Dimensional Hotel

Foxy stood resolutely before everyone. “I buried my parents deep beneath this forest,” she declared firmly. “Even though the ground is now riddled with pits and ravines, the place where I laid them to rest must still be there.”

With that, she began to dig.

Possessing the strength of a fox spirit and unaffected by hunger, she dug swiftly, even with her bare hands. Soft earth flew from the growing hole as Yu Sheng and Irene stood quietly nearby. Not far off, Li Lin and his two companions observed, starting to piece together what was happening despite their initial confusion.

Perched on Yu Sheng’s shoulder, Irene watched Foxy delve deeper. She couldn’t help but speak up again. “Um… maybe we should come back another time? It’s been quite a while, and that Hunger entity might show up again. We’d have to fight it all over…”

“It won’t,” Foxy called up from the pit, glancing briefly at them. “I can sense when it appears. I’ve been here many years. It’s not in this hole. It should be… over there.”

She climbed out of the pit, stood in the barren landscape to get her bearings, and soon moved to another spot to resume digging with renewed vigor.

Irene opened her mouth as if to say more, but Yu Sheng gently patted her arm.

“Let her dig,” he said softly. “If she doesn’t find them, she’ll always be trapped here, even if we leave.”

Irene pressed her lips together. Her voice echoed in Yu Sheng’s mind. “I’m not worried about what she might dig up. I’m afraid she’ll find nothing in the end.”

“Then why…?”

“Because I believe she’ll find them.”

Irene was silent for a moment. “But you’ve seen her mental state. When the Hunger’s influence was strongest, she could barely think straight. Considering what we saw deep in that dream…”

Yu Sheng just shook his head.

He stepped forward, approaching Foxy. “Do you need any help?” he asked gently.

“No,” Foxy replied stubbornly, digging rapidly. “I’ll dig myself. It’s right here. I saw… the cloth I buried before, just a bit further down.”

Yu Sheng nodded and stepped back. “All right. I’ll wait for you here.”

He retreated to a spot where they couldn’t see into the pit, standing quietly with Irene as they waited for Foxy to finish what she needed to do.

Time seemed to stretch. Each passing second felt like a year. Yu Sheng resisted the urge to peer into the pit, feeling as though his feet were rooted to the ground. He sensed Irene, perched on his shoulder, was tense as well.

“When we get back, I’ll fix your body,” Yu Sheng said, breaking the silence and trying to distract her.

“Okay,” Irene replied absently.

“But we might be low on clay at home. Maybe I’ll have to use some flour. You don’t mind, do you?”

“I don’t mind.”

“How about using two pieces of lotus root?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure? I said two pieces of lotus root.”

“I don’t min—wait, I mind!”

Irene suddenly realized, glaring at him fiercely (or so she thought).

Just then, she noticed the digging sounds had ceased.

An eerie silence emanated from the pit. No more soil was being tossed out, and they couldn’t hear Foxy moving.

Irene hesitated, then exchanged a glance with Yu Sheng. “Oh no! What if it’s empty down there?”

Without a word, Yu Sheng dashed toward the pit.

He saw Foxy.

The fox girl was curled up at the bottom, hugging two fluffy tails to her chest. The rest of her tails wrapped around her like a blanket.

Beside her lay two neatly arranged skeletons.

She nestled between them, her body rising and falling gently, like a cub sleeping beside its mother.

Yu Sheng exhaled softly, sitting down among the scattered stones at the pit’s edge.

Irene sighed too, lying down atop Yu Sheng’s head.

After a few minutes, Foxy slowly stood up. She looked at the skeletons beside her, then up at Yu Sheng. A faint smile spread across her face.

Yu Sheng met her gaze. “Ready to go?” he asked.

“Yes, let’s go,” Foxy nodded.

She bent down, carefully broke off a sharp canine tooth from each skeleton, and then climbed out of the pit with Yu Sheng’s help.

“Is it enough to just take those?” Irene asked curiously, eyeing the teeth clutched tightly in Foxy’s hand. “What about the rest?”

Foxy shook her head. “Taking the teeth is enough. Mom and Dad said that, according to fox tradition, bringing the teeth home means bringing them home.”

“Then that’s fine,” Yu Sheng smiled. He raised his hand to open a doorway back to the real world. Just as he was about to do so, Foxy tugged at his sleeve. “Wait a moment, please. There’s still…”

Before she could finish, Yu Sheng smacked his forehead. “Oh right! I almost forgot. Wait here a moment.”

With that, he opened another door and slipped through, leaving Li Lin and his companions staring in astonishment.

He wasn’t gone long. Within seconds, another door appeared in the same spot. Yu Sheng stepped out with Irene, carrying a somewhat tattered plastic bag.

Inside were the food items they’d left behind in the ruined temple.

“Some of it was spoiled by those creatures,” he explained. “I brought back what was still good.”

Foxy’s face lit up with a genuine smile. She eagerly took the bag, carefully counting the instant noodles, biscuits, and cans of eight-treasure porridge inside. After counting twice, she seemed satisfied.

“All right, now we’ve got everything. Let’s go home,” Yu Sheng said cheerfully. He reached out to the air beside him and pulled. A doorway leading to Wutong Road appeared, revealing his familiar living room. “Li Lin, you three, come on over. Let’s head back together.”

“Oh… oh, okay!” Li Lin stammered, hurrying over with Little Red Riding Hood. Following them was Xu Jiali, who glanced at the doorway Yu Sheng had opened with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. She hesitated briefly but then quickened her pace to catch up.

As they stepped through the door, the cold winds of the Valley of Hunger were left behind. The familiar atmosphere of Yu Sheng’s home enveloped them, carrying a comforting warmth. He took several deep breaths, feeling a sense of peace.

Without realizing it, this place truly felt like home to him now.

Foxy’s eyes widened as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings.

After spending countless years in that desolate valley, she was unaccustomed to such a place. The intact roof and bright lights made her feel out of place.

She hesitated for a few moments before setting down the bag of food and sitting cautiously on the floor beside it. She guarded the instant noodles, biscuits, and cans, occasionally stealing curious glances around or watching Yu Sheng.

Li Lin, Xu Jiali, and Little Red Riding Hood were also observing the place carefully. Through the living room window overlooking the street, they recognized they were somewhere deep within Wutong Road. But judging by the view, even the seasoned agent Li Lin couldn’t pinpoint exactly which building they were in.

At the same time, their instincts whispered warnings. This place wasn’t quite the stable reality they knew; it was still some kind of anomalous space.

The three exchanged glances, each reading the unease in the others’ eyes.

Something wasn’t right about this place.

But they couldn’t very well pull out their depth detectors to measure the environment. Though Yu Sheng seemed friendly, the eerie methods he had used to eliminate the Hunger entity and his ability to open portals between realms hinted at someone powerful and potentially dangerous.

Provoking such a mysterious figure wouldn’t be wise. If they angered this seemingly amiable “human,” they might not leave here alive.

After a long pause, Li Lin broke the silence. “So… this is your home?”

“Yes,” Yu Sheng nodded. “Feel free to sit anywhere. I’ll get you some water. Sorry I wasn’t prepared for guests today.”

“Oh, no need to trouble yourself,” Li Lin hurriedly replied, waving his hands. The friendlier Yu Sheng acted, the more unsettled he felt. The memory of the Hunger entity consuming itself was still fresh. “We’ll be leaving soon, really…”

He hesitated, then added casually, “By the way, where exactly are we? Are we still in Boundary City?”

“Of course,” Yu Sheng said as if it were obvious. “Look outside; you’ll recognize Wutong Road. You were tailing me here, weren’t you?”

Li Lin felt a bead of cold sweat. “Ah, about that… please don’t take it the wrong way. We didn’t have all the information at the time…”

“It’s no big deal,” Yu Sheng waved it off. “Actually, I’ve been wanting to find you all but couldn’t.”

Li Lin and Xu Jiali exchanged surprised glances. “You… were looking for us?”

“You’re looking for them, right?” Little Red Riding Hood piped up, pointing at Xu Jiali and Li Lin. “I’m just a temp worker…”

“No, I’m looking for all of you,” Yu Sheng said seriously. “Professionals like you.”