Alien Hotel

Erin thought it was absurd that Yu Sheng could live in a "foreign land" for a long time without knowing it - but Yu Sheng thought the world was absurd.

"According to what you said, this world is full of "foreign lands", right?" Hiding in the corner of the ruined temple, Yu Sheng chatted with Irene in his mind, "It's just that most people can't touch them? Because they can't be observed?"

"That's almost the case, but if the whole "world" is like this... I'm not sure about it," Irene said, "After all, the world is so big, right? But at least within the scope of the "boundary city"... the probability of the appearance of foreign lands is very high, so this place seems to be called the "border" or something... I don't know the details, I've been in the painting for too long, and my mind is a little confused."

"Border?" Yu Sheng raised his eyebrows, always feeling that this name seemed a bit déjà vu, but then he noticed another piece of information revealed in Irene's words just now -

She deliberately emphasized "within the boundary city" - so, this huge city that seems to have no boundaries actually has an "outside"!

He hesitated for two or three seconds, but couldn't help but ask: "What's 'outside' Jiecheng?"

"Outside Jiecheng? Maybe more cities? Or maybe... the sea or something?" Irene's answer was vague, "I don't remember either. I've really stayed in this painting for too long. I only remember a little bit of things in this city..."

She suddenly stopped talking and asked with some doubt: "Don't you know? You haven't left Jiecheng either?"

Yu Sheng's mouth trembled, and he fell silent immediately.

How could he know! He has only been here for two months - let alone outside Jiecheng, he hasn't even figured out the bus routes four blocks away from his home!

But he was silent for a long time and decided not to mention this matter - he didn't want to let a "cursed portrait" who had just met him know this little secret of his for the time being.

"I've never been out. I'm a homebody... Forget it, let's not talk about this for now," he said perfunctorily, and then changed the subject. "Let's first think of a way to solve my problem. How can I get out of this so-called 'foreign land'? Speaking of which... can I get out of this foreign land?"

Irene on the other side thought for a while, as if she was sorting out her messy and blurred memories due to the long-term seal. After a long time, she responded: "Foreign land... There are many kinds. Sometimes it may be just a house that does not exist on the map, sometimes it may be an extra platform on the bus route, sometimes it may be a foreign land. Sometimes it might even be a forest, a country that you can walk into by pushing open the door of a closet - basically, smaller foreign lands have relatively fixed and obvious exits, or can return to reality by following specific rules, but the larger the foreign land, the more complicated the situation. "

Speaking of this, she paused, and continued: "I can't remember too much detail. There should be a complete set of classification methods for foreign lands, and there are also some "depth" and "danger" classification standards, but I really... I have been in this painting for too long..."

Her voice gradually became low, and she seemed to be a little lost.

Yu Sheng wanted to complain a little, thinking that this puppet was talking a lot but didn't remember any useful information, but after hearing the other party's last whisper, he still shut his mouth and didn't argue with Irene like before.

She has tried very hard to help - she was just sealed for too long.

"Look for it, you can always find the exit," Yu Sheng shook his head and looked up at the valley outside the ruined temple. "I think this place is quite large. At least there are mountains on both sides and forests in the distance. According to what you said, leaving... may not be that easy."

"Well," Irene hummed, "You can first walk around the 'original landing point' after entering the foreign land to see if there is anything that is out of tune with the surrounding environment, that is, something that you feel at first glance should not be there. Generally, the exit of the foreign land will be nearby. If there is nothing nearby, find a higher place to see if you can see a mirror-like reflection or hear a continuous sound of wind...

"But even if you find something like this, don't rush to touch it. It may also be a trap leading to the 'deeper level'. Specifically... I can't tell you clearly. You should add double quotation marks after your feeling.

"Feeling?" Yu Sheng couldn't help but speak. "...Yes, strictly speaking, it actually requires 'inspiration', a kind of spiritual intuition. Trained investigators will master this method of perception - I know you haven't been trained in this, but there is no way now, so I can only bite the bullet.

"But don't worry too much, spirituality exists in all intelligent creatures, and ordinary people without training also have it, but it has not been stimulated. If you look carefully, you will feel the warnings and omens that come from your own nature - if you really encounter something that you can't judge, tell me, I...try to help."

Yu Sheng agreed, slowly walked out of the corner where he was hiding, and walked cautiously towards the gate of the ruined temple - the disturbing "voyeurism" and "hunger" still surrounded him, and even seemed to have permeated the surrounding air and become a part of the entire valley, but he still walked out.

Because from the information provided by Irene, he must find an "exit" as soon as possible to leave this place - waiting in the corner will not cause a door to open in front of him.

At the same time, probably to relieve the tension in his heart, he was still chatting with Irene.

"You said that the place where I have been living is a 'foreign land'. How did you judge it? I don't think there is anything wrong with my home..."

"I can feel it," Irene replied, "It's the kind of 'inspiration' I mentioned. I can clearly feel that there is something wrong with this building - of course, it does look normal on the surface... I don't know what's going on."

"Feeling again..." Yu Sheng shook his head, "Then according to you, every day when I go home and walk in, I walk into a foreign land, and when I open the door and go out, I leave the foreign land? Then my home is really a 'good foreign land' where people and animals can come and go freely and harmless."

After two or three seconds, Irene said faintly: "...Opening the door and going out may not necessarily lead to where you want to go, right?"

Yu Sheng's expression stiffened for a moment, and he recalled why he was so unlucky to be trapped in this place.

He seemed to know what was wrong with his "home".

Thinking of this, he actually lived in that big house for two months in peace and stability, which was a miracle in itself!

As he spoke, he had returned to the open space in front of the ruined temple, which was the "landing point" when he first entered this "foreign land".

"I didn't find anything here," Yu Sheng carefully checked around the open space and confirmed that he didn't find the "discordant key items" described by Irene. "It seems that it's not that easy."

"Yeah, it's expected," Irene sighed, "Then try to walk out first, but remember, don't touch anything that glows or suddenly moves in front of you. In addition, if you don't have to, don't eat or drink anything in the foreign land..."

"I know... Wouldn't it be better to wait until daytime to search?" Yu Sheng said, looking up at the sky above that seemed to be always covered with a layer of turbid curtains, "It always feels gloomy when you are outdoors at night."

"Foreign lands are often counterintuitive. Daytime may not necessarily be safer, and even... there may not be daytime," Irene said immediately, "I still suggest that you find the exit as soon as possible. If you delay for a long time, maybe something will change on your side."

Yu Sheng pouted and could only walk further away helplessly.

And just as he stepped out of the ruined temple, he heard a voice... in his ear.

At first, it seemed to be just a faint and vague breathing sound.

Yu Sheng subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound, and just happened to see a white mist slowly dissipating in the air, as if an invisible giant beast had just exhaled a breath of foul air.

He heard the sound, so the beast's breathing was generated.

He saw the white mist, so the existence of the beast began to be confirmed.

A black shadow emerged in the air, a shadow that was almost three times the size of Yu Sheng, slowly taking shape in front of him, accompanied by heavy breathing sounds.

Now, he saw the outline of the beast - the beast existed.

Yu Sheng's heart tightened instantly, and a great sense of crisis crushed him head and face, which was heavier than the oppression brought to him by the frog in the rain!

And at the moment when he felt his heart tightening, the black shadow solidified.

It was something Yu Sheng had never seen before - a bear? A lion? An eagle? Or a tiger and a snake? Countless hideous, bizarre, and ambiguous limbs piled up on the huge and ugly meat ball, as if many beasts were melted alive in a big pot, and then mixed into a ball and ran out of it. This disgusting and terrifying thing used its swollen limbs of different sizes and shapes to support its huge body and looked down at Yu Sheng, and in its randomly stacked eyes... it was filled with hunger.

Yu Sheng slowly raised his head and met the eyes of the beast.

The beast pounced down without hesitation - at the critical moment, Yu Sheng suddenly lowered his body and escaped from one of the beast's bloody mouths in a thrilling way.

Then he fell into its other huge mouth.

The sharp teeth closed fiercely, and half of Yu Sheng's body was torn apart in an instant. However, at this moment, the severe pain seemed to have turned into a distant numb illusion. He felt that everything in front of him slowed down. He saw the snake-like limbs extending from the back of the giant beast, and another huge mouth biting him, tearing the remaining part below his chest - he saw his heart again.

The heart was beating slowly, and then disappeared deep in the snake's mouth.

"Fuck you!"

Yu Sheng finally squeezed out a curse from his throat. He knew that he seemed to be dying again, but he felt that he couldn't just let it go.

When the last bit of muscle in his body could still contract, he turned his head with all his strength and bit the side of him - he didn't know which part of the giant beast this was, and he didn't know what the bite was for. He just knew that he bit the other party.

At least a piece of meat was torn off before dying.

Yu Sheng used up all his strength at this moment. He bit the beast fiercely, and the beast bit him back. Blood and flesh, claws and teeth, food and diners...

Before his mind completely fell into darkness, Yu Sheng squeezed out one last thought in his mind - he whispered to Irene who was far away: "Irene..."

"Ah?"

"Nothing else, I'll hang up first."

Erin was stunned for a moment and didn't react.

Then Yu Sheng hung up.