Deep in the Living
Chapter 383 - 371 Data

Chapter 383: Chapter 371 Data

Boundary, Dormitory Center.

No more than ten agents live here. Even those who return spend most of their time working, only coming back at night to sleep. Their real goal is to take root in the Corner Depths.

Luo Di returned to the dormitory with the Pseudo-Person information in hand,

and as he pushed the door open, he felt a presence, a presence different from the Corner, different from monsters, different from Hell.

This presence flowed like water and even caused the air in the room to move rhythmically, originating from Yu Ze’s bedroom.

Luo Di looked at the tightly closed door and did not disturb him, thinking that the other was probably engaged in some sort of practice.

Returning to his own room, he closed the door, sat at the desk, and took out the information provided by the Jupiter City Investigation Bureau.

Judging by the date noted above, this file is already four years old.

When Luo Di joined the Investigation Bureau, he did not actively request this information, as he knew that he could not yet go to the Corner, and getting it would be meaningless.

Now it was time to look at it.

However, as he opened the file, Luo Di gradually furrowed his brow.

This file differs greatly from the Pseudo-Person information he had seen as an investigator, as most of the data is missing, resembling a file inferred from clues.

[Headless Clown (Temporary Name) Currently Known File Information (Expired)]

Name: ?? (Untraceable)

Age: ?? (Untraceable)

Fear Embodiment: Clown (Entity)

Appearance Description (provided by multiple event survivors):

1. The entire head is covered with white paint, and the hairstyle changes in different scenarios, including but not limited to bald, mushroom head, and long hair.

The area around the lips is painted with red paint, often maintaining a smiling face.

2. Height between 170~180cm, usually likes wearing overalls and a white shirt, or a red shirt (possibly stained with blood).

Rarely wears clown costumes, robes, suits, or nothing at all.

3. Does not carry any signature weapon, using tools taken temporarily from the crime scene.

Confirmed incidents associated with this Pseudo-Person:

1. "Huafeng Mall Night Massacre," where he stayed in the mall as a mannequin until a thief touched him, leading to the death of 18 security personnel and three thieves.

2. "No. 13 Settlement District," infiltrated the community as a balloon vendor, distributing balloons to children at the amusement park, then selling them door-to-door.

If residents bought a balloon, they would be killed; if they refused, the clown left. This resulted in 21 ordinary residents and one investigator’s death.

3. "Jiniu Stadium Concert," disguised as an ordinary person, entered the concert, used a very sharp blade to cut the necks of some personnel and taped them, using balloons to keep their bodies standing. The deaths were only discovered as the concert ended.

This incident resulted in the deaths of forty-three people.

Suspected incidents associated with this Pseudo-Person include:

"Bus 138 Murder Incident," "Zhonglu Primary School Murder Incident," "Nanhu Community Murder Incident"

Incident Characteristics:

At least ten or more people die violently, with all victims’ heads cut off, without exception.

Hence, the Jupiter City Investigation Bureau names him "Headless Clown."

Related speculations about this Pseudo-Person are as follows:

His appearance does not seem Huaxia nationality, possibly a Pseudo-Person from a surrounding city, with severe antisocial personality traits.

The individual has a strong counter-investigation awareness, excellent lurking ability, and possesses a very rare pituitary. He has already gone to the Corner through seams or other means, becoming a monster.

...

Luo Di went through the document in his hand, finding a few full-body portraits drawn based on victim descriptions at the end of the document.

The first is the standard overalls, white shirt, and mushroom hairstyle, slouching and holding a balloon with a bitter face as if discouraged by failing to sell balloons.

The second is a red suit, standing straight and holding a head in his hands, both the head and himself maintain a smile, still with a mushroom hairstyle.

Looking at the first two full-body images, Luo Di had no change in expression, his emotions very stable.

However, when he turned to the next one, his brow slowly furrowed.

Though the third is also a full-body image, it appears quite strange.

The portrayed clown is turned away, without any clothing.

His back’s skin is entirely white, as if painted or naturally this color.

Arms are thin,

but the waist and abdomen have some excess flesh, with parts of the skin aged and wrinkled together, and there are some rather unsettling pimples across the entire back.

The previous mushroom hairstyle was gone, becoming bald.

Since he was turned away,

his face could not be seen.

This is evidently an Investigation Bureau file, and if drawing a criminal’s portrait, it should be from the front, not such an information-less back view.

However, considering the clown’s peculiarity and that perhaps some survivor only saw this back view at the time.

Luo Di’s fingers landed on the paper’s edge, lifting the page corner, turning to the next page.

However.

The next full-body image made Luo Di’s face appear slightly distorted.

The clown is still unclothed, but now with a slight body turn, revealing his waist’s wrinkles and a slightly protruding beer belly.

His face was still not shown, his front face unclear.

Luo Di continued to turn to the next page,

similarly unclothed,

the clown’s body had turned halfway,

yet the head maintained its mystery, only the high bridge of his nose visible under the brush strokes.

For some reason,

Luo Di sped up his page-turning, seemingly desperate to see the next page, to observe the other’s face, even as his tongue curled in his mouth.

Caw!

A crow’s screech came from within, very piercing, yet only a slight sound reached Luo Di’s eardrum.

However, this slight sound was enough.

Luo Di suddenly snapped back to reality.

At the same time,

his bedroom door was forcibly opened, Yu Ze entered cautiously, instantly placing several yellow talismans in various positions within the room.

"Fellow, are you alright? I just smelled something, what happened to you..."

Luo Di did not directly answer, instead he first used gray to clear his mind, then looked at the file in front of him again.

The Investigation Bureau file’s last part had no images, only text descriptions.

The so-called full-body portraits seemed to be Luo Di’s focus on the clown introduction in the file, supplemented by his memories, subjected to some higher-level influence.

"Being at the Boundary causes influence?

And I have already completely reconstructed my body, emptied everything inside, yet, the clown’s calamity can’t be entirely eradicated? Once in contact, it takes root in the mind?

Observing things related to the clown causes influence?"

Yu Ze came and looked at the Investigation Bureau file on the table, "Seems so, this monster is quite extraordinary. Fellow, it seems our Corner exploration is high difficulty right from the start."

"Yu Ze, maybe you should explore separately from me... this matter is unrelated to you, no need to drag you down."

"What? How is it unrelated to me, this B clown also marked me; since we’re already in it together, nothing to be afraid of.

Once we encounter it, we’ll have experience, won’t let it ambush us easily next time.

Besides, the Exploration Bureau must have arrangements against it, just rest assured."

"Alright."

"Want to eat something? It’s about time to chow down."

"Let’s go."

Luo Di just stood up and suddenly remembered something.

『Wait, if consciousness activities at the Boundary can trigger Corner monster troubles, then...』

Luo Di put aside thoughts of the clown and the file, pondering something else. After closing his eyes for a while, he didn’t feel any strange changes, everything was normal.

He opened his eyes and looked at the current room, no changes, and the yellow talismans were still perfectly fine.

Just as he was about to walk out the bedroom door, he turned his head suddenly, looking at the window.

The planter on the windowsill seemed somewhat changed.

"""