Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 562: Swaying Bodies [3]

The sword kept pressing against my neck.

Events unfolded in a blur, leaving me barely any chance to respond. Yet I swiftly regained my composure, fixing my gaze on the silhouette looming in front of me.

I identified him instantly. It was impossible not to, given he was among the top-ranked Paragons in the Congress, the very one who placed just behind me in the First Trial.

"Are you not speaking?"

"...That’s not it."

My response slipped out surprisingly smoothly.

"I’m just trying to process why you put your sword over to my neck."

"Didn’t I say why?"

Leon grinned, glancing at the surrounding mist. Then he focused back on me, his eyes sparkling.

"I felt a strange connection between the fog and you. Hmm. Wait..." He abruptly furrowed his brow, scanning the area. "How strange. I no longer feel that connection, but I’m almost certain that I did feel it."

My heart dropped.

Could something like this really be detected...? What kind of freak was this fellow? Fortunately, I had cut off my link to it beforehand.

Otherwise—

"Did you sever your connection with the fog?"

This fellow...

"...I didn’t."

I kept denying it.

Even with the keen edge of his blade still hovering at my throat, I held onto an odd calmness, locking eyes with him steadily. He met my stare, and for the shortest instant, silence hung between us.

Until a particular voice broke the quiet.

"Are you saying this bastard was the one controlling the fog?"

Oh, great...

I didn’t even glance behind.

"That would make sense. Things have been rather strange ever since he’s come."

"Oh?"

Leon arched an eyebrow, turning his focus to Drake.

"Tell me more about it. What happened while he was with you?"

"One of our team members killed themselves. Or at least, that was how it appears to be, but I’ve got a nagging feeling that this guy is involved. There are just too many things that are suspicious about him."

"Is that so?"

Leon directed his gaze back to me, his mouth curving up just a bit.

"Is there more?"

"He said that the reason for our team member killing themself is because of this place. That it slowly eats at your mind. Even now, I’ve not felt a single thing. I think he’s full of shi—"

"Well, I guess he’s cleared for now."

Against all anticipation, Leon withdrew the point of his sword from my neck, sheathing it while surveying the surroundings.

His abrupt move made Drake’s expression tighten a touch.

But prior to him uttering anything, Leon fixed his eyes on me again.

"I’ve noticed this as well. There’s something about this place that drives someone to commit things that they normally wouldn’t do. I’m not surprised that you’ve managed to figure this part out, considering your performance in the first trial."

"It wasn’t much."

I looked aside as I replied. No words were necessary; Drake’s visage was quite the spectacle right then. It seemed as though he had swallowed a heap of filth.

I longed to smirk, yet Leon’s following statement stopped me.

"But that’s not all."

His remark drew everyone’s focus to him once more.

"While it is true that this place drives someone to kill themself, the most troublesome aspect of it all is that even if you kill yourself, you probably won’t realize it."

"What?"

Leon’s declaration halted everyone, me included. Detecting my astonishment, he smirked while muttering, ’So you weren’t able to notice this part, huh?’

He went on.

"It’s just like I said. Even if you end up dying, you’ll probably never notice it. You’ll keep following the group like nothing has happened, not even realizing that you’re already dead. You and your group will only realize this once you find your body, and by then, you’ll eventually disappear."

"How is that possible?"

Drake’s outburst rang out sharply, his disbelief plain to see. I couldn’t fault him; I shared his stunned reaction.

If what he claimed held true, then...

"Mhm."

Leon affirmed with a nod.

"There’s a good chance that either one of us is already dead and we don’t know it yet."

The ensuing quiet weighed down oppressively. I yearned to refute his claim. My senses picked up my nodes and ties to the Conductor and the anomalies. I felt confident I lived.

But...

But what if...?

What if I had truly...

"There’s no need to be too shocked. This is merely something that I found out through some observation. I’ve experienced it myself, and what’s most surprising is that the person who is dead will have all of their abilities working without any issues."

"But if that’s the case, maybe they weren’t dead? Maybe—"

"No, they were dead."

Leon interrupted Drake.

After a brief halt, he touched his forehead.

"...You see, I rarely get these things wrong. I’m certain about what I saw."

Silence greeted his assertion. Drake seemed poised to contest it more but held back.

For some reason, challenging him proved difficult. His tone carried arrogance, yet given the speaker’s stature, his credentials supported it fully.

And—

’I have a feeling that he’s not wrong. Especially after what I heard coming from the group from Melson Sanders. They did mention something about their group member being with them until they found the body.’

But that raised the issue...

How would one know if they were dead or alive?

"Oh."

Abruptly, Leon turned his head. Soon, multiple shapes emerged from the haze, drawing near to Leon. Clad in identical sharp uniforms, they formed a line before him in utter quiet.

’Looks like his team members are here.’

Leon regarded his squad.

"Have you found anything?"

"Nothing."

One man advanced. His nose was notably elongated, and his black hair was tidily combed aside. Though not a Paragon, I knew his identity; he held considerable fame.

"Mhm."

Leon eyed the assembly.

Then—

Swoooooosh!

With a speed beyond my vision, he swung toward the speaker, cleanly slicing through their neck. Faces twisted in shock across the group, bodies stiffening immediately.

"What?!"

"Squad Leader...!?"

"Y-you...!"

But not me.

Observing him and the detached head, I spotted a detail.

His serenity.

It struck me as oddly off.

And indeed.

"I guess that proves it, huh."

He chuckled, raising his eyes to meet mine as I kept watching the head blend into the mist, fading away bit by bit.

"Would’ve been really embarrassing if I got that wrong."

He let out a laugh.

Yet his mirth brought no amusement to me or the others.

All I sensed were shivers.

"You really can’t tell the difference between someone who is dead or who is alive. They’re almost identical. I’m glad that I was right. But..."

As his chuckles faded, his stare swept over our gathering.

The shivers I experienced grew stronger.

"...I wonder just how many of you are truly alive."