The sudden conclusion of the dungeon run caught everyone off guard.
The live broadcast, which had been filled with tense anticipation, abruptly turned black.
Confusion spread like wildfire.
"What just happened?"
"Did the system just force the players out of the dungeon? I've never seen that happen before!"
"I always thought these horror games wanted to kill every last player. But now, it seems like the system is the one pulling players out? What the hell is going on?!"
A voice piped up from the chat, "Lucas erased the Forbidden Zone. That shattered the core structure of the world. It's not about the player getting booted. The whole dungeon was destabilized."
Another speculated, "Isn't death mode supposed to run two main quests in parallel? Even if one gets corrupted, shouldn't the kill quest still function?"
But then someone nervously floated another idea.
"Do you think… after Lucas forfeited his spot in the Thriller Competition, the system randomly assigned him to an old death dungeon? One built specifically to kill him?"
That chilling suggestion silenced the chat.
All eyes widened.
It was the only theory that made sense.
Lucas had demolished the world logic of the Forbidden Zone, essentially deleting its foundation. The system, unable to handle the breakdown, pulled the plug.
Then, above the now-blackened live broadcast, a glaring message appeared in red font:
---
[System Prompt: Death Mode Dungeon 140 – "Forbidden Zone" – is under emergency maintenance. Reopening is temporarily suspended. We apologize for any inconvenience.]
---
The chat exploded again.
"Inconvenience? INCONVENIENCE? That dungeon was literal hell!"
"Lucas is a legend! He actually forced the system to shut down a death dungeon!"
"Thank you, Lucas! I was terrified I'd land in that dungeon next. But now it's closed… all thanks to you!"
"Lucas is the f*g best!!!"
Another message scrolled in:
---
[1,314,961 people are watching Supernova player Lucas's broadcast. 1,237,891 viewers have sent gifts | Total points earned: 1,237,891.]
[Player Lucas's broadcast is currently the top-ranked in all live dungeon instances.]
[System Prompt: Due to the forced shutdown, standard settlement for this dungeon has been canceled. Compensation rewards have been issued. Players, please check your accounts.]
---
Meanwhile, Lucas, having been forcibly ejected, found himself back in his private quarters.
It was the same small white room he always returned to—a sterile space with only a table, a single bed, a cabinet, and a silent TV.
The only hint of the outside world was a large floor-to-ceiling mirror by the door—one Lucas had intentionally turned to face the wall long ago.
On his panel, the post-dungeon broadcast had ended.
Then came the system ding—
---
[System Prompt: Settlement canceled due to emergency dungeon shutdown. Compensation has been delivered.]
[Reward: 20 blank attribute points.]
---
Lucas didn't even blink.
Blank points meant little to him now.
He opened his status screen:
---
[Player: Lucas]
[Health: 164 – Maintaining optimal health may be the only thing keeping you alive]
[Stamina: 112 – Regenerates automatically]
[Strength: 249 – Slightly increased cap. Please continue daily training]
[Luck: 2 – Oof.]
[Brainpower: 99 – What happens when you break 100?]
[Spirit: 651 – Includes +20 points from recent bonus. Off the charts.]
[Skill: Dismantling]
[Points: 2,502,822]
[Note: Trial team will reassess your performance. Results pending.]
---
The most startling stat?
His Spirit.
The cap on his mental energy had been lifted—a direct result of his triumph over the Forbidden Zone.
Despite his success, an unease lingered in Lucas's chest.
"Did this all happen… because I gave up my deathmatch qualification?" he murmured.
He glanced down at the object pulsing gently in his hand—a shimmering fragment called the Heart of Vision.
No longer broken or cracked.
The core pulsed like a heartbeat.
"If I don't participate, the system will just keep throwing me into random death dungeons..."
His grip tightened.
"This thing absorbed energy from the nuke and repaired itself. What kind of weapon is this?"
---
[Item: Heart of Vision]
[Type: Psychic Weapon]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack Power: Unknown]
[Element: None]
[Function: Whisper the target's name to induce a powerful illusion (continued repairs possible)]
[Note: My name is my tragedy… and the last memory I gave to my beloved.]
---
Lucas focused on the final line:
"Continued repairs possible…"
He pondered whether the Heart could transcend its current legendary rating.
His mind finally relaxed for the first time in days.
The tension that had gripped his nerves inside the dungeon now loosened.
And with that release came overwhelming drowsiness.
Just before sleep claimed him, Lucas blinked in confusion.
"Wait… there was no prompt to enter the next dungeon…"
---
(To be continued in Part 2 )
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