'Quest completed?'

I was rather surprised to see that.

Given everything that I had done, I expected myself to fail. However, it didn't seem like the system was that petty.

'...I guess that makes sense. I did accomplish the goal, even though I did it in quite the unconventional way.'

DING—!

[Due to unanticipated host behavior, reward calculation exceeded the expected processing window. All variables have now been evaluated. Quest status: completed.]

[Host successfully evaded the demon entity and contributed to its capture. Additional rewards are being processed.]

[Reward 1:

Emblance Shard]

[Reward 2:

■■■■■]

[Reward 3:

200,000 SP]

[Reward 4:

End of Trial Period.]

"Hm?"

I immediately grew confused upon seeing the rewards given to me by the system. Of the three that I had received, the only one that I understood was the SP and the Emblance Shard.

The Emblance Shard in particular intrigued me.

It was an item that I desperately needed.

'Added with the one that I didn't use back in the Gate, I will have two.'

Despite having a 'new' body, the problems with my nodes didn't disappear. I still had the Cognitive Shard, and it was slowly consuming me. It was also for this reason that I was still stuck in the Third Order.

The Emblance Shards would be useful for me to finally move up a level.

'Its a pity that I used all my shards in the Gate, but it's not like I can't find new ones. I have the fax machine to help. Added with the SP that I just received, I shouldn't have any problems reaching the Fourth Order.'

My main issue came with the second and fourth rewards.

One... I couldn't read.

The second...?

End of Trial Period? What did this even mean?

'Wait, don't tell me that everything up until now was just a trail?'

My heart sank at the thought.

If this were merely just a trial period, then what was going to happen during the 'non-trial' trial period? The more I thought about it, the more my heart sank.

DING—!

The system didn't even give me time to process the situation.

[Trial period concluded. The host has advanced beyond the initial stage. Core system features will be unlocked shortly.]

[Please wait a moment...]

The notifications in front of me rapidly shrank.

Subsequently, a wheel appeared.

One that was accompanied by a percentage bar beneath.

[0%]—[10%]—————[100%]

The progress bar advanced faster than I expected. In less than a minute, it reached one hundred percent, and the instant it did, a large panel materialized directly in front of my eyes.

─────

Game Developer : Seth Thorne

Status : Third Order ▶ [See More]

▪ Basic Node : Containment Vessel

▪ Basic Node : Trait Transfer

▪ Intermediate Node : Anamnesis

▶ Dreamwalker

▶ Mirille

▶ Mr. Jingles

▶ Conductor

▶ Kyle

Items :

▪ Blank Mask.

▪ Purity Enhancer

▪ Spectral Glasses.

▪ Quickstitch Outfit

[See More]

Shop : Open

Quests : Unlocked (Available : 0)

Developed Games :

[Gentle Whispers] Rating : ⯪☆☆☆☆(0.5)

[A regular day in the office] Rating : ★☆☆☆☆(1.0)

[A Twisted game] Rating : ★★⯪☆☆(2.5)

[Nightmare Hotel] Rating : ★★⯪☆☆(2.75)

Balance : 221,442 SP

[Game Developer Mode]

[Locked!]

─────

The system interface looked exactly the same as the one that appeared on my computer screen. There didn't seem to be any changes to it. Was this the new feature? At least, that was until I discovered the last area.

'Locked?'

This...

Was this some sort of joke?

'Is this supposed to be the thing that I'm supposed to get at the end of the trial period?'

Then, there was almost no difference between then and now.

'How do I even unlock it?'

Curious, I pressed on it.

Ding!

[The feature is locked!]

No shit...

Thankfully, there was a chat box beneath. I started to immediately type my question.

[How do I unlock the locked area?]

Because I wasn't on my computer, it took me a lot longer to type out the question. Especially since I didn't want to look suspicious, as I had no choice but to lie on the bed and carefully tap on the holographic keyboard.

...The answer arrived in the form of a notification.

[Quest unlocked!]

• Difficulty: N/A

• Reward: Unlock New Feature!

• Objective: Reach three-star rating!

• Location: N/A

Description: Host has demonstrated developmental potential in game creation, with measurable improvement across successive projects. However, a progression impediment has been detected. The most recent game failed to meet the threshold required for feature unlock. System assessment concludes the host is currently unqualified to access the latest feature. Minimum requirement: Reach a three-star rating!

Increased pace recommended. Delays will negatively impact progression.

Time Limit: 1 month.

What?

I thought that my answers would be cleared the moment that I received an answer, but instead, I only grew more confused.

'A new quest? Create a three-star game? Why is the requirement for unlocking the new feature to reach a three-star rating?'

Thinking about my latest game, it did come quite close to reaching three stars.

[2.75]

It was quite a good score.

However, thinking about the [Twisted Game], the rating increase wasn't that much higher. It wasn't so much that I didn't try, but mainly because reaching the three-star rating was a lot harder than I had initially anticipated. Even when I went full VR and added all the extra features, it refused to climb up.

There was also the time constraint that I needed to take care of. In the end, I had no choice but to upload.

But...

'I'm not supposed to create a three-star game? In one month at that?'

Nonsense!

This was absolute nonsense!

'No, wait.'

Cooling my mind a bit, I looked back at the quest. I quickly realized that the quest was for me to reach a three-star rating, not create a three-star rated game.

'...So I just need to somehow upgrade one of my games to three stars?'

I sighed in relief.

This felt a lot more accomplishable. If it was going to tell me to create a new game, then I was just going to ignore the quest.

I was already used to ignoring the system.

Still, while this mission was accomplishable, there was still a problem...

'I don't have my laptop, nor do I know where I am. My team is also not here. Can I even upgrade my game in the meantime?'

The thought gave me a headache.

However, beyond all of that, my eyes remained glued to the quest. Or to be more precise, towards the last sentence.

[Increased pace recommended. Delays will negatively impact progression.]

What did this even mean?

I didn't hesitate to ask the system.

I half-expected the system to ignore me, but contrary to my expectations, I received an answer not long after.

[You may be ahead in some aspects, but you're lagging behind in others. The more you delay, the more you will fall behind.]

Ah...?

I didn't know what to make of the answer. Without a second thought, I began to type once more.

But...

[What are you talking about?]

[What does it mean?]

[Who are others?]

The system ignored me each time.

By the time I realized it wouldn't answer me any longer, I didn't even have it in me to be angry.

Not when a certain thought entered my mind.

One... that made my body tense.

The system...

Was I the only one to have it?

***

Volume 1 has officially ended.

For those who are unaware, there will be a total of five volumes unless I decide to make changes. The volumes won't be as long as this first one, of course.

What to expect in the upcoming volume?

- More World Building.

- More Horror. The start was more about an introduction to the world than true horror. The story is one that is supposed to grow progressively more 'horrific' as it progresses. At least, I'll try to make it more 'horror '.

- Romance. This will be the volume it starts.

- Twists. Even more twists.

Thank you all for reading until now!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.