Patrolling all the corridors and classrooms of the East Building took about thirty minutes, and afterward, they still had to check the West Building. On every floor of both buildings, a small notebook hung in a box at the stairwell entrance. Every finding had to be noted there as a reference for the next Guardian. Little Red Riding Hood was very familiar with this routine.
Yu Sheng quietly followed beside Little Red Riding Hood, observing her carefully carrying out each step. Every time she passed a room and recorded her observations, it was as if she were fulfilling some sacred duty.
Yu Sheng thought he understood her feelings—Anka Aila was gradually awakening, and tomorrow, the Cursed Children would be relocated to the Valley. Whatever happened afterward—whether the crisis of Fairy Tale was finally resolved, or the Dark Angels broke free—this patrol might very well be her last here.
“Just a short while ago, I was still planning a complete search of the entire Orphanage, preparing patrols and inspections for the underground facilities,” Little Red Riding Hood sighed softly, a faint, self-mocking tone in her voice. “And now we might leave tomorrow. It feels…so sudden.”
“Plans rarely survive the unexpected,” Yu Sheng murmured quietly. “Things always change.”
Little Red Riding Hood pressed her lips together, remaining silent for a few seconds before whispering softly, “It’ll be alright, won’t it?”
“Of course,” Yu Sheng smiled gently. “We’ve already prepared for everything. No matter if Anka Aila attacks you in reality or in dreams, we’ll stop it.”
Little Red Riding Hood met Yu Sheng’s eyes, and after a moment, a quiet, relieved smile appeared in her gaze.
“Let’s go check the underground. King should have finished patrolling the passageway with its guards by now. Let’s see if they’ve found anything.”
Yu Sheng and Little Red Riding Hood descended to the second underground level, following the connecting tunnel toward the West Building. Not long after, they saw King sprawled lazily on a fire-safety equipment box. Three hooded figures in black leather armor stood silently nearby. Upon Little Red Riding Hood’s appearance, the three figures momentarily stiffened with alertness, then quickly relaxed again, greeting Yu Sheng and Little Red Riding Hood with stiff nods.
“You’re here, meow,” the tabby Cat lazily lifted one paw in greeting, apparently unbothered by Yu Sheng’s presence. “Checked both underground floors already. Nothing there. I was thinking about taking a nap.”
“You’ve done well,” Little Red Riding Hood gently scratched the fur on King’s back. “Did you thoroughly inspect that ventilation shaft area?”
“Absolutely. Even crawled inside myself,” King yawned. “And even if something were to happen, it wouldn’t pick tonight of all nights—there’s just no way we’d be that unlucky…”
Suddenly, the distant, indistinct sound of music cut off King’s muttering.
In an instant, absolute silence descended upon the underground passage. King’s stretch froze mid-movement. Yu Sheng felt his Spiritual Intuition spike sharply, resonating as if something had snapped open in his perception. That brief, muffled melody echoed in his mind.
He swiftly looked up to meet Little Red Riding Hood’s wide-eyed stare.
Then, the soft, elegant, and soothing music echoed again—clearer this time, as though it came from right behind the wall!
King’s tail immediately fluffed up in panic, its usually calm, documentary-like voice now barely able to keep its cool. “Oh no, come on—not again! I’m just an innocent little Cat…”
“Quiet!” Little Red Riding Hood sharply interrupted King’s murmuring. Shadows around her instantly came alive, forming vague silhouettes of Wolves, each one raising its ears, carefully listening to every sound in the underground tunnels. After a few seconds, her face hardened with realization. “It’s court music. A bloodstained royal court? At this hour, it could also be the Eternal Ball… No, dream-time doesn’t match up with reality…”
The elegant music was suddenly distorted by harsh noises. A crash resounded, mingled with the crackling roar of fire, as the melody twisted into something painful and dissonant.
Little Red Riding Hood finally pinpointed the source—the sound came from behind a wall on the left side of the passageway.
She shouted urgently, quickly leading her Wolves toward the sound.
Without hesitation, Yu Sheng sprinted after her. The three hooded figures instantly followed as well, and King leaped onto the shoulder of one of them. With a swift wave of its paw through the air, several new figures—mages and warriors—materialized from nothingness, swiftly forming a defensive formation around them. Together, they ran forward through the passage.
Just at that moment, Yu Sheng glimpsed something from the corner of his eye. On the ceiling ahead, a strange shadow suddenly appeared. It unfolded like clusters of roses blossoming under the dim lights, spreading rapidly. From within the darkness, sharp thorns stabbed outward, struggling as if desperate to pierce the boundary between illusion and reality!
But before Yu Sheng could shout a warning, the shadow of roses vanished. All that remained was an ordinary stain of accumulated grime.
Little Red Riding Hood moved swiftly like the wind, darting into a branching tunnel. Behind her, two shadow wolves burst out of the air, crashing through an iron door labeled “Storeroom.”
Dazzling lights poured from behind that iron door. A bright red carpet spilled forth into the underground corridor, spreading like a flood of blood. Through the doorway, Yu Sheng saw a grand hall filled with wildly dancing figures dressed in extravagant royal garments. Each silk gown and tailored suit glittered brilliantly under the chandelier’s glow, yet their faces were grotesque, painted absurdly with thick layers of vibrant color. Those distorted faces laughed hysterically, their mad cackles mixing with discordant, off-key music as a voice shouted above the chaos:
“The Prince demands those crystal slippers—cut off her feet!”
An explosive roar echoed as the hall began to collapse. The illusory ballroom and the real storeroom overlapped chaotically. Nearby, Yu Sheng noticed the ceiling had collapsed, revealing through the jagged hole a pumpkin carriage blasting upward amidst smoke and flame, soaring into the night sky.
In the next moment, pillars of intense light tore through the darkness. Without warning, both East and West buildings of the Orphanage transformed into towering structures ringed with barbed wire and thick concrete fortifications. Atop the towers, anti-aircraft cannons burst to life, spewing fiery tongues toward the pumpkin carriage. Yet, just as the carriage was about to be obliterated, it hit an unseen Door and vanished instantly into the night.
Then, in a blink, everything disappeared—the watchtowers, the damaged ceiling, and the merged illusion of ballroom and storeroom. Yu Sheng felt dizzy for just a moment. When his vision cleared, the underground corridor was as normal as if nothing had happened.
But Yu Sheng knew exactly what this meant.
“The leak is spreading!” he shouted, urgently tapping Little Red Riding Hood, who seemed slightly dazed. “Quick, wake all the Cursed Children you can! Bring them to the first floor and wait there until I open the Door!”
“Understood!” Little Red Riding Hood nodded sharply, then paused. “But what about those trapped inside their Subsets?”
“They’ll be fine for now—you saw just now. If things get truly dangerous, their consciousnesses will flee to the Wasteland,” Yu Sheng replied swiftly. “Prioritize evacuating the youngest ones to protect them from the leaking nightmare!”
Thinking quickly, he added, “I’ll send Irene to the Wasteland immediately to explain what’s happening.”
“Got it!” Little Red Riding Hood nodded vigorously, then turned to the tabby cat nearby. “King, summon your Knight Guard to protect everyone still trapped in their Subsets. Make sure their real bodies don’t get hurt!”
King didn’t speak, merely waved his paw. Instantly, the Adventurers at his side vanished, replaced by a squadron of heavily armored knights—towering warriors nearly two meters tall, encased in enchanted adamantite armor, each gripping razor-sharp swords. Their faces, concealed by helmets, were shrouded in shadow, exuding a menacing aura.
These formidable knights, who looked strong enough to storm a demon lord’s castle, marched silently and orderly forward. At King’s commanding “meow,” they moved swiftly down the corridor, quickly vanishing from Yu Sheng’s sight.
Little Red Riding Hood nodded to Yu Sheng once more, then melted into shadows alongside her wolf pack, disappearing instantly.
“…Everyone here is ridiculously cool.”
Yu Sheng muttered softly, quickly orienting himself before moving forward and reaching out mentally: [Irene, respond if you hear me.]
The little doll’s voice came through immediately, [Heard you loud and clear! What’s up?]
[Split your focus and go to the Wasteland now. Some Fairy Tale members must have retreated there after losing their battles. Tell them their nightmares are leaking into reality. We’re evacuating the Cursed Children early, so they shouldn’t panic. After their Subsets stabilize, they should return to the real world and gather on the first floor of the Orphanage East Building. I’ll open a Door there to transport everyone safely to the Valley. Understood?]
[Understood understood, but seriously, how do you keep running into situations ? I’m going now, but stay safe—if something dangerous comes out, don’t fight head-on! If you die, we’re all finished—ouch, bit my tongue…]
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation