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When Lucas opened his eyes again, the timer on the wall ticked softly. Exactly twenty-four hours had passed since he had exited the dungeon.
He exhaled deeply, exhaustion pouring from every fiber of his being.
"Every time I clear a dungeon," he muttered, rubbing his temple, "it's like dying once. It's so tiring…"
The familiar blue hue of his system panel flickered before his eyes. At the top of the transparent screen, a new countdown glowed brightly:
[4 hours 58 minutes 56 seconds until the Group Stage Draw begins.]
"Group stage already?" Lucas sighed and leaned back. The Thriller Competition never allowed him to rest for long.
The format was deceptively simple.
First-time players like him had to start from the qualifying rounds—a brutal entry point that crushed nine out of ten contestants. Those who survived were placed into groups through random draws.
The winners of each group advanced to the main competition, where the top three were determined by cumulative ratings after two grueling rounds.
In other words: survival was only the beginning.
---
The System's Update
A chime echoed in Lucas's ears, and several lines of text cascaded down his panel like falling rain:
[System Prompt: Comprehensive Evaluation of "The Town of Verne" has been updated. The right of interpretation belongs to the Thriller Games.]
[System Prompt: After jury evaluation, player Lucas unlocked 66 % of "Verne Town World View" and received 66 % of the corresponding reward.]
[Reward Received: 198 blank attribute points.]
[Comprehensive Assessment of Instance: SSS.]
[New Record: Player Lucas ranked #1 in comprehensive evaluation among all players in this dungeon.]
[Overall Ranking on the Thriller Network: Top 100.]
The bright words shimmered across the interface. Lucas blinked twice.
"So, it's finally been updated," he murmured. His lips curved faintly—half surprise, half fatigue.
Without hesitation, he opened his properties panel and dumped all 198 points into Spirit.
Player Profile:
Life — 164 (fully recovered)
Stamina — 130 (upper limit increased)
Strength — 249 (no improvement due to lack of training)
Luck — 2 ("haha," the system mocked him)
Brain Power — 100 ("You've been overworking your mind—do you feel different?")
Spirit — 849 ("Perhaps you should consider balanced growth?")
Skill — [Dismantling Lv. 7]
Comprehensive Attribute Evaluation: A
He stared at the bold A grade. For the first time, it glowed with a faint golden border. Lucas closed his eyes, testing his senses. "Brain Power 100…" he whispered. Then he opened them again. "It doesn't feel any different."
---
The Forum Erupts
Across the Thriller Game Forum, the update detonated like a bomb.
> "A?! Did he really get an A?"
"That's insane. His other stats aren't even balanced, but that Spirit value is ridiculous—it dragged the whole score upward!"
"No, think about it—he's only cleared five dungeons and already hit A-rank! That's top-100 in the entire network!"
"Outrageous. Absolute monster."
The comments kept pouring in.
Lucas — the only player to achieve SSS in the finals of the qualifiers — had become the dark horse of the season.
While the world buzzed with excitement, Lucas remained calm. As always, once he cleared a copy, he simply vanished—no interviews, no streaming, no guild appearances. Players desperate to study him could only replay his old dungeon footage, pausing at every frame, trying to dissect his every move.
His mysteriousness only fueled the legend.
---
Countdown to the Draw
When the final hours of the countdown melted away, a crimson notification suddenly flashed before him:
[System Prompt: Player Lucas, please complete the Group Stage Draw within 12 hours. Failure to do so will result in automatic placement.]
He raised an eyebrow. "So… it's draw time."
The same notice appeared for every qualified contestant. Across hundreds of terminals, players stopped what they were doing and faced their glowing panels.
In the central Hall of Rankings, a massive holographic screen began cycling through names. It was here that the group divisions would appear live, in real time.
Hundreds of players crowded the hall, their voices overlapping into a rising storm of anticipation.
> "I just hope they distribute the power evenly."
"Yeah, no one wants a death group again like last year."
"If all the top players end up together, the dungeon level's going to skyrocket!"
A player pointed at the changing display. "Look—it's starting!"
---
The Group Reveal
The screen shifted from static to motion, names flickering into place from Group 1 down to Group 5. One by one, the player slots filled. Cheers and groans erupted simultaneously as everyone spotted their own names—or their rivals'.
"Blue Kill, Group 5…" someone shouted.
The crowd gasped.
"Last year's second place? Also Group 5?! No way!"
"Wait—then who's in Group 1? The defending champion?"
"Yeah, first place last year's in Group 1. Looks like Group 5 is shaping up to be a nightmare."
The chatter intensified as the screen neared completion. Only a handful of empty slots remained. Most eyes, however, were locked on Group 5—the infamous gathering of elites.
Within that group were names that carried weight: Blue Kill, last year's runner-up; Su Boya, last year's fourth, who had thrown a match rather than kill an NPC; and several other high-level guild veterans.
"Man, whoever lands that last spot is doomed," a player muttered. "Totally cursed."
Seconds later, the final name flickered onto the display.
Lucas.
For a heartbeat, silence blanketed the hall. Then came the collective inhale—
and the explosion of disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me! Lucas in Group 5?!"
"That's a death sentence! That's the death group!"
"No, wait—who's really unlucky here? Them or him?"
Laughter, shock, and chaos erupted together. Screenshots flooded every forum within seconds.
The term "Death Group – Group 5" trended across the entire Thriller Network.
---
The Weight of Expectation
Inside his small apartment, Lucas glanced at his panel with an amused smirk.
"So I'm the final one to complete the set, huh?"
He could almost hear the panic of the others through the system's hum. The idea of facing Blue Kill—a legend known for her terrifying calm and speed—didn't frighten him. If anything, it excited him.
He stretched lazily. "Guess I'll have to bring my A-game."
Meanwhile, reporters in the Thriller broadcasting zone began analyzing potential outcomes.
> "If we compare last year's metrics, Blue Kill's success rate was 91 %. Lucas, however, has a 100 % clear rate with an SSS average."
"Statistically, Lucas could win — but remember, he's never competed in group coordination."
"That makes it even more interesting. Individual genius versus experienced tactician."
The crowd was ravenous for the clash. It wasn't just about who would win—
it was about whether Lucas could maintain his mysterious streak against the veterans.
---
System Confirmation
A new message blinked before every contestant's eyes:
[System Prompt: Group Stage Assignments Finalized.]
[Matches will proceed in reverse order of group numbers.]
[First Match: Group 5.]
[Players in Group 5, please prepare yourselves.]
[Time Until Match Start: 9 hours 58 minutes 56 seconds.]
A hush swept through the hall. Even those not in Group 5 felt the weight of what was coming. Everyone knew that whatever happened in the first match would set the tone for the entire tournament.
Lucas looked at the glowing digits counting down and smiled. "So, we're opening the show. Fine by me."
He glanced once more at his stats. Eight hundred forty-nine in Spirit, brain power at one hundred, and an arsenal of finely honed instincts. Numbers meant little now—the real test would come inside the next dungeon.
He cracked his knuckles and whispered to himself, "Let's see what kind of nightmare they throw at us this time."
---
Meanwhile, Beyond the Screen
In the backstage observation room, high-ranking analysts and commentators gathered before a wall of projections.
"Group 5," one of them murmured, "is going to decide half the season's ratings."
A producer grinned. "We couldn't have scripted it better. Blue Kill and Lucas in the same group? The audience will eat this alive."
On another monitor, live chat feeds rolled endlessly:
> 'Death Group!'
'Lucas vs Blue Kill — dream match!'
'Place your bets!'
---
Lucas's Quiet Resolve
While the world screamed his name, Lucas sat cross-legged in silence.
He closed his eyes, feeling the ripple of energy in his mind—his absurdly high Spirit stat pulsing like a second heartbeat. A faint warmth spread behind his temples, as though the system itself was whispering secrets he wasn't meant to know.
For a fleeting moment, he sensed something strange—a resonance, a low vibration deep within his consciousness. Then it vanished.
He opened his eyes slowly.
"No difference, huh?" he murmured, echoing his earlier thought. "We'll see."
He turned off the panel and leaned against the wall. Outside his window, the city's holographic billboards flashed tournament headlines in blinding neon.
"THRILLER GROUP STAGE BEGINS!"
"LUCAS JOINS THE DEATH GROUP!"
Every word seemed to challenge him, to dare him to prove himself once more.
---
Anticipation
Nine hours remained before the first battle. The network's servers were already overheating under the strain of billions tuning in. Bookmakers, guild leaders, and casual players alike placed their bets.
Some believed Lucas's streak would end. Others swore he'd demolish everyone again.
Deep in the forum threads, one anonymous comment stood out:
> "They call it a death group. But death might be afraid of him."
When Lucas saw the line trending later, he just smiled.
He wasn't interested in fame or legend. For him, the thrill came from the unknown—from standing at the edge of fear and stepping forward anyway.
---
Countdown
As the final hour approached, his system lit up once more, painting his dim room in shades of icy blue.
[Preparation Phase Activated.]
[Dungeon Data Loading…]
[Environment: Unknown.]
[Difficulty Estimation: Extreme.]
[Recommended Participants: 10.]
[Warning: Multiple High-Risk Entities Detected.]
The world around him began to distort. The air grew heavy.
Lucas's last thought before the light swallowed him was simple—and calm.
"Let's begin."
---