Squeak—
The door creaked open slowly.
A boy entered, smiling brightly.
He looked to be around five or six years old—adorably small, with large round eyes and cherubic cheeks that practically glowed under the room's single overhead light.
> "This is Young Lucas," the female director said fondly, a rare softness in her voice.
> "He's my favorite child in the orphanage. Smart, polite, and obedient."
Hearing the director speak so warmly about the boy, the players sitting behind the one-way mirror shuddered almost in unison.
> "If she likes him, there's definitely something wrong."
Those favored by the director—that fact alone made the boy deeply suspicious.
Lucas—seated among the players—stared at the child for a long moment. His eyes narrowed. For a flicker of a second, his expression turned unreadable.
> "This dungeon just keeps getting better…" he muttered, his voice flat.
But his lips curved into a faint smile.
> "Still, I am quite popular. Even the game makes versions of me."
DING.
---
> [System modeling complete…]
[Threat Assessment (Based on Player Strength)]
[Angel Orphanage – Young Lucas: HIGH THREAT]
---
The audience watching Lucas's live stream gasped.
> "HOLD ON—Is that… is that the baby version of Lucas??"
> "It's exactly his face, just smaller! Same eyes, same smirk—this is insane."
> "Wait, how is that possible? Team mode doesn't allow for NPCs to match players."
> "Isn't the system supposed to protect player identity?"
It was true—normally, in team mode, the system modified appearances slightly to avoid exposure. But those who had been watching Lucas for long enough... they knew this wasn't coincidence.
> "This isn't just an Easter egg. This is intentional."
One experienced player added:
> "Dungeons above Level 3 evolve dynamically. You can't rely on old walkthroughs. If someone like Lucas enters, the system might've scanned his real-world data and built this copy around it."
The game's official system even issued a short announcement:
---
> [Dungeons above Level 3 may evolve using randomly captured real-world player data. Final interpretation rights belong to Thriller Games.]
---
Back in the room, Young Lucas kept smiling.
He walked in casually and looked up at Aunt May.
> "Aunt May, have you seen my kitten?" he asked sweetly. "I've looked everywhere for her today."
Aunt May let out a soft "Ah!" and lifted a black bag from beside her chair.
> "Your kitty… is right here."
Young Lucas's face lit up as he took the bag eagerly.
He peered inside.
Aunt May smiled.
> "Sorry, dear. I had to borrow her for a bit."
The boy looked up, still grinning.
> "It's okay, Aunt May."
As if the mutilated kitten inside meant nothing to him.
> "Very good!" Aunt May patted his head. "You've passed today's test."
He glanced briefly toward the one-way mirror—as if he knew people were watching—then turned away.
> "Thank you, Aunt May. I'll go now."
> "Go ahead, sweetheart."
The boy's steps were light, almost cheerful, as he walked out, dragging the bag along the ground.
...
The director turned toward the observing players, her smile almost... proud.
> "See that?" she said, tilting her chin toward the hallway. "He knows there's a viewing chamber, but he doesn't say anything. That is a good child."
No one dared reply.
The director quickly returned to her matter-of-fact tone.
> "That concludes the general testing process. You can ask Aunt May about the details later."
...
The teaching session was followed by a formal welcome dinner.
After that, the players were escorted to the employee dormitory set aside for new interns.
As soon as the last NPC left the hallway, the players exhaled collectively.
> "This place is insane. Every inch of it is twisted."
Lucas remained on his bed, listening in silence.
Another player spoke, sounding both angry and disturbed.
> "The children aren't evil—they've been molded by this place. Those smile tests are just tools to warp their minds."
> "It's not the kids we should fear—it's the adults here."
> "Still, we've got the Captain and Sister Ya on our side. We're not exactly helpless."
The man they called Captain—his username simply that—sat cross-legged at the corner of the room, chewing betel nut and smirking.
No one remembered his real name anymore.
He stood and waved a hand.
> "I'm not gonna lie. I won't promise we'll all survive this dungeon—but I swear I'll lead from the front. No one dies before me!"
The group laughed. It was a welcome release from the tension of the day.
Sister Ya, the female player from earlier who'd called out the director's cruelty, flipped her long red hair and chimed in.
> "We're teammates. Watch each other's backs, and we'll be fine."
...
> "So that's why Lucas's stream isn't ranked number one this time," someone said in the chat.
> "Sister Ya ranks 156 globally, and Captain is 99th. That's three top-200 players in a Level 4 dungeon!"
> "Lucas is ranked third in this copy, but still… the competition here is brutal."
> "Honestly, this group might be one of the most stacked teams in recent memory."
...
That night, after a brief bonding session, the players discussed the mechanics of the dungeon. They shared observations and predictions.
> "Something's still bothering me," Captain suddenly said. "We haven't heard from one of our teammates yet."
He turned to Lucas.
> "You. What's your name again?"
Lucas smiled shyly, lowering his head a little.
> "I'm Jason. Nice to meet you."
> "Aww, the little brother's still afraid of strangers!" Captain laughed.
His tone was friendly, and the others chuckled along.
The atmosphere finally relaxed.
...
Night fell.
The players drifted to sleep, one by one.
Outside, the wind rustled through the trees. A haunting melody drifted through the corridor—soft and distant. Like a lullaby from a dream.
Lucas sat up silently.
He stepped out of bed and moved toward the hallway.
The door closed behind him with a soft click.
None of the others stirred.
They were fast asleep, unaware.
And somewhere in the building...
A soft voice sang.
...
> Young Lucas... who is he, really?
> [Use a Flower Ticket to Unlock the Answer.]
----------------------------------------------------
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31
-----------------------------------------------------