Dimensional Hotel

Chapter 160: The Past

A wolf’s howl?

Yu Sheng’s first reaction was confusion, but almost immediately, the sound reminded him of the recent events he’d experienced. He didn’t doubt his senses, thinking he might be hallucinating—especially since just a few seconds later, another unsettling howl echoed from the distance, louder and clearer than before.

What’s more, he thought hallucinations didn’t exist in dreams, especially lucid ones.

Frowning, Yu Sheng promptly headed toward the source of the howling. In this dream, where his thoughts dictated his movements, he only took a few steps before leaping vast distances in the blink of an eye, arriving at the place where he felt something was off.

He saw the wolf.

It was a stiff and spectral shadow, floating above the grass. It flickered like a malfunctioning projection, blinking every few seconds. With each flicker, the shadow changed positions, as if it were a stuttering surveillance feed refreshing every few seconds.

Yu Sheng stared in astonishment and curiosity at the projection in his dream. The wolf flickered again, and in its next “refresh,” it turned its head. It seemed to notice the uninvited guest approaching and cast its gaze in his direction.

But it was only a shadow. Apart from staring, the wolf didn’t seem capable of doing much else.

Yu Sheng’s initial tension began to fade, replaced by curiosity. He kept studying the wolf, a strange familiarity growing in his chest. For some reason, he felt as if he recognized its eyes.@@novelbin@@

Because its eyes held a trace of humanity.

Humanity?

Yu Sheng shuddered as a realization dawned on him. He stretched out his hand hesitantly, wanting to touch the floating projection on the grass.

A faint chill prickled his fingertips, as though he were touching an intangible mist. The wolf kept gazing at him, but suddenly, with the next flicker, it vanished.

Yu Sheng’s mind was instantly flooded with chaotic, fragmented memories that didn’t belong to him.

He saw faded, yellowed images. A series of flashing scenes appeared. He saw a blurred silhouette standing among other indistinct figures, all gathered around a small bed, seemingly bidding a silent farewell.

In the next moment, he saw the figure arguing with someone—a taller silhouette. Though their face was equally obscured, Yu Sheng felt an inexplicable warmth and nostalgia from the memory. It seemed to be someone important—yet now, the memory’s owner was quarreling with them. The fragmented words of their argument floated in:

“…Why bother going to school? It’s pointless if they can’t grow up!”

“…They should live like an ordinary child… go to school, make friends, study, play, feel joy and sorrow… however short, they should still experience it…”

The fleeting memory pulled Yu Sheng forward a few steps without him realizing it. Suddenly, another scene unfolded before him.

He saw the silhouette standing among a crowd of other shadows. They were forming a circle, clapping under someone’s guidance. A voice drifted nearby: “…Welcome Teacher Su. She’ll be teaching the younger ones from now on… Teacher Zhang is unwell and won’t be coming anymore…”

The shadows vanished again, leaving the figure standing alone in a patch of shrubs. They appeared smaller, more diminutive. Then, another, even hazier wolf appeared before them. The wolf lowered its head, letting out a muffled whimper. The small figure bent down, extending a trembling hand. Despite the fear and nervousness evident in their movements, they bravely patted the wolf’s head. “You have to… behave from now on…”

The wolf disappeared, and Yu Sheng saw the figure walking alone along a small path.

Now, they seemed even smaller, as if they had shrunk into a child of merely five or six years old. They walked down the path, crying quietly. Dim streetlights flickered on either side of the road, casting shadows over a forest thick with darkness. Ominous howls and pervasive malice emanated from the Black Forest, as if countless starving predators lay in wait.

The small figure suddenly stopped, lifting their head to gaze into the shadows beyond the path. It was as though something in the darkness had captured their attention.

Don’t go…

This thought abruptly sprang into Yu Sheng’s mind. Yet the next second, he saw the figure leave the path without hesitation, heading straight into the malice-filled depths of the Black Forest.

Yu Sheng knew this was merely a vision of the past—a memory not his own—but he instinctively tried to stop it. In an instant, he appeared beside the small figure, reaching out to block their path. Yet his hand passed right through them as if they were intangible. The figure continued into the darkness.

Yu Sheng turned in shock, watching them run faster and faster, rushing toward two blurred figures.

“Mom! Dad!”

Yu Sheng stood frozen.

Finally, he understood what Little Red Riding Hood had seen on that path all those years ago.

Perhaps no matter how many times she walked it, her six-year-old self would always throw herself into the depths of that darkness without hesitation.

Every child would.

The sound of chewing came from the shadows, and a vivid crimson spread through the gloom, as piercing as a red cloak.

All the visions vanished—the small figure, the boundless Black Forest, and the oppressive darkness—all swept away by a hollow gust of wind.

Yu Sheng instinctively stepped back, finding himself once again in the endless gray expanse of wilderness. But this time, the flickering phantom wolf was gone. Instead, he saw a girl draped in a red coat, standing a short distance away, looking somewhat bewildered.

He hesitated for a moment before walking toward her. The girl, as if suddenly “awakening,” turned her head and looked at him hesitantly.

After a moment, the girl in red suddenly spoke, “You saw everything?”

Yu Sheng froze. He had assumed what he saw was just another illusion, but he hadn’t expected that she was truly “here.” Quickly recovering, he nodded lightly. “I didn’t mean to see it.”

“Ah, geez…” Little Red Riding Hood ruffled her hair in frustration, looking both helpless and annoyed. “You adults always like poking into other people’s private stuff! What were you so curious about?”

“I said it wasn’t on purpose…” Yu Sheng scratched his cheek awkwardly, unsure how to defuse the tension. “And it’s not like I dragged you here.”

Little Red Riding Hood suddenly stopped ruffling her hair and looked up at him through the gaps in her bangs. Her gaze wasn’t particularly intimidating. “I was about to ask—where is this?”

Yu Sheng hesitated for a moment. “Uh… my dream.”

The moment he said it, he realized the latter half of his sentence lacked conviction.

As expected, Little Red Riding Hood immediately glared at him. “And you still say it wasn’t on purpose!”

“It’s instinct…” Yu Sheng explained weakly. “Foxy came here before too. It seems like anyone who establishes a blood connection with me has a chance of ending up here. But I don’t really understand how it works.”

Little Red Riding Hood eyed him suspiciously, sizing him up as if trying to determine whether he was lying. Finally, she asked again, “Really?”

Yu Sheng nodded earnestly, his expression steadfastly sincere.

The girl in red reluctantly dropped the matter, seeming to let it go for now.

But only a few seconds later, she turned back sharply. “But seriously, what kind of normal person dreams like this? A fixed space where you can pull people in and chat with them?”

“I don’t know either,” Yu Sheng replied, exasperated. “You know my situation—half the time, I don’t even understand myself.”

Little Red Riding Hood stared at him for a long moment before finally waving her hand and letting out a long sigh. Turning away, she sat down on the grass.

Yu Sheng walked over and, after a moment’s hesitation, sat down beside her.

“Why are you dreaming in broad daylight?” he asked curiously.

“Chemistry class. Fell asleep,” the girl replied in a muffled voice.

Then, after a couple of seconds, she added, “I don’t usually sleep in class. I’ve barely been getting any sleep lately, but for some reason, I felt really tired today. Zoned out and dozed off.”

“Sleeping in class is a normal part of student life,” Yu Sheng said offhandedly, not even sure himself where he was going with the comment. “It’s good to sleep more at your age—helps you grow.”

“I’m almost eighteen, not eight,” Little Red Riding Hood shot him a glance, her eyes under her bangs glinting with amusement. “…Hey, honestly, was I pretty stupid as a kid? I didn’t even know what my parents looked like, but back then I really thought I’d found them…”

Yu Sheng remained silent. After a while, he calmly said, “I’m planning to destroy the Black Forest and whatever’s behind it.”

“…You’ve got a plan now?”

“I went to the Special Affairs Bureau today and found some leads,” Yu Sheng said slowly. “The first step is to find the ‘Hunter’ in the Black Forest. They might know where the path to what’s beyond the forest is.”

“Why do you think that?”

“The ‘Hunter’ might be one of the Deep Divers who entered the depths of the fairy tale seventy years ago and never returned. Or perhaps… they’re all of them.”

Little Red Riding Hood froze, staring at Yu Sheng in stunned silence for a long time before blinking.

But just as she opened her mouth to say something, Yu Sheng spoke first, cutting her off. “You just need to know this. Don’t casually interact with the ‘Hunter.’”

“Why?”

“…They’ve been in the Black Forest for far too long.”