Horror :The Cautious Titan

> [System Prompt: Please be aware that players must enter the next horror game within one week, or their lives will be forfeited. The countdown begins now…]

[7:23:59]

[7:23:58]

[Wish you a thrilling game!]

A flash of white light filled the screen.

In an instant, Lucas logged out of the horror game, his consciousness returning to the lounge's quiet reality.

He lay flat on the bed, his breath slow and ragged, the game's weight still clinging to him like a second skin.

> "Seven days..." he muttered, staring at the ceiling, "I really need to rest."

The "Terror Cruise" instance had ended, but it had taken more from him than just time and energy. It had hollowed him out.

His stats, all glowing red, painted a clear picture—his current state was far from healthy.

Mental strain, physical fatigue, emotional toll—Lucas was running on fumes.

> "If survival is the goal," he whispered, eyelids heavy, "why can't it ever be simple…"

His body finally gave in. Lucas slipped into unconsciousness.

---

Across the forums and streaming platforms, Lucas had become a household name.

A new player—just his second horror instance—yet he emerged not just alive, but as the only player to receive an S+ rating among seasoned veterans.

Whether it was chatrooms, livestream clips, rankings, or meme boards, everyone was talking about one thing:

Lucas.

What stunned people the most was the complete lack of any public data on him.

Unlike other rising players who posted updates, selfies, or streaming schedules, Lucas seemed to vanish the moment his streams ended.

No training logs.

No guild affiliations.

No casual streams.

Just silence.

And that only made the public more desperate to uncover who he really was.

> "Lucas jumped into the top 300! That's faster than anyone expected!"

> "I'm telling you, if he joins the Thriller Competition, the veterans are screwed."

> "You need to clear 50 horror instances to even qualify! Lucas is what, at two?"

> "Wait, didn't Blue Killer get in with just 30 games?"

> "Yeah, but he burned through them in a month and landed in the top 100 instantly. They made an exception for him. Lucas still has a long way to go."

> "Hold up! Did anyone see that post?"

> "Which post?"

> "The one with a part of Lucas's medical record! Someone leaked it!"

That was all it took.

Everyone flocked to the horror game forums.

The post had already gone semi-viral, titled:

> [CONFIDENTIAL FILE – Fragmented Medical Record of Player: Lucas]

The document had clearly been through tampering. Numerous sections were redacted with "(Deleted if missing)" markers, suggesting the original source had been damaged—or purposely erased.

But what remained was enough to shock the entire community.

---

[CONFIDENTIAL PATIENT FILE – REDACTED COPY]

Name: Lucas

Gender: Male

Age: 26

File Code: XXXX

---

> [Record: Before being transferred to the Second Psychiatric Hospital, the patient had been treated at the Ninth Hospital for one year. A full assessment would require access to the original medical documents.]

> [However, one year ago, the Ninth Hospital was completely destroyed in a fire. Several medical staff members were injured or killed. The original documents are presumed lost.]

> [There exists a backup of Lucas's files during his stay at the Ninth. The attending doctor assigned to him died in the blaze.]

---

> [Observations from the Ninth Hospital period:]

> The patient suffered persistent hallucinations, reportedly beginning prior to hospitalization.

Symptoms vanished entirely after his parents admitted him.

No physiological abnormalities were found during tests.

Psychological evaluation suggests strong influence from family trauma.

---

> [Progress Reports:]

First course of treatment: No significant progress.

Second course of treatment: Still no progress.

---

Then came a chilling note:

> [Re-evaluation:

Suspicion arises that the patient may not be ill at all.

Could it be that Lucas is not suffering from a disorder… but rather hiding something?]

---

> [Other patients began to avoid Lucas. Despite this, monitoring revealed no anomalies in his behavior or vitals.]

> [Need to locate and interview medical personnel from the Ninth Hospital who had direct interaction with the patient.]

---

Then, another disturbing line:

> [Dr. Zhao is dead.]

[He is a madman.]

[Change in treatment approach recommended. Previous diagnostic path likely incorrect.]

[New theory: The patient may not be the subject—but the cause.]

---

The file ended with a partially redacted final line:

> [Treatment Plan Rewritten. Initial assumptions discarded. Patient's profile now under special investigation.]

---

The forum exploded.

Everyone speculated on the implications. The leak, if genuine, raised terrifying possibilities.

> Was Lucas ever just a "player"?

> Or was he something else—something the system hadn't fully understood?

At the same time the file surfaced, the horror game's official monitoring system posted a formal announcement.

---

> [System Report: Following widespread speculation regarding Player Lucas's broadcast, the technical department has completed a full diagnostic sweep.]

[Conclusion: No abnormalities or hacking activity were detected. All data fluctuations were traced back to the player.]

[Player attribute spikes were generated internally and not the result of system error.]

---

The message was short, sterile—and terrifying.

It confirmed the worst-case theory.

The sudden explosion in Lucas's power during "Terror Cruise" hadn't been the result of bugs or outside interference.

It had come from Lucas himself.

---

The file leak and system report dropped like a bomb on the community.

Speculation reached fever pitch.

> "Did Lucas trigger some forbidden system logic?"

> "Maybe he has a second consciousness—like some kind of AI hybrid."

> "Don't be stupid. He's clearly human. But something definitely changed inside him."

> "I think he awakened during the instance. That surge wasn't a one-time thing. It was a breakthrough."

---

And still, Lucas said nothing.

No livestreams. No explanations. No messages on the forums.

He remained absent, leaving only theories in his wake.

Some feared him.

Others idolized him.

But no one could ignore him.

Because now, every horror player, from beginner to veteran, was asking the same question:

> "What really happened to Lucas in the Ninth Hospital?"

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