Deep in the Living
Chapter 164 - 158: The Essence of the Corner

Chapter 164: Chapter 158: The Essence of the Corner

Perhaps due to the sisterhood’s growing influence in the Corners, Grandmother managed to apply for two Warrants at once.

Listening to the conversation between Grandmother and Hua Yuan, Luo Di was able to pick out three key phrases.

[High Difficulty], [Previously attempted by core sisters who ultimately failed and died], [Possibility of multiple simultaneous promotions]

Moreover, Luo Di could distinctly sense some nervousness in the class president standing before him, this sudden situation might have exceeded the president’s expectations... Of course, it could also be a Disguise.

At this moment,

Grandmother, in front of everyone, opened the envelope and took out two Warrants.

The first one displayed was a pure white Warrant.

It depicted a man sitting backward on a chair.

The lines were drawn with deep meaning, seemingly fusing the man with the chair, as if the chair itself constituted the legs and feet of the man.

1. —Yose—

[Impact Range]: Small*

*Once the Warrant is accepted, the taker’s Thought Corner will receive specific address information.

[Human Deaths]: 50+

[Pseudo-Person Deaths]: 10+

[Advent Ratio]: 15%

[Calamity]: Chair*

*The taker will receive a detailed explanation from whisper of the Corner, to minimize the impact of the calamity on you.

[Handling Requirements]:

① Once accepted, it cannot be abandoned.

② A maximum of three Mature Pseudo-People may operate together.

③ Completely annihilate the Avatar of Yose.

The following are the rewards for completing the Warrant:

① Intermediate Corner status.

② Initial choice of [Area] upon entry to the Corner.

"This Warrant is relatively simple; he operates in a fixed area which makes him easy to find, and the fear-spreading ’Calamity’ is a physically tangible object, which can be avoided beforehand to prevent contamination.

As long as you can collectively annihilate this Monster’s Avatar, you will obtain the intermediate status and directly choose the [Area] where the sisterhood is located.

This next Warrant, however, is quite interesting."

Immediately after, Grandmother took out the second Warrant, unlike the first one’s white, this one had a light blue background.

It depicted no monster images, just a large[?]on the front.

—Unknown—

Impact Range: Wide*

*It is estimated that at least 3000 humans and twenty Pseudo-People have been affected. The main impact area has been determined, and upon accepting the Warrant, Thought Corner will receive the specific address information.

Human Deaths: 0

Pseudo-Person Deaths: 0

Advent Completion: ?*

Calamity: ?*

*The target of this Warrant belongs to a high-level existence from the Corner Depths, arriving in the Human World in an unknown and highly secretive manner, all its activities are extremely covert, with no apparent acts of slaughter, and no subjective transformations of biological forms, only recently detected through interstice screening.

Requirements:

1. Once accepted, it cannot be abandoned.

2. A maximum of four Mature Pseudo-People may operate together.

3. Locate and eradicate the Monster Avatar.

The following are the rewards for completing the Warrant:

1. High-level Corner status.

2. Initial choice of [Area] upon entry to the Corner.

3. Some amount of Corner Coins.

...

This light blue Warrant had all the sisters looking at each other in bewilderment.

Even Hua Yuan had never seen a Warrant filled with so much unknown information.

Unknown equates to danger, but this danger comes with an "upper limit".

Any monster that arrives in the Human World,

no matter how powerful its original form is or how deeply it can operate in the Corner areas, its Avatar arriving here cannot exceed a specific limit.

To be precise, it is a kind of [Inherent Limitation].

Just like my grandmother, the Avatars that incarnate only correspond to a certain age group, and their ability also carries one; their strength isn’t so overwhelming that they can’t be killed.

As long as this restrictive condition exists, there is the possibility of killing them. Otherwise, if the real Monster Avatars were to descend into the Human World, this land would no longer be suitable for human habitation.

Although my grandmother incarnates every year, she founded the surface-level Sister Society in the Human World to recruit talent.

She has always "abided by the law," conducting all gatherings secretly, not interfering with the causality of the human realm, never killing, nor inducing humans to undergo transformation.

The Sister Society just brings together excellent candidates to provide guidance and support.

Those wanted by the Corner either commit mass killings in the human realm or secretly invade and change the nature of humans.

The Corner strictly prohibits Monsters from excessively intervening in the Human World; it must ensure the "natural development" of the Human World.

Upon reading this, Luo Di’s heart filled with questions, but he still suppressed his curiosity and remained quiet, as this morning banquet was not his to attend.

It was still Hua Yuan, the representative of the sisters to speak: "High-Level Identity... to actually have such direct rewards! It seems that none of the sisters before ever received a ’High-Level Identity,’ right?"

The grandmother responded: "That’s right, even conducting a twenty-person interstice screening, the final reward is only a Mid-Level Identity.

Being granted a High-Level Identity indicates that Corner places great importance on this matter, the wanted person has already caused a very serious impact on the human side, and needs to be resolved as fast as possible.

I also spent a lot of effort, showing the high-quality state of you all to the Corner Consciousness to obtain this Warrant.

I personally advise you to seize this opportunity, for no matter how powerful the Monster, its Avatar that incarnates here is always confined within the scope that can be killed.

Of course, due to the unknown nature of the calamity and the unknown spread of the Fear Trait, the risk is also much higher."

"Alright."

Hua Yuan seemed to have made a decision, but grandmother didn’t arrange it immediately, instead turning her gaze to the "outsider" who wasn’t part of the sisters.

"Mr. Di, do you have any opinions? According to the rules, once Isabella chooses one, you also need to accompany her to handle affairs related to the Warrant.

After all, as a human, you probably have a lot of questions?"

Since grandmother had given the condition to ask, Luo Di decisively took the opportunity to inquire:

"Since the Corner doesn’t allow the Monsters inside to overly interfere with the Human World, can’t they directly send mental warnings to their true selves or punish them?"

"The nature of the ’Corner Warrant’ is akin to a screening mode above the ’Interstice,’ aimed at selecting superior Pseudo-People to go to the Corner, while also wiping away the adverse impact Monster Avatars bring to the Human World.

It serves two purposes.

For Pseudo-People like Hua Yuan, born with innate talents, her life in the stage of Pseudo-Person is too comfortable, almost untouched by life-threatening dangers, never tasting the flavor of fear.

Even the most basic ’Interstice Screening’ for her would likely just be a formality to pass through.

And if this comfort accumulates too much, it could instead destroy her talent. She might even screen out newcomers whose talents have not been fully expressed during the interstice screening, wasting potential.

The high-level screening brought by the ’Corner Warrant’ is very necessary.

Pseudo-People taking this pathway to the interstice will be prepared to face fear and Monsters early on.

They tend to have a higher survival rate and a longer future. After all, screening and advancement are just obtaining a Passport to the Corner.

To continuously live in the Corner and keep one’s self-consciousness is the most crucial thing.

Even some beings that have turned into Monsters in the Corner, they still fear the Corner itself.

They come back to the Human World just to interact more with the human society they once lived in, using this means to maintain their sanity, lest they completely lose themselves in the Corner.

As for what it’s really like in the Corner, I suggest Mr. Di that you personally come and experience it."

Luo Di nodded, "I roughly understand now... Another question, wouldn’t the frequent activities of these Monster Avatars attract Investigators?"

"Yes and no.

These Monsters were once successful Pseudo-People who managed to disguise themselves and go to the Corner, and they are very adept at avoiding human observation.

But there are also some who might be too reckless and will be pursued by some elite humans, even being imprisoned or contained.

While the more cautious ones are hard to be discovered, or choose to act in non-urban areas, quietly infiltrating and affecting human society, just like the person corresponding to this blue Warrant."

"Imprisoned, contained..."

Luo Di also recalled some past events.

When he first befriended the class president, during the Simulation Practice where they encountered the Tongue Demon, and the mutated derivative used in the national Admissions test.

Their original forms should be beings Beyond Pseudo-Person, some kind of Monster Avatar that descended into the Human World, contained in Capital City, even reaching some agreement with humans.

At this moment, Luo Di finally understood the real intention of the Corner.

Whether it is the Corner’s invasion into human consciousness, the restrictions on the Monsters’ descents, or allowing humans to absorb and consume the pituitary gland, etc.

All these seemingly complex relationships can be linked together.

That is the term frequently mentioned by grandmother.

[Screening]

Whether it’s through the screening in the interstice or through the Warrant to complete advancement, and the Pseudo-People heading to the Corner.

Or through the killing of Pseudo-People, absorbing the pituitary to grow continuously, and humans eventually going to the Corner as ’Explorers’.

All of these are the results of screening.

And the Human World where Luo Di lives is a Huge[Farm].

By this rather extreme screening mode, leading people to the Corner, opening up a special route of ascent.