Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary!
Chapter Summary
" Not surprisingly, I wasn’t the only one taken aback by the numerous jeers directed our way. Each Guild wore a different uniform, their styles unique to each Guild, and as I looked around, it didn’t take long for me to find our banner as I walked towards it. Taking the time to move towards where my team was, I was just about to talk to them when I was suddenly stopped by a woman with short brown hair and a mole under her chin.
Chapter 525: World Congress [1] Besides the jeers, there were some cheers.
There were people who appeared to care about us and me.
But to my ears, such voices were drowned out by the jeers and boos I was receiving from those who disliked us.
’...
I need to keep it together.
’ I couldn’t let myself smile.
Otherwise...
"This is ridiculous.
" Not surprisingly, I wasn’t the only one taken aback by the numerous jeers directed our way.
Looking around her, Zoey frowned.
"Are we seriously that unlikable?
" "No, not you.
Him.
" I looked as Kyle pointed at me.
Zoey opened her mouth, most likely trying to disagree with him.
For some strange reason, she had been acting strange around me.
It seemed like she was trying to help me more and pay more attention to me, but I could also tell it wasn’t from a place of affection.
To some extent...
It almost felt as though she was trying to say something to me, but couldn’t.
In the end, Zoey sighed and closed her mouth.
Looks like she can’t think of anything to disagree with Kyle’s assessment.
"You’re ruining our reputation.
" Kyle said while staring me straight in the eye.
His face was straight, and I could tell that he was joking.
Thus, I just nodded.
"I know.
" After that, I focused on my surroundings, ignoring the boos and attention directed at us.
The arena was massive.
Larger than anything I had ever seen.
Teams were scattered throughout the space, each gathered beneath banners that represented their Guilds.
Each Guild wore a different uniform, their styles unique to each Guild, and as I looked around, it didn’t take long for me to find our banner as I walked towards it.
"For now, it’s important that all of you stay together.
No one knows what the trials will be like or how they’ll unfold.
Each Congress is different.
The only thing you need to know is that you must be absolutely ready for whatever is coming.
" Section Chief White continued to lecture us even after we arrived at our banner.
We could only silently listen as the crowd stopped paying attention to us and turned to the newer Guilds that entered.
"Waaaaaah—!
" Cheers.
Jeers.
I heard them all.
Taking the time to move towards where my team was, I was just about to talk to them when I was suddenly stopped by a woman with short brown hair and a mole under her chin.
She was dressed in neat clothes, and after staring at her, my eyes narrowed.
’For some reason, she seems familiar.
’ "Hi~" Her voice was friendly.
"You must be Seth Thorne, correct?
My name is Elizabeth Motip, and I’m here to conduct a small interview with you.
It’ll be aired later.
Is that okay with you?
" "...
Oh.
" Suddenly, I recalled why I recognized her.
She was one of the main hosts of the event.
I immediately thought about rejecting her, but just as the thought crossed my mind, a hand pressed against my shoulder.
"Yes, he will take it.
" "Huh?
" Kyle’s head popped up next to my shoulder as he pushed me.
"Just have a small conversation with her.
There’s nothing to be troubled about.
It’ll be good for you.
Trust me.
" He continued to pat my back.
This traitor...
"Great.
" The woman’s eyes sparkled as she took out her phone and brought it closer to me.
"In that case, I won’t waste a single second.
I’ll ask first.
How do you feel about the current atmosphere?
Many here say that it’s overwhelming.
What about you?
For someone so new, it must also be incredibly overwhelming.
" "...
Ah, it is.
I’m very overwhelmed.
" Well, considering how there was no going back, I decided to take the interview honestly.
In all honesty, I was indeed a little overwhelmed.
There were people everywhere, and it just felt weird being stared at by so many people.
"Really?
" The woman looked at me with a doubtful look.
Why are you looking at me like that?
"Your face doesn’t seem to match my words.
" "Is that so?
" No, but I really was overwhelmed.
"Well, fine.
" The woman decided to switch topics.
"There are rumors that you’re entering the Congress with the same team as before, despite being given the option to join the best elites available.
Is it possible you’ve grown too attached to your team and don’t want to leave them?
That’s usually a rookie mistake.
Especially since death is so common in this industry.
How many of the words that I said are true?
And what is the main reason for sticking with your old team?
" I paused to give the woman a second look.
Elizabeth was it?
I knew that such a question was coming, but I didn’t think she’d go straight to the point like this.
It was almost funny.
"Most of it is true.
" I eventually nodded, maintaining my cool.
"Then—" "The reason is simple.
" I answered, my gaze falling on her.
"They’re enough.
" I watched how her eyes slowly started to widen, her hand trembling at the same time.
I wanted to say more, but right as my lips parted, a change began to occur over the surroundings.
The conversations across the arena began to thin out as heads slowly turned toward the entrance.
Even the Guilds that had been laughing moments ago straightened unconsciously.
Then— The distant tunnel lights dimmed gradually.
Almost as if the arena itself was drawing in a breath.
Hum!
A low, resonant hum echoed from within the tunnel.
Then the first banner appeared.
It slid out of the darkness of the tunnel, fluttering under the faint breeze in the air.
At first glance, it looked black, but that wasn’t entirely accurate.
The fabric shifted subtly under the arena lights, revealing undertones of deep violet and indigo, as though a night sky had been woven directly into the cloth.
Thin streaks of silver ran across it like distant stars fractured by invisible cracks.
At the center rested a symbol.
A crown.
Broken cleanly down the middle.
A murmur spread through the stands.
"...
Eclipse...
" The Eclipse Sovereign Guild had arrived.
They did not stride in with exaggerated confidence, nor did they slow their pace to draw attention to themselves.
They walked at a steady, controlled rhythm.
Their uniforms consisted of long, fitted coats trimmed with faintly glowing runic embroidery, the patterns so intricate they seemed almost alive when viewed from afar.
There was no chatter among them.
No glances exchanged.
No visible nerves.
They moved like a single organism.
At their forefront walked a tall woman with black hair cascading down her back.
Her expression remained half-lidded and unreadable, as though the silence around her meant nothing.
But soon— BOOOOOOOOM!
The place erupted.
"They’re here!
" "Eclipse!
Eclipse!!
" "Seraphine!
Seraphine!!
She’s here!
" Seraphine Dark.
The current spearhead of Eclipse, ranked 11th in the Paragon Rankings and one of the youngest members attending, barely nineteen years old.
The pressure that radiated from her wasn’t overwhelming in the conventional sense.
It didn’t crush or suffocate.
Instead, it lingered at the edge of perception.
It was both sharp and refined, like a blade resting lightly against skin without yet applying force.
The crowd erupted in applause.
Some out of admiration.
Others out of fear.
Eclipse did not acknowledge either.
They reached their designated section and stopped in perfect formation beneath their banner, not bothering to wave or respond.
Mia swallowed beside me.
"T-that’s...
we can win this, right?
" Before anyone could properly process their presence, the ground vibrated again.
This time, differently.
Swoooooosh—!
A burst of golden light flooded the tunnel entrance, so bright that several spectators instinctively shielded their eyes.
The energy felt warmer and far less restrained.
When the light dimmed enough to see clearly, a second banner stood proudly at the front.
Threaded with gold that shimmered beneath the sun’s bright glare, the white flag stood proudly in the air.
At its center blazed a radiant sun emblem, its rays extending outward in sharp, symmetrical patterns that seemed to pulse with restrained energy.
The Helios Vanguard Guild.
Unlike Eclipse, they were a lot more flashy.
Laughter spilled from the tunnel before they even fully emerged.
Confident voices overlapped as their members stepped forward, clad in reinforced white battle attire accented with golden plating along their shoulders and gauntlets.
Their gear was practical, but polished to near-perfection, reflecting the lights in sharp glints.
They weren’t trying to look intimidating.
They simply were.
At their front walked a radiant man with pale white skin and short golden hair brushed back nicely.
A confident, yet serene grin rested permanently on his face, as though he was the sun itself.
Leon Draven.
Helios’ leading combatant.
A name frequently mentioned alongside Seraphine’s in ranking discussions.
He lifted his hand casually— And the arena detonated in cheers.
"Waaaaaaaah!
" "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
" The cheers were deafening.
Enough to make me feel as though my ears were bleeding.
"Oh dear.
" Elizabeth’s mutter reached me despite the chaos, the phone in her hand lowering.
From the looks of things, she seemed to have lost all interest in interviewing me.
"...
And here I thought I had more time.
" She muttered to herself.
After which, she looked at me, offering me an apologetic smile.
"I apologize, but I must go.
The big Guilds have finally arrived.
" The woman left right after that, alongside many others, as they all rushed towards the groups that had just arrived.
I merely gave them a sparing glance before turning away to face my own team.
"T-that...
T-that...!
" The first thing I noticed was Mia trembling, her eyes darting in every direction.
Beside her, Nora stayed quiet, her eyes closed as she ignored Mia.
But despite her best attempt at hiding it, she was trembling subtly.
The same went for the others.
Even if they didn’t show it openly, I could tell they were all nervous.
And I couldn’t blame them.
The top Guilds...
Just two of them were enough to make me feel overwhelmed.