Chapter 48: The Day of Feeding
The Demon-Fox Maiden widened her eyes, staring at the massive pile of food Yu Sheng had placed on the ground. For several seconds, she just stood there in a daze, as if her mind couldn’t quite process what was happening. Only when Yu Sheng opened a can of Eight Treasures Porridge and brought it to her lips did she finally react.
“Eat. I brought all this for you—there’s more if it’s not enough.”
The scent of real food—a genuine, mouthwatering aroma.
Not stone, not dirt, not brick or wood—not the mirage from dreams where no amount of imagined sustenance could fill the gnawing void within.
Foxy’s eyes gradually widened further before she seemed to snap back to life, abruptly grabbing the can from Yu Sheng’s hands. Ignoring the spoon entirely, she tipped the can straight to her mouth, pouring its contents down her throat while making muffled noises between gulps.
The entire can’s worth of food disappeared down her throat in just a few seconds. When it was empty, she meticulously licked the edges of the can, only to quickly grow frustrated as she couldn’t clean it completely. Just as Yu Sheng moved to help, Foxy gripped the can tightly and tore it apart with her bare hands. A piercing metallic screech filled the air as she shredded the sturdy can into narrow strips, licking each one clean of any remaining food.
“There’s more,” Yu Sheng quickly said, pulling out a piece of bread and a bottle of water from his pocket. “Take it easy.”
A blur of movement, and the food was already in Foxy’s hands.
The Demon-Fox Maiden devoured the bread and water as if nothing else existed, as if eating was the only thing that mattered in that moment. Both Yu Sheng and Irene remained silent, their only company the sound of Foxy’s ravenous feeding and the occasional guttural sound from her throat—almost as if she wanted to speak but couldn’t bear to interrupt her meal.
Then, suddenly, Foxy began to cry.
Without warning, tears streamed down her dirty, worn face. She didn’t sob or wail—she didn’t even make a sound—just calm, quiet tears that slipped down her cheeks, landing on the bread, which she then stuffed into her mouth along with the salty droplets.
Startled, Yu Sheng hurriedly wiped at her grimy face with his hand. “Hey, don’t cry! If you choke, your stomach will hurt. No more tears, alright? There’s plenty more food… and there will be in the future too.”
At last, Foxy seemed to become aware of something other than her hunger. She looked at Yu Sheng, dazed, then hesitantly offered him the half-eaten bread.
“Benefactor, you… eat too.”
Yu Sheng quickly shook his head. “I already ate before I came. I’m not hungry.”
Foxy didn’t move, her outstretched hand holding the bread unwaveringly. Even though all the food had come from Yu Sheng himself, she remained adamant about sharing it, as if this act held some profound, unspoken significance for her.
Finally, Yu Sheng extended his hand and accepted the bread.
A faint smile appeared on the Demon-Fox Maiden’s face as she picked up a pack of compressed biscuits from the ground. This time, she didn’t wolf it down. Instead, she carefully unwrapped the package and took small, measured bites, as though savoring every second, drawing out the experience of being fed for as long as possible.
For the first time in a long while, even if only briefly, she wasn’t starving.
“Delicious,” she whispered, “Benefactor, it’s delicious…”
“Don’t put ‘Benefactor’ before ‘delicious’,” Yu Sheng shuddered at the uneasy memories it stirred. “As long as you’re full, that’s enough.”
“Mhm,” Foxy nodded lightly.
“At last, you’re recovering,” Irene finally spoke, her expression easing as she observed the now slightly more stable Demon Fox Maiden. “Honestly, it’s amazing you managed to hold on for so long…”
Foxy flinched slightly, just now noticing the Doll perched on Yu Sheng’s shoulder—or rather, just realizing that the 66.6 cm tall creature could move and speak. Her eyes widened in shock. “This… it’s alive?!”
Irene glared back. “Of course I’m alive! I just helped you open a ham sausage earlier!”
“She’s Irene, a Living Doll from Alice’s Little House,” Yu Sheng quickly introduced. “She’s the assistant I mentioned earlier. Don’t let her small size fool you—she’s incredibly capable. Without her help, I wouldn’t have been able to reach you from the dream realm.”
Perched on Yu Sheng’s shoulder, Irene posed triumphantly, brandishing a kitchen knife in one hand while resting the other on her hip.
Foxy pondered for a moment. Though unfamiliar with the concept of a Living Doll—especially one so small and human-like—she understood this was her Benefactor’s friend. After a brief hesitation, she extended her compressed biscuit toward Irene. “Irene, you can eat too.”
Awkwardness flickered across Irene’s proud expression. “Uh… I can’t eat. Dolls don’t eat…”
Instantly, Foxy retracted the biscuit and resumed nibbling on it.
“Hey! You just took it back without even hesitating?! You didn’t act like this when you shared bread with Yu Sheng!” Irene grumbled.
“Dolls can’t eat,” Foxy murmured softly. “Giving it to you would waste food.”
Irene puffed her cheeks in frustration, but no one paid her any mind.
By then, Yu Sheng’s attention had already shifted to the encroaching darkness and the cold, oppressive atmosphere of the night. He could feel it—a subtle change sweeping through the Valley. The Entity lurking within the Otherworld had begun to stir. Providing Foxy with food and briefly alleviating her Hunger had seemingly provoked the creature.
His primary goal tonight was to save Foxy, but now that he had established a connection with the Hunger Entity and realized it was learning to think, he knew he couldn’t leave such a dangerous threat unresolved.
Yet the monster had yet to make an appearance, and that puzzled him. Just then, a faint sound drifted through the night air, carried on the wind—an eerie, distant howling of Wolves.
Yu Sheng and Irene exchanged glances, and after a moment of hesitation, Irene spoke up. “Yu Sheng, did you hear that just now?”
“It was a Wolf’s howl. I thought I misheard…” Yu Sheng frowned, glancing at Foxy, who was still nibbling on her biscuit. “Are there Wolves here?”
“No,” Foxy replied, clearly confused. “It’s just me and that monster here. I’ve never heard such a strange sound before.”
The howling echoed again, louder and closer, interrupting their conversation.
It wasn’t just one Wolf but an entire pack, either chasing something or being pursued. Deep within the Dense Forest, a massive Flesh Monster lumbered through the woods, its grotesque bulk shifting and warping among the shadows. Sometimes it would emerge from the mist, only to vanish abruptly back into the murk.
Regardless of its direction, the creature always reappeared nearby, launching vicious attacks from unexpected angles. Shadow Wolves materialized from the darkness, lunging at the monstrous behemoth, while more Wolves surged in from every direction, attempting to surround it.
Suddenly, countless spiked tendrils and barbed limbs shot out from the beast’s body, forcing the Wolf Pack to retreat, leaving a gaping hole in their formation. Dozens of sinister eyes locked onto a distant figure—Little Red Riding Hood, calmly seated on the largest Wolf, her gaze unwavering as she met the creature’s unfeeling stare.
In the next instant, the creature’s central mass split open, and a long, scaly black tongue lashed out like a spear aimed directly at the girl’s throat. Without flinching, Little Red Riding Hood subtly shifted, raising her right hand just as the tongue neared.
Her slender arm erupted, transforming into a massive, smoky black Wolf’s head that bit down on the tongue before it could change trajectory. Realizing the threat, the monster tried to retreat, but Little Red Riding Hood refused to release it, even as the massive Wolf beneath her remained steadfast, holding their ground.
Just then, a shadow streaked out from the forest—Li Lin, agile as a hunting leopard, wielding a short blade that gleamed coldly in the night. It was a borrowed weapon from Xu Jiali. The creature’s many eyes swiveled to track the new threat, and a claw lashed out to swat him down.
But Li Lin abruptly ducked, contorting his body in an unnatural way to evade the blow. From the creature’s blind spot, another figure—a towering man nearly two meters tall—leaped forth, brandishing a glowing beam knife that seemed like a short sword in his massive hands. He drove it deep into a fleshy tumor on the monster’s back, slicing it clean off.
The monster howled in distorted rage, thrashing wildly and flinging Little Red Riding Hood aside while sending the burly man flying. Xu Jiali tumbled into a nearby thicket, letting out a muffled groan. Li Lin hurried over, pulling his comrade from the underbrush as they both glanced back at the monster’s position.
But it was gone.
Thick fog began to envelop the Dense Forest, and within the swirling mist, countless twisted phantoms seemed to writhe and take form, creeping out of the earth and swaying with the cold wind. Shadows layered over shadows, multiplying endlessly.
The entire forest seemed to transform into a vast, ravenous maw, yearning to devour.
Xu Jiali took a sharp breath. “We can’t stay here. Keep moving toward the forest’s edge!”