Visitor

Depths of the Corner, ████.

On the gray steps, covered with cracks and pebbles, stood a round-toed purple leather shoe, paired with black overalls and a white shirt.

The man's arm remained outstretched, holding a beautifully packaged Gift Box.

He kept his footsteps low so as not to disturb the other residents.

Find the corresponding resident's door by following the house number.

He seemed a little nervous, as if he hadn't been here in a long time.

take a deep breath,

The thumb flicked the strap.

After some shoulder joint movement,

Keeping your hands still holding the gift, take off your shoes and gently tap the door panel with your right big toe.

Knock knock knock!

A moment later, with a creaking sound from the hinges, the door opened.

The person standing inside the house wasn't some vicious monster.

It wasn't some terrifying spirit floating in the air.

Instead, he was a Little boy with wide-open eyes but a cleft lip.

"Uncle Jock! Dad, it's Uncle Jock! He brought us gifts!"

As the Little boy shouted excitedly,

The father's voice came from inside the house. "Let him in. It's mealtime, we don't mind having an extra pair of chopsticks."

"Uncle Jock, come in quickly, and remember to change your shoes."

The Harelip Boy placed a pair of appropriately sized plastic slippers on the ground, and, under the curious gaze, asked softly:

"Uncle Jock, what gift did you bring?"

The latter did not respond, but simply patted the child's head, and at the same time as he finished patting the head, a red balloon appeared.

"Balloon! Balloon! I love balloons the most! Uncle Jock, let's go eat!"

The boy, holding a balloon in one hand and the other's hand, painted with white paint, led them into the house and into the dining room.

Two people were already seated around the long table covered with a checkered tablecloth.

One was an old woman with gray hair and a thin frame.

Her pupils had turned completely white as if she couldn't see anything, and she seemed to have sensed the presence of a visitor, mechanically waving her arms.

The other was a woman wearing a long skirt, whose former beauty had been swept away by time, leaving only deep wrinkles and excess fat accumulated from a long period of inactivity.

Her gaze was fixed solely on the dishes on the table, and she didn't even glance at the guests.

There seemed to be someone still busy in the kitchen.

Before meeting the owner of the house, "Uncle Jock" did not dare to sit down easily and always kept his hands on the gifts.

As the sound of the range hood stopped...

A middle-aged man wearing an apron and sporting a mustache came out, carrying freshly stir-fried dishes in his hands.

"Jock, have a seat. As for the gift, put it aside for now."

Jock sat down next to the Little boy, skillfully picked up his chopsticks, and ate large mouthfuls of juicy meat mixed with rice.

Seeing that Jock had finished all the rice, the middle-aged man sitting opposite him also smiled with satisfaction.

"Speak, what is it? I don't want to do anything too troublesome. I've finally had some free time lately."

Jock said nothing, but instead moved his hand across the table, and when he removed his palm again, a photograph appeared.

Black and white photograph.

The image clearly shows three people inside the train station.

When the middle-aged man saw one of them, his expression immediately turned strange.

At almost the same moment, his family, including the Harelip Boy, also had the same strange expression, completely in sync.

"Oh? Where did you find it, Jock?"

Uncle Jock remained silent, instead flipping the photo over with his finger. On the back were three words: "Shallow Layer".

"A newcomer?"

Since you failed, the next time they come into the corner, they will go to the human base and will be under heavy protection.

Although I'm very interested in one of them, this is just too much trouble.

Besides, they were clearly just two newcomers, and this woman hadn't gotten much stronger. How could you have failed, Jock?

Your fears are no less than mine, are they?

Jock, sitting opposite him, maintained a smile throughout and did not respond with a single word.

"I'm sorry, the risk is beyond my tolerance, so the gift is not necessary..."

Before the words were finished,

The gift box that was originally placed to the side had somehow appeared on the dining table, blocking the two people's bodies and faces.

Only by moving the gift away or opening it can you see the other person again.

The middle-aged man ultimately chose to open the gift.

Inside were several pieces of special frozen meat.

"Jock, this is the first time I've seen you so generous. This kind of meat is hard to come by. By the way, are you really in such a hurry?"

Since these people have come to this corner, Guild Leader here from now on. Wouldn't it be better to make our move when they're no longer under scrutiny and are isolated?

Looking at Jock, who remained smiling and silent, the man finally gave in and told his wife to put the frozen meat in the refrigerator with a single glance.

"Okay, I'll help you!"

However, let me make this clear beforehand: I will withdraw once the humans send out any troublesome individuals.

Furthermore, my target is only the person in the photo; I won't be engaging in any deep collaboration with you.

Upon hearing this reply, Jock nodded in satisfaction, got up, put his leather shoes back on, and walked out of the room.

However, he did not leave immediately, but waited at the door.

About two minutes later, the door opened again.

The middle-aged man had already changed into a trench coat that covered his entire body and put on leather gloves before coming out.

The person appeared to be larger in both height and physique than when they were dining indoors.

"Let's go."

As the two left, the focus shifted back to the interior of the house.

The dining table has been cleaned and tidyed up.

A lone red balloon floated in the restaurant area.

There wasn't a single person left in the entire house.

[crossroads]

The handcuffs are removed.

Gaa!

The crow immediately perched on Luo Di's shoulder, observing the surroundings.

The intersection where the three were this time was completely different from the one last time.

It is neither a train station nor does it have a four-sided symmetrical structure.

It looks like a residential area from the 1980s, with buildings no more than seven stories high and various old-fashioned shops opening for business.

It was no longer sunset, but night.

The yellowish streetlights provided dim illumination.

Four distinct streets stretched into the depths, disappearing into darkness after a hundred meters.

Unlike the "unmanned" train station,

There were actually pedestrians walking back and forth on the street, though in small numbers, but they were definitely there, quite different from the train station I had seen before.

However, these pedestrians, both men and women, all had long hair, enough to completely cover their faces.

Luo Di asked, "These are 'people' formed from the Fear Entity, right?"

You Zhen nodded. "That's right. There are many streets like this where there are 'pedestrians' in the corners."

Since these people exist, they must have a purpose. Perhaps they hold the clues to the deeper levels of understanding.

We've arrived at a fairly typical street area. It looks large, but the four streets are actually interconnected, making it easier to search than a train station.

We must not separate; even if there is no danger whatsoever, we must stay together.

Anyone who finds balloons or any suspicious red-related substances must report it immediately.

While they were observing and discussing at the crossroads,

A beam of light shone down.

A bus emerged from the darkness, heading straight for the three people and running them over...