Horror Game Designer

Chapter 72: Designing the First Game

Gao Ming presented Granny with a compelling proposition that seemed impossible to refuse. He suggested resolving their predicaments in one fell swoop by assassinating Situ An.

In response, Granny carefully extracted a piece of talisman paper. With deliberate, practiced strokes, she inscribed symbols onto it. Then, with a swift motion, she tossed the talisman into a copper basin brimming with water.

What happened next was nothing short of mystical. The moment the talisman made contact with the water, it spontaneously combusted, transforming into flames mid-air and reducing to ashes that gently descended into the basin.

“Strange, how strange.” Granny chanted a small verse of mantra before addressing Gao Ming: “I can assist in certain ways, but I must maintain a degree of distance. Too close of involvement with any of you could mean eternal damnation for me.”

Gao Ming clarified his request, “I don’t expect you to commit the act yourself. I merely need your help in bringing Situ An to the right place at the right time.” He was intent on dealing with Situ An personally, with Granny’s indirect support of course.

Granny, while methodically placing pieces of the clay figurines, which bore an eerie resemblance to the Flesh Immortal, into a wooden box, expressed her doubts. “Your efforts may be in vain. Situ An trusts no one,” she explained. “The Sishui Apartment has repeatedly failed in their attempts at a blood sacrifice over the years. Situ An has lost faith in the existence of the Flesh Immortal. He’s more likely to focus his attention on other projects, like the numerous buildings he’s been erecting in the Hanhai Eastern District. His intentions there remain unclear to me.”

“That guy sure is hard to eliminate.” Gao Ming admits. The dynamic had shifted since he had come into possession of the complete Flesh Immortal.

“I cannot intervene directly, but I can return to you something that rightfully belongs to you.” Granny reverently approached the myriad clay figurines of ghost deities scattered around the room. She deliberately smashed three of them, retrieving from their remains three blood-red talismans imbued with lethal power. “These talismans could be as dangerous to you as they are to your enemy, but you should have them.”

With a hint of dissatisfaction, Gao Ming inquired, “Only three of these?”

Granny, exercising caution, replied, “Excess can be detrimental. Three is all you shall have.” She then retrieved a bunch of keys hanging from the wall and led Gao Ming towards the basement of Building A.

The apartment in Building A had undergone remarkable changes. Previously, every resident venerated the Flesh Immortal, and the first underground level was replete with meat-serving restaurants. Now, this level had been converted into a storage area.

After moving aside various obstructions, Granny opened an ancient metal door, its rust crumbling away as it creaked open, revealing a hidden shrine.

“This is where the shrine of the Flesh Immortal has been secretly kept,” Granny explained, lighting candles on the altar. The flickering light cast a glow on the statue of the eight-armed, four-faced ghost deity. “Despite his numerous sacrifices and killings over the past two decades, Situ An has never been able to properly worship the true Flesh Immortal. But he has managed to accumulate some blood offerings.”

She then stepped aside, allowing Gao Ming to approach the statue. As he moved closer, a strange force seemed to emanate from him, dispelling the shadows around. Behind him, a formation of dense, blood-red threads burst forth like an enormous blooming flower. Eight powerful arms extended from his back, reaching towards the ghost deity statue with a magnetic force.

As Gao Ming stood in the shrine, he witnessed a peculiar phenomenon. Drops of blood began to seep from the clay figure, merging into his body. This infusion brought about subtle changes in the Flesh Immortal that resided within him, particularly enhancing the clarity of the face representing sin.

During this transformation, Gao Ming’s eyes, previously clouded with fatigue, regained a semblance of vigor. Despite being deprived of sleep for an extended period, his energy seemed replenished. However, the blood-red tint in his eyes added an unsettling quality to his appearance.

“As I absorb the essence from the Flesh Immortal, I gain unexpected benefits. This is another significant revelation,” Gao Ming mused aloud, processing the new developments.

Gao Ming was primarily focused on eliminating Situ An and confronting the Eastern District Investigation Bureau. However, he harbored a more profound aspiration—to encounter the mysterious stranger from the tunnel and find a way to break the relentless cycle of rebirth.

Haunted by memories of his own deaths, Gao Ming found little solace in rest. The gruesome images that haunted him every time he closed his eyes were a constant reminder of his torment, driving him away from the desire for sleep.

As the clay figure exsanguinated its final drop, it shattered atop the altar. Concurrently, the gathering shadows around Gao Ming began to violently repulse him as if trying to expel him from the sacred space.

Eventually, the shadows receded, leaving behind Gao Ming, Wan Qiu, and a squirming Richy in the cramped shrine. Richy, who had been observing from the safety of a cat bag, had feigned death throughout the ordeal.

“You wanted to come along, didn’t you? Why act out now?” He stroked the cat’s head, noting how fear seemed to have diminished its size.

With the last shadow gone, a black-and-white photograph materialized on the offering table, replacing the Flesh Immortal statue. The photo depicted Granny leaning on a cane and standing sternly in front of the apartment. Various figures were also visible Through the apartment windows—Nannan and Xianxian playing, Ms. Nosy spying, Old Zhou Ji carrying a child on his back, and several indistinct shadows.

Gao Ming was puzzled, recalling Granny’s refusal to assist him. He flipped the photo over to find childlike handwriting on the back, reading: “Granny’s Photo: Granny says no one in this building is normal, including her and me.”

Gao Ming realized that this photograph of Sishui Apartment, if unchecked, had the potential to evolve into a Level 4 anomaly. However, he had no intention of exploiting it so mercilessly.

“Now, I might be capable of creating the simplest horror games,” Gao Ming thought, reflecting on his experiences since leaving the tunnel. He had always avoided involving ordinary people in horror stories, especially considering his recurring memories of death. But now, his perspective had shifted.

“Vengeance for the wronged seems only fair.”

After departing from Sishui Apartment, Gao Ming’s next stop was an underground boxing ring. He left his contact details with a junior staff member, hoping they could help watch for Yan Hua and his older sister.

Though Yan Hua was no longer present, Gao Ming was determined to honor his promise of finding Yan Hua’s sister, driven by a desire to make amends for past wrongs.

Seated in the back of a taxi, Gao Ming withdrew a piece of paper and a pen, extending them towards Wan Qiu with a sense of purpose. “Life only happens once. Jot down everything you’ve ever wanted to do, and I’ll help make them a reality,” he encouraged.

Observing Gao Ming’s determined contour, Wan Qiu hesitantly took the pen. After a moment of contemplation, he scribbled down a simple desire—I want to eat ice cream.

Gao Ming glanced at his wish and responded with enthusiasm, “Let’s do it! We’ll grab two scoops as soon as we get out!” He handed him ten dollars, urging him to dream bigger. “Write down everything else you’ve been longing for! It’s time we start living joyfully, pushing back against fate’s cruelties!”

Feeling a spark of hope, Wan Qiu added, “I want to see the sea.”

Gao Ming’s response was immediate and supportive. “We’ll head to the seaside tomorrow! The south harbor isn’t far from here!” He gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Don’t hold back. Write down all your dreams and let’s chase them together!”

“I don’t want to be bullied anymore.”

“That’s completely achievable! I’ll adapt Yan Hua’s rigorous training method for you. We can train together and become stronger.”

Wan Qiu, finding comfort in Gao Ming’s presence, stuttered less as he confessed another wish, “I-I also want to experience love.”

“You couldn’t have asked a better person,” Gao Ming boasted with a smile. “I started with making love games. Give me a few days, and I’ll create a virtual girlfriend program just for you.”

Gao Ming was committed to fulfilling Wan Qiu’s desires, having seen through his memories how much he had endured in the past.

Engrossed in plans for a brighter future, they later indulged in a hearty meal before returning to Li Jing Apartment.

Once home, Gao Ming called Zhao Xi to verify if all the residents in Building No. 2 were present.

Settling on the balcony with his laptop, Gao Ming started crafting a personalized horror game for Xuan Wen. Drawing from various memories of death, he made Xuan Wen the central character. In this game, she wasn’t just a side character but the main focus, dying repeatedly and losing her memory each time, yet always the first to reach the tunnel’s exit, as if waiting for someone.

As the day neared its end, Gao Ming received a message from Brother Zhao Xi confirming everything was in place.

“The horror game designed for Situ An must be flawless. I’ll test it on you guys first.”

He closed his laptop, his gaze drifting towards Building No. 2, void of any semblance of empathy.

Gao Ming recalled a particularly harrowing memory. Using the power of the Flesh Immortal, he had witnessed the death of another version of himself through their final memories.

Four weeks after escaping the tunnel, the horror stories spiraled out of control, bringing disaster to the old city district. Gao Ming formed a mutual aid group, desperately trying to protect Li Jing Apartment. However, in a devastating turn, he was betrayed by several neighbors from Building No. 2, who sacrificed him to the ghosts.

“The agony of being torn apart is something I wish I could forget, but it’s etched in my memory forever!” Gao Ming lamented, haunted by the past.