Deep Within the Living-Chapter 47: The Lone Wolf

The class leader returned to the resting area, leaning on Xiaoying for support.
"Water…"
"Oh!" The girl, called Xiaoying, responded quickly. She grabbed a bottle of mineral water, opened it, and helped the class leader drink.
"Ah~ That brought me back to life."
"Class leader, where did you get that investigator's outfit?"
"Where else? This is only issued by the Investigation Bureau. If they gave it to me, it means we helped them out."
"Helped the Investigation Bureau? Don’t tell me!" Xiaoying’s round black eyes widened in amazement. "You helped them capture a real Impersonator!"
"You’re quite clever, Xiaoying~ No wonder you always rank in the top ten for literature and logical analysis."
"Hehe." For some reason, Xiaoying felt an indescribable happiness whenever praised by the class leader. "But wait, class leader, you just said 'we'? I don’t see anyone else wearing the same outfit as you."
"He chose a different reward."
"He? Was it Luo Di?"
The class leader didn’t answer directly. Instead, he gave a knowing smile and gently patted Xiaoying on the head.
Xiaoying seemed to enjoy this kind of interaction and muttered quietly, "No wonder your relationship with him has gotten so close. Last semester, you two were just eating together, but now, at the start of the term..."
"Xiaoying, don’t tell me you like Luo Di?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Xiaoying shook her head and waved her hands with such fervor that they moved in perfect sync.
"I’ve caught you staring at Luo Di during PE class more than once. Just so you know, we’re not officially a couple yet. If you like him, we can compete fairly."
"Only if your grades let you graduate and follow Luo Di to the same place. I’m not in the same league as you two. But I’ll work hard to pass and secure a city job."
"Xiaoying, why don’t you join us for meals in the future? I’ve noticed you always eat alone in the cafeteria."
"Can… can I?"
"Why not? We’re classmates, aren’t we?"
"Okay…" For some reason, even though it was just a simple invitation, Xiaoying felt her eyes brimming with tears, her vision blurring.
At that moment, the sound of bodies colliding violently interrupted them, drawing their attention.
On the field—
All four participants, including Gao Yuxuan, were out. Luo Di, meanwhile, stood alone in a distant corner, seemingly refusing to cooperate with his teammates.
Xiaoying quickly wiped her eyes, focusing on the scene. "What’s happening? Luo Di doesn’t seem to be coordinating with the vice rep and the others."
The class leader spoke softly, "That’s right. It has to be this way. Can you guess why, Xiaoying?"
Xiaoying scratched her head. "Hmm~ The only difference from before is the knife in his hand. Then, class leader, you mentioned that both of you received rewards from the Investigation Bureau. If they gave you the investigator's outfit, Luo Di’s reward must be something equally impressive.
"Could it be… that knife?"
"As expected of you, Xiaoying~ Watch closely. What’s coming next will be tonight’s most spectacular performance."
On the field—
The class teacher stared at Luo Di, who had abandoned his teammates to act as a ‘lone wolf.’
Though he considered Luo Di the most promising student, today’s behavior frustrated him deeply. The teacher adhered to the principle of "leave no one behind," a core value he’d brought from his homeland and instilled in his students.
Now, he decided to teach Luo Di a lesson and temper this misplaced confidence.
As the teacher moved forward—
Luo Di, who had been standing motionless, also advanced. Their strides synchronized, their gazes locking.
The teacher was surprised. Luo Di’s eyes didn’t reveal arrogance, only the usual calm and focus.
Just as they came within striking range—
Luo Di made the first move, stepping in with explosive speed and closing the distance. His attack was a straightforward, brutal slash in the style of movie swordplay.
A powerful, vertical chop.
However—
While this might intimidate an average person, it was riddled with flaws in the eyes of a battle-hardened teacher: an overly telegraphed attack, excessive swing motion, and a single, repetitive technique.
Setting aside strength and precision, it was the kind of move a rookie might attempt.
With a sidestep and a twist, the teacher effortlessly dodged and countered with a precise strike of his mechanical baton aimed at Luo Di’s wrist.
At such close range, the blow was calculated to disarm Luo Di and possibly fracture his wrist, leaving no doubt about the outcome.
Xiaoying, watching from the resting area, noticed the impending strike and whispered anxiously, "Oh no!"
Clang!
A metallic clang echoed throughout the venue.
The teacher was startled. The sensation of his baton striking felt off. At that moment, Luo Di’s blade twisted 180°, reversing its trajectory into an upward slash.
Danger!
Reacting instinctively, the teacher’s body propelled him backward, widening the gap by over five meters.
A few strands of his hair had been sliced off, and the air carried the stench of decay and rot.
The entire venue fell silent.
Everyone was in shock. Even Gao Yuxuan, who had prior knowledge of the weapon, displayed disbelief. After all, this was his first time witnessing zombification in action.
Xiaoying clutched her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart.
The teacher, now fixated on Luo Di’s zombified right forearm, felt his earlier assumptions dissipate instantly.
"So, that’s the reason you ‘abandoned’ your teammates? A Cornerized Tool, and it even has a concealment property—enough to fool even me.
For students who’ve never been exposed to an Anomaly Event, something like this could directly affect their psyche, perhaps even forming a Corner of Thought.
They’re letting minors use this now? And judging by your proficiency, you must’ve had it for quite some time. Who gave it to you?"
"The Municipal Research Bureau."
"The zombification this thing gives you—can it be fully reversed afterward without any lingering side effects?"
"It can."
"Good~ Carry on!"
Luo Di’s knife techniques were rough—essentially copied from the killing moves of horror movie villains, combined with basic skills learned in PE class. At best, he used his enhanced physique to increase the speed and power of his slashes.
These simple moves alone posed little threat to the class teacher.
However, Luo Di was adept at hardening his arm at the right moments to block incoming strikes. He used the gaps created by these blocks to deliver dangerous counterattacks.
For a time, he was actually able to hold his own against the class teacher.
But… the variables were limited on Luo Di’s side.
On the other hand, the class teacher had a multitude of techniques at his disposal.
The mechanical baton, which had initially been used for suppression and striking, suddenly changed its trajectory, thrusting forward like a spear.
Luo Di had no time to react. The baton moved even faster than the Spider Impersonator from earlier.
Whoosh!
The tip of the mechanical baton struck right between Luo Di’s collarbones, momentarily cutting off his airflow.
The next second, Luo Di felt a kick land squarely on his unguarded abdomen, sending him flying nearly ten meters. He slid to the edge of the arena, barely stopping short of the boundary.
The surrounding students scrambled to retreat, afraid of being contaminated by the zombie-like aura.
Luo Di clutched his neck where the baton had struck, leaning against the wall as he slowly sat up. He glanced at his watch.
"Six minutes? That’s worse than I expected."
Though dissatisfied with his performance, Luo Di earned an approving look from the class teacher.
The next group of students took the stage.
By the time all the matches were over, Luo Di had essentially secured the highest score in the class, though the final grade-level ranking would depend on the overall statistics.
The class teacher, wiping the sweat from his forehead, walked over to the resting area and stood in front of Luo Di.
"You’ve decided to stick with this weapon rather than the field combat blade I usually teach with, haven’t you?"
"Yes."
"With your grades, I may not have authority over your nighttime training sessions. However, I’m still in charge of daytime PE.
Since you’re set on this straightforward slashing style, I’ll use our PE class breaks to teach you some special techniques. Back in our homeland, there was a ‘Broadsword Brigade’ that resisted the Eastern Island invasion. These slashing techniques weren’t lost after the war."
"Thank you, Teacher."