Deep in the Living
Chapter 324 - 312: Solving the Puzzle

Chapter 324: Chapter 312: Solving the Puzzle

[Punishment Room Depths - Preaching Room]

Two hook-shaped conductors with neural properties descended from the dome, linking the back of Hook’s and Oculus’s heads.

This connection lasted for a whole day until the hooks began to shake due to instability,

As the hooks were withdrawn,

Both individuals’ consciousnesses returned to their bodies.

"That was so awesome, bro!"

Oculus blurted out in some kind of human language he learned from who-knows-where, which felt somewhat peculiar. But in Oculus’s view, calling Hook "bro" was incredibly fitting, even more so than any term from Hell.

Hook was surprised, as the one-eyed being before him seemed even more formidable than the last time they met.

"Your eye can indeed break through the World Anchor... However, it will also shorten the time we can project over there."

Oculus hadn’t been this excited in a long time, not even when reaping the fruits of war could rouse such zeal.

Even recalling the previous experiences sent shivers of excitement through his body, as pearl-like eyeballs fell from his robes, scattering all over the place. Even a single one of these pearls could fetch a fortune if sold in Hell.

"Interesting, truly interesting! It’s more fascinating than any world we’ve invaded. The system is centered on the pituitary, completely different from ours.

Moreover, only the most primitive humans live on the world’s surface, their pituitaries still operating on a biological level. To witness the future development of their pituitaries, one must go to the Corner.

Bro, how is your research going? When can we project there for an extended and stable period, and also not be confined to the Psychiatric Hospital?

Don’t worry, after my personal observation this time, I’ve decided to keep this matter a secret just between the two of us, and I won’t let the Spine know."

Hook had made a decision as well, "Oculus, although I excel in physical transformation and related modifications, spatial matters are not my expertise. If you’re truly interested, stay for a long time and help me.

At least from what I’ve experienced this time, your eye can indeed provide significant assistance.

To achieve a long-lasting and stable projection,

We need 100% synchronization with the temporary bodies over there, as well as modifications to my Punishment Room to enhance spatial connectivity and consciousness sensing.

I will try to borrow something from the Pope, meanwhile see if you can bring some War Wizards from the Chaos Nest City. We don’t need grand wizards, just those proficient in battlefield teleportation."

"Hiss... War Wizards aren’t exactly under my command~ I’ll give it a try."

Oculus was a man of action. Driven by his current enthusiasm, he got to work immediately.

As his attention shifted from his own body, preparing to contact the eyeballs stored in the Chaos Nest City, one of the eyes located in a different region sent a signal.

Oculus’s expression changed, "Wait!

There seems to be some problem at the Navel Port!

It couldn’t be that those youngsters got into trouble, right? After all, I only came here to experience the Otherworld after I watched them choose the company’s ship with assurance."

"You better check it quickly!"

Hook wasn’t worried about Luo Di’s experiences on the Dark Side, only about their sea voyage. The ancestral beings hidden in the ocean were an absolute unknown, and it would be a great loss to die in such a manner.

If Luo Di were to die, the connection between True Hell and the Human World would inevitably weaken.

"Don’t rush me, I’m looking into it."

At first, Oculus appeared relaxed; with his lighthouse experience, it was almost impossible for the company’s ship to encounter issues. Even if there were problems, they were likely to be resolved internally.

But as he focused all his attention on the lighthouse to observe the sea with 100% eye power,

Based on the cruise liner’s speed, it should not have crossed the boundary yet. Just by projecting along the direction of its route, it should be quickly found.

But as time ticked by,

Oculus saw nothing,

The huge golden skull, a symbol of the company, had completely disappeared from the sea surface without a trace.

Strange, the company’s cruise liners were built with considerable investment, and even had stabilization runes personally branded by the President.

Even if it truly sank, a massive amount of liquid gold would exude from the sinking point, floating on the ocean surface for a long time to mark the wrecked site.

But there was nothing, not a hint of gold.

"The company’s cruise liner is missing, could it be that..."

When Oculus provided the information on its complete disappearance, he and Hook almost simultaneously thought of one existence, a special ancestor.

"Door Ancestor!?"

...

[Company Cruise Liner - Suite]

Including Luo Di, no one could expect that the knocking would come from the bathroom on the side.

Moreover,

When the knocking began, they were no longer able to entertain related thoughts.

Due to the proximity and loudness of the sound, the impact was far greater than the knocks heard in their dreams.

Even Luo Di couldn’t withstand it.

The tongue here completely failed,

and the fully-expanded Moon Pituitary also lost its luster, with all the gray renouncing back to the pituitary.

The chain of nerves in the spine also had no response,

In front of Luo Di, there was only the door to the restroom, that steady and gentle knocking became the sole occupant of his mind. Even the squad leader’s calls were completely drowned out; everything was submerged.

Moving forward,

He grasped the doorknob,

Twisted and pushed it open,

Luo Di’s body also subconsciously stepped inside.

Hum!

After a faint ringing in his ears, all his teammates vanished, leaving only Luo Di alone. And the place he arrived at was not any kind of restroom.

There’s no stench of the sea’s rot,

no sulfuric smell of Hell,

nor the faint, alluring fragrance of the trade guild,

What clings to Luo Di’s nostrils is the scent of weathered sandstone mixed with ancient air, and the scene that unfolds before his eyes defies all realistic cognition.

The area is a wasteland of ruins,

where the structures are made entirely of Doors of various forms, with some standing alone on the ground or growing sideways on walls.

Having arrived here, Luo Di gains a brief moment of clarity, quickly realizing that he’s pushed open a Door and is well aware that the next knock may soon arrive.

There’s no time to analyze everything in sight, he must find a way to stay alert.

He clicks his tongue in preparation,

mental faculties entangled in metal,

but then...

Thud, thud, thud~ The knock pushes all perceptions, thoughts, and cognitions to the backseat.

Luo Di’s eyes, once bloodshot, now wander listlessly as he moves faster than before, heading toward a Door in the ruins that has been knocked, and continues to open it.

Hum!

When consciousness returns,

he finds himself deeper within the wreckage, amidst large constructions made of Door units, with various decorative elements also formed by Doors.

"I’m still opening Doors, delving deeper... Suffering and tongue-clicking are of no use. It seems I’ve reached a deeper level, the structures of Doors here are more numerous and intricate.

If this goes on, I may truly die."

This time Luo Di musters all his strength,

assuming the Open Spine position while donning a tentacle mask,

making his stance as the Murderer most formidable!

Thud, thud, thud~

The knocking sound comes again.

By the time Luo Di comes back to his senses, he has shifted locations once again, venturing into even deeper realms. Here, the Doors are even more abundant, denser, and more delicate, corresponding to an even more profound and magnificent scenery.

Cold sweat falls, and his Spine shivers slightly.

A sensation of Fear of death creeps into his heart.

Presently, Luo Di does not wish to die; he has many things left undone and important reasons to survive.

"None of my methods, none of my powers are effective! As soon as the knocking begins, I’m transported to the next area, only granted about 10 seconds of thinking time each time.

I’ll die... I will really die here, I must think! I must survive!"

Luo Di has never felt such an intense desire to live; even the bones within his skull begin to quake, and metallic nerves grow within his brain, complicating its overall structure.

His thinking accelerates, correspondingly slowing the flow of external time.

Luo Di no longer considers external factors, but rather initiates an immersive mode of thought.

Hum! Tinnitus becomes overwhelming.

For some reason,

a segment of memory related to thought deep within his brain is activated.

Luo Di is back in the classroom he knows so well, a workbook before him, with a logic analysis problem about "Doors".

He has pondered for a long time but still can’t figure out the correct answer.

Just then,

the class president comes over from her seat, making room by squeezing part of her chair next to him; they sit close together, looking at this challenging problem.

"Luo Di, this problem is indeed tough. If you keep failing to solve it, why not try a different approach? Your original line of thought might have been wrong from the start.

Maybe you should even reread the question."

"Oh, okay."

Heeding the class president’s advice, Luo Di clears the thoughts settled in his mind and rereads the problem.

He unexpectedly notices that his eyes always drift toward the word "Door" and illustrations of Doors. If he were to cover up these Door-related elements and reread, the whole problem seems to change.

"Wait... am I too preoccupied with the Door? From the start, I’ve been worried about the Door, focused on it.

Assuming that behind the Door lies an Ancestor, convinced that the Ancestor is knocking on the other side, fearful that opening the Door would be dangerous... What if I stop considering the Door and just focus on myself?

So that’s it!

That’s how you solve the problem! Thanks, class president."

When Luo Di turns his gaze towards the class president by his side, she has vanished, and the classroom space also fades away gradually.

Luo Di returns to reality,

back to a desolate part of the world of Doors, more precisely to the "interior of the Ancestor."

Luo Di is currently in the stage of being digested,

upon opening the first Door, he was already swallowed.

The subsequent Door pushing signifies the process of digestion, step by step. Luo Di is now stopped within a certain section of the digestive tract. His body is riddled with holes, his hair long gone, even his skull corroded through.

On the eve of death,

yet it’s by relying on the internal skull that he completes his final thought.

Luo Di no longer cares about what lies behind the Door, is no longer wary of the knocking, and is not in a hurry to escape.

He merely stands quietly, feeling the current state...