"....."
Tuesday morning.
I stood in front of my cubicle, a box resting on my table, all my possessions packed inside. Just like that, I was fired. No call. No face-to-face eting.
Through text.
No, not even through text... I got told by my drunk colleague.
The general vibe around the office was gloomy. I wasn't the only one packing up my stuff, with several other colleagues doing the sa, their heads hung low.
Even though I had expected it from the beginning, the reality of actually being laid off only hit now.
And... it sucked.
It sucked a lot more than I previously expected.
This was especially so when taking into account that I had only been given a two-month severance pay.
In that ti, I needed to find a way to develop a one-star horror ga, otherwise...
"Huu."
I massaged my face and stared at the monitor in front of .
'It's a good thing that the strange app can be deleted.'
The computer belonged to the company, so I couldn't bring it with . Thankfully, I managed to transfer everything to my laptop and wiped the rest from the system, making sure nothing was left behind.
As the final files completed their transfer, I closed the laptop with a resigned sigh and placed it in the box.
Shortly after that, I turned around and left.
Ding!
The elevator chi rang, and I stepped inside, pressing the 'G' button. I waited as the doors began to close.
Just then, a soft, harmonious tune filled the air. Hearing the sound of it, a small smirk played on my lips.
"Isn't this the sa song I gave to that strange conductor?"
But unlike the one I had given to the conductor, this one was complete.
It was soft and soothing to the ears, making involuntarily close my eyes. Was it exhaustion? Or was it the weight of everything that had just happened?
I felt my mind begin to sink.
The darkness embraced , and I sank deeper and deeper into the darkness.
It felt cold, and yet at the sa ti welcoming.
"How nice."
Ding!
My eyes snapped open the mont the elevator chi rang again.
"Oh, crap. I was about to fall asleep."
I really was overworked, after all.
I moved out of the elevator.
"Anyways... What should I do now?"
The first thought that crossed my mind was finding another job. My current priority was finding a way to develop a ga that would et the quest's satisfaction.
There were many different studios that could provide with the necessary tools to develop such a ga, but my expression grew grim when I thought about them hiring . Let alone the fact that I was one of the people who had worked to create that disaster class, how long would it take for them to hire ?
'I don't have much ti.'
I had no savings, and the severance pay only covered two months' worth of inco. That would hardly be enough to last several weeks, if I took into account the cost of my dicine.
"This is bad..."
I ruffled my hair as I made my way out of the lobby. Just as I found the exit in the distance, I felt a small vibration from my pocket.
I picked up my phone to see a familiar na.
"Hello?"
—....Seth?
A hesitant voice ca through the phone.
—I heard about... your recent ga. Are you...?
"Ah, so you've heard."
I felt bitter.
It hadn't even been a day, and the news had already spread.
"Yes, I got fired."
I didn't lie and went straight to the point.
Kyle, in so way, could be considered my brother. The two of us grew up in the sa orphanage.
Given my condition, it wasn't strange that my parents had abandoned .
But even though my condition wasn't as severe when I was young, it still put a heavy burden on the orphanage. The mont I ca of age, they directly kicked out.
Nonetheless, the ties I had made within the orphanage were deep ones.
—Ah, that's... how are you holding up?
"I'm fine, I guess."
No, I felt like shit.
"But it's not like I can do anything about it. The ga sucked, so I can only try to make a new one."
—You're still going to develop gas...?
"Yes."
I had no other choice.
The quests made it so that I had to develop them.
—Then...
Kyle paused as if chewing over his words.
I took that ti to make my way out of the lobby and reached for the door that led to the exit. Pushing it open, a wave of fresh air washed over my face as I squinted my eyes, catching a glimpse of the grim gray sky above.
"Then what?"
I brushed my hair away. The wind was quite strong.
—Then what do you think about my previous offer?
"You made an offer?"
I couldn't recall.
Kyle had tried to help in the past, more tis than I could count. He was the reason I could afford my dication, despite my insufficient salary.
"If it's about giving more money then—"
I stopped mid-sentence, my eyes falling on the sight before .
As if stripped of all air, my mouth opened and closed, but no word ca out.
At the sa ti, Kyle's voice echoed through the phone.
—No, I'm not talking about lending you more money. I know that you won't take it. I'm just... You know, considering how your work is related to horror, why don't you co over to my guild to see how things work there?
Kyle paused, his pitch growing higher.
—...Of course, you won't have to do anything. Just observe and stuff. I've recently gotten promoted, and I think I have enough leeway to get you to co as an observer.
He was speaking a lot.
It was unfortunate that his words went from one ear to the other.
With my eyes fixed ahead, I struggled to focus on what he was saying, my mind blanking out at the sight that greeted .
'What in the world...?'
Massive high-rise buildings had replaced the park that once stood here. Giant LED billboards adorned their tops, displaying people clad in black uniforms.
At the bottom of the screen, a scrolling text read:
Guild Severed Stars managed to clear their first Ranked Anomalous-Type Gate. Only five mbers survived, but they...
Turning to the next billboard, an image of several people leaving a strange portal, their armors bruised and battered as they waved their hands, the flashes of the caras raining down on them.
Another scrolling text read:
Guild Deep Abyss has managed to clear Ranked Horde-Type Gate. No deaths reported. —I think it might give you so inspiration. "H-ho."
I blinked, trying to make sure I wasn't seeing things wrong.
Then— Thump!
I dropped my stuff to the ground, pinching the bridge of my nose as I took a deep breath.
The words from the system echoed in my mind.
'The world you know will now change'—So...? What do you think? Are you going to co to the guild? "Fuuuuuuck."
—Eh? Why?
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