Dimensional Hotel-Chapter 231: They

“[I think I understand,] we are all becoming part of it.”

A heavy bout of breathing followed. Yu Sheng sensed the voice drifting strangely through the hall, then it steadied in a different spot:

“We don’t know what comes next—death, or something worse. We were prepared for anything when we set out, and we don’t fear it. But we worry about the disastrous consequences once ‘it’ breaks free.

“Anka Aila, this otherworldly ark that has learned to think, is still trapped for the moment in that dream called ‘Fairy Tale.’ One day it will tear itself free. Deep inside, something is growing—some kind of new life maturing at the far end of the Umbilical Cord. But that Cord is damaged. We can’t be sure what that new life is. One thing is certain: the moment it utters its first cry, Borderland will witness countless deaths.

“To whoever gets this recording—whether Special Affairs Bureau reinforcements or some other team investigating later—you must stop that thing from being born, no matter the cost.

“If you pass through this hall, you’ll find a short corridor. At the end is the room housing the Umbilical Cord. Inside, a mortal mind can barely connect with Anka Aila. That might be the only way to fight—or at least drive out—these Dark Angels. We failed; our minds couldn’t endure its onslaught. But if you’ve made it here alive, if you can still keep your sanity and understand these words, then maybe you can succeed.

“Try it—there’s no reward or payment. We have nothing left to offer you, not even some grand noble cause…

“All we can do is beg you to try…before ‘its’ child enters our world…”

Suddenly, the bullet hanging in midair fell to the ground with a crisp clang. Colors rushed back into the control hall, and the world whirred to life again.

Yu Sheng looked down and saw the bullet bounce twice, rolling to a stop by his foot. Nearby, a dark stain—like dried blood—spread from the strange machine to where he stood.

Could this be the blood that “they” left here seventy years ago?

He lifted his gaze and found a figure standing quietly nearby, staring straight at him.

It was a hunter’s outfit floating in midair. Beneath the hood was empty darkness, with no face to see. The entire form looked like an illusion, without a trace of reality.

Yu Sheng glanced at himself and noticed his own Hunter garb had vanished at some point.

Foxy was beside him, carrying Irene. Irene held Squirrel in her arms. All three looked at that hazy figure. In unison, they gasped, “Hunter!”

Yu Sheng’s expression did not change. He steadied himself, then stepped forward.

“…It has been so many years,” came the hollow voice, echoing directly in his mind.

“We’ve been trying to return to this place for so long, even though we forgot why we had to come back. Anka Aila turned us into ‘Hunters’ within the Black Forest. This hunter’s outfit became a strong shell, trapping us in that angelic dream that repeats over and over. We tried to speak with the ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ who wandered in, but we weren’t allowed to do anything except shoot the Evil Wolf. Each time we tried to remember our mission and purpose, the memories wore away during the remembering.”

The figure raised a hand, pointing to the center of the hall.

“Ten bodies lie there, but there are twelve souls. At the last moment, we managed to send two of those bodies back to reality. We hoped the leftover nerve signals in their brains might bring news of what happened here to headquarters. Ever since, we’ve been waiting for reinforcements—but honestly, we had no real hope. In those days, the two bodies we sent out were already heavily contaminated. It was impossible for them to carry any rational message.

“So when you showed us that group photo, we were stunned. It broke the ‘role’ that Anka Aila forced upon us.”

“Yes, you all snapped out of it,” Yu Sheng said with a faint smile. “You even fired a bullet at me. It hurt, you know.”

“…We’re sorry, but that happened on the Black Forest stage,” the Hunter replied. “It was the only out-of-bounds act we could manage. And that was only because you had taken in Wolf’s blood at the time. We could then ‘treat’ you as an Evil Wolf. Death in the Black Forest is always temporary. Repeated deaths lead to deeper corruption and wolf-like transformations that are even more dangerous.”

Yu Sheng thought for a moment. [Probably best not to mention I physically entered that place, so that bullet really did kill me.] He decided to stay quiet.

“Anyway,” he said, “your reinforcements are here.” He pointed to himself, then to Foxy, Irene, and Squirrel beside him. “We’re not from the Special Affairs Bureau, but they hired us. Sorry we’re a little late.”

The Hunter only shook its head in silence.

Then it raised its hand, pointing to a door on the other side of the hall.

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“Through there is the room with the Umbilical Cord.”

“What else is inside?” Yu Sheng asked, his face growing serious. “What do I need to do?”

“It’s a small room that seems like a maintenance platform. The Umbilical Cord is in the center of that ring-shaped platform. It connects to a lower level we never reached. We don’t know what’s down there, but that’s where Anka Aila’s ‘child’ is being nurtured.

“If you touch the Umbilical Cord, you can form the deepest link with Anka Aila. But as for what happens next…”

The Hunter trailed off. After a long pause, it shook its head slowly.

“I don’t need to tell you it’s dangerous. We can’t promise you anything. In fact, no human has ever connected with the Dark Angels and emerged unscathed. From a purely logical standpoint, it’s fine if you just leave now.”

“If I’d been logical about this,” Yu Sheng said with a grin, “I wouldn’t have come in the first place.”

He waved a dismissive hand and continued, “That’s enough. I’ll go check it out. You all can rest here. It’s been so many years—you deserve a break.”

He turned and walked toward the door the Hunter had pointed out. Foxy followed at once. Irene and Squirrel both looked anxious, but since Irene was in Foxy’s arms and Squirrel in Irene’s, they had no choice but to tag along.

Behind them, the Hunter’s voice called, “Wait—”

Yu Sheng only gave a small nod without turning around. He wore a faint smile.

“Don’t worry. I’ll try.”

He opened the unlocked door, revealing a dimly lit corridor. At its far end, a ring of dull red lights flickered in the darkness, like a silent invitation—or perhaps an ominous warning.

That baby’s cry echoed again. This time it wasn’t distant or faint, but close and painfully real, as though it came from within that pulsing red glow.

Yu Sheng’s lips curved slightly. He took a step forward and walked into the shadows.

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