Chapter 29: Days Spent with a Doll

Irene quickly understood what Yu Sheng meant by "Rule-based."

"Actually, I'm not entirely sure myself. As I said, my memory of many things is blurred, even much of the most basic knowledge—the impact this painting has had on me isn't just simple memory loss; over the long passage of time, it has dismantled my very way of thinking," the doll in the painting said slowly, pointing to its own head. "Regarding those characteristics of 'Hunger,' many are just superficial impressions that I've reorganized based on my own understanding. You'd best treat them only as a reference."

"...Regardless, it's true that that thing is very difficult to deal with," Yu Sheng pondered for a moment and nodded. "It seems we'll need a backup plan. If we can't handle that monster, we also need to find a way to bring Hu Li out of that valley—oh, right, if she leaves that Otherworld, she should be able to escape the influence of 'Hunger' as well, right?"

"It should be possible. The influence of an Otherworld cannot spread into reality. But honestly, the difficulty of bringing another person out of an Otherworld under the lockdown of 'Hunger' is absurd in itself."

As Irene spoke, she was lost in thought, then suddenly looked up, staring intently at Yu Sheng: "Wait, are you seriously planning to deal with that thing yourself... No, setting aside how you'll solve it, how do you know for sure that you'll be able to return to that valley?"

"Didn't you say so? Once a person makes contact with an Otherworld, they can never break that connection again," Yu Sheng said casually. "I understand it like falling into quicksand; you can only sink deeper and deeper. Even if you temporarily scramble out, it's just because you managed to hold on for a moment during the sinking process..."

Irene's eyes widened: "I did say that, but what that means is that after you've dealt with an Otherworld, you establish a connection with the entire realm 'beyond sanity.' You'll have a higher probability of encountering other Otherworlds or supernatural phenomena; it doesn't mean you'll definitely return to the specific one you first encountered. It's completely random!"

"But I have a hunch that I'll see that monster again very soon, and that valley too," Yu Sheng met Irene's gaze seriously. "I haven't completely 'disconnected' from that place. It... seems to be waiting for me to return."

A flash of solemnity crossed Irene's crimson eyes. She thought for a moment and spoke uncertainly: "...Spiritual intuition?"

"I don't know if that's what you call spiritual intuition," Yu Sheng spread his hands. "But ever since I dealt with that monster, I have indeed started to 'feel' certain things. They're vague, but they seem very accurate."

"...Even with stimulation, it's hard for an ordinary person to develop spiritual intuition in such a short time, let alone exercise a certain degree of control and utilization over it," Irene couldn't help but look Yu Sheng up and down, her expression tinged with wonder. "You... might just be a natural-born Investigator's physique..."

Yu Sheng opened his mouth: "Ah, is that a good thing?"

Irene thought for a moment, her sharp tongue as biting as ever: "The mortality rate for Investigators is quite high."

Yu Sheng: "..."

Before he could say anything, he heard Irene's mouth follow up with another line: "But the mortality rate for ordinary people who contact an Otherworld but cannot develop spiritual intuition is even higher."

Yu Sheng's lip twitched: "Fine then, it's not a huge problem."

Irene was momentarily stunned by the sheer breadth of Yu Sheng's composure, while Yu Sheng simply shook his head and rose from the dining table.

A voice immediately came from the oil painting: "Hey, where are you going?"

"The kitchen! I've slept all day, and dinner hasn't even been sorted out yet!" Yu Sheng turned and glared at Irene. "By the way, why do you get so nervous every time I move, as if I'm going to throw you away?"

"Duh! Even moving myself is a problem right now. Do you know how unsettled I feel? Besides, someone like you who can fall into an Otherworld just by stepping out the door—how am I supposed to know if you'll just vanish again the next time you stand up, and then we're separated by death forever..."

Irene's mouth was as annoying as ever, but Yu Sheng only frowned, sensing that she merely wanted to show concern.

And... he sensed the sense of loss and insecurity caused by this doll being trapped in an oil painting, unable to control her own situation, and finally finding someone she could communicate with.

He thought for a moment, then stood up and picked Irene up from the dining table.

The latter immediately cried out in alarm: "Hey, what are you doing! I... I was still watching TV! I'm warning you, don't hang me back in that room on the second floor! I... fine, I won't talk, just put me back..."

"Cooking alone is boring. Since you're idle anyway, come to the kitchen and keep me company."

Irene froze, peeking at Yu Sheng's expression from the edge of the frame. She seemed somewhat incredulous, but soon nodded vigorously: "Okay, okay!"

Yu Sheng curled his lip, carried Irene into the kitchen, set her on the windowsill, and turned to open the refrigerator to check the ingredients for dinner.

Hu Li's figure surfaced in his mind—the moment he saw food, he couldn't help but think of that fox girl crouching in the ruins of the dilapidated temple, staring at him from afar with a piece of rotten vegetable in her mouth.

She was still hungry.

Yu Sheng pursed his lips, suppressing the many thoughts in his heart, and took out the leftover stew and two steamed buns from this morning.

He'd just reheat the leftovers with the buns tonight, and boil some porridge while he was at it.

After putting the buns and stew from the fridge into the microwave, he began washing rice to prepare the porridge. Yu Sheng worked in silence, but half a minute later, he began to regret bringing Irene into the kitchen—

This chatterbox hadn't stopped since the moment he opened the fridge!

"Hey, this fridge is pretty big! Do you really need such a big fridge all by yourself?

"Is that the meat you stewed this morning? Come to think of it, that 'local specialty' actually looks quite normal after being processed... By the way, is it really not going to suddenly come to life in the bowl?

"You're just making porridge? Well, there's nothing to see then. Why don't you carve some patterns into a radish, or maybe carve a seal.

"Why aren't you turning on the range hood... Oh, you're not stir-frying.

"Is it getting dark outside? Hey, turn me around, let me see the street... Fine, if you won't, then fine.

"What's your mother's surname?"

Yu Sheng finally reached his limit. He grabbed Irene and brought her close to the sink: "Do you believe me if I say I'll soak you in here right now? Do you believe I'll scrub you with dish soap until your color fades!"

Irene instantly shrank her neck, hugging her teddy bear and sitting back in her chair: "I won't talk, I won't talk..."

Finally, the world was quiet.

Irene had returned to the windowsill, sitting in her chair hugging the teddy bear and watching Yu Sheng. He was currently leaning against the stove, staring blankly; neither of them spoke.

After an unknown amount of time, Irene was the one to break the silence: "I still think it's dangerous to face 'Hunger' alone. Although I can't remember exactly how much power that entity has, it's certainly not something an ordinary person can handle. You... you might die."

"I will resurrect."

"I'm being serious with you!"

"I am being serious too."

Irene stared at him, looking somewhat angry.

But she was only angry for a few seconds before letting out a sigh.

"Seriously, think of another way. Find a way to contact that group of people in this city who specialize in fighting Otherworlds. Don't take risks."

"I don't want to take risks; I just feel like 'danger' will find me," Yu Sheng shook his head. "But I understand what you mean. I won't throw my life away recklessly. As for those 'professionals' you mentioned, I will look for them."

"Oh, that's good then."

Dinner passed in tranquility. Irene watched the mindless urban dramas on TV, occasionally critiquing the people and events in the plots, while Yu Sheng ate seriously, occasionally responding to Irene's chatter.

Yu Sheng ate very cleanly. By the end, he didn't even leave a drop of meat broth in the bowl, using a bun to wipe the edges until it was spotless.

"I'm going out for a bit." After tidying up the dining room and kitchen, Yu Sheng changed into his outdoor clothes and said casually to Irene.

Hearing this, Irene, who was watching TV, immediately looked up, her expression even carrying a hint of panic: "Where are you going?!"

"To the small supermarket at the intersection to buy some food. It's not far," Yu Sheng said, noticing the expression on Irene's face and finding it somewhat amusing. "Don't be so nervous. It's not like I fall into an Otherworld every time I step out... Don't worry, even though this house is a bit strange, I'll observe before opening the door every time from now on."

"Uh, alright," Irene scratched her hair, looking a bit puzzled. "But I saw quite a lot of things in the fridge earlier."

"I'll buy some more," Yu Sheng said. "Things that don't need the fridge, ready-to-eat stuff."

Irene understood.

"Oh, okay then. Be careful when you go out... Remember, don't just walk straight out after opening the door! Look outside first!"

Yu Sheng laughed.

It had been a long time since anyone had told him "be careful when you go out." Although the one saying it this time was a doll who usually had a mouth full of trash talk, it felt quite nice.

He changed his clothes, thought for a moment, and stuffed several pieces of bread and biscuits into his pockets before approaching the front door. With his hand on the doorknob, he took a light breath.

To be honest, ever since he had pushed open this door last time and fallen directly into an Otherworld, he did have a bit of... a shadow regarding this door.

But he couldn't stay in this house forever because of it.

Yu Sheng gritted his teeth and slowly pushed the door open.

First, he opened a crack, then opened it a bit wider, cautiously observing the situation outside.

After confirming repeatedly for a long time, he finally let out a long breath and stepped out of the house.

Fortunately, the door wasn't that sinister.

It seemed that falling into an Otherworld after leaving that house was not a high-probability event. Perhaps specific conditions were required to trigger some "effect" of that door? Perhaps it required opening the door a certain number of times, or at a specific time?

As Yu Sheng walked down the street, his heart settled slightly, and he couldn't help but let his mind wander. Regardless, he was truly relieved.

He walked briskly down the street, which had almost no pedestrians, and before long, he arrived at the small supermarket at the intersection and pushed the door.

The moment he pushed the door, he felt a sudden jolt in his heart, and then—

A blast of hot air hit his face. The scorched earth across from the door steamed with heat. A crashed aircraft was emitting billowing black smoke on a distant hill, and two fully armed individuals in black power armor—looking somewhat like alien combat suits—were brawling with each other. One of them suddenly raised a hand, and with a "hiss," a plasma blade ignited from his wrist, thrusting toward the opponent.

Then, the two "black cans" dressed like astral mercenaries seemed to notice the gaze beside them simultaneously. They snapped their heads toward Yu Sheng, the dim red monitors on their faceplates flickering.

Yu Sheng: "...?"

He lunged backward a step and slammed the door shut with a loud *bang*.

(End of Chapter)