Deep Within the Living-Chapter 33: Downstairs

It was clear—the slightly open balcony window had been a deliberate lure to draw Luo Di over with his back turned to it.
Even with fast reflexes, there was no time to react.
“Wu—”
Before Luo Di could shout her name, icy, soft, and wet strands of hair climbed up his neck, instantly sealing his mouth shut. The intruder ensured no noise from inside the house would rise above the white noise of the torrential rain.
The black hair clinging to his face was unnaturally tough—impossible to tear off with just his fingers. Luo Di could only summon all his strength to turn around.
The moment he succeeded, more strands of hair lashed out, binding his limbs and slamming him against the wall.
The hair’s adhesive quality was reminiscent of spider silk, pinning Luo Di in a spread-eagle position. Excess strands retracted, leaving him immobilized.
Now, Luo Di could clearly see the intruder, the Lurking Impersonator that clung to the ceiling, shrouded in shadows.
It was a grotesque humanoid spider, likely female based on its frame and the length of its hair.
Features:
Limbs: Distorted human arms and legs stretched grotesquely long, with hands capable of adhering firmly to walls, enabling it to crawl in any direction.
Head: Wrinkled, hideous, and balding severely, with decayed, cratered skin across its scalp.
Torso: Largely unaltered, dressed in black clothing soaked with rain.
Tail: Where a normal human’s lower back would be, a revolting mutated appendage had formed. The tail’s vertebrae split into two branches, each adorned with the decapitated heads of young girls like grotesque spider abdomens.
The faces of the two heads were shockingly lifelike, with soft black hair and delicate features. They even blinked and moved their lips, though their pupils were clouded white.
The heads were alive in some sense, capable of sprouting hair that grew wildly and acted as extensions under the woman’s control. It was this hair that had ensnared Luo Di in total silence.
His wristband, his only means of contacting the outside world, had been snatched away by the creature.
Despite his predicament, Luo Di did not panic. He analyzed the situation as best he could:
"So this is the Lurking Impersonator the investigators were hunting. The source of the neighborhood lockdown… She’s already killed two people, showing advanced mastery of her monsterization. The Corner of Thought must have fully developed for nearly a year.
"She’s far more dangerous than a Jiangshi—a genuine anomaly. She should have left the Resettlement Neighborhood during the lockdown, but perhaps seeing the Class Leader at her door enticed her to stay. The Class Leader’s face, age, and hair are far superior to her last two victims. That temptation must have been worth the risk."
No matter how much strength he exerted, he couldn’t break free. His mouth was sealed, leaving him helpless as the creature crawled toward the bedroom—toward the sleeping Class Leader.
With no means of escape, Luo Di shut his eyes, forcing himself to recall the intricate hellish symbols he’d studied.
But just as he closed his eyes, a shout rang out.
“Luo Di!”
He snapped them open. Something flew out of the bedroom, bypassing even the Impersonator, who failed to intercept it.
Slash!
The object—a knife wrapped in white cloth—precisely severed the strands binding Luo Di’s right arm, embedding itself firmly in the wall.
The thrower was none other than the Class Leader.
Having undergone sleep-resistance training, she had woken up at the slightest disturbance. She had already noticed something amiss when Luo Di left the room earlier.
However, one problem remained:
The Class Leader was still in the bedroom, separated from Luo Di by the dangerously exposed Impersonator.
Even with a weapon in hand, Luo Di needed time to free his other limbs and neck.
Exposed and aware of this, the ceiling-dwelling woman gave up hiding and lunged directly toward the bedroom door, aiming for Wu Wen.
Her grotesquely extended limbs blocked almost every escape route.
Swish!
The Class Leader, unfazed and prepared, revealed her counter.
With a sudden motion, she swung the blanket she had hidden behind her, throwing it directly at the Impersonator’s face and blocking its vision.
As the blanket covered her pursuer, the Class Leader’s legs tensed with explosive power. She dove into a rapid forward roll, narrowly avoiding the creature’s attack. She emerged into the living room, successfully reuniting with Luo Di.
Drip, drip.
Blood trickled down the Class Leader’s left arm as she stood. A clear gash ran from her elbow to the back of her hand, cutting through her wristband and severing her connection to the outside world.
Now, neither of them had a way to call for help.
As strands of the creature’s hair fell to the ground, Luo Di regained his freedom. The two exchanged a look. No words were needed; they understood each other perfectly.
They both knew that this manifested Fear Embodiment was far beyond what they, as students, could handle. And the Class Leader didn’t even have a proper weapon.
They had only one option.
Run.
If they could make it out of the building, they could shout for help. Someone would undoubtedly call emergency services.
Moreover, breaking through the building’s lockdown barriers might activate sensors and alert nearby investigators.
Go!
Both sprinted toward the door at full speed.
Taking the stairs, Luo Di vaulted over the railings using his hand for support, clearing floors in seconds.
Even without looking back, they could feel it—the creature was right behind them. The damp strands of hair seemed to brush the back of their heads.
Suddenly, the pursuit stopped.
Third floor.
Luo Di, leading the charge, came to an abrupt halt, turning sharply to look behind him.
“What are you doing? Keep running!” the Class Leader shouted.
“No… It’s not chasing us anymore.”
“Huh?”
The Class Leader slowed, glancing up the staircase. Sure enough, there was no sign of movement.
“Maybe it crawled into someone else’s apartment and jumped out the window,” she speculated grimly. “It could be planning to climb back in and ambush us from below.”
“Is that so?”
Luo Di peered through the gaps in the stairwell railing to the lower floors, but saw no signs of movement.
“Or,” she added, “it could be waiting at the building’s exit to ambush us the moment we step outside.”
The Class Leader thought for a moment. “We should try contacting one of the residents. I remember seeing a kind-looking elderly man on the second floor when we knocked on doors earlier. Let’s go to his place and ask him to call the investigators.”
Luo Di nodded in agreement.
The two moved cautiously, their backs pressed against each other as they navigated the staircase. Luo Di kept watch on the lower levels, while the Class Leader monitored the upper ones. They agreed—if either detected anything unusual, they would immediately flee in the opposite direction.
Step by step, they descended to the next floor.
As they reached the second floor and prepared to knock on a resident's door, the Class Leader suddenly froze.
Her eyes fixed on the slightly blurred floor marker on the wall:
【3】.
It didn’t make sense. They had just come from the third floor, and yet after descending an entire flight, they were… still on the third floor?
A chilling realization began to creep over her as she tugged Luo Di forward, urging him to continue down another level.
Sure enough, the floor marker on the next landing also read: 【3】.
The layout was identical—the same door structures, the same peeling paint on the railings.
“This is bad!” the Class Leader exclaimed, her voice trembling. “This is exactly what the textbook described… A
‘pseudo-corner space.’
”