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

Chapter 634: Cedrick Vale [1]

The entire world was white. The brightness lingered in my vision for several long moments, swallowing everything as I struggled to see or feel anything at all. Slowly, the sensation began to fade, and before long, I found myself back in the game office.

The place was entirely empty, not a single presence to be found. I looked around cautiously, scanning the quiet space before finally taking a seat.

“Haaa.”

I took a deep breath, feeling a little exhausted.

Despite it only being a conversation, it had taken more out of me than I expected. It felt as though I had to weigh every word carefully, and that even the slightest misstep, even for a moment, would have cost me my life.

But despite his temptations, I never once wavered.

From the start, my mind was clear.

’Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ve managed to acquire what I’ve been looking for.’

I looked at the papers in my hand and set them on the table.

Tap. Tap.

My thoughts lingered on the conversation I’d had with Paimon, but only for a few seconds before I pushed them aside, shifting my full attention to the papers laid out before me.

“Should I have a look?”

I counted the pages. There were about twelve in total, each one dense with detail. My eyes skimmed over the information before settling on the first page.

“Oh?”

The page was extremely detailed, and as my eyes moved over the information, I found a faint smile forming before I even realized it. Especially the moment my gaze settled on the name written down.

“…So that’s your name.”

Found you~

***

Milia.

Located on the outskirts of the Central Island, just a few hours away by plane, the island was moderately sized, with a peak population of 3 million. What set Milian apart from most satellite islands was the presence of four King-Grade Guilds, alongside several Queen-Grade Guilds.

Among these guilds, the most notable was the Cloud Reverence Guild, its influence standing above the rest.

Although it was a far cry from the guilds of the Oak Circle or the top five, it was still a relatively notable organization, one that regularly participated in the World Congress.

At the moment, a meeting was being held within the Guild.

Standing at the front was a tall man with short dark hair and a relatively fit build, his posture straight as he faced the gathered guild members.

“The current situation is rather delicate. Even though the World Congress has ended, the sudden rise of the Severed Stars Guild has created a gap within the Oak Circle and the top guilds. I’m afraid things will start to get rough soon.”

“But how does that involve us?”

One of the guild members suddenly asked.

To her question, the Team Leader replied, “I honestly don’t know as of yet. We’ve yet to see any sort of movement from the large Guilds, but it won’t be long before the large Guilds make a move and try to swallow up the Severed Stars Guild. Their foundation is too weak.”

Suddenly, the Team Leader sighed.

“Honestly, their performance in the World Congress was worthy of praise. However, that success is a curse in itself. I’m certain those from the Helios Vanguard Guild aren’t pleased. Not only that, but I’ve heard their star member has renewed his contract with them. I’m not so sure that was the smartest decision he could’ve taken.”

Once more, the Team Leader sighed. He felt that it was rather pitiful that the situation had turned out like this.

The iron grip that the Oak Circle and the top guilds held over the others was far from small. Though rare, and never quite as extreme as the Severed Stars Guild, there had been attempts by lesser guilds to break free from that control. Every time, it ended the same way.

Merger, or complete absorption.

This was why the Team Leader felt pity for the Severed Stars Guild.

“But enough about them.”

The Team Leader’s expression suddenly became serious as he scanned the room.

“The reason I called this meeting today is because of the abnormalities I’ve begun to notice around us. There have been numerous reports of people going missing. Has anyone discovered what’s happening?”

Silence followed the Team Leader’s question, prompting him to frown as she scanned the surroundings.

“Nothing…?”

The silence lingered, stretching across the room. Just as the Team Leader was about to speak again, a soft yet deep voice echoed from within the crowd.

“…I’ve studied the situation a bit.”

All heads turned towards a certain direction.

“Cedrick?”

The Team Leader tilted his head slightly, his attention settling on the young man with messy dark hair that obscured his features. His build was lanky, and his clothes hung loosely on him, as though they were a size too large.

Being a Team Leader, he was naturally aware of him.

But the same couldn’t be said for the others, as Cedrick rarely stood out.

He was rather average in that aspect.

Even his performances were rather average. The fact that he had yet to be cut was a miracle in itself.

’No, perhaps that’s a skill in itself.’

The Team Leader’s opinion of Cedrick was neither high nor low. He simply treated him as any other recruit. So long as they didn’t die or make any mistakes, he was fine with them.

“What have you found?”

“…Ehm, so… the victims all appear to be male. From what I’ve managed to figure out, they all disappeared around the same area in the western district.”

“Western District? That’s a rather poor area. Is there a pattern to the missing people? Age? What about their age? Is the age the same? Or anything of the sort?”

The Team Leader was particular about the details.

Although such details seemed insignificant at first glance, in cases like these, even the smallest piece of information could help form a clearer picture later on. Nothing could be overlooked, as any detail might reveal what was truly going on.

“Ah, yes.”

Cedrick replied slowly as he brushed his hair slightly.

“Each victim appears to be between twenty and thirty years of age. There have been a total of seventeen disappearances over the past month, and all of them share the same zodiac sign.”

“Zodiac sign?”

The Team Leader was taken aback as he looked at Cedrick.

“And… what sign exactly?”

“Cancer.”

Cedrick replied softly.

“Their Zodiac sign… It’s cancer for all of them.”

The room fell silent as the Team Leader looked in Cedrick’s direction. He stood like that for a brief moment, musing over the entire situation before eventually nodding his head.

“Alright, thank you very much for this information. This will be helpful for us later.”

He then turned his attention towards the recruits.

“With seventeen people missing in just the past month, it’s clear the situation is serious. I want several teams assigned to this case. Look into it carefully and make sure to analyze everything.” Pausing, the Team Leader took a deep breath as he muttered seriously, “I’m afraid we may be dealing with a high-class anomaly.”

Tapping his fingers lightly against the table, the Team Leader’s brows furrowed as he retrieved his phone. He glanced at it briefly before looking back at the recruits, turning it over in his hand.

“Seems like another person has gone missing. A code red has been issued.”