Deep Within the Living

Chapter 18: Possession

Earlier that morning, on the way to the Practice Zone, they had confirmed the "rules." Director Qin, who oversaw the project, explicitly stated that each object would only trigger one event during the exercise.

Furthermore, the research station had officially announced the conclusion of the exercise after they killed the zombie. It should have been celebration time by now.

Yet, what was happening now had completely veered off course.

As soon as Anna made the unsettling tongue-clicking sound, everyone immediately connected it to the Metal Box with the Goat’s Head and Six-Pointed Star that Anna had found earlier. Her current state immediately reminded them of the textbook topic: Possession.

This meant a second event had been triggered— Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs Nov3lFɪre.ɴet

Without warning, without rest, and without preparation.

And to make matters worse, their team leader, Wu Wen, was critically injured and possibly at risk of dying.

This wasn’t just an accident—it was the first thing Luo Di thought of. But upon further reflection, he realized there was more to it.

The research station was backed by a powerful team, capable of creating anomalous objects and constructing a haunted house at lightning speed based on the items chosen. Such capabilities meant this organization was highly competent.

Coupled with the fact that Wu Wen had ties to the research station, they would undoubtedly take this exercise seriously. A mistake of this magnitude seemed almost impossible.The most likely scenario Luo Di could imagine was that someone within the research station had gone rogue. That person’s mind might have developed a “corner,” and they had likely orchestrated this entire situation long before the exercise even began.

But there was no time to think further—handling the immediate crisis took priority. Should they restrain Anna first or treat Wu Wen’s severe injuries?

Before Luo Di could decide, Wu Wen had already acted.

Despite the axe embedded in her shoulder, she took advantage of the brief pause to inject a dose of adrenaline into her thigh. Enduring the excruciating pain, she forced herself to stand and retreated to the door.

“Huff... Something’s gone wrong with the exercise. I need to get down the mountain immediately... The research station must have noticed by now, and a response team is probably already on their way up. I’ll go meet them and try to get to a hospital as soon as possible.

“You two hold Anna off. If possible, try not to kill her. Once the station’s team arrives, they’ll handle everything.”

Wu Wen didn’t remove the axe, instead pressing firmly on the wound with her free hand as the adrenaline dulled the pain.

Just as she prepared to leave for help, Anna, still standing by the wall, spoke in a sinister voice that was distinctly not her own:

“What a shame. If that chatty Gao hadn’t warned her, my axe would’ve split your pretty little face in half, Wenwen. Then, when you walked down the street, no one would ever say you were the prettiest again.

“Once I finish off these two, I’ll come down the mountain and find you. Run while you can, my dear Wenwen! I’ll make sure to rip you apart so everyone can see the real you.”

Wu Wen’s expression remained unchanged. She pressed her wound tighter and turned to leave.

Now, only three remained in the room.

With Anna unarmed, this was the best opportunity to restrain her. If they could hold her down until the research team arrived, this disaster might finally come to an end.

Luo Di and Gao Yuxuan exchanged a glance and moved to flank Anna, just as they had done with the zombie. Their focus returned to the precision of before, prepared to dodge or block at any moment. After all, Anna’s physique and strength surpassed theirs.

But as they closed in, something unexpected happened.

Anna’s head suddenly drooped, then jerked back up. The sinister expression on her face was gone, replaced by one of terror and panic. A trembling voice escaped her throat:

“I... I heard that tongue-clicking sound when the zombie died. I saw... I saw a headless demon in the forest, its tongue just dangling there. I only glanced at it, but it came straight to me—it used its tongue to crawl into my body.

“How... how did I get back to this room? Where’s Wenwen?”

Her panic escalated when she saw the bloodstains on the floor, piecing together what had happened. Her emotions began to spiral out of control.

This extreme emotional fluctuation caused the entity within her to stir, its presence becoming faintly visible beneath her skin, as though it could seize control at any moment.

Smack!

A rough, warm, and powerful hand grabbed her arm, snapping her out of her hysteria. She felt her body being pulled toward the side of the large bed in the room.

Luo Di stood over her, his tone commanding:

“While you’re still conscious, lie down on the bed! Gao Yuxuan, get the bandages!”

Taking over as the team’s temporary leader, Luo Di pushed the others into action.

Anna quickly grasped the gravity of the situation. If she wanted to survive, she had to comply. She lay on the bed, stretching her limbs out toward its four corners. The sturdy wooden frame had posts at each corner, ideal for securing her.

Luo Di and Gao Yuxuan worked together, using as many bandages as they could to tie down her arms and legs.

Gao Yuxuan, always prepared, retrieved a silver needle and began targeting several key acupoints on Anna’s body:

Fengshi (Outer Thigh)Yinbao (Inner Thigh)Chize (Inner Arm)Finally, he aimed for Baihui (Top of the Head)—a point known for calming the mind, which might prolong Anna’s consciousness.

As he prepared to insert the needle into the top of her head, he noticed something squirming beneath her scalp.

Gurgle, gurgle—

The thing under her skin moved, and just as Gao Yuxuan steadied his hand to strike, the shape pressed outward, forming the imprint of a human face. Its grotesque tongue protruded toward Gao’s hand, as though trying to lick his fingers.

If he were touched, even Gao Yuxuan himself might fall victim to it.

Instinctively, he withdrew, retreating to the edge of the bed.

Though he couldn’t finish the final point, the restraints and the sealed limb acupoints should be enough to hold out until the research team arrived.

Anna’s appearance changed again.

Gone was the lively demeanor of a high school girl. She now seemed at least a decade older. Purplish veins marbled her skin, and unnatural wrinkles cut across her face, far too deep for someone her age.

Her mouth stretched unnaturally wide—almost as if her lips had shrunk, revealing an abundance of teeth and gum. Her agile tongue whipped against the walls of her mouth, producing a series of nauseating sounds.

Yet, Anna’s eyes remained normal, hinting that the possession was incomplete.

The tongue abruptly froze, and a chilling, demonic voice emerged from deep within her:

“Hahaha! You touched me earlier, didn’t you? Can you hear me now... my voice?”

As the voice trailed off—

Click—

Luo Di and Gao Yuxuan simultaneously heard the unsettling tongue-clicking sound.

The source of the noise was indeterminate—it wasn’t external but resonated directly within their minds.

As the sound echoed in their heads, the master bedroom of the old house began to transform.

The walls peeled away like shedding skin, revealing an interior of scorched, rocky layers resembling charred earth.

Ash filled the air, drifting like flakes of snow, but with every breath, the particles burned their throats and lungs, making each inhale a searing effort.