Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 607: Obsidian Bastion [4]

Ultimately, I ended up climbing into the car. Though I remained utterly baffled by the circumstances, I chose to tag along anyway.

My curiosity overpowered me, yet Liora’s stare felt overwhelmingly intense today more than anything. Settling into the back seat, I observed the doors closing as she started driving off.

Silence enveloped the rear seat, turning the quiet into a choking pressure.

Unease intensified each time I met Liora’s eyes in the rearview mirror. She glanced back repeatedly, as though on the brink of speaking, only to hold back and shake her head.

What? What?

Just say it!!

That silence was truly wearing me down.

All of this played out in my imagination, yet it beat enduring her total quiet far better.

At the very least, I could dismiss her outright.

I’d handled folks like that plenty before.

Fortunately, the ordeal wrapped up quickly.

Before long, a colossal structure rose into view afar, its lofty rectangular silhouette snaring sunlight in harsh, icy flashes. The jet-black surface appeared daunting and strangely otherworldly, devouring the rays instead of mirroring them, while the vehicle eased to a crawl, the monolith swelling larger and more oppressive by the moment.

Frankly, it outshone the Severed Stars Guild by leaps and bounds. The Guild didn’t even command the full building.

Well...

I realized that wouldn’t hold true much longer. Given the Guild’s explosive growth lately, we’d surely claim the whole structure or construct a fresh one. That said, even a from-scratch Guild headquarters probably couldn’t rival the grandeur looming before us.

The edifice was outright gigantic, ringed by sky-high barriers that sprawled every which way, sealing the vast compound tight.

Countless roads funneled toward it from all angles, thronged with endless lines of vehicles. The routes tangled and crossed in layers, crafting a dizzying, near-3D web no eyes could untangle.

Our car traced one path, then swerved onto a secluded lane burrowing under the immense walls.

The barriers split apart automatically, humming deeply as they unveiled a sprawling underground garage. Piercing lights overhead bathed the sea of SUVs stretching endlessly, their murky hulls gleaming back the harsh illumination.

Once parked, Liora hopped out as my left-side door popped open, and I mirrored her move.

Exiting the vehicle, the space hit even harder, its ceiling vaulting meters overhead to create an endless, gaping void. Regrettably, no chance to soak it in—Liora marched onward without breaking stride.

What in the world was her deal?

Fearing I’d lose her, I quickened my steps while she guided me toward a bank of elevators.

She jabbed the call button, and with my curiosity at its limit, I blurted out, "Where are you taking me? You’ve stayed silent the whole trip, leaving me totally in the dark. I’d really appreciate if you—"

Ding!

The elevator chimed sharply, doors gliding apart. Liora entered wordlessly, slumping against the back wall with arms folded, eyes locked on the floor indicator.

My mouth opened, then snapped shut.

Truthfully, irritation was building, but I stepped in regardless as the lift rocketed upward to the penthouse level.

In that heavy quiet, Liora at last addressed me.

"You..."

I whipped my head her way.

"You’re not right in the head."

"...."

My jaw just hung there.

Staring at her, countless retorts bubbled up, but I settled for a grin.

"And I figured you’d actually answer properly."

"That’s not what I mean."

Liora jabbed a finger at her temple abruptly.

"...You’re sick."

I froze.

"Very sick."

Ding—!

[Floor 89]

Doors parted once more, and Liora exited. I followed in a stupor, her words echoing in my thoughts.

Hold on—did she mean my Cognitive Shard? Had she uncovered it?

A glossy hallway unfolded right outside the elevator, its smooth walls bouncing soft lights along the sophisticated expanse.

Liora pressed on confidently, steering me deeper into a quieter wing until a grand wooden portal loomed ahead, dominating the elegant backdrop.

To Tok—

Halting at the threshold, she rapped once and paused.

Moments later—

"Come in."

A gentle, inviting voice drifted through as Liora swung the door wide, exposing a lavish office beyond.

The layout rang familiar, one I’d glimpsed often before.

Expansive panes lined the opposite wall, framing the sprawling cityscape below, with sunlight flooding in to etch gleaming streaks across the shiny flooring.

Yet the figure commanding the room’s heart seized my focus—a man ramrod straight, gripping a golf club two-handed, poised over a tiny ball at his feet.

As we crossed the threshold, he unleashed the swing in one fluid arc. The club connected perfectly, launching the ball toward the glass with a piercing crack that reverberated everywhere.

I arched a brow instantly, bracing for the shatter—yet impossibly, it didn’t occur.

Rather, the ball winked out of existence inches from the window, erased like it had never existed.

I blinked repeatedly, floored by the vanishing act.

"Ah, too bad. Felt like I nailed it this round."

The voice sounded again, familiar now, as he pivoted to face us. Shock rippled through me at the sight—I knew this face from somewhere.

"Haha, no matter. Thrilled to meet my fresh visitor."

He set the club aside, straightened his polo under the cardigan, then ambled to his chair and sank in.

Reclined at ease, he drummed a finger on the desk before raising eyes to me.

His scrutiny weighed heavier the longer it lingered.

...Hard to pinpoint, but something about it unsettled me deeply.

"Good. Good."

Good. Good. What?

"I see why you shone in the Congress. Order counts for plenty, but mentality seals the deal. Yours towers over the pack."

"Thank you...?"

To be honest, I was adrift.

His abrupt flattery left me grasping for intent.

Recruitment pitch?

If that was it—

"While I value the praise out of nowhere, I..."

"I’m not trying to recruit you."

The elder cut in smoothly, face still kindly.

"No cause for concern there. We have no plans to enlist you."

"Then...?"

"Quite straightforward."

His finger tapped the surface anew.

"I’m not recruiting you. Not at all. Instead, I aim to assist with another matter."

"Assist? With what...?"

"The issue in your mind."

He touched his temple, chuckling softly.

"...You’ve got a broken node, don’t you?"