Deep in the Living
Chapter 375 - 363 Ticket Inspection

Chapter 375: Chapter 363 Ticket Inspection

Connected by shackles, the three individuals settled together at a crossroads within the crevice.

The dim sunset was frozen on the brink of descent, its dull afterglow draping the street in a yellow shroud.

The air composition was entirely similar to the human surface.

Yet, there was an additional component that did not belong to the gas, something invisible and intangible, able to flow across the skin’s surface.

This feeling was akin to suddenly throwing an ordinary person from a bustling, brightly lit area into the deepest part of a hospital morgue.

Moreover, there were multiple arms stretching out from the cold storage, touching the surface of this person’s body.

No matter how much one struggles, one cannot escape this sensation of touch, as long as one remains in the corner.

Many labeled as geniuses who once made waves within the city-level Investigation Bureau, upon visiting the corner for the first time, prepared to showcase their skills.

This environment, entirely unlike the human world, leaves them struggling to adapt for a long time.

The more one pays attention, the stronger the influence of the fear entity grows, gradually inducing auditory and visual hallucinations, even though there’s nothing on the street; it feels crowded with "people," making it challenging to perform at their best.

Youzhen, having not visited the corner for an extended period, also took a minute to quickly adapt, yet her expression remained unchanged, and she had already completed reconnaissance within a hundred-meter radius, finding no abnormal fluctuations.

Just as she adjusted her state, ready to look at the two newcomers with the posture of a senior, planning to savor their awkward appearance.

She first caught a whiff of smoke,

and the scene before her eyes was entirely different from the imagined awkwardness.

Yu Ze had already rolled a cigarette using talisman paper and was currently smoking it with enthusiasm, simultaneously rolling one for Luo Di with the talisman paper cigarette in his mouth.

Luo Di, on the other hand, fumbled through his coat and eventually pulled out the Crow Colt.

It seemed that compared to his own state, Luo Di was more concerned about the Crow Colt. After confirming the crow was genuinely adapting to the corner environment, he too started smoking.

No trace of discomfort from the fear entity was visible on their faces, more like two old hands.

Borrowing the mental clarity brought by the talisman paper cigarette, Luo Di began to observe the surrounding environment.

"Is this... the corner?"

They were currently at a crossroads, in the truest sense, as it was perfectly symmetrical on all four sides.

The directions of east, south, west, and north were entirely identical, each corresponding to an old-fashioned train station, with even the vehicles parked inside maintaining absolute consistency.

A few metallic characters stood at the top of the red brick facade of the train station, standard Chinese characters. Although Luo Di had never been to this place, it evoked an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Such a train station he had seen in a film from his motherland in the nineties.

Back in middle school, he once fantasized about leaving the United Nations and returning to his motherland for a life of happiness, free from the intrusion of the corner.

Youzhen also observed, analyzing while explaining:

"It seems because both of you are from Huaxia Country, the corner has chosen a shallow area that suits you... Don’t be surprised; this is the corner.

You can think of the corner as the reverse side of the world.

Its interior environment is based on replicating Earth from 1960 to 2000.

The inside of the corner is presented in "blocks" rather than Earth’s "completely open."

Different areas are independent of one another, separated... Any individual entering the corner, whether human or monster, lands randomly within a block.

Between different areas, there exists only one "connector."

If you can’t find the mouth, you’ll just be stuck here indefinitely.

In this exploratory venture, the most crucial aspect is attempting to search the entire area to locate the "mouth."

This has significant importance for your future formal exploration of and deeper penetration into the corner."

"A block-structured world?"

Luo Di immediately envisioned a very fitting image.

It’s as if Earth’s surface is sliced into equally sized cubes, each independent, connected by a single line.

After a simple understanding, Luo Di returned his focus to the present.

"Are all the train stations the same on all four sides?"

Youzhen nodded, "Yes, there’s nothing particularly complex in the shallow space. It’s currently a mirror effect, so no matter which train station we choose to explore, it won’t affect our subsequent exploration."

Luo Di looked along the street into the distance; as the street extended beyond the range of the train station, it became shrouded in thick fog. It’s estimated that either one can’t exit or will walk back in a loop.

Youzhen continued, "If you have adapted well, prepare to start exploring.

Although our current "block" seems small, the train station might possess extra space with its sealed building structure. The area we’re in appears more like a buffer zone."

While Youzhen awaited questions from and adaptation by the two newcomers, she suddenly found that Yu Ze, who was just smoking, had vanished.

At some unknown moment, he had already ventured fifty meters away, slipping into a car parked by the roadside as if searching for something.

"Don’t wander off alone from the team; it’s dangerous."

At Youzhen’s urging,

Yu Ze quickly emerged from the passenger seat, returning to the team with an apologetic expression while holding a newly found magazine.

The mouth beneath his sunglasses maintained a constant smile, as if he had found something worthwhile.

"Is this the mark of the seam?"

Yu Ze opened the magazine to the third page, revealing a jet-black stripe on the paper that was clearly not printed.

Though devoid of any spatial perception,

Luo Di, upon seeing the black mark, could discern something, sensing a connection to the human world.

As the team leader, Youzhen was stunned, "How... could you directly locate the mark?"

Yu Ze gave a silly smile, "Haha, I used to be our squad’s perception personnel and also enjoyed fortune-telling.

We are in the shallowest corner layer, just a thin membrane away from the Boundary. So, I can easily deduce anything related to the seam; if it were any deeper, it wouldn’t be as straightforward."

"Hmm... very well~ With this, we can leave anytime after 24 hours, sparing us the need to document the appearance patterns of the mark.

Even if we truly encounter any danger, we can withdraw immediately."

The exploration begins.

The trio strolled across the plaza before the train station, likewise filled with various vintage cars, completely devoid of people.

No danger at all,

No agents who have transformed into plants after being eroded by fear,

No traces of any monster activity.

The sole pervasive influence was the omnipresent Fear Entity,

Even though Luo Di’s state was stable, the fear entity clinging around him persistently induced strange visions.

For instance, when passing a car, in the corner of his eye, he glimpsed someone inside waving at him.

When passing a streetlamp, the corner of his eye detected something hanging from it.

Even so, Luo Di didn’t take another look; after all, his tongue sensed nothing. He silently relished the thrill, enjoying the brain-nourishing soil of fear.

Before the train station,

The large-looking red-brick building had only one entry and exit, spacious enough for only one person, with other areas entirely sealed with dense red bricks.

Moreover, this singular entry was covered in yellowish, oil-stained windproof strips, preventing any glimpse of the station’s interior.

No glass windows were available for peeping, the entire building seemingly refusing gazers; to truly investigate, one must enter.

Luo Di led the way,

about to lift the windproof strips to enter the station,

when between the strips,

a pair of bloodless, unhuman arms suddenly emerged.

One hand held a ticket puncher, the other made a ticket-receiving gesture,

a pre-recorded speaker’s voice emanated from behind the strips:

"Please check your ticket to enter!"

Just as Luo Di intended to further lift the strips to inspect the arm’s origin, his tongue rose sharply.

The unknown warning stopped Luo Di’s motion immediately, suspecting danger might arise if he proceeded.

Walking behind and deliberately offering no hints, Youzhen exhibited surprise once more; she failed to comprehend why Luo Di halted, was it vigilance or caution, or had he truly sensed something?

Luo Di had already turned, looking towards the ticket booth not far away, and then glancing at Youzhen at the back of the team.

"How about buying a ticket... the corner seems to replicate not just the environment, but a certain life rule. Not following it might lead to troublesome occurrences, right, Miss Youzhen?"

"How did you figure that out?"

"Just a hunch."