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

Chapter 687: Entertaining [1]

I didn’t linger for much longer.

Feeling the terrifying presence headed our way, I stepped into the portal and left the place directly.

‘I’m not quite satisfied, but… I guess this is my limit.’

Stepping into the portal, the scenery before me warped as the air around me changed. The subtle, artificial chill of the air conditioners gave way to a raw, biting cold. One that made me shiver immediately.

But I couldn’t pay much attention to the cold.

The moment I stepped out of the portal, I was greeted by the sight of a massive castle, its towering walls and countless spires just as grand as I last remembered.

The dark stone starkly contrasted the gloomy sky above, its worn-down walls marred by deep cracks and thick roots that had burrowed deep into the stone.

“Hmm. This time I’ve appeared right outside. Is he mad?”

Last time it wasn’t like this.

I turned to watch the portal behind me fade, making sure no one emerged after me. Only when it vanished completely and nothing followed did I let out a quiet sigh of relief before turning my gaze toward the massive castle gates.

Ah, right!

I suddenly turned to look around me.

“Where is Soran?”

I looked to my left and right, but no matter how hard I searched, there wasn’t a single trace of her. My brows furrowed as my gaze slowly returned to the castle gates.

Could it be…?

I didn’t wait.

Stepping forward, I pressed a hand against the massive castle doors. A deep creak echoed through the silence as they slowly swung open, revealing a sight I knew all too well.

The biting cold faded almost immediately, replaced by a warm, comforting air that washed over me.

Soft chatter echoed ahead as people dressed in white drifted through my vision, each holding a chalice of wine while blissful smiles rested on their faces.

Already aware of the trap hidden behind the idyllic scene, I did my best to ignore the countless temptations laid before me. At a certain point, however, a loud voice cut through the chatter, drawing my gaze toward its source.

“Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Come on! Chug that shit, you weak bastard!”

“…..H-help!”

“Chug!”

“E-enou⎯”

“I said chug that shit!”

“Uekh!!”

Hmmm…

Maybe I had been too naive.

Maybe there was another way to break past the temptations…

BANG!

Soran slammed her empty glass onto the table.

“Who’s next!?”

She wiped her lips with her sleeve while looking around, her dark eyes narrowing. She looked like a tiger, ready to pounce at anyone who showed weakness.

Every nearby guest instinctively took a step back.

One man quietly hid his wine behind his back.

Another pretended to be unconscious.

Ah?

“Tsk. Tsk. That’s some weak stuff. Who is next!?”

BANG!

Soran smashed the wine glass on the table as her eyes scanned the surroundings, pointing the broken glass towards the people in a threatening manner. Almost as if she was going to kill them if they didn’t comply. In the end, her eyes fell on the young girl passed out next to her as her eyes flickered dangerously.

Wait, that’s Rowan’s…

“….You!”

Although Soran had lost it, thankfully she hadn’t completely given herself over to temptation. Her gaze was fixed elsewhere, and when I followed it, I couldn’t help but raise a brow at the familiar figure standing in the distance.

Unlike the dark suit he had worn the first time I saw him, he was now dressed in the same white robes as everyone else. His dark hair was neatly parted to the side, and a faint, serene smile rested on his lips. Yet on closer inspection, his eyes were utterly hollow, devoid of even the slightest spark of thought. As he calmly sipped from his glass, he looked like nothing more than an empty shell.

I was momentarily surprised by the sight, but it all soon clicked as I recalled the effects of this place.

‘Although not much time has passed in the real world, given how time here flows for much longer, I wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed here for a very long time.’

I wasn’t quite sure for how long, but I knew that the time had been enough to break him.

“It’s you…!”

Maybe it was for the best that I’d stopped her.

“Kidnapper!”

If she interfered, there was a chance he could snap out of it. With that thought in mind, I took a step forward.

“Hm?”

A hand suddenly came to rest on my shoulder.

“Quite the gift that you’ve brought me.”

The voice immediately stopped me. I didn’t even bother looking back. Already aware of who had spoken, I maintained my gaze directed in Soran’s direction as she approached the ‘former’ Enforcer.

“Shameless bastard! Hitting on a married woman! Have some shame!”

I found myself nodding at her words, only to stop as I cocked my head. Wait, something wasn’t right.

Standing next to me, I heard a soft chuckle.

“…You’ve created quite the spectacle for me.”

His voice was almost like a whisper.

I found myself nodding again.

“In that case, I take it that you’ve enjoyed what I’ve given you.”

“Mhm, it’s not bad.”

The man smiled. Or at least, I presumed he did.

For the briefest moment, I thought I was in the clear. The relief lasted only a few seconds before his voice reached my ears once more. It was as soft as ever, yet the weight behind each word was unmistakable.

“…But that wasn’t the reason why I gave you the ring. I gave it to you so that you would come to me, not to escape.”

The cold that seemed to have been present when I first arrived seemed to have returned, engulfing every part of me as I momentarily shivered.

Despite this, I wasn’t really all that bothered.

I had seen this coming for a while.

‘I did abuse this little thing, after all.’

Reaching for my hand, I retrieved the ring and tossed it back to him.

“Here.”

“…..”

“It was useful.”

It really was.

“But also, you did say that I could come and visit whenever I wished.”

I shrugged and said nothing, shifting my attention to Soran. She was busy trying to pry the Enforcer’s mouth open and force the wine down his throat while his eyes trembled violently.

My heart shook.

Wait, don’t do that…

“Open that shit! If you don’t open it, I’ll shove it down the other hole!”

“⎯!”

Wait, is she serious?

“Ukheeee!”

Oh, no…

“…I guess you’re right.”

It was his voice that pulled my attention away from the scene. My gaze drifted to his hand, or more specifically, the ring he was absentmindedly fiddling with. It was a pity he hadn’t given it back. Clicking my tongue inwardly, I silently complained to myself.

I had to be honest.

I was only pretending to give it back to him. I expected a sort of speech that said, ‘Well, you did entertain me so I’ll give it back, blah, blah, blah…’

But it wasn’t there.

“The ring did indeed help you quite a bit. I didn’t intend for it to be used this way, but I can’t say that I’m at fault.”

I know, so give it back.

“…I should’ve seen it coming.”

Yes, so give it back.

“No.”

I sighed.

Right, I forgot this guy can read minds.

A soft chuckle followed as I turned my head.

His features were clear before my eyes, yet none of them truly registered in my mind. Casually, he tossed the ring into the air before catching it and turning his attention back to me.

“Now that we’ve got this part sorted, I’m sure you’re going to see the result of your actions, right?”

I froze for a moment, but soon, I smiled.

Is it that time already?

But thinking about it, yeah, it made sense.

“Come.”

Paimon moved.

“Let’s have a look at what you’ve done.”