The Five Tigers Guild made an official announcement.
> Lucas is now considered their public enemy.
During the one-week break between horror game cycles, the Five Tigers intensified their hunt. They increased the bounty for any information related to Lucas, encouraging players to report sightings or share files. Their entire guild had seemingly turned into a manhunt operation.
And yet...
There was no progress. Not even a trace.
It was as though Lucas didn't exist at all—not outside the game world, anyway. No registered address. No travel history. No one knew where he went between games.
Exactly seven days later, the man in charge of the bounty campaign—sprawled lazily in a chair and idly scratching his foot—suddenly received a flood of private messages.
His inbox blinked wildly.
> [New Private Message]
[New Private Message]
[New Private Message]
> "No way!" he gasped, jumping up. "Did they finally find him?!"
With trembling fingers, he clicked the first message.
Then the next.
Then all the others.
Every single message said the same thing:
> "Lucas has appeared!"
Panic and excitement collided in the man's chest. He immediately dialed the President of the Five Tigers Guild.
> "Boss! We found him! People are reporting Lucas is online!"
Together, they clicked the link provided in the messages.
It opened to a screen.
> [The multiplayer dungeon is currently full and cannot be joined]
[Dungeon Players: Lucas, Wu Yu...]
The two men stared in silence.
> "..."
"...Grass!" the President finally roared. "We got played!"
Fury exploded through the guild leader.
> "Put all the players who sent these private messages on the blacklist—NOW!"
...
Meanwhile—
> [Dungeon Loading…]
[Loading Complete.]
> [Dungeon Name: Orphanage]
[Level: Tier 4 – Mortality Rate Less Than 80%]
[Mode: Team Mode]
[Waiting for All Players: (10/10)]
[Dungeon Fully Loaded. Wishing You a Pleasant Game.]
...
Back in the real world, a crowd of viewers watched Lucas's livestream as the loading screen vanished.
> "He's read the messages!"
The chat exploded in laughter.
> "The Five Tigers Guild must be fuming right now."
"Serves them right! They didn't even dare to enter the dungeon this time."
The mockery didn't last long.
Because then—
The screen lit up.
...
Lucas sat quietly in a dimly lit room. The decor was outdated, yet the space was eerily neat—as though cleaned recently despite the old wallpaper and cracked furniture.
He glanced at the character panel hovering in front of him.
---
> [Player: Lucas]
[Health: 150 – Health Cap Increased]
[Stamina: 101 – Stamina Cap Increased]
[Strength: 192 – Your Strength Has Grown Tremendously]
[Luck: 1 – Despite All Other Growth, Your Luck Is Still Pathetic]
[Intelligence: 98 – Your Mind Has Sharpened Beyond Normal Limits]
[Spirit: 132 – Mental Strength Boosted Significantly]
[Skills: None]
[Points: 625,455]
[Comprehensive Score Pending Review by the Game Tribunal]
---
Lucas frowned slightly.
> "The Tribunal is still updating my score, huh..."
Typical. The so-called "Thriller Game Jury" was notoriously slow.
He looked around. The room resembled a meeting hall—a long wooden table stretched between him and the other players. Carved designs on the surface suggested this used to be a proper conference room. Now it served as the starting point for the dungeon.
Lucas finally raised his eyes.
Nine others sat at the table. Including him, it made ten players—five on each side.
Click.
The door opened.
Heels clicked against the wooden floor.
A tall, elegant middle-aged woman in a flowing black dress entered with poise and authority. Her red lips curved into a graceful smile.
> "Congratulations on passing the interview," she said, her voice warm but chilling.
Her presence commanded the room.
Without instruction, the players began to clap, unsure of what else to do. She allowed it for a few seconds, then softly raised her hand. The applause stopped instantly.
> "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the director of Angel Orphanage."
She swept her gaze across the players.
> "If you've made it this far, then you must be caring, patient, and responsible people."
Lucas sat up a little straighter.
> "She's sharp," he thought. "Knows how to read a room."
> "You're all now in your probation period," she continued. "Over the next seven days, I will assess whether you are fit to stay. Not everyone can care for children."
She leaned in slightly, her voice lowering.
> "This place will test more than your strength. It will test your soul."
Then she straightened again.
> "Now, let me explain your daily responsibilities..."
DING!
A system prompt chimed.
---
> [Main Mission: Survive Seven Days at Angel Orphanage]
[Mission Tip: You have teammates. Collaborate to improve your chances of survival.]
---
Lucas tilted his head, smiling to himself.
> "Good. This time, I'm not alone."
He always preferred working in teams. Watching others panic and adapt—or fail to—offered him a strange sense of control.
...
The moment the dungeon name was revealed, the internet was set ablaze.
> "Orphanage?! Are you kidding me? What are the odds?!"
> "Lucas returned to an orphanage-themed dungeon? That's poetic!"
> "He doesn't seem fazed at all. Didn't even flinch."
> "He probably doesn't remember much. He left Sunshine Orphanage when he was little."
> "But still, this is too much of a coincidence. Can the system do this intentionally?"
Conspiracy theories began to form.
Meanwhile, Lucas's livestream soared in popularity.
---
> [154,921 viewers are watching Supernova Player Lucas's livestream.]
[95,116 have sent gifts, earning him a total of 95,116 points.]
[Lucas is currently the 3rd most-watched player in this dungeon instance.]
---
Even players from other guilds had entered his stream just to see how he'd perform.
And Lucas?
He sat calmly.
Analyzing.
Reading the room.
Waiting.
...
Somewhere else in the world, a young writer snored loudly at his desk, drooling onto a keyboard.
In his dreams, he was a knight on a mission—charging across fantasy lands with nothing but a rusty pen.
All around him, loyal readers stood like valiant warriors, holding roses.
Each one trying to wake the sleepy author from his enchanted slumber.
> "Write! Write, you lazy bard!"
...
But Lucas had already begun his next performance.
And this time, he wasn't playing solo.
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