Chapter 13: Encounter
Ah, the familiar darkness, the familiar crushing pressure, and the familiar sensation of consciousness sinking deeper and deeper.
Yu Sheng’s mind floated within the chaotic depths of darkness, accompanied by the oppressive weight from all directions. Alongside this came an overwhelming sense of helplessness and fatigue.
He had anticipated that leaving the ‘Otherworld’ would not be easy—perhaps fraught with setbacks, maybe even requiring him to ‘die’ more than once. Yet, although he had foreseen the beginning and the end, the path between was beyond prediction. As he sank in the darkness, fragments of memories surfaced—specifically, the last fleeting image before he lost consciousness.
Those golden-red eyes that burned into his sight, the luxurious fox tails blooming like flowers in the night… and that sudden Sonic Headbutt.
Just who was that Young Lady who rammed him to death? Where did she come from? And why did she appear in the Otherworld?
Moreover… what exactly happened to his body while he fought that monster? The sudden surge of strength, the heightened agility, and…
That primal Hunger.
What had become of him?
Yu Sheng felt his tangled thoughts swirling like a vortex within his mind. Now that he was freed from the constraints of his physical body, these uncontrolled ‘notions’ materialized before his ‘eyes’ as bizarre and distorted visions—visions interspersed with countless memories rising from the depths.
He saw the monstrous entity formed from countless limbs, and once more caught a glimpse of that enigmatic Young Lady with fox ears and tails who delivered the fatal headbutt. Then, abruptly, another image appeared—a Painting where Irene lay shattered around the chair, her Doll limbs bound by spiderweb-like threads, while a strange shadow loomed faintly in the background…
Suddenly, Irene vanished, replaced by a new scene dredged from his memory—the crimson clouds and sky, sunlight flowing like water over familiar old alleys and streets.
Ah, that was ‘Boundary City,’ his birthplace—a quiet coastal city he had left two months prior… Yet, inexplicably, seeing it now felt like peering into the memories of another person, cold and detached.
All visions faded, leaving only the gentle darkness surrounding him.
Yu Sheng felt his thoughts become a bit clearer and, after a moment of hesitation, called out in his mind, ‘Irene.’
Silence greeted him—no response in the dark.
It seemed that in his ‘death’ state, his connection with Irene was severed.
He then tried to move his ‘gaze,’ searching for any object in the darkness and confirming whether his body existed at all.
Nothing. There was nothing here—an endless void. He seemed to be just a floating, unbound ‘thought’ without any form or substance.
Quietly, Yu Sheng began experimenting further.
During his previous two ‘deaths,’ he had lacked experience, returning to the living world in a muddled daze. But this time, he consciously focused on sensing the process, testing out various conjectures.
He knew that during this period, he had been constantly overwhelmed—an unfamiliar world, eerie phenomena, mysteries surrounding himself, the Resurrection… Too many confusing elements converging, leaving him utterly bewildered.
Since Irene introduced him to the concept of the ‘Otherworld’, Yu Sheng knew he had found a new goal—he had to return. He had to go back to the ‘normal’ side.
When the rifts of the Otherworld occasionally open to humans, ordinary people, upon glimpsing the scenes spilling from those breaches, cross the boundary of reason and reach the far side of normalcy. This could happen when missing a stop while riding, taking one step too many while descending stairs, accidentally flipping an extra page in a book, misreading a word, or even opening a wrong Door.
But no matter the cause, the most crucial thing is that this process is not irreversible.
According to the intelligence revealed by Irene, some people in this world are studying the Otherworld, some have summarized its patterns, and there are even experts dedicated to solving Otherworld-related issues. Even ordinary people who fall into the Otherworld have a chance to return.
This Valley shrouded in night is an Otherworld, and the place where he resides—Wutong Road No. 66—is also an Otherworld. But Yu Sheng believes his initial contact with the Otherworld occurred even earlier—
Perhaps it began two months ago when he pushed open the Door to his home and fell into an Otherworld centered around himself, known as ‘Boundary City’.
Now, he must explore as much as possible, unravel these bizarre occurrences, and grasp the knowledge related to the Otherworld. Then… escape from this unsettling world.
With that resolve, he opened his eyes.
The cold night wind blew through the gaping hole in the wall, beyond the half-collapsed roof stretched a murky sky. Yu Sheng sat in a corner of the ruined temple, unmoving, maintaining the posture he awoke in. He cautiously attuned his senses to his surroundings while striving to grasp the fleeting impressions and memories racing through his mind.
He was attempting to recall that fleeting sensation upon awakening—the boundary that separated his return to the ‘present world’ from the darkness.
He felt that understanding this could be the key to unraveling his ‘Resurrection’ process. At the very least, it might bring him closer to the truth behind these mysteries.
Faintly, he began to recall the hazy scenes he ‘saw’ the moment before waking—rising from the darkness, crossing a blurred boundary, and then descending back into reality… But what happened after that? What took place in the instant between ‘descending into reality’ and ‘opening his eyes’? In that brief moment, what had occurred?
He seemed to glimpse a few fleeting images, quick and indistinct, but a few clearer ones remained—a path near his house, the large Door of Wutong Road No. 66, and… this very corner in the depths of the ruined temple.
Yu Sheng lowered his gaze, his thoughts calming. Speculations arose within him, but he set them aside for the moment. He exhaled gently and began to move his limbs slightly.
His body was pure and robust, surging with a powerful vitality. He could hear acutely, see great distances, and feel immense strength in his limbs—even though not long ago, he had been decapitated from the neck down by a Sonic Headbutt. Yet now, he was full of life once more.
He rose from the corner, preparing to call for Irene.
But the next second, he froze.
A rustling sound came from beyond the wall.
Instinctively, Yu Sheng’s first thought was that the delicious-smelling monster had tracked him down to the ruined temple. But he quickly dismissed the idea, realizing that the creature was typically loud and brutish, not stealthy like this.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Sheng cautiously moved toward the broken hole in the wall and peeked outside.
The night was deep, but his eyes perceived the scene clearly.
He saw a girl, cautiously treading through the ruins of the temple. She wore a tattered gown that might once have been a splendid dress, now reduced to filthy, ragged scraps. Long, unkempt white hair hung wildly around her face, concealing most of her features. Atop her head were pointed Fox ears.
But what drew Yu Sheng’s attention more than the fluffy ears were the tails behind her—Fox tails, more than one, but from his angle, he couldn’t tell exactly how many. Considering her disheveled state, he even wondered if it was just one enormous tail hopelessly tangled.
He recognized her immediately.
It was that Sonic Headbutt.
But the headbutting Fox Maiden didn’t seem to notice his presence. She cautiously moved among the rubble, occasionally sniffing the air as if searching for something. After a moment, her eyes lit up, and she darted toward a spot in the ruins.
The sound of plastic rustling filled the night air.
Yu Sheng widened his eyes.
It was the garbage bag he had brought when he was ‘thrown’ into this Valley—kitchen waste that he had carelessly tossed into the ruins. It contained vegetable scraps, eggshells, and leftovers he had cleared from the refrigerator earlier.
Clinging to the broken wall, Yu Sheng watched as the Fox Maiden eagerly but clumsily tore at the plastic bag, accidentally spilling its contents. Without hesitation, she grabbed a handful of leftovers and stuffed them into her mouth—
As if she had been starving for countless years.
A suffocating feeling gripped Yu Sheng.
He didn’t know why, but he felt an unbearable sorrow. He thought… no one should ever be that hungry.
Even if she didn’t quite resemble a ‘Human’.
Even if she had once headbutted him—but back then, she had been trying to save him.
Just then, the girl seemed to sense a living presence within the temple.
Squatting on the ground, a wilted cabbage leaf hanging from her mouth, she turned her head in shock and tension.
Yu Sheng stood by the crumbled corner of the ruined temple, his gaze meeting hers across the rubble.