Chapter 37: The First Step to Preparing a Body
Upon hearing Irene’s request, Yu Sheng was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to bring up this matter with such solemnity at this moment.
They had indeed discussed creating a body for the Doll Lady in the painting more than once before, but they had never finalized it. One reason was the lack of trust and understanding between them. The other was the sheer chaos surrounding them, leaving Yu Sheng with no time to consider Irene’s bodily needs.
But now, seeing the determined and serious expression on the Doll Lady’s face, Yu Sheng realized that she wasn’t acting on a whim or out of caprice.
He looked at Irene inquisitively.
“I want to go with you,” Irene’s response was simple. “Just think of it as having extra support.”
“You’re sure?” Yu Sheng’s expression was subtle. “Of course, it’s not that I doubt your abilities…”
“Listen,” Irene interrupted, leaning so close to the edge of the painting frame that her face occupied nearly two-thirds of the canvas. Her tone was unusually serious. “I’m not joking—although I don’t know exactly how you plan to deal with that ‘Entity,’ considering you managed to bring back a ‘souvenir’ from it, you clearly have some capabilities. I won’t ask about your exact methods. But you need to know that when dealing with the Otherworld, just being ‘able to fight’ isn’t enough. At least, when confronting an Entity as troublesome as ‘Hunger,’ it definitely isn’t.”
She took a step back, her crimson eyes still locked onto Yu Sheng. “Make me a body—give me some semblance of freedom. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just get me out of this damn painting. Even if I can’t regain all my power, I’ll still be far stronger than ordinary Investigators or so-called Spirit Realm Detectives, not to mention those Otherworld Hunters. Even if most of my knowledge is forgotten, the instincts of a Living Doll remain.”
Yu Sheng held her gaze, his own thoughts churning.
“I can help you, Yu Sheng,” Irene continued, her words unwavering. “We’ve worked together once before when entering Foxy’s dream.”
This time, Yu Sheng took longer than usual to think it over. Eventually, he had to admit that Irene made a good point.
His mind was consumed with thoughts of returning to the Valley and dealing with the Entity-Hunger there. But he knew that just charging in alone was unlikely to succeed. Despite his fearlessness of death and the gradual empowerment from absorbing parts of Hunger, there was clearly a limit to how much he could grow. And Hunger… wasn’t easy to destroy.
Relying on constant death to wear down that monster might be a viable option, but it was undoubtedly the worst one. If there was an ally who could not only fight well but also wield supernatural forces, it would undoubtedly be a boon.
All he needed to do was trust Irene—enough to release her from the painting.
That trust had already been built when they fell together into Foxy’s dream and then woke up together, nauseated and disoriented.
“Looks like I’ll have to head downtown,” Yu Sheng sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Clay, wigs, and other materials will need to come from a specialized crafts store. You can’t find that stuff in the old neighborhood.”
The Doll Lady in the painting blinked, and once she processed his words, her face lit up with surprise. “You… you agreed?!”
“If you’re not too picky about the body quality and trust my craftsmanship,” Yu Sheng waved dismissively, “I can give it a shot.”
“I’m not demanding—it just needs to resemble a person. I can reshape it myself—just don’t mess up the Alchemy phase,” Irene hurriedly assured him, as if worried he might change his mind. Then she hesitated, her expression turning somewhat conflicted as she glanced away. “Also… if you really can’t find suitable materials…”
Yu Sheng raised a curious eyebrow. “If I can’t find suitable materials, then what?”
“…Dough would work too.”
Yu Sheng froze for a few seconds, then finally showed the most shocked expression he had ever worn since meeting Irene. “Huh?!”
Irene explained in a small voice, “The material is just a medium. What truly matters is the Alchemy—your blood and my soul…”
Yu Sheng was still stunned. “Wait—hold on. I get the idea of using substitutes, but isn’t that way too crude?!”
Irene pondered it for a moment and then decided to give him an innocent, disarming smile, hoping to bluff her way through.
It worked.
Still, Yu Sheng decided to go out and buy proper materials.
“I’ll get some decent clay for your body,” he sighed, standing up. “I’m sure it’ll take a lot, so it’s better not to waste food. Plus, I have other things to buy.”
He turned on the television for Irene, who obediently nodded. “Alright… come back soon.”
With a brief acknowledgment, Yu Sheng grabbed his coat and moved to the entrance.
Gripping the door handle, his first move was to steel himself—ensuring there wouldn’t be meteor showers, sulfuric lakes, little green men wielding lightsabers, or mechanical elf older sisters waiting outside—before taking a deep breath and stepping out onto the old sycamore-lined street.
Oddly enough, Yu Sheng found the situation rather amusing.
Traversing to the ends of the world was easy for him (whether he’d survive or make it back was another matter), but simply stepping out the door onto the street felt strangely daunting…
As he walked toward the bus stop, he casually glanced around the area.
Yu Sheng couldn’t quite pinpoint when it had started, but something had changed in his mindset as he wandered through the sprawling, unfamiliar city. The oppressive unease that had plagued him in recent days had quietly dissipated, leaving behind a surprising sense of calm. Walking down streets that he still couldn’t quite call his “hometown,” he found himself feeling not just at peace but also… oddly excited and expectant.
Even the bright, almost blinding sky seemed to exude a cheerful, sunny brilliance that lifted his spirits.
Street vendors were hawking their goods at the corners, sparse passersby moved leisurely along the road, and a child, clearly having caused some sort of trouble, dashed past while hollering, with a flustered adult chasing after him, cursing all the way.
Yu Sheng couldn’t help but wonder if any of the “professionals” Irene had mentioned were hidden among these ordinary scenes—those who protected the city from the shadows, combating the threats posed by the Otherworld. Did anyone notice the subtle oddities that lingered in this peaceful old district?
His thoughts spiraled into speculation as he eyed the passing pedestrians, musing over who looked unfamiliar, who might be undercover, or who could be one of the Spirit Realm Detectives or Investigators.
The pancake vendor at the corner looked suspicious—especially since the quality of his craft had clearly dropped today. Maybe it wasn’t even the same person. The lady airing clothes on the balcony across the street was also unfamiliar; perhaps she was keeping watch. Even the boisterous child who had just run past—was it possible? Irene did mention that Spirit Realm Detectives sometimes used illusionary “tricks” to change their appearance. Magical, indeed…
Of course, the shirtless guy squatting on the ground with bleached yellow hair, blasting music from his phone, was definitely not one of them—far too conspicuous.
Humming a little tune, Yu Sheng strolled through the old street and happened to brush shoulders with Li Lin, who was squatting with his phone on loudspeaker, sporting a yellow wig that looked particularly tacky.
A short while later, Xu Jiali, a hulking figure nearly two meters tall, swaggered onto the street. He glanced down at Li Lin, who was still keeping watch, and then squatted next to him, lighting a cigarette and giving off the same idly aimless vibe.
“You think this disguise is reliable?” Xu Jiali asked.
Li Lin waved him off nonchalantly. “Totally reliable. I used to stake out like this all the time. The pancake vendors around here already exposed themselves, but I never did—once I even nabbed a smuggler who couldn’t believe a die-hard anime fan could be a Special Affairs Bureau operative.”
Xu Jiali looked puzzled. “Anime fan uniform? Sounds like some kind of force field armor? I thought Borderland didn’t allow that kind of gear?”
“…Forget it, you wouldn’t get it,” Li Lin muttered disdainfully, scooting further away. “Move aside. You’re too damn big. Don’t blow my cover.”
“No way anyone’s gonna believe I’m not a vagrant more convincingly than you,” Xu Jiali retorted, scoffing. “But seriously, you didn’t spot anything all morning, right? I doubt even if something weird’s here, it’d be a person. More likely it’s some twisted Entity or a point of Otherworld erosion—fits the clues better. Damn, after that chaos at Boundary City last night, who knows how the bureau’s doing now? And here we are, stuck babysitting this place like a pair of idiots…”
Li Lin ignored him, pulled out a massive power bank, plugged it into his phone, and turned the volume up even louder.
Hours later, Yu Sheng had finished shopping at the Shopping Mall and was dragging his bags through the streets, pondering his next move. The amount of stuff he’d bought was definitely more than he expected. Although the weight wasn’t an issue for him now, hauling it all onto a bus would still be a hassle.
He had a bold idea—one that seemed worth trying.
Raising his head and making sure no one was watching, Yu Sheng quietly extended his hand toward the air beside him—where a Door formed at his fingertips.
Three seconds later, deep within the Special Affairs Bureau Headquarters in the hidden depths of Boundary City, countless operatives, clerks, captains, and even their Director, Bai Li Qing, jolted upright from their desks at the sudden blaring of alarms—startled from their work-induced stupor…
Meanwhile, Yu Sheng, loaded with shopping bags, casually stepped through the Door and headed home.
Someone convenience is someone inconvenience