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

Chapter 433: Impossible Gate [4]

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?”