Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33 - Painting [2]

I blinked my eyes slowly, moving closer to the painting.

The background was the same. The same winding path, the surrounding greenery, the endless blue sky... it was all the same.

But one thing was different.

The woman in white.

Unlike before, she now felt closer... somehow nearer than ever.

'This is not my imagination, right?' 

I leaned in, needing to be sure it wasn't just my eyes betraying me. But given everything that had happened lately, even if I couldn't be certain... it was probably safe to assume it was real.

"...I really can't catch a break."

I let out a breath and leaned back against the wall, covering my face with both hands.

No... now that I thought about it, the only reason I didn't get a break was because I'd willingly entered the newbie trial. If I'd chosen not to, I probably would've been fine.

If anything, I was the reason why I couldn't catch a break.

'But I don't regret my decision.'

I wouldn't have come in contact with the Nightwalker had I not entered it. At the same time, I would've also struggled with the game development.

On a different note...

I turned my attention towards my phone. Or more specifically, the recording.

If it weren't for the constant worry that the Conductor might appear every time I play this, I'd honestly consider it a great weapon to carry when dealing with anomalies.

What just happened right now was perfect proof of it.

But at the same time, it also made me wonder something.

"Can I use this against stronger anomalies in the future? If I end up facing an exceptionally strong one, will the Conductor fight it if I play the music?"

The thought made my heart race.

I wasn't sure as of now, but if it worked, wouldn't I be able to kill two birds with one stone?

"...I can't say that I'm not tempted."

But I quickly threw those thoughts away and stood up. For now, there was no use thinking about it.

After reaching out and picking up the painting, I glanced around the room, then walked over to my laptop and began typing into the chatbox.

[What must I do with the painting?] 

I received an answer almost immediately.

[Hang it in the room. Don't cover it. Make sure to stare at it for a minute without blinking, starting at exactly 1 a.m.]

"Ah?"

What sort of...

[Keep this up every day until you complete the mission.]

[Of course, you can choose to throw the painting away, and there will be no consequences. This is an optional quest.] 

The chat ended there.

I stared at the message, caught between confusion and suspicion.

"...I can just throw the painting away with no consequences?"

This...

It was somewhat unexpected, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it. I didn't like it when I was forced to do things I didn't want to. I had already experienced too much of that in my previous company.

The fact that I had been given a choice felt a lot better in my mind.

"So... do I play along, or walk away?"

I narrowed my eyes, thinking it over for a long moment before finally placing the painting on top of my table.

"Let me first figure out what this Second Order thing is. I'll think about the rest later."

For now, I put the decision on hold. A part of me wanted to reject the mission, but with the conductor heavy on my heels and the lucrative reward that was waiting for me, I knew that it was worth taking into consideration.

'Like the Section Chief previously said, I can't be passive on this matter.' 

But still, for now, my priority was the main quest.

I needed to figure out a way to market my game.

"But that is easier said than done."

Shaking my head, I scanned the room before heading out of my office. I needed to find Kyle and ask him about the strange information I had received.

Thankfully, it wasn't hard for me to find him.

But there was only one problem...

'Ah, shit.'

He was talking to the last person that I wanted to see.

***

"You can't be serious."

'Has he lost his mind?' 

"But what, Kyle?"