Chapter 44: Devouring
A rustic, black Oil Painting Frame floated within the dim, oppressive dreamscape. Trapped within the painting, the Doll Lady, Irene, was utterly confused by the situation.
“This makes no sense! I already broke free from this cursed thing’s control and even got myself a body in the real world!” Irene paced in circles within the painting. “I could accept carrying the painting on my back in the real world as just extra luggage, but why is it even worse here in the dream world? Theoretically, after Dream Entry, shouldn’t I be more liberated?”
She lifted her gaze and stared directly at Yu Sheng.
“If you’re asking me, who should I ask?” Yu Sheng shrugged. “I thought you’d be freer after Dream Entry too. I was hoping to see your full five-foot-six self, but you’re still just a paper doll.”
Irene was too annoyed to bicker with Yu Sheng and didn’t even have the energy for their usual verbal sparring. After circling the chair in the painting countless times, she finally gave up, resigned herself to sit down, and snatched up the fluffy teddy bear, venting her frustration by squeezing and rubbing it fiercely.
“Stuck with this thing again… Well, whatever. At least I really do have the freedom to move around in the real world. The dream world doesn’t matter that much. Yeah, not that much.”
“…Sometimes I genuinely admire your optimism,” Yu Sheng remarked with a hint of sincere admiration.
Irene immediately bared her teeth at him, but her attempt at intimidation had never really been effective, whether in the real world or the dreamscape.
Ignoring her antics, Yu Sheng moved past the floating painting and approached the slumbering figure of the Demon Fox Maiden, Foxy.
“What’s the plan this time? Just like last time, I lie down on her tail and we both sink together?”
“Same as before, but this time the connection will be more ‘direct.’ I’ll try to keep Foxy’s consciousness close to being awake, so you can communicate with her and perceive the surroundings better,” Irene explained as she floated next to him. “But at the same time, Hunger will notice you and come after you. From that point on, I can’t help you anymore. Confronting it on a mental level is up to you.”
She paused, as if trying to reassure him, and added, “But I can still act as a final safety net. If I sense your mind becoming too unstable, I’ll forcefully pull you out—just like last time when you woke up feeling like hell. Be prepared.”
“…Honestly, I’d rather not go through that again,” Yu Sheng sighed, but his resolve didn’t waver. He quickly nodded. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
Once again, he found a comfortable depression between Foxy’s large tails and caught Irene as she jumped down from midair. The two—man and painting—leaned against the fox’s tail, slowly sinking deeper into the somber dreamscape.
Perhaps because of the foundation laid during the previous connection, this second descent was faster and smoother than Yu Sheng had anticipated. He barely had time to feel disoriented before his vision stabilized, and he saw the figure of the Demon Fox Maiden, Foxy.
She was quietly crouching amid scattered debris, staring blankly ahead at something.
Yu Sheng’s perspective settled behind her, and he followed her gaze forward.
He saw a massive wreckage, resembling the remains of a colossal flying vessel that had crashed. Twisted metal frames and shattered decks hinted at its former grandeur, with faint shimmering light drifting through the broken remains like lingering souls.
The wreck lay at the foot of a mountain, half-melted into the rock as if fused by the force of the impact. Even a single glance made it clear that this had once been a catastrophic collision. Had ordinary Humans been on board, there would have been no survivors.
Yu Sheng stared at the crash site in shock but didn’t forget his original purpose. Approaching the Demon Fox Maiden cautiously, he spoke softly to avoid startling her. “Foxy.”
Her ears perked up instantly, and she bolted upright, scanning her surroundings as if trying to find the source of the voice. Failing to spot anyone, she hesitated, finally whispering, “…Benefactor?”
“It’s me. Stop searching—I’m directly connecting with your consciousness.”
“Benefactor! You’re really here! I thought… last time was just a mistake… Benefactor? What’s going on?”
Foxy’s face lit up with joy, but she still instinctively scanned her surroundings. “I-I was daydreaming in the Valley, but suddenly I’m in this place… Am I dreaming? Is this just a dream?”
“Yes, I… had to use some methods to forcibly guide your dream. This is the only way I could reach you—but now’s not the time for details,” Yu Sheng said quickly. “Listen, Foxy, I’m coming to rescue you. To do so, I need to open a special Door, and I need your cooperation—do you trust me?”
“Rescue… me?” Foxy froze, and then suddenly realized something, shaking her head firmly. “No—don’t come, Benefactor! You barely made it out last time. This Valley is too strange—once you enter, it’s almost impossible to escape! Don’t come! Absolutely not…”
Yu Sheng cut off the panicked girl, his voice resolute: “I have a way! Foxy, listen, I’ve found a stable method to enter and leave the Valley. All I need is your help to open the Door—don’t worry about the monster, I can handle it. Understand? I’m strong—and this time I even brought a helper, also very… um… powerful.”
Trying to comfort Foxy, Yu Sheng struggled to sound reliable. Yet, Foxy’s face remained confused, her thoughts sluggish, as if she could hardly keep up with his words. After a long pause, she finally murmured uncertainly, “So… Benefactor is also an Immortal?”
Yu Sheng had no idea how Foxy’s thoughts had leaped to that conclusion. But if that’s what she needed to hear—
“Yes, a very powerful Immortal,” he said, doing his best to sound trustworthy.
The Demon Fox Maiden chuckled softly.
“Benefactor, what should I do?”
“You don’t need to do anything—just focus on sensing your surroundings. You may feel someone peering into your heart, or as if your eyes are being used to look around—don’t resist. That’s me.”
“Alright.”
Yu Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that the negotiation had gone much smoother than expected. Now, he just needed to face the second problem.
“Irene,” he called softly in his mind. “Begin.”
In the next instant, Yu Sheng felt a faint disorientation—a new kind of connection formed between him and Foxy. Unlike the previous vague bond established through blood, this link was more robust… and rougher. Part of his consciousness broke free from his control, merging with a whole new range of sensations—like suddenly gaining a set of extra limbs, blurry and slow, yet unmistakably real.
He began to feel the breath of Foxy’s surroundings—cold, decayed, reeking of rot and desolation. The wind whipped through the Valley, stirring the dark woods. Night reigned eternal, and Hunger lingered forever.
The Demon Fox Maiden stood amidst the trees, eyes wide open, straining to observe her surroundings. She had no idea what her Benefactor was doing, nor did she understand whether staring around like this was correct. She just did her best to follow Yu Sheng’s instructions.
Then, she felt it—the connection Benefactor had mentioned.
Startled, she resisted the urge to flee, but soon realized there was no malice. Foxy had always been sensitive to even the slightest hint of hostility, but this time, there was none—only a faint sense of reassurance, and even… a slight easing of her gnawing hunger.
When the overwhelming wave of Hunger and the suppressed frenzy within the Valley surged towards him like a crashing tidal wave, Yu Sheng felt as though an immense, collapsing mountain of darkness had engulfed his every sense. Hunger and madness seemed tangible—an enormous shadow of solidified blackness, drowning his consciousness almost instantly.
Yu Sheng barely managed to hold onto a single thought—memorizing the unique characteristics of the Valley transmitted through Foxy—before the torrent of madness swallowed him whole.
Yet, within that abyss, he remained conscious.
Hunger gnawed at his soul, withering it to death—only for his soul to awaken once more, as if resurrected from oblivion. He couldn’t tell if he had just died or merely felt a fleeting illusion of being devoured.
He drifted through the darkness, unable to perceive the passage of time or the boundaries of space—unsure whether he was even moving at all. The only certainty was the constant sensation of being watched.
Not by a single gaze, but as if the entire chaotic darkness itself was a vast, all-seeing eye, observing him like a speck of dust no larger than the tip of a needle.
Then, after an unknown duration, he finally caught a glimpse—massive, floating limbs or shadows shifting within the depths of darkness.