:??
:???
:When did Lucas know??
:From the live broadcast view, he was looking in the direction Nathan left.
:But why didn't we see Nathan die??
:He must have some kind of special item. He's completed so many missions—who knows what he's acquired?
:Exactly. And since Lucas knew about Nathan's situation, why didn't he try to save him?
:Typical audience nonsense again.
:Is it written somewhere that every teammate must be saved no matter what? You're just asking to die if you rush out blindly.
:Yeah, switch the roles—would Nathan have saved Lucas?
:I bet 100 points—absolutely not.
---
Back in the dormitory, the players who shared the room with Lucas all seemed to share this sentiment.
The captain's face was tight with concern, but his next question made everyone pause.
"Do any of you know how Nathan died?"
They all shook their heads. None of them had left the room. If it hadn't been for Natalie's abilities, they wouldn't have even realized a teammate had died.
"If we'd known...maybe we could have done something," the captain added, his voice lower now.
Lucas answered honestly. "The danger assessment didn't show me how the threat actually occurred—just its level."
A murmur of unease passed through the group. After what happened at midnight, no one dared to sleep again.
---
Time: 3:00 AM.
A scream suddenly rang out in the orphanage.
Everyone—tired, half-asleep—snapped to attention. The air became still, the silence afterward even more unsettling than the scream itself.
"It came from the far end of our corridor," Natalie said, her voice cold but focused.
The captain nodded and silently walked to the door.
"Everyone get ready."
The players tensed, gathering near the beds, weapons in hand. Lucas kept his eyes on the corridor wall, where the previous danger had manifested.
Then a second sound came.
"Help… someone… help me…"
The voice was weak, drained, like it came from someone using the last of their strength to cry out.
"That's Nathan's voice!" Ellie shouted, eyes wide.
Lucas frowned deeply. It was definitely Nathan's voice.
The captain and Natalie exchanged cautious glances but remained silent.
Ellie—close to Nathan in daily life—stepped toward the door. "Captain, we have to save him!"
But the captain held her back. He stared at her with something between sympathy and suspicion.
"Did you forget what Jason said? Nathan's already dead."
Ellie's eyes shimmered with tears, and her voice rose in disbelief. "Just because he said it, doesn't mean it's true! I believe what I hear with my own ears!"
Without waiting for permission, she pushed past the captain, threw open the door, and ran into the corridor.
The sound of her footsteps quickly faded into the dark.
The captain rubbed his temples and sighed. Lucas's eyes didn't leave the wall—Ellie's danger assessment had disappeared.
She was getting closer and closer to the voice.
---
Time: 3:15 AM.
Ellie never came back.
There was nothing but cold silence in the hallway again.
"I guess Ellie…" the captain started, but before he could finish, another cry for help echoed out.
Same place. Same eerie tone.
Only this time, there were two voices.
"Help! Please… help us!"
It was Nathan and Ellie—both of them.
The room's atmosphere turned to ice.
The captain leaned back against the doorframe, arms folded. He smirked bitterly.
"Anyone else want to go out there?"
Silence.
Every player curled deeper into their beds, refusing to make eye contact. Pretending not to hear was suddenly the safest choice.
Ten agonizing minutes passed.
The voices vanished.
And with that, the captain finally exhaled, shoulders lowering slightly.
But everyone in the room knew—ignoring the cries of a teammate, even if they might be dead… leaves a scar on the heart.
---
[A danger assessment is being generated based on host strength...]
[Player Nathan: About to surpass intermediate danger]
Lucas focused again.
Nathan's danger box reappeared on the far right wall, just near the corridor entrance.
"The risk assessment hasn't changed… even though he's supposed to be dead."
Lucas approached slowly, staring at the glowing panel.
"Is he back? Was he ever gone…?"
Boom.
Boom, boom, boom.
Knocks on the dormitory door jolted everyone—except Lucas.
The captain stiffened. No one dared say a word.
Boom, boom, boom!
"Open the door… please, someone…"
Nathan's voice. Again.
The captain turned to Natalie.
Without words, she moved to the other side of the door. They exchanged nods.
The captain reached for the handle—
Click.
The door… opened from the outside.
---
Behind it stood Nathan.
His face was pale and lifeless. He was drenched in cold sweat, trembling violently.
He took a step, stumbled, and collapsed forward.
The captain and Natalie caught him on instinct and helped him onto a nearby bed.
"He has the key in his hand…" the captain muttered, exchanging a sharp glance with Natalie.
She leaned in and grabbed Nathan's wrist, checking for signs. Her face twisted strangely.
"It's… the real Nathan."
Once Nathan was on the bed, he immediately closed his eyes.
The captain slapped him lightly to keep him awake. "What happened?!"
Nathan mumbled faintly. "I… don't know…"
He began to nod off again. The captain shook him, louder this time. "And where is Ellie?! Where did she go?"
His voice was barely a whisper. "I don't… know…"
No matter how hard the captain tried, Nathan didn't respond again. He had fallen into a deep, unnatural sleep.
Natalie placed a hand on the captain's shoulder. "It's no use. His physical strength is drained. He won't wake up for a while."
---
The other players surrounded Nathan, curious and frightened. Only Lucas stayed seated at the far end of the room.
He narrowed his eyes.
"There's something deeply wrong with sharing a room… with someone who came back from the dead."
He checked the danger assessment again.
Nathan's strength was declining.
[Player Nathan: Intermediate Danger]
[Player Nathan: Low-level Danger]
[Player Nathan's abdomen: Approaching intermediate danger]
Lucas's expression didn't change.
But his grip on the knife at his side tightened.
-
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