As Yu Sheng listened to Bai Li Qing’s explanation, he immediately understood that the mission years ago had been doomed from the start. They had made a massive mistake—one so glaring that it almost seemed absurd. Yet, given the circumstances, the misjudgment was nearly inevitable.
The peculiar nature of the “Fairy Tale” subset was beyond anything someone encountering it for the first time could imagine. Its early manifestations were slow, weak, and seemingly limited to children, making it dangerously deceptive. More importantly, its “core subset” structure was unlike anything else—a true anomaly, with the essence of “Fairy Tale” hidden deep within the dreamlike stages it wove. Decades ago, the Special Affairs Bureau couldn’t have possibly known this.
Yu Sheng flipped through the file, his eyes scanning the records of the mission codenamed “Maturity.” Early in the document, he found a supplementary section detailing the emergence and early effects of the “Fairy Tale” subset. Most of the information aligned with what Little Red Riding Hood had told him about the orphanage.
The initial outbreak had occurred at Warm Sun Orphanage, a facility under the Council’s jurisdiction. In the two weeks leading up to the event, several children had been found wandering the premises after waking abruptly from nightmares, while others had fainted during the day. At night, staff on patrol reported hearing strange noises near the dormitory—sounds resembling wolves howling, wind rushing, or even the rhythmic march of soldiers.
According to the records, these incidents did not go unnoticed. The night after the patrol reports, a Special Affairs Bureau investigation team was sent to the orphanage. Alongside them was a practitioner of “Otherworld Medicine,” tasked with examining the children who had experienced nightmares or fainting spells. By all accounts, the Bureau and the Council had followed standard protocol, leaving no obvious gaps.
Yet, despite the thorough investigation, no trace of the “Fairy Tale” subset was discovered. Perhaps it was because their technology wasn’t advanced enough, or maybe the “Fairy Tale” was still in an early, dormant stage. Even the practitioner, with their extraordinary skills, failed to uncover any clues from the children’s dreams.
Shortly after the investigation ended, the “Fairy Tale” revealed its presence for the first time in reality.
A sprawling rose bush grew overnight, centering on the orphanage’s dormitory and covering the entire property by dawn. When morning came, the roses vanished, but not without a cost: a young girl and two night guards disappeared without a trace.
“We later confirmed that the first story to lose control was Sleeping Beauty,” Bai Li Qing explained. “Initially, the Bureau assumed this was a case of ‘leakage’—an unknown subset parasitizing the orphanage. The Council evacuated everyone from the facility and temporarily relocated the children to other shelters. A team of elite investigators from the Bureau then conducted a comprehensive search of the orphanage.”
“Fortunately,” she continued, “we had anticipated potential contamination among the children. The new shelter had a higher security level. The wolf was subdued quickly, though we couldn’t save the child. The incident didn’t escalate further, and for the first time, we found traces of the ‘Fairy Tale.’ Specifically, we confirmed the existence of the Black Forest, the first identified and named subset.”
Bai Li Qing gestured to the documents before Yu Sheng. “This led to the Maturity operation.”
Yu Sheng skimmed the subsequent records without looking up. “At first, you thought the Black Forest was the entirety of the subset?”
“Yes. We hadn’t yet identified other subsets,” Bai Li Qing said. “Understanding the structure of the Fairy Tale came much later.”
Yu Sheng nodded faintly, continuing to read.
The Bureau had locked onto a “window” for accessing the Black Forest and initiated a “deep dive.” The mission codenamed Maturity revolved around this operation.
The term “deep dive” immediately made Yu Sheng think of Xu Jiali, who was a seasoned diver. From what Yu Sheng had gathered from Xu and Lin Qi, divers were elite operatives within the Bureau—stronger, more versatile, and better trained than standard agents. Equipped with specialized gear and techniques, they could enter unimaginable “battlefields” to confront forces beyond reason or logic.
“What exactly does a ‘deep dive’ involve?” Yu Sheng asked.
“You could think of it as a controlled, targeted descent into a specific subset,” Bai Li Qing explained without hesitation. “Using a combination of induced neural signals and specialized equipment, we can guide an operative’s consciousness to the edge of rationality. From there, they can enter a subset and be awakened on the other side. It doesn’t always work, but it’s effective for most subsets.”
Irene, perched nearby, muttered, “Sounds complicated—and dangerous.”
“It is,” Bai Li Qing said, her eyes shifting to Yu Sheng. “Compared to your ‘gates,’ it’s more cumbersome and risky. But it’s reproducible and scalable, allowing us to deploy more personnel against the overwhelming number of subsets and entities we face.” ṛÀ𝐍о₿ƐŠ
Yu Sheng flipped to the next section and paused at the sight of a long list of names. His expression hardened.
Bai Li Qing’s voice remained calm, yet it carried a weight that was impossible to ignore. “In the operation codenamed Maturity, twelve divers, thirteen Bureau agents, and seven support staff were killed or went missing. Four children died on site due to subset contamination. Six external monitoring personnel, affected by the fallout, descended into madness over the years and passed away prematurely.”
Even Irene, usually unfazed, fell silent. The small doll sat motionless, staring at the records with a rare solemnity.
Yu Sheng pressed on, scanning lines of operational details. He skipped over overly technical sections and focused on the accounts of the dives.
The divers conducted three attempts.
The first failed outright. The agents fell into a prolonged, dreamlike stupor due to the induction agents but encountered only a chaotic barrier at the edge of their awareness. They failed to penetrate the subset.
In the second attempt, some team members briefly entered a space described as “vast, dim, and interwoven with strange net-like structures.” They reported hearing “wailing noises” throughout the space—an area seemingly unrelated to any known subset within the Fairy Tale.
The third attempt ended in disaster.
Almost every diver was lost immediately upon entering the “anomalous space.” Only two returned, both dying shortly afterward from unknown causes. The aftermath brought a sudden and violent outbreak of contamination. Something unknown breached into reality and began killing all adults present.
Thanks to safety protocols, the facility was locked down quickly, containing the contamination. However, the cost was high. Those unable to evacuate—including agents, support staff, and four children—perished.
Yu Sheng frowned, his instincts telling him something felt off. As he reviewed the second dive’s observations and the catastrophic third dive, a realization struck him.
“…Was it really the Black Forest they entered?” he asked, lifting his eyes to Bai Li Qing. “I’ve been inside the Black Forest. It’s dangerous—there are wolves, shadows, and deadly rules—but as long as you’re cautious, it’s not immediately fatal. Even adults, despite facing hostility, wouldn’t die that quickly. It doesn’t match the reports.”
He paused, then added, “The descriptions don’t fit. A ‘dim, net-like space’ with ‘wailing noises’? That’s not the Black Forest.”
“You’re correct,” Bai Li Qing said with a faint nod. “Based on the records, they didn’t enter the Black Forest.”
“Then where did they go?” Yu Sheng demanded.
“It could have been a subset accessible only to adults, a ‘null zone’ between subsets, or even the deeper core of the Fairy Tale itself,” Bai Li Qing said softly. “The possibilities are numerous. Two additional records are attached—one is the recollection of an external monitor, and the other is the final words of a field operative before they died.”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation