Dimensional Hotel-Chapter 168: Safe, for Now

The forest trembled under the roar of artillery, a twisted fairy tale consumed by the inferno of Fox Fire. Packs of wolves spawned from the shadows were torn apart, wave after wave, reduced to ruins amidst relentless violence. A vast clearing was forcefully carved through the dense woodland, the once-thriving trees falling like brittle stalks of grain, leaving behind a wide path in the blink of an eye.

A Squirrel cowered, motionless, in Little Red Riding Hood’s hood. Its tiny body quaked as its shiny black eyes reflected the towering flames engulfing the forest, a scene that seemed to set the very heavens ablaze.

This wasn’t how it had always been. Not at all.

The strategy had always been the same: scout, evade, relocate, hide—then evade again. For years, this was the only way Little Red Riding Hood had managed to survive the Black Forest. The cruel forest never allowed its prey to defy its “rules,” and those trapped inside never possessed the power to resist.

Never before had anything like this happened—a prey shredding the wolves with fire and fury, carving out a path of their own.

The Squirrel no longer screamed. It simply stared blankly, its tiny brain seemingly overwhelmed, unable to process or judge the chaos unraveling before it.

Meanwhile, Little Red Riding Hood was laughing—a carefree, unprecedented laugh. Even as the wolves’ howls echoed, fear would instinctively rise within her. Yet the dazzling Fox Fire, the soaring Fox Radish Missiles, and the vicious swings of the Rebar Spiked Club at the edge of her vision sparked a different emotion—wild, unrestrained joy mingled with exhilaration, clashing against her fear. The emotions merged into an indescribable thrill.

She couldn’t tell if she was terrified, elated, or just venting years of pent-up emotion. All she knew was that it felt good—so good, she didn’t care if it was the only time in her life she’d feel it.

She hated this place. She wanted to see it burn.

Yu Sheng glanced at the red-cloaked girl, catching the glow of her laughter and the spark in her eyes.

“Good for her,” he thought. “Kids should go a little wild sometimes. She’s not even eighteen yet. No need to be burdened by adult worries.”

Adults could handle the worrying.

Rolling his wrist, he swung the Rebar Spiked Club, bristling with blades, nails, and jagged steel rods, to ease the stinging pain in his muscles. The weapon was brutally effective, capable of smashing wolf skulls with a single full-powered swing. The shadowy monsters that emerged to attack them took on physical forms as they leapt, giving Yu Sheng the perfect chance to strike. Many wolves had already been reduced to headless corpses, scattered along the blazing trail they had created.

Some of those corpses began to rise, stumbling blindly through the forest, ready to gnaw on any wolves that emerged from the shadows.

Through his connection to the blood spilling across the battlefield, Yu Sheng could sense the forest’s shifting tides.

The Black Forest wasn’t truly ablaze yet. Compared to its endless expanse, the flames ignited by Fox Fire were but a small ember. Countless wolves continued to spawn in the distance, their numbers and malice growing exponentially. The rate of their eradication couldn’t match their ceaseless generation.

The Big Bad Wolf hadn’t been destroyed. When the sixteen Fox Radish Missiles hit, Yu Sheng had briefly felt the predator’s gaze dissipate. But moments later, he sensed its aura rapidly regenerating. This monstrosity, born from Little Red Riding Hood’s deepest fears, could reappear endlessly in the Black Forest. Now, it was steadily closing in on them again.

This nightmare was simply too vast—too immense for a single fire to consume.

But Little Red Riding Hood remained unaware of this. Perhaps she would realize it once her excitement subsided, but for now, she was basking in the joy of watching the Black Forest burn.

“Let her enjoy it,” thought Yu Sheng, smiling as he exhaled softly. “Kids deserve to be happy.”

Despite the chaos, the exhilaration on Yu Sheng’s face never wavered.

He could stir up more trouble while waiting for reinforcements. Surely, the Hunter, lurking somewhere in the shadows, had taken notice of this commotion. If they had even an ounce of sense, they would be intrigued by such a reckless intrusion.

In the distance, the glow of a Little House appeared on the horizon.

“Look! A house!” Yu Sheng called out, lifting his bloodied Rebar Spiked Club to point at the fairytale-like structure. “Let’s go check it out!”

He strode forward with bold steps.

The eerie blue of Fox Fire extended beneath his feet, and towering, twisted trees toppled around him. The screech of Fox Radish Missiles tore through the air, piercing the night sky. Twilight had long faded, replaced by a fiery glow illuminating the darkness. The wolves charged in waves from the shadows, only to be repelled by Foxy’s relentless barrage.

“Benefactor! It’s endless!” Foxy called out, her voice strained as she began to feel the fight dragging on. Something wasn’t right. “And these new wolves—they’re tougher! It takes several hits to take them down!”

“It’s fine. We’re here,” replied Yu Sheng, not even glancing back as he stepped into the warm glow spilling from the window of the Little House.

As soon as he crossed into the house’s light, the howling of wolves began to fade.

The wolf packs quickly retreated. Even the ones that had taken physical form and gotten close dissolved back into shadows upon entering the light, disintegrating entirely within its reach. RἁℕỌBΕ𝘚

Foxy, still catching her breath, cradled her fluffy tails in both arms, her gaze fixed on the sight of the wolves retreating. The faint Fox Fire hovering around her flickered as though in awe.

The Squirrel, perched on Little Red Riding Hood’s shoulder, peeked out cautiously. It glanced back at the path they’d taken, then at the Little House standing calmly at the fiery trail’s end. It let out a small, panicked squeal, trembling. “What’s going to happen next—?”

Yu Sheng walked to the wooden door and peeked inside. With a grin, he knocked on the door.

“Wolf Granny, are you home?”

Silence.

He knocked again.

“We’ve got visitors—”

Still, no response.

“Looks like Wolf Granny isn’t home after all.” Yu Sheng shrugged, then pushed the door open.

With a creak, the door swung wide, and a wave of warm light greeted them, along with a strange, tranquil sense of peace as though the house itself was shielded by some protective force.

Yu Sheng, still gripping the bloodied Rebar Spiked Club, cautiously stepped inside.

A sudden thud came from above.

“What was that?” Yu Sheng instantly tensed, spinning around and gripping his “battle stick” tightly.

“Watch where you’re going!” came a furious voice from his shoulder. It was Irene, sounding exasperated. “You couldn’t look up before barging in?! I hit my head on the doorframe!”

Only then did Yu Sheng glance back. He saw Irene clutching her head, muttering curses. “Seriously… who makes doorframes this low? I even ducked, and I still hit it… Yu Sheng, you’re the worst…”

Her misfortune quickly eased the lingering tension in the group. Smiles spread across their faces, though Foxy went further—bursting into open laughter.

Irene’s string of complaints only made her laughter harder to contain.

“Let’s rest here for a while,” said Yu Sheng, leaning his “battle stick” against the door before turning to Foxy.

“Got it.” Foxy, finally relaxing, walked to the table at the center of the room, plopped down, and pulled out a large handful of jerky from her tail, chewing loudly.

The Fox Radish Smart Firing System was already working on replenishing her ammunition.

Little Red Riding Hood followed them in, sitting on the small, empty bed, her expression dazed.

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The Squirrel climbed out of her hood and perched on her shoulder, equally lost in thought.

Yu Sheng glanced at the wooden table. Spotting a wooden bowl, he rummaged through it and pulled out an acorn. Walking over to the Squirrel, he offered it with a smile. “Here. Didn’t you lose your acorn earlier? Here’s a new one.”

The Squirrel hesitated before accepting the acorn. It didn’t eat it, though. Instead, it stared blankly at Yu Sheng for a long moment before muttering, “Thank you…”

Seeing its sluggish response, Yu Sheng couldn’t resist teasing it. “What about the classic line?”

The Squirrel blinked, confused. “What line?”

“You know, the one that goes, ‘So-and-so is a squirrel’s best friend!’ I gave you an acorn, so am I your best friend now?”

The Squirrel froze, seemingly unable to process the question.

Yu Sheng chuckled and turned his attention elsewhere, gazing out the window at the now-calm night.

The wolf packs had retreated, leaving the Black Forest eerily quiet. The faint blue glow of Fox Fire continued to burn in the distance, though the surrounding darkness slowly crept in, extinguishing it bit by bit.

The areas scorched and torn by fire and explosions were already beginning to restore themselves.

“That Big Bad Wolf is still lurking nearby,” Yu Sheng said suddenly. “But it doesn’t seem to be approaching for now.”

Little Red Riding Hood looked up, her gaze fixed on him.

“It’s not dead. All we did was cause a ruckus. We’re far from destroying this place,” Yu Sheng added with a smile, then shook his head. “But don’t worry. If it shows up, I’ll handle it. You don’t need to be scared.”

“I’m not scared,” she murmured, lowering her head, her voice muffled.

As if worried he’d see through her lingering anxiety, she quickly changed the subject, pointing at Foxy, who was happily munching on jerky. “What’s she eating? It looks good.”

“Jerky,” Yu Sheng said, walking over to grab a piece from Foxy. He handed it to Little Red Riding Hood. “Want to try?”

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