Deep in the Living

Chapter 514 Newcomer Report
When we met again, it felt like time had turned back to when we first joined the Exploration Bureau.

As I stepped off the bus, my gaze fell upon Yu Ze.

Although the other person still had the same sunglasses and bun hairstyle, their appearance had changed. The casual clothes that used to resemble a Taoist robe had been redesigned and seemed to have been updated with new technology from the Exploration Bureau.

While retaining the style of the Taoist robe, the overall combat uniform is mainly black and white.

On the right breast pocket hangs an emblem symbolizing the "Extermination Department (Violent Suppression Department)" (a skull embedded in the center of a gear, with two crossed scythes at the bottom).

He wore a special armband on his arm, with Arabic numerals embroidered in silver thread [8].

Upon meeting,
As Roddy prepared to greet them as usual,

Yu Ze landed a palm strike on his shoulder.

This palm strike, though seemingly forceful, did not actually move Luo Di at all. Instead, it felt as if an internal force was spreading within his body, replenishing much of the physical energy Luo Di had expended on the island.

"Fellow villager, you're putting a lot of pressure on me! I was thinking that I could slack off a bit when I first joined the Exploration Bureau, but your progress is so fast, it's unbearable! I feel like if I relax even a little, I'll be left behind very quickly."

And fellow villager, you really are more suited to staying among monsters, no wonder you've already submitted a special application to the General Administration.

"Is the Joker dead? If not, we still need to be careful on our way there."

"He's not dead, but he won't be bothering me anytime soon."

"It seems a lot has happened. Let's talk as we walk."

Miss Youzhen, standing to the side, did not disturb the reunion of the two friends.
She had been carefully observing Roddy ever since he got out of the car, and finally saw through his current state.

"Your pituitary gland has not only sprouted, but it's even reached the 'leaf-growing stage'!?"

"Yes, I completed my enlightenment during my time back in the human world, and the leaves have only grown for about a week."

"You two are really something else! No wonder you were recommended by the special operations team. At this rate, it won't be long before you completely leave me behind."

Roddy simply responded with a smile and didn't say anything more.

The three-person team walked in the shallowest random area in the corner.

Having spent so long in the middle district, and without the threat of the Joker, Roddy felt like he was taking a stroll, never feeling like he was in a corner.

Along the way, the story begins to recount the experiences of this period, from the sorority's rescue to Mr. Question Mark's game, to the shopping at the black coffin, and finally the amusement park incident led by the clown.

The basic points are quite clear, except for the "finger" issue, which was concealed; it was only mentioned that the Joker obtained the Mist Head.

When Yoo-jin heard that the "Carnivorous House" from the Eight Evils had also reaped considerable profits, her heart skipped a beat.

Yu Ze, on the other hand, remained completely unfazed, showing no concern whatsoever.

Roddy also wanted to ask about the monster, "This monster seems to correspond to an entire family, rather than a single person."

I didn't encounter this guy directly during the videotape incident, nor did I have any direct confrontation with him.

He's supposedly the strongest of this year's Eight Villains... Back then, when I lured the Joker away, Yu Ze, wasn't that the monster you and Miss Youzhen faced? Is he really that strong?"

Yu Ze looked helpless. "Oh dear, don't even mention it, fellow villager! We were almost eaten, but luckily reinforcements arrived in time."

Because of this incident, I had nightmares for several nights in a row about being swallowed alive; it was terrifying.

However, taking advantage of the psychological impact of this incident, I also sorted out my relaxed state and haven't missed a moment of this period, constantly working on improvement.

"Hey, do you have any specific information about this guy? I'd like to try and find an opportunity."

"Although I am quite familiar with the sorority, I really don't have any information about the 'Carnivorous House'."

Moreover, another member of the Eight Villains, whom they knew, specifically warned them to avoid causing trouble for that guy, as he was extremely dangerous.

A cold glint flashed in Yu Ze's eyes:
"It is indeed very dangerous, but it is not impossible to kill it."

"If we can kill this guy and bring the plant from his brain back to headquarters, we'll receive a huge boost."

"Hmm? Can the monster's plants be processed at headquarters?"

"Fellow villager, you still don't know about this? You didn't kill a lot of monsters in the corner and didn't keep a single plant, did you?"

"I really didn't hold back at all~ I absorbed it all as nutrients and used it to water the pituitary glands to cultivate the plants, otherwise it wouldn't have been able to germinate so quickly."

What exactly is its use?

"You look so nervous~ You probably didn't lose much."

The pituitary glands of immature plants are not very effective. If you bring them back, they can be processed into fertilizer using the headquarters' special technology, which will result in higher absorption efficiency compared to individual plants.

However, Roddy, the pituitary gland you obtained from Mr. Kraft, combined with the Hell System, should have a similar absorption efficiency.

But "mature plants" have to be brought back. You haven't killed a mature monster yet, have you? It can't be that extreme, folks.

"No, what use are mature plants?"

"This is a privilege we humans have, a privilege that monsters don't have."

Just like when we fought against the fake people, we could use their pituitary glands to obtain systems and make props.

If you can kill mature monsters and bring back their plants, you can obtain a "relic" that retains the core characteristics of the original monster.

This relic will perfectly fit the slayer, can be stored in the pituitary space, and some even have growth characteristics, growing and developing together, which is very important for human exploration.

Moreover, as long as you can obtain a good relic, you can also get a "golden seat" at headquarters.

Youzhen and I are currently both in the Silver tier, and while the resources we receive aren't small, they're still far less than those above us.

Yu Ze pointed to his armband, on which the number 8 was embroidered in silver thread, as was Miss Youzhen's. "An heirloom?"
Is it similar to this kind of thing?

Roddy took out the "metal baseball bat" that Jason had bought from the Black Coffin Supermarket, and with its appearance, a strong aura of fear was released.

Yu Ze's eyes, which had been narrowed, opened slightly, as if he had sensed the threat lurking within.

"These are 'corner items,' which are produced by the corner itself and are mostly held by monsters."

"Relics" are not just external items; they can provide an overall boost to you, influence your pituitary space and plant growth, and strengthen your relationship with them.

Especially for our first keepsake, we should try to choose the best possible one.

Of course, as long as the quality is good, it's a good product.

"It seems you've already set your sights on the heirloom, Yu Ze."

"Fellow villager, didn't you also place your order a while ago? I hope we can both get it. Okay... we're almost at the headquarters."

After some casual conversation, the team had safely passed through several shallow sections and was now walking through a deep tunnel with the exit in sight.

[Corner - Shallow to Mid-Level (Human Zone)*]

Areas above the middle level in corners are often presented in the form of intervals or blocks.

All land in the current zone has been purchased by humans, and no monster can reach this zone by moving through normal corners.

"Huh? This is the Investigation Bureau?"

Interval crossing,

In the blink of an eye, Luo Di arrived at a county town center that resembled the early 1990s.

There were no landmark buildings related to the Bureau of Exploration in front of us; it was still a nostalgic style created by replicating the human world in a corner.

The three stood at a crossroads, facing a large department store, surrounded by old residential buildings.

Roddy was somewhat surprised, "Is this the location chosen for the headquarters, tucked away in a corner?"

"What? You still think it's some futuristic city... You've been with monsters for too long, you've almost forgotten the basic rules here."

The corner is basically 'unchangeable'.

Even if you spend a lot of Corner Coins to buy the land ownership, you can only use the original buildings that remain on this land.

To make improvements, we first need to find a way to gain the approval of the corner.
Moreover, building materials brought from the real world cannot be used normally here; the special environment of the corner will cause the materials to be damaged in a short time.

If you wanted to buy corner building materials, the money you'd need could buy even more land.

Therefore, the basic architecture will remain unchanged.

I suppose the sorority you're involved with also uses existing buildings in the mid-levels as its base, right? After all, land prices are higher in the mid-levels, and acquiring building materials requires significantly more investment.

"really."

Yu Ze rammed Luo Di's back with his elbow, quickly pushing him into the department store.

"Roddy, hurry up and report for duty. I can't wait to see your 'newcomer test.' This score will determine the difficulty of your first exploration mission and the team assignments."

"Huh? Am I still considered a newbie?"
"Besides, I submitted a special application when I returned to the human world, so I shouldn't need to take any more tests, right?"

"The application hasn't been approved yet, has it? Pretending to be weak while actually being strong is quite fun."

Besides, the Exploration Bureau, especially our Eighth Division, needs to prove its capabilities, and you are a special personnel recommended by the former deputy minister.

These people all want to see just how capable you really are.

So just go ahead and showcase your abilities; your special application will be approved much faster.

"alright."

Enter the department store.

The various shops that should have been there have completely disappeared, replaced by a completely clean hall structure.

Yu Ze was already very familiar with the process and quickly arrived at the lobby office to assist Luo Di in completing his first registration. The relevant newcomer test was immediately arranged.

"So, how exactly is the test conducted? Is it using instruments or something?"

"It's not that complicated. To determine whether an agent is valuable, there are only two points: whether they can kill the monster when they encounter it, and whether they can perform normally in an environment of extreme fear."

You will be thrown into a simulated environment filled with terrifying entities.

And you'll fight a monster captured by the Exploration Bureau, wearing certain restraint devices... This should be your favorite activity, Roddy.

Don't hold back; let them see the strength of our Chinese geniuses.

I imagine Miss Zhen is also quite curious about just how much you've grown up.

"Row."

Ding!
The elevator has arrived.

A pitch-black passageway appeared before them, with gusts of cold wind brushing against it, stirring up bits of discarded newspaper and causing the hanging lamps on the ceiling to sway.

Yu Ze and You Zhen showed no intention of going down.
Only Roddy walked into it.

(End of this chapter)