Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 594: Exposing the Madness [3]

Gazing up at the projected images overhead, I felt utterly baffled. I knew full well that the cameras had failed back then. No chance whatsoever they could've functioned.

Yet...?

Hold on.

A notion suddenly sprang to mind.

Not merely a notion, but a silhouette.

Was it possible?

—Don’t worry, there’s no poison in it.

Leon's voice echoed softly, sparking cheers from the crowd. That outburst jolted me from my reverie, making me swivel toward him. He gazed right back at me, his customary smile vanished.

For an instant, I glimpsed it fleetingly.

Panic.

Indeed, panic gripped him.

—Are you all enjoying the wine?

As the recording played on, 'he' emerged. Even on screen, sunlight's harsh glare concealed his face completely.

Whispers rippled through the audience, murmurs like, 'What? Why's his face hidden? He looks handsome.'

And similar drivel.

If only they understood...

Fortunately, his next statements alerted them to the oddity.

—I heard about your loss. Sam and Jordan were good people. Unfortunately, they left so early. The forest is not for the faint-minded.

Silence fell as the King's declaration resounded everywhere.

—You see, the forest is rather special in the sense that it amplifies a person’s thoughts. However, for such thoughts to appear, one must already feel them in the first place.

—So while it is unfortunate that they chose to go that way, in the end, they found liberation in their own way.

—Some of you, on the other hand, do it because you’re good at it.

—You don’t really find much pleasure in your line of work, but you do enjoy being the center of attention. You like showing your abilities and receiving all the praise from the media and your fans.

The crowd caught his quick glance at Leon, igniting fresh whispers.

'Is he referring to Leon?'

'...No chance. Just a coincidence. Nothing to it.'

'Right, Leon's great. Impossible.'

Those murmurs reached me as I kept eyeing Leon, who now scanned the surroundings. He appeared eager to halt the screening.

Yet it pressed on relentlessly.

The view soon changed.

—Hahaha, if it isn’t Leon. I recognize you.

The perspective switched to mine, with Leon beside me, nodding to the vanished team members.

My breath hitched, confirming my earlier hunch.

'No question now. Paimon's behind this.'

He...

'Ha.'

I pressed a hand to my mouth, fighting back laughter. I realized this was no laughing matter—especially with what followed—but it proved too much. After all I'd endured, he was the least expected ally.

And above all...

Watching Leon's face darken steadily, holding back proved nearly impossible.

'Squad Leader...?'

'Are you... okay?'

Joanna and the others' concerned tones prompted my quick reassurance.

'I’m fine. Just a little cough.'

'Yeah, but...' Joanna glanced skyward at the distant screens, muttering, 'I knew you'd ventured off, but never imagined it'd be this horrifying.'

The clip advanced.

Matters deteriorated further.

—It’s been almost a decade since we’ve been here. There’s no way you’ve only recently joined the ranks. I guess that memory must mean a lot to you for you to cling to it so much.

What cracked me up most was the obvious edit in the video.

'Yeah, they were trashing the BUA right there.'

Naturally, that segment got snipped.

—We’re not treated like trash over here. We can drink, sleep, and have fun every day. Nobody forces us to do anything! It’s practically paradise.

The venue's sinister influence dawned on all.

Viewers inhaled sharply, grasping its dread as hush descended.

—I’ll stay here with them. You go ahead and look for the information. We’ll meet up down here.

As the lost teammate passed me the key, the lens pivoted again.

Now I observed myself vanishing into the castle, viewing it raptly.

'Leon’s viewpoint...'

Assuming events unfolded as recalled, Leon would trail me shortly.

And indeed—

—On second thought, I’d like to follow him. He might get lost.

—Hahaha, do that. The castle is quite big after all.

Leon gave a courteous salute to the group before stepping inside. The vast familiar hall filled the screens as he advanced.

Every trace of calm deserted Leon's features while he glanced about frantically.

No matter his search, no aid appeared as the recording rolled, leading him to a specific chamber.

—He should be here...?

Pausing at the ajar door, he wavered briefly before entering. That's when he spotted me, tampering with an object as something dangled overhead.

Gasps unified the onlookers, but the dismay intensified as I approached the corpse, rigging my own noose.

Spotlights returned to me, tension thickening palpably.

I ignored the surrounding stares.

Instead...

'This sequence I recall, but the Realmwalker should've shown by now. Leon missed it entirely. He must've tweaked the footage and our senses.'

Events diverged slightly from memory, yet I grasped the flow.

—Hmm, I see. So everyone below is dead. It’s just like the forest. The people below are just souls. Should I help him?

Leon's murmur truly amused me, drawing eyes to him as his expression soured further.

And shortly—

—Nah, that won’t benefit me.

The frame altered, broadcasting my suicide globally.

Sound vanished utterly, eyes bulging in horror—some at my deed, others at his callousness.

I understood their reaction.

Leon projected flawless charm, the ever-cheerful ideal.

Yet...

The footage exposed the truth as he retreated toward the gathering.

Chaos exploded among the spectators.

'What the hell is this?!'

'Fake, right? Can't be real...?'

'Was he deceiving us all along?'

'No way! Competition rules—he couldn't sacrifice himself!'

Defenders existed, but their numbers dwindled post-next lines.

—After all, what can someone who’s already died do with that?

—They don’t realize it, but they’ve already been affected. Their minds are weak, and they’ve succumbed to the comfort that is presented around them.

—You’ve fallen for the temptation.

—I’ve seen you fall for the temptation. I saw everything, and I didn’t stop it when I could’ve.

—From the start, I never trusted you. I didn’t let you go up there because I wanted you to find the information. I let you go up there because I knew something was going to happen. From the moment you were in the forest, I could see it.

—I was shocked when you managed to rank ahead of me during the First Trial. Honestly, I was really having a hard time keeping it together. If not for the fact that I knew that we were being watched, I wouldn’t have been trying so hard to look friendly.

His words multiplied, silencing the din progressively.

Soon, every gaze pinned him, his visage rigid with strain.

—Seeing the current state that you’re in, all is good. My competition is now gone, and I can just claim credit for everything. There’s no doubt about it that I’ll now rank first.

Beholding that spectacle, resistance crumbled.

Though aware it was improper and I fought valiantly, the impulse overwhelmed me.

I simply couldn't hold back, erupting into unrestrained laughter.