Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 589: Return to upper world [2]

"Cough!"

Amidst the swirl of Nora, Joanna, and the others gathering around me to diminish the mysterious reputation I had painstakingly cultivated, a slow, ragged cough cut through the commotion.

Every head snapped in the same direction.

"Is that...?"

"Vice-Director Vale? How did he manage to get here?"

"Has he come to take us back?"

"Everyone, settle down. I need you to focus for a moment."

Clearing his throat again, the Vice-Director let his listless eyes drift across the crowd. His gaze lingered on a few individuals, including myself and specifically Ariel, before he resumed speaking.

"Congratulations to those who have reached this point. According to my reports, these are all the survivors of the trial. Some have perished, but such losses are to be expected in this line of work. You must realize by now that this was no ordinary test."

No, certainly not.

We were simply executing your dirty work for you.

"To put it plainly, we used you to handle our messy business."

Whispers rippled through the group, the participants eyeing one another with shifting expressions. I was among them, though I remained silent, stunned by the Vice-Director’s blunt transparency.

"Many of you likely deduced this already. Truthfully, we never intended to conceal it. Ultimately, we relied on you, and you relied on us. It was a mutual exploitation."

I wasn’t quite so certain about that arrangement...

"Well, you must be exhausted. I find myself just as depleted. And..."

His eyes settled on Ariel.

"Release them."

As heads turned toward her, Ariel clicked her tongue and hopped off the back of the unfortunate person she had been using as a seat. Giving him a few perfunctory pats, she sighed.

"You were a decent mount."

I averted my gaze, pretending she was a total stranger.

This! This was exactly why I wanted nothing to do with her!

She was completely unhinged!

Worse yet, I glanced at my squad and saw them still sporting those sunglasses, confirming that her madness had spread. It seemed I was the only sane one in my own team.

"Thank you."

Chaos broke out immediately after Ariel released her brainwashed captives. Many began hurling threats at her, shouting things like, 'You crazy bitch! I’ll kill you!' or 'You hag! I’m going to end you!'

Basically, the same sentiment.

They only quieted down after a firm cough from the Vice-Director.

"Huh? Vice-Director?"

"What is he doing here?"

"Wait, don’t tell me..."

Gloom settled over many of them once they understood the trial was over, their glares sharpening at Ariel, who simply sidled up to me with a grin.

"Hello, Squad Leader. How are you holding up? I took the liberty of having some fun while you were occupied. I trust you don't mind."

As she spoke, she produced a pair of sunglasses.

Stop it! Don't you dare!

And she went through with it.

Sliding the glasses on, she muttered, 'How’s this? We’re a matching set now.'

No, far more importantly...

Where in the world did they acquire those sunglasses?

I chose not to reveal my inner turmoil. I gave her a curt nod and refocused on the Vice-Director, maintaining a stoic mask. Honestly, keeping a straight face was a monumental struggle; I could feel the weight of countless resentful eyes pressing into me from every angle.

Among them, one gaze carved through the rest.

One that unsettled me more than the others.

Liora was staring at me, and I felt completely lost. Why was she fixated on me? We hadn't even interacted during the entire duration of the trial. Her look only grew more intense and suffocating as the seconds ticked by.

Did Ariel and the others trigger her somehow?

No, that seemed impossible given they were still standing there.

I sensed something was wrong, but my contemplation was interrupted by a series of loud, mechanical drones in the distance. Turning, I saw several heavy-duty military vehicles rumbling toward us, their tires churning the earth as the engines roared.

As the machines came to a halt, the doors swung open, and figures clad in BUA uniforms emerged.

The Vice-Director’s voice rang out again.

"Board the vehicles. We are transporting you back to the islands. I realize you are all exhausted from the trials. We will finalize the rankings once everyone has been safely returned. In the meantime, I shall remain here to see if any stragglers emerge."

I stood up.

Finding no reason to linger, I turned toward the transport. The others followed suit immediately.

The vehicles were spacious, housing at least twelve seats each. My team and I climbed inside, leaving the remaining empty spots untouched; no one else dared to join us.

Ah, that's right.

A sudden realization struck me.

Something of critical importance.

Caught up in my internal spiraling, I hadn't even noticed he was absent. More importantly, no one had mentioned he was missing.

Leaning my head against the glass, I watched the Vice-Director, currently flanked by Clara, Zoey, and Rowan. They appeared to be questioning him, and he regarded them with a grave expression.

I looked back toward my group, specifically at Mia, who rapidly avoided my eyes.

"Ehm."

Thankfully, Ariel intervened.

"We didn't mention it earlier because we weren't sure of your state after your prolonged absence. Plus, based on how you reappeared, we assumed there might be a chance for him to return as well."

My heart sank.

Don't tell me...

"He has disappeared too. Nobody knows where he is."

"What? How could that happen? Kyle...?"

I understood Kyle’s abilities well—perhaps even better now that—Ah!

Two realizations hit my mind at once: Kyle’s strength surpassed mine, likely leading to his suppression, but there was more.

Reflecting on the moment I stepped into hell, one specific thought spurred me to look inward. I concentrated hard on my internal consciousness.

And there, I felt it.

Kyle’s presence.

He...

The moment Paimon severed my abilities, Kyle had been recalled into my Node. My expression grew increasingly bewildered as I stared back out the window.

As these thoughts settled, the convoy began to move, carrying us toward the surface world.

Just like that.

The Congress reached its conclusion.