Deep Within the Living-Chapter 55: Campus Transformation

Snap!
A tongue clicked.
Even in the silent, metallic tang of the air, Luo Di immediately spun around. As he turned, a face loomed mere inches from his own.
Even Luo Di couldn’t suppress his shock, his instincts almost compelling him to swing his blade. Yet, the familiar warmth radiating from the face before him stayed his hand.
“Gotcha, didn’t I? Heh~”
The class leader smiled, as carefree as ever, completely unfazed by the perilous situation.
“Is now really the time for jokes?”
“Well, the basement’s threat is neutralized. Too bad the Pseudo-Corner Space hasn’t been resolved. Seems the dorm supervisors aren’t directly tied to the dormitory’s changes.”
Luo Di offered his analysis: “They were too weak—far weaker than Wu Huazhen—and didn’t even measure up to the simulated zombies we’ve faced.
No consciousness, incomplete, not even impersonators.
Even their blood was useless—my blade didn’t react to it.”
Then, his tone shifted abruptly. “Class leader, what were you doing here? With your abilities, you shouldn’t have been trapped by something so feeble.”
The class leader sighed and explained, “I rushed back to my dorm to grab some clothes. On the way upstairs, I even greeted one of the supervisors.
After changing into my investigator uniform, I felt thirsty and drank some leftover bottled water near my bed. The next thing I knew, I was here.
It’s graduation season—who’d expect something like this?
Luckily, you two showed up. Otherwise, I might’ve been eaten alive while unconscious.”
“Where’s your sword?” Luo Di asked.
“Probably hidden or discarded by that thing. Doesn’t matter. Let’s focus on getting out of the dorm first.”
With a small hop, the class leader retrieved a metal crowbar from the fallen dorm supervisors’ remains, improvising a weapon.
While Luo Di worked on the locked basement door, the class leader turned to Xiaoying. The two embraced briefly, no words necessary, their relief palpable.
BANG!
Just as they hugged, a massive noise echoed.
Luo Di had hardened his right leg and kicked with full force, snapping the door hinges. The door was sent flying.
“Move!”
The class leader grabbed Xiaoying’s hand, following closely behind Luo Di.
As they exited the strange, expanded hallway, Luo Di muttered, “Things might be worse than they seem.”
The class leader, however, remained optimistic. “There are plenty of gym teachers in school, and security’s tighter during graduation season.
Even if impersonators have infiltrated—or if they were born on campus—we might just need to hide until the teachers take care of it.”
“Is it really that simple, Class Leader? What if this event is connected to what’s mentioned in the last chapters of our textbook—The Seams?”
At these words, the class leader froze, her cheerful expression vanishing instantly. Xiaoying, too, went rigid with fear.
“Are you sure? Has the campus environment changed?”
“Somewhat… I’ve only seen part of it through the windows. Let’s get out of the dormitory before jumping to conclusions.”
The trio emerged from the stairwell, returning to the original dormitory layout.
But when they attempted to descend via the normal staircase, they stopped in their tracks.
The staircase had become a chaotic, intricate maze. Its simple structure was replaced by narrow, single-person stairs crisscrossing in all directions.
There were no railings. Some stairs ended abruptly at solid walls, while others curved and connected to different levels.
It was clear that the dormitory was undergoing continuous structural changes over time.
For now, the changes weren’t extreme. The overall height of the building remained constant, and through gaps in the small stairs, they could see the first-floor lobby.
Using leaps and climbs, Luo Di led the descent, with the two girls—adept climbers themselves—following closely. They safely reached the first floor.
“The door!” Xiaoying exclaimed.
The dormitory entrance she passed through daily had transformed into a vortex-like opening, barely half a meter wide—just large enough for one person to squeeze through.
The swirling shape reminded Luo Di of the twisted dorm supervisors.
The class leader’s face briefly darkened at the sight but quickly regained composure.
Deeming the vortex too suspicious, the group avoided the main entrance.
Instead, they entered the dorm supervisors’ lounge. The room appeared normal, with records showing student entries and routine patrols. A family photo of one of the supervisors still hung on the wall.
Nothing suggested the supervisors had any psychological issues.
Their transformation, like the dormitory door, seemed to be caused by some external force.
However, the class leader’s sword was nowhere to be found.
Searching through the dormitory’s endless, derivative spaces for a weapon wasn’t practical, so they decided to move on.
Using the lounge’s open balcony, the trio climbed out, finally escaping the dormitory.
But the sight awaiting them outside was far more horrifying.
In the half-hour they spent rescuing the class leader, the campus had undergone a massive transformation.
Lighting: The campus, once equipped with abundant lighting, had lost at least 80% of its illumination. Most lights were either unpowered or deliberately sabotaged. The entire area was shrouded in dimness.
Above, the sky mirrored Luo Di’s earlier observations—a vortex of pitch-black clouds, with the bright moon nearly completely obscured.
Space: The once-open campus was now semi-enclosed.
The protective walls originally lining the campus perimeter had grown inward like invasive plants, sprouting along roads and pathways.
These walls transformed the open campus into a labyrinth. The roads between the walls were only about five meters wide, severely restricting movement.
The walls themselves stood about ten meters tall, topped with dense high-voltage wires. Climbing over them without flight would almost certainly result in electrocution.
Within the walls, faintly glowing street lights offered minimal illumination.
The class leader stared at the transformed campus and muttered, “It’s definitely The Seams… but not exactly like how it’s described in the textbook.”
The class leader recalled the final, red-marked warning in their senior-year textbook:
“The Seams (Limbo): Fully-Formed Pseudo-Corner Space
This is a transitional space that exists between reality and the true Corners. It functions as a barrier or a liminal zone.
It requires at least four impersonators—each with over a year of experience in disguise, fully matured, possessing the requisite ‘qualifications,’ and deeply familiar with the area, having left their marks on it—to construct.
Under the Corner’s direction, these impersonators simultaneously arrive at the edges of a designated area. They project their Corner of Thought outward onto their faces, creating visible
Flesh-and-Blood Corners
.
With four or more of these
Flesh-and-Blood Corners
as vertices, a flawless polygonal space is created. This space is perfectly camouflaged and cannot be detected by outsiders.
Once the Seams form, the Selection begins.
These matured impersonators, drawn together by shared traits and now present on campus, receive their final task from the Corner of Thought.
Over the next 12 hours, they engage in a brutal survival test within the Seams. The last impersonator standing will ascend, gaining official entry into the Corners.
Moreover, time within the Seams flows differently: a 12-hour qualification test within the Seams equates to just one hour in the outside world.
Given that this overlaps with a crucial physical fitness exam, no one outside will notice this one-hour gap, nor will anyone interrupt it.”
Li Xiaoying was completely overwhelmed. “W-we’ve been dragged into an impersonator advancement event? This has never happened—not at No. 4 High, not even at any school nationwide!”
The class leader tried to comfort her:
“Based on what we know, the Seams weren’t formed for us. This is a selection process for the impersonators themselves. Once they finish killing each other, the Seams will dissolve on their own.
All we have to do is survive until it’s over.
Let’s try to regroup with the gym teachers. If we can team up with them, our chances of survival will increase significantly.”