In the depths of Yu Sheng's mind, he was submerged in an immense and indescribable tide of darkness.

This shadow cast by the hungry "entity" was even more astonishing in scale than he had imagined.

It embodied the grand and primordial terror that hung above all living beings, buried deep in their hearts.

Then, in this profound shadow, he sensed something slowly drifting and writhing… the "entity."

It was hard to discern what it truly was; it seemed to possess countless tentacles and bloated masses of flesh, each part of its being constantly morphing.

It appeared as though new structures or gaps collapsed into existence in response to Yu Sheng's gaze.

The surface was pitch-black, yet deep within the intertwining tentacles, there seemed to hide ever-changing colors, bringing a dizzying sensation that gradually led one’s mind to be lost.

The moment Yu Sheng became aware of that entity, it too became aware of him.

Before he could react, countless new tentacles and branches surged forth from within it, filled with malice, swiftly coiling around Yu Sheng's mind.

He felt as if a thousand voices erupted violently in his "head," overwhelming him in a wave of chaos he could neither resist nor evade.

His consciousness had established an irreversible connection with something far more colossal.

This thing roared deep within his awareness, transmitting frenzied and terrifying thoughts; yet in the next moment, Yu Sheng realized that it lacked true reason and thought—

It was merely a vast and wild "instinct."

The chaotic notions and temptations he sensed were just tools created by this vast instinct to "hunt."

These echoes stemmed from the countless beings it had devoured, their madness and desperation at the ultimate edge of hunger, the lingering cries of those victims at their demise—all converged to form the malevolence of this monster.

What was once just a collective instinct had gradually evolved into a powerful "entity" that actively sought prey, tempting and coercing its targets.

And it was still growing rapidly.

What had begun as mimicry of thought was now slowly becoming its true "thinking"!

Now, it sought to dismantle Yu Sheng's mind, attempting to transform this unwelcome guest into its new "nourishment."

The sensation of his mind "melting" washed over him; Yu Sheng felt as though he was being rapidly "digested," becoming a part of that monster.

Despite his utmost effort to break free from those ensnaring tentacles, he found that the harder he struggled, the stronger they became!

At that moment, Yu Sheng suddenly sensed something.

He abruptly looked towards the massive entity writhing in the darkness.

In the next instant, he saw innumerable eyes of various forms springing forth from the colorful depths of the shadow, and among them… was his.

His vision shook, revealing countless tentacles extending forward.

At their ends, they coiled around a struggling humanoid shadow.

He felt that the monster was digesting and absorbing him.

He felt as though he was consuming something.

He was feeding.

Just when Yu Sheng could no longer distinguish his own perspective, unable to tell where he ended and the monster began, a startled voice suddenly cut through the darkness—

"What the hell?!"

In the next moment, Yu Sheng felt a violent plunge.

The last excruciating experience of awakening returned to him in an instant.

Yu Sheng bolted awake, sharp pain and a loud ringing filled his mind, flooding all perception.

He rolled over, clutching the bedside table, violently retching, wanting to expel his very heart, but nothing came out.

After an agonizing few seconds, this terrifying aftermath finally began to fade.

Propping himself against the bedside table, Yu Sheng struggled to sit up.

He saw the soft morning light filtering through the curtains and noticed the doll with the picture frame sitting on his bed, its small face showing great anxiety and tension.

"Are you okay?! Is it really you?" Erin scrambled over, using all four limbs to clamber up.

She grabbed his arm and shook it vigorously, "Do you remember who I am?"

"Stop shaking, I'm still feeling dizzy… What the heck, my whole body hurts…" Yu Sheng quickly interrupted the doll, "I’m awake, Erin, I'm fine."

Erin stared at him for several seconds before finally letting go, "You scared me to death! You just suddenly went limp, your mental responses vanished! Then you came back to life, and your whole mind was a mess! I didn’t know what I had woken up!"

Erin repeated "scared me to death" several times, clearly quite shaken.

Yet Yu Sheng found it hard to muster the energy to comfort her.

The massive shock from establishing a deep connection with "Hunger" still lingered in his heart, feeling as though a vast shadow remained.

He struggled to shake off its influence, leaning against the bed, breathing heavily until his mind finally cleared.

"Erin, that thing is dangerous," he said.

The little doll stood on Yu Sheng's stomach, "Of course I know it’s dangerous! I told you it was dangerous from the start!"

"No, I mean it’s far more dangerous than you realize—it’s almost truly learning to think."

Erin's eyes widened in shock.

"It originally only had instinct. After devouring countless minds, it gradually learned methods of coercion and temptation," Yu Sheng leaned against the headboard, staring into Erin's eyes, "Simple, brutish hunting can only yield limited 'nourishment.' Forcing a mind into madness through coercion offers tremendous 'nutrition.' It didn’t start out knowing this; it learned it over time, and now… it's on the verge of true thought."

A hint of fear began to show on Erin’s face, but then she suddenly reacted to something else.

"How do you know this?!" The doll rushed forward, her face nearly touching Yu Sheng's nose, "You…"

“... I formed a deep connection with that entity, deeper than we initially planned," Yu Sheng did not conceal it, "For a brief moment, I felt as though I became a part of that monster… In the depths of the darkness, I witnessed its primitive form and the secrets of its continual growth."

"Whoa… what?!" Erin nearly jumped, immediately launching into a barrage of panic, "I told you this was dangerous! Who knows what could happen? You just had to try it! What are we going to do? It’s a disaster! You’ve definitely been marked! You've been bitten by it! 'Hunger' is undoubtedly rooted in your mind! Oh no! It’s all over—"

The doll was making quite a commotion, scrambling around on the bed and Yu Sheng's stomach.

Yu Sheng tried several times to interrupt her but to no avail.

Finally, he had to forcibly lift her into the air to quiet her down, "Calm down, Erin, just calm down."

"Calm down? 'Hunger' has already rooted itself in your heart! Aren't you worried at all?!" Erin dangles in the air, "It will grow in your mind, getting bigger and bigger, then 'bam!' you’re done for! You can’t even hide in the real world! Do you even realize your current situation… Don’t tell me you think you can come back to life! This thing is rooted in your mind! Your body can renew, but what about your mind? Are you sure you can shake off this 'rooting' by dying and coming back?!"

Yu Sheng knew all this, yet he couldn’t explain why he felt no sense of impending doom as if there were no countdown on his life.

Not even his recently heightened "spiritual intuition" had warned him.

He just knew from a rational standpoint that things were dangerous, while his heart was filled with an unusual calmness.

But he knew he couldn’t show too much of that calm; it would only drive Erin even crazier.

"As long as we eliminate 'Hunger' before it manifests… I mean, kill that 'entity instance' influencing me, we’ll be fine, right?" Yu Sheng tried to shift Erin's focus, "The 'rooting' part takes time to explode; we still have time."

"Time… yes, we have time! Hurry, we need to hurry!" Erin was immediately distracted and then realized she was still being held in mid-air, "Put me down! Let me down! We need to get moving right away and take care of that 'entity instance!' Yes, yes, we need to go, before you feel anything…"

Yu Sheng took a gentle breath and set Erin back down on the bed, preparing to get up.

But just as he moved, he suddenly felt a wave of soreness sweeping through his limbs, and he instinctively drew in a breath.

"Ah! Why does it hurt so much…?" Yu Sheng stared down at himself in shock, "I clearly remember that the aftermath from the last 'sudden awakening' faded quickly… And I wasn’t in pain then; why does it feel like I’ve been beaten…?"

As he spoke, the doll, who had been frantic just a moment ago, suddenly quieted.

Erin crawled to the foot of the bed, muttering under her breath, "Sometimes, 'sudden awakenings' can also cause physical aftereffects…"

"No way!" Yu Sheng suddenly realized, rolling up his sleeve, "I was actually beaten—there are bite marks on my arm!"

Erin had already climbed to the bed's edge, "You grind your teeth in your sleep; you bit yourself."

"You think these little bite marks are from me biting myself?"

"I just wanted you to wake up! If conventional methods didn’t work, I had to use some unconventional ones!"

Standing at the foot of the bed with her hands on her hips, Erin protested confidently.

Then she turned and jumped to the ground, sprinting out the door!

(End of Chapter)