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

Chapter 281: Third Order [2] "Okay, I’ve got all the fragments that I need.

" I counted all of them.

Twenty, with an average percentage of 75%.

This was quite good.

’I’d like it if I could get higher, but this is still very good.

Maybe next time, I’ll try aiming even higher.

’ I took out a book and placed it next to me.

This was all the information that I had managed to gather about nodes.

There were three types of nodes.

Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced.

From First to Second Order, one would unlock the first two Basic Nodes.

Following this, they would unlock the Intermediate Node when reaching the Third Order.

’It says right here that there’s quite a bit of a difference between Basic and Intermediate nodes.

’ Basic nodes were harder and less fragile than Intermediate Nodes.

However, it was also true that Intermediate Nodes were a lot more powerful.

They served as connecting nodes for the truly powerful Advanced Nodes.

Their method of unlocking was also subtly different from Basic Nodes.

It wasn’t as simple as just using the fragments and going to the next level.

’...

I have to apparently choose the path within the lattice.

’ I scratched the side of my head at this part.

I was quite honestly confused about this aspect.

From what I understood, the lattice was essentially the neuron path of the brain.

’In essence, I have to choose which path to take.

’ It sounded simple enough, but I had no clue which path to take.

There was no clear explanation for it in the book.

I had even tried to research more on the topic, but there was nothing.

I even thought about asking Kyle, but he just answered with a, ’Huh?

Why are you looking at this stuff?

Well, it’s kind of a thing that you just figure out when it happens.

Still, I didn’t know you were interested in this.

Do you want to awaken?

’ I simply shook my head.

Talk about useful...

"Something you figure out when it happens, huh?

" I looked at the shards in front of me before walking up to the door and locking it.

Shortly after, I checked the time.

[15:33] "...

Okay.

" Without further ado, I turned back and headed for the other door in the room.

Reaching for the doorknob, I unlocked it and then pulled it open to reveal an empty classroom.

".....

" I didn’t know how to feel while staring at the room, but I didn’t have much of a choice.

Even though the door of the office was locked, there was no guarantee that nobody would try to force their way in, especially since there was a chance I might end up making a lot of noise.

’Maybe not even noise, but they might feel some sort of strange energy which might force them to do something.

’ Whatever the case was, I needed to be careful.

As such, I decided to use the classroom that the Section Chief had been so kind to give me.

Stepping into the place, I looked around.

Nothing much had changed.

Besides the fact that the tables and chairs were missing.

It was all the same as before.

I had removed them before in order to make space for the game studio that I was planning.

There was still no progress on that side.

"Let’s not waste any more time.

" I placed the fragments on the ground, and then hovered my hand over them.

A notification appeared before me shortly after.

[Twenty fragments have been located!

][You have met the criteria to advance][The purity level is 75.

3%][Do you wish to advance?

]▶[Yes] ▷[No] I looked at the notifications with a complicated look, recalling the pain I had experienced back then after I pressed yes.

In the end, I was back to the same point.

It was probably going to hurt even more this time.

And knowing this— I still pressed [Yes].

The fragments flared into life, flooding the entire room with a blinding light unlike the previous time.

It was sharp and took hold of the entire room.

I didn’t even have enough time before a sharp pain pierced through my mind.

It was intense!

So intense that I didn’t even have the time to scream.

It came quickly and flooded my mind immediately.

In just a few seconds, the world turned dark.

I lost consciousness.

* Long white lines, formless and shifting.

They faded in and out, like ghosts trying to take shape.

Then, two bright orbs appeared, connected by a single white strand.

It wasn’t just a simple connection.

It was a fragment of something much bigger.

A lattice.

All around me, black orbs emerged, scattered across a vast, complex web.

But ominous of all was the dark mist that covered a major part of the lattice, its presence sending shivers down my mind.

’Where is this...?

’ I stared at the sight in confusion, but it didn’t take long for me to understand where I was.

’Right, this must be the lattice that they were talking about.

’ It was massive.

There were orbs everywhere, each black.

The only two that stood out were the bright ones ahead of me.

No....

I looked towards the distance.

Towards the massive red orb that appeared, hidden behind the mist.

It was small and faint, but I could see it.

I felt my mind stir at the sight.

That red orb...

It was almost as if it was calling for me.

I felt tempted to reach for it, but it was way too far for me.

However, a part of me told me that I needed to go for it.

’I think I finally get it.

’ What Kyle had been trying to say to me.

That I’d just understand.

I understood, now.

I looked at the numerous paths in front of me.

It was like some sort of maze.

Each node needed to be connected in order to create a path for the red orb.

That was the end goal.

But— Staring at the numerous black orbs scattered around, and seeing the path ahead completely covered up by the strange mist, I understood that reaching the red orb was easier said than done.

I had a sudden understanding.

’That orb must be the final point, and up until then, I must connect the orbs in order to reach out.

’ Unfortunately, with the mist blocking the sight, finding the right path to reach the red orb seemed incredibly hard.

’...

what exactly is this mist?

And what will happen once I reach the red orb?

Is the mist possibly connected to the mist that surrounds the island?

’ I looked around.

At all the dark orbs, and understood something.

Those were probably the other Decrees.

Everyone had the same starting point.

However, what differed was the path that one took to reach the red orb.

Everyone went blind, including me, as I looked at the numerous paths ahead of me.

There were so many dark orbs that I could connect with, but had no idea which one to choose.

’What’s the right path?

Is it just random?

No, it has to be more than that?

’ I tried to see if there was a definite path, but there wasn’t.

It just seemed like a sort of endless maze that I could only choose randomly, hoping for the best result.

...

Or at least, that was how it seemed to be at first.

The fog began to stir unknowingly.

’Hm?

’ It was subtle, but as the fog stirred, a path appeared before me.

And so did a certain black orb.

I didn’t know what was happening, but I didn’t hesitate.

In that moment, I felt it.

That path...

It was the right path.

A white light beamed from one of the bright nodes and connected the dark orb as it suddenly stirred, springing to life.

The world was engulfed in white, and before I knew it, the same went for me as my eyes flared open.

"....!?

" A familiar ceiling appeared with it.

Alongside it was a notification.

I stared at it and froze.

"...

Oh.

" That’s...