Dimensional Hotel

Chapter 110: The Test

It was a fascinating, almost magical process. The ground and stones seemed to move on their own. The rubble and debris, like chunks of chocolate melting into warm milk, gradually sank into the earth and disappeared. Off in the distance, fields were already forming. In the spot where the ancient ruined temple once stood, a huge, perfectly smooth clearing appeared, as if giant machines had leveled it in an instant.

Then, more rocks rose from the center of that clearing, coming together to form a platform about ten centimeters above the ground.

Yu Sheng sensed himself growing more and more connected to the valley, finding that controlling its terrain became easier with each passing moment. He focused intently, strengthening the platform, making its foundation grip the earth below. It felt as if he was learning to use a brand-new limb.

He had decided this valley would be his base as soon as he confirmed it was safe, planning to use it for a variety of purposes: a place to grow crops, a “testing ground” for Irene, and a training field for Foxy. In the future, anything that needed a hidden spot could be brought here.

However, he hadn’t expected the construction of his base to begin in such an unusual way.

Foxy, eyes wide with amazement, stood watching from the sidelines. The two Irenes stood beside her, both looking equally impressed. After a long silence, Foxy exclaimed, “Wow, Benefactor could totally be a master of earth and stone!”

“Do you people have a master for everything where you’re from?” Irene finally blurted out. She had been wanting to ask this for ages. “Are there masters for cooking noodles, baking bread, or frying dumplings, too?”

“Well, those are just ‘cooking masters,’” Foxy explained, nodding with utmost seriousness. “If we separated each specialty into its own category, it would create too many divisions. The Immortal Alliance wouldn’t allow it.”

Irene’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?! There really are cooking masters?!”

By then, Yu Sheng had finished laying the foundation and started to add a small shelter in one corner of the platform—something that could provide cover from the elements, even though no wind or rain seemed to exist in this valley. He walked over to Foxy and Irene, looking curious. “What are you two talking about?”

They both pointed straight at the fox girl. “That silly fox is calling you a dust spirit master.”

“No, no,” Foxy corrected them, shaking her head. “He’s an earth-and-stone master.”

Yu Sheng suppressed a laugh and then gestured toward the large, flat platform he had created. “From now on, this place will be our second base, besides Wutong Road No. 66. I have a grand construction plan in mind. I want to build a huge structure over the ruined temple—something like an ancient civilization’s temple that looks grand, mysterious, and impressive. It’ll become the headquarters of our ‘hotel’ organization…”

“A massive city just for three people? You’ve got big dreams,” Irene teased, pointing at the small, boxy shelter on the platform’s edge. “Is that dusty cube supposed to be some kind of temporary toilet?”

Yu Sheng froze, stumbling over his response. “Um… it’s the first step in the construction plan. Let’s call it ‘Temple Version One.’”

Irene was left speechless. For once, she couldn’t think of a single sarcastic comment.

Hurrying to shift the focus, Yu Sheng cleared his throat. “Anyway, this is all just practice, getting used to making basic shapes. Let’s not dwell on that. We have a mission—to test the ‘remote range’ of your new body.”

That got Irene’s attention instantly. The two Irenes both looked up at Yu Sheng. “How do we test it?” one of them asked. “Do I run in opposite directions and see where the connection cuts off?”

“With those short legs?” Yu Sheng smirked and, before Irene could protest, he scooped up one of the doll bodies (the main one). Then he pointed to the other doll. “That one goes with Foxy. You two can run to the far end of the valley while I take this main body and teleport to the mountain border we visited before. Then we’ll see what happens.”

Before Yu Sheng could even finish his sentence, Foxy had already raced ten meters away and was lying on the ground. In a flash of light, she transformed into a giant nine-tailed fox, about the size of two vans. Glancing at the remaining doll, she said excitedly, “Irene! Climb on, and let’s run!”

Irene winced, remembering the rocket-powered ride across the valley last time. “Do we really have to do it that way…?”

Yu Sheng handed the doll in his arms to her. “Alright, then switch. This one goes with Foxy, and you come with me.”

Both Irenes froze, then glared at Yu Sheng in unison. “I’m still me, you know!”

With a sigh, the doll version of Irene trudged over to Foxy. “Fine, I’ll ride with the silly fox again. At least this body’s less sensitive, so maybe it won’t be so bad.”

Foxy lowered one of her tails, letting Irene climb up onto her back. “Sit closer to the back and hold on tight. I don’t want you flying off when I accelerate.”

Irene clung to a clump of fur and muttered, “Please go slower this time. I really don’t want to get flung off…”

But Foxy’s excitement had already taken over. Nodding briskly, she promised, “Don’t worry! I’ll accelerate smoothly!”

Yet hardly a second passed before she sprang forward, legs pounding the ground. She rocketed ahead like a cannonball.

Irene’s shriek trailed into the distance, drowned by the rush of wind and the thunder of Foxy’s footsteps. Foxy’s blazing blue fire streaked behind her, leaving what looked like a ring of shockwaves in the air.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“She’s certainly full of energy,” Yu Sheng remarked. He watched the silver-white fox blaze across the valley, kicking up a roar that echoed on the walls around them.

Through gritted teeth, Irene’s voice crackled in Yu Sheng’s ear. “I never should have believed she’d go slow! I think I’m going to fall apart!”

“Don’t worry,” Yu Sheng replied with a grin, opening a door to the other side of the valley. “If you break, I’ll fix you.”

With that, he stepped through the door, taking the main Irene doll body with him. No matter how fast Foxy ran, she was no match for Yu Sheng’s teleportation abilities.

By the time Yu Sheng and the main Irene arrived at the edge of the mountain, Foxy and the other Irene were still racing across the valley. From this high vantage point, they could watch as a silvery blur barreled forward with blue fire trailing behind it, like a shooting star racing toward the mountains. Debris and dust flew in every direction.

“I bet she could really use those tails to fly,” Yu Sheng mused, chin in hand. “Not just skimming the ground—actually fly up into the sky.”

Just then, Irene moved closer to his ear and yelled, “She says she can do it!”

Yu Sheng winced and pulled her away from his ear. “Don’t shout like that. I can hear you perfectly fine!”

The little doll dangled from Yu Sheng’s arm, swinging gently. “Sorry. There’s so much noise coming from the other body’s side that I had to yell to switch my focus.”

“So, do you feel any disconnection with the other body at all?” Yu Sheng asked.

“Nope,” Irene replied, still dangling. “There’s no weakening or anything.”

From the mountain, they could see Foxy charging toward the far side of the valley. Yu Sheng frowned thoughtfully. “If you’re feeling no sign of losing connection, then the maximum distance must be pretty large… possibly bigger than we realized.”

“This dimension, and the mountains around it, are already huge,” Irene said as she climbed up onto Yu Sheng’s shoulder. “Foxy’s almost at the peak on the other side. She’s wondering what to do next.”

Yu Sheng paused for a moment, then said, “If we want to be sure, we need to see if it works in another dimension. Right now, you know it’s fine within this valley, but what about a completely different place?”

Irene’s eyes widened. “You mean…?”

Yu Sheng opened another door. Beyond it lay a sprawling, nameless forest filled with thick vegetation. It was one of many places he had stumbled upon in his countless teleportation tests—an ordinary spot that he happened to have stored in his “coordinates.”

“How about we push it to the absolute limit?” Yu Sheng suggested, looking at the doll perched on his arm. “We can find out exactly how far apart your two bodies can be.”

“Is… is it safe over there?” Irene asked, a bit uncertain.

“I’ve checked it before. Aside from a few hot spots, there’s nothing too dangerous.”

Irene hesitated but finally nodded, steeling her resolve. “Alright. Let’s give it a try.”