Deep Within the Living

Chapter 23: Etched Memories

The Lights

In this nation, lights are a critical part of urban infrastructure.

The government invests immense resources and technology into the research and production of lights, especially those installed in major facilities like hospitals. These lights are guaranteed by multiple layers of quality assurance and undergo monthly maintenance. Abnormal flickering, such as what was happening now, was virtually impossible.

Even the flickering of a single light would be suspicious—let alone several lights on the same floor flashing simultaneously.

Luo Di, seated on the mid-level landing, had to either ascend or descend to exit the stairwell.

As he prepared to rush downward—

Step!

The distinct sound of hard soles on smooth stairs echoed sharply through the silent stairwell.

Strangely, Luo Di couldn’t determine whether the sound came from above or below. Judging by its volume, the source was only one floor away.

In other words, choosing the wrong direction would result in a direct encounter with whoever—or whatever—was approaching. It could very well be the cause of the flickering lights.Yet, upon hearing the footsteps, Luo Di didn’t seem as tense. Instead of continuing to stand, he sat back down, appearing to have guessed something.

A pair of size-43 leather shoes soon came into view, descending the stairs to Luo Di’s level.

A familiar voice, tinged with a slight foreign accent, spoke in Mandarin:

“How did you figure it was me?”

“This is Jupiter City’s First Municipal Hospital, one of the city’s most secure buildings. After the recent accident, security protocols must have been heightened even further. If such anomalies could still occur under these conditions, the entire city would be in danger.

“Also, I’ve been jogging with you, Mr. Lofi, for half a year now. While you’re wearing different shoes, I could still barely recognize the sound.”

“Not bad. No wonder you could think of a solution under the extreme pressure of a Practice Accident.”

The visitor was indeed Frederick Lofi. As he arrived, the flickering lights returned to normal.

“Because I intervened in your incident, I’ve been dealing with the ‘aftermath’ all day and could only visit at night. Judging by your condition, your recovery is going much better than expected.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. A small matter like this earned me a favor from the research unit—it’s a great trade. Besides, I was the one who offered to help resolve the accident. I just didn’t expect the accident to escalate so quickly.

“You must have a lot of questions about this incident, don’t you?”

Mr. Lofi sat beside Luo Di, ready to answer his inquiries.

Luo Di had organized his questions meticulously, waiting for this moment.

“I do. How are the Simulated Anomalies used in Practice created?”

“That’s a core technology of the research units, so I can’t give you a detailed answer. But I can tell you this: the source of simulated anomalies is the Impersonators themselves.

“Some are made directly from the corpses of slain Impersonators.

“Others involve captured Impersonators agreeing to cooperate in confinement.

“And some are purely scientific creations.”

“What about the Demon we encountered at the end, the one associated with Possession and its tongue? What category does it fall under?”

“That one was a cooperative type. Its main body is held elsewhere, but a severed tongue was sent to Jupiter City’s research facility to create a simulated anomaly.

“That tongue represented the highest difficulty level among local simulated anomalies. You were just unlucky enough to run into it.

“This was a serious error, and the staff member responsible for the accident is still being hunted down. The research institute overseeing the Practice will likely undergo a large-scale shake-up.”

Luo Di wasn’t particularly interested in the problematic staff member. His attention was fixated on the Demon itself and the Hell it seemed to embody.

“After being possessed, my mind—or perhaps my consciousness—entered Hell. Was that really Hell?”

Lofi looked surprised. “Oh? You actually opened your eyes and saw Hell? Most people can’t even endure the basic pain, passing out almost immediately.”

“It was a rare opportunity. How could I not look?”

Lofi scratched his chin, his eyes glinting with interest. “It’s exceedingly rare for someone to retain their self-awareness during an initial visit to Hell, let alone open their eyes in such an extreme environment.

“But your question is difficult to answer. All I can say is that the ‘Hell’ you visited exists in a tangible spatial dimension.

“However, its essence is still related to Corners. Think of it as part of the Corner system, though its nature is vastly different from the Hell depicted in literature. It’s a completely different and highly dangerous place.”

“That makes sense.”

“You sound quite interested in Hell,” Lofi observed. Google seaʀᴄh novᴇlfire.net

“I am. I saw a symbol in Hell.”

Luo Di pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket, revealing a detailed drawing of the mysterious symbol he had encountered.

The symbol consisted of a cross, a spiral, and a pentagram as its base components. Strange characters filled the spaces between the spirals, creating an intricate and complex design.

This was why Luo Di had immediately requested paper and pen after regaining consciousness—despite his excellent memory, even a slight delay could risk losing some details.

Lofi studied the symbol, perplexed. Despite his extensive knowledge, it was entirely unfamiliar to him.

“I’ve never seen this before. Humanity’s exploration of Corners is still in its early stages.

“But I advise against recording such symbols like this. Writing them down could create resonance at certain times or places, forcibly pulling you into a Corner.

“At your current level, entering a Corner would mean certain death.”

Lofi took out a lighter and burned the paper.

Luo Di didn’t protest. He agreed with Lofi’s reasoning and silently watched the flames consume the paper.

However, just as the flames reached the symbol, the fire’s outline briefly merged perfectly with the design, as if engraving it into Luo Di’s memory.

When the paper turned to ash, Luo Di found he could vividly recall every detail of the symbol.

“Just remembering it in my mind should be fine, right?”

For some reason, Luo Di remained deeply intrigued by the symbol. Despite its potential dangers, he suspected hidden opportunities lay within it.

Lofi waved dismissively. “If you can remember such fine details, go ahead. Arrays and marks like this won’t activate unless physically drawn or specific conditions are met.”

“Alright, one last question: how much do simulated anomalies differ from real anomaly events?”

“With the current technology at the research institute, simulations achieve about 10–30% fidelity. However, it’s nearly impossible to fully replicate real anomaly events, and the difference can’t be boiled down to just numbers.

“In any case, for the next year, just focus on staying in school, completing your coursework, and preparing for your exams. Once you’ve advanced, you’ll have the chance to formally engage with real anomaly events.”

“Got it.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave… Oh, one more thing.”

As Mr. Lofi stood, he placed a hand on Luo Di’s shoulder.

“Here’s some good news in advance: your accident experience will be recorded in your personal file, and the city’s central research bureau has given you high marks.

“If you complete your advancement assessment next year, you’ll qualify as ‘talent’ and gain entry to our company—even without my help.

“I can’t tell you the company’s name yet because of competition concerns, but once you finish your exams, we’ll get in touch.”

“Understood.”

“I look forward to seeing how you do in next year’s assessments.”