In the final moments before death wrapped its cold grip around him, Yu Sheng felt a darkness deeper than anything he had ever known. It was thick, almost as if it were a living thing, pressing in on him like a dense, viscous liquid. There was no escape, only the crushing weight of oblivion.


    His mind started to fade, slipping away like sand through his fingers. He knew his body was failing, its life ebbing away due to the terrible injuries he had suffered. His thoughts, tied to the physical shell that had sustained them, were ready to dissolve into nothingness. It was, after all, the natural order of things.


    But then—just as his existence was on the edge of disappearing—something stopped it. A force, or maybe it was a stubborn idea, seemed to wrap itself around his mind, pulling him back from the brink. In the hazy confusion, he remembered the frog that had once eaten his heart and how he had been resurrected before.


    How had that even happened? What had be of him? Why was he still…alive?


    These questions gnawed at him, keeping him from fully sinking into the dark abyss. His consciousness wavered but refused to give inpletely. He had to know—what had brought him back before? What had happened after death had taken him?


    The weight of the darkness crushed him harder, turning colder, rougher, like being buried alive beneathyers of rock. He could feel his soul suffocating under its pressure. And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the crushing sensation lifted.


    In that moment of release, a single, clear thought came to him: In dying, death itself had died.


    Yu Sheng had ovee death, and now, death had fled from him. His “body” felt lighter, and he shot upward, away from the ck void that had almost consumed him.As he rose, he glimpsed something—something on the surface of the darkness. It was as if he were gliding over a strangeyer of existence, but before he could make sense of it, his eyes snapped open.


    The night air was cold, rushing in through the broken wall beside him. He was in the ruined temple again, the roof half-copsed above him. Outside, the sky was a chaotic mess of swirling clouds, and the valley winds howled in the distance.


    Yu Sheng sat motionless in the corner, his mind hazy. The feeling was eerily familiar. It had happened to him once before.


    But this time, his recovery was faster. Within a few breaths, he remembered everything, including the oppressive darkness that had nearly taken him.


    Steadying his breath, Yu Sheng slowly pushed himself to his feet.


    His body creaked and groaned as if it was waking from a long, deep sleep. Strength flowed back into his limbs, and his mind cleared. He looked outside the temple to the spot where he had copsed, blood pooling around him.


    There was nothing there now. The beast that had attacked him was gone—or perhaps it was lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike again.


    Yu Sheng stood in silence for a moment before speaking aloud in his thoughts, “Irene?”


    Almost instantly, a voice exploded in his mind. “Yu Sheng! Oh my gosh, are you okay?!”


    Irene’s voice was frantic as she continued, “You stopped responding out of nowhere! I kept calling and calling, but you didn’t answer! I thought you were dead! You scared me half to death! If you had really died, who’d fix the TV? Are you sure you’re alright?”


    Yu Sheng’s eyebrow twitched. “So, you’re only worried about the TV at home?”


    There was a pause. “…Not just that. I mean, I was also worried about you being dead…”


    Yu Sheng sighed, exasperation creeping into his voice. “Really now.”


    She hesitated before saying that! he thought in disbelief.


    Clenching his jaw, Yu Sheng struggled to keep calm. “What if I told you I really did die just now?”


    Irene didn’t buy it for a second. “You’re talking, aren’t you? You sound fine!”


    “…Yeah, just kidding,” Yu Sheng replied dryly. He paused before asking abruptly, “How long has it been?”


    “Huh? How long has what been?”


    “Since I said I was hanging up. How long have I been gone?”


    “Um… I can’t see a clock from here, but maybe half an hour? It’s hard to say for sure. I’ve been stuck in this painting for ages, so my sense of time is a little fuzzy. The sky hasn’t changed much, so I don’t think it’s been a full night. Probably?”


    Yu Sheng sighed again. “That’s quite a vague answer, don’t you think? There’s a big difference between half an hour and an entire night.”


    There was silence for a moment before a low, almost mischievousugh sounded nearby.


    Irene immediately jumped in to exin. “That wasn’t me! That was the bear!”


    Yu Sheng felt utterly drained, both mentally and physically. He waved a hand dismissively. “I know.”


    She sounded pleased with herself. “Ah, so you believe me now?”


    He didn’t even have the energy to argue. It wasn’t about believing her. It was just that, at this point, her voice alone was enough to make others want to give her a good spanking.


    Still, with Irene’s babbling fading into the background, Yu Sheng stepped out of the temple once more.


    He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt stronger than he had before. His steps were lighter, his movements more powerful, and even his senses seemed sharper.


    It was as if he were adjusting to this strange ce—the darkness, the ruins, the ever-present malice, and the unseen eyes watching him.


    Without hesitation, he walked toward the open space in front of the temple, toward the ominous forest that loomed on the other side, deep in the heart of the “Otherworld.”


    He knew the risks. He could die again at any moment, with the next step, or in the next breath.


    Irene’s voice echoed in his mind once more, softer this time. “Yu Sheng… are you really okay?”


    “I’m fine,” he replied, his voice steady. “I got hurt before, but I’m healed now.”


    “Maybe you should stay put… find somewhere safe. I’ll try to remember if I’ve ever heard of this ‘valley’ you mentioned.”


    “You go ahead and try that. I’ll keep moving.”


    “Wait, what if it’s too dangero—”


    “Irene,” Yu Sheng interrupted. Standing in the cold, eerie night air, he nced at the dark forest ahead of him. For the first time in what felt like forever, he grinned. “These days, I’ve felt like I’ve been… drifting.”


    Irene sounded confused. “Drifting?”


    “Yeah, just… wandering. But when you mentioned the ‘Otherworld’ and people identally stumbling into it, do you know how that made me feel?”


    “How did it make you feel?” she asked cautiously.


    Yu Sheng chuckled. “Happy.”


    “Happy? Really?”


    “Yes. Really happy.” His smile widened, augh bubbling up inside him. “You said that some people identally open the wrong door, or step on the wrong floorboard, and they end up in a Otherworld, right? And you also said that if they’re lucky, they can find a way out.”


    “That’s… what I said,” Irene replied, her voice uncertain. “But it’s not easy! Professional investigators have a hard time making it out, and ordinary people usually… well…”


    “Die a few times, and I’ll figure it out,” Yu Sheng muttered, half to himself.


    “What was that?” Irene asked, not catching his words.


    “Nothing,” Yu Sheng said lightly. “I’ve just found something to focus on. It’ll take time, but I’ll get out of here.”


    “Well, if that makes you feel better, I’m d! Just… don’t die again, okay? I still need you toe back and fix the TV… oh, and maybe find me a body?”


    “Alright, alright,” Yu Sheng said with augh. “When I get back, I’ll see what I can do about that.”


    Irene brightened. “Really? You’re a doll maker or something? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”


    Yu Sheng paused, then admitted with a sigh, “Well, I’m not exactly a professional. I’ve watched a few videos on sculpture and modeling… but my hands don’t quite match my ambitions.”


    Two seconds of silence followed before Irene began cursing him loudly.


    But for the first time in a long while, Yu Sheng felt truly at ease. He walked forward, gazing up at the towering mountains, and caught sight of something lurking just ahead.


    It was a massive creature, its body made up of twisted, fused limbs. It stood by the roadside, watching him with unblinking eyes.


    Yu Sheng stopped in his tracks and, without hesitation, called out to Irene. “Irene.”


    “What’s wrong?”


    “Uh… I might need to hang up again.”


    “Huh?”


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