Corner Space

"Corner Space"

1. The disguise had lasted for a certain number of years.

2. It could perfectly achieve "Phobia-concretization."

3. It had already fulfilled most of the requirements bestowed by the whispers of the Corner.

Once those three conditions were met, the anomaly was basically complete—or rather, mature.

The "Mind Corner" existing between their pituitary glands would also manifest in physical form.

A "Corner rift" would appear on the surface of the pituitary gland. It could not only affect their own flesh, but also influence a small area of reality, constructing a Corner Space unique to them.

This space possessed the following characteristics:

1. "Difficult to form": Forming a Corner Space alone could not be accomplished overnight.

The individual needed to be extremely familiar with the area and have lived there for some time before they could project their Mind Corner into the environment, gradually influencing and altering the space's form.

2. "Not a true Corner": The anomaly itself still belonged to the category of Pseudo-Humans. They were not true residents of the Corner, nor were they qualified to enter it.

They still feared the true Corner. If they were to fall into it in their current state, they would be unable to survive.

Therefore, the reality-based "Corner Law" still applied within a Corner Space. Under normal circumstances, there would be no Physical Corners.

3. "Extensibility": To a certain extent, it affected "reality." The space was stretched beyond its original area.

However, it might not have been genuine spatial expansion, but rather an effect on the intruder's mind.

4. "Nest": Within an environment created by themselves, a Pseudo-Human would become like a fish in water—more difficult to deal with and able to display a more complete Phobia-concretization.

5. "Disguise": Like Pseudo-Humans, Corner Spaces possessed the ability to disguise themselves and could be turned on or off.

When closed, they were almost no different from usual.

Once activated, all activity within the Corner Space would be "silenced." Very little noise would reach the outside, falling below human perception. Only professional detection equipment could possibly detect the faint fluctuations inside the building at close range.

6. "Complete lockdown":

Anyone trapped inside would find it difficult to escape unless the Pseudo-Human who created the space willingly let them go.

To escape, one needed to severely injure the Pseudo-Human's true body and attack its "Mind Corner," destabilizing the entire Corner Space.

Of course, killing the Pseudo-Human would also cause the space to dissolve naturally.

The class monitor quickly analyzed the situation before them.

"From the very beginning, that woman had prepared a backup plan. If her ambush and slaughter failed, she would use the chase to force us into the Corner Space on the third floor.

There's absolutely no way we can climb down from the building. That woman, who excels at climbing walls, would definitely catch up with us.

Therefore, the stairs are our only escape route. We were bound to pass through here and fall into the trap she set.

That makes entering the room our only option. Luo Di, get over here."

The class monitor was as cheerful as ever. Even while fully aware of their current predicament, they maintained a normal state of mind and rapidly waved a hand from the stairway landing.

When Luo Di came over, the class monitor pointed at the ceiling light in the corridor.

"We need to take that down and use it as a light source. I'm not like Anna—I probably can't carry you on my shoulders~ How about I stand on your shoulders instead?"

"Mm."

The class monitor had not even had time to put on shoes before coming downstairs. After brushing the dust from their soles, they stepped right up.

Very light.

Luo Di easily supported the class monitor and smoothly removed the light bulb from inside the fixture.

Because of the importance of light sources, all public areas used rechargeable lamps. If the light source in one's hands was destroyed and one encountered danger like this, public lighting fixtures could be taken at any time.

The class monitor held the small handheld Incandescent Lamp. Its stored power was enough to provide illumination for twenty-four hours. The bulb had also been reinforced, so it would not shatter from ordinary impacts.

With the light source secured,

the class monitor jumped down and landed steadily on the stairs.

Looking at the class monitor wearing his clothes but no shoes, Luo Di said, "Shoes and weapons are both essential during exploration, aren't they? If you step on something and injure your foot, your mobility will be severely limited."

The class monitor sighed helplessly. "What else could I do~ Who would have known that a Pseudo-Human would break directly into your home in the middle of the night, especially in a locked-down residential complex?

We'll just have to see whether there are any suitable shoes once we get inside, then find a kitchen knife in the kitchen.

By the way, what if we just stay in the stairwell and don't enter the room? Could we wait until tomorrow morning?"

"No."

Luo Di pointed toward the upper stairs within sight. A thin layer of black hair had already spread across them and was slowly creeping downward.

The class monitor's expression immediately fell. "My fault, my fault~ If I hadn't come looking for you today, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"As long as we survive."

"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 carried the traces of age. A Fu character, neither upright nor upside down, was pasted on it. The couplets that should have hung on either side had been torn away, leaving behind a little unsettling red residue.

Just as they were about to approach,

creak~

The wooden door automatically opened outward. The gap was exactly as wide as it had been when the class monitor knocked that morning and the occupant opened the door. It felt as though an eye might glare out from the crack at any moment.

Luo Di had already unsealed his "corner-transforming item."

The corpse-wrapping cloth used for storage was wrapped around the knife handle and his palm to prevent the weapon from slipping from his hand during battle.

Moreover, the corpse-wrapping cloth had continuously wrapped this knife for the past half year and had already absorbed some of the zombie's Yin Energy. This wrapping could further strengthen Luo Di's connection with the blade.

Holding the knife, Luo Di drew close to the wooden door and peered inside through the gap.

He could only vaguely make out the red lighting and old furnishings within. No eye protruded as he had expected.

Creak~

Using the blade as leverage, he pushed the wooden door fully open.

A large Red Lantern hung at the entrance. Red light filled the room, revealing its general layout: an old-fashioned Chinese-style interior.

A shoe cabinet with large patches of peeling paint and countless repair nails stood by the entrance.

Square red-and-white tiles covered the floor, dusted with a thin layer of grime. Some tiles had already cracked, and tiny spiders even crawled out from between them.

Much of the white wall paint had peeled away, while thick cobwebs traced across the ceiling.

The class monitor followed closely behind into the eerie room and cautiously opened the long-sealed shoe cabinet. Despite its ample space, it contained only two pairs of shoes.

One pair of women's Embroidered Shoes and one pair of men's cloth shoes, with sizes that happened to fit the two of them perfectly.

The slippers Luo Di wore were casual shoes suitable for outdoor activity. They fit snugly around his feet, so there was no need to change them.

But the class monitor badly needed a pair of shoes.

"Wait~"

Luo Di picked up the Embroidered Shoes and lightly cut across them with the machete covered in Zombie Skin. The shoes were not corroded by corpse poison, and the pituitary gland inside the blade showed no reaction, indicating that the shoes were completely normal.

"No problem."

"Thanks."

As the class monitor slipped into the perfectly fitting Embroidered Shoes, a chilling laugh drifted from deep within the room. It seemed that woman was waiting inside.

(Because the content is continuous, two chapters were released together. Keep reading for more.)