Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 559: Limbo [5]

[Herder] represented a skill akin to [Containment Vessel] in several respects, yet it diverged considerably in other areas.

These two abilities both enabled me to manipulate anomalies, though unlike the enduring nature of [Containment Vessel], the effects of [Herder] proved temporary. A duration cap existed for anomaly control via [Herder], but it permitted oversight of far more anomalies compared to [Containment Vessel].

The greater my power grew, the larger the number of anomalies falling under my command.

"...Come to me."

Concentrating into a dense form within my hand, the fog formed a link with me.

As my fourth node roiled while I directed the fog, I disregarded the sensation and fixed my gaze on the environment nearby.

Deprived of the fog's veil, a clearer view of my immediate surroundings emerged for me.

"Yeah, it seems like I’m in some sort of forest."

I had suspected as much earlier on. Nevertheless, gaining visibility into the distance brought considerable relief from the earlier strain.

That said, the area remained shrouded in gloom.

Gazing skyward, no trace of the heavens appeared.

Simply... an enveloping void.

"Where could the others be?"

Uncertainty gripped me as I scanned the vicinity, pondering my next move.

Positioned near Mirelle, the Conductor lingered while she perched motionless, her legs twitching atop the limb as she extracted another piece of gum and popped it into her mouth.

Following that, she remarked, "I can’t see anything from here."

"I figured that much."

Summoning Mr. Jingles held no value, since the clown offered zero assistance right now. The Realmwalker might provide some insight, but that wasn't my pressing issue.

At present, a far more straightforward—and dire—dilemma confronted me.

Precisely where in the Limbo had I landed... and what path led out of this realm?

'Without the compass functioning, my challenges have intensified greatly.'

Yet, not all developments spelled doom.

Observing the mist lingering over my hand, I balled it into a fist. The mist scattered outward, expanding in various directions.

'Armed with this, navigation should proceed smoothly.'

Having seized command of the fog, I gained awareness of any entity penetrating its territory. Moreover, I could now conceal myself amid the fog, complicating detection by anomalies. Regrettably, the mist's expansion remained constrained.

A boundary restricted its spread.

However, even with limited reach, the span wasn't negligible.

"I should be able to scout the area ahead of me better."

The coverage extended roughly a kilometer across all directions.

"There’s no use spending time over here doing nothing. I might as well go ahead and try to scout my surroundings."

With no more delays, I set off forward.

*

Encounters with anomalies during my journey proved fewer than anticipated. In truth, they were scarce overall. The most unsettling feature of this location was the profound hush enveloping all things.

It resembled a realm devoid of any living presence.

Sigh~

'How long have I been walking for?'

The deeper I ventured, the more this woodland stretched infinitely. Spreading a kilometer outward in every direction, the fog accompanied me, yet despite traversing what felt like multiple kilometers, no exit from the forest materialized.

Not a single clue pertaining to the vanished teams surfaced either.

'Could they have been pulled into the deeper layers?'

Such a notion crept into my thoughts.

A chill gripped my heart at the prospect. I possessed some knowledge of the nine layers of hell, where Limbo ranked as the mildest among them.

Sigh~

A heavy sigh escaped me as I pressed on.

"At this rate, I’ll be stuck here for a very long time. I hope that time here flows the same as it does on the outside."

My footsteps persisted.

"But why can’t I find anything?"

Sigh~

Fatigue began to ache in my legs.

"Maybe I should rest up a little bit."

Sigh~

I seemed to be sighing excessively, didn't I?

My advance halted.

Raising my hand to my features, I tousled them roughly.

"As expected, this place is trying to mess with my mind."

With each step, a deepening melancholy settled over me.

It felt like my vitality drained away steadily. Concurrently, anxiety mounted. Prolonged stays here would only hinder my team upstairs.

I placed faith in them, yet could they manage absent my presence?

"No, they can’t."

Pressure constricted my chest.

"I need to get to them quickly. I need to——Huh?"

Suddenly halting, I whipped my head toward a specific spot upon sensing a ripple in the fog. Concentrating intently on that disturbance's origin, my pulse quickened.

'Something!'

...One, two, three...

Four human presences registered with me.

And none qualified as anomalies.

In that scenario...!

Swooosh!

Wasting not a moment, I dashed toward the detected presences.

***

"Squad Leader, where the hell are we? Do... you still not have any signal?"

"I don’t."

Esteban responded, glancing back at his fellow team members. Each individual there belonged to the elite ranks of the Melson Sanders Guild. They excelled in navigating unexpected crises.

Yet, in an instant, disorientation struck them.

No signal had existed initially at Point Z, but now, every device appeared utterly inert. They had even launched a flare, yielding no result.

"...I am not sure about this situation."

Esteban pressed on, retrieving a map and examining it closely.

"Are we even in Point Z?"

His statement injected abrupt strain into the air as all eyes turned to the Squad Leader with concern. But compounding the woes, a sudden mist surged forth, engulfing the entire group abruptly.

"——!"

Apprehension surged as they exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain of their response.

"Everyone, stay close."

Esteban eyed his squad mates again. Including himself, four comprised the unit. Seasoned elites with extensive backgrounds, they clustered tighter at his directive.

"Let’s go back this way."

Directing a particular path, Esteban led as the others trailed wordlessly, advancing with caution in pursuit of fog-free territory.

Yet the more they progressed, the denser the haze grew. The mist devoured the route forward, twisting around their ankles and ascending with each stride. Their surroundings blurred into swirling grays, until even close forms faded into vague outlines.

Merely the jagged peaks of nearby trees endured in sight, their pointed tops stabbing the fog like shadowy lances.

Hush dominated every side, save for the faint rustle of their footfalls.

No words passed between them. They surveyed the area mutely, each movement deliberate. Tension coiled in their frames, respirations light, all poised against potential threats emerging from the mist.

During their trek, the group soon spotted a distant outline.

Esteban lifted his hand, halting the advance immediately.

Their forms grew rigid as nodes activated simultaneously.

However, the distant shape held motionless. Shrouded in the fog, it appeared suspended mid-air.

Esteban's gaze sharpened. With a discreet gesture to his comrades, he indicated fanning out to surround the form, creeping forward without noise.

As proximity increased, the outline sharpened.

Simultaneously, a noise drifted to their ears.

Faint initially. Readily confused with breeze against wood.

A deliberate, irregular oscillation.

Followed by a gentle groan.

One akin to straining cord.

Creaak!

With the noise, the shape clarified further, warping into a human-like form. But nearing it, the party's pace slackened upon discerning the sight more fully.

And then—

THUMP!

A team member recoiled, their face paling dramatically as they jabbed a finger toward the outline.

"T-that! That...!"

"What? What’s wrong with you?"

Esteban's brow furrowed, scrutinizing the silhouette intently. Yet upon doing so, his visage altered sharply as well. The figure wasn't an anomaly.

No, rather...

"Jordan?"

Creaak. Creaak.

The subtle groan of swinging rope reverberated through the woods, its tone drawn taut amid the oppressive stillness.

This...

"How is this possible? This makes no sense!"

This was unmistakably one of his own squad mates.

But hadn't he been among them moments before?

If so, how could...?

"He seems to have killed himself a while ago."

A voice pierced the quiet, jolting all as a form materialized beside the body, inspecting it before turning to face them.

"...At least an hour ago."