Chapter 047

Chapter 47: Two Paths

Standing on a black boulder, Irene hugged the cleaver with both hands, squared her shoulders into what she thought was a powerful pose, and shouted into the empty Valley Floor: “We landed on our feet!”

Yu Sheng poked her forehead and almost toppled her off the rock as he said: “Don’t yell. We still haven’t found Foxy. You’ll draw Hunger’s attention.”

“It doesn’t track by sound,” Irene grumbled as she hopped down. She tightened the straps on the frame on her back, looked around, and added: “It is barren here. And like you said, it feels gloomy and wrong. The sky looks covered by something.”

“Be careful,” Yu Sheng said, eyeing the tiny Doll who looked like she had zero combat power. He knew she had strange abilities, but still warned her: “If anything happens, keep yourself safe first. I don’t fear death, but you are different. We can’t be sure your temporary body breaking won’t take your soul with it.”

“Relax. I’ll protect myself. To be honest, Hunger doesn’t threaten me much,” Irene said, lifting her chin. “Dolls don’t usually suffer mental interference. More important, I don’t get hungry.”

“Right, you don’t get hungry. But you sure like to snack. I can’t even drink water without you watching me,” Yu Sheng muttered as he looked down.

The big plastic bags he had brought were all there, which made him breathe out in relief. His care and caution with the Door Opening had paid off. The whole load had made it through. A good start.

He bent and lifted the food with ease, then looked ahead.

The ruined, slanted temple stood in the night, almost the same as when he left.

“We go there first. Foxy should be nearby. I can feel her,” he said softly, stepping into the dark.

He had barely taken two steps when Irene shouted behind him: “Wait! Slow down! I can’t keep up!”

Yu Sheng turned and saw the 66.6 cm Doll dragging the cleaver with one hand while using the other for balance. She had to scramble over rocks that a normal person would step past, or detour around them, as she trudged across the broken Valley Floor.

Staring at this, Yu Sheng sighed, walked back, and crouched down in front of her: “Ride on my shoulders. But don’t say giddyup.”

Irene lit up and ran toward him with the cleaver as she said: “You’re the best!”

Yu Sheng yelped: “Put that thing away first! Or at least turn the blade the other way!”

A red eyed Living Doll charging at your neck with a cleaver in the dark was way too creepy. Yu Sheng didn’t fear death, but he feared that.

…

“Where did we get dropped?” Li Lin shivered as the cold wind moved through the trees. A growing dread pressed on his chest. “Is this still the Borderland…”

“Otherworld, Night Valley. Current depth L-3, sinking toward L-4. Danger rating, at least level three,” Xu Jiali said. The nearly two meter tall man already had a portable Depth Probe clipped over his eye. Turning slowly, he rattled off what he remembered: “This Otherworld is classed as ‘wasteland.’ This is trouble.”

Li Lin’s eyes widened. With that prompt, he finally remembered the training.

A wasteland type Otherworld is large, with no clear border and no clear exit. You can only leave by meeting special conditions or in certain times and directions. Depth L-3 means it’s basically cut off from reality and runs on rules against reason. Long stays bring a high chance of mental and cognitive erosion. Danger level three means clear malice is present. Something is entrenched here that will attack and try to kill intruders. The threat is lethal and can’t be dodged by “following rules.”

Normally a mission here would take at least a full team from the Special Affairs Bureau, a dozen people, fully armed, with heavy gear.

And even then, the goal would be recon only. Gather intel and get out alive. Fighting an Entity here would need more people or more elite operators.

Li Lin glanced around. Counting Xu Jiali, they had two Bureau agents, and while one was a Deep Diver trained to fight Entities, this hit them without warning. The big guy had brought hardly any gear. A minor Spirit Realm Detective was with them, and she was said to be a scout type. [We are so doomed.]

“Give the food to the young miss,” the veteran’s voice cut through Li Lin’s thoughts as Xu Jiali spoke with a hard face. “Li Lin, you and I use this.”

Li Lin snapped out of it and obeyed without delay. He handed both bowls of noodles to Little Red Riding Hood, who still looked stunned, and took what Xu Jiali passed him.

It was a needleless injector. Pale green fluid glowed faintly inside under the night.

Sanity Blocking Agent.

Li Lin stared, shocked, as his teammate pressed another injector to his own arm.

“The Entity here is Hunger. It attacks the mind,” the big man said calmly. “The name tells you enough. Take a shot. The side effects are worse than a Nebulizer, but for forty eight hours it will keep your judgment intact.”

Li Lin nodded. With a soft hiss, the Sanity Blocking Agent went into his arm.

Little Red Riding Hood, hearing the name “Hunger,” stepped forward at once: “Then eat those right now. Your bodies are still normal. I can handle this better than you. I brought snacks too…”

“Do what I say,” Xu Jiali cut in. The tall man stood in the night, two heads taller than the girl. He looked down at her with unusual gravity as he said in a firm, calming voice: “I know your situation.”

Little Red Riding Hood opened her mouth, then closed it and said nothing.

Xu Jiali patted her shoulder and added: “It’s also for us. Your Wolf Pack is our best hope against the Entity. You need to keep your strength.”

Li Lin watched her squat by a rock and quietly eat the cooled noodles. He glanced at his teammate, puzzled.

Xu Jiali shook his head and whispered: “If she falls to Hunger, her wolves will eat her.”

In the dark, the Wolf Pack whimpered in the trees.

In the cold wind, a malicious gaze spread through the Valley.

In the ruins of the temple, Yu Sheng and Irene searched with care.

The rot stink grew stronger, like it had a will and wriggled into their noses. It was nasty.

Irene simply stopped breathing.

Yu Sheng envied that.

“Are you sure that Fox is here?” Irene asked, holding the cleaver in one hand and grabbing Yu Sheng’s hair with the other as she rode his shoulders and craned her neck to look. “I can’t see anything.”

“I’m sure,” Yu Sheng said. “There’s a faint link between us. Blood made it. I have one with you too, even if you can’t feel it.”

“Really?” Irene gave him a doubtful look, then lowered her head to study her hand, as if searching for that faint link.

Just then, a soft rustle came from the silent ruins, stopping them both.

They lifted their heads at the same time and looked toward the sound.

A white shape crept out from behind a collapsed wall.

A silver tail swayed in the night. Fluffy ears twitched in the wind. The Fox Maiden stepped out and stared wide eyed at the figures ahead. When she saw who it was, she broke into a bright smile.

“Benefactor!”

Foxy ran from behind the wall, a gust of speed carrying her over broken bricks. She circled Yu Sheng twice in a blur before stopping in front of him, face full of joy and a hint of disbelief as she said: “You really came! Benefactor, really?”

“It’s me, and I did,” Yu Sheng answered with a matching smile, then quickly set his things on the ground. He pointed at the bags and said: “I brought you lots of good food. Starting today, you won’t go hungry.”