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

Chapter 520  What it means to be unable to fail [3]

My vision was narrow. I couldn't see anything around me. Walking back to my office, it was almost as if nothing existed along the path leading there. All the noise, the stares, and everything else around me seemed to fade into the background. The only thing I could think about was the conversation I'd had with the Guild Master.

'He wants to replace my team? They're not good enough for me? That's ridiculous...' My steps quickened. '...It's true that their Degrees are lower than mine, but it's not that much lower. Not just that, but they've been getting good results lately. I also have a fundamental understanding of how their Decrees work and their personalities. He just doesn't know.' Yes, the Guild Master simply didn't know. But was that truly the case? I thought back to the Guild Master and pressed my lips tightly, my vision narrowing further as I turned right and entered the elevator. 'I don't know what it is about him, but he seems to be always right. I don't think there's ever been a moment where his decision has been wrong. The same was true for when he decided to help 'me' during the Malovia incident. While there was the fact that he knew about my identity as the Jester, the fact that he went ahead to support me was also a decision that most people wouldn't make.' It was as if he were a Seer. No, perhaps... "....." My steps stopped, my hand reaching for the knob of my office door. I hesitated. 'If he can really...' No, that's not possible. I immediately tried to deny the possibility. I had yet to hear about a Decree that could allow one to see the future. It was just not possible. But then again... 'There's also no Decree that allows one to control anomalies like mine. At least, recorded. Who is to say that other unique Decrees don't exist? Perhaps he really...' I clenched my teeth, my chest feeling stuffier. 'There's also no Decree that allows one to control anomalies like mine. At least, recorded. Who is to say that other unique Decrees don't exist? Perhaps he really...' I clenched my teeth, my chest feeling stuffier. I was jumping to absurd conclusions. There were no real hints that the Guild Master could see the future. If anything, I was just being paranoid. Perhaps... I was afraid of him being right. Right... Thinking about the way he spoke to me with such confidence stirred something within me.

Whether he was right or wrong... It was up to me to decide. Not him. Turning the handle, I pulled the door open and entered. This disgusting feeling... It was just like the system. I hated it when someone or something tried to control me. 'Yeah, that's probably why it rubs me the wrong way.' *** "...Hey." A voice called out. "Hey." It called out again, its pitch higher. "Heeey." Even higher. "Heeeeee—"

"God, fuck! Would you just shut the fuck up!? I'm trying to sleep." "Nnn?!" Mia let out a startled yelp as Nora removed her eye mask and glared at Mia, raising her fist in a threatening manner while muttering things like, "I'll hit you if you continue." "Alright, stop it, you two." With a sigh, Joanna put her pen down. She then looked at Mia. "You've been calling for some time. What is it?" "Oh, that..." Mia fidgeted with her fingers, her lips moving as she muttered, "So, that... ehm." "Wait, don't tell me you actually had nothing to say." Nora sat up in her seat, her expression turning fierce. "Nnn!?" Mia's entire body straightened as she hastily shook her head. "No, no. It's not that at all." "Then spit it out!" "Yes!" Mia looked at Joanna and immediately asked, "I just wanted to know about today's schedule. What do we have planned? Are we going to be trying the games again?" "——!" "——!!" ".....!" It was as if a granade had dropped. All of a sudden, heads that had been resting on the table shot up, all turning to stare at Joanna with widened eyes. Even the usually quiet duo of Sarah and Min had no choice but to show a change in reaction at Mia's words. Ariel was a little more subtle, tilting her head slightly as she rested it on the table.

"Oh, that." Joanna smiled, patting Mia's shoulder. "There's no need to worry about that. I've talked with the Squad Leader, and he said that there's no need to train for today. We can have a rest." "Thank god." There was a collective sigh of relief in the room. The tension that had suddenly gripped the surroundings eased as Mia slumped back on her chair, letting out a relieved laugh. "Is that so? Haha... I'm glad. Er, em. Not that I hate it. Yes, I am just tired, that's all." Bullshit. Everyone could smell the bullshit coming from Mia. None of them liked their sessions in the games. In fact, all of them much preferred real gates over the games. There was something about the games that felt so realistic and affected their minds. Despite exploring so many Gates, they all still ended up falling for the schemes of the games, and with the most recent game, they've all killed themselves at least several dozen times. To make matters worse, the sensation of death was incredibly realistic. Even the pain. "I've been thinking lately, but do you think the Squad Leader is a sadist?" Nora suddenly threw the question out. And the response...? "Yes." "Has to be." "I thought it was obvious." "His smile is especially creepy whenever he hears us scream. He tries to hide it, but I can see it." Overwhelming agreement. In other words, their Squad Leader was a pervert who enjoyed the suffering of others. There was no discourse on the matter. He was a pervert. Just as the group was about to resume resting, the door opened, and Niel walked in, his expression grim.

"What's wrong?" Taking note of his expression, Joanna was the first to ask. Niel stopped in his tracks, showed a look of hesitation before eventually adjusting his glasses and closing the door behind him. Clank! His strange actions caused the entire group to look at him. This was unlike the usual him, and just when Joanna was about to ask again, Niel spoke up. "...There's a certain rumor passing around the Guild." "Rumor?" "Yes." Niel nodded at Joanna, his expression even grimmer as he sat in his seat. "Although I can't say for certain if it's true, from what I understand, the Squad Leader is looking for new members, and the Squad will most likely be the one attending the Congress."

".....!" "——!" Everyone's expression changed. "What?!" Nora stood up, her hand smacking against the table. "Are you saying that he's going to ditch us for a new team? Why?" "...Because we're no longer in the same league as him. " Joanna's reply brought the entire room to silence. Brushing her soft blonde hair to the side, she lowered her eyes.

"The Squad Leader is no longer just a regular person. He's now a Paragon, and not just any Paragon, but one ranked in the top one hundred. Given how the Guild has marketed him as someone who has never failed, if he doesn't achieve a good result at the upcoming Congress, everything will crumble."

"..." The silence that stretched across the room felt even more intense. Nobody spoke. Nobody had any words to say. What could they even say? "As of right now, if he stays with us, we'll only hold him back. From a business point of view, he's not wrong to do this." "But will he really just ditch us like this? Without talking with us? We've trained so much, I'm sure that we can—" "Maybe, but we're nowhere near the best in the Guild. Many are better than we are. There's no denying that." Joanna cut Nora off, trying her best to smile through her words. But unbeknownst to everyone, her hands were balled into tight fists beneath the table.

From the moment the ranking had been announced, Joanna had been aware of this possibility happening. It only made sense. It was for this reason that she was able to remain calm. As of right now, the gap between them and the Squad Leader was too wide. They— Clank! Suddenly, the door to the office opened, and Seth walked in. All eyes immediately fell on him as he paused and looked around the room. And then—

"Oh, good. Everyone is here. I wanted to talk with you all." Several faces turned pale. "...Pack your stuff."