I blinked my eyes slowly, moving closer to the painting.
The background was the same. The same winding path, the surrounding greenery, the endless blue sky... it was all the same.
But one thing was different.
Unlike before, she now felt closer... somehow nearer than ever.
'This is not my imagination, right?'
I leaned in, needing to be sure it wasn't just my eyes betraying me. But given everything that had happened lately, even if I couldn't be certain... it was probably safe to assume it was real.
"...I really can't catch a break."
I let out a breath and leaned back against the wall, covering my face with both hands.
No... now that I thought about it, the only reason I didn't get a break was because I'd willingly entered the newbie trial. If I'd chosen not to, I probably would've been fine.
If anything, I was the reason why I couldn't catch a break.
'But I don't regret my decision.'
I wouldn't have come in contact with the Nightwalker had I not entered it. At the same time, I would've also struggled with the game development.
On a different note...
I turned my attention towards my phone. Or more specifically, the recording.
If it weren't for the constant worry that the Conductor might appear every time I play this, I'd honestly consider it a great weapon to carry when dealing with anomalies.
What just happened right now was perfect proof of it.
But at the same time, it also made me wonder something.
"Can I use this against stronger anomalies in the future? If I end up facing an exceptionally strong one, will the Conductor fight it if I play the music?"
The thought made my heart race.
I wasn't sure as of now, but if it worked, wouldn't I be able to kill two birds with one stone?
"...I can't say that I'm not tempted."
But I quickly threw those thoughts away and stood up. For now, there was no use thinking about it.
After reaching out and picking up the painting, I glanced around the room, then walked over to my laptop and began typing into the chatbox.
[What must I do with the painting?]
I received an answer almost immediately.
[Hang it in the room. Don't cover it. Make sure to stare at it for a minute without blinking, starting at exactly 1 a.m.]
[Keep this up every day until you complete the mission.]
[Of course, you can choose to throw the painting away, and there will be no consequences. This is an optional quest.]
The chat ended there.
I stared at the message, caught between confusion and suspicion.
"...I can just throw the painting away with no consequences?"
It was somewhat unexpected, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it. I didn't like it when I was forced to do things I didn't want to. I had already experienced too much of that in my previous company.
The fact that I had been given a choice felt a lot better in my mind.
"So... do I play along, or walk away?"
I narrowed my eyes, thinking it over for a long moment before finally placing the painting on top of my table.
"Let me first figure out what this Second Order thing is. I'll think about the rest later."
For now, I put the decision on hold. A part of me wanted to reject the mission, but with the conductor heavy on my heels and the lucrative reward that was waiting for me, I knew that it was worth taking into consideration.
'Like the Section Chief previously said, I can't be passive on this matter.'
But still, for now, my priority was the main quest.
I needed to figure out a way to market my game.
"But that is easier said than done."
Shaking my head, I scanned the room before heading out of my office. I needed to find Kyle and ask him about the strange information I had received.
Thankfully, it wasn't hard for me to find him.
But there was only one problem...
He was talking to the last person that I wanted to see.
"Wait, so you want me to help your friend promote his game?"
Zoey scratched the top of her brows while narrowing her eyes. She wasn't sure if she was hearing wrong.
Did he seriously just ask her that?
But she didn't hear wrong.
Seeing Kyle's wry smile as he held onto a cup of coffee, her expression nearly crumbled.
"You can't be serious."
Nowadays, she felt sour just seeing Seth's face. Every time she moved around the area, her eyes would subconsciously drift towards his office. It was already a miracle she hadn't done anything until this point, considering how petty she normally was.
And yet, fully understanding how she was, Kyle still tried to ask for help for his friend?
'Has he lost his mind?'
"You know what, never mind."
Zoey covered her face and sighed.
"I charge about 100,000 per post. If you want to promote your—"
Coffee burst from Kyle's mouth as he jerked his head to the side, spitting it all out in one sudden spray.
He then began to cough.
"Cough! What...!? 100.. 100..."
"One hundred grand. Flat."
Zoey interjected while stepping back from him. At the same time, seeing his face pale, she stopped him before he could continue any further.
"I don't do discounts. This is already the cheapest rate I can offer."
Zoey raised her brow.
"...The only reason I'm even considering helping you out is because of you. Otherwise, there's no way I'm promoting whatever low-quality game your friend is developing. In fact, it would do me more harm than good if I promoted something terrible."
To that, Kyle couldn't argue.
He had tried Seth's game, and it was indeed... not very good. If she promoted it, then it would harm her reputation considerably.
The fact that she was even willing to consider the offer was kind enough of her.
'Can't say that I haven't tried.'
Opening his mouth to thank her, Kyle was just about to speak when Zoey cut him off.
"But you know, if your friend's trying to promote his game, it's not like it's impossible for him."
Kyle raised his head, his eyes blinking. Not impossible?
Zoey pulled out her phone, her fingers gliding swiftly across the screen before she flipped it over.
That was when Kyle saw several different titles.
[Exploring an abandoned building!]
Views : 80k live views
[Solving the case of the missing daughter!]
Views : 31k live views
Zoey answered while pulling the phone back.
"...There's a recent trend with mystery-thriller streams. If your friend's looking to sell his game, I can connect him with a fairly popular creator I know. That way, he can promote the game during the stream."
Kyle looked at the views and then the titles. He could see it certainly helping Seth out, but he soon shook his head.
"I don't think that will work."
He knew Seth well enough to know he hated that type of stuff the most. Even if he did tell him, he'd probably reject it while looking at him in disgust.
"...Thanks for the offer, but I'll try to loo—"
A voice suddenly cut Kyle mid-sentence.
Stunned, Kyle turned toward the voice, spotting Seth approaching from a distance. His gaze was vacant, almost lifeless, as it locked onto the phone in Zoey's hand.
Seth said, his voice low but steady.