Chapter 168: Safe, For Now
The Black Forest quaked under the barrage of fire. The twisted shadows of the Fairy Tale Organization blazed fiercely in the demonic Fox Fire, while the swarming Wolf Packs that had festered in the gloom were shredded one after another, torn apart by brute force. The flourishing trees of the Dense Forest were cleaved like fragile crops, razed and torn open into a wide boulevard in mere moments.
Squirrel stared blankly at the scene, trembling as it hid within Little Red Riding Hood’s crimson hood. The towering blaze reflected in its beady black eyes seemed to melt the heavens themselves.
[It’s not supposed to be like this. It never was.]
For years, survival for Little Red Riding Hood within the Black Forest had meant reconnaissance, evasion, movement, hiding, and repeating that endless cycle. This malevolent realm never allowed its prey to defy the “rules,” and none of those unfortunate souls had ever possessed the power to resist them.
Never before had a prey torn through the Wolf Packs with blood and fire, carving a path through the Forest.
Squirrel no longer squealed. It simply stared, its tiny mind overloaded, unable to comprehend the spectacle before it.
But Little Red Riding Hood was laughing.
It was a laugh of pure joy, one of unprecedented ease. When the howls of the Wolves rose, fear still bloomed in her heart. But that fear was repeatedly drowned by the salvo of Fox Fire, the soaring tails of Fox Carrot Missiles, and the corner-of-her-eye glimpses of the Spiked Club swung with deadly precision.
Excitement. Release. Ecstasy. Twisting and mixing with the fear until they became indistinguishable.
She didn’t know if she was afraid or exhilarated, or merely venting. But this, this felt good.
Even if only once in a lifetime, it was worth it.
She hated this place with all her heart. She just wanted to see it burn.
Yu Sheng tilted his head slightly, catching the glimmer of that smile on the red-cloaked girl’s face.
[Good. Kids should go wild once in a while. She’s not even eighteen yet. No need to shoulder the world like an adult.]
Let the real grown-ups worry about the consequences.
He flexed his wrist, easing the numb, prickling pain in his muscles as he swung the Spiked Club—a bar of rebar welded with blades, nails, and jagged steel.
It was a good weapon. When wielded with full force, it could easily crush a Wolf’s skull. The monstrous things crawling from the shadows became true Entities when they lunged—just in time for Yu Sheng to smash their heads in. Now, many lay as shattered corpses along the burning woodland path.
Some of those bodies had begun to rise again, staggering as they wandered blindly through the Forest, biting into the other Wolves emerging from the dark.
Yu Sheng was connected to them by blood.
Through that blood, he could feel the Forest’s subtle shifts.
But the Black Forest was far from consumed. Compared to its infinite expanse, the fires set by the Fox Fire were mere sparks.
Countless Wolf Packs were spawning from the distant dark, endless in number and brimming with escalating malice. They regenerated faster than they could be slain.
The greatest Evil Wolf had not been destroyed. Though Yu Sheng had briefly sensed its presence vanish when the sixteen Fox Carrot Missiles landed, it returned quickly—its essence reborn and surging back. This monster, born from Little Red Riding Hood’s deepest fear and perception, could endlessly respawn within the Black Forest.
Now, it was slowly approaching once more.
This nightmare was too vast. One fire wasn’t enough to cleanse it.
Little Red Riding Hood remained unaware. Perhaps she’d realize it once she calmed down, but for now she was basking in the joy of watching the Black Forest burn.
Let her have that moment. Children should be happy.
Yu Sheng exhaled softly. The gleeful grin on his face didn’t fade.
He could go wild a bit longer. And with all this chaos—surely the Hunter hidden somewhere had noticed. If that figure still possessed a shred of rationality, they would now be intrigued by this group of unruly intruders.
A cozy Little House came into view at the end of their path.
“Look! Little House!” Yu Sheng raised his blood-splattered Tetanus Staff, pointing toward the fantastical wooden cottage in the distance. “Let’s go check it out!”
He strode forward with purpose.
The ghostly blue Fox Fire spread beneath his feet, and towering trees toppled beside him. The shriek of a Fox Carrot Missile tore through the sky. Dusk had faded unnoticed, replaced by night’s shadow—and a blaze that lit the heavens.
Wave after wave of Wolf Packs surged from the dark, only to be repelled again and again by Foxy’s relentless barrage.
“Benefactor! There’s no end to them!” Foxy was beginning to struggle, something didn’t feel right. She shouted to Yu Sheng, “And these new Wolves are harder to kill—they take several hits and still keep coming!”
“It’s fine. We’re almost there.”
Yu Sheng spoke without turning his head. Before his words had fully fallen, he had already stepped into the warm light cast from the window of the Cozy Little House.
In the blink of an eye, the howling of the Wolf Pack began to fade.
The creatures swiftly scattered—even those that had already become Entities and surged forward were rapidly reduced to shadows upon entering the Cozy Little House’s boundary, melting into the light.
Foxy panted softly, hugging one fluffy tail in each arm, surrounded by drifting Fox Fire as she stared in amazement at the scene.
The Squirrel poked its head from Little Red Riding Hood’s shoulder, wide-eyed as it looked back in the direction they had come, then turned toward the house standing silently at the end of the flaming path. It gave a mournful, uneasy cry: “What’s going to happen next—?”
Yu Sheng arrived at the door of the wooden house, peeked inside, then smiled and knocked on the door.
“Is Wolf Granny home?”
Silence reigned within the house—no answer came.
Yu Sheng knocked again.
“We’ve got guests—”
Still, there was no response.
“Looks like Wolf Granny really isn’t home.” Yu Sheng shook his head and said to Foxy and Irene, then gave the door a push.
With a creak, the wooden door swung open, releasing a warm glow. Alongside the light came an incredible sensation of ease and serenity, as if protected by some unseen power.
Yu Sheng, still holding the blood-dripping Tetanus Staff, stepped cautiously but confidently inside.
A loud thump sounded from above.
“What was that?!” Yu Sheng tensed immediately, spinning around with his battle staff raised.
Then a frustrated voice piped up from his shoulder—his little doll, irritated beyond words: “I hit my head on the doorframe! Couldn’t you have checked before walking in?!”
Yu Sheng finally turned his head to see Irene clutching her forehead and muttering, “Ugh… damn doorframe’s way too low… I even ducked and still hit it… Yu Sheng, you jerk…”
The doll’s misfortune quickly dissolved the lingering tension among the team. Soon, everyone wore knowing smiles—and Foxy even burst out laughing.
Irene’s curses were colorful and inventive.
“Let’s rest here for a while,” Yu Sheng said, leaning the Tetanus Staff against the doorway. He turned to Foxy.
Foxy gave a little “oh” and finally relaxed slightly. She moved to the table at the center of the room, sat down, and pulled out a fistful of jerky from her tail, munching noisily.
[Fox Carrot Missile System: Auto-reloading…jpg]
Little Red Riding Hood entered quietly, sitting on the empty bed, looking somewhat dazed.
The Squirrel crawled out of her hood and stood on her shoulder, dazed as well.
Yu Sheng glanced at the wooden table and rummaged through a wooden bowl, pulling out an acorn. He walked over to the dazed Squirrel.
“Here. Didn’t you drop yours earlier? Have a new one.”
The Squirrel hesitated, accepting the acorn, but didn’t eat it—just stared blankly at Yu Sheng before whispering, “Thanks…”
Yu Sheng found its reaction amusing and teased, “Where’s the classic line?”
The Squirrel blinked. “What line?”
“That one—‘So-and-so is the Squirrel’s best friend.’ I gave you an acorn, so doesn’t that make me your best friend?”
The Squirrel froze like a crashed program.
Yu Sheng didn’t wait for a reply. He was just having fun with the odd little creature. With a chuckle, he turned his gaze back out the window toward the seemingly peaceful night.
The Wolf Pack had retreated. The Black Forest had fallen silent once more. Only faint, ghostly blue Fox Fire still flickered among the trees, slowly being swallowed by the surrounding darkness.
The scorched and blasted terrain was gradually returning to its original state.
“That Evil Wolf is still lurking nearby,” Yu Sheng said suddenly, “but it doesn’t seem to be approaching for now.”
Little Red Riding Hood looked up at him in a daze.
“It’s not dead yet—we just caused a bit of chaos. Still a long way from destroying this place,” Yu Sheng said with a smile, then shook his head. “No worries. If it comes back, I’ll fight it. You don’t have to be afraid.”
“I’m not scared,” Little Red Riding Hood mumbled, lowering her head.
She then quickly tried to change the subject, as if worried her fear had been seen through. Pointing at Foxy who was happily chewing jerky, she asked, “What’s she eating? Looks tasty.”
“…Good meat,” Yu Sheng replied, walking over to Foxy, grabbing a strip of jerky, and handing it to her. “Want to try it?”