After completing the tasks assigned by the Director, Song Cheng returned to his office. He lit a cigarette and stared out the window, lost in thought.
Outside, layers of labyrinth-like spiraling walls stretched endlessly, resembling a maze. From between those towering walls, heavy rain poured, splashing upwards into the sky before descending to cleanse another realm above.
Song Cheng blinked, suddenly remembering that today was Friday. His office floor would shift to the “Maze” region’s scenic flat level after noon.
“Friday… Always something to look forward to. Tomorrow’s the weekend… the best overtime day,” he muttered, a self-deprecating smile curling on his lips. Pulling down the blinds, he turned to his desk, where a stack of files awaited him.
These documents were related to the otherworldly “Fairy Tales” and the current members of the Fairy Tale Organization. Thanks to the recent activity of a Spirit Realm Detective Organization, the focus of several Special Affairs Bureau departments had shifted toward this group.
He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and began reviewing the papers.
Time slipped by. Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway, breaking Song Cheng’s concentration. He stopped flipping through the files just as a knock came at the door.
“Come in,” he called.
The door opened, revealing Ren Wen Wen, her short black hair neatly trimmed. “Captain Song, the capture team dispatched to the southern city has returned. Mission accomplished.”
“Doesn’t seem like it,” Ren Wen Wen shook her head. “The team staked out for days. Those two seemed to act independently—either that or they’re ‘disconnected members.’ Their superiors likely issued orders before severing ties. Do you want to check it out yourself?”
“Alright. I’ll head over.”
In his bedroom, Yu Sheng was sound asleep.
The exploration in the Black Forest and the fierce battle with Wolf Granny had drained his energy. Though he initially felt a strange excitement that kept him awake, the moment he hit the bed, he succumbed to an overwhelming drowsiness.
Half-asleep, he vaguely sensed a rustling nearby—it might’ve been a doll preparing for a nap. From the corridor came soft, barefooted footsteps, likely Foxy returning to her room.
Then came the hollow sound of wind blowing through a forest. It rustled the lush branches and whistled through towering ancient trees and fallen trunks. Amid the wind, a faint sound emerged—like a baby’s distant cry.
Yu Sheng’s eyes snapped open.
He found himself lying in darkness, shrouded by a thick, suffocating curtain. Beyond the veil seemed to lurk something, but he couldn’t see clearly. Before him loomed a tall, shadowy figure.
The figure wore a tattered hunter’s outfit with a dark, worn hood. Beneath the hood was… nothing. Just emptiness.
Yet, Yu Sheng felt an unmistakable gaze from the void, locked onto him.
He bolted upright, his focus sharpening. His peripheral vision scanned the surroundings.
“Am I back in the Black Forest?” he wondered. But this setting didn’t match. The thick veil felt like his own dreamscape. Still, the forest winds and the faint cries were eerily similar to the forest’s ambiance.
“Is this my dream? The Black Forest? Or… has my ‘dream’ connected to something even stranger?”
Unable to unravel the mystery, Yu Sheng fixed his attention on the hazy figure before him.
The figure remained still, showing no intention of raising a rifle.
“Hello,” Yu Sheng tried, cautiously breaking the silence. “Should I call you ‘Hunter’?”
The figure gave no response.
“You must be,” he continued awkwardly. “We’ve met twice in the Black Forest. The second time, you shot me. But hey, I get it—you probably had your reasons… Right? Uh, can you respond? This silence is getting really awkward.”
Feeling uneasy, Yu Sheng edged closer, observing for any change. The figure remained unmoving, like a mirage projected into this shadowy space.
“You can’t speak, can you?” Yu Sheng mused aloud, circling the figure.
After a moment of hesitation, Yu Sheng extended his hand toward the hunter’s outfit, intending to touch it.
His fingers passed through the fabric effortlessly.
Startled, Yu Sheng quickly withdrew his hand. The hunter remained motionless, so he reached out again, emboldened this time. He felt a slight resistance as his fingers penetrated the “fabric,” like brushing through colder-than-usual air. Beyond that, there was nothing tangible.
As his hand fully entered the hunter’s cloak, Yu Sheng noticed something strange—his arm seemed to merge with the sleeve. It looked as though he were “wearing” it.
The realization struck like lightning. The dreamscape trembled violently, and Yu Sheng instinctively pulled back his arm.
The heavy curtain of darkness began to collapse, the shadowy figure retreating in stiff, unnatural steps. Within moments, it dissolved into a faint silhouette.
Yu Sheng instinctively reached out, trying to stop the retreating figure. Just then, a familiar voice echoed in his ears—
“Uncle, what are you doing?”
Everything shattered.
Yu Sheng blinked and found himself standing in a boundless gray wilderness. The ashen sky stretched overhead, and nameless wild grasses covered the land. A familiar hill stood quietly in the distance, waves rippling through the grass as the wind swept by.
Beside him stood Xiao Xiao, a five- or six-year-old girl. She tilted her head, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
“Xiao Xiao?!” Yu Sheng exclaimed, stunned.
“Hi, Uncle!” Xiao Xiao greeted him cheerfully.
“Uh… Hi. Wait, how are you here?!” Yu Sheng scanned the area, his mind reeling. There was no sign of Little Red Riding Hood. “Are you alone?”
“I don’t know,” Xiao Xiao replied, tilting her head further. “I was napping.”
“Yep! Teacher Su told us to nap after lunch. Otherwise, we’d be too tired in the afternoon,” Xiao Xiao explained. “I fell asleep and dreamt that a Big Gray Wolf was chasing me. I kept running and running until I tripped and fell… Then I ended up here. A little while later, I saw you standing there, staring blankly.”
Her words, though disjointed, were clear enough for Yu Sheng to piece together the gist. Still, his confusion deepened.
Xiao Xiao dreamed of a “Big Gray Wolf,” clearly influenced by the Fairy Tale Organization. She must’ve stumbled into the Black Forest during her sleep and gotten chased. But how did tripping in the forest lead her to this desolate plain?
Yu Sheng gazed at the surroundings, his suspicions growing. He recalled his previous encounter with Little Red Riding Hood in this same dreamscape. When he woke up, she’d still been here. This time, Xiao Xiao had arrived before him.
“This place… it’s not just a dream,” Yu Sheng muttered. It wasn’t a simple figment of imagination but something more—a place, an “awareness space,” or perhaps something entirely beyond comprehension.
Whenever he dreamed, he had a high chance of coming here.
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation