Horror :The Cautious Titan

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With the return of the other two roommates, the quiet yet tense conversation between Lucas and his only talkative roommate ended abruptly. The sense of unease that had crept in earlier now lingered like a shadow across the room.

As night blanketed the dormitory building, none of the three participants in the exam seemed interested in the test paper anymore. Instead, they all climbed into bed early, wordlessly.

Lucas, acting with the caution of someone who didn't belong to this world, followed the behavior of the NPCs around him. "When in doubt, copy the locals," he had decided. So, he too climbed into bed, feigning the ease of someone ready to sleep.

His bed was located close to the door—a deliberate choice. That way, no matter who entered or exited, he would know immediately. He lay under his blanket, eyes half-closed but mind alert.

The dormitory dimmed further as time crawled on. A deep silence enveloped the building—not the peaceful quiet of rest, but the dreadful hush before something broke loose.

It was close to midnight when it happened.

From the bed by the left-side window came the soft sound of rustling.

Someone was stirring.

A shadow slowly rose from the bed and quietly moved toward the door. Lucas, lying in the dark, observed the figure with narrowed eyes.

Seemingly sensing Lucas's gaze, the figure paused and turned slightly.

"I'm going to the toilet," the person explained, voice low and hoarse.

Lucas remained silent.

Without waiting for a reply, the man opened the door and stepped into the corridor.

Pat pat pat—— his footsteps echoed rhythmically against the concrete, fading gradually into the distance.

Then... silence.

Minutes passed. Then an hour.

Then two.

But the man never came back.

Across the room, the other roommate stirred. Lucas watched as he sat up on his bed, mumbling to himself.

"Why is it taking him so long to go to the toilet…?"

The second man seemed restless. Like Lucas, he had not truly fallen asleep. While rubbing his eyes, he muttered again, as if trying to justify his growing worry.

"Maybe he forgot to bring tissue paper or something…"

Still speaking to no one in particular, the man got out of bed and walked out the same door.

Pat pat pat——

Another set of footsteps disappeared down the hall, swallowed by the night.

And then…

Nothing.

Minutes turned to an hour. Neither man returned.

Lucas finally sat up on his bed. A chill ran down his spine. Something wasn't right. Something had never been right.

"No wonder a single reading comprehension question takes twelve hours to answer," he whispered bitterly. "This is the kind of test we're dealing with..."

He slid out from beneath the sheets and made for the door. As his hand touched the doorknob, a voice pierced the silence.

"Brother, why do you keep opening and closing the door?"

Lucas froze.

It was the roommate who had spoken to him earlier—the one who had seemed the most "normal." He was lying in the bed closest to Lucas's, blinking sleepily.

Lucas turned toward him. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly. "I didn't open and close it… It was the others. They went to the toilet."

But the man only looked more confused. He sat up now, expression concerned.

"I think you're sleepwalking, man. I've been awake all night. I've had insomnia for days. But as far as I remember… no one went to the toilet. No one left the room. It's just you, pacing and messing with the door."

A chill climbed Lucas's spine like a spider. Something wasn't adding up.

The man sounded sincere. There was no lie in his eyes. No fear. Just confusion.

[System is modeling…]

[Danger assessment initiated based on host's strength...]

[Roommate: No danger]

[Bed No. 1: No danger]

[Bed No. 2: No danger]

[Bed No. 3: No danger]

[Cabinet No. 1: No danger]

[…]

Across the dormitory room, the scan showed nothing dangerous. Not a single red flag. But Lucas knew something was wrong.

And then it hit him—

Only one roommate was being evaluated. Not three. Not even two.

Because in this moment, only one roommate remained.

The one who had just spoken.

Lucas's grip tightened on the kitchen knife hidden beneath his blanket.

His voice turned grim.

"I haven't had the chance to ask yet… but what's your name?"

The roommate blinked in surprise. "Huh? Oh… it's Mark. Why—"

Before he could finish, the light overhead flickered and died.

Everything plunged into darkness.

Lucas stood still, eyes straining in the dim outline. He could barely see Mark's silhouette now.

"Did something short-circuit?" Mark asked nervously, looking up. "Feels like there's water dripping..."

Tick.

Tick.

The soft sound of dripping began above their heads.

Tick tick tick—

It grew more rapid.

Mark jumped from his bed, panic creeping into his tone. "What the hell?!"

Zi...

The light flickered twice and came back on.

What they saw froze both of them in place.

The ceiling above Mark's bed had gone damp, almost pulpy. A steady stream of liquid now fell from the cracks.

Only… it wasn't water.

The smell hit next—sharp, iron-like, unmistakable.

Blood.

Red liquid soaked the mattress, forming wide splotches like gaping wounds.

Mark gasped.

"Is… is someone DEAD upstairs?"

His reaction was surprisingly calm for someone facing such horror. But perhaps he'd seen too many of these test scenarios before.

Lucas, however, had his eyes fixed not on the ceiling—

But on Mark.

"I've survived a few rounds of these exams," Lucas muttered. "But this is the first time I've seen something this staged."

His hand still gripped the knife. His voice lowered.

"And I don't know if I can trust you either, Mark."

---

Meanwhile, down the hallway—

Two muscular men of differing heights strode toward the dormitory.

One of them was younger, leaner. The other exuded brute force and confidence.

"Victor, are you sure the player named Jason is the same Lucas we're looking for?" the younger one asked skeptically.

Victor grinned. His broad shoulders bounced with every confident step.

"Of course I'm sure!" he said with a laugh. "I've studied every live broadcast of Lucas. I know how he thinks, how he moves, how he breathes."

He raised a finger as if giving a lecture.

"Only someone like him could pull off a classroom trick like that Koro-sensei stunt. It has to be him!"

They continued walking through the empty hall, their steps steady and filled with anticipation.

---

Back in the dormitory room, Lucas took a deep breath.

Blood continued to drip steadily from above.

Mark stared up, then back at Lucas, then at the knife.

The silence between them thickened.

Lucas broke it first.

"Well?" he asked again. "Your name. One last time."

"...Mark," the man repeated, voice quieter now.

Lucas stared at him for several seconds.

Then, slowly, he lowered the knife—just a little.

"I'll believe you. For now."

But something inside him screamed: Don't let your guard down.

Because in this kind of exam, trust could be more fatal than any question on a test.

---

End of Chapter 36.

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