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Pseudo-Human
Depths of the Living
Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Pseudo-Human |
| Alias(es) | Imposter |
| Species/Race | Humans whose Pituitary Glands form a Mind Corner and undergo Phobia-concretization |
| Status | Extant |
| First Appearance | 1 |
Origin and Nature
A Pseudo-Human forms when a human establishes a mental connection to the Corner through the Pituitary Gland. The gland functions as a medium: it receives Corner “pheromones,” which excavate the person’s deepest fears and induce physiological change known as Phobia-concretization. 167
The resulting appearance and abilities depend on the individual’s fear, prior traits, and physical limits. A terminally ill man, for example, developed a jiangshi Phobia-concretization within four months; his pre-existing brain tumor made the transformation more complete but easier to expose. 28
Development
| Stage | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Initial-level / Disguise phase | Usually less than half a year old. Their strength is often only moderately above that of ordinary humans, though their Phobia-concretization may already grant notable physical advantages. 28 |
| Mature | Possesses perfected Phobia-concretization, a Flesh Corner, and the qualification to proceed deeper into the Corner. 42 |
Mature Pseudo-Humans
Mature Pseudo-Humans preserve their original identity and routines while continuing to participate in human society, including psychological testing. The more convincingly they maintain their disguise and deceive others, the greater the recognition they receive from the Corner. 42
- Perfected Phobia-concretization — Can undergo systemic bodily changes into the most complete fear-image their cognition and body can sustain. 42
- Flesh Corner — Their Mind Corner can manifest upon the Pituitary Gland or across the face, allowing them to influence familiar surroundings and form a Corner Space. 42
- Qualification — May receive a special notification from the Corner granting formal access to proceed through an unspecified route. 42
Classification
| Type | Defining traits |
|---|---|
| Normal Type | Typically discovered through psychological screening and housed in severe mental-hospital wards. 100 |
| Special Type | Possessed an exceptional obsession or bodily function before transformation, enabling more specific, complex, and dangerous Phobia-concretizations. Their Pituitary Glands are highly valued by Investigators. 100 |
| Yi Type | Were already threatening or unusually skilled at disguise before transforming. They may suppress the Corner’s Whisper, retain partial self-control, evade screening, mature within society, and acquire a Corner identity. 100 |
| Divine Type | Poorly understood; available records indicate they may not have differed greatly from ordinary people before transformation. 100 |
Abilities and Traits
Camouflage
Pseudo-Humans can maintain an outwardly human life after their Mind Corner forms. Mature individuals may pass ordinary psychological tests and preserve their former social identity for extended periods. 42
- The effectiveness of camouflage affects Corner recognition. 42
- Skilled disguisers can evade screening and mature while embedded in human society. 100
- Some transformations can be concealed by returning altered limbs or features to a humanlike state. 37
Phobia-concretization
Phobia-concretization is the physical manifestation of fear excavated by Corner pheromones. 167
- Forms vary widely, including jiangshi, werewolf, spider-like, deer-like, clown, and other fear-derived bodies. 28 37 131 381
- The form’s complexity is influenced by the individual’s pre-transformation traits and bodily condition. 28 100
- Mature Pseudo-Humans can change their entire body systemically rather than merely displaying isolated mutations. 42
Pituitary Gland
The Pituitary Gland is the connection between a Pseudo-Human and the Corner, rather than merely the origin of a Mind Corner. 167
- It conveys Corner pheromones and facilitates fear-driven bodily change. 167
- Mature glands are valuable resources. 42
- Special-Type glands are especially sought after for Investigator enhancement. 100
- Removing or damaging the gland is frequently treated as a critical weakness in combat and containment. 206
Threats and Limitations
- Initial-level Pseudo-Humans may be only somewhat stronger than ordinary people and can be exposed early in their disguise phase. 28
- Their abilities are not uniform; a jiangshi transformation can grant physical strength sufficient to survive ordinary 9mm gunfire, but this does not apply to every Pseudo-Human. 28
- A partially hardened jiangshi may resist bladed attacks through reinforced cervical bone; completing its ritual could grant full-body hardening and further superhuman abilities. 16
- Pseudo-Humans who cannot control their transformation may lose humanity and act primarily on predatory instinct. 138
Human Society and Containment
- Terminally ill patients are placed under increased surveillance and more frequent psychological testing because extreme despair can precipitate a Mind Corner. 28
- Detected Pseudo-Humans may be killed, contained, or transferred to research facilities for simulated anomaly-event training. 28
- Rapidly developing or otherwise valuable Pseudo-Humans can be held in Research Bureau containment rather than immediately disposed of. 140
- Fighting Arena contestants must retain more than 95% flesh-and-blood composition, whether human or Pseudo-Human. 132