Chapter 29: Days with the Doll
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Irene quickly understood what Yu Sheng meant by “Rule-type.”
“Actually, I’m not entirely sure,” the doll inside the painting said slowly, pointing to her own head. “I’ve told you, many things are a blur to me now—even the most basic knowledge. The influence of this painting on me isn’t just memory loss. Over the long years, it’s dismantled my thoughts. Regarding the characteristics of ‘Hunger,’ many are just vague impressions I’ve pieced together. You’d best take it as a reference.”
“Well, regardless, that thing is definitely hard to deal with,” Yu Sheng pondered for a moment and nodded. “Looks like we need a backup plan. If we can’t handle that creature, we should find a way to get Foxy out of that valley. By the way, if we can get her out of that Otherworld, she should be free from ‘Hunger’s’ influence, right?”
“She should be,” Irene replied thoughtfully. “The Otherworld’s influence can’t spread into reality. But honestly, getting someone out of an Otherworld under the blockade of ‘Hunger’ is extremely difficult.”
As she thought aloud, Irene suddenly looked up, staring straight at Yu Sheng. “Wait, are you seriously planning to deal with that thing yourself? I mean, setting aside how you’ll handle it, how do you know you’ll even return to that valley?”
“Didn’t you say that once someone has contact with the Otherworld, they can never break that connection?” Yu Sheng said casually. “I understand it like falling into quicksand—you can only keep sinking. Even if you get out temporarily, it’s just stalling the sinking process…”
Irene widened her eyes. “I did say that, but what I meant is that after interacting with an Otherworld, you establish a connection with the entire realm ‘beyond reason.’ You’ll have a higher chance of encountering other Otherworlds or supernatural phenomena, not necessarily the same one you first encountered. It’s completely random!”
“But I have a feeling I’ll meet that creature again soon, and that valley too,” Yu Sheng said earnestly, meeting Irene’s gaze. “I haven’t completely ‘disconnected’ from that place. It’s… like it’s waiting for me to return.”