Chapter 27: Scream [1]
"Okay, how should I do this?"
My immediate concern with the music was its intensity—it was simply too strong. If I played it as it was, I feared it might trigger some sort of chaos.
'I might even get some people killed.'
Furthermore, I needed to make sure it wouldn't have enough of an effect to be noticed by those of the Guild.
Thankfully, I had already thought of a solution beforehand, and after several tests, I was sure I heading in the right direction as I leaned back onto my chair.
"Hoo... Thank god it works."
The key was in how clear the music was.The clearer the music was, the stronger its effect.
"In this case, if I can just hit the perfect ratio, I might be able to balance it—make it powerful enough to work, but subtle enough that it barely affects the person playing the game."
That was all I needed from this. The goal wasn't to make the players tear their faces apart—the aim was to lull them just enough, to ease their guard, so the jump scare could land with full force.
If it worked, I was sure it would scare even those who were familiar with scary situations.
Taking this factor into consideration, I looked through a long catalog of copyright free music and mixed the original soundtrack with a sound mix I found to fit the overall theme.
The piece played by the conductor wasn't exactly a great fit with the game. The music was classical in nature, and so it didn't mesh well with what I had developed.
Since that was the case, I decided to mix it with a more... intense soundtrack.
"Hmm."
But it was just as I was applying those changes that I stopped and stared at the computer in front of me.
The fan hummed violently as the heat from the processor transferred to my arms.
"Despite the changes, something still feels missing."
The game wasn't originally created to be played with the music, making it feel a little out of sync with the current game design.
There was also the fact that I couldn't play any music for very long, afraid it would trigger something. This made the development a little difficult.
In the end, I sat in silence, staring at my computer before groaning.
"...I need to change the game mechanics, don't I?"
I sighed to myself and checked the time. It was about 2:30 a.m.
My eyelids grew heavier by the second, and a wave of drowsiness washed over me. I hadn't slept in over 24 hours, and it was finally catching up to me.
I probably needed to get some sleep.
And yet...
"I'll get it later."
I continued to focus my attention on the game, making constant tweaks and adjustments.
Before I realized it, several more hours passed, and as I added the finishing touches to the framework of the game, I started to feel extremely tired.
But just before I fell asleep, I managed to transfer a copy to a USB stick. Only then did I finally head out, locking the door behind me.
"Huam."
Stepping out of the office space, I let out a long yawn, my eyelids so heavy I could barely keep them open.
It was still dark outside, but I could see people starting to come in. They looked a little hungover. Most likely from the rookie celebration party that was held to celebrate their first day at the Guild.
That was also the main reason why it had been so quiet last night.
Without thinking too much, I made my way towards the elevators and headed for my room.
I really needed to get some sleep.
It was a shame that I was so exhausted. Otherwise, I would've quickly noticed that the USB I had brought with me had slipped out of my pocket.
By the time I found out, it was already too late.
***
7 AM.
This was usually the time when the Guild's working hours started for those in the Containment Sector.
It was just like any regular office job.
"...Ugh, I'm so tired."
"Tell me about it. I hardly had any sleep last night. I was up all night drinking with the seniors."
"Just thinking about Senior Zoey and how she was able to drink so much without getting drunk still gives me chills."
"In that regard, I much prefer Senior Kyle. He's a lot milder..."
The new hires were the first to arrive at the Field Agent Area, their eyes heavy with exhaustion and their clothes slightly disheveled.
As new hires, they had no choice but to be the first to arrive. It was the proper etiquette they had to adhere to. If it hadn't been for the forced drinking the entire night, they likely would've been in a much better mood.
Setting their bags down, the new hires made their way to the kitchen tucked in the corner of the area, where they began preparing some instant coffee for themselves. This was the best the place offered.
"I wonder what they'll make us do today."
Lawrence, one of the new recruits, said as he poured hot water into the paper cup in his hands.
"...I hope we won't have to enter some gates today. I don't think I'll be sharp enough to survive."
"You should be good for today. We'll probably be forced to do some paperwork and research. I also saw a team of scouts head outside. I think we should be good for today."
"That's good."
Lawrence sighed in relief while taking a sip of his coffee.
"Kh..."
His face twitched the moment he tried to take a sip of the coffee, quickly pulling it away from his mouth. "Ah, hot..." he muttered under his breath, silently cursing the coffee. He was about to say something else when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small black stick on the floor.
"What's that?"
Curious, he moved towards it and grabbed it.
"A USB stick?"
"...Hm? There's people who still use that stuff?"
"I guess..."
Lawrence flipped the USB over and tried to look for a name, but he couldn't see a thing. His brows furrowed, and after a little bit of thought, he walked over to his desk and booted his laptop.
Following him from behind were the three other hires.
"Are you going to check who it belongs to?"
"...Yeah. It might have some important stuff."
It might even belong to a senior officer. Best to return it quickly—who knows, it could be their ticket to getting on the senior's good side.
Lawrence didn't waste any time and the moment his computer turned on, he placed the USB stick inside.
A file that read: [Seth's USB stick] appeared shortly after.
"Seth?"
The group of new hires blinked in confusion.
"Is there a senior called Seth in our department?"
"Seth? I don't think so..."
"There isn't."
Lawrence said, his expression sinking as he opened the folder to see one single file within.
[Game.Dem]
"Ah, it's him..."
Lawrence leaned back in his chair, the disappointment clearly visible across his face. He wasn't the only one.
The other recruits quickly understood who the owner of the USB was.
"It's that lucky guy's USB."
"...Yeah."
Seth's reputation among the new hires wasn't exactly great.
Everyone had heard about the offer the Section Chief had made him. It was an offer that many of them had dreamed of.
For him to receive such an offer based on a single trial—one he'd seemingly solved through sheer luck—didn't sit well with many.
There was plenty of jealousy, but mixed within it was a hint of justified indignation.
After all, unlike him, they had poured countless hours of effort into earning their place in the Guild. For him to suddenly receive a position higher than theirs without putting in any effort felt like a slap to their faces.
"Oh, well."
Lawrence also felt the same.
He didn't really have any goodwill towards Seth, and just as he was about to retrieve the USB stick, a certain face popped from behind.
"Oh? What are you all checking?"
Immediately, all the new recruits grew alert.
"Senior!"
"...Senior!"
"Calm down. You all need to relax."
Terrance raised his hand to calm them down. He had just stepped into the office when he noticed the new hires gathered in a tight circle. Intrigued, he decided to walk over and see what was going on.
With his back straight, Lawrence pulled the USB stick away and closed the laptop.
"It's nothing. We just found a lost USB stick and planned on finding out to whom it belonged."
"Oh, so who does it belong to?"
"...To the observer brought by Senior Kyle. It's got a demo of the game he's working on."
"Hm?"
Immediately, a look of interest flashed on Terrance's features as he looked at the USB stick.
Soon, a smile appeared on his face.
"That sounds interesting."
His gaze fell on Lawrence's laptop.
"Let's give it a try."
"Eh?"
Lawrence blinked his eyes. But just before he could continue, Terrance spoke.
"...Put the USB in. Let's try the demo. I'm curious to see how scary the game is."