Anomaly Detector (2)
The game Anomaly Detector was the sequel to a horror title called Surveillance that had once taken the world by storm. Players patrolled specially prepared “sectors” filled with different themes and corrected any anomalies they found.
Objects that moved on their own. Objects that transformed. Intruders, monsters, and ghosts. The game was practically soaked in the malicious intent of its sadistic developers, who seemed to exist solely to torment the player.
Once it had made the leap from flat-screen play to full virtual reality, the difficulty had grown even more vicious. It was therefore completely different in both genre and approach from the physical, reflex-heavy games Myeong-yun had been streaming until now.
This was a horror game that prized brainpower over physical ability, where instantaneous memory was the single most important factor.
That was Anomaly Detector.
Standing in front of a snow-blasted cabin, Myeong-yun toyed with the tablet given to every player and spoke in a calm, regal tone.
“So this Seat has been dispatched as a ‘Detector’ from a company that identifies and corrects anomalous phenomena.”
The tablet contained a basic tutorial on gameplay and difficulty settings. The rules were simple: patrol each room, spot anomalies, and use the tablet to categorize and correct them.
If the player survived six in-game hours—thirty real-world minutes—they won. It sounded easy, but the anomalies were cunning and relentless, gnawing away at the player’s sanity. The mental strain was enormous.
The first available theme was “Snow-Covered Cabin.” Clearing it would unlock the others.
After skimming the tutorial, Myeong-yun declared, “The difficulty shall of course be set to the highest. Only then will your brains receive any proper exercise.”
Myeong-yun gave the chat a small, amused smile and selected the difficulty. The options were Easy, Normal, Hard, Nightmare, and Reality. Without hesitation he chose Reality.
The chat immediately exploded.
Difficulties below Reality would send a notification to the tablet once too many anomalies accumulated. Reality offered no such mercy. Subtle anomalies would surge like a tidal wave while intruders tried to scare the player to death. The clear rate sat at a merciless 0.001 percent. It demanded absolute focus and courage.
“Let us see whose memory is superior—this Seat’s or all of yours,” Myeong-yun declared.
The moment he finished setting the difficulty, the blizzard outside howled even harder. He opened the cabin door and stepped inside.
The cabin had two floors divided into several distinct areas. The first room he entered was the living room, dominated by a large fireplace. Various objects were scattered everywhere; memorizing them all at a glance seemed daunting.
“It appears there are five sectors in total. Living room, kitchen, bedroom, study, and attic.”
After confirming the layout on his tablet, Myeong-yun began walking through every corner of the house. The first five minutes of every run were dedicated to memorizing the initial placement of every object.
He inspected the entire first floor, then climbed the stairs to the attic. Even the ever-composed Heavenly Demon frowned.
“It seems something terrible happened here. Did they attempt to summon a demon, perhaps?”
The living room, kitchen, bedroom, and study were relatively normal. The attic, however, was a nightmare. Blood was splattered across the floor and a massive magic circle drawn in blood dominated the center. Countless candles were melting, giving off an eerie chill.
After a quick look around the attic, Myeong-yun returned to the entrance. The door leading outside was now firmly locked.
“Five minutes have already passed.”
Right before the game officially began, the usual crowd of people hoping for a safe bet appeared once again.
Task: Clear Every Single Anomaly
Reward: 3,000,000 won
Whether they truly believed it was safe or not, someone had wagered a massive three million won on the mission. And it was the hellish requirement of clearing every anomaly on Reality mode.
Myeong-yun accepted the mission with a faint smile. “This Seat shall collect the reward once today’s stream ends. Very well, then. Let us begin. This Seat has also prepared a multi-camera mode for all of you.”
When he snapped his fingers, five buttons appeared on the viewers’ screens—an extension that let them freely switch between room viewpoints.
“Pressing a number will show you that corresponding room. Pressing the same number again will lock the view to This Seat’s current location. It is an automatic function.”
Myeong-yun let out a soft chuckle at the flood of messages and began his patrol, starting with the living room.
A fireplace and rocking chair. A bearskin rug on the floor. A crossbow, rifle, and axe hung on the wall, suggesting the owner had been a hunter. Miscellaneous objects were scattered everywhere.
Next was the kitchen. The stove was cold; the only light came from a single small candle on the table. A pot sat on the dining table atop another skin rug, filled with a thin, unidentifiable soup. Dried meats hung on the walls, and the cupboards were stuffed with dishes in disarray. Bowls, a knife, and a fork lay scattered around the pot.
The bedroom contained a queen-size wooden bed with a thick comforter thrown carelessly across it. Clothes hung on the wall. Compared to the other rooms it was sparse, though the tightly shut double windows were noteworthy.
The study held a desk with a silver candlestick. Of the three candles in it, only two were lit. The bookshelf was packed with volumes that felt far too sophisticated for a mere hunter. A half-written letter lay on the desk beside an overturned ink bottle; the spilled ink had frozen solid in the bitter cold.
Myeong-yun tried to read the letter, but it was stuck firmly to the desk. He gave up.
Myeong-yun cleared his throat and moved on to the final area—the attic on the second floor.
The most suspicious room looked exactly as it had on his first visit. The dubious magic circle, the dubious candles, the dubious papers scattered everywhere.
In Anomaly Detector, exceeding ten undetected anomalies on Nightmare difficulty resulted in a game over. On Reality mode, the limit was only five. The changes were often so subtle they were nearly impossible to notice. The game progressed quickly; fail to spot them fast enough and defeat would arrive in moments.
Creaaaaak……
A spine-chilling sound echoed through the cabin.
Myeong-yun blinked once and said, “It came from the study. Shall we go see?”
Tens of thousands of viewers seemed to have divided the rooms among themselves. The chat was flooded with conflicting claims—some rooms were fine, others were suspicious. It was nearly impossible to find the truth among the noise.
Myeong-yun knew most of the rapidly scrolling messages were lies and paid them no mind. He had never intended to rely on the chat in the first place.
Trusting his own senses, he walked straight to the study with his hands clasped behind his back.
The moment he entered the open door, the corners of his lips rose. He asked the audience, “This Seat shall give you five seconds. Can you tell what has changed?”
The study contained a desk with a silver candlestick upon it. Of the three candles in the holder, only two were lit. Melted wax dripped steadily downward. The bookshelf on the wall was filled with many books. They felt far too refined for a simple hunter.
Five seconds passed in the blink of an eye. After scanning the chat, Myeong-yun saw that only about a dozen people had guessed correctly. Out of more than seventy thousand viewers.
He smiled and pointed at the answer with his finger.
“It seems none of you have very keen eyes. The change is sitting right in front of you, bold as brass.”