Chapter 34: Quasi-Corner Space

(Page 1/3)

"Corner-like Space"

1. Disguise maintained for a certain number of years.
2. Ability to perfectly manifest "Fear Incarnation."
3. Completion of the majority of requirements set by the Whispers of the Corner.

Once these three conditions are met, the anomaly is fundamentally complete, or rather, [matured].
The "Mind Corner" existing between their pituitary glands will manifest in a physical form. The surface of the pituitary gland will develop a "Corner Fissure," which not only affects their own flesh but also impacts the immediate reality, constructing a Corner-like space unique to them.

This space possesses the following characteristics:

1. "Difficult to Form": Forming a Corner-like space alone is not an overnight task. It requires the individual to be intimately familiar with the area and to have left traces of their life there for some time before they can project their Mind Corner onto the environment and gradually influence and alter the space's configuration.
2. "Not a True Corner": The anomaly still falls under the category of a Pretender; they are not true residents of the Corners and have no qualification to enter them. They still fear the true Corners, and given their current state, they would not survive if they were to fall into one. Therefore, the Corner-like space still adheres to the reality-based "Corner Law," and under normal circumstances, no [Physical Corner] will exist within it.
3. "Extensibility": To a certain extent, it influences "reality," stretching the space beyond its original dimensions. However, this may not be actual spatial expansion but rather a psychological effect on intruders.
4. "The Nest": Once in this environment of their own creation, the Pretender becomes like a fish in water, harder to deal with, and capable of displaying a more refined Fear Incarnation.
5. "Camouflage": Like the Pretender, the Corner-like space possesses camouflage capabilities and can be [toggled]. In the closed state, it is almost indistinguishable from normal. Once opened, all internal activities within the Corner-like space are "muffled"; sounds transmitted to the outside are minimal, falling below human perception. Unless professional detection equipment is used at close range, it is impossible to detect the subtle fluctuations within the room.
6. "Complete Lockdown": It is difficult to escape once trapped inside unless the Pretender who created the space allows it. To escape, one must severely damage the Pretender's main body or attack their "Mind Corner," rendering the entire Corner-like space unstable. Naturally, killing the Pretender will also cause the space to dissolve.

...

The Class Monitor quickly analyzed the situation at hand.
"From the very beginning, this woman had already set up a backup plan. If the stealth ambush failed, she would use the chase to force us into this Corner-like space on the [third floor]."

(Page 1/3)

(Page 2/3)

Climbing down the stairs is absolutely impossible; we would inevitably be caught by a woman who is adept at wall-crawling. Thus, our only escape route is the staircase, which means we must pass through here and fall into the trap she has laid. In this case, [entering the room] is our only option. Rodi, come here quickly."

The Class Monitor remained as cheerful as ever, maintaining a calm state of mind despite knowing the current predicament, waving her hand quickly from the landing of the stairs.

When Rodi followed, the Class Monitor pointed at the ceiling light in the corridor.
"We need to take this down to use as a light source. I'm not like Anna; I'd probably have a hard time carrying you~ Why don't you let me step on your shoulders?"

"Mm."

The Class Monitor hadn't had time to put on shoes when she rushed downstairs. She patted the dust off her soles and stepped up. She was very light. Rodi supported her with ease, successfully removing the 'light bulb' from inside the fixture.

Due to the importance of light, all public areas used rechargeable lighting. Once the light source in one's hand is destroyed or when encountering a dangerous situation like this, public lights can be utilized at any time.

The small, handheld incandescent lamp was held by the Class Monitor. The energy stored inside was enough to support twenty-four hours of illumination. Moreover, the bulb had undergone a hardening process, so it would not shatter under normal impacts.

With the light source in hand, the Class Monitor jumped down and landed steadily on the stairs.
Rodi looked at the Class Monitor, who was wearing his clothes and was barefoot, and said, "Shoes and weapons—these two things are essential when exploring, right? If your soles are injured by stepping on something, your mobility will be greatly restricted."

The Class Monitor felt helpless. "What can I do? Who would have expected a Pretender to break into your home in the middle of the night, especially in a residential complex that is already under lockdown? We'll just have to see if there are any suitable shoes when we get inside, and then find a kitchen knife. By the way, if we just stay in the stairwell and don't enter the room, is there any chance we could wait until tomorrow morning?"

"No chance."

Rodi pointed to the upper level of the staircase within his line of sight. A thin layer of black hair had already spread across it and was currently creeping downward slowly.

The Class Monitor's expression immediately turned somber. "It's my fault... if I hadn't come to find you today, maybe none of this would have happened."

"Just stay alive."

"Okay."

The two turned their gaze toward the third floor, the only place where a path to survival might exist.
The mottled yellow wooden door exuded an air of age. A [Fu] character was pasted on it, neither upright nor inverted. The couplets that should have been on either side had been torn away, leaving behind uncomfortable traces of red.

Just as the two were about to approach,

(Page 2/3)

(Page 3/3)

Creak~

The wooden door automatically opened outward. The width of the gap was exactly the same as when the other party had opened it when the Class Monitor knocked that morning. It felt as if an eye might stare out from the crack at any moment.

Rodi had already prepared his "Corner-fication Tool."
The burial shroud used for storage was wrapped around the hilt of his knife and his palm to prevent it from slipping during combat. Furthermore, having wrapped this blade for the past six months, the shroud had become imbued with the cold yin energy of the zombie, and this wrapping further enhanced the connection between Rodi and the blade.

Rodi held the knife close to the wooden door and peered inside through the gap. He could only roughly glimpse the red light and old furnishings inside; there was no eye peeking out as he had anticipated.

Creak~

Using the blade as a lever, he pushed the wooden door fully open.
A large red lantern hung by the entrance, casting a pervasive red glow that illuminated the general state of the room—it was an old-fashioned Chinese-style decor. By the door stood a shoe cabinet with large patches of peeling paint, covered in repair nails.

Red and white square floor tiles covered the room, dusted with a bit of grime. Some tiles were cracked, with small spiders even crawling out from beneath them. The white wall paint was peeling in many places, and thick cobwebs traced patterns across the ceiling.

The Class Monitor followed him into the eerie room and carefully opened the long-sealed shoe cabinet. Despite the large space, only two pairs of shoes were inside. One pair of women's embroidered shoes and one pair of men's cloth shoes, the sizes matching the two of them perfectly.

The slippers Rodi was wearing were casual shoes suitable for outdoor activities, which fit his feet well, so there was no need to change. However, the Class Monitor desperately needed a pair.

"Wait~"

Rodi picked up the embroidered shoes and gently cut them with the cleaver covered in zombie skin. The surface of the shoes was not corroded by corpse poison, and the pituitary gland inside the blade showed no reaction, indicating the shoes were perfectly normal.

"It's fine."

"Thank you."

As the Class Monitor slipped on the well-fitting embroidered shoes, a chilling laugh echoed from the depths of the room, as if the woman were waiting for them inside.

(Due to the continuity of the content, two chapters are released together; continue reading ahead!)

(Page 3/3)