Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 567: Comfort [1]

A whole decade?

I drew in a sharp, cold breath, struggling to keep my face composed. From the beginning, it was clear that something off was happening, yet I never imagined it would turn out this shocking.

'But what's really happening? They vanished not long ago. How could they claim to have been trapped here for ten years? Is time flowing slower in this place, or is there some secret I'm missing?'

"Sadly, I'm still at the same level. I couldn't climb any further."

Leon appeared totally unaffected by the shocking news.

Actually, he went right along with their story.

"...Really? That's too bad. Looks like your potential ran out in the end. That's common enough. I've watched plenty of people reach their ceiling. Even so, you've made it pretty far up. Nothing to be ashamed of there."

He clapped Leon on the shoulder while fixing his slim round glasses.

"At least count yourself lucky for ranking that high. Thanks to it, you avoided getting stuck with unwanted BUA assignments. Same as what happened to us."

With a light laugh, he glanced over at the others, who lifted their glasses and took a swig together.

"Haa."

He brushed his chin clean before fixing his eyes on me.

"Hmm. And who are you? I don't recognize you. Are you part of Leon's squad?"

"You could say that."

I followed his lead and played it cool.

No point in spilling everything just yet.

"Ah, really? You don't seem all that powerful."

I simply offered a smile.

Leon shot me a quick look, then turned back to them.

"Tell me about how you ended up here."

"Oh, it's not much of a tale." The man I took to be their head replied, pausing to sip his drink again.

"We were just following bureau directives, nothing out of the ordinary. There was a fresh report about some location. What was the name? Point Alpha? Wait... uh, it's been ages."

"Point Z."

Leon supplied the answer steadily, making the man snap his fingers in recognition.

"Yes, exactly!"

He gulped down more of his beverage.

"Right, Point Z. That's the spot. The bureau dispatched us to check it out based on new intel, which suggested Point Z played a role in the Mist's emergence. Our team went in to verify the details of that report."

"Then what?"

"Well, things get fuzzy after that."

He took yet another drink, rubbing the side of his face.

"It's been forever. As far as I recall, we discovered something. I believe it's still in my pocket. Hold on, I'll search."

He felt around his outfit, but suddenly remembered and slapped his forehead.

"Oh, yeah! It's probably in my room. That's it, in my room. I'll fetch it for you all soon. I figure you're here hunting for that intel, aren't you?"

"...Yeah, but the orders also included getting you all out of here."

Every smile in the group stiffened instantly.

In that brief instant, a shadow of something ominous crossed their eyes as the grins vanished.

"Don't even think about it."

The leader's tone grew grave, his fingers clenching the glass harder.

"...Don't make us go back. We're content right where we are."

The atmosphere turned icy as his gaze shook.

For a second, breathing almost escaped me.

Yet then—

"Fine, okay."

Leon lifted his shoulders in a shrug.

"If none of you want to leave, I won't push it. Just pass along the info, and I won't bother you anymore. Sound good?"

"....."

"....."

"....."

The heavy quiet stretched on while the group stared at Leon stiffly.

At last, though, their cheerful expressions came back.

"No issue at all."

"...Haha, I was worried we'd end up clashing for a bit. Whew, glad you get it. This spot's amazing!"

They raised a toast in celebration.

"No one treats us like dirt here. We drink, rest, and enjoy ourselves daily. No one's shoving tasks on us! It's like heaven. And get this—the greatest thing? We can walk out whenever! No one's holding us down, haha!"

The bunch burst into laughter again.

Leon joined in the chuckles, and I forced a laugh too, trying to blend in.

The harder I faked it, though, the more nauseous it made me.

This location...

'It's scheming to trap us.'

I inhaled sharply once more, turning my focus to Leon. He kept talking with them until an idea struck him.

"Alright then, why don't you give me the keys to your room? My teammate can head up and grab whatever you found. Then we'll leave you to your fun."

"Hahaha!"

Their head guffawed, the sound bouncing off the walls.

"Absolutely! No trouble there!"

He eyed me and pulled out some keys.

"My quarters are up on the third level. Number 77. Easy to spot."

Without a second thought, he flung the keys my way while grabbing another round.

Meanwhile, Leon grinned at me.

"I'll hang with them. You go search for it. We'll link up back downstairs."

"...Got it."

I checked the keys, glanced at Leon, then spun on my heel and stepped from the crowd. Truth be told, the whole thing left me conflicted. Part of me found Leon's behavior odd.

Was he seriously passing the keys over? Didn't he realize this was a contest? The one who uncovered the intel would likely score top marks at the Congress.

On the flip side, maybe I'd gotten Leon wrong.

After all, he was a Paragon.

Not your average one, but the absolute elite.

He might know exactly when to drop the ego and prioritize the objective. Or he could be planning to let me dig it up just to steal it later.

'Who knows? His whole vibe is throwing me off now.'

Regardless, no time to overthink it. Right now, priority one was securing that intel the leader mentioned.

At minimum, it would advance my active quest.

And if the info went sideways somehow, I wouldn't be out much.

So, no more delays—I made for the castle's core area. But just then, I looked over my shoulder at the guy who'd welcomed us first and locked eyes with him.

No clue why, but I couldn't help it.

Catching my stare, he looked up, flashed a smile, and waved.

I gave a nod in return.

Then, gripping the keys firmly, I pushed into the heart of the castle.