Chapter 7: Mission Complete [1]
Wam!
The orchestra came to life!
Music surged from every instrument, cascading through the theater in flawless harmony. The rhythm, the melody—perfection. And yet...
And yet...
"...."
With a single motion of the conductor's hand, it stopped.
Silence.
"Why...?"
The conductor's skeletal fingers clutched the music sheet, flipping through it with jerky, unnatural movements. Its head twisted , angling at odd degrees as if trying to decipher something incomprehensible.
"...It should be like this?"
Another flick of its hand.
Wam!
The music started again.
The same tune. Same rhythm. Same... everything.
And as a result.
"Stop."
Once more, silence strangled the air.
"Why...?"
The conductor grabbed the music sheet.
The conductor's grip tightened around the sheet, fingers twitching as its sewn eyes traced each note. It knew something was wrong. I could see it. But its obsession—its need for perfection—kept it shackled, stubbornly refusing to let go of the flaw.
It... needed to make it perfect.
'It's time to end this.'
I reached for the walkie-talkie.
But just as my fingers brushed the button—
"—!"
Pain.
'Shit! Why now of all times...!'
A sharp, piercing pain stabbed through my skull. My fingers trembled violently, my body spasming as if my own nerves had turned against me.
I could hardly get any air out as I struggled to keep myself seated.
I was having an episode.
....At the worst times.
"Kh...!"
A subtle groan escaped my lips as I tried to hold it in together, my chest trembling and my legs pulsing.
'I... just took the medications too!'
But I knew this was probably a result of all the stress that I had just experienced.
My condition... it was relapsing. But at the worst possible time. Just when everything was about to be over.
No!
I clenched my teeth and brought the communication next to my mouth.
WAM!
In the background, the music continued.
I pressed the button.
Click!
"Insult it again. Let it... tell it how easy this music was."
I didn't get an immediate response back. Instead, I saw them all looking at me. Watching. Waiting. Doubting.
I swallowed back the pain and pressed the button again.
"What are you waiting for?"
And then it started.
"What is this crap? It's e-ven worse than before."
"Isn't this quite a famous work? Why can't he play it?"
"I'm disappointed."
"....Is there a way to get a refund?"
The insults poured in, each one more venomous than the last.
The conductor flinched. Its movements stiffened—but it refused to stop.
"Just stop."
"Let us out."
It waved its hand. The orchestra played.
The same result.
"Stop, just stop."
"Kill me already."
It kept trying. Again and again. Trapped by its own delusion of perfection, bound to an imperfect piece.
"....."
As the conductor stopped once again, the insults rained down again. It was now on the breaking point, its entire body trembling.
My entire body tensed at the sight.
Even though my mind wasn't as sharp as before, and I was still suffering from the after-effects of my condition, I could tell that something was about to happen.
I gripped the armrest of the chair.
'What's it going to do...?'
I nervously licked my lips, waiting for the conductor to do something.
"Let us—!"
Bang!
A sickening crash echoed as the conductor seized a cello and smashed it against the floor. Splinters flew. The remains of the instrument lay twitching at its feet.
"....."
Pin drop silence filled the theater as all eyes fell on the conductor.
Slowly, its head turned toward us. Black, hollow pits where its eyes should be, its stitches torn apart. A suffocating pressure crushed against my chest.
"You... want to leave?"
Its voice cracked and split, dragging through the air like nails on bone. The temperature plummeted. My breath curled in front of me, the frost creeping over my skin.
My nerves tensed, and my breathing started growing heavier.
"Fine..."
BANG. BANG. BANG!
Thunderous cracks reverberated through the walls as the massive theater doors burst open at the far end, revealing the exit. The entire room trembled, chairs rattling, chandeliers swaying.
The audience—those cursed, hollow-eyed figures—turned in unison, their empty gazes drilling into us.
"GET... OUT!"
The conductor's scream tore through the room, almost shattering my eardrums.
Feeling my head twitch, I pressed down against the armrest and forced myself up.
'I can stand!'
This was different than before.
I didn't let my delight show and turned my back on the conductor.
A chill ran down my back the moment I turned my back, feeling the cold and malicious gaze of the conductor.
'It's almost over. It's almost over.'
I felt all eyes on me, and swallowing slightly, I moved towards the exit.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Each step felt loud, drumming into my mind as I drew closer and closer to the exit.
I felt the center of everyone's attention.
And in the next moment—
I reached the exit.
[Congratulations, you have cleared the scenario!]
A system notification flickered in my vision. The moment I stepped through, the world plunged into darkness. The suffocating tension unraveled all at once, and my knees nearly buckled.
"Haaa... Haa...!"
I bent forward, hands on my knees, sweat dripping down my face.
"I... survived."
Someway. Somehow. I survived...
[You were able to exploit the conductor's weakness to perfection in order to clear the scenario. You have passed with flying colors!]
[Rewards are waiting for you!]
"Ah, stop."
I waved my hand, trying to dismiss the notification in front of me.
"I don't want to hear it. You told me that this was a trial, right? I passed it, so let me go."
[.....]
A new notification flashed, but it was just blank.
In its own way, it felt eerie.
[Are you sure?]
A new one appeared shortly after.
[Are you sure you want to quit?]
"Yes, I'm sure."
Why would I want to subject myself to this torture again?
Just let me go back to my old, mundane life.
[What if there were a way to solve your disease? Would you continue?]
"....."
It was my turn to be silent.
"What did you just say?"
[You can cure your disease]
I held my breath.
"It can... cure my disease?"
The one that no doctor was able to find a cure for, and the one that they claimed would take my life in a couple of years?
I licked my lips. They were strangely dry.
[Do you want to cure your disease? The system is capable of doing so. If not, you can always quit. Your memory of everything will be wiped out, and you will live your life like before. But do you want to live your life like before?]
I... didn't.
Death was scary. So was the pain.
But at the same time, I hated to think about the scenarios I'd have to go through if I chose to accept.
'I either reject the offer and die painfully, or accept it and live in fear but longer...'
What a hard fucking choice.
[What do you wish to choose?]
I already had an answer in my mind if I had to be honest.
Both options sucked, but I chose the option that sucked the least.
'Just treat it like a game. A deadly game...'
"Okay."
[You wish to accept the system?]
"Yes."
Ding!
A chime rang in the air.
[Congratulations on accepting the Horror Developer System!]
[To a future of awesome game creations!]
[The world you know will now change]
Wait—what?
[Loading...]
"Wait!"