"What the fuck is this guy doing? Where is he from?"
"He seems to be from the group from Malovia."
"Fuck! They're fucking us over! Now that he's moved, we've got no choice but to move."
The other teams present all turned to glare in Seth's direction. Normally, inside a gate, the safest place was always the starting point. That was where most teams stayed long enough to assess their surroundings, confirm their location, and determine their objectives before moving deeper into the Gate.
The moment someone moved, the Gate would start.
While this wasn't the case for all gates, a lot of the Gates were like this.
It was only natural that Seth's behaviour incurred the wrath of the other members of the 'Suicide Squad'.
"...I guess these are the standards set for the Guilds that aren't part of the main island."
Of all the Guilds present, only those from the Comet Guild were from the Central Island. They were also a borderline King-Grade Guild like the Severed Stars Guild, but with the difference between the two islands, a Queen-Grade Guild from the main island was practically the same as a King-Grade Guild from another island.
"What should we do? Should we take over? Or let them do their thing?"
Naturally, being the strongest Guild, they wanted to take leadership of the operation. They believed that they had the most experience and were also the ones who had the slightest chance of clearing this gate.
Although this was deemed a 'Suicide Mission', there was still a glimmer of a chance that they could be successful in clearing the Gate.
If that were to happen...
"Michael, stop him."
Philip Rasmus, the Section Chief of the Anomalous Department of the Comet Guild, gave out a brief order.
"Understood."
Not a moment later, a young man with a clean-shaven head and sharp features disappeared from the spot, stopping right before Seth.
"Wait a moment."
He held his hand forward and stopped Seth right in his tracks.
"What's the matter?"
Kyle and Zoey both looked helplessly at each other. Needless to say, they both already understood what was about to happen.
"Everyone, listen to me for a moment."
Before Seth could move or say anything, Section Chief Rasmus stepped forward, attracting the attention of everyone present.
"I'll cut straight to the chase since we didn't have a chance before. I want our team to take the leading position for this Gate. All of you should be aware of our Guild and our experience. We are the most suitable ones to lead this Gate. Especially if we want to survive this entire ordeal."
The Section Chief's words brought frowns to the faces of the other teams.
However, upon reflection, his words made sense. He was indeed the most qualified person. Not only was he part of a Guild from the Central Island, but he was actually quite a renowned individual himself.
He had yet to reach the global rankings, but he was still well-known.
"If there aren't any objections, I'll carry on with the operation—"
"Are you sure you're the best suited for this?"
A voice suddenly cut off the Section Chief.
When he turned his head, he saw a disheveled-looking man about his age, dark circles carved beneath his tired eyes. Covering his mouth and yawning, the Section Chief of the Severed Stars Guild spoke.
"Eh... Not like I'm doubting your capabilities or anything like that. I know you want to do this for the sake of taking credit and all that bullshit, but I kind of think that we don't really have time to think about shit like that."
The Section Chief scratched the side of his face.
"...Why make it complicated? Work together as a team. No leader. Why does there need to be a leader? And if you really want to have a leader, we should be the ones who are most suitable since this gate comes from our island. We might know what is happening better."
"Oh?"
Philips's face darkened.
This Section Chief... He really didn't hold back with his words at all. Trying to be a leader to take credit? More qualified because they came from this island?
He really wanted to laugh, but held himself back.
Instead, he looked towards the others.
"In that case, should we have a vote? Should we see which proposal is more appealing?"
The other Section Chiefs looked at each other. In the end, a vote was held.
The result?
Comet Guild - 5 Vote.
Severed Stars Guild - 1 Vote.
With the exclusion of the Comet Guild and the Severed Stars Guild, there were six other teams.
In the end, it was an overwhelming victory for the Comet Guild.
Most of the Guilds present knew of their reputation and felt that they were the most reliable. This was a Gate that involved their lives, and as such, they decided to put their trust in the most reputable Guild.
"Well, fair... I guess?"
The Section Chief didn't look too bothered, shrugging his shoulders before looking at his team.
"Follow along with their orders from now on."
He then looked at Seth.
"Especially you."
"....."
But Seth just remained quiet, staring at his surroundings with his dark gaze.
"Good."
Rasmus clapped his hands satisfactorily.
"Since everyone has decided to put their trust in us, it is best that we hurry up with our objective. We currently don't know the situation within the Gate. The only thing that we know is that the scenario is an 'Office Space'. What is the goal of the gate? What are we supposed to do? Let's look around for clues regarding the main objective."
The order was rather straightforward.
Gates all had structure and rules. Because the scouts didn't dare go too deep into the Gate, there wasn't much information regarding the main objective of the place.
However, it wouldn't be too difficult to figure out such things.
Usually, a Gate gave away the objective rather quickly.
"Let's check the nearby cubicles. We might be able to find some clues there. But be careful. You might never know what could happen."
Click! Click! Click!
Even now, each cubicle produced numerous clicking sounds.
The number of cubicles numbered in the thousands, and with Rasmus's warning, one of the members of his Guild stepped forward and moved towards the nearest cubicle, sliding the door to the side.
Everyone held their breath in that moment, their bodies growing tense as they prepared themselves for what was waiting for them on the other side.
But—
"Eh...?"
"Huh?"
To everyone's surprise, the cubicle was empty.
The setup was simple enough. A long table was fixed to the cubicle walls, running along one side before turning sharply into the corner and continuing down the other. A single chair sat tucked beneath it. An old, bulky computer rested on the desk, with a thick monitor, yellowing keys, surrounded by scattered papers, a stapler, and a few forgotten office supplies.
Most surprising of all—
Click! Click!
The keys moved on their own, as if something invisible was pressing down on them.
"...."
Everyone grew silent, staring at the keyboard for a moment.
Then, all eyes turned towards Rasmus.
He turned to a short-haired girl next to him as she closed her eyes. Eventually opening them up again, she shook her head.
"No."
"...Alright."
Rasmus nodded and walked in.
"There doesn't appear to be anyone sitting on the chair. It appears as though the keyboard itself is an anomalous object. Be careful of that. In the meantime, look through the documents and see if you can find anything."
The order was simple enough, and several people moved into the cubicle to review the papers.
"Hmm. This seems to be an accounting paper for the sales of a game?"
With a member of the Comet Guild picking up the paper, he frowned while looking at it. Scratching his head, he looked at another paper.
However, the result wasn't much different.
It was another accounting paper.
"Something feels off..." As this was happening, Kyle entered the cubicle. Because of its size, not many people could enter. He had to squeeze his way in, and as he scanned the place, his eyes eventually fell on the red stapler on the desk.
The moment he caught sight of it, his expression changed subtly.
'Why does it feel familiar?'
The more he looked at the stapler, the more familiar it felt to him.
His heart sank after a moment, and just as he was about to move towards it, someone moved towards it before he could.
"No, wait—!"
But it was too late.
The moment the person touched the stabler, blood spurted in all directions as a heartwrenching scream filled the surroundings.
"Ahhhhhh!"
"....!"
"Huh!?"
"Careful!!"
When all eyes turned in the direction of the scream, everyone's face changed drastically as they caught sight of the scene presented before them.
"Haaaa! Haaaaa!"
With screams filling the room, every gaze snapped toward the man's hand, now covered in staples. The staples had pierced through his skin, dozens of them, jutting out at crooked angles as blood leaked in all directions.
But that wasn't all.
With each passing second that he held onto the stapler, more and more staples appeared on the man's hand, moving up his arm.
"Quick!"
"Stop it! Take the stapler away from him!"
It was also in that moment that Kyle's expression changed as he suddenly recalled why the staple looked so familiar.
"I'm sure of it. That's..." Kyle muttered, his heart sinking further down his body. "Elcid Class, VILE - 042, The Blind Stapler."
That was....
One of the anomalous objects contained within their Guild.
"Haaa! Haaa—!"
The scream continued to rip through the surroundings.
It was heartwrenching, and the moment it sounded, everyone swiftly got into action, moving towards the member who had touched the stapler and swiftly removing it from his grasp.
"Quick!"
"Get it off of Samuell!"
"Let go of the stapler!"
But—
"Haaaa!"
The damage had already been done.
"H-haaaa!"
Screams filled the surroundings as blood spilled from the member's body, his entire hand covered by staples.
Thankfully, a Mender was present.
"Let me pass."
"You handle it."
With short brown hair, deep-set eyes, and a thin frame, Lawrence stepped forward. He was also a member of the Comet Guild, and with an indifferent expression, he approached the injured man and leaned down slightly.
"H-help."
He was still squirming on the floor, holding onto his hand as blood leaked out from every direction.
Lawrence didn't say anything and just observed the wound.
Then—
"Michael."
"...Yes."
Not even a moment after the mender spoke, a bald man stepped up beside the victim. With a single, swift motion of his hand, blood sprayed in every direction, and a severed hand dropped to the floor with a dull, wet thud.
Thud!
Besides those from the Comet Guild, everyone froze on the spot, unable to react.
But soon...
"Haaaa!!"
"What are you doing!?"
"You...!!"
The place instantly turned chaotic, the members of the BlackRose Guild flying into rage as they all shouted at the Mender. But as if he was completely unbothered by them, he simply reached for the hand on the floor before picking it up and tossing it in his hand a couple of times.
"...Not bad."
The sight made the stomachs of a few churn, with the members of the BlackRose growing even more enraged, shouting all sorts of curses.
Only the Section Chief remained calm, turning to them and holding them back.
"Just stop making a scene."
"But—!"
"Just shut up and let him do his thing!!"
His shout was loud enough to be heard by everyone.
Kyle, watching all of this from the side, was still staring at the stapler.
'I'm sure of it. That's... VILE-042. How did it...?'
"He's one of those crazy ones."
Zoey's voice interrupted Kyle's thoughts.
"Those bastards love healing in the most twisted ways."
And sure enough, with a small grunt from Section Chief Rasmus, more likely trying to get him to hurry, the Mender closed his eyes, and a soft yellow glow enveloped his body. A moment later, the staples began to loosen and drop from the severed hand, clattering onto the floor one by one as the flesh slowly knit itself back together, returning to its normal form.
Tossing it a couple of times, he moved towards the BlackRose member before placing his hand onto the severed spot and using his node again.
In just a few breaths, the hand recovered.
"See? All done."
He patted the victim on the face a couple of times, a thin smile gracing his lips.
"There was no need to scream so much."
He then returned to where the Section Chief was. Although the members of the BlackRose Guild were still seething, their anger had subsided a bit as he had truly healed the hand of their member.
"Let's not waste any time."
Section Chief Rasmus spoke again, turning his attention towards the stapler and frowning.
"Be careful of touching things from this moment forward. There's a chance they're anomalous objects. But..." The Section Chief frowned, turning his attention towards the short-haired girl next to him. Of the Hunter Decree, Cassandra should've been able to spot something like this. For her not to have spotted it...
"I-I..."
"Forget it."
Seeing the astonished look on her face, the Section Chief understood that the situation was complicated.
'I expected nothing less from a Gate of this level.'
He once again moved towards the desk and sorted through the files. This time, he didn't touch any of them, simply waving his hand.
As he did, his gaze fell on a particular paper.
[The Boss needs the work to be done soon.]
[He is very strict.]
[We lack workers.]
[We don't have much time left.]
[I should hurry.]
'The Boss...?'
The Section Chief's eyes glinted. He seemed to have finally found a sort of clue regarding the scenario.
He was just about to relay this when a voice suddenly spoke.
"VILE-042, the Blind Stapler."
When he turned around, he saw the Section Chief of the Severed Stars Guild bending over to look at the stapler on the floor.
"This is an anomaly that our Guild contained. Taking into consideration what had happened recently..." He raised his head to look at Section Chief Rasmus, "There's a high probability that all the anomalies that have disappeared on the island will be located in this Gate."
"....."
"....."
Suddenly, the place grew silent.
All eyes fell on the Severed Stars Section Chief as he analyzed the stapler on the floor. However, just before he could get even more words out, Section Chief Rasmus spoke.
"I won't dismiss your claims, but there's no proof of that. For now, this is what I found."
He showed the paper to everyone.
"I believe I have found a clue regarding the Gate."
Immediately, all eyes fell on the paper.
"This..."
"Could this be...?"
"Yes."
Philip nodded, his expression turning grave.
"I believe the key to this scenario is to find out what the task they are working on is and finish it. The 'Boss' is most likely the anomaly that we need to watch out for. I'm afraid that given the words written here, we don't have much time to figure out what the task is."
From just a simple paper, the Section Chief was able to deduce the entire scenario.
This came from experience. Having cleared many gates, he knew the general rules of them, and as such, he was very confident about his guess.
The same went for the other Section Chiefs.
"Let's not waste any time then. Let's search the other cubicles and see what they are working on. Once we figure it out, let's get started."
Everyone immediately dispersed from the cubicle, shifting their attention towards the nearby ones.
"Let's separate into different teams. Since we're in eight teams, let's do this in pairs. Four teams in total."
Looking around, the Section Chief settled into the group from Malovia Island.
"You pair up with me."
"...Hm?"
This order somewhat took Kyle, Zoey, and the others aback. However, there was nothing else they could do, as the other squads formed teams of two. Eventually, they all dispersed towards the other cubicles.
"I'll cut straight to the chase. All you need to do is follow what I say, and you should be fine. If you can follow what—"
CLANK!
All of a sudden, the sound of one of the doors sliding open echoed through the space, jolting everyone present to attention.
"Huh?"
"What...!?"
Everyone turned their heads, watching as a black haired young man made his way into the cubicle, displaying a familiar scene.
"Seth!?"
"What are you doing...!"
His actions startled everyone present.
In particular, the member of the Comet Guild.
"It's him again?"
"Fucking reckless bastard."
Section Chief Rasmus's brows furrowed tightly at the sight, burning Seth's image in his mind. This wasn't the first time he had done this. For him to do it again...
'...He's a liability. I should find some time to get rid of him. At this rate, he'll disturb our operation.'
His mouth opened, ready to speak, but under everyone's watch, Seth pulled the chair back and sat down.
He then booted the PC up, placing his hands on the keyboard.
Everyone stood stunned, unable to make out his actions.
But then—
"You should hurry."
He spoke, his voice low.
For some reason, the moment he spoke, the air seemed to shift, growing incredibly tense.
"...The boss is strict. There's not much time left."
He repeated the same words on the paper.
Flick! Flick!
That was the moment the lights above flicked.
All of a sudden, the repetitive clicking sound coming from all around stopped, and the surroundings plunged into a deep, uneasy silence.
All the air appeared to be sucked away from the place.
And then—
Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!
The clicks returned, louder and more hurried than before.
Step.
What followed was a single step.
One coming from a certain direction nobody could point out.
But the moment it sounded, everyone held onto their chest, sweat pooling down the sides of their faces while feeling the rhythmic thumpings deep within their chest.
Ba.. Thump! Ba... Thump!
It was here that they understood.
The Boss...
He was coming.
Step—
The step echoed quietly.
It was just a casual step, but...
Step.
The moment it sounded, it was almost as if all air had been stripped away from the surroundings.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
The sudden rush of keyboard clicks added a sharp edge of panic to the air, the rapid tapping echoing through the room. Startled, several bolted out into the hall, glancing around in confusion and fear as they tried to make sense of what was happening.
"What's happening? Does anyone know...?"
"What should we do?"
Eventually, all eyes fell on the Section Chief of the Comet Guild.
But his gaze was elsewhere.
It was directly fixed on Seth as he sat expressionless, his hand tapping onto the keyboard.
Click! Click! Click!
His teeth clenched tightly at the sight of him.
But as if Seth was oblivious to it, he repeated.
"Take a cubicle before it's too late."
"Wait, Seth!"
"What are you talking about?"
Zoey and Kyle both looked at Seth in confusion. Neither understood the reason for his actions, and they could feel the displeasure coming from Section Chief Rasmus. Of course, neither cared about his opinion, but they understood this line of business very well.
None of the people present was good.
Everyone had seen death... many times.
Still—
Click! Click!
"You don't have much time."
Seth's indifferent voice rang out once more.
This time, it was their Section Chief who spoke.
"Are you saying that we should take a cubicle and pretend to work?"
Click!
"There's work on the computer."
The Section Chief raised his head and looked at Seth's computer. Indeed, it looked like he was working on something.
After a little bit of thought, he issued an order.
"Go to a cubicle and start working. Make sure you don't touch anything. If you see anything inside, either contain it or move on to the next cubicle."
Without further ado, he headed away.
Kyle and Zoey looked at each other before looking at Seth. In the end, however, they listened and moved away.
There were many questions they wanted to ask, but they both understood it wasn't the time.
Clara also followed along with the Section Chief's orders.
She had been quiet the entire time, her gaze fixed on Seth. It was only when the Section Chief moved that she moved.
The others from the Severed Stars Guild similarly moved.
"Wait!"
A voice bellowed, causing everyone to pause.
"What are you doing?"
Comet Guild's Section Chief Rasmus's voice boomed through the corridor as he scanned the area, his thick brows drawn tight. His expression brimmed with barely contained fury, each word colder than the last.
The Section Chief paused, looking at Rasmus.
"You didn't hear? I'm going to find a cubicle to work." He covered his mouth and yawned slightly. "From the looks of things, we have to work."
"Based on what you're deciding this?"
Philip turned his head to look at Seth.
"Based on his words?"
The surroundings fell quiet, all eyes turning towards Seth. He looked completely oblivious, his attention fixed on the monitor in front of him.
Section Chief Rasmus's words grew even colder.
"Is this some sort of joke? I don't even feel a Node from him. Are you kidding me? Did we not establish me as the le—"
"No, I didn't vote, nor do I care. You can do your thing. Anyways, bye."
The Section Chief turned away with the other members, completely dismissing the other teams.
The sight enraged a few, with Section Chief Rasmus extending his hand to stop those from his Guild from moving forward.
"Stop."
"But Section Chief!"
"Sect—"
"If they want to die, then let them die."
He turned towards the other teams before settling his gaze over to Seth once more. The more he looked at him, the more displeased he felt. He really wanted to take this chance to get rid of him, but decided against it.
Especially when—
Step.
The step was growing nearer.
"What should we do?"
One of the Section Chiefs from the other teams asked. They were all somewhat calm despite the situation.
Although the step was growing nearer, it was slow.
After pondering for a moment, Section Chief Rasmus answered, "Let's move away from the step and observe. It'll soon pass this area. In the meantime, we can continue gathering up clues and figure out the project that they are working on before trying to solve it."
"That sounds like a good plan."
"I support it too."
The other Section Chiefs appeared to agree with his approach. They all felt that what the Severed Stars Guild had done was extremely reckless.
Although they all understood that the goal was to finish whatever project they were working on, the sound of approaching footsteps told them time was running out. And with the boss somewhere in this place, stalking the halls unseen, who could say he wouldn't attack them next?
In their minds, those from the Severed Stars Guild were as good as dead.
Especially when they all took the orders of a Nodeless person.
'...I guess this is the level of those from the smaller islands.'
With a shake of his head, Section Chief Rasmus led the teams away from the area. They all completely forgot about the Severed Stars Guild.
They had already classified them as a burden that needed to be gotten rid of.
***
"Section Chief!"
"...Section Chief!"
Several people walked up to the Section Chief in unison.
"Do you think this is a good idea?"
"Should we follow along with Seth's actions? But what if he's wrong? The boss... he's coming."
Without replying to them, the Section Chief looked at Clara, who looked around the cubicles before nodding at him.
Slide—
He didn't hesitate to open the cubicle before him.
The layout was the same, with the insides empty as well.
"This should do."
He moved to the seat, then moved it back, sat down, and focused on the monitor in front of him.
"Section Chief...?"
Eventually, he turned around to look at the others.
Kyle and Zoey were the only ones missing in the group. The two had already left to look for a cubicle to enter.
"Section Chief... Why are we—"
"I just don't like them."
The Section Chief replied languidly.
"....."
"....."
Everyone just looked at the Section Chief speechlessly. So the reason why he decided to listen to Seth was because he didn't like the other Section Chief?
This...
Why did this feel like something the Section Chief would do?
No, this really was something he'd do!
"But..."
"It's too late now."
The Section Chief clicked on the mouse next to him, muttering things like, 'What sort of old model is this? Wired? Aish...'
In reality, this wasn't the full truth.
In part, the Section Chief really didn't want to listen to the Section Chief of the Comet Guild. He rubbed him the wrong way. But the truth was, before entering the gate, the Guild Master had told him a few words.
This was regarding Seth, as he had tried to ask the Guild Master about the reason why he was selected despite his lack of qualifications.
He could still recall the Guild Master's expressions back then.
He offered a smile.
Just a smile.
But the words that came out of his mouth left the Section Chief at a loss.
'If there's anyone you should worry about, it's not Seth.'
What did this even mean?
The Section Chief had long realized that there was something up between the Guild Master and Seth. He didn't quite know what it was, but considering who the Guild Master was, he decided to heed his words.
This was one of the reasons he decided to follow Seth's instructions.
His experience told him to listen.
"There's not much time. Clara will help you find an empty cubicle. Enter it and start working. There's not much time."
The Section Chief took out a walkie-talkie from his pocket and waved it at everyone.
"If you need anything, we all have our walkie-talkies. Communicate through that. It should work." Pausing, the Section Chief tapped the back of the walkie-talkie. "Yeah, I think it works."
Step—
The step sounded again, the tension in the surroundings heightening.
The remaining members looked at each other, eventually gritting their teeth before leaving the cubicle and heeding his instructions.
There was no point in arguing further.
There was no time for that!
Without further ado, they all left, sliding the door of the cubicle closed.
As they did, the Section Chief fully focused his attention on the monitor in front of him.
'I'm actually curious to see what exactly we're supposed to do.'
Click! Click!
Moving the cursor around, the Section Chief tried to get used to the feel of the mouse. It was cream-colored and noticeably bulky, the kind of old design that resisted smooth movement. He dragged it across the desk a few times, then lifted his gaze to the monitor.
The screen was completely blank. An empty, pale display with nothing on it except a single greenish cursor blinking in the center.
'What exactly am I supposed to do?'
Curious, he clicked around.
He didn't expect much when he did that, but contrary to his expectations, something occurred a moment later.
[Zone 7]
A text appeared on the right of the screen.
"Hm?"
A small [⇗] symbol soon followed that.
Curious, the Section Chief pressed on it.
The page expanded a moment later.
[Zone Checks]
[Layout Build]
[Intercom]
.
.
[Warnings]
A series of different boxes appeared.
Staring at them, the Section Chief blinked his eyes slowly.
With his brows furrowing, he seemed to realize something as his expression turned stranger.
This...
"Isn't this a Tower Defense Game?"
The more the Section Chief looked at the interface, the more he was certain.
"It's a Tower Defense game."
However, it was a bit cruder than the ones he was used to playing. The space was empty, and it was up to him to fill it.
He also looked to have a specific number of credits.
[1000 Credits]
With the credits, he could buy [Reinforced Doors], [Visual Detection], [X-Ray], and so on. There were quite a lot of options.
But...
'What in the world is this?'
The Section Chief struggled to make sense of what he was seeing.
With his brows furrowing, his mind focused on everything that he was seeing. Eventually, he came up with a hypothesis.
'The main purpose of a Tower Defense game is to defend the 'tower' from the approaching enemies. However, when I look at the screen, I don't see any towers. This means that the goal isn't to defend the tower, but something else.'
Narrowing his eyes, the Section Chief looked at the screen more closely.
It was also there that he noticed it.
"Ah."
Two green lines, each placed at the top and left of the screen.
When he dragged his cursor over the areas, he immediately understood.
[Zone 6], [Zone 8].
'I see.'
The Section Chief's eyes flashed upon seeing the labels.
'What I'm defending is not the 'tower', but I'm trying to prevent it from reaching the other zones.'
His eyes narrowed further.
"This is really odd."
He had never encountered a gate like this before, and he began to question himself. Just what in the world was he trying to prevent from reaching the other zones?
Pursing his lips, the Section Chief moved the mouse once more.
But as he did—
Khhh!
The walkie-talkie next to him sprang to life.
—Section Chief? Section Chief?
Looking at the walkie-talkie, the Section Chief grabbed it and responded.
"Kyle? Do you have any issues? In fact, does anyone have any problems? I have somewhat figured out what we're supposed to do."
—I was contacting you regarding that.
Kyle's voice echoed slowly from the speaker.
Looking at the walkie-talkie, the Section Chief knew everyone else was listening in on the conversation.
And after a brief pause, Kyle spoke.
—...This is a Tower Defense game, isn't it?
The Section Chief fell silent for a moment before eventually cracking a laugh.
"That's what I thought."
However, his laugh couldn't last for very long.
Step!
Not even a moment later, he heard a step, and his entire body froze on the spot. Without even thinking, his body moved on its own, dropping the walkie-talkie as he started working on the game.
But—
"....."
The step stopped right as he did.
The Section Chief's body tensed. And not even a moment later...
Slide!
The door of his cubicle slid open.
***
Slide—
The cubicle doors slid open, and a group walked in a moment later.
Click! Click!
Besides the soft clicking of the keyboard, there was no other sound as the group looked around, their eyes narrowing as they tried to look for any clue.
"Make sure not to touch anything. Considering what had happened before, I don't think I need to remind everyone, right?"
Section Chief Rasmus's voice echoed quietly as he scanned the place, his gaze sweeping the cubicle before falling onto the papers.
[...We're meant to stop it]
[How can we stop it?]
[I am tired.]
[The boss is really strict.]
[Why am I even here?]
The Section Chief's eyes narrowed as he looked at what was written on the papers.
'Meant to stop it? Can we stop it? Boss is strict?'
These were all clues.
However many times the Section Chief read it, he couldn't make sense of the words. The group had been at it for quite some time, gathering all sorts of bits and clues regarding the Gate. Unfortunately, they still struggled to grasp the setting.
"How should we proceed?"
The Section Chief from the BlackRose Guild asked.
"We've been going around looking at each cubicle without actually doing anything. We've yet to figure out a single thing about the gate besides these weird encrypted messages. Don't you think we should follow along with what those from the Severed Stars Guild did?"
An element of frustration had built up amongst the group.
This purely stemmed from their inability to find anything. For a moment, the steps that appeared to be approaching stopped, but it didn't take long for them to resume. Everyone was sweating bullets, feeling the presence drawing closer and closer.
"....."
Philip Rasmus remained silent.
He didn't answer and just stared at the papers in front of him.
His mind was scrambling for answers.
Step. Step.
But with each second that passed, the steps drew nearer.
An invisible pressure they hadn't felt before began to spread through the surroundings, turning the air cold.
"H-haa."
"Haa..."
Everyone's breathing grew rougher.
Eyes locked with each other.
Step.
Another step.
"S-section Chief Rasmus."
A quiet voice called out.
Flip! Flip!
"S... Section Chief."
Flip!
"Section Chief!!"
Coming to a stop, the Section Chief looked back.
He could feel it then.
Step—
The slow and dragged-out step coming from a distance.
Almost in unison, all heads turned.
And soon, every eye locked onto the figure walking past the rows of cubicles.
A long, sharply dressed leg in a crisp black suit emerged first. Almost instantly, the air froze as the carpet cushioned its step.
Then came the rest of it: a thin frame, long arms hanging loosely at its sides, the fabric of its suit fitting it almost too perfectly, as if stitched directly onto its skin.
But it was its face, its... appearance, that made their breath catch all at once.
The moment they saw it, every trace of air seemed to vanish from the room.
"...Ah."
Nobody knew who it was, but a soft yelp escaped from someone's lips as the figure slowly turned its head in their direction.
The instant it did, everything stopped.
The air.
The movement.
Even the surrounding clicks.
The entire room fell into a perfect, suffocating stillness.
But soon, that silence was shattered.
RIIIIP!
With a raw ripping sound, the figure's lips pulled into a wide smile as it stared at them.
"...So we have slackers."
Its voice rolled through the air, making their skin crawl. The unsettling timbre vibrated in their ribs, forcing shallow, rapid breaths from every person present.
R... run!
They needed to... run!
Their minds screamed at them, but their bodies refused to listen.
Not even Philip could react.
His entire body was locked in place, completely unresponsive as a soft tune began to play in the air.
'W-what is going on?!'
'What is happening!!'
Step!
"...The boss doesn't like it when we have slackers."
With another step, the figure's voice rippled through the room again, deeper and more distorted than before.
Its smile stretched further, widening unnaturally with every passing second. Then, with a sudden, wet tear, its eyelids split open, revealing not eyes, but a pair of dark, empty holes that swallowed the light around them.
Eventually, it came to a stop before them, its hand leaning against the top of one of the cubicles as it looked down at them.
"Tell me..."
Its voice whispered once more.
"...How should I deal with you?"
Nobody moved.
Nobody dared to move.
All eyes were fixed on the figure before them, their body trembling at the sheer pressure coming from it.
S... S... rank.
This was, without a doubt, an S-rank anomaly!
B-but..
If this was S-rank... and there was still a boss, then how s-trong was this 'boss'?
Impossible!
Everyone screamed the same thoughts at once.
However, it was during such thoughts that Philip made his move. His nodes began to churn, and for a moment, his mind started to recover.
He was just about to move when—
Flick!
He felt something flick behind him.
A soft light.
Then—
"Hehehehehehe!"
He heard the loud sound of laughter. One that was soon followed by a pair of cold hands that grasped him from behind.
"....!!"
"HeHeHeHeHeHeHe!"
The sound grew more twisted, causing everyone to tremble.
But before any of them could even think to react—
Slide! Slide—
A chorus of sliding doors echoed from every direction.
When they snapped their heads around, their eyes went wide.
Figures were stepping out from each cubicle, one after another, dozens of them.
"T-that's...! T-that's...!"
"....!"
The moment they recognized the silhouettes, their expressions drained of all color.
"V–VILE-0267!"
"V... VILE-099!"
"VILE-829!"
In the span of a heartbeat, countless anomalies appeared, each recognized by them as they turned their attention towards the group. Their presence alone made the air feel suffocating.
And from the front, the 'supervisor' watched it all unfold.
His smile stretched, farther and wider, pulling at the sides of his face until it reached his temples.
"...Looks like even your colleagues aren't happy you've been slacking."
With a low, delighted laugh, the supervisor casually turned his gaze away from them, as if the horrors surrounding them were nothing more than an office inconvenience.
"Don't let me catch you again."
He started walking away a moment later.
As he did, the faces of everyone changed to the point of despair.
From start to finish...
They couldn't do a single thing.
"H-haaa... H-haaa...!"
Through the trembling gaps between his fingers, still pressed against his face, Section Chief Rasmus watched the figure fade into the maze of cubicles. His chest shook violently, each breath shallow and uneven.
"H-haa."
This...
From the very beginning, he'd allowed himself to believe they might clear this gate.
He'd imagined earning the achievement, rising to the top, proving his worth.
But now...
But now...
A single, brutal truth crashed down on him.
This Gate—
It couldn't be cleared.
It was an impossible Gate!
-x-X-x-
BUA Malovia Branch.
"...."
"...."
The auditorium was entirely silent. Despite the numerous important figures in the large auditorium, no one made a sound; their eyes fixed on the screen in front of them as they replayed the scenes within the Gates.
—H-heeelp!
—A-ahhh!
The screams of despair still echoed in the auditorium, the faces of all the members drowned in horror as figures emerged from each cubicle, one different from the last.
—R-run! Run!
—I want to leave! I want to leave!
—Ahhhhh!
They tried to fight it, but they couldn't.
There was a deep sense of helplessness and despair within their voices as they fought on with the anomalies. But it was no use.
Bzzz! Bzzz!
The footage soon began to distort, and the drone was obviously failing.
But in the last moments of the clip, the 'supervisor' stopped, turning slowly as it looked directly at the drone.
No, it was looking directly at them.
As it did, the supervisor fixed its clothes while smiling at them.
—...Bring more.
These were its last words before the footage came to a complete stop.
Silence fell over the auditorium once more, every gaze locked onto the dark screen. But eventually, the silence was shattered by a single step as Shawn Richards, the Executive Director of the Malovia Branch, stepped forward.
"I'm sure all of you esteemed guests are aware of how serious the situation is."
Shawn's tone was extremely grave, his expression dark as his gaze swept the auditorium.
"This is a Gate that we've rarely seen in the past. No, in fact, one could even argue this is the most catastrophic Gate in the history of humanity."
A heavy tension swept the surroundings as the Executive Director turned around and pressed the remote in his hand. The screen flashed, displaying several images with notes and labels on the side.
"VILE - 908, The Silent Wraith. VILE - 101, The Backwards Man. VILE - 819, The Twisted Man, VILE - 222 The Quiet Screamer..."
One by one, the Director began listing names, linking each to its respective image. This went on for several minutes until the image shifted, revealing a single image. One that every single person present was familiar with.
"...VILE - 779, The Conductor."
The tension within the room seemed to heighten at the mention of the last anomaly.
"Each of these names that I've listed is the name of an anomaly that we've managed to identify within the video. They all have different ranks, and their properties are all different. However, if there's one thing that they all have in common, it's that..." With a slight pause, the Director's expression turned extremely grim. "They are all anomalies that were once contained within the Guilds on the island."
"....!"
".....!!"
Although everyone already had a vague idea, the moment the Director confirmed it, a wave of chatter erupted among the Guild Masters. Their hushed voices overlapped in a frantic mix of confusion and disbelief, the tension in the room rising instantly.
"How does this make sense?"
"Weren't they contained? What are the Guilds in this island doing?"
"How did they all appear here? It makes no sense at all. I thought they were merely replicas, but..."
"What sort of Gate is this?"
Most of the chatter came from the smaller Guilds, who had trouble accepting the situation, while those from the greater Guilds, particularly those from the main island, remained quiet, their brows furrowed as they stared at the screen in front of them.
"A moment of silence, please."
The Director raised his hand, and silence fell once more.
"I understand everyone's confusion, and I am equally shocked by what is happening. However, there is no need to panic."
Clicking on the remote again, the pages changed.
This time, there were no images. Just a long table with a string of text next to it.
"The truth of the matter is that while the anomalies present are those that were contained within the Guilds in the island, it is also true that they've all once been contained."
The eyes of several Guild Masters flashed.
They all had a sudden understanding.
"Yes."
The Executive Director nodded.
"...Since they've once been contained, we can do it again. We know their weaknesses and how to handle them. Even if we can't contain them, we still know how they function, and that's enough to deal with the situation. That's why they aren't the main cause of concern."
A few sighed in relief. But their relief was only short-lived.
The next moment, the Executive Director's face turned grim once more.
"The main cause of concern at the moment is the 'boss'."
Silence.
A deafening silence filled the space the moment the Executive Director spoke.
Not a single person made a sound.
How could they...? Everyone present had seen the footage. They had seen the supervisor and its presence. They had all seen the numerous anomalies that emerged from each cubicle. They had felt the pressure coming from the Gate.
Everyone present... was very keenly aware of the presence known as the 'boss'.
"For the boss to be able to control the supervisor and so many anomalies..." The Executive Director took a deep breath, "There's no doubt about it. We're dealing with a Kermite Class Anomaly. One that seems to be able to control VILE 779, another Kermite Class that had only recently been classified as such."
Taking a deep breath, the Executive Director remained calm while detailing all the information regarding the Gate. While there were some Guild Masters who found themselves unable to hide their fear, many present were still doing relatively well.
Especially those from the main island.
"We've lost all contact with the groups within the Gate. While we don't know their vital status, for our purposes, it is best to assume they are dead. Since that's the case, we have no choice but to send a batch of new entrants. We have to be quick since we don't know when the Gate might implode and affect the real world."
The place instantly turned rowdy.
"A new batch? But this Gate isn't something that can be cleared by sending more people!"
"We're just sending them to their death!"
"...Who is going to pay for our damages?"
"What do you mean by damages? This is all for the sake of humanity. Why are you still thinking about your Guild at this moment?"
The tension that had lingered within the room seemed to have reached a breaking point, forcing several Guild Masters to fight against one another. Most of those who were fighting were the lower-ranked Guilds.
It was obvious why.
They were keenly aware that they would be sent next.
Sure enough...
"I will list out the new batch of members that will be sent. This isn't something that can be rejected, as I have the full authority of the BUA to make the decisions. Any act of rejection will be seen as treason."
The Executive Director's voice was cold as his gaze swept over the Guild Masters.
"I have to repeat. This is a matter that concerns the entire world. This isn't something that you can reject."
Pressing onto the remote, new names began to appear.
The faces of many Guild Masters paled at the sight, but the Executive Director didn't care as he continued to speak, "Now, let's get onto what we've managed to observe. From what we've managed to see, the main aspect of the Gate is to..."
For the next hour, the Director went on to detail all the information regarding the Gate and all the clues that had been found.
The next day, a new batch was sent.
The hour after that, communication with them was lost as well.
But because of the nature of the situation, a new batch was sent the day after.
Communication stopped as well.
This cycle repeated a few more times, each one presenting similar results.
This went on for the next week.
By week two, the number of people had dwindled considerably.
It was also at this moment that the entire world's attention was on this Gate.
-x-X-x-
"Good evening. We're coming to you live from the site of the Gate. It has been one week since its sudden appearance, and authorities report no meaningful progress in understanding or containing it.
What we do know is grim. Multiple major Guilds have confirmed the loss of several elite members during attempted expeditions inside. Officials are calling the impact devastating, both strategically and emotionally, as some of the most skilled operatives have not returned.
With each failed attempt, public concern continues to rise. The central question now echoing across the nation is this: If every effort ends in failure, when will it stop, and what will it take to overcome the Gate?"
Reporters lined up before the Gate.
By now, there was no one who didn't know about the Gate.
This was a global crisis.
Fixing the microphone in her grasp, the reporter turned in the direction of the Gate once more, her hand trembling for a moment.
"With so many sacrifices... What will it take to clear this Gate?"
Her words carried heavily in the air, prompting the expressions of the crew besides her to grow grim.
At this moment, it wasn't just her and the crew.
Almost everyone on the island, and those who were following, wore the same expression.
For a Gate to claim so many experts...
Was there going to be an end to it? Who could clear this Gate? Could it even be cleared in the first place?
The more they thought about it, the grimmer the situation felt.
In the midst of the atmosphere, the sudden shuffling of footsteps prompted the people stationed outside the Gate to raise their heads.
".....!"
"——!"
The faces of many changed at the sight that greeted them.
Moving past the crowd gathered at the front of the gate, several figures stepped forward, each dressed in different attire that marked them as members of entirely separate Guilds. There were at least a dozen of them, their presence alone enough to draw attention.
But the moment they appeared, the atmosphere changed.
The shift was obvious.
The chatter died instantly.
The air tightened.
And every pair of eyes turned toward them.
"It's them!"
Some couldn't hold back their excitement as they watched the group approach. In particular, the reporter nearly bounced in place. She snatched up her microphone with both hands and spun toward the camera, shouting, "Hurry! Hurry!"
Needless to say, the cameramen didn't need to be told by her, as they quickly got all the equipment working before the reporter started speaking.
"They've finally made their move! They've finally made their move!"
Her voice contained a strange sense of excitement.
"At last... the Paragons have taken the field!"
There existed a global ranking for recruits: a list of the top 1000 individuals in the world. Those who managed to place on it were known as Paragons. They were the elite among elites, the pinnacle of talent and potential, and the backbone of humanity's future fighting force.
Each Paragon was worth in the tens of millions, with not even Kyle and Zoey making it into the rankings.
The only one who had ever reached the rankings in Malovia Island was Clora, but even she quickly lost her ranking.
It was an extremely competitive list that only accepted the absolute best.
*
Pop!
The bubble gum popped.
Geneva brought the gum back into her mouth before looking at the group next to her.
"How long until we dive?"
"...Give or take, an hour."
Anderson replied while glancing at the crisp watch on his wrist. Its titanium finish gleamed under the light, perfectly matching the sharp, dark suit he wore. With a smooth motion, he brushed his dark hair back, his expression composed and stern.
"I've already made the necessary preparation for the Gate. However, the higher-ups are demanding that we stay for one more hour. They need more time to analyze the Gate."
"Tell them to hurry up."
An annoyed voice replied.
Staring at her long nails, Cassidy clicked her tongue.
"We've spent the last few days looking through all of the footage. We more or less know what we're dealing with."
She turned, her dark braids brushing her cheek, to the burly black man nearby. His arms were crossed, and when their eyes met, there was a quiet recognition between them. Both were siblings and came from the same Guild.
"...They're doing this because we've yet to gain any information regarding this boss. They are afraid that something might happen to us if we're not careful."
His voice was rather deep, and among all the paragons present, he was one of the highest rank.
Rank 47 — Kai Latcher.
Pop!
With the bubble gum popping again, Geneva brushed her long blonde hair away and yawned.
"If that's the case, I'll get some rest for now. I'll conserve my energy for now."
Her tone was calm, but there was an obvious annoyance beneath it. Although they were all deemed as Paragons, they understood that they were still far from the pinnacle. They all understood the reason why they were being sent.
'Boss.'
They were sent in order to learn more about the 'Boss'.
It had become pretty obvious that the standard of the groups sent was not sufficient to obtain more information about the 'Boss'. It was for this reason that the Guilds felt the need to send them.
She was aware of it.
They were aware of it.
And soon after she left, the space turned silent.
Nobody made a sound as they readied themselves for the inevitable Gate.
***
Meanwhile.
Inside the Gate.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
The clicks of the keyboard continued to echo throughout the Gate. They were relentless. Almost endless.
Within this atmosphere...
"Have any of you seen anything?"
Holding onto the walkie-talkie, the Section Chief spoke. His eyes were tired, and his hair was disheveled. He had long lost track of time, and for the past few hours and days, he had done nothing but stare at the monitor.
Even now, he didn't know what he was supposed to do.
The layout in front of him was completely different from what it was in the past. He only had a fixed number of points, but he had used all of them up for the setup before him. But even with so much time passing, he was clueless about what he was supposed to do.
The worst part...?
Step!
He could still feel the steps coming from outside.
Just the sound was enough to send him on edge as he focused his attention on the monitor.
'I don't entirely know what has happened, but given the screams that I've heard each day, I can assume that whatever is out there is extremely strong. It isn't wise for me or anyone to leave. The problem is that... I don't quite understand what I'm supposed to do.'
Nobody did.
Everyone was stuck in this endless limbo where they had no choice but to remain stuck in the cubicles, 'working'.
If not for the fact that everyone had brought food and drinks, they would've long since starved to death.
'This can't go on like this.'
"Seth."
The Section Chief tried to communicate with Seth, but he received no response. It had been like this for a while.
This made him worried, and just as he was about to follow up—
Ding!
A notification suddenly appeared on his monitor.
Almost immediately, the Section Chief straightened his back as he looked at the monitor.
It was there that he saw a red dot.
Right at the entrance of his area.
The moment it appeared, the Section Chief felt the surrounding noise come to a complete standstill as his breathing paused.
Ding!
Another notification appeared.
One that caught him off guard.
[Red will not forget your favor if you help]
[Will you help?]
▶[Yes] ▷[No]
"Huh...?"
The Section Chief's hand paused.
Staring at the notification that flashed in front of his eyes, he didn't know how to react. Help? What was the red dot?
The sudden turn of events caught him off guard.
He had been prepared for many things, but this wasn't one of them.
Ding!
[Time Remaining: 00:00:30]
The Section Chief's eyes jumped up at the sight of the timer.
'Shit!'
He cursed under his breath, scrambling to think of what side to pick.
'From the start, I've been made to build a defense in order to block what I presume is the red dot. However, it suddenly turns out that I can work with the red dot?'
This situation confused the Section Chief. He had no idea which side was the correct one; however, if he had to think quickly, the most logical answer would be the red side. He had been trapped inside the Gate for a week, all with the goal of stopping the 'red' dot.
It was clear that whatever this red dot was, it was against the one in charge of this Gate.
In that case...
'If I help out the red dot and the red dot succeeds, I might be able to get out of this place.'
This felt like a logical conclusion.
But at the same time...
'What will happen if I stop the red dot? Will I also be able to get out?'
"Ukh."
The Section Chief ruffled his hair, his eyes locked onto the timer.
[00:00:15]
His hand reached for the mouse, his finger rising to tap one of the options.
And just as he was about to select an option, the walkie-talkie next to him vibrated.
A voice followed a moment later.
—Reject it.
The Section Chief blinked, his finger pausing mid-motion.
—Don't help the red.
He recognized the voice. It was Seth's.
—Huh? Seth? You're speaking again?
—Seth!
Other voices followed a moment later. However, the Section Chief couldn't think about them.
'He knows what's going on?'
This wasn't the first time during the Gate scenario that he had acted in a manner that suggested he knew something. The Section Chief's suspicions grew after this, but he didn't have time to voice his concerns.
[00:00:03]
There was not much time left!
Thus, clenching his teeth, the Section Chief decided to listen to Seth.
Click!
[No]
There was an immediate shift at the moment he rejected the red dot.
The surroundings started to change. The air grew colder. Tighter... And for a moment, the Section Chief felt as though someone was standing right behind him.
Watching him.
But that wasn't all.
Almost immediately after, the red dot started to move.
A notification followed.
[Target has started moving]
[Stop it]
The Section Chief sprang into action.
His layout was fairly complex, almost maze-like, making it difficult to reach any of the exits directly. The area was divided into sections he could seal off individually, allowing him to redirect the red dot and guide it toward whatever area he chose.
If he played it well, he could also make it go around in circles.
'I don't quite understand what I need to do. As far as I'm aware, I'm supposed to prevent the dot from reaching one of the zones, but I can't fully prevent it. The best I can do is slow it down. Especially since I don't have unlimited energy.'
—Section Chief...? What is going on?
—Is something happening?
Voices continued to echo from the walkie-talkie next to him. They were numerous and also distracting. Unable to fully concentrate, he reached for it and spoke, "I've encountered a situation. I am recording it now. I'll send it to you when it's over. For now, all I can say is get ready. Don't speak for now. I need to focus."
Putting the walkie-talkie back on the table, the Section Chief shifted the cursor and pressed onto one of the doors he had set up.
Click!
[Door Locked]
The dot paused.
It stood there for a couple of seconds before turning in a different direction.
'Good.'
The Section Chief was happy with the sight.
But it was only temporary.
There was another meter he needed to keep a close eye on.
[Energy : 9,801]
Each second that he kept a door closed, he'd use 50W of energy.
He had to manage it carefully.
The dot continued to move. As it did, the Section Chief continued to carefully control the doors, locking them at the opportune time and leading them around the maze he had created.
He was doing a fairly good job.
However, he could also feel the presence in the room growing more and more pronounced.
The feeling of being watched intensified with every passing second, and just as he closed another door, the walkie-talkie vibrated.
—Lead it to Zone 6.
"Eh...?"
The sudden instruction caught the Section Chief off guard. For a moment, he got distracted, and the red dot used the opportunity to move closer to the path that led to Zone 8.
'Shit!'
Without wasting a second, the Section Chief closed several doors, blocking several paths and forcing it away from the exit.
The energy levels dropped rapidly as a result, but he couldn't care less as he reached for the walkie-talkie.
"I could've ignored it before, but I can't anymore. How do you know what is going on? Why are you telling me to lead to Zone 6? Tell me so that I can understand."
—....
The walkie-talkie remained silent.
Staring at it, the frown on the Section Chief's face only increased.
He was starting to feel that something was wrong.
But eventually...
—Do as I say. Lead it to Zone 6. I will explain everything later. There's not much time.
"....."
Staring at the walkie-talkie in silence, the Section Chief stared at the monitor in front of him, his hand pressing onto the mouse as he blocked several more areas. Although he didn't reply to Seth, he still decided to follow along.
Seth clearly knew something about the situation.
He didn't know how he knew, but it was clear to him that he knew something.
Click! Click!
Closing and opening several doors, the Section Chief created a path for the red dot to move all the way towards Zone 6.
As he did, he spoke into the walkie-talkie.
"Okay, I've done as you've asked. Can you tell me what's going on?"
—....
But the walkie-talkie remained silent.
Nobody responded.
"Seth?"
The Section Chief spoke once more.
But yet again, Seth didn't reply.
'Did something happen, or is he ignoring me?'
Thinking for a moment, the Section Chief flipped the walkie-talkie over. He took out a small cord and connected it to the back of the walkie-talkie and then to his phone.
One unique feature of the walkie-talkies was that they could help determine the locations of any other walkie-talkies connected to them. He could also make them create a sound. He wanted to use it to determine where Seth was.
A page appeared a moment later, displaying several red dots.
They were presumingly the others.
'Where is Seth?'
The Section Chief looked carefully, his eyes narrowing.
But as his eyes swept the map, they suddenly fell towards a certain spot.
A spot where two dots appeared.
"...."
His expression changed.
A terrifying silence ensued a moment later.
One that was broken by a certain beeping. One that came from right...
Behind him.
Di!
Di!
Di!
Slowly, the Section Chief turned his head. And it was there that he locked eyes with a certain walkie-talkie. Resting on the soft gray carpet in the corner of the cubicle.
That was the moment realization dawned on the Section Chief.
'Shit...'
The walkie-talkie buzzed a moment later.
Young. Old. Female. Male.
Each time it buzzed, a new voice echoed.
—T-thank you.
—T... thank you.
—Thank you.
—Thank.. you.
—Thank you.
And soon—
Ding!
A notification appeared on the screen.
[Target has made it into Zone 6]
[Your services will no longer be needed]
The Section Chief's world turned dark.
-x-X-x-
Swoosh!
A blinding light.
"Ukh...!"
What followed was a piercing ache.
One that made it hard to think properly.
Click! Click! Click!
The repetitive click followed right after.
"W-what is... What is...?"
Voices murmured in the background.
The Section Chief couldn't quite make out what it was, his brows furrowing tightly as he kept his eyes closed.
Click! Click! Click!
But eventually, the voices became clearer.
"Out...!"
"So... ne is.. out!"
"Quick! Qu...!"
The voices sounded frantic.
They also appeared to grow in number, and when the Section Chief finally opened his eyes, he was greeted with numerous flashes.
Click! Click!
"Can you tell us what happened at the Gate? How did you manage to escape?"
"Did you unlock some sort of clue as to how to clear the Gate?"
"How did you survive?"
"How did you manage to leave?"
Numerous phones and microphones were shoved in his direction. The Section Chief looked at all of this, stunned, his mind struggling to process the situation.
He was completely overwhelmed by what he was seeing.
But thankfully, several people dressed in dark suits came to his rescue a moment later.
"Move out of the way!"
"Get out of the way!"
"Anyone who doesn't move will immediately be arrested!"
With the insignia of the BUA, the reports all stopped, parting ways to let the men in dark suits approach the Section Chief. They all wore sunglasses, but despite them, the Section Chief could see the cautious look on their faces as they looked at him.
Eventually, one of the men stepped up.
"You must be one of the people who have been sent through the Gate. Section Chief of the Severed Stars Guild?"
All noise died down in that moment.
Everyone's attention focused on the interaction between the Section Chief and the agents.
Taking note of all of this, despite his confusion, the Section Chief nodded.
"That's... correct."
"Mhm."
The agent turned to his right.
Immediately, a man dressed in a white coat stepped forward. He had sagging eyes, and his hair looked to be on the receding side as he yawned and walked up to the Section Chief.
Before the Section Chief could say anything, the agent spoke.
"He's a designated Mender from the BUA. He's here to check up on you."
"...Oh."
It was only then that the Section Chief relaxed.
He took a couple of breaths, looking around him to try to make sense of the situation that he was in. He was still unsure about the situation.
In fact, he couldn't quite recall what had happened.
Why was he out? What happened...?
"Ehm."
Clearing his throat to grab the Section Chief's attention, the agent took a moment before speaking.
"I understand that you're most likely not in the best condition to speak, but I will still ask, considering the urgency of the situation. What exactly happened at the Gate?"
"Ah..."
The Section Chief could only offer a bitter smile.
He himself couldn't quite remember.
No, wait...
The Section Chief frowned, several images popping up in his mind.
There weren't many, and he couldn't make full sense of them, but as the images flashed in his mind, he suddenly recalled what he was doing.
"Game."
"Huh...? Game? What could you mean by that?"
"I was... playing a game."
The Section Chief repeated, prompting the brows of everyone present to furrow in confusion. What followed was a wave of whispers.
'He was playing a game? What does that even mean?'
'...I don't think he's still there.'
'No, he could be telling the truth. You never know with anomalous Gates.'
"Can you elaborate?"
"Yes, I... can."
The Section Chief spoke very slowly, his mind absorbing all of the images and information that were popping up in his mind.
"It was a... tower defense game. Yeah, a tower defense game."
Reaching his hand up, he grabbed a water bottle that someone handed to him. Taking a sip and wetting his lips, he continued, "It was that right?"
Some doubts emerged in his mind, but after a moment, he nodded.
"Yes, it was a tower defense game. The goal was to prevent a red dot... from passing into certain zones."
The more the Section Chief spoke, the clearer his mind was.
"I don't quite know what the red dot is, but from what I've managed to understand, it is that the Gate is trying to stop the red dot from reaching the inner zones. I believe its goal is to reach [Zone 1]."
While everyone listened, the Section Chief gave a detailed overview of the game. As he spoke, nobody dared to make a sound as the reporters recorded the entire conversation.
"...However, from what I've managed to figure out is that it's a trap. The entire layout is a trap. The one that we should be helping is the red dot!"
Coming to this point, the Section Chief's mind was extremely clear as he raised his head to look at the agents from the BUA.
"That's right!"
His voice rose a little, growing a little bit more rushed.
"The way to clear the gate is to help the red dot enter [Zone 1]! Everything in the Gate is constructed to prevent the red dot from reaching the first zone, and after my experience, I'm certain of it! This is the best way to clear the Gate!"
The Section Chief scanned the surroundings, his voice growing even more urgent.
"We need to send more people in! Send as many as possible! Get them to take a cubicle and find ways to help the red dot get to the main area!"
Pressing his palm against the floor, the Section Chief tried to stand up.
"Whoa! Relax! Calm down!"
The agents immediately pushed him down.
"You're still recovering. There's no need to be agitated. We'll take care of it. Just relax!"
"No, no! We have to do this now!"
The Section Chief urged, his voice growing even louder!
"There are people inside that are working with the Gate in order to prevent the red dot from reaching the first zone! We need to get there quickly before it's too late! No..."
The Section Chief paused, his expression turning dark.
"...We need to kill them."
Silence fell over the surroundings following his words.
For a moment, nobody dared to make a sound.
But that was until—
"He doesn't appear to be lying."
The Mender behind him spoke, his hand pressed against the Section Chief's back.
"Judging from his brain fluctuations, he seems to be telling the truth. I believe that this might be the way to clear the Gate."
Despite the Mender's words, the agents didn't rashly come to a decision. Instead, they quickly contacted the higher-ups and relayed everything that they heard. This entire process took several minutes, and in the meantime, the Section Chief's breathing grew heavier and heavier as he muttered, 'There's not much time.. You need to hurry before it's too late. This is the way to clear the Gate. You must believe me.'
None of the agents paid much attention to him.
Despite his words being convincing, they couldn't quite fully trust them.
After all, what if this was a trap? Since they didn't know how he had managed to escape, they couldn't trust the situation blindly, even if the Mender confirmed that he was telling the truth.
But then—
Swooosh! Swoosh!
Several figures appeared one after another.
"Over there!"
"Look over there...!"
They all wore the same look of loss and confusion as the Section Chief.
And when asked what was going on...
They all responded the same way.
"Game. We were playing a game!"
"...We need to help the red dot! That's the key to clearing the Gate!"
At the same time, they were able to provide even more details about the Gate, including footage showing how they had managed to leave it.
This was all the confirmation the higher-ups needed.
Not long after, a new unit was sent.
With a total of 100 people and paragons, they all entered the Gate.
Their goal...?
Eliminate all those who were working in the cubicles.
-x-X-x-
"Section Chief!"
"Section Chief!"
"Seth!"
"Zoey!"
"Anyone...!?"
"Damn it!"
Kyle continued to shout at the walkie-talkie, only to get no reply.
Clenching his teeth, Kyle cursed as he tossed the walkie-talkie to the side and focused his attention back on the monitor in front of him. It had been a while since he had been stuck here, and in that time, the only thing he did was set up the stupid tower defense game.
He had thought about leaving the cubicle, but, thinking back to the steps that were lingering outside, he could only drop the notion.
Especially when he thought back to all the screams he had been hearing for the past few days.
'Fuck... I don't even know how long has passed.'
Kyle had lost all notion of time.
He was also starting to run out of food rations. If things went on like this, then he'd have no choice but to leave this place and risk going against the creatures waiting outside.
If not for the fact that he had encountered Gates, who held similar premises, he would've long left the place.
"But maybe I should really lea—"
Ding!
A sudden chime cut Kyle mid-sentence.
Blinking slowly, he turned his attention towards the monitor.
"Eh...?"
It was there that he spotted a red dot at the entrance of his 'zone'.
"What is this?"
Kyle leaned his face closer to the monitor in order to get a better look, and just as he did, another notification sounded.
Ding!
But differently from last time, he also received a notification.
[Red will not forget your favor if you help]
[Will you help?]
▶[Yes] ▷[No]
"What the?"
The sudden turn of events took Kyle by surprise. This was the last thing he expected to happen.
"I'm supposed to pick a side? What the hell does this mean? I thought I was supposed to stop anything from entering?"
Kyle's mind started to churn. He started thinking about everything that had been happening, and in the midst of that, a new notification appeared.
Ding!
[Time Remaining: 00:00:30]
It was a timer.
Kyle's heart raced.
'Great. A timer... This was the last thing that I needed.'
Bringing his hand to his mouth, Kyle started to bite his nails, trying his best to remain calm as he analyzed the situation.
'From the start, I've been made to think that I should stop whatever was coming and prevent it from moving past. But is that really what I'm supposed to do? There's nothing that says that I shouldn't help the red dot. But what is the red dot? Is it fighting against the owner of this Gate? This is confusing...'
[Time Remaining: 00:00:15]
Time continued to tick, and Kyle grew increasingly concerned. He really didn't know what to pick, but eventually...
'I don't know. I really don't know. For now... I think, I'll—'
—Reject it.
The once dead walkie-talkie suddenly flared back to life, startling Kyle.
"Huh?"
Turning his head, he saw the light of the walkie-talkie was back on.
"Seth? Seth...!? Is that you!?"
—...
Seth didn't reply immediately.
Instead, he remained quiet for a moment before replying again.
—Reject it. Don't help the red dot.
"Really?"
Kyle was also about to reject. He felt that the Gate was trying to stop the red dot, and judging from all the clues, this was the goal of the Gate.
However, he didn't reject immediately.
[Time Remaining: 00:00:07]
Instead, his brows furrowed.
"How can I tell that you're really Seth?"
Unlike with the Section Chief, Kyle's communications had been down for quite a bit. He didn't fully believe Seth's voice immediately.
But contrary to his expectations...
—You have a birthmark near your hips. You were twelve when you stopped peeing your bed because of the-
"Alright! Alright! I believe you!"
Kyle cursed twenty times over as he moved the mouse and pressed 'no'.
He was now certain that the person speaking to him was Seth. He was the only one who was capable of knowing such things about him.
But also...
"Just to remind you, I had a medical condi—"
—Yes, sure.
"No, ser—"
—Focus on the game.
Kyle clenched his teeth, but eventually focused his attention on the game, blocking the red dot's path.
—Try your best to lead the red dot to Zone 5. Whatever you do, don't lead it to the other Zone.
"I understand."
Kyle had unconditional trust in Seth. Although he didn't know how Seth knew this information, Seth was quite reliable. He had shown it in the past. This was why he did as he was told and led the red dot towards [Zone 5].
"Alright, it's almost there. What should I do after that? Should I—"
CLANK!
A rushed sliding sound cut Kyle mid-sentence, his head snapping back.
"—!?"
As he did, his body immediately tensed as the nodes in his mind churned. However, the moment he turned around, and he spotted what was waiting behind him, his eyes widened.
"Seth...?"
There was no doubt about it.
The man standing before him was indeed Seth.
But how...? He was talking to him on the walkie-talkie. Did he come to him?
But before Kyle could even speak, Seth took out his phone and pressed on the screen.
Not even a moment later, a beeping sound echoed.
Beeep! Beeep!
Stunned, Kyle turned his head in the direction of where the noise came from, and when he did, his expression froze.
Beeeep! Beeeeep—
A walkie-talkie appeared on the floor.
One that looked to be the same exact model as the walkie-talkie in his mind.
Chills suddenly swept the back of his mind as he looked at Seth.
"It's... about to escape."
"....!!"
Kyle instantly turned around, his gaze falling on the monitor. As he did, his heart sank as he saw the red dot about to reach the entrance for [Zone 5]. There was only one door in its path, and without even hesitating, Kyle reached for the mouse and clicked.
Click!
The door closed.
The red dot stopped.
"Haaa... Haa..."
Without even realizing why, Kyle found his breath to be extremely heavy.
His mind replayed the sequences of events over and over again, and the more he thought about it, the colder his heart became.
How...? How was this possible?
"You've been tricked."
Seth's calm words echoed a moment later. As Kyle turned his attention back to Seth again, his mouth opened, but the words that were about to leave his mouth never appeared to leave as he stared at Seth blankly.
Tricked...?
But how was this possible?
'It' knew information that only the two of them had known.
He had confirmed it.
And yet...
Kyle's eyes suddenly narrowed.
"No, what is there to say that you're not tricking me, too?"
"....."
Seth remained silent on that question. It made sense for Kyle to be skeptical after what had happened.
However, right before Seth could even think of speaking, the two of them heard the frantic sound of shuffling coming from outside the cubicle.
They both paused, slowly turning their heads in the direction of the steps.
And soon enough, several people appeared.
In that instant, Kyle's eyes lit up.
"Are you the reinforcements? That's go—"
"Follow orders. Eliminate them."