> : I [beep——]! Even with the mosaic, I almost threw up!
: I'm getting a stomachache from this — I'm out!
: Did Lucas know all this ahead of time? Is that why he left without warning the others?
: Don't blame Lucas! Didn't you see the Captain and Sister Natalie? They already suspected something but chose to stay!
: The dean's power is just too bizarre. Even the Captain fell victim.
: Lucas, run! That thing is still coming for you!
---
"The dean's ability somehow got into me," Lucas murmured to himself as he stepped onto the third floor corridor. "The safest way out is to trigger the final hidden plot and force the dungeon to end early."
His steps were calm and purposeful.
"According to the system prompt earlier, unlocking the remaining 20% of the hidden story should be enough to complete this dungeon."
As he advanced through the dim corridor without hesitation, the live chat began to stir once again.
> : Why does Lucas act like he knows exactly where the last 20% is?
: Dude, don't even say it—I was thinking the same thing.
: WHEN did he figure this out??
Finally, Lucas halted before a familiar door.
Room 314.
He took a deep breath.
"I finally came back…" he whispered. Then, without hesitation, he pushed the door open.
It wasn't locked.
Perhaps because its former occupant… was long gone.
The light switch was still in the same place. Lucas reached behind the door and flicked it.
Snap—
The room lit up.
Though the corpse and bloodstains were long gone, everything else remained as it had been.
A perfectly preserved moment in time.
Lucas entered slowly and closed the door behind him.
"To commemorate Young Lucas...?" he muttered.
Crossing the room, he knelt beside the bed. Just as he remembered, a small diary lay tucked beneath the frame.
> : He's in Young Lucas' room!
: Don't tell me there's a hidden plot tied to that first NPC who died?!
: Wait… didn't the dean read that diary too? There shouldn't be anything new, right?
Lucas didn't open the book.
Instead, he flipped it over and examined its underside.
The bottom looked ragged and worn—but not just from age. With a practiced hand, he ran his fingers along the seam.
He smiled.
"Found it."
With a little force, Lucas peeled back the false bottom of the diary, revealing a hidden compartment.
Inside was a piece of yellowed paper, folded carefully.
It fluttered to the floor as he opened it. The handwriting was immediately recognizable—it was Young Lucas'.
> : WHAT??
: HOW did Lucas know there was a hidden compartment?!
: Young Lucas… he's an NPC created from the dungeon's data!
: I've got chills...
The note read:
> I should be the only one who can read these words.
This is my second week in the orphanage. I want to escape.
Lately, I keep feeling… like everyone's eyes are on me.
They treat me like I'm the strange one.
I thought becoming part of the group would make things better.
But after I blended in… they began to fear me.
I discovered the orphanage's secret.
There's an angel here.
If—and it's a big if—someone finds this letter...
Can you take me away?
I heard there's a normal world out there.
Away from this.
That was all.
The message ended abruptly.
Lucas sighed. "So the outside world is the normal one... I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, Young Lucas."
He pulled a small lighter from his coat and set the letter aflame.
As it turned to ash, a system prompt appeared:
> [**Player Lucas has triggered a hidden story branch of "The Orphanage" — Angel of the Angel Orphanage]
[Current Exploration Progress: 80%]
[Mission Tip: Complete this branch to achieve full story clearance]
[.....If you see this, can you take me away...]
Lucas stood. The embers of the letter glowed briefly in the dark before vanishing.
Then he turned toward the closet.
Without hesitation, he flung it open.
> [Detected Entity: Ghost Girl of Angel Orphanage – Low-Level Danger]
Inside, a young ghost girl sat curled up, holding the edge of her skirt tightly. She trembled, too afraid to even make eye contact.
Before Lucas could speak, she stammered an explanation:
"I-I'm sorry! I got scared… There was no one else, so I hid here…"
Lucas squatted down, eye level with her. "You're the only ghost in this orphanage?"
He recalled that since the dungeon began, aside from the first day when a ghostly girl sang eerie nursery rhymes in the hallway, he hadn't seen any other spectral presence.
She hesitated, then bit her lip.
Finally, she whispered:
"The Angel Orphanage… was built on top of the old orphanage I used to live in..."
"I'm not one of them… I don't belong to Angel Orphanage... I don't know why I'm still stuck here."
She looked genuinely confused. Like her memory had holes too large to fill.
Lucas nodded, taking it in. "That's useful info."
He reached into his inventory and pulled out a piece of fruit candy.
With care, he placed it in her palm.
"A reward. I know you like these."
He turned and walked away.
The door clicked softly shut behind him.
The ghost girl blinked, staring down at the colorful candy in her hand.
Then, a small smile curled her lips.
"I really like it…" she whispered.
And in that quiet space, she rewarded herself with a bright red flower sticker.
-
-------------------------
--
-------------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31
-----------------------------------------------------