Chapter 53: The Banquet
In a way he still couldn’t fully comprehend, Yu Sheng sensed that he had formed a connection with the Valley. His consciousness surged through the rocks and soil, weaving through the undulating depths of the twisted forest, merging with the water and wind of the land. Then, through countless pairs of distorted, grotesque eyes, he surveyed the skies above the Valley.
The immense eye, large enough to cover the entire sky, gazed calmly and indifferently at the earth, its presence unchanging from beginning to end. It seemed like a transcendent observer, watching over experiments in a petri dish. Yet Yu Sheng could feel that the eye had noticed him—from the very instant he connected with the Valley, that immense gaze locked onto him.
The eye was confused, curious—even though it showed no emotion or change in its gaze, Yu Sheng could almost directly ‘read’ these thoughts. A colossal mind trembled within this space, each thought causing a tempest that ordinary people could never perceive. Even with the Otherworld’s perception amplifying his senses, Yu Sheng could only vaguely discern the vast intelligence behind that unblinking eye.
Strangely, Yu Sheng did not feel any hostility—or benevolence—from the eye.
After a moment, he realized that the eye’s focus had shifted away from him. Or rather, it was no longer surveying the entire Valley but had zeroed in on a particular spot.
The eye slowly swept across the ground, as if tracking or searching for something.
Meanwhile, Yu Sheng’s consciousness gradually dissipated, and within a few minutes, he began to understand something…
The entire Valley was coming to life. An eerie and terrifying ‘vitality’ turned the whole Otherworld into a living embodiment of Hunger.
Li Lin watched in horror as rows of sharp teeth sprouted from the distant ridgeline. The gaps between them formed dreadful, gaping trenches, and the rows of fangs undulated like waves, roaring from deep within.
On the other side of the Valley, an entire forest had transformed—black tendrils replaced the trees, crawling across the rocky ground of the Valley Floor, spreading like a swarm of ravenous insects, devouring everything in their path.
All of this unfolded under the icy, unblinking gaze of the colossal eye in the sky—a grotesque nightmare come to life.
The Wolf Pack of Little Red Riding Hood howled as they relentlessly tore at the tendrils and eyes and tongues sprouting from the soil, severing and driving them back. Despite their relentless effort, their ground was rapidly diminishing.
One of the young Special Affairs Bureau Operatives felt a surge of despair. He glanced ahead and saw the girl with numerous tails racing ahead, clutching a doll in her arms. Even while carrying something, her swift and agile movements resembled those of a feral beast—far outpacing what any Human could manage.
But just then, Foxy finally slowed her pace.
Holding Irene (along with Irene’s cleaver), she came to a hollow at the foot of the mountain. She perched on a large stone, craning her neck to scout the surroundings. The Demon-Fox Maiden’s furry ears twitched slightly in the wind, as if picking up faint sounds. She wrinkled her nose, sniffing the air before her eyes fixed in one direction.
“This way! The entrance is here!” she called out.
Before anyone could respond, she had already leapt down with Irene, and the others hurried after her, racing toward the rocky wall where they found a narrow cave entrance barely wide enough for two people.
“It’s spacious inside!” Foxy reassured them before diving into the cave.
Azure Demon Fox flames materialized, drifting from the tip of Foxy’s tail to hover in midair, casting eerie light over the cavern’s interior.
It looked like an ordinary, primitive cave, seemingly part of the mountain itself. Some of the walls bore signs of crude excavation and widening, while the corners housed rough, makeshift tools, hinting that someone once lived here for a time.
Xu Jiali took out a palm-sized black device from his waist, cautiously scanning the cavern before muttering, “No toxins, stable material structure, no signs of erosion.”
Little Red Riding Hood gestured for a few Wolves to stand guard at the entrance while the remaining Shadow Wolves melted back into her shadow.
Foxy carefully carried Irene to a stone platform near the entrance and gently set the little doll down, her expression worried.
“Are you… okay?” she asked, pointing to Irene’s broken arm and badly damaged right leg.
Despite her disheveled state, Irene seemed nonchalant and even comforted Foxy, “It’s fine. This body was temporary anyway—some of the parts are just shoddy. Don’t worry, Yu Sheng will fix me up when we get back. He made this body, though… his craftsmanship could use some work.”
The Demon-Fox Maiden’s eyes widened in surprise. “Sounds like the Benefactor is pretty amazing.”
“…Probably?” Irene spoke with a hint of hesitation, her tone uncertain. “Sometimes I feel like he’s not even human. He has all these weird abilities and ideas…”
Before she could finish, the Doll Maiden, as if sensing something, suddenly raised her head and looked toward the cave entrance. From where they were, it was nearly impossible to see the scenery outside.
“What’s wrong?” Foxy asked curiously.
“Could you… carry me to take a look outside? Just to the entrance,” Irene requested cautiously. “I feel uneasy not being able to see anything from here.”
Though slightly puzzled, Foxy didn’t hesitate and carefully lifted Irene, carrying her towards the cave entrance. Once there, Irene craned her neck from Foxy’s arms, boldly peering at the sky.
The colossal eye still floated above the Valley, its scale grand and imposing, like the pupil of the sky itself, an overwhelming presence.
“I get the feeling… that eye has been watching us ever since earlier,” Irene muttered nervously, quickly shrinking back. “Why hasn’t Yu Sheng returned yet…”
Foxy hesitated, glancing down at the little doll cradled in her arms. “Benefactor, he’ll be alright, won’t he?”
“He’ll be fine,” Irene whispered back, glancing over her shoulder at the three “temporary comrades” inside the cave. She lowered her voice and muttered to Foxy, “Don’t mention Yu Sheng’s ‘death’ to them. By now, they should have forgotten all about it.”
Foxy tilted her head, her furry ears twitching uncertainly, unsure whether she truly understood.
Li Lin glanced at the Demon Fox and Doll huddled at the entrance. A subtle frown appeared on his face—was it just his imagination, or did he feel like something important had slipped from his mind during their frantic escape? He turned to Xu Jiali and Little Red Riding Hood but found no unusual expression on their faces.
Xu Jiali was cautiously surveying the cave’s depths, while Little Red Riding Hood sat on a stone bench with her arms crossed, watching the Shadow Wolves guarding the entrance. Her red cloak, torn from the earlier battle in the forest, exposed her right arm—now marked with intricate, bloody patterns, as if once shattered and barely reassembled.
The eerie blue Fox Fire flickered above the cave, casting Little Red Riding Hood’s shadow onto the ground, shifting and warping unnaturally, sometimes taking the shape of one of the Shadow Wolves.
The howling from the Valley outside never ceased, making the silence within the cave even more oppressive and suffocating.
Li Lin stood up and approached the cave entrance where Foxy and Irene were keeping watch. He thought it appropriate to introduce himself, but just as he was halfway there, a bizarre grinding noise abruptly stopped him in his tracks.
The noise was irregular—like sharp teeth scraping and gnashing, accompanied by a sudden spike in his Spiritual Intuition.
Both Xu Jiali and Little Red Riding Hood, alerted by the sound, instinctively raised their heads, sensing the shift in the Valley’s atmosphere.
A few seconds later, the eerie howling from outside suddenly ceased, plunging the world into an unnatural silence, as if death itself had enveloped the land. But the silence didn’t last long—soon, the grinding noise returned, accompanied by strange wailing sounds, becoming increasingly distinct and overwhelming.
Foxy sprang to her feet, ears perked and tail bristling as she nervously glanced outside. Irene, leaning on Foxy’s arm with her damaged hand, tried to catch a glimpse of what was happening—when suddenly, she heard Yu Sheng’s voice within her mind.
“Irene.”
“Yu Sheng?!” Irene gasped, hope igniting in her eyes. “You’re alive? Where are you? Can you sense my location? Open a Door and get here! We found a safe hideout—outside is a mess, the Valley is in chaos…”
Her words were abruptly interrupted by his calm, resonant voice echoing through her thoughts.
“Irene, don’t panic—it will be over soon.”
“…Huh?”
The grinding noises in the Valley became more frequent and suffocating, filling the Otherworld with a sense of dread. Yet, despite the chaos, Yu Sheng’s voice remained serene.
“Irene, do you remember when we tried to connect with Foxy through the dreamscape to find the ‘frequency’ of this Valley? Do you remember what happened then?”
Irene’s eyes widened in realization.
“Yes! You made direct contact with Hunger itself—it rooted itself into your mind!” the Doll Maiden whispered anxiously. “Did something go wrong? Are you… not going to make it?”
The noises grew denser, echoing through the cave, sharpening everyone’s nerves. But Yu Sheng’s voice remained as tranquil as ever.
“Don’t worry, Irene. I’m fine. I just realized something important—”
A sudden understanding dawned on Irene as her eyes widened.
“Hunger didn’t take root in my mind.”
His voice echoed from within her soul and throughout the entire Valley.
“It was I who took root within its depths.”
At that moment, Irene finally understood the sound—it was chewing. The exalted feast had begun. The Entity-Hunger that dominated this Otherworld was beginning to devour itself.