Deep in the Living

Vortex Town, abandoned villa area, Wu Wen's residence.

Late at night.

The maids sensed the arrival of the intruder again. However, this time they did not resist. Instead, they opened the door for the visitor, while covering the back yard simultaneously.

Hua Yuan visited.

She rushed into the bedroom at the first opportunity, ready to finish what she had left undone last time.

Oddly enough, on the bed lay only Wu Wen, who was sleeping.

"Hey! Stop pretending to be asleep, Wu Wen. Did you know I was coming and hid Luo Di in advance?"

Wu Wen rubbed her eyes, looking completely groggy, "Huh? I'm exhausted, I don't have the energy to delve into these things... Sister Hua, you know I haven't slept for days because of the incident.

Luo Di said he had something to do after dinner and left. Maybe he went to see Teacher Guo, so stop bothering me, I'm going back to sleep."

Hua Yuan felt a little helpless. She had come prepared tonight. On reflection, it was indeed likely that Luo Di, who got the comic fragments, would go to Teacher Guo. With no other choice, she squeezed onto the bed and slept beside Wu Wen.

…

On the outskirts of Vortex Town, the ash dust formed a very visible barricade.

On the rooftop of an abandoned building,

With the creaking sound as the rusty iron gate opened, Luo Di walked up.

He stepped to the edge, standing side by side with another person there.

"Have one, it'll refresh your mind!"

Yu Ze handed over a freshly rolled talisman cigarette, but Luo Di waved his hand to refuse, "I'm wide awake."

"Then I'll just enjoy it myself."

As the smoke rings escaped from Yu Ze's lips, Luo Di began to speak: "Yu Ze, what are your thoughts? Planning to stay here, return to the Exploration Bureau, or go somewhere else?"

"Stay, of course~ I already discussed this privately with Teacher Guo before the action. We're from the same place, it's easier to get along.

Besides, I got the Outer Realm fragment this time. Since Teacher Guo can steadily accept this thing, I definitely want to learn for a while."

Luo Di turned his head to closely gaze at the other, "Yu Ze, do you really intend to accept this thing? We are inherently Connectors, with two systems inside us... This comic from the Outer Realm can also be viewed as a system to some extent, right? Won't that hinder your development?"

"No..." Yu Ze flicked ash off the cigarette, denying Luo Di's assumptions, "This isn't a system, it's a connection, an influence.

How should I put it,

imagine we're good students who go to school and return home normally every day, this process corresponds with our current pituitary growth.

One day, we accidentally picked up a card on the road, and following the instructions on the card, discovered a mysterious alley never seen before.

This alley is deep like an abyss, with pink lights shining out.

This is when we need to make a choice,

whether to walk in and have a look on our way to and from school, or to ignore it and stick to our usual life.

Perhaps at the depth of the alley, there are all sorts of hidden shops selling exercise books, and if we practice enough, we could gain new problem-solving ideas and our grades might soar.

Of course, we might also encounter other improper shops that could disrupt our studies, even draw all our attention away and make it hard to focus on learning.

In summary, it relates to our self-discipline.

As for me~ I consider my self-control to be quite decent, so I want to give it a shot.

Moreover, Teacher Guo and the others have already gone into the alley and discovered shops selling exercise books. As long as we follow their route, there shouldn't be a big problem.

Old pal, don't you want to try it?"

Luo Di turned his gaze towards the dusty barricade blocking the boundary, "Although the fragment I got is similar to my abilities in some ways, it doesn't entirely harmonize with me.

I haven't even fully mastered the systems of Hell and the Corner, so I don't want to add other elements in for now."

Yu Ze blew out a talisman-shaped smoke ring and patted Luo Di on the shoulder, "You've already got other ways, haven't you? After all, you rejected the bleaching proposal outright.

If I'm not mistaken, you're leaving tomorrow?"

"We'll see... If the organization is established smoothly, I might have to leave for a while."

"Alright! When you come back, you can just look at my class notes."

The two exchanged no more words and both headed downstairs.

Yu Ze was returning to his apartment, while Luo Di naturally was heading to the Squad Leader's villa.

As they stood at the Crossroad about to part ways, Yu Ze tossed his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out.

"Hey, old pal~ you've seemed gloomy since you came up from below, as if something's on your mind. At first, I thought it was about the comic, but after chatting for so long, I realized you are still holding something back... I think it's best to ask you. So what do you say?"

"Aren't you supposed to know everything?"

"I'm tired today~ don't feel like using my brain."

"The two students who died were killed by the Joker."

"What?!"

Yu Ze was taken aback at first, but quickly pieced together the causes and effects and gave his assessment:

"That Joker was already not weak among the [Eight Evil People], and now it has the final reward from the videotape incident coupled with the comic fragment.

It was able to kill two students handpicked by Teacher Guo, also comic holders, during the mutation event.

With that power, I'm kind of scared~

I've collaborated with Song Huiwen,

I know very well how strong she is... I am definitely no match for the two of her.

Fellow townsman, after tomorrow is over, hurry to take care of your things. Try to reach maturity earlier; yours should already be blooming now.

Of course, once you leave Vortex Town, be careful of any trouble.

That guy, though he abandoned the Corner, is essentially still a monster and holds a peculiar fear of mist.

He might not be rejected by the Corner and could perhaps act freely. Be careful when you go out tomorrow! I'll see you off then?"

"Tomorrow, I will explain this to Teacher Guo..."

Before Luo Di could finish his sentence, his tongue curled up inside his mouth.

At the same time, Yu Ze also sensed something.

Currently,

The crossroads where the two were standing was suddenly filled with a fog, though it's quite thin; it definitely isn't something that belongs in Vortex Town, nor is it dust from the heavens.

This is real fog, a fog that shouldn't exist.

Both immediately heightened their perception,

and Yu Ze, utilizing the compass, sensed it first, and the copper coin he held between his fingers flung straight out.

Bang!

A familiar, crisp sound of a balloon popping came from deep within the nearby building.

By the time they reached the scene, only some gray balloon fragments were on the ground, with no aura and no trace of anyone.

Upon investigation, they discovered the balloons were made from bone ash.

It was precisely such bone ash balloons that didn't trigger Vortex Town's alert systems, thus sneaking in silently.

It's very likely that the Joker calculated that Teacher Guo would be very busy tonight, causing the city's perception to decrease, so he dared to act on the edge.

It might also be that the mention of the "Joker" in their recent conversation triggered some sort of condition.

Yu Ze picked up a piece of balloon fragment and immediately began a ritual.

But who knew that when it came to the final step, upon pouring the black-blood-mixed bone ash liquid into the compass, snap! The entire compass burst like a balloon.

Unable to locate.

Luo Di reached out and swept aside the bone ash on the ground, finding a string of circus-style words engraved there.

[Do You Miss Me?]

...

In the middle layer of the Corner, the City of Sin.

In an area shrouded from sight, a restaurant without any sign stood here.

Customers wanting to enter needed to identify themselves and pay a hefty fee in advance.

The restaurant's interior used separate space structures, ensuring that each private room is completely isolated, preventing any interruptions.

Currently,

A family of four was feasting in one of these private rooms.

The eye sockets of both the little son and the elderly mother were seeping blood, seemingly due to the excess of nutrients causing fluid overflow.

The only sounds in the private room were of gnawing, chewing, and digesting.

Suddenly,

The middle-aged man, the head of the family, suddenly sensed something and lifted his head to examine the surroundings. Light fog had quietly covered the private room that was supposed to be completely isolated.

Moreover, there was an extra gift box in the center of the dining table.

The little boy reacted first and shouted loudly, "Uncle Joke!"

The middle-aged man, however, looked displeased; just as he was about to grasp the figure in the mist, the gift box suddenly opened, and what it displayed completely captivated him.

"Joke, where did you get such a fine thing?"

As he asked,

A human figure gradually emerged in the mist, stepped towards the dining table, and drew a spiral mark with a finger.

Then,

He brought his mist-covered face close to the side of the middle-aged man's face, whispering something in secret.

After he finished speaking,

Even though there was still a lot left of the luxurious feast, the middle-aged man's interest completely shifted,

"What did you say? The divine qualification is in that guy's hands!"

Bang!

The man grabbed the Joker by the throat, thrusting him onto the dish, triggering the curse! The pressure of feasting fully exerted onto him.

"Are you sure you're not deceiving me?"

The head in the mist shook intensely, still not speaking.

The curse lifted,

The face of the middle-aged man donned a completely pathological smile, with every tooth surrounded by gum as red as a base.

"Your sincerity is quite adequate this time, I'll help you once more... former colleague."