Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Yu Sheng’s New Idea

They stepped through a new Door and the world changed at once. The Valley’s mild breeze turned into the hot, humid air of a tropical jungle. Distant animals called, and insects rustled through dry leaves.

To be safe, Yu Sheng didn’t close The Door. He kept it open after they crossed so they could return to the Valley at any time.

“How about now,” he asked, glancing at the little doll on his arm, “can you still sense the other body? Did the link break?”

“I’m shocked. It’s still connected!” the doll said, surprised. “I felt a brief blur when we passed through the Door-more like the senses got misaligned for a second-but it didn’t break. Now it’s back to normal, and there’s no weakening at all.”

She lifted her head and looked around.

“Yu Sheng, how far apart are my two bodies now?”

“It’s hard to measure by ‘near’ or ‘far,’” Yu Sheng said after thinking it over. “I don’t even know where this is, but it’s definitely not in the Borderland. It’s separated from the Valley by a whole dimension. If even that can’t cut the link, we probably don’t need to push it further.”

“Oh… then should we look around?” Irene asked, curious. “We’re already here.”

“Not safe,” Yu Sheng shook his head. “Let’s go back.”

“Since when are you this cautious?”

“I’m carrying your frame. That’s your true body. If I die here, fine, but if something happens to your painting, who knows what that would do,” Yu Sheng said, giving her a little shake to remind her of the painting on her back. “Let’s head back and ping Foxy to return to the starting point.”

“Okay!”

Soon Yu Sheng, Foxy, and Irene were back on the newly leveled ground deep in the Valley.

“Time to sum up a few rules,” Yu Sheng said, watching Irene practice walking with both bodies circling around. He rubbed his chin and listed the results: “First, at least one doll body must stay with the painting so you can act in the real world. Second, the doll with the painting becomes the ‘primary,’ and the others are ‘copies.’ Third, a copy’s control range is possibly unlimited, or at least very, very far. Unlike the primary, it doesn’t have to stay with the painting. But in exchange…”

With a thump, Irene’s copy tripped while running and face-planted.

Yu Sheng looked down at the little doll scrambling up and finished: “In exchange, the copy’s performance is clearly worse than the primary-from senses to agility to fine control. That’s probably the price for ‘super-long-range’ control.”

“I think that’s a great deal,” Irene said, brushing herself off. Though she looked messy, she sounded delighted. “I finally have a body that doesn’t need to carry the painting. I can go as far as I want! I could watch TV in the living room and play games in the bedroom at the same time.”

Yu Sheng’s eye twitched: “That’s what two bodies are for?”

Then he did a double take: “Wait. Games… what games are you playing?”

Irene hunched her shoulders and, after two seconds of guilt, whispered: “Um, your account got unbanned…”

Yu Sheng’s eyebrows shot up: “Do not use my account again. Make your own-your identification card is ready!”

Irene dropped her head, dejected: “Okay…”

No one knew what she was so sad about.

Her gloom never lasted, though. She soon brightened and walked her other body over to Yu Sheng. The two dolls looked up together: “I found something else.”

Yu Sheng looked puzzled: “What is it?”

“When I control the second body, I don’t need to split half my attention,” Irene said. As she spoke, the copy’s face went stiff and blank, as if its soul had flown away. “See? I only need a tiny bit of focus to keep it moving.”

The expressionless doll body strolled around. It was still a bit unsteady, but it moved freely.

Irene wore a proud smile.

Yu Sheng’s expression turned thoughtful. [Hold on… this could mean more.]

“And I noticed this body can do some things on its own,” she added. “If I just want it to handle tasks, I don’t need to fully ‘take over.’ Things like ‘walk to that place’ or ‘bring that item back’-it can do those by itself.”

Yu Sheng’s thoughtful look snapped into shock: “Wait, are you saying the shell has its own mind?”

Irene blinked, then shook her head after thinking: “Not a mind. More like… instincts? Higher-level instincts? And they only ‘wake up’ when I connect to it. I don’t know how to describe it.”

Yu Sheng frowned deeply. He had not expected this at all. He was sure that, when he first made the new shell, it had no ability to move. Even when it began to show signs of life-breathing motions in the chest and all-it was still an empty shell without a soul or any instinct.

Those “instincts” appeared only after Irene took control for the first time.

So the key might be Irene. Yu Sheng’s serious thinking grew heavier.

The little doll glanced up and both bodies took an involuntary half-step back: “Wait, you’re not getting another idea, are you?”

“I’m just curious,” Yu Sheng said, staring at Irene like a general before a new campaign. “Tell me… can you control a third body?”

Irene gaped: “Huh?”

“If every new shell can develop those ‘instincts,’ and if a copy only needs a tiny bit of your focus, maybe two bodies aren’t your limit. If I make a few more dolls, could you handle them?”

Irene held her mouth open and said nothing for a long beat. Even for Miss Doll, who knew Yu Sheng’s ‘ideas’ and adapted fast to everything, this almost slammed a brand-new Door in her face.

But after the first shock, she couldn’t help following the thought.

Even Foxy looked intrigued: “Feels like… we should try.”

Hearing Foxy say that, Irene sighed: “That’s how Yu Sheng’s ideas work. They sound wild and unreliable at first, but they come with a strange pull. It’s like his ‘let’s try it’ mindset spreads to you. Once you hear it, you can’t help thinking about how to do it, what would happen, and in the end… you try it with him.”

Yu Sheng looked a bit displeased: “Why does that make my experiments sound like some kind of shady Door stuff?”

Both Irenes bared their little teeth at him: “You really don’t think it’s shady?”

Yu Sheng coughed twice: “Anyway, are we trying or not?”

“It’s… not impossible,” Irene muttered. “I’m curious too. But when we get to the last step, tell me first so I’m ready to take over. Don’t spring it on me like you did this morning.”

“Relax, relax,” Yu Sheng said quickly. “Second time’s easier. We’ve got experience now.”

Then his eyes flicked, and he stared at Miss Doll again.

This time Irene didn’t just step back a little. She jumped back: “You’ve got another idea! Say it all at once-you’re scary in installments.”

“It’s just a side thought,” Yu Sheng said, scratching his hair, a bit embarrassed. “If we’re making new bodies, maybe we should also study new methods.”

Irene squinted: “Huh?”

“Your first body’s main materials are clay and lotus root,” Yu Sheng explained, suddenly excited. “You said lotus root shouldn’t even work as doll material. The second body is clay, but I didn’t have your guidance, so I doubt my additives were precise. For future bodies, why not test different materials and processes?”

Irene looked even more doubtful: “Uh… what?”

“I can’t shake how your first body broke in that fight,” Yu Sheng said, serious again. “Your arm was completely severed, and your leg was in bad shape.”

“I don’t mind,” Irene waved it off. “So what are you really getting at?”

“In simple terms, since we don’t have higher-grade alchemy materials yet, maybe we can boost your body another way.”

Irene blinked: “And that is…?”

“Next time, I want to replace your wire skeleton with rebar.”

Irene stared: “Are you kidding me?!” [Why does that actually sound like him?]