Deep in the Living
Chapter 393 - 381: Lake, Flowers, Young Girl and Young Man

Chapter 393: Chapter 381: Lake, Flowers, Young Girl and Young Man

The timeline returns to when Luo Di was reconstructed by the Hell Trio and returned to the Boundary.

Upon receiving the "data" from Youzhen, he discovered that even resetting the body or clearing the mind, simply being in the Boundary, he would still be influenced by the clown.

Luo Di, in this way, would inevitably be found again when he went to the Corner.

Even if he could successfully reach the Exploration Bureau Headquarters, during subsequent Corner explorations conducted in squads, he could encounter the clown at any time.

Luo Di is far from being the clown’s match now,

If he’s found, not only he will suffer, but the whole squad as well.

According to the Exploration Bureau’s risk assessment of the clown, there is a significant chance of complete team annihilation.

Although the Exploration Bureau proposed a "bait" plan, which involves using Luo Di as bait to lure out the clown before senior agents assassinate it.

This plan, however, might not truly work in luring out the clown.

Luo Di is extremely averse to becoming bait; he must execute personally, which is his reason for becoming a "Murderer."

Additionally,

Luo Di himself also needs to spend some time in the Corner to construct the "Gate of Demon Ascension."

The "Gate of Demon Ascension" and "Pituitary Bud" must be conducted simultaneously to keep the two systems in sync in their progress, maintaining balance and coordinated growth.

So he must devise a method.

A method that would neither implicate friends and comrades,

nor expose himself to the clown’s threat while collecting materials for the gate within the Corner,

and also prevent the Exploration Bureau from intervening in the clown affair.

Such a method might seem like a daydream to others, but to Luo Di, it might just be feasible.

Since viewing files related to the clown in the Boundary induces mental influence,

there is among the people Luo Di has encountered a Pseudo-Person with a similar ability. Upon becoming a monster as a high-level entity in the Corner, the relevant ability would surely see significant enhancement.

By thinking of things connected to her, perhaps a connection can be established.

Moreover, this Pseudo-Person had once left something inside Luo Di, possibly enhancing this connection.

Recalling his experience on Saiwei Vacation Island while in the bedroom, Luo Di thought of that flawless face,

When he opened his eyes again, she had not arrived, nor was there any fluctuation of fear.

However, the flower on the windowsill became lush, seemingly turning its flower pistil towards Luo Di.

Perhaps the distance is too vast, across multiple Corner levels making pronounced sensing difficult.

When Luo Di approached the windowsill and lifted the flower pot, he heard a whisper, as if nectar flowed into his ear.

"Come to the depths, find me..."

...

Black night, misty fog, cold lake.

The pitch-black lake surface is like a corpse, unseen fish movements, not a hint of animal presence, the entire lake surface without any ripple generated by living beings.

Only stalks protrude above the water,

with pillar-like structures,

which, from a certain angle, resemble some organ structure.

A rare few stalks grow [flowers],

whenever enough mature flowers bloom, flower pickers come to harvest.

Today is not harvest season, with hardly any flowering in sight.

Strangely,

a wooden boat drew through the dense fog,

lala-la ♪~ as if whispered honeyed singing came from the wooden boat, spreading across the silent lake surface.

Those stems stood erect on the water surface seemed to grow longer and larger upon hearing such singing, trying to grow something at their ends but impossible as conditions were unmet,

A pair of damp and unclothed legs lay folded within the boat,

A tulle skirt slightly over the waist covers the body but reveals the faint outline of the figure.

Delicate hands hold the oar, the girl alone propelling the boat across the lake.

Her purpose seemed clear, without any halt or turn, heading straight to a certain place on the lake surface.

Finally,

The oar in the hand ceased rowing,

relying on residual speed to continue forward.

Eventually stopping in front of a similarly upright stalk in the lake.

The stalk top already bore a plump flower bud, pink tinged with red, a red from which body tones oozed.

The flower bud size far exceeded a normal flower, with a diameter surpassing a meter.

Inside something seemed to be gestating,

as the girl reached out to press the bud’s surface, streams of primordial energy entered within, causing the bud to mature early and bloom fully.

Strangely,

The fully expanded petals entirely dried up and withered in a short time, each piece falling into the lake, sinking below.

It seemed something within the flower absorbed that nascent essence, as if the flower’s growth was solely to nourish the individual inside.

When all petals blossomed all withered away,

A lone youthful figure curled up on the flower receptacle,

A perfectly proportioned, muscular black-haired youth, especially with the protruding gray Old Spine, quietly drawing the remaining essence from the flower receptacle.

Even the girl frowned upon seeing this spine.

At that moment,

gurgle gurgle~

A multitude of bubbles surfaced, carrying a black coat, a bladeless knife handle appeared on the lake surface.

The girl lightly waved her hand, and the items were swept onto the wooden boat.

The flower receptacle also presented the nude youth onto the boat,

The fog descended like a bed curtain draping around the boat, and the girl bent down, pressing entirely onto the unconscious young man.

Breathing in the familiar scent, pressing bodily upward.

Face to face,

No longer able to curb the inner desire, suppressed for nearly a year.

Moist lips swiftly adhered, intending to savor the other’s taste.

Yet as the lips touched, about to delve deeper.

Gah~

The crow cawed resonating across the silent lake surface,

An odd Crow was residing inside the youth’s mouth, currently alertly faced toward the girl attempting to invade its master.

She too bore a face of confusion, never seeing this thing before, nor understanding how the crow was within the youth’s mouth.

Though, she quickly noticed the crow’s jet-black eyeball on its forehead,

such an eye had extreme penetrative power, as if under such eyes her body lay bare, completely unclothed, the hidden monstrous form seemingly exposed.

Moreover, she perceived a slight dangerous scent, an unfamiliar danger belonging not to the Corner.

Interest extinguished,

The girl swiftly moved away, summoning several lotus leaves from the lake surface to wrap her body, she too curling at the boat’s stern.

Due to the Crow Colt’s neigh, the youth slowly awoke.

The monk’s robe on the boat was promptly worn, spikes piercing deep into the flesh, the painful stimulus swiftly rousing the youth to full consciousness.

"Hua Yuan, thank you."

The girl raised her head slightly, eyes of teardrop mole revealing a fierce gleam.

"Don’t speak nonsense, quickly lay down and let me spank a couple of times to really call it ’thanks’, a verbal thanks is as good as Jil’s, I risked my life to bring you across.

Do you have any idea what you’ve tangled with?

The other side seemingly has no intent to kill you; instead, to capture you back to [residence], or otherwise you’d be dead already."

"Hua Yuan, do you know the clown?"

"No, but I heard grandmother mention a special monster organization before.

This organization fundamentally differs from the Sisterhood; it’s strictly limited in numbers, without a fixed place, representing an absolute malevolent and pathological collective entity.

That clown should be a member of that organization."

"What organization."

"The Hateful Eight."

"A non-fixed organization of eight monsters?"

"Yes, limited to eight... and each member possesses remarkable prowess and unique personality.

Such an organization, even the Sisterhood dares not proactively provoke. It’s not that their combat strength is lacking, but once provoked, these eight profoundly pathological beings will disgust you from all eerie corners.

How did you get targeted by this thing? Aren’t you new to the Corner?"

After Hua Yuan tossed the question, she caught sight of Luo Di’s expression change, refraining from forceful inquiry, instead retrieving the oar, swaying the wooden boat.

"Since you chose to seek me out, listen to me well."