Chapter 47: The Paths Diverge

“We stand on our own two feet!”

Irene stood atop a heavy, dark boulder, struggling to clutch a kitchen knife with both hands. She struck a pose she believed to be imposing against the night wind, shouting loudly into the empty valley floor.

Yu Sheng poked a finger against the puppet's head, nearly knocking her off the rock. "Stop making such a fuss. We haven't found Hu Li yet; don't go attracting the attention of 'Hunger' prematurely."

"That thing doesn't rely on hearing anyway," Irene grumbled as she hopped down from the rock. She tightened the straps of the picture frame on her back and looked up to observe their surroundings. "...It really is desolate. And just like you said, it's eerie and sinister. It feels like something is covering the sky."

"Be careful," Yu Sheng glanced at Irene, whose small stature made her look as if she possessed almost no combat capability. Although he knew this puppet possessed many strange abilities, he couldn't help but offer a warning. "If anything happens, prioritize protecting yourself. I'm not afraid of death, but you are different. Neither of us can be certain if your soul can survive once this temporary body is destroyed."

"Don't worry, I'll protect myself. And to be honest, 'Hunger' isn't much of a threat to me," Irene tilted her head back. "Puppets generally aren't affected by mental influences. More importantly—I don't get hungry."

"True, you don't get hungry, but you certainly know how to crave things. Even when I take a sip of water, I have to hold it in front of you for a look," Yu Sheng muttered, glancing at his feet.

The several large plastic bags he had brought were all there, which brought him instant relief. His caution and meticulousness during the opening were justified; he had successfully transported all his "payload" through the gate. For now, at least, the beginning was going smoothly.

Yu Sheng bent down and easily lifted the food, which would have been quite heavy for an ordinary person, and looked ahead.

The collapsed, dilapidated temple stood silently in the night, looking much the same as when he had left.

"Let's head over there first. Hu Li should be nearby; I can feel it," Yu Sheng said softly, stepping into the darkness.

He had barely taken two steps when he heard Irene's boisterous voice behind him: "Hey, wait a minute! Slow down! I can't keep up!"

Yu Sheng turned around to see the 66.6-centimeter-tall little puppet. With one hand dragging a kitchen knife and the other maintaining her balance, she was navigating around the large boulders on the path as if she were scaling mountains, then trudging unevenly across the stony, gravel-strewn valley floor.

Obstacles that an ordinary person could step over in a single stride required her to climb or take a long detour...

Watching this scene, Yu Sheng felt speechless. He suddenly sighed, walked over, and crouched in front of Irene. "Just sit on my shoulder—and don't you dare say 'Giddy up'!"

Irene brightened up instantly, running toward Yu Sheng with her kitchen knife raised. "Yay! You're the best!"

Yu Sheng let out a sudden yell: "Put that thing away first! Or at least turn the blade the other way!"

Good grief. A living puppet with blood-red eyes charging at his neck with a kitchen knife in the dark was a bit too damn terrifying.

Yu Sheng wasn't afraid of death, but he was afraid of *this*.

...

"Where on earth have they brought us?" Li Lin shivered as a cold wind blew through the forest. A growing sense of unease swirled in his heart. "Is this still the Boundary..."

"Exotic Realm, Nightfall Valley, current depth L-3, gradually sinking toward L-4. Danger assessment... according to the records, Level 3 or higher," Xu Jiali's voice came from beside him. The nearly two-meter-tall man had, at some unknown point, connected a portable depth sounder to his eyeball. He was scanning the surroundings while speaking rapidly based on the data in his memory. "The classification of this Exotic Realm is 'Wilderness'—we're in big trouble."

Li Lin's eyes widened. At Xu Jiali's reminder, he finally belatedly recalled the data he had encountered during training.

A "Wilderness" type Exotic Realm was massive, with no clear boundaries or exits. One could only leave by meeting specific conditions or at a specific time and direction. A depth of L-3 meant the area was essentially completely isolated from reality and operated under irrational rules. Long-term stays carried a high risk of mental and cognitive erosion. A danger level of three meant there was clear malice present—something resided here that would actively attack and attempt to kill intruders. The threat was lethal and could not be avoided or countered through methods like "following the rules."

Operating in an Exotic Realm of this level usually required at least a full squad of Bureau agents—a dozen people, fully armed and carrying heavy equipment.

And that was just for a reconnaissance mission. In other words, if the goal was merely to collect intelligence and retreat alive rather than attempting to confront the entities here, it would require even more manpower or more senior special operatives.

Li Lin looked at his side. Including Xu Jiali, there were only two Bureau agents on site. Although one was a Deep Diver—a specialist trained to combat entities—the suddenness of the incident meant this powerhouse hadn't brought much equipment.

Beside them was also an underage "Spirit World Detective" working as a freelancer, supposedly a reconnaissance type.

Fate was absolutely screwed.

"Give the food to that little girl over there," Xu Jiali, the most experienced person on site, broke the silence with a serious command. "Li Lin, you and I will use this."

Li Lin quickly snapped out of his "fate is screwed" lament and followed the senior agent's instructions without hesitation. He handed the two bowls of instant noodles directly to the still-dazed Little Red Riding Hood, then reached out to take what Xu Jiali offered.

It was a needle-less injector, containing a pale green liquid that glowed faintly in the dark.

A Rationality Blocker.

Li Lin looked up in shock at his colleague, who had already pressed the injector against her arm.

"The entities generated here are 'Hunger,' which have a tendency for mental attacks," the large man said calmly. "You should know what that means from the name. Take a shot first. The side effects are greater than an inhaler, but it will guarantee you don't lose your judgment for at least forty-eight hours."

Li Lin nodded. With a *hiss*, the Rationality Blocker was injected into his body.

Beside them, Little Red Riding Hood reacted instantly upon hearing the name "Hunger." She stepped forward immediately. "Wait, then you guys should hurry and eat. Your bodies are still human; I can handle much more than you—and I have snacks on me..."

"Listen to me," Xu Jiali interrupted her directly. The nearly two-meter-tall man stood in the darkness, looming nearly two heads taller than the girl. He looked down at her with an exceptionally grave expression. "I know your situation."

Little Red Riding Hood opened her mouth to speak but finally fell silent.

Xu Jiali patted her shoulder, her deep voice carrying a reassuring strength. "This is for our sake as well—your wolf pack is our greatest hope for countering the entities. You must maintain your combat effectiveness."

Li Lin watched as Little Red Riding Hood crouched by a nearby rock and began silently eating the now-cold instant noodles. He turned to look at his colleague, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Xu Jiali shook her head slightly and lowered her voice. "If she falls into hunger, her wolves will eat her."

In the night, the wolf pack let out restless, low whines in the forest.

In the cold wind, a malicious "gaze" was spreading through the valley.

Amidst the ruins of the dilapidated temple, Yu Sheng and Irene were searching cautiously.

The pervasive scent of rot seemed to grow thicker, almost as if it were conscious, burrowing into their nostrils and causing intense discomfort.

Irene simply stopped breathing.

Yu Sheng found that quite enviable.

"Are you sure that fox is here?" Irene held a kitchen knife in one hand and gripped Yu Sheng's hair with the other, perched on his shoulders and straining her neck to look around. "I can't see anything..."

"Confirmed," Yu Sheng said casually. "There is a faint connection between her and me, established through blood—the same as with you, though you might not realize it yourself."

"O-oh, really?" Irene gave Yu Sheng a skeptical look, then looked down at her hands, as if pondering what he meant by a "faint connection."

Just then, a faint rustling sound erupted from the silent ruins, interrupting Irene's thoughts and Yu Sheng's movements.

Both of them looked up almost simultaneously toward the source of the sound.

A white figure cautiously emerged from behind a collapsed wall.

A silvery-white fox tail swayed gently in the night, and fluffy ears twitched in the wind. The fox-girl emerging from the ruins stared with wide eyes at the figures standing nearby. Once she finally recognized who they were, she immediately broke into a joyful smile.

"Benefactor!"

Hu Li ran out from behind the broken wall, sweeping through the debris like a gust of wind. She circled Yu Sheng twice at high speed before coming to a halt in front of him, her face filled with pure happiness and a touch of disbelief. "You... you really came! Benefactor, really?"

"It's me, it's me. It's real," Yu Sheng smiled happily as well, immediately setting the things in his hands on the ground. "I brought you lots of delicious food. Starting today, you won't have to go hungry anymore."

(End of Chapter)