I worriedly shook my head, what the fuck? There really are others along with me? What the fuck was going on here?
"Why?"
I asked, barely able to keep my face stable.
The male looked back at me as the black haired man was approaching us, "I see… You must be, then." He said after a few seconds of looking at me. "I'm 'The Artist' and she's 'The Writer'..'"
"What does that mean?"
"Well, we don't know, but we're quite certain that the last one was you. You see, we all have different trials. We can really only explain a few things due to… Him." He nodded towards the one dressed in black. "But basically, everything I experienced related to art-works of all kinds. She's experienced scenarios written in books, and he… He's been living in a game. You're the only media form left. The Director."
The black haired one raised his hands and wore a dark smile "C'mon, come on… Show me the new guy!"
The woman got closer to the man. "You don't need to see him right now."
The man wearing black had stammered "W-woah- tha-that's so rude!" He reached to his side, and the two in front of me raised their guard as he pulled out a weapon out of thin air and raised it towards the other two. "Part. Both of you. Or I'm going to send you back to try it all again."
"Enough, Thomas!" The man let out. "He's not The Director! The Director must be hiding in The Hall during this game, and sent a new person!"
The woman and man moved away and I got a clean look at Thomas. His aura was terrifying for a reason. He was living in a game? What the fuck was this shit? He got closer to me and gave me a smile, looking above my head and seeing my weapon of choice. "What's that?" He let out a chuckle. I didn't want to say anything to him. After he tilted his head, he spoke again "What, cat got your TONGUE?" he released his weapon and raised his hand to my chin, causing me to raise my hand up and grab his wrist in self defense.
I was really scared of this guy. He looked horrible to deal with. "So, if you aren't The Director… Then who is? Was he part of the last group? I couldn't kill everyone to see… Was it the brown haired guy? The goth girl?" He let out a chuckle. I wish I could get him away from me.
I let my voice out. It started off as weak, due to the circumstances I was in "I don't know what you're talking about.."
The woman spoke once more, "See, Thomas! Look, he's terrified! He can't be the director!"
Thomas thought for a moment, and released me. "You're right, Trish… But we still need to send a message!" He pulled the sword towards me, and I reflexively laid back. "W-W-WAIT, I-I ARE YOU LOOKING FOR OUR LEADER?"
Thomas smiled "Hehe, leader, huh?" Trish and the other male looked tense, "What'd this guy do that was so great?"
I swallowed nothing as I raised my hands in surrender "H-he's our saviour, man!" I was going to lie to him. As long as he can't detect any lies, I'll be perfectly fine. "He got us to game 4 with only a hundred deaths! He's saved a lot of people, you know!"
Thomas grinned brighter, "You know what? This is more information than I got last time. Anyway, since completely different people are here, I think one of the guys from the last time is The Director. We're going to have to wait until whichever game has all the quarters together for the first time before we get to talk to him. You two can do all the talking you want now, I'm gonna practice some of my skills. I NEED to get stronger." His face tightened as he went away from us and to the other side of the platform.
Trish and the other guy sat down next to me as I stared at Thomas' retreating figure. The man sighed, and looked at me with a worried face. "That was some fine acting. Listen, I'm Damian. Like I said, I'm the Artist. She's the writer. All of our fourths deal with the same thing that relates to our… 'job' we believe that you are the director. Maybe you are even stronger than Trish, but Thomas? He's out of all our leagues combined."
Trish spoke up after glancing at Thomas, who seemed to be meditating in the corner as more people were arriving from my quarter. "Listen, he's… Trying to kill you. He's obsessed with growing stronger. All we know was that… He's obsessed with playing games, like me and Damian are obsessed with writing and drawing. We know nothing other than we are all based on different media, for some reason..."
"We all have our own terms as well. Thomas is leveling up, while she goes up by chapters and I go up by galleries. I don't know why it's all different, but it seems to just match with what we deem fit to mean something. My skills are very odd, at least with how they work. In order to learn one, I need to literally draw it out. No matter what I use, it all works the same."
The lady was really paranoid, making sure Thomas wasn't listening. "And I can essentially use anything I read, or write. We assume that Thomas is the strongest, because he's the best of all of us. Only thing he can't use to grow is Damian's artistry… If you don't mind, can you inform us of your abilities and how you grow?"
All this exposition… I was nervous. I didn't want to say anything. I was happy how I was moving on, and now this? All this exposition? It's like a world building episode after a bunch of action in a TV show! I didn't want to say anything, either-way. I couldn't trust them, Trish, Thomas, and Damian. This could be a set up.
"Do you guys return by dying too? And what about a quest for 'perfection'?"
They both shrugged, but responded to my first question with a "yes" I nodded and closed my eyes for a moment. "I'll give you one thing in return for one more piece of knowledge. I want to be safe for now, so..." I opened my eyes and looked back up to them and asked my question "What level are you all?"
Trish responded first, "I am only level 7 right now."
Then Damian, "I am level 9, of course, I'm more equal to a level 3… And thomas?"
They both glanced at each other and said "He's level 27."
My eyes widened at that number, and I almost yelled my question, but instead let out a suppressed noise as I covered my mouth. I quickly uncovered it and asked "HOW?"
They shook their heads. "There's a few ways to level up. Doing job specific things… And killing. Creatures, humans, no matter what it is, as long as you dish out the final blow, you can level up, or at least get experience. He… kills everyone he can. Last time he tried to kill all of your group, and he even killed us. He said that we weren't even worth it for the xp, and still went ahead and did it. He's ruthless and seeks only growth."
I couldn't help but wear a worried expression as sweat ran down my forehead. "I.. I'll tell you my level… Technically. I should be level 20 by now, though I need to claim it all- AND-and before you say anything- I didn't get it by killing anyone… I killed the game 3 hosts. All of them."
It seems it was time for them to be surprised as they gasped "You killed the hosts? How???" I shrugged "For some reason, they were physically there, just… Shapeshifted…"
"They were shapeshifters too?" They asked in unison. I had no idea why they were so surprised, was what I did really that great?
"Why do you ask?"
Trish and Damian looked at each other "Not even Thomas can deal with the hosts yet, let alone of that caliber."