Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! Chapter 746: Stuck [2]

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Previously on Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary!...

Zoey learns that Seth has disappeared and suspects he is trapped in his game development room, known as the torture chambers. She also realizes the anomaly that the Guild was tracking may have gone with him. Meanwhile, Seth wakes up in the room, finding himself unable to leave and his nodes unresponsive, leaving him stranded as midnight approaches.

Step—!

Aware of what was to come, I didn’t show much of a reaction. Instead, I quietly sat in my own seat and waited for the steps to come closer.

The steps moved closer and closer as I sat inside the office, waiting for them to draw even closer.

I remained seated in my seat, slowly turning the monitor on my screen to face the opposite direction while booting up a few other monitors inside the room at the same time.

The soft hum of the lights and computer were the only sounds I could hear.

Step! Step!

They were even closer now.

Very likely a few doors away.

’Okay.’

Grabbing anything that was left on the desk, I stood up and moved away from my spot. Unlike last time, however, I didn’t bother touching it. Instead, I moved to a better spot where I could hide myself.

Entering one of the pods, I slowly closed the lid.

Taking out my phone, I connected it to the cameras on my monitors.

It was a pretty neat feature I hadn’t thought about before. Best yet, it didn’t require any Wi-Fi.

I had a goal in mind this time.

If it worked, then it was certainly

Step—!

’Almost here.’

I stared at my phone, three different windows appearing before me, the image quality a little lower than I would’ve liked. The angles didn’t cover everything either, leaving a few blind spots behind, but it was still good enough to cover the areas around me.

’I’ve yet to see what these teachers actually look like. I can take this chance to look at them, and...’

I lifted my head slightly to look at the holographic panel in front of me.

[Select Game Engine]

----

◉ U-Engine

◉ Game Developer Engine

◉ Virtual Game Engine

◉ Horror Gate Developer Engine

----

The familiar page appeared

I quickly navigated through it before reaching a certain page.

----

[Anomalies]

◉ Twisted Man: 40,000SP

◉ Blood Butcher: 25,000SP

◉ [Slot Open]

Description : Roster drawn from anomalies personally encountered and analyzed; four slots max; captured or contained ones excluded.

----

My eyes stopped on the two empty slots.

’Right.’

This was what I wanted to test.

There were still several things I didn’t completely understand about the engine, especially when it came to the Gate development aspect, but there was no perfect time to test things now.

I pressed one of the empty slots.

----

[Slot Open]

Would you like to analyze a nearby anomaly?

[Yes]

[No]

----

"..."

My finger hovered over the option.

Step!

The sound came from right outside the office.

My heart tightened slightly.

’Perfect timing.’

I pressed [Yes].

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

----

[Searching...]

----

A faint tingling sensation spread behind my eyes.

It was a familiar sensation.

Similar to the sensation I felt whenever I used the sunglasses, except this time it felt considerably stronger. Almost as if something thin had stretched out from me, and the world around me had frozen solid.

Through the pod.

Through the room.

...A biting cold pressed me on all sides.

’Should’ve fucking warned me before I did this.’

I couldn’t stop shivering.

Click.

Through the cameras, I watched as the office handle moved.

"...."

I lowered the brightness of my phone.

The door slowly opened.

Creeeeak—

Through the first camera, I saw a thin hand curl around the side of the frame.

One finger.

Then another.

They were just as long as I remembered. Maybe even longer. The hand rested there for several seconds before the rest of the creature entered.

"..."

My breathing stopped.

For the first time, I could actually see it properly.

Or...

Most of it.

Its body was unnaturally thin.

A dark suit hung from its frame, fitting loosely around shoulders that looked narrow for something that tall. Its arms reached almost to its knees, each one swaying slightly whenever it moved.

But its neck—

’What the...’

My eyes slowly rose towards the upper portion of the screen. The camera didn’t capture its head. Its neck simply continued upwards.

Past the top of the frame.

"...Seriously?"

How tall was this thing?

Even back when I had been taking lessons, I hadn’t realized it was this big.

The creature stepped inside.

Step.

The sound passed through the pod. Even with the thick material surrounding me, I could feel the vibration beneath my back.

Then another panel appeared.

----

[Analysis initiated.]

[—[11%]————————]

----

’Good.’

Keeping my eyes on the screen, I took a shallow breath. The teacher didn’t seem to notice anything. It slowly moved further into the office, its head still outside the camera’s view as it passed the desks.

For a moment, I almost felt relieved.

Then—

The creature stopped.

"..."

My thumb froze against the side of the phone.

It hadn’t reached anything.

There was nothing in front of it.

Yet it had stopped.

Completely.

Even its arms had stopped moving.

"...Why did it—"

----

[Warning.]

[Target has detected external interference.]

----

"——!"

My expression changed.

"What?"

The words had barely left my lips when another message appeared.

----

[Analysis places direct observational pressure upon target.]

[Target has perceived the analysis.]

----

"...."

A cold sensation ran across my back.

’It can feel it?’

You should’ve fucking told me beforehand!

I almost cursed at the system, but held myself back. Now was not the time.

My grip over the phone tightened.

The teacher slowly tilted its head.

Or at least—

I assumed it did.

I couldn’t quite tell.

It folded slightly towards one side, several deep creases appearing across its skin as the upper portion disappeared beyond the camera.

And then...

It started turning.

Slowly.

Towards the monitor.

"..."

My eyes widened.

The first camera was attached directly above it.

The teacher stared upwards.

I couldn’t see its face.

But I knew.

It was looking directly at the camera.

"Fuck."

----

[———[37%]——————]

----

’This is too slow.’

I pressed my back harder against the pod, staring at the bar in front of me.

The teacher remained motionless for a moment before one of its arms slowly rose, its fingers stretching upwards towards the camera.

Tik—

One fingernail touched the lens.

The image shook.

My grip tightened around the phone.

Tik.

Another tap.

Then—

CRACK!

The entire first window turned black.

"—!"

My grip tightened further.

’It knows.’

There was no question about it anymore. It wasn’t just aware that something was looking at it... It knew exactly where the gaze was coming from.

Step.

The second camera caught it moving away from the destroyed one.

Its neck turned towards the monitor on my desk.

"...No."

I stared at the feed.

The screen was facing away from the pod, exactly as I’d positioned it.

There shouldn’t have been anything displayed on that side.

But the teacher walked towards it anyway.

Step.

My heart sank.

’It can feel that I’m looking, but doesn’t know exactly where I am. Should I just turn off the cameras?’

The thought did cross my mind, but I quickly shut it off.

The cameras were serving as a means to distract it.

I could tell.

The moment I shut them off, it was going to come to me directly.

----

[Notice.]

[Target is attempting to locate source of observation.]

----

"..."

My lips parted slightly.

’...No shit.’

The creature stopped beside the monitor and slowly reached one long hand behind it, resting a finger against the edge before rotating the screen.

Creeeak—

Until the monitor faced it.

The camera mounted above captured the movement.

The creature lowered its head.

For the first time—

Something entered the frame.

"..."

My stomach tightened.

It wasn’t a face. At least... I didn’t think it was.

The top of its neck bent forward until something pale appeared at the edge of the screen, revealing a raw, burned patch of skin, warped and melted smooth where its eyes, nose, and mouth should’ve been.

It hovered just a few centimeters away from the monitor.

’...What the hell is this?’

My fingers tightened around the phone.

What fucking teacher is this?

The thing suddenly moved.

Tok!

Its head struck the monitor, and the screen turned black.

Tok!

Once more, the screen shook.

Tok!

And soon, I lost the camera feed.

Immediately, my attention fell on my phone.