Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 564: Sacrifice [2]

Not all in attendance had been updated on the situation.

As a result, a bit of bewilderment filled the chamber following the words from the Evening Sun Guild's Guild Master.

Yet that bewilderment dissipated swiftly once pictures and clips of the event began circulating among the Guild Masters.

"This...!"

"What on earth is this?"

"This is..."

"Whisperer Decree."

No one could tell who whispered it, but it hardly mattered since the chamber erupted into unrest.

"No wonder!"

"How in the world did this get approved? It shouldn't be allowed!"

"Hmm, why not? It seems perfectly fine."

"You say that since she hasn't seized control of your people yet. This is way too risky!"

Chaos broke out in the room. Guild Masters began shouting over each other, debating the issue fiercely. The clamor grew so intense that the Vice-Director had to slam his palm on the table to silence the group.

"Enough!"

Instantly, the uproar died down.

Even though numerous Guild Masters still wanted to voice their opinions, the Vice-Director's intense stare subdued many of them.

"Haaa."

Letting out a deep sigh, the Vice-Director rubbed his temples before directing his focus to the Severed Stars Guild's Guild Master.

"Is this accurate?"

"...Hm?"

The Guild Master cocked his head, pretending to be puzzled.

"What's accurate? That she's affiliated with the Whisperer Decree?"

"Exactly."

"Oh, indeed. She is."

A smile crossed the Guild Master's face, but the instant it did, the room buzzed with agitation once more. Everyone there was sharp; they all understood the [Whisperer Decree] and its perilous nature.

That's precisely why so many reacted with alarm to her involvement.

As the one who raised the concern, the Evening Sun Guild Master piped up again.

"If you were aware, then why bring her along? Do you realize how hazardous a person like her truly is? She and her associates have already dominated multiple organizations. This can't be tolerated! It contradicts our entire objective here!"

"Does it?"

The Guild Master inclined his head once more.

"...I've never heard of any regulation like that. Is there really?"

He glanced toward the Vice-Director, who let out another sigh amid the mounting tension in the space.

"Yes, no such regulation exists."

"Vice-Director!"

The Evening Sun Guild Master shot to his feet suddenly.

"This event is designed to pit teams against supernatural threats! Many of these teams, powerful as they might be... aren't equipped to deal with fellow humans. This destroys the whole point of the contest!"

"That's correct!"

"...This undermines the very foundation of what the competition stands for!"

"Disqualify them!"

A handful of other Guild Masters echoed the outcry, yet the Vice-Director stayed unmoved. He simply yawned and scanned the area.

"Huaaam... Any more issues? If not, let's move on. I'll dispatch a squad to investigate the scene. For further grievances, contact my assistant."

"Vice-Director!"

"How can you act this way?!"

Amid the objections, the Vice-Director rose and exited the chamber. Just as he departed, someone else stood, instantly quieting the room. This was an elderly man, likely the eldest among those gathered, and his rising commanded instant focus.

His eyes scanned across the assembly before he departed the conference area and proceeded along a lengthy, confined hallway.

Step. Step—

The gentle echoes of his footfalls bounced off the walls as he halted and surveyed the surroundings, pulling out a compact flip phone.

His wrinkled features deepened as he gazed at the device.

He couldn't employ it lightly, given the steep price per usage. However, the circumstances demanded it, so he dialed a specific number.

The phone trilled a few times before a voice responded shortly after.

—Grandfather?

Confusion laced the tone.

—Is there an urgent crisis? You've mentioned you wouldn't reach out unless it's crucial. I know the expense involved in such a call. What's going on?

"...Yes."

After a brief pause, Kaelric answered steadily.

At first, he hadn't intended to inform her. His plan was to keep it under wraps until the Congress concluded. But given the current developments, he had no option but to disclose it. She was the sole person he trusted to locate him.

"I require you to track down an individual for me."

—Track someone? Who?

"Seth Thorne."

—....

Silence hung on the line. Though unspoken, her bewilderment was evident in the quiet. Finally, her voice pierced through it.

—...I'm wondering, grandfather.

She hesitated briefly, likely mulling over her phrasing to express it clearly.

—Why does he interest you so much? I've encountered him, and he seemed capable, but not extraordinary. Why are you-

"Because he's your brother."

Kaelric interjected, halting her mid-sentence.

"...He is your blood brother."

***

The team pressed on silently, with no one uttering a word as we trailed behind Leon. Truthfully, numerous thoughts and actions bubbled in my mind, yet I held my tongue while observing the figure ahead.

He appeared confident in his path, though I maintained my vigilance.

"Hm?"

Abruptly, Leon halted.

The rest of us froze simultaneously.

I scanned the area.

Beyond the tall, withered trees encircling us and the overcast gray heavens casting a pallid glow, little else stood out in this barren landscape. The absence of mist made it tougher for me to sense any threats.

Before long, though, a grin formed on Leon's mouth.

"Over here."

I peered about, feeling disoriented like the others.

Still, we trailed him unquestioningly. Gradually, we veered and advanced in the direction he pointed, our footwear grinding lightly over the parched earth as the party proceeded in tense quietude.

For some time, nothing but our treads and the subtle crunch of withered foliage accompanied us.

Then it emerged.

A distant groan resounded faintly.

The noise dragged slowly... extended... akin to a cord straining under tension.

It echoed across the woodland, threading through the warped boughs and arriving sharp to our ears.

All caught it.

All identified it.

Don't tell me...

I inhaled sharply while surveying the group, noting the faces around. Apart from Leon's trio, the remaining were the three from the Melson Sanders Guild.

I wasn't alone in this.

They mirrored my reactions, harboring identical suspicions.

And shortly—

Creaaak—!

The groan intensified as a shadow loomed afar, and my pulse surged to my chest.

Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!

Strangely, a particular notion invaded my thoughts.

One I desperately wished to reject.

That... I refused to accept as truth.

The nearer we approached the shadow, the more frantically my heart raced. So intensely that it seemed audible to all.

At last, we reached the form.

"....."

"....."

"....."

A hush enveloped us as the form dangled rhythmically in the quiet.

"...As expected, he's departed."

Leon shattered the stillness, glancing at the suspended remains.

He shook his head and forged ahead, utterly unaffected by the sight. Yet as I regarded the body and then Drake and Esteban, their forms looked rigidly tense.

I didn't fault them for it.

Considering their starting quartet, only they survived.

"Move along. Stay close to me."

Leon called from ahead, his stride unchanged.

Gazing at him and the remains, I quietly exhaled in gratitude.

’Yeah, it couldn't possibly be me.’

Somehow, uncertainty had started gnawing at me. Among those here, my resolve was likely the frailest. I understood my limitations all too well.

Progress had been made, but shadows from the past lingered.

If...

’No, better not dwell on it.’

I cleared the notions from my head, sticking with Leon and his companions.

He offered no pause.

Wordlessly, he maintained his even gait, navigating the myriad contorted trees as if the terrain was intimately familiar.

We were compelled to keep up.

The party navigated cautiously amid the bent trunks, our soles treading gently on the fragile soil. Every gaze probed the environs, darting through the gloom amid the boughs while we held our breaths.

The woods hung oppressively still.

Each advance felt more burdensome than the prior, the quiet expanding awkwardly around.

We all yearned for the identical outcome.

That no further remains awaited us further within the thicket.

Fortunately, nothing of the sort transpired.

The trees gradually spaced out.

Not abruptly.

Initially, the overhead limbs parted, permitting slivers of the muted gray sky to filter in. Then the gnarled stems that had hemmed us in for ages started to widen apart, their twisted contours fading into the haze trailing us.

With each progression, the woodland's hold seemed to slacken.

Still, the disquiet persisted.

If possible, it intensified.

Our pace decelerated.

Though unspoken, the strain between us mounted as the final line of warped trees receded.

And then—

It came into view.

"..."

The atmosphere grew utterly motionless.

Ahead of us, past the forest's fading border, loomed a colossal presence.

Initially, it manifested as a shadowy bulk ascending from the faint mist. From afar, it was merely an expansive outline overshadowing the open space, its form vague and eerie against the somber gray expanse.

The shade it projected engulfed the barren terrain, devouring the feeble illumination touching the field.

Yet upon nearing, the contours sharpened gradually.

A fortress.

It rose solitary at the clearing's heart, encircled by vacant expanse devoid of other features. Seven immense barriers ringed it, ascending in broad, looping tiers one after the other.

Each barrier towered above its predecessor, crafting stratified masonry that veiled the inner depths.

The masonry appeared ancient, eroded by ages. However, the fissures etching the stones seemed deliberate rather than organic. Almost as though etched intentionally.

Ebony foliage draped the exterior barriers, its obsidian foliage adhering to the rock and snaking through the splits. The tendrils slithered over the edifice in dense coils, climbing upward like claimants to the stronghold.

Past the outermost barrier ring, numerous soaring spires pierced the ashen skies. Their slender apertures gaped black and vacant, betraying no hint of occupancy by any being.

The whole edifice commanded in utter hush, overseeing the clearing while the woods lingered distant behind.

Fixated on the fortress before me, I remained rooted.

This...

What sort of place could this be?