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Yu Sheng poked her tiny head with a finger, nearly knocking her off the rock. “Stop yelling. We haven’t found Foxy yet. You’ll attract ‘Hunger’s’ attention ahead of time.”

“That thing doesn’t sense by hearing,” Irene retorted, sulking as she hopped off the stone. She tightened the straps of the painting frame on her back and looked around. “It really is desolate here, and just like you said, creepy as anything. The sky looks like it’s covered by something.”

“Be extra careful,” Yu Sheng glanced at the petite doll perched on his shoulder. Although he knew she had many strange abilities, he couldn’t help but remind her, “If anything happens, make sure you protect yourself first. I don’t fear death, but you’re different. Neither of us can be sure if your soul can survive if 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 looked up. “Dolls generally aren’t affected mentally, and more importantly—I don’t get hungry.”

“Yeah, you don’t get hungry, but you sure know how to crave things. Even when I have a drink of water, you have to watch me,” Yu Sheng muttered, glancing down at his feet.

The large plastic bags he had brought were all there, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. The caution and thoroughness when opening the door had paid off. He had transported all the supplies through the gate; at least the start was smooth.

He bent down and easily lifted the food that would have been quite heavy for an ordinary person. He looked ahead, not far away.

That collapsed, dilapidated temple stood quietly in the darkness, looking much the same as when he had left.

“Let’s head over there first. Foxy should be nearby; I can feel it,” Yu Sheng said softly, stepping forward into the night.

He had just taken two steps when he heard Irene shouting behind him, “Hey, wait up! Slow down! I can’t keep up!”

Yu Sheng turned around to see the tiny doll—only a few inches tall—dragging the kitchen knife with one hand and balancing herself with the other. She was navigating around several large rocks on the path as if she were crossing mountains, stumbling over the rocky valley floor.

Obstacles an ordinary person could step over, she had to climb or take a long detour.

Yu Sheng watched this scene, speechless, then sighed and walked back to her. He squatted down in front of Irene. “You’d better ride on my shoulder—but don’t say ‘Giddy up!\'”

Irene’s face lit up instantly. She ran toward Yu Sheng, waving the kitchen knife. “Yay! You’re so nice!”

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

Good grief, a living doll with blood-red eyes charging at your neck with a kitchen knife in the dark—that was way too creepy.

Yu Sheng wasn’t afraid of death, but this was another matter.

“Where in the world are we?” Li Lin shivered as the cold wind blew through the forest, a growing unease gnawing at him. “Is this still the borderland?”

“An Otherworld, Night Valley. Current depth L-3, gradually sinking to L-4. Danger level assessment… According to the records, above level three,” Xu Jiali’s voice came from beside him. This towering man, nearly two meters tall, had connected a portable depth probe to his eye at some point and was quickly speaking as he surveyed the surroundings based on the data in his mind. “This realm is classified as ‘Wilderness’—we’re in big trouble.”

Li Lin’s eyes widened. With Xu Jiali’s reminder, he finally recalled the information from his training.

A ‘Wilderness’-type Otherworld was vast, with no clear boundaries and no definite exits. Leaving required meeting specific conditions or being at a specific time or location. An L-3 depth meant it was almost entirely isolated from reality, operating under illogical rules, with a high likelihood of mental and cognitive erosion if one stayed too long. A danger level of three meant there was obvious malice here—something lurking that would actively attack and try to kill intruders. The threat was lethal and couldn’t be avoided or countered by simply ‘following the rules.’

Operating in such a high-level Otherworld usually required at least a full team of Special Affairs Bureau agents—more than a dozen people, fully armed and carrying heavy equipment.

And even then, the mission was only to investigate—to collect information and then withdraw alive, not to confront the entities here, which would require more personnel or more experienced special operators.

Li Lin looked around. Including Xu Jiali, only two Special Affairs Bureau agents were on site. Though one of them was a deep diver who specialized in dealing with entities, the sudden situation meant the tough guy hadn’t brought much equipment.

There was also a teenage ‘spiritual detective’ on a side job, supposedly a scout type.

We’re doomed.

“Give the food to that little girl over there,” the most experienced person on the scene, Xu Jiali, broke the silence, issuing orders with a serious face. “Li Lin, you and I will use this.”

Li Lin snapped out of his pessimistic thoughts, unhesitatingly following the senior agent’s instructions. He handed the two cups of instant noodles in his hand to the somewhat bewildered girl in the red hood, then reached out to take what Xu Jiali was offering.

It was a needleless injector, the pale green liquid inside faintly glowing in the night.

A Rationality Blocker.

Li Lin looked up in surprise, watching his colleague already pressing the injector against his arm.

“The entity generated here is ‘Hunger,’ with tendencies for mental attacks,” the tall man said calmly. “You can probably guess what that means from the name—take a shot first. Although the side effects are bigger than the aerosol inhaler, at least within 48 hours, it will ensure you won’t lose your judgment.”

Li Lin nodded, and with a soft hiss, injected the Rationality Blocker into his own arm.

Nearby, the girl in the red hood reacted instantly upon hearing the name ‘Hunger.’ She stepped forward. “Wait, then you guys should hurry and eat the food. Your bodies are still ordinary; I can resist better than you—and I have snacks on me…”

“Listen to me,” Xu Jiali interrupted her firmly. This towering man stood in the darkness, nearly two heads taller than the girl. He looked down at her, his expression unusually serious. “I know your situation.”

The girl opened her mouth but finally said nothing more.

Xu Jiali patted her shoulder, his deep voice seeming to carry a reassuring power. “This is also for our sake—you and your wolf pack are our best hope against the entity. You need to maintain your combat strength.”

Li Lin watched as the girl in the red hood squatted by a nearby rock, starting to eat the now cold instant noodles in silence. He turned to glance at his colleague, confusion in his eyes.

Xu Jiali gently shook his head, lowering his voice. “If she succumbs to hunger, her wolves will eat her.”

In the darkness, the wolves in the forest let out restless whines.

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

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

The pervasive stench was becoming more intense, almost as if it had a will of its own, seeping into their senses and making them extremely uncomfortable.

Irene simply stopped breathing.

Yu Sheng was quite envious of that.

“Are you sure that fox is here?” Irene asked, gripping the kitchen knife in one hand and holding onto Yu Sheng’s hair with the other as she rode on his shoulder. She craned her neck, trying hard to look around. “I can’t see anything…”

“I’m sure,” Yu Sheng replied casually. “I have a faint connection with her, established through blood—just like with you, although you might not be aware of it.”

“Is… is that so?” Irene looked at Yu Sheng doubtfully, then down at her own hands as if pondering what kind of connection he was talking about.

Just then, a slight rustling sound came from the silent ruins, interrupting their thoughts.

They both raised their heads simultaneously, looking toward the direction of the sound.

A white figure cautiously emerged from behind a collapsed wall.

A silver-white fox tail swayed gently in the night, fluffy ears trembled slightly in the wind. The fox girl, who had emerged from the ruins, widened her eyes as she looked at the figures standing not far away. When she finally saw clearly who it was, she broke into a joyful smile.

“Benefactor!”

Foxy ran out from behind the broken wall like a gust of wind, sweeping over the debris and rubble on the ground. She circled Yu Sheng twice quickly before stopping in front of him, her face full of pure joy and a bit of disbelief. “You… you really came! Benefactor, truly?”

“Yes, it’s me, really,” Yu Sheng smiled warmly and immediately set down the things he was carrying. “I brought you lots of delicious food. From today on, you won’t have to go hungry.”