Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary!

Chapter 523  Preparations for the World Congress [3]

Step. Step—

Lioraʼs calm steps echoed through the corridor, her dark robe fluttering with each stride as her brows furrowed deeply.

ʼ...I was a little doubtful at first, but now it seems true. Grandfather really seems to have taken an interest in him.ʼ But why? This was something that Liora truly couldnʼt understand. She had seen him in person during the Ranking Announcement. Although he seemed a little interesting, that was about it. He didnʼt give her any overwhelming sensation or anything of the sort. He just felt... bang average. ʼAm I missing something from the picture?ʼ Liora calmly chewed over her thoughts. The more she thought about the situation, the more confused she became. Regardless of how much she tried to make sense of her grandfatherʼs interest, the more confused she became. Was it because of Malovia? ʼSure, that wasnʼt bad, but it shouldnʼt be enough to attract Grandfatherʼs attention. At least, not in the way that was explained in the official reports. Then...? Could there be something that I donʼt know and only he knows? But I donʼt see any other major Guild showing any interest in him.ʼ Still, although Liora had her doubts, she didnʼt dare voice them. Her grandfather may have been old, but he wasnʼt someone who would make mistakes. He had built his career on being able to find the best talent in the world. If he had set his eyes on Seth, then there was a good reason. Lioraʼs thoughts grew lighter once they reached that point. Either way, all she had to do was help him in case he needed help. That was all her grandfather asked. Not that hard of a request. Adjusting her hair, Liora continued to walk ahead. But just as she had taken a few more steps, she stopped. Her eyes narrowed the moment she caught sight of the two individuals approaching from the opposite direction, their strides even and their gazes indifferent. They bore an uncanny resemblance to her, especially those dark eyes of theirs. But unlike her, their eyes bore nothing but coldness and indifference as she stepped to the side and bowed slightly. ”Father. Mother.” Neither of the two stopped, moving past her without even acknowledging her. Liora closed her eyes and silently clenched her fists. There was nothing surprising about the situation. They had always been like this, and Liora had gotten used to their indifference. But... But...! ʼItʼs whatever.ʼ Without saying anything else, Liora adjusted her expression and mood and walked away. There was no need to dwell too much on strangers. *** ”Ladies and gentlemen, welcome!” A man dressed in a pristine suit spoke, his smile wide. ”The stage is set, the tension is building, and in just one day, the World Congress begins. You can feel the anticipation rising across the globe. The analysts are lining up, the predictions are rolling in, and yes, the bookies have already opened the board.” A table appeared beside the man, displaying all the odds for the upcoming World Congress. ”Itʼll be an interesting year this one.” Adam Porier said, adjusting his neat gray suit as he placed his hands over the round oval white table and continued to speak. ”And let me tell you, the anticipation for this upcoming Congress is building by the minute! Itʼs not just about which Guild will rack up the most points and claim the spotlight. No, no... All eyes are on the bigger question: Will the so-called ”Unmovable Big Five” hold their ground, or are we about to witness a shake-up that no one saw coming?” The World Congress was more a measure of Guild prowess than individual performance. It was a stage where Guilds sent multiple teams and accumulated points over the course of the event.

By the end of the event, the Guild that reached the most points would end up becoming the winner, with additional rewards being tournament MVP and Breakout Star of the Year. ”Every year, the Big Five have monopolized the top spots. Will this year be any different? Will a Guild finally show signs of breaking the deadlock? What do you think, Merylin?”

Adam turned to his colleague on the right, a woman dressed in a neat suit with her dark hair tied in a bun. Her clean white teeth showed as she smiled, highlighting her soft and pleasant features.

”Thatʼs a good question, Adam.” She took it from there as a new panel appeared next to her. ”There are a few candidates to watch besides the larger Guilds. Most notably, Iʼd say the Arithmus Guild is one to keep an eye on. Theyʼve built a solid reputation recently, with several rising stars making it into the Paragon rankings. They now have four Paragons, including the new entrant Hermes, who placed around 700th.”

Four profiles appeared besides her as she started to go through each and every one of them. ”Besides the Arithmus Guild, thereʼs the Evening Sun Guild, the Melson Sanders Guild, the Asteroid Guild, the Samsara Guild, the Nirvana Amber Guild, and lastly, the Severed Stars Guild.” ”The Severed Stars Guild?” Adam showed a look of surprise as he looked at his colleague. ”Yes, I have also included them on the list. Despite the bookies showing that theyʼve got the lowest odds amongst the listed Guilds to break the status quo between the big Guilds, I firmly believe that they are a Guild to watch out for.” ”Is it because of the newest ranked Paragon, Seth Thorne?” ”Thereʼs that, but they also now have four Paragons of their own. Not many Guilds can boast that number.”

Indeed, besides the top Guilds, most Guilds only had one or two Paragons maximum, with the Guild focusing all of their resources and attention on them. For a Guild to have four... that was no easy feat. ”But do you seriously think that they have a chance at making it?” ”Honestly, no.” Merylin replied honestly. ”In fact, even now, I doubt the qualifications of some of the members whoʼve reached the rankings. None of them should have qualified, yet here they are, ranked among the top 1,000 in the world. Still, regardless of my doubts about their abilities, the fact remains that they are ranked. But thatʼs not the main reason I donʼt think theyʼll perform well.”

”Oh?” Adam raised his brow, curious to hear her thoughts. Taking a slow breath, Merylin looked at the cameras. ”...The real reason why I doubt Severed Stars Guild will make it is because of their star, Seth Thorne.” Before anyone could say a thing, she continued, ”Letʼs set aside my doubts in his skills and the fact that heʼs a First Order. My main cause of concern is his team. From what Iʼve heard, heʼs decided to dismiss any possibility of going with an elite team and instead chose to stick with his old team, who, quite frankly, should not even be able to qualify for the Congress.” ”What?!” Adamʼs eyes widened. ”Are you serious? This canʼt be right...” ”Yes, I can confirm this much.” Merylin replied, her voice turning sterner. ”From what it seems, heʼs overly attached to his own team, despite not being strong enough to keep up with them. In a tournament as important as this, your team is one of your most valuable assets. To stick with a mediocre team when you have the chance to join an elite one is, quite frankly, a very unwise decision. Itʼs for this reason that, while Iʼve listed the Severed Stars Guild as one to watch, itʼs more for—”

Click! The TV shut off, and silence fell over the room. For several seconds, the silence persisted. But then—

”Was it really a good decision to leak the news about the team situation, Guild Master?” A voice broke the silence, one of the Guild Masterʼs assistants looking at the Guild Master. Placing the remote down, the Guild Master smiled. ”If I hadnʼt been pushed to this extent, I wouldnʼt have done it.” ”But now that you have, there will be a lot of buzz online and from the reporters.” ”Thatʼs fine.” The Guild Master replied, his expression still calm. ”Itʼs not like weʼre not used to such buzz, am I right?” He gave his assistant a meaningful look. The assistant opened his mouth, but eventually closed it. ”Are you worried that this was the wrong decision?” The Guild Master suddenly asked, as if reading his assistantʼs thoughts. The assistant opened his mouth, trying to speak, but in the end, he simply nodded.

”Yes. This just seem—” ”I did it so that he can have some leeway.” The Guild Master calmly cut in, his demenour poise. ”When he does fail, weʼll at least have an excuse for it. While his reputation may take a hit, he wonʼt fall to the very bottom. We can attribute his failure to his ʼteamʼ.” ”...Ah.” ”And above all...” The Guild Master paused, his hands interlocking before him. ”He needs to bear the weight of his decision.”