Chapter 10: Blooming a Second Time

Chapter 10: Blooming a Second Time

Irene thought it was absurd that Yu Sheng could live inside an Other Domain for such a long time without realizing it.

Yu Sheng, meanwhile, thought the entire world was absurd.

“So according to you, Other Domains are everywhere in this world, right?” Hiding in a corner of the ruined temple, Yu Sheng chatted idly with Irene in his mind. “It’s just that most people can’t come into contact with them? Because they can’t perceive them?”

“More or less, yes. But as for whether the entire world is like that... honestly, I’m not really sure,” Irene replied. “The world is huge, after all. But at least within Boundary City, the probability of encountering an Other Domain is very high. That’s why some people call this place the Boundary Zone. I don’t really know the details. I’ve been trapped in that painting for too long, and my head’s gotten a bit muddled.”

“Boundary Zone?” Yu Sheng raised an eyebrow. The name felt strangely familiar somehow.

But then he noticed another piece of information hidden in Irene’s words.

She had specifically emphasized “within Boundary City.”

Which meant that this enormous city, so vast it seemed endless, actually had an outside.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he could not resist asking.

“What’s outside Boundary City...?”

“Outside Boundary City? Maybe more cities. Or maybe... the sea, or something?” Irene’s answer was vague. “I can’t remember. I’ve really been trapped in this painting for too long. I only remember a few things about this city...”

She suddenly stopped and asked in confusion, “You don’t know? Have you never left Boundary City either?”

The corner of Yu Sheng’s mouth twitched.

He immediately fell silent.

How would he know?

He had only been here for two months.

Forget what was outside Boundary City. He still had not figured out the bus routes more than four blocks away from his house.

Yet after remaining silent for a long while, he decided not to mention that.

For the time being, he did not want a cursed portrait he had only known for a short time to learn that particular secret.

“I’ve never gone out. I’m kind of a homebody... Forget it, let’s not talk about that,” he said casually before changing the subject. “Let’s figure out my current problem first. How exactly am I supposed to get out of this so-called Other Domain? By the way... it is possible to leave an Other Domain, right?”

Irene thought for a while, apparently trying to organize the fragmented memories that had become blurred during her long imprisonment.

Only after a long pause did she answer.

“There are many kinds of Other Domains. Sometimes one is just a house that doesn’t exist on any map. Sometimes it’s an extra bus stop that appears along a route. Sometimes it’s even an entire forest, or a kingdom you can enter by opening a wardrobe door.

“Generally speaking, smaller Other Domains have relatively fixed and obvious exits. Follow certain rules, and you can return to reality. But the larger the Other Domain, the more complicated things become.”

She paused before continuing.

“I don’t remember the details very clearly. There should be a complete classification system for Other Domains, plus standards for measuring Depth and Danger Level. But I really have spent too long inside this painting...”

Her voice gradually grew quieter, sounding somewhat dejected.

Yu Sheng had originally wanted to make a sarcastic remark. He had been thinking that Irene had rambled for ages without remembering a single useful piece of information.

But after hearing her final muttered words, he closed his mouth.

For once, he did not bicker with her.

She was genuinely trying her best to help.

She had simply been sealed away for too long.

“We’ll search around. There has to be an exit somewhere,” Yu Sheng said, shaking his head as he looked out into the valley beyond the ruined temple. “This place doesn’t seem small. Just from what I can see, there are mountains on both sides and a forest in the distance. Based on what you’ve said, leaving might not be easy.”

“Mhm,” Irene replied. “You can start by looking around the original point where you entered the Other Domain. See if there’s anything that feels completely out of place, something that immediately strikes you as not belonging there. Exits are usually nearby.

“If you don’t find anything, try finding higher ground. See whether you can spot reflections like mirrors or hear the sound of constant wind...”

She paused briefly.

“But even if you find something like that, don’t touch it recklessly. It might be a trap leading into a deeper layer. The specifics... I can’t really explain. You’ll have to trust your instincts.”

“Instincts?” Yu Sheng could not help asking.

“...Yes. Strictly speaking, what you need is Inspiration. It’s a kind of spiritual intuition and perception. Trained investigators learn how to use it.

“I know you’ve never received that kind of training, but we don’t really have any choice right now.

“Still, don’t worry too much. All intelligent beings possess spirituality. Even ordinary people have it, though it hasn’t been awakened. If you’re careful, you’ll be able to sense warnings and premonitions that come from the deepest part of yourself.

“And if you encounter something you truly can’t judge... tell me. I’ll do my best to help.”

Yu Sheng agreed and slowly emerged from his hiding place.

Cautiously, he headed toward the ruined temple’s entrance.

That unsettling sensation of being watched, along with the feeling of hunger, still lingered around him. It seemed to have seeped into the very air itself and become part of the entire valley.

Even so, he forced himself to keep moving.

Based on the information Irene had provided, he needed to find an exit as quickly as possible.

Waiting in a corner would not cause a door to appear by itself.

Meanwhile, perhaps to ease his tension, he continued chatting with Irene.

“You said the place I’ve been living in all this time is an Other Domain. How could you tell? My house never seemed strange to me...”

“I can sense it,” Irene replied. “The same Inspiration I mentioned. I can clearly feel that something is wrong with that building. Of course, on the surface everything looks perfectly normal... As for why, I don’t know.”

“So we’re back to instincts again...” Yu Sheng shook his head. “According to your explanation, every time I go home and walk through the front door, I’m entering an Other Domain. Every time I leave, I’m exiting one. My house really is a remarkably harmless and convenient Other Domain.”

A few seconds later, Irene spoke quietly.

“...Opening the door doesn’t necessarily take you where you intended to go, does it?”

Yu Sheng’s expression instantly stiffened.

He remembered exactly why he had ended up trapped in this place.

Suddenly, he thought he understood what was wrong with his house.

Looking at it that way, the fact that he had lived peacefully in that giant house for two months was a miracle in itself.

As they talked, he returned to the open area in front of the ruined temple.

It was the exact spot where he had first entered this Other Domain.

“I don’t see anything here,” Yu Sheng said after thoroughly inspecting the area and confirming that none of the incongruous objects Irene had described were present. “Looks like it won’t be that easy after all.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much what I expected,” Irene sighed. “Try moving farther out. But remember, don’t touch anything that’s glowing or suddenly starts moving in front of you. And unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t eat or drink anything inside an Other Domain.”

“I know... By the way, wouldn’t it be better to search during the daytime?” Yu Sheng asked, looking up at the sky that seemed permanently hidden behind a layer of murky haze. “Wandering around in the wilderness at night feels creepy.”

“Other Domains often defy common sense. Daytime isn’t necessarily safer. In fact... there might not even be a daytime,” Irene immediately replied. “I still recommend finding an exit as quickly as possible. The longer you stay, the more likely something will change over there.”

Yu Sheng pursed his lips and reluctantly continued onward.

Then, at the exact moment he stepped beyond the boundaries of the ruined temple grounds, he heard something.

At first, it sounded like nothing more than a faint, indistinct breath.

Instinctively, Yu Sheng turned toward the source of the sound.

There, he saw a patch of white mist slowly dispersing through the air, as though some invisible beast had just exhaled a cloud of foul breath.

He heard the sound.

And so the beast’s breathing came into existence.

He saw the white mist.

And so evidence of the beast’s existence began to emerge.

A dark shape appeared in the air.

A shadow nearly three times Yu Sheng’s size slowly took form before him, accompanied by heavy breathing.

Now he could see the beast’s outline.

The beast existed.

Yu Sheng’s heart instantly tightened.

An overwhelming sense of danger crashed down upon him, even more oppressive than the rain-soaked frog had been.

The moment his heart clenched, the shadow solidified.

It was unlike anything Yu Sheng had ever seen.

A bear?

A lion?

An eagle?

Or perhaps a tiger and a snake?

Countless grotesque limbs, both familiar and unfamiliar, were piled together upon a massive and hideous sphere of flesh. It looked as though numerous ferocious beasts had been melted together in a giant cauldron, then fused into a single mass before crawling out.

The nauseating monstrosity supported its enormous body upon swollen limbs of varying shapes and sizes while staring down at Yu Sheng.

And within those layers of overlapping eyes...

There was only hunger.

Slowly, Yu Sheng raised his head and met the beast’s gaze.

The beast lunged without a moment’s hesitation.

At the final instant, Yu Sheng dropped low and narrowly avoided one of its enormous jaws.

Then he fell directly into another.

The fangs snapped shut viciously.

Half of Yu Sheng’s body was instantly torn apart.

Yet at that moment, the agony seemed to transform into distant numbness.

Everything before his eyes slowed.

He saw snake-like limbs extending from behind the beast.

Another enormous mouth bit into him, tearing away what remained below his chest.

Then he saw his own heart.

It beat slowly.

Then disappeared into the depths of the serpent’s mouth.

“You damned bastard!”

The final curse forced its way out of Yu Sheng’s throat.

He knew he was about to die again.

But he refused to let things end like this.

While the last muscles in his body could still contract, he turned his head with all his remaining strength and bit down on the creature beside him.

He did not know which part of the beast it was.

He did not know what good it would do.

He only knew that he had sunk his teeth into it.

If he was going to die, he was at least taking a piece of flesh with him.

Yu Sheng poured every last bit of strength into that moment.

He bit savagely into the beast.

The beast bit savagely into him.

Blood and flesh.

Claws and fangs.

Food and diner.

Just before his consciousness sank completely into darkness, one final thought emerged in Yu Sheng’s mind.

He spoke softly to Irene, who was somewhere far away.

“Irene...”

“Huh?”

“Nothing important. I’m hanging up now.”

Irene froze.

For a moment, she failed to understand.

Then Yu Sheng hung up.