Deep in the Living

"Congratulations to all of you for making it back here safely in such numbers; at the beginning, I thought having half of you return would be impressive.

We are currently in a trial operation state here, and our reward system is slightly different from other dungeons.

For those who did not obtain comic fragments, please come to collect your evaluation forms; you will still gain insights and some special Corner Coins.

However, there are three of you who have obtained comic fragments, and you need to come with me separately.

Don't worry! I won't do anything to you, just need to explain the situation regarding these items in detail.

After all, you three are not comic holders by nature, and these fragments pose certain usage risks for you. As the person in charge here, it's necessary for me to clarify things and even provide some special assistance."

The store clerk, with his face full of various drawing tools, looked at everyone with a big smile.

Teacher Guo drew a spiral Mark on the backs of the three with his finger, ready to bring them back immediately if there's any sign of spatial transfer.

"Go ahead, even though this dungeon entrance has been distorted, it is still fundamentally located in the Corner and hasn't been fully overrun.

As for the comic fragments, I trust you will make your judgments. Wu Wen, you need to watch over the two of them, don't let cognitive manipulation lead you to make wrong choices."

"Understood, Teacher Guo."

The store clerk had already opened the mysterious dark door behind him.

Luo Di, Wu Wen, and Yu Ze followed, while the rest remained in the hall waiting.

Behind the dark door lay a completely sealed passage, styled somewhat like a castle. It's an area that probably doesn't exist in regular dungeons, leading to who knows where.

The passage, though seemingly three-dimensional, was actually created using drawn three-dimensional effects.

The entire passage was devoid of decorations or structure, entirely sketched out as visual effects.

Moreover, the passage itself had a spatial stretching effect; with each step they took, they moved further away from the video store, fortunately maintaining contact with the symbols drawn by Teacher Guo.

Wu Wen suddenly asked, "Where are we going? We seem to be moving further from the Corner."

"It's just ahead!

This is a special studio set up by the master, capable of effectively clearing the content on the fragments and disconnecting them from the previous user."

Soon, a partition appeared, with a rectangular water tank filled with a pure white solution inside.

"The mutation events here not only require dealing with the event itself but also involve a comic holder hidden within it, who is the primary threat.

As instructed by the master,

whether human or monster,

anyone who can overcome the mutation event here and seize the comic from its holder will be granted a choice privilege.

1. Simply take the fragment and handle it yourself.

2. Utilize our restoration service here, erasing all experiences of the original comic holder, turning the fragment back to its original form. The internal comic content attributes remain unchanged, facilitating your acceptance.

How would you like to proceed?"

Luo Di didn't need to think about it, or rather he had already decided, "I'll take it myself, no need for the service here."

"Luo Di… are you sure?" Wu Wen quickly nudged him with her elbow. "Even if we don't use it, bleaching as they say just removes traces of the previous user, without affecting the fragment itself.

Perhaps we should consider bleaching? It might offer more options later."

"The content left by the previous user might be useful, I really don't need it bleached, Squad Leader."

"Alright."

Wu Wen and Yu Ze both opted for bleaching, immersing the fragments into the white solution, causing the contents to disappear quickly, leaving only the frame and comic title.

The damp fragments were hung by thin lines from the ceiling, with a heat lamp turned to maximum, left to dry.

During the wait,

Wu Wen suddenly posed a question:

"It's strange, aren't you upset that we have stopped the invasion and killed the comic holder belonging to you?

Yet you are still kind enough to help us with the comic fragments,

even when aware that we have methods to control the use of comics, maintaining the Corner's stance without falling into the hidden [Abyss] within the comics."

The store clerk, however, seemed indifferent, "The master doesn't mind these things; he simply releases his works here and doesn't concern himself with the process, just purely curious about what kind of outcome will arise.

Those done in by you, or even peeled away from the comics, just shows they weren't worthy.

Regardless of who wins or loses, and who ultimately owns these comics, it's always been unknown; the process itself is interesting enough.

The master's pursuits are on a higher level, something we can't comprehend."

"Is your master an invader, an observer, or just a passerby?"

The store clerk, rattled by the question, almost flung the pen from his nostril, "I can't answer that… but personally, I can tell you that following the master is never wrong."

Wu Wen simply gave a polite smile without continuing.

Yu Ze stared at the fragments hanging above, seemingly pondering something.

Luo Di suddenly approached, presenting his unbleached, fish-smelling comic fragment, "If the comic content hasn't been erased, it means Mr. Aegir is still around, right?"

A finger landed on the fragment, pointing to the white-haired young man depicted,

"Yes~ once a comic is bound to an individual, it develops more 'content' based on their experiences and growth, expanding the page number.

Even if the individual dies, their image remains as a 'backup' within the comic, restorable by special methods, but it's unnecessary.

Once someone else claims the comic, it already signifies failure; the master doesn't grant second chances."

"Understood… so is Uncle Joke the same?"

"Joke…" the store clerk, following the line of questioning, suddenly realized, "Tsk! You're trying to trap me into revealing information; this concerns personal privacy, so it's off-limits."

"Alright."

Such a response from the other side was enough to confirm that the Joker indeed had connections here, seemingly targeted by the comic store after the last videotape incident, and perhaps he was ready to betray the Corner.

If this is the case, Luo Di may need to adjust his plans a bit.

"Alright, the comic bleaching is ready!

Hope you can enjoy them, beneath the abyss are benefits beyond your imagination, even entirely different 'paths'.

If one day you can't stay in the Corner, or want a brand new experience, come and join us."

...

[Vortex Town - Fourth Middle School, School Gate]

"Meet in the classroom at eight tomorrow morning for the organization establishment ceremony.

The Corner will conduct our final evaluation, but we're now two people shorter, and it may present an issue with the number for evaluation.

Also, some among you may not have fully considered whether to join the organization, hopefully, you can decide during the rest of today.

Additionally,

the three who obtained fragments can come to the office at any time tonight to ask me about the stable acceptance of comics.

That's it, I need to get to sorting materials."

Teacher Guo headed towards the school ahead of time, leaving the students at the gate.

Miss Song Huiwen, towering over the others, had been beside Yu Ze since leaving the dungeon, leaned close and whispered into his ear:

"Yu Ze, will you accept the comic tonight?

Go find Teacher Guo; this way we'll have something in common… and the quality of this comic is quite good, it will definitely harness its full potential in your hands."

Yu Ze shook his hand, "No rush, I'd like to think it over by myself first. Teacher Guo is busy tonight; the comic matters can wait until the organization is set up."

"You're so considerate of the teacher~ would you like to discuss it with me tonight? I can share some comic experiences with you."

As Song Huiwen spoke, saliva began to seep out between her teeth.

Yu Ze did not immediately respond, instead glancing at Luo Di, "Hey, any plans for tonight? Do we need to throw a celebration or something?"

"Uh…"

Luo Di was about to respond when he realized that creature's Eye was fixed on him, "A celebration will come when the organization forms; Teacher Guo will naturally hold one. For tonight, everyone must be tired, so Yu Ze, you should just… take care of your own plans."

"Alright, I'll talk comics with Miss Song then tonight."

Watching the tall and short figures as they walked away,

Luo Di frowned,

while Lebeite showed a look of agreement,

and Hua Yuan seemed to be pondering over some strange movement issues.

Wu Wen gently linked her arm with Luo Di's and whispered, "Your friend is really impressive… I've underestimated him."