Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 618: Hospital [6]

"HIEEEEK! HIEEEEEEK—!"

Piercing shrieks of panic from the Matriarch kept resounding, overwhelming the room and contrasting sharply with its clean, sterile atmosphere.

The nurse entering the room caught my gaze; her head was cocked a bit as she glanced between me and the Matriarch, a slim smile stretching her lips.

"...See what you've caused. With the patient in this state, calming her will take time. Please exit the facility."

Though her voice stayed courteous, I sensed the situation was far from straightforward.

"You’re part of the cult?"

"Cult?"

Her head tilted even more.

"Oh, my. What makes you believe I'd join a cult? Are you unwell too?"

"Don’t think so."

Maybe.

Yeah, probably I was.

"HIEEEEEEK!"

The cries intensified, drawing the nurse's focus back to the Matriarch.

"I still need you to leave the premises. Clearly, the patient is struggling."

"I can tell that."

"Then please—"

"But you see, there are still questions that I’d like to ask her. If possible, could you wait a little bit more?"

The nurse's smile vanished.

The atmosphere changed subtly. Abruptly, it turned oppressively thick.

"This isn’t negotiable. If you continue to obstruct me, I’ll have no choice but to call security. We don’t want things to escalate to that point, do we?"

Hearing her speak, I blinked several times.

We don’t want things to escalate to that point?

"No, but I do."

Why not?

Normally, I avoided trouble, but that was the old me. Now, I had changed. Answers were essential.

I craved answers.

That's the reason I came to this hospital.

I expected to uncover my answers here, fully aware this location might be run by a different cult or group holding the Matriarch captive.

In other words—

"I’m here to cause trouble."

Confusion washed over the nurse's features as she blinked.

"Trouble? I’m just..."

"Yeah, yeah. That’s interesting. Anyways, I still need to talk with her for a bit. If you would be kind and just give me a few more minutes. I’d really appreciate it."

Politeness marked my request, yet the nurse appeared unappreciative. Her eyes narrowed while she lingered at the door.

"Will you really not leave?"

"...Soon."

"I see."

Once again, the nurse smiled.

Then—

Flick!

Darkness swallowed the room as lights extinguished fully, the cardiogram's beep silencing along with the Matriarch’s screams. Silence crashed in abruptly.

The abrupt blackout didn't faze me.

Reaching out, a knife materialized in my hand. Activating its power revealed countless presences lurking around the room.

Roughly three...

This solidified my earlier suspicions.

No ordinary hospital, this place. Some sections might be normal, but others fell under a bizarre cult or faction's control.

Ideal circumstances.

Swoooosh!

A sudden stab lunged my way. Forewarned, I dodged by shifting my head right, triggering [Trait Transfer] to decelerate time.

My attacker wasn't superior in strength. Still cautious, I slashed the knife toward the throat.

Spurt—!

Impact registered immediately, warm liquid spraying me, but satisfaction faded fast as the body dissolved away.

A decoy?

Uncertainty lingered, but no time to dwell.

Swooosh! Swoosh!

Multiple threats surged from behind. Time slowed again via the skill, yet my face changed as I whipped toward the Matriarch.

...Oh.

Realization hit too late.

The assailants barreling at me evaporated like mist, their auras gone. Lights stuttered on, bathing the room in flickering light that exposed the Matriarch—blood pouring from her shirt, knife buried in her chest.

Motionless, I watched the Matriarch.

"I see."

Never their true mark from the beginning. Silencing the Matriarch was the aim.

Yet that sparked a new puzzle...

"Ah, this is annoying."

I scratched the back of my head.

"Even though she was a little crazy, I could’ve just used the Conductor’s music to get her to talk. Now that she’s dead, it’ll make things a lot more difficult for me. Still... I guess it also confirms a few things for me, and..."

Swiveling to the room's entrance, I headed straight for it.

"...It’s not like I’ve lost track of them."

Clank—!

Upon leaving the room, total silence enveloped me. The corridor stood deserted, devoid of any souls, while benches stretched along the walls and doors remained firmly shut on both flanks. The atmosphere grew stagnant and choking, suggesting a frantic evacuation had just occurred.

Scanning the surroundings, my eyes swept beyond the endless pillars vanishing into the gloom, finally locking onto one specific passage as my head cocked faintly.

I held off from pursuing at once.

Rather, I examined my vicinity. The expanse around me.

How did they empty this whole area in such record time? Moments ago, it brimmed with crowds. Were those people illusions? Or some kind of ploy?

Regardless of the truth, I realized orchestrating this demanded serious effort.

Foot tapping the floor rhythmically, I steeled my resolve and began advancing. No matter the chaos unfolding, immobility was no choice. Perils would intensify, and holding position would only spell more trouble ahead.

Naturally, excessive concern eluded me.

Advancing a step, my foot plunged through the surface, the ground crumbling below and yanking me into its depths. Existence warped and crumpled, the floor surging upward until pitch darkness claimed my sight.

In the next instant, I materialized elsewhere. The vista appeared unchanged, but the air hung thicker, more oppressive, with the whole scene bearing a faint, disturbing distortion.

Step. Step—

"Hmm~ Hmm~"

With my faint footsteps reverberating softly, I hummed idly while surveying the surroundings.

I proceeded this way until pausing at a precise location, my gaze lifting gradually skyward.

"Here...?"

My head tilted just a bit, then I nodded affirmatively.

"Yup."

Shutting down the skill, reality imploded around me, the atmosphere swirling anew as vibrant hues flooded back into view. Ahead loomed the backside of a silhouette, frozen in place while addressing another, completely ignorant of my arrival.

"Where are you running off to?"

With no pause, my hand shot toward the nape of their neck.

"...There are still many questions that I need to ask of you."