Dimensional Hotel-Chapter 165: The Emerging Form of the Black Forest Vagabond Society

The night was deep and still.

The orphanage was shrouded in darkness, and the corridor outside gradually grew quiet. The children, exhausted from their daytime frolics, had mostly fallen asleep. Occasionally, the beam of a flashlight swept past the observation windows of the room doors, accompanied by deliberately softened footsteps—these belonged to the patrolling Guardians.

Little Red Riding Hood, now in her nightgown, leaned against the headboard, her ears tuned to the faint sounds outside.

She was listening for sudden sobs or unusual cries, while her wolves prowled in the shadows, sniffing out the scent of fear or unease. They also remained vigilant against unwelcome presences that might slip into reality under the veil of the night.

Even on nights when it wasn’t her turn to patrol, she had developed this habit.

After some time, she finally let out a soft breath of relief and lay down on the bed.

The first hour after lights-out was the most likely time for disturbances. Tonight, however, seemed peaceful.

A creak from the upper bunk caught her attention, and a head peeked over the edge. The Long-Haired Princess looked at her curiously. “Red Hood, going to bed so early? You’ve been sleeping a lot lately.”

“Yeah, I’m feeling tired.” Little Red Riding Hood yawned, her voice tinged with drowsiness. “Besides, I have plans tonight.”

The Long-Haired Princess looked puzzled at first, not understanding the remark. But after a few seconds, realization dawned, and a familiar name popped into her mind. “…That guy, Yu Sheng?”

“He’s not that old. You should call him ‘bro,’” Little Red Riding Hood said with a roll of her eyes. “Yes, it’s him. He asked to meet me in the Black Forest.”

The Long-Haired Princess tilted her head, her expression somewhat odd. “Meeting you in the Black Forest… I know what it’s about, but it still sounds weird. We’re always trapped in our own Subsets, yet your Black Forest seems to have gotten… lively lately.”

Little Red Riding Hood lifted her eyelids lazily. “Jealous?”

The head from the upper bunk tilted slightly before retreating. “Not really.”

Little Red Riding Hood opened her mouth as if to say something but then swallowed her words. Instead, she picked up her phone and typed out a short message as sleepiness crept over her:

“Goodnight. See you soon.”

She didn’t know how much time had passed as she drifted off, but eventually, she slipped into her dream.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

Darkness. Cold. Emptiness. Then, layer upon layer of shadows unfolded before her eyes. A forest bathed in twilight emerged from the gloom, accompanied by a distant wolf’s howl.

Little Red Riding Hood opened her eyes in the dream and was greeted by a familiar scene.

“…Here again,” she muttered softly, sighing with resignation. Her nerves, however, had already begun to tighten.

Fear and tension, rooted deeply since childhood, were instincts she couldn’t shake. These feelings couldn’t be quelled by mental preparation or bravery cultivated through training. Her calm expression and teasing tone were merely ways to deceive herself. She was all too aware of the fear buried in her heart. ℞άΝ𝙤BƐȘ

As her nerves tightened, she summoned her wolves, scanning her surroundings warily.

She was alert to the presence of Evil Wolves lurking in the darkness, while also searching for the figure who had promised to explore the Black Forest with her.

Almost immediately after the wolves appeared, she noticed black threads weaving themselves into the air nearby. They intertwined and spread rapidly. A voice echoed from an unknown source:

“Alright, alright, she’s asleep now… Stop rushing! Positioning takes precision. We’ve got to open the way directly to her. It’s a delicate operation… Connection established! Okay, set the door here. Open it up…”

The next moment, Little Red Riding Hood watched in stunned silence as the black threads coalesced into a thorny doorframe. At its center, a phantom-like door shimmered into existence, glowing faintly. The door swung open, and three familiar figures emerged.

Yu Sheng carried Irene over his shoulder, with the Foxy Girl trailing by his side.

“Good evening,” Yu Sheng greeted cheerfully as he stepped into the dream. “Hope we’re not too late. Irene said you just fell asleep a few minutes ago.”

Foxy and Irene waved enthusiastically, their smiles bright and carefree.

It was as if they were on a casual park outing rather than venturing into the treacherous Black Forest.

Little Red Riding Hood felt her tension falter. Though her instincts told her to stay on guard, the lighthearted demeanor of the trio shattered the ominous atmosphere. She opened her mouth but struggled for words, finally managing a bemused, “Uh… I just got here myself.”

Then she saw Yu Sheng reach back through the still-open Phantom Door, bending to pull something out as though retrieving it from the other side. She squinted and realized what it was—a piece of rebar over a meter long, as thick as a thumb. The front end was twisted into loops, with jagged shards of rusty nails, blades, and roughly-cut steel edges welded onto it at chaotic angles. In the twilight of the Black Forest, the thing gleamed ominously, evoking a sense of tetanus just from looking at it.

Little Red Riding Hood stared in bewilderment as Yu Sheng wielded this improvised monstrosity, casually swinging it twice as if it were a plastic baton. Despite its weight and savagery, it seemed to handle effortlessly in his hands. Unable to hold back her curiosity, she finally asked, “What… is that?”

“A weapon,” Yu Sheng answered cheerfully, though he looked slightly embarrassed. “I don’t have much in the way of proper gear or combat skills. Other than brute strength and some, uh, unconventional resourcefulness, I’ve got nothing. Unlike Foxy with her Fox Radish Set, or Irene with all her magical gadgets, this is the best I could come up with.”

As he spoke, he spun the vicious-looking rod again, its jagged edges slicing through the air ominously. He sighed. “I doubt this thing will be much use against the Evil Wolves, but hey, it’s better than charging in barehanded or chucking rocks like before.”

Little Red Riding Hood blinked at him, stunned. It took her a moment to shake off the visual impact of this bizarre “weapon” and follow his train of thought. Her expression turned somewhat reverent—not because the weapon was particularly powerful.

In truth, she’d encountered far more dangerous tools during her years as a Spirit Realm Detective. In the otherworldly realms, deadly and mysterious items were commonplace. This rebar, patched together with cruel intent, was hardly sophisticated. But its sheer malicious design, radiating malevolent creativity, was what struck her. The array of sharp, barbed, and jagged features screamed of the designer’s relentless, almost gleeful malice—its appearance exuded more menace than its actual killing potential.

What’s more, an inexplicable unease gnawed at her as she stared at it. Her nerves prickled with growing tension until she finally recognized the source of her discomfort.

“…It’s soaked in blood?” Her eyes widened as she sniffed the air, looking in disbelief at Yu Sheng, who was now busy closing the door with care.

“Yup,” Yu Sheng replied with a grin. “Lots of it.”

In the shadows of the Black Forest, that smile seemed to gleam with pure, unfettered satisfaction.

Little Red Riding Hood froze. She felt like she should say something, but no words came to mind. Her limited life experience and worldview failed to supply a suitable response. After a long pause, she blurted, “Wait… your blood? Isn’t that, uh…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yu Sheng interrupted with a dismissive wave. “This whole thing is just made from scraps leftover when I was crafting Dolls. Think of it as a byproduct of the process.”

Little Red Riding Hood: “…?”

Yu Sheng didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he slung the rebar monstrosity over his shoulder and turned his gaze deeper into the forest.

“Let’s not linger in this shadow-heavy spot. According to that Squirrel, we should head toward the light. I think I see a faint glow up ahead—let’s move. We’ll see whether the Squirrel or the Wolves show up first.”

With that, he strode forward without hesitation. Little Red Riding Hood snapped out of her daze and hurried to follow. As she walked, she noticed faint claw marks on his arms and small bite marks on his forehead—though she couldn’t fathom how someone managed to get bitten on the forehead. Curious, she asked, “What’s with those injuries? They look like you got scratched by a cat.”

Yu Sheng’s steps faltered slightly, and his expression turned awkward. “Uh… also a byproduct of Doll-making. Don’t worry, they’ll heal soon.”

From her perch on his shoulder, Irene huffed in feigned indignation, trying to look angry but failing miserably. Eventually, she gave up and reached out to pat the bite marks on his forehead with an oddly conflicted expression.

Little Red Riding Hood: “…?”

At that moment, a rustling noise came from a nearby bush, making everyone freeze.

The next second, under their watchful eyes, a small figure leapt out of the underbrush—a Squirrel with a bushy tail wrapped in a strip of red cloth. It clutched an acorn it had scavenged from somewhere and, with an air of self-importance, perched atop a slender branch. In a sharp voice, it began to recite:

“Ah—Twilight! The forest grows darker, and Little Red Riding Hood walks alone on the path beyond the outskirts. Good children must curb their curiosity and resist the allure of roadside flowers and mushrooms…”

Mid-sentence, the Squirrel stopped abruptly, its beady eyes fixed on the group before it.

Yu Sheng, grinning with his tetanus-inducing weapon slung over his shoulder.

A 66-centimeter-tall Doll brimming with inexplicable confidence.

A Demon Fox, surrounded by waving tails and flickering Fox Fire.

And an awkwardly stiff Little Red Riding Hood who wasn’t sure where to look.

The Squirrel stared at them in stunned silence for a few seconds. Then, with a soft thud, the acorn in its paws fell to the ground.

“…Things just got weird!!”