Horror Game Developer: My games aren't that scary! - Chapter 526 World Congress [2]

Chapter 526  World Congress [2]

One by one, the major Guilds began to appear. Each time a new one stepped forward, the crowd erupted. Obsidian Bastion was next, their presence just as intimidating as the others. They were soon followed by the Argent Vanguard Guild, and lastly, the Crimson Oath Guild.

By the time the last of the great five Guilds appeared, the atmosphere in the arena had reached an all-time fervor amongst the audience. On the otherhand, the same couldn’t be said for the remaining Guilds standing in the arena, the tension almost palpable. Thankfully, the tension didn’t linger for much longer as a voice suddenly cut through the surrounding noise. “May I have everyone’s attention?” The voice was neither soft nor overbearing. But the moment it sounded, it pressed down on everyone’s minds. Conversations cut off mid-sentence. The distant cheers stuttered and died. Even the restless energy that had filled the arena moments ago seemed to freeze in place.

A ripple passed through the crowd as heads turned toward the center of the arena.

Space distorted, and a single figure stepped into the middle of the arena. Almost as if he had teleported there. “What the…?” “Where did he come from?” “Who is he?” Murmurs spread across the surroundings. I was similarly confused, but above all, I could feel my chest growing heavier at the sight of him. The hair at the back of my neck tingled as a cold chill ran down my spine. ‘Just… who in the world is he?’ At first glance, he didn’t look particularly imposing. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed in a dark, immaculate coat bearing the insignia of the BUA stitched in silver across the chest. His hair was slicked back neatly, his expression calm, even bored. But the pressure radiating from him?

That was something else entirely.

My lungs tightened.

“…W-ho is that?” Mia whispered, voice barely audible.

Nobody answered. But the silence didn’t last long as Joanna’s lips parted. “…That’s Vice Director Armand Vale.”

I tensed subtly. Vice Director.

One of the highest authorities within the BUA. Although I didn’t know much about him, I knew of his importance. I knew just how much power he held. He stood at the very center of the arena, hands clasped neatly behind his back, posture relaxed, and gaze collected. He didn’t raise his voice.

“May I have everyone’s attention?”

He didn’t need to. The second time he spoke, it wasn’t louder.

It was clearer.

Every word of his entered the minds of everyone present. “I trust your travels were… uneventful.”

His words earned a few strained chuckles from the crowd and even the Guilds. Some looked more relaxed than others, in particular those from the big five, while others looked incredibly tense. Thankfully, the Vice Director didn’t drag things out. He went straight to the topic. “As some of you are aware, I’ll be officiating this year’s Congress. I’ve been tasked with ensuring that the trial is both adequate and fair. But let me make one thing clear.”

His eyes narrowed, his gaze sweeping all of us. “My presence does not guarantee your safety. You should all be aware that the Congress is not without casualties. Since you’ll be dealing with real situations, deaths will occur. If you’re not strong or capable enough, there’s a very real chance that you and your team will die. I hope you considered that carefully before joining.”

His words only added to the already climbing tension. However, the eyes of many remained resolute. Everyone had been made aware from the start.

The World Congress wasn’t simply a ‘tournament’ for fun and games. It was a real event that fully displayed the abilities of people dealing with real-life anomalies and situations. If one feared death, then they shouldn’t have been here in the first place. So… Is it too late to leave? Ehm. “Since I’m the one in charge of this year’s Congress, I made sure to keep things fresh. Both for the audience and all of you.” Murmurs immediately flooded the surroundings. Everyone started to wonder what he meant by his words, and just as everyone’s curiosity reached the peak, the Vice Director’s next words brought the place to a complete and screeching halt. “This year’s congress will be held inside the mist.” “——!!”

“!!” “—————!” Not even the members of the major Guilds were able to keep composed, let alone the members from the regular Guilds, as the place erupted. “The mist?” “What the fuck? Is this for real?” “This isn’t a joke, right? The mist…? That’s ridiculous!” “This, this… has he lost his mind?” Even the people around me were at a loss. Nobody could keep their calm. Perhaps I was the only one. But not for the same reasons as everyone else. It was mainly due to my ignorance regarding the mist. The only thing that I knew was that it was one of the main reasons why floating islands even existed in the first place.

The mist was the main reason why the world had been forced to live high above. But what did he mean by “it’ll take place in the mist?” Is he saying that we’re going to the land beneath? I suddenly felt curious. “I guess I should’ve expected this reaction.” The Vice Director smiled upon seeing the reactions he was receiving from the crowd and Guild Members. In fact, he almost seemed to take pleasure in it. Sadist… “Well, I can’t say that I don’t understand everyone’s confusion, but I’m doing all of this to change things up. What is even the point of hosting an event where everyone goes into the same gate, and we determine their effort based on how fast they clear it? Where’s the fun in that?” Sighing, the Vice Director’s smile widened. “Why not try something new entirely? The entire reason why we even clear Gates and get rid of anomalies is so that we can get a better understanding of the mist and reclaim the land beneath!” His words echoed loudly across the surroundings, his fervor rubbing in the minds of the spectators. The surroundings started to grow louder. “The mist holds countless secrets and answers that could help us overcome this crisis. If we remain trapped in the status quo, we’ll never reclaim the land beneath our feet. That’s why I’ve decided for this year’s Congress to take place in the land below, because that is what humanity is fighting for!”

His voice boomed once more, and the crowd stood up, their voices growing louder. “Yeah!” “You’re right!” “This is going to be exciting!” The way he effortlessly swayed the crowd into accepting the changes to the Congress was impressive. Yet the mood within the arena was nothing like that of the audience; the tension among the participants was thick enough to be felt.

I exchanged glances with Kyle, his expression extremely tense. And just as he seemed to be about to say something, the Vice Director spoke once more. “Let’s not drag things any longer. Let the first phase of the Congress begin!” Snap—! With a single snap of his fingers, the surroundings froze. ‘What’s going on?!’ All of a sudden, it was as if time had been frozen. No.. I could still see the audience moving. It was just me and everyone in the arena who had frozen. Then—

The space around me began to stretch; everyone’s appearance distorting and stretching as though I was being pulled into time and space itself. Their outlines softened first, shoulders blurring, faces losing definition. Eyes and mouths flattened into pale smudges. It almost felt like they were being erased, as though someone were carefully rubbing them out, starting at the edges and working inward.

All forms of noise ceased, and everything around me continued to stretch. The seats tore away after, dissolving into thin strands that unraveled into nothing. The lights followed, snapping out one by one without flicker. The figures around me thinned and flattened, peeling back like paper burned at the edges.

In seconds, the arena was stripped down to a blank expanse that had no color and no depth.

Rattle! Rattle—! The ground beneath me shuddered hard enough to jolt my teeth together. A vibration rolled up through the soles of my shoes, climbed my legs, and settled deep in my chest where it continued to buzz. A low hum followed. Flick! Flick! “——!” Light burst above without warning, the harsh fluorescent strips snapping alive above me. The sudden brightness stung my eyes. What the…! My right hand lifted on instinct and closed around something cold and smooth.

A vertical pole? Rattle! The space rattled sideways. My foot slid back to keep balance, rubber scraping against textured flooring that hadn’t existed a moment ago. Without thinking, I reached for the pole, stabilizing my footing. “Kh!” I blinked, then looked in front of me. Blue seats lined the walls now. They were made of hard plastic, scuffed. A narrow aisle stretched in both directions. Advertisements above the windows, their colors faded and peeling at the corners.

“Huh?” Looking around me, I blinked once more. This place… Rattle! Rattle! Wasn’t this a subway? 

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com