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

Chapter 327: Dinner [1]

I had to blink a couple of times to fully snap out of it as I looked around me. Seeing everyone looking in my direction, I waved my hand.

“…I am fine.”

I wasn’t.

However, as the Squad Leader, I had to make it seem like I was fine.

“I just had some weird vision. I’m not entirely sure if it’s because I’m tired, or because it is part of the scenario, but I’m sharing it with you all.”

There was no need for me to gatekeep the vision. Sure, it could very well be because of my tiredness, but what if it wasn’t…?

I couldn’t remain silent for something as important as this.

“A vision…? What sort of vision did you have?”

Leaning forward, I began to explain to them exactly what I had seen. From feeling subtle hints of something from the mural behind, to the desiccated and rotten face.

“…I think the corpse had black hair. Thinning black hair. The eyes were hollow, and it had a nose ring. That’s the thing that I was able to notice in the split moment.”

The moment I finished speaking, everyone turned quiet, Mia, Sarah, Nora, and the others slowly turning their attention towards the mural behind. Eventually, Nora broke the silence.

“I can’t sense anything from it.”

“…Me too. It looks like some sort of mannequin.”

“I also don’t see anything.”

As the others looked at the mural behind, they didn’t seem to notice anything strange about it. They just thought it was a normal mural.

This made me glad to some extent.

’Maybe it was really just me.’

Of course, I couldn’t rule out the possibility that I was special. I was, in fact, special. I was very well aware of that fact, and so, I kept the vision to heart as I continued to scan the surroundings.

I thought I’d be able to notice something else, but not even a minute after I began looking around, the soft toll of a bell echoed.

Dong—

Immediately, all eyes fell towards the door of the venue as they opened not long after, several people dressed in white entered.

Similar to the attendants, they had smiles on their faces, but unlike the attendants, they all felt more life-like. They had a sort of pure look on them with their white clothes, and as they came in, the attendants bowed down slightly.

“Welcome. Welcome.”

An elderly man with a long white beard raised his hand, prompting the attendants to stop bowing while looking in our general direction.

“It’s such a pleasure to see all of you present at our hotel. I’m one of the managing members of the hotel, and I’ve come to personally greet you and apologize for the inconvenience that has occurred today.”

His words were soft, and for a brief moment, I even thought he was just a regular old man.

The more I looked at him, the more it seemed to be this way. From the soft look in his face, to his features, and general demeanor. He didn’t strike me as anything but a regular old man.

“For the first apology, I’d like to offer you all some of the best cooking that we can offer.”

He turned his attention towards the chefs, who bowed slightly. Moments later, the doors opened wider and more attendants walked in, each carrying a different tray of food.

A nice scent wafted into the room shortly after, as I started to salivate.

“W-wow… that smells good.”

The others also shared the same feeling, all eyes drawing towards the approaching food. For a moment, the thought of touching and eating the food crossed my mind, but I was quick to snap out of it.

’No, there’s no way this is food that I can eat.’

This was a gate.

I knew that things weren’t going to be so simple.

Thankfully, the others also appeared to share the same feelings as the attendants moved closer to us and placed a dish on our table.

Opening the metal lid, a fresh plate of meat appeared, the strong aroma wafting through the air even more powerful than before. My stomach rumbled at the smell, but I pushed all thoughts of eating aside.

“This right here is one of our most special dishes. Filet Noir au Vin Sombre, with a special touch of pepper sauce, glazed with a little wine.”

Sat at the head of the table, the old man leaned forward, his fingers brushing the edges of the silver platter as he introduced the dish, his voice smooth and unnervingly calm. The other men in white stood behind him, their smiles wide.

“…Ah, please. I shouldn’t interrupt you any longer. Let’s get to tasting the dishes.”

Picking up the fork and knife, the old man began to eat the food.

But—

He was the only one to do so.

None of us dared to even touch the food, staring at it with deep apprehension, the silence around the table growing heavier with each passing second. The dish sat there, steaming gently, its glossy surface catching the dim chandelier light in unnatural ways.

As if sensing our hesitation, the smile on the old man’s face began to falter. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the corners of his mouth twitched downward.

The men in white behind him didn’t move, but their smiles remained frozen.

“Are you not going to eat the food? It’s best to eat it while it’s warm.”

A sudden tension rose within the room as the heads of every attendant turned toward us. Their smiles remained, but the warmth behind them had vanished.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

“…..”

The old man sat motionless at the head of the table, his eyes fixed on us now with such intensity that it made my heart palpitate. It was almost as if he was waiting to see who would eat first.

’What do we do?’ Whispers echoed as he stared at us, the other teams talking with one another as Joanna and the other members of my team looked at me. I didn’t answer and stared at the dish in front of me.

Should we eat the food…? The thought crossed my mind, but only for a split second. I’d be foolish to eat the food that came from a gate. However, staring at the old man and feeling the intensity of his gaze, I almost felt compelled to eat the food.

It felt like something really bad was going to happen if I didn’t touch the—

BANG!

“….!?”

“….!!”

I nearly jumped from fright as a hand slammed down on the table, the sharp sound cutting through the silence like a crack of thunder.

Slowly, I turned my head, every muscle tense.

My heart skipped a beat.

The old man was staring directly at us now, his hand still resting on the table. His expression had changed. It was no longer welcoming.

Just cold.

As if he had finally lost his patience.

“Are you going to not going to eat the food?” He asked again, this time, his voice was even colder. So cold that for a moment, I felt the back of my spine tingle.

I wanted to pick up the fork, but a good part of me told me that it was a stupid idea.

’Think, think. This must be the goal of the scenario. Find a way not to eat the food. Fin—’

“Very well.”

The old man’s voice turned soft again, the coldness and tension in the room fading completely.

With the same smile as before, he grabbed the knife and fork and began eating again.

“You are all missing out.”