Deep Within the Living

Chapter 20: The Only Hope

Two minutes earlier, when the possessed Anna spoke about Gao Yuxuan’s personal history, Luo Di felt as though his entire spirit had been plunged into an icy abyss. A fear deeper than death gripped him, spreading from the core of his soul. Cold sweat seeped from every pore of his body.

Since the beginning of the practice session, Luo Di had never felt this level of tension. Not even the threat of death had made him so anxious.

In that moment, Luo Di stared intently at the possessed Anna, his gaze as piercing as when he had faced the Jiangshi earlier. A radical thought flashed through his mind:

"What if I kill Anna? Would that end all of this?"

But this extreme idea was immediately rejected by his conscience. Even he didn’t understand why such a thought had surfaced.

How to break the deadlock?

Without the institute's assistance, how could they handle this urgent crisis?

Suddenly, an idea lit up in Luo Di’s mind. He remembered something—one week ago, on the evening his holiday began.

During a nighttime jog, a fellow runner named Frederick Lofi had given him a personal business card and mentioned calling the number in case of unexpected danger. Due to the unique nature of this practice session, Luo Di had kept the card with him.

Thanks to his good memory, Luo Di recalled the relatively simple phone number without needing to reach into his pocket for the card.At that moment, while the possessed Anna was focused on analyzing Gao Yuxuan’s life story, it was the perfect opportunity to make the call.

Luo Di carefully moved his hands behind his back, activating his phone mode by lightly touching his wristband. The number, composed of the owner’s surname and a series of digits, would appear on the wristband’s holographic projection as a virtual keyboard.

However, entering the number without looking would lead to a high error rate. Luo Di wasn’t someone who used phones frequently, so inputting the correct number blindly was almost impossible.

He subtly adjusted his arm’s position, trying to bring the projected keyboard into his line of sight without drawing Anna’s attention.

But as Luo Di lowered his head to focus on the wristband projection, what he saw shocked him.

There was no keyboard projection.

Even the wristband itself looked different. The cool metallic surface had turned red, thickened, and appeared to squirm faintly.

The sensation quickly became nauseating—a soft, slimy texture.

The wristband had transformed into a tongue coiled around his wrist, its surface pressing against his skin as though trying to burrow inside.

In a panic, Luo Di tore it off, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced down at his shoe. To his horror, it wasn’t a tongue beneath his foot, but the shattered remnants of his wristband.

The bizarre transformation made Luo Di realize that everything unfolding around them was an illusion—a psychological manipulation by the possessed demon, not reality.

It wasn’t long before the demon shifted its focus to Luo Di, preparing to delve into his life story.

But the demon’s probing quickly stopped at a barrier. Anna’s possessed body twisted seductively, her tongue writhing like a beckoning finger.

“Strange… I still can’t fully see your ‘essence.’ Why don’t you come a little closer? Let me savor your taste.

“If you’re as special as I suspect, we might be able to strike a deal. Who knows? Your little group might just survive this.”

Luo Di didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward.

Gao Yuxuan instinctively tried to stop him, but Luo Di subtly moved a hand at his side, signaling him to remain still.

Although unsure of Luo Di’s intentions, Gao Yuxuan chose to trust him and stayed in place. The memory of their earlier collaboration when handling corpses resurfaced—the cold, ruthless demeanor Luo Di had shown.

"Could Luo Di really be planning to…?"

Gao Yuxuan’s eyes widened as tension gripped his legs, his muscles involuntarily tightening as he closely observed Luo Di’s every move.

Luo Di approached the bedside, stopping less than an inch from Anna’s bound wrists.

The demon’s voice whispered again. “Come closer. Bend down until your face is near mine. Don’t be scared. You’ve already touched me, haven’t you? A little more contact won’t hurt.

“Hurry up. I’m not known for my patience. Who knows? I might suddenly lose interest in making a deal.”

Luo Di’s thighs pressed against the bedframe as he leaned forward, his upper body inching toward Anna’s face.

The possessed Anna began sniffing intently, drawing in a scent only a demon could detect. Her mouth opened wider with each breath, as if tasting the most intriguing flavor she had ever encountered. Her expression revealed that she was beginning to unravel Luo Di’s story.

“You!”

As she began to speak, Luo Di cut her off, their faces barely a fist’s distance apart.

“Speak. What’s the deal?”

“You’re fascinating,” Anna muttered as her transformation continued.

Her other eye’s pupil shrank, her face creased with cracks resembling scorched earth, and a fully grown second tongue emerged from her mouth.

“The deal is simple. You willingly accept my possession, without resistance.

“In return, I’ll spare your friends—including Wen Wen, who’s already fled the house. What do you say?”

“You’ll honor your word?” Luo Di asked.

“Hah! You’re in no position to negotiate terms with me, are you?”

Hearing this, Luo Di calmly drew the machete hanging from his waist.

The motion startled Gao Yuxuan, who momentarily thought Luo Di intended to kill Anna.

However, the blade hovered at Luo Di’s own neck, slicing into his skin as blood seeped along the edge.

“Will you keep your word?” Luo Di asked again. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novęlfire.net

“Interesting~ Most young people like you are terrified of death, yet here you are, serious about it. Don’t worry. I swear to Lord Satan right now, if you let me fully possess you, I’ll spare your friends.”

“What do I need to do?”

“Well~ I’ve already achieved a certain level of ‘fusion’ with Miss Anna. Transferring possession through voice alone is very difficult. You’ll need to actively assist me with some ‘physical contact.’”

“Touch your hand?”

“No… You need to place your tongue in my mouth. That’s the fastest way, and it’ll allow me to enter your innermost being directly~”

The possessed Anna began to move her jaw, opening her mouth to its fullest extent.

Squish, squish.

The two tongues inside her mouth rested on either side of her oral cavity, as if waiting for a “guest” to arrive.

Luo Di took a deep breath, sheathing the machete he had used to cut his neck. Then, realizing that such a weapon could become a hazard if he were possessed, he tossed the machete toward the wall.

His actions were smooth, natural, and devoid of any sign of deceit, giving no cause for suspicion.

The possessed Anna felt the same. Her entire focus was on Luo Di’s tongue, eagerly anticipating taking control of this intriguing young man.

Meanwhile, Gao Yuxuan, who had been silently “spectating” from the foot of the bed, kept a close eye on the machete, harboring doubts about Luo Di’s intentions.

When Luo Di flung the machete toward the wall, Gao Yuxuan noticed something attached to the back of the blade. As it struck the wall, the object fell to the floor.

It was a card.

A special card with a name and phone number written on it.

In an instant, Gao Yuxuan memorized the number and understood Luo Di’s true intention.

With his privileged upbringing, Gao Yuxuan had been exposed to technology from a young age, and blind typing was a basic skill for him.

Taking advantage of the demon’s complete focus on Luo Di, Gao Yuxuan slowly moved his hands behind his back and began inputting the phone number from the card.