through the room long after Seth had left.
Sitting by the desk, the CEO's gaze remained hollow.
It stayed that way for the next several dozen minutes before he finally exhaled and gave his head a small shake.
"Huh?"
He blinked a few times, his eyes slowly adjusting to the harsh glow of the monitor in front of him.
"What's going on?"
He reached to grab his head.
"...Ugh."
His head throbbed as he tried to remember. The memories were muddled, slipping in and out of focus until a faint recollection surfaced. "Right... we're about to release the new game. Seth handed over the programs, and out of the kindness of my heart, I told those from Dock to retreat. Yes, that's it."
Snap!
He snapped his fingers, finally recalling all of the key information.
"Yes, that's what it was."
He chuckled.
"...As expected. He was a pushover until the very end. Gave in to my demands without much resistance." A faint smirk tugged at his lips as he leaned back against the seat. "Now that I've secured the programs, it's only a matter of time before we climb into the Global Rankings."
The moment a studio entered the Global Rankings, it marked its true ascent into prominence, recognized not just locally but across the entire world. It was the ultimate milestone, the dream every developer aspired to reach. And for Theodore, that dream was no different.
"Hur. Hur."
Drumming his fingers over the table, he leaned further back in his chair.
'I can't wait to see the result of the upcoming update. I'm sure it's going to propel our game to the next level.'
"Oh, right."
Recalling something, the CEO laughed in amusement.
"...Isn't his game coming out soon as well? Hur hur. Although I did promise not to interfere any further, I won't be changing the release date of our update. I'm afraid that even after giving in, you'll still end up being buried."
The CEO shook his head, clicking his tongue at the same time.
"Should've given in when we first asked. Otherwise, I wouldn't have done something like this."
***
"Boss!"
"You're back, boss!"
"Where were you? I tried to reach you, but I couldn't get hold of you!"
The moment I returned to the Studio, I was met with a wave of panic. The members rushed toward me, their faces pale and voices overlapping in confusion and worry. I lifted my hands slightly, motioning for them to calm down.
"Relax, nothing happened," I said, my tone steady as I glanced around at their anxious faces. "I just stepped out to take a breather and deal with the situation. I've managed to strike a deal, so everything should be fine."
"A deal? What sort of deal? With who?"
Their confusion was understandable.
None of them really knew the full extent of my issues with Nightmare Forge Studios. They had a rough idea, bits and pieces of what had happened, but they didn't understand just how deep it all went, or how they were the ones responsible for most of the trouble.
It was also a little too troublesome for me to explain the situation to them.
As such, I kept it relatively simple.
"...Nightmare Forge Studios is my old company. I'm sure the three of you know. Let's just say that my relationship with the CEO isn't good. He tried to block the release of the game with his connections, but I managed to stop him."
This was all I revealed to them. Even though all three looked to be eager to know more, I didn't elaborate further and just pointed at the laptops.
"Check if you can release the game now. It should be solved."
"Ah, right!"
The three immediately snapped back to work, rushing towards the computers.
Watching them dive into their work, I glanced around the room for a moment before finally making my way to my seat and sitting down.
'That's one problem down.'
Honestly, I felt tired.
Rubbing my forehead, I took a slow breath, doing my best to hold myself together.
The side effects of whatever had been happening to me moments prior were starting to calm down, and alongside it was a certain pain that I couldn't shake away. My head felt light, and an odd heaviness settled in my chest.
'Great... It also looks like I've oversued my node. Thankfully, it doesn't seem like there's any fractures.'
Going into the other realm put quite a bit of stress on my node.
Thankfully, as a Third Order, this wasn't too bad for me.
I could manage.
'I've also dealt with the CEO. There should also be no repercussions for my actions.'
The CEO probably didn't remember a single thing that had happened between the two of us. I had rewritten his memories in a way that made it seem like he had been the one to stop the Dock block, and at the same time, made him think that I had also given in on his demands.
I had done it this way so that he wouldn't suspect any foul play.
Although I wasn't worried about the BUA, it would still save me a lot of trouble.
"Done!"
A voice shook me out of my thoughts.
When I turned my head, I saw Noah staring at the monitor in front of him with a look of excitement.
"The game is out! It's official! I can see it on the page!"
"Yes!!"
"Heyyy!!"
Everyone celebrated, throwing their hands in the air.
For a brief moment, I caught myself smiling at the sight, but only for a brief moment. I knew things were far from over. Pulling out my phone and opening the forums, the first thing that hit me was the sudden flood of messages filling the screen.
—He's finally released the game!
—@Samurai71! He's finally released the game! You should start playing the game!
—Should I buy the game? I'm kind of feeling tempted.
—He's finally released his game! @Samurai71! Show this guy his place. Play the game! Play the game!
—Play the game @Samurai71
The first thing that caught my attention was all the @'s that were directed towards one specific person.
Staring at them, I frowned.
'Right, there's this guy as well. He's been pissing me off quite a lot lately.'
Taking a moment to open up his page, that was also the moment that he made an announcement.
[Samurai71]: Haha, looks like the game's finally out. I've been waiting for this moment for so long that I almost started to think it would never happen. Still, I'm glad to see it's here at last. In that case, just like I promised, I'll play it tonight. @SethThorne. You'd better think of switching careers.
"Huh?"
Seeing him directly @ me, I was left shocked for a moment.
I didn't think he'd actually fan the flames further.
Not even a second later, my comments were flooded by his fans, each one hurling insults, telling me to quit and find a new career. The sheer number of them was overwhelming, leaving me momentarily at a loss for words.
Eventually, I shook my head.
"As if I'm going to fall for such cheap provocation."
I put my phone away, shaking my head at the same time.
"...I'm not that easy."
[Seth Thorne]: I'll do you one better. I'll retire completely if my game doesn't make you jump in fear.
-x-X-x-
Samura71's real name was Darwin Nomadell.
Before becoming a streamer, he'd worked as a salesman. He was never particularly successful, and money had always been scarce, but from that job, he'd picked up a few valuable skills.
The most important of them all was learning how to talk... How to sell an idea with nothing more than his voice.
He was also able to learn another important ability.
To grab an opportunity when it comes.
Ding!
A chime rang from his phone.
[You have been transferred 35,000$]
"Heh."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips as he stared down at his phone, the glow of the screen reflecting faintly in his eyes.
'What an easy job this one is.'
His job was simple: do whatever it took to bury a certain developer named Seth Thorne. The request had come straight from Nightmare Forge Studios, and in return, they'd promised him a generous sum of money.
At first, he'd only planned to do it for the money. But after seeing the target's responses roll in, something shifted. He stopped treating it like just another job.
He was actually quite annoyed.
"Heh... You'll quit, you say?"
Seeing his last statement online, Darwin almost had the urge to laugh.
No, he did laugh.
"I guess I'll be taking a shitty developer from this industry. You can say that I'm cleaning shit up."
Ding!
Another notification rang.
"Ah, just in time."
He looked at the message. It was from Nightmare Forge Studios again.
[We're excited to announce that the update for our upcoming game will be released soon. As one of our valued partners, we'd like to invite you to begin streaming and showcasing the game to help generate awareness and engagement around the launch.]
It was just a formal letter inviting him to play the new update once it was released. Or at least, this was how it was on the outside.
What they were really asking was, 'Start streaming and make sure to provide us with enough traction to make the update a success.'
Being used to such an industry, Darwin could more or less tell the true intentions of the company he interacted with. Not that he cared, since he was going to benefit directly.
"I guess I should get started."
His setup was nothing short of extravagant. He lived in a sleek penthouse perched atop a high-rise near Zone 1, its glass walls offering a panoramic view of the city below. By the windows sat a large desk, lined with multiple monitors and a powerful PC that hummed quietly amid the dim glow of LED lights.
There was even a VR capsule not far from where he was.
"Let's see."
Darwing looked around before picking up a small device from the side of the table. Botting the PC on, he messaged his mods and immediately started the streams.
"Hey, Hey."
[●Live]
The number of viewers quickly started to skyrocket. A lot of people had been eagerly anticipating this stream, and with the feud he had with the unknown developer, he managed to amass quite an audience.
It didn't take long for him to pull extremely high numbers.
[●Live]
Viewers — 74, 203
Seeing the numbers, for just the briefest of moments, Darwin was left without words.
Holy shit!!
These numbers...
They were unlike anything he'd ever seen before. His highest peak had once been around thirty thousand, but now the numbers on his screen far surpassed that, climbing higher and higher with every passing second.
The chat was similarly exploding.
—Hehehe. Who here waited the entire night to see this? I spent the entire night waiting for this moment. I've been edged for too long!
—Finally!! I've been waiting for too long!
—Hahahahaha!
—Let's fucking go!!!
—Time to play that shitty game! Let's see how bad it is lmaooo!
Seeing the numerous comments, Darwin had to try his best to hold his smile back.
This...
This was incredible!
Who would've thought that such drama would cause this much of a stir?
Darwin wasn't one to waste an opportunity.
"Hehe, it looks like a lot of people have shown up to see me play the new game. Is that what it is?"
The chat exploded even more, and the gift notifications started to flood. Darwin could even see his follower count rising, and his heart shook.
"...If that's the case, then let's not waste any time. Let me get the game loaded."
Opening Dock, Darwin immediately searched for the game. It didn't take long for him to spot it.
He paused at the page, his expression turning strange.
"Nightmare Hotel? Really? They're not even putting in any effort at this point. Even the description of the game looks rather cheap. Oh, but wait...!"
Spotting something, Darwin pointed at it.
"VR?"
His eyes widened for a moment.
"This game actually has VR?"
The chat paused alongside him.
Then—
—Do it!
—Play it!
—Play the game!
—It's even better now that it's VR!
Darwin cracked a smile.
"This honestly grabbed me by surprise, but who am I to say anything? It looks like the little developer took our advice to heart. He's actually gone ahead and developed a VR game. I'm honestly surprised, but given the limited amount of time, I doubt it's going to be any good. Aish..." Darwin shook his head, "He should've stuck with PC games. Now it just looks like he wants to quit this business."
Many laughed at his words, some even adding fuel to the fire.
Darwin took in the sight without a smile, downloading the game before reaching for a strange device next to him.
"I'm sure a lot of you have seen these before," he said, holding up the device. "They're the latest trending VR gear. Lightweight, easy to use, and they let you enter the Virtual World without needing a massive capsule or bulky helmet. Sure, the experience isn't as realistic as using a full capsule, but honestly, who cares? I doubt the game's even optimized for that kind of setup."
Reaching for his PC, he connected it with his goggles and put them on his right ear.
Booting them on, he proceeded to connect the stream with his vision.
"If any of you have any headsets or anything like that, you can connect them. You'll be able to feel everything that I feel."
This feature was one of the main reasons the gear was so revolutionary.
It allowed viewers of a VR streamer to experience everything more vividly, seeing, hearing, and even feeling fragments of what the streamer felt in the VR world.
"I'll give you all a moment to grab your stuff. I'll load the game in the meantime."
The interface wasn't anything fancy.
On the screen was a large building, its image framed by several icons shaped like keys along the side. The backdrop behind the building was pitch black, casting the whole scene in an eerie, almost foreboding atmosphere.
[Start Game]
[Load]
[Settings]
[Quit]
Darwing fixed his attention on the viewer count.
[●Live]
Viewers — 122, 104
He nearly had a heart attack when he saw the number present before him, but he quickly collected himself.
"Since it looks like everyone is here, let's start the game."
He pressed [Start], and the world around him began to shift. The home screen dissolved into nothing, replaced by a sudden burst of light that flooded his vision. It was blinding, so much so that Darwin nearly flinched, a startled yelp catching in his throat.
He barely managed to suppress the sound as a gentle lavender scent drifted through the air. It was soon joined by the faint melody of soft jazz and the low murmur of distant chatter.
Darwin's eyes snapped open.
The light receded, and a new scene emerged around him. A long counter stretched before him, placing him behind it like a clerk waiting for customers who had yet to arrive.
The floor was made of yellowed marble that gleamed too perfectly under the soft lights above, each reflection shifting just a little too late, as though lagging behind his movements. A faded red carpet ran down the middle, its color dark enough to resemble something wetter than fabric.
The place carried an antique charm, but something about it felt off... like a memory of a place rather than the place itself. Darwin's hand brushed the counter, and the marble felt unnaturally cold, pulsing faintly under his touch.
This...
It felt too real.
'H-how is this? How is this possib—'
".....!!"
Ding! Ding!
The sound sliced through the air.
Darwin froze. Slowly, he lifted his head.
Someone stood on the other side of the counter. Their figure was still, their features hard to make out beneath the warm light that seemed to bend around them. What little he could see of their face was... weird. The smile stretched just a touch too wide, the eyes a little too still, their pupils reflecting him like glass.
"Hello," the figure said.
The voice was gentle, pleasant even, yet something in its tone made his stomach tighten.
"I'd like to check in."
Ba... Thump!
Darwin's heart started to race.
The soft tune of the jazz played in the air.
A man stood before Darwin, his eyes locked onto him as he smiled.
"...I'd like to check in."
He repeated, causing Darwin to flinch.
"Uh, ah..."
He looked around. The touch, the smell, even the sights around him, all of it felt disturbingly real. So real, in fact, that it sent a chill crawling down his spine.
The chat also felt the same way.
—Holy crap! What are these graphics?
—The configurations are unreal. Wtf?? I can literally smell the lavender.
—Even the touch of the marble desk feels real.
—The hell??
Such reactions drew the attention of those who hadn't yet put on their headsets, curiosity pushing them to try it for themselves. Many had been skeptical at first, assuming the chat was exaggerating, but the moment they slipped the headset on and felt the world around them, they all swore in disbelief.
'Holy fuck!?'
'This is actually insane!'
'What the hell!? This actually feels like a high-quality game!'
[●Live]
Viewers — 137, 992
The viewers grew even further, but Darwin wasn't happy at all.
'This isn't what I'm getting paid for. I can't let them think that this is actually good.'
He immediately started to criticize in areas where he could.
"The general graphics of the game aren't so bad, I'd say. They are pretty good. I'm in fact impressed, but..." He raised his hand and looked at it, shaking his head in the process. "There's quite a bit of lag with the movements. This game has clearly not been optimized quite well. Oh well, I guess I can make due with this."
He wasn't lying in this aspect.
There was indeed a slight lag in the movements, subtle but noticeable. It was likely a result of the short development time and the small number of team members who had worked on the game.
Just as Darwin was about to continue criticizing the game, something unexpected happened right before his eyes.
The world froze, and a panel appeared.
——[Game Rules]——
You've just been hired as the night receptionist at a peculiar old hotel, where not every guest is what they seem. Your job is simple: observe, decide, and survive the night.
Using the hotel's grainy security cameras, you'll monitor each guest who arrives. Some are harmless travelers... others, not so much. It's up to you to accept or reject them based on what you see.
But be careful! Management doesn't tolerate mistakes! You can only reject three guests before you're the one getting kicked out.
Keep your eyes open. Trust your instincts.
Not everyone checking in is still alive.
P.S. - Make sure you smile. Guests like it when you smile.
——[Game Rules]——
"Huh?"
Staring at the game's description, Darwin's face changed subtly. He read each line to the viewer before eventually cracking a smile.
"...Is this it? This simple?"
He almost burst out laughing. A moment prior, he felt a little bit off due to the realism of the game, but looking at the description, he didn't think it would be anything scary at all. The comments also felt the same.
—Isn't this game a little too simple? I mean, I'm sure it's obvious when you see one that is off.
—I was just getting a little excited.
—Yeah, but who knows? It might still be good?
"I wonder about that."
Darwin lowered the game description and turned his attention to the guest before him. With the panel out of the way, he could finally see the man clearly, his hair neatly parted to the side, his posture composed, and a crisp black tuxedo fitting him perfectly.
At a glance, he looked perfectly normal. But when Darwin noticed the man's eyes, just a little too wide, and the faint, unnatural curve of his lips, a small smirk appeared on his own face.
"Make it any more obvious..."
He looked at the guest and shook his head.
"I apologize, sir, but we don't have any available rooms at the moment. If you could come back another time, I'd be more than happy to welcome you."
The smile on the guest's face slowly started to recede.
"You don't have any more rooms?"
"We don't."
Darwin shook his head, feigning focus on the monitor in front of him. As his eyes drifted over the screen, he noticed something odd. Seven numbers lined up neatly across it, ranging from one to seven.
Curious, he randomly clicked on one.
Flick!
The monitor flickered and changed, revealing a long corridor. A soft carpet with faded floral patterns stretched across the floor, while beige walls lined with framed paintings framed the view. On each side of the hallway stood six doors, evenly spaced and perfectly still.
The quality wasn't perfect, evident from the 'old' vibe that the game was going for.
"...Cameras?"
He clicked on the other buttons, displaying other corridors. Most likely, each number represented a different floor.
"Hah."
Darwin laughed.
"Chat. Doesn't this feel like a copy and paste of Nightmare Forge Studio's game? And here I thought he was going to be original for once. This game is a literal copy of what they created. What the hell..."
Of course, Darwin used this chance to criticize them.
The chat also shared similar thoughts to his.
—The game mechanics look copied and pasted. There's really no originality anymore.
—But what can someone expect from a thief? They already stole the programs, so of course they're going to steal their game. There's literally no shame.
—It's quite frankly pathetic.
"I'm quite frankly disappointed."
Darwin shook his head, lifting his head to look at the counter. Seeing that the man from before had left, he started talking with the chat.
"Not only does he steal programs from them, but now he's trying to plagiarize their game too. Isn't that a little too shameless? Other than the graphics, there's really nothing special about this. I'm already getting bored, to be honest. Scary? Yeah, I'm scared... scared of how boring this game is."
—Loool!
—Hahahah!
—Lmaaao! Me tooo!
—This shit is straight up ass.
The chat exploded with laughter, several gifts being donated at the same time.
Seeing how lively the chat was, Darwin used this chance to promote Nightmare Forge's latest update.
"Let me tell you this. I've got exclusive access to Nightmare Forges' latest update. After I'm done with this crap, I'll play it. How about it?"
The chat moved fast following his words.
Many were in favor of his suggestion, with some already getting bored with the current stream.
Darwin was tempted to switch the game at this moment, afraid of losing the audience, but a bet was a bet. He needed to honor the bet.
"Let's carry on. I wonder when the next guest will appear."
He didn't have to wait for long.
A moment later, an elderly woman stepped inside, her clouded white eyes suggesting blindness.
Tap. Tap.
The soft rhythm of her cane striking the floor filled the quiet space, each tap carrying a faint echo. When she finally stopped before the reception desk, her frail voice broke the silence.
"I'd... like a reservation."
Staring at her, Darwin paused.
He then looked at the chat.
"What do we say? Should we accept her?"
A barrage of comments followed. In a way, this game wasn't too bad at helping him interact with his newfound audience as one guest after another went to the reception. Each time, he'd ask the chat whether to accept them or not.
The cycle repeated for quite a while, until...
"Reject? Alright! Let's reject this gues—Huh?"
Beep!
A loud beep suddenly echoed, causing Darwin's face to change. Looking at the monitor, he suddenly saw a large notification.
[Rejection Quota Reached!]
"Wait, what...?"
Turning his attention towards the guest and seeing them smile at him, Darwin's lips twitched as he looked at the chat and sighed.
"Welp, I guess we ran out of rejections. Looks like we have no choice but to accept him."
He reached for a card and handed it over.
"Here you go. Floor 5."
"Thank you."
Staring at the guest's departing back, Darwin looked back at the reception hall, but as he did, he was surprised to see that there were no more guests coming.
How come?
He frowned, looking at his surroundings. And just as he was trying to figure out the situation, something strange occurred.
Flick! Flick!
The lights above...
They started to grow dimmer.
A certain breeze brushed in at the same time.
"Wait, what?"
Flick!
A change was beginning to take place.
A change that made everyone watching pause.