Deep in the Living
Chapter 108 - 102: The Mask

Chapter 108: Chapter 102: The Mask

By the light of the burning corpse, Luo Di once again noticed more white hairs on Anna’s head and the crow’s feet by her eyes had become more distinct than before.

Even though Anna was just under nineteen years old, she already appeared to be around twenty-five.

When aging could be observed in such a short amount of time, the psychological pressure it exacted was quite intense, as if death itself stood right behind, inching closer every second.

But Luo Di suppressed the panic regarding death,

He clearly understood that this was the effect the adversary wanted,

The more panicked and anxious one became, the easier it was to make mistakes.

Before conducting a comprehensive investigation, before confronting what lies behind the nursing home, Luo Di had to deal with one thing.

"Let’s find a room to tidy up first."

[Room 3]

Located on the right side of the hall, a separate examination room with an intact door structure and no anomalies inside.

The room was furnished with a desk, several chairs, an examination bed for patients, and a washbasin with a mirror.

Click!

The door was locked, windows sealed and curtains drawn.

Setting the smart flashlight to daylight mode, he used the extended prong structure popping from the base to secure it to the wall.

After ensuring the exam room was sealed, Luo Di positioned his backpack in front, carefully slid open the zipper and gingerly took out "class president" from inside,

Carefully inspecting it from all angles,

Anna also came closer,

But no matter how the two examined, they found no white hairs or wrinkles, only sewing marks on the face.

Whew...

After verifying, Luo Di also breathed a sigh of relief, but still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

It was good that the class president was not affected by aging, but from another perspective, the class president being in a state of death naturally wouldn’t be affected by aging either.

Upon further consideration, Luo Di also thought of another possibility.

The class president’s [Disguise] still worked even in the Corner-like Space, unnoticed by Pseudo-Person behind the nursing home, and even completely shielded from the effects of aging.

Having found the answer, Luo Di put the head back.

"Luo Di, since the class president is fine, let’s go... let’s not waste any more time."

Anna stood in front of the washbasin, watching her aged reflection in the mirror, becoming somewhat impatient.

However, the only response for Anna was... *click!*

The familiar clicking sound filled the sealed examination room. Although it had been over a year, Anna was startled and quickly turned back.

Luo Di sat by the desk,

His right hand cradling the backpack,

His left stretched forward, intently observing the iron wire running through his arms, seemingly pondering something.

Overly focused contemplation made him unconsciously click his tongue,

He appeared to have thought of something and using a piece of paper and a pen left by a doctor, he began jotting something down.

This bizarre behavior also drew Anna over, who went on tiptoes to peek at the paper. He was sketching some straight lines, apparently outlining some object.

"Luo Di, are you there?"

"Anomaly related to the nursing home all carry a toxic gas that may accelerate aging within their bodies.

My combat style is close-quarters, with my arms and this blade being my longest attack distance.

Throwing efficiency is too low with too many restrictions, like just now when the Zombie Blade was stuck in the opponent’s skull, retrieving it was troublesome.

If I enter the Hell related form, I might ignore the effects of aging, but that form is too physically demanding, and also a trump card that shouldn’t be revealed too early, to be used only in the most dire circumstances.

I’m considering if I can use ’Torture Device Creation’s feature to make a mask that isolates the scent.

Utilizing the scorching heat of Hell’s metal, completely burn the harmful components before breathing them in, allowing me to fight without worry.

But there’s a problem.

My left arm can only create items related to[torture device], not a mere mask, do you have any good ideas?"

"Torture device? Mask? Jaw Splitter?"

Anna’s thoughts jumped back to several years ago, when her brother brought a group of friends home for a dinner gathering, and they watched a movie named "Saw" outdoors at night.

Inside, there was a torture device similar to a mask, which left a deep impression.

"What is a Jaw Splitter?"

"It’s something from the movie ’Saw’."

Luo Di had a preference for B-movies that relied on physical hunting,

for movies like Saw that lacked physical combat but instead focused on intellectual puzzles, he had picked it up and put it back several times, since scholarships were limited and the original DVDs were quite expensive.

Now, it seems he needed to catch up on it.

"Can you briefly sketch it out and explain how it works?"

Due to the psychological trauma the movie scenes had brought to Anna, her memory of them was remarkably vivid.

Although she couldn’t depict many details, she managed to sketch the rough shape, and as Anna explained the principle, Luo Di understood instantly.

"So this thing is essentially a reversed animal trap?

The closed animal trap is fixed on the head, with the jaws embedded in the mouth. Once this reversed trap is triggered, the individual’s upper and lower jaws would be completely torn apart.

With some modifications, it could indeed be used as a mask, and essentially, it’s still a torture device.

Anna, thank you."

With the "inspiration" obtained, Luo Di started to try and create, soon crafting a "Jaw Splitter (mask modified version)"

The front metal completely covered the mouth and nostrils, but the clamping board fixed inside the mouth had been removed, so it did not restrict mouth movement or speech.

The spring mechanism of the Jaw Splitter itself had been removed to ensure it would not accidentally trigger during wear.

Click!

The Jaw Splitter perfectly fitted onto Luo Di’s head, tightened by screws.

Though it felt slightly heavy, every breath he took was hot and dry, accompanied by a strong sulfur scent, such traits could only be adapted by Luo Di.

The torture device itself would only bond with its owner.

Luo Di glanced at Anna beside him, "This thing can’t be put on you, the scorching heat of Hell would burn your lungs."

"No... it’s okay."

Anna’s gaze shifted slightly, seemingly harboring an inexplicable fear towards Luo Di’s new look, needing a bit of time to adjust.

Luo Di turned around and headed to the sink, wanting to see how he looked with the Jaw Splitter.

As his new image reflected in the mirror, four words instantly popped into his mind.

However, the overall image was not without flaws; his short-sleeve outfit was indeed too mismatched.

Suddenly,

Luo Di remembered something crucial, which apparently both he and Anna had forgotten. Hastily, he went over to the backpack, took out the innermost handbag which contained the Investigator’s clothing.

Previously, they were always trying to figure out how to find the non-existent nursing home and how to disguise themselves as normal people; the Investigator’s clothing must not be exposed.

Now that they had infiltrated the den, there was no need to continue the disguise.

The Investigator’s Coat was put on,

dark black, high collar, hemline, and thick fabric,

the demeanor was absolutely on point,

The head, enclosed by the Jaw Splitter, showcased a perfect image in Luo Di’s eyes, even comparable to the murderers in the movies.

Anna had also changed into a sleek black bodysuit that perfectly highlighted her physique, with her six-pack abs clearly visible.

"Luo Di, don’t you need to switch your Investigator’s clothing to ’combat mode’?"

"The coat’s structure may offer slightly weaker body support, but it should effectively block harmful substances."

Luo Di cared more about the "appearance", it seemed that resembling the costume of a killer gave him a more effective killing drive, even better than the clothing’s support.

Meanwhile, Anna continued to pull things out of her backpack, fetching a piece of fabric the same material as the clothing, somewhat resembling a scarf.

When this black scarf encircled the neck, it immediately merged with the collar of the Investigator’s clothing, eventually forming a high-neck structure that perfectly enveloped the mouth and nose.

Acting as an air filter, it didn’t hinder breathing or speaking.

"This matching ’mask’ with the clothing was applied for by a senior for me, Luo Di, you can also apply for one at the Investigation Bureau when you return."

"It doesn’t matter, my homemade mask might be better, let’s get ready to go."

As preparations ended, the fully equipped duo were set to step into the upper region of the nursing home.