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With the flash of another notification, the dark world around me faded, and I found myself back in my office space.
"...I'm back?"
I looked around me. Everything was as it was before I left it.
For a moment, I almost thought that everything had been a dream. That what I had experienced was merely a hallucination that stemmed from my exhaustion.
But that thought quickly faded with the flash of the screen before me.
[The changes have been made. You will now be given your rewards for completing the mission.]
Poof!
An item appeared in my lap.
"This is...?"
I looked at the item, shocked to see it was the mask from before.
"Wait, is this the reward? How—"
My words were cut short by another notification.
─────
[Reward 1 : Blank Mask]
Type/Item
A simple mask used to hide your identity. There are many different styles you can try.
: Non-consumable.
[Reward 2 : Spectral Glasses]
Type/Item
A pair of glasses that will allow the wearer to see through things others can't see.
: Non-consumable
[Reward 3 : Containment Vessel]
Type/Basic Node
Upon activating the node, the user gains the ability to contain anomalous creatures and objects.
Warning: If the anomaly's strength exceeds the node's capacity, containment will fail. This may result in severe backlash."
: Non-consumable
─────
"Huh."
Another item appeared—a pair of black-framed glasses.
"This is...?"
I turned my attention to the second reward.
Spectral Glasses?
'Allows wearer to see through things others can't see?'
I stared at the glasses for a few seconds before shifting my attention to the next reward. In particular, my attention fell on the description.
"Basic Node...?"
What in the world was that?
The third reward was different from the first two. It wasn't an item like the others. I had no idea what it was or how to use it.
"This is so confusing."
I scratched the side of my head, eyeing the mask and glasses in my hand.
After a moment's hesitation, I put the glasses on. My heart raced as I settled them on my face.
I felt an unsettling dread rise from within me.
'I'm not going to be seeing ghosts, right?'
"Uh....!"
The moment I placed the glasses on my face, my vision turned blue.
"Cold."
The temperature plummeted in an instant. I could see my breath hanging in the air, curling in the dim light of my monitor. My fingers trembled as I stood, my body instinctively tensing.
I stood and glanced around. The office was empty—rows of identical cubicles stretched out in silence, their partitions blending into the dimly lit space.
The soft gray carpet cushioned my steps as I made my way toward the bathroom.
I stopped at the sink, gripping the cold porcelain. I looked up at my reflection.
Although the glasses masked the dark circles under my eyes, they couldn't completely hide them. I ran a hand through my hair, pushing it back.
Even with my vision tinted blue, my hair remained jet black, and my eyes—normally brown—held a faint tinge of gray.
I stared at my reflection a moment longer before pulling the glasses off.
"I look better without them."
They made me look... a little too nerdy. Thankfully, all they did was make the world blue.
I hadn't seen anything unsettling.
Yet.
"Haa."
I breathed out again, relieved to see no more mist escaping my lips. With that, I splashed cold water on my face, then turned and made my way back to my desk.
"Hm?"
I had just arrived at my monitor when I stopped.
I stopped short, my eyes locking on an unexpected pop-up on my screen. A sense of déjà vu hit me.
"Not again..."
Hesitant, I still reached for the mouse and clicked on the tab.
Suddenly, the pop-up vanished, and an application began downloading onto my monitor. Within seconds, it settled onto my home screen—an icon of a Game Boy with an emoji in the center, its eyes replaced by two bold X's.
Before I could react, the app opened automatically.
─────
Game Developer : Seth Thorne
Status : First Order
▪ Basic Node : Containment Vessel
Items :
▪ Blank Mask.
▪ Spectral Glasses.
Shop : Locked
Quests : Unlocked (Available : 1)
▪ Develop a game with a 1-star rating.
- Reward: Unlocks the Shop
Developed Games :
[Gentle Whispers] Rating : ⯪☆☆☆☆(0.5)
─────
I stared at the screen for a moment before swallowing hard.
My attention immediately went to the quest section.
"Reward... shop unlock?"
For a reward, it didn't seem like much, but taking into consideration that my current goal was to find a way to heal my condition, I understood that the key to finding the cure was probably within the shop.
In that case, my first goal was clear.
"...I need to develop a one-star game."
I paused, then groaned.
"I might be fucked."
It had taken an entire team and a large budget to create Gentle Whispers, and it still only got a 0.5-star rating. That was a game with a decently sized budget and production. Creating a one-star game was going to be a serious challenge.
Besides that, my focus soon fell towards the 'Status' section.
"First Order? Basic Node?"
There were quite a few terminologies that I was quite confused by. I knew that the Basic Node was the thing that I had unlocked through the rewards, but even now, I didn't know how to use it.
'Should I just ask the strange system?'
Would it even answer? It had been eerily quiet for the past several minutes.
Before I could say anything, I heard a gentle clicking sound behind me.
Click!
Startled, I turned to see a disheveled figure stumble in. His white shirt was untucked, and his tie hung loosely around his neck. His brown hair was a mess, a clear sign of sleepless nights, and the heavy scent of alcohol clung to him.
"Ah, Seth."
It was Elbert, one of my colleagues on the project.
"Good morning...?"
I checked the time, surprised to see it was almost 6 a.m.
'How did time fly by so quickly?'
I glanced down at my messy clothes. There was no way I could face the Section Chief looking like this. Without thinking, I made a beeline for the bathroom. If I had even the smallest chance of not getting fired, I had to look at least somewhat presentable. Otherwise, the odds of me developing a one-star game were basically nonexistent.
How could I create a game by myself?
'Yes, I just need to show that I'm still committed to the team. I just—"
"Where are you going?"
But just as I started moving, Elbert's voice stopped me.
Pausing, I looked at him.
"I'm going to get changed. I've been staying up all night, and my clothes are quite messy. I should get changed before the Section Chief comes."
I started to head for the bathroom, but Elbert gave me a strange look.
"....You didn't get the message?"
"Message?"
My heart sank when I saw his expression.
Please don't tell me...
"We've been laid off."
Elbert pulled out his phone, flipping it around to show the most recent message on the screen.
"All of us."