The Unquenchable Hunger and the Return of the Shadow

“Mmm-ah~”

The satisfying fullness of the delectable meal she had just consumed elicited a seductive moan from Liu Yu. She patted her flat, unyielding stomach, then casually tossed the now-empty spherical container into the distance, where it promptly collided with a passing star.

“Got it!”

After a triumphant cheer, Liu Yu instinctively licked her lips, savoring the lingering taste of the truly heartwarming delicacy. A look of unfulfilled desire bloomed on her face.

‘So hungry, so hungry, so hungry, so hungry, so hungry, so hungry—’

Her appetite, ignited by the delicious little snack, felt as though it had opened a new world. Every part of her—her body, her mind, her Shadow—every single organ screamed the thought of [Hunger] to her.

“I want more to eat—!”

The maiden, having tasted the forbidden fruit for the first time, was clearly not satisfied with merely devouring a single [Bloodkin]. Driven by an unprecedented sense of [Hunger], her small, grey head wobbled as she shifted her gaze toward other targets.

“None, none, not this one either… What in the world is this thing? So many eyes and hands… Ugh, truly terrifying. Throw it far away, far away…”

However, amidst the myriad “prisons” scattered across the sky, life-bearing spheres were already exceedingly rare, not to mention those stars specifically confining [Black-blooded] beings.

Liu Yu searched tirelessly, only finding a handful of [Bloodkin]. Instead, grotesque, bizarre, and utterly hideous creatures appeared one after another, nearly scaring away her appetite entirely.

Yet, it was precisely this scarcity that brought the thrill of discovering a treasure. With a heart full of anticipation, the young girl, driven by her desires, began to open “blind boxes” among the densely scattered spheres.

“Second one, found it!”

Following a joyous cry, akin to catching a rare Pokémon, her [Shadow] eagerly permeated the sphere, instantly devouring the imprisoned [Bloodkin] entirely.

“Hmph… Heh… Mmm-hm—!”

With the chasm of her desires temporarily filled, the young girl couldn’t help but smile.

Her smile was like a blossoming flower, vibrant and alluring.

It was also like a captivating siren, tempting one to fall into depravity.

What she didn’t realize, however, was that during the process of devouring the [Bloodkin], her pale grey hair had imperceptibly begun to darken.

[Warning, warning. Anomalies detected in Small Universe Beta.]

[Anomaly confirmed.]

[Subject 43 has breached the Dimensional Prison.]

[Detection indicates target is a high-risk individual. Requesting high-energy weapon support.]

[Armament request approved.]

[Activating spatiotemporal isolation layer.]

[Planetary Annihilation Missiles loaded.]

[Target locked.]

[3… 2… 1… Launch.]

“Huh? Why isn’t it moving? Is it stuck?”

Liu Yu waved at a nearby sphere, which, under normal circumstances, should have slid towards her but had suddenly become motionless. A flicker of confusion crossed the young girl’s mind. She took a step forward, only to be blocked by an invisible wall.

“Ah?”

She touched the space in front of her; indeed, something was obstructing her path. She tried another direction, but again, she was rebuffed.

Even Liu Yu, for all her naivety, now understood that something was amiss. She leaped and bounded, darting in every direction, yet no matter where she tried to flee, she would collide with a solid wall of air.

She was like a hamster trapped in a cage, utterly unable to escape human hands.

In her growing desperation, she once again drew her demonic sword.

[Chaotic Edge]

This technique possessed the terrifying power to collapse stable space, dimensions, and entire worlds. However, its prolonged casting time made it somewhat cumbersome in battles where every second counted.

Too impatient to bother with the usage instructions that flashed in her mind, Liu Yu unhesitatingly brought her sword down before her.

“Click…”

Her [Shadow] silently flowed from the sword’s tip into the space, shattering the cage that imprisoned the young girl in mere seconds.

Yet, Liu Yu knew well that this was only a temporary reprieve; the unknown enemy still lurked, observing from the shadows.

If that was the case…

‘Then I’ll just destroy everything completely.’

Instead of fear, unease ignited a surging desire for destruction within her. To protect herself, or perhaps to acquire more “food,” the illusory monster, [Devourer Hound], materialized behind the young girl.

Immediately, from Liu Yu’s position, an endless darkness began to radiate outwards, spreading relentlessly. The murky [Shadow] transformed into colossal serpents swallowing worlds, blotting out the sky, vowing to drag every single star into oblivion.

Space vibrated, and the universe began to collapse.

This dreadful and terrifying spectacle finally provoked a strike from the unknown enemy.

Hundreds of iridescent lights, like shooting stars, streaked across the sky. In the blink of an eye, they pierced through the darkness and arrived before the unsuspecting young girl.

In her urgency, before Liu Yu could even issue a command, her [Shadow] instinctively disengaged [Chaotic Edge], rapidly retracting back into Liu Yu’s body, and assumed a defensive posture.

“Boom, boom, boom—!”

With the bombardment of the [Planetary Annihilation Missiles], the darkness that had enveloped half the world vanished into thin air.

[Invalid… Invalid… Invalid… This attack has been judged invalid… Requesting higher-energy weapon support…]

[Small black hole… creation failed.]

[Star… expl… activation failed.]

[Ultra… limit… activation failed.]

[Request failed…]

[Request failed…]

[Weapon arsenal severely damaged, not yet repaired. Request denied.]

[…Understood. Forceful elimination failed. Counter-strategy has been altered.]

[Preparing to activate Dimensional Exile.]

At this moment, the grey-haired young girl, huddled in a corner with her head buried in her arms, didn’t even have time to celebrate surviving the terrifying attack when she suddenly felt a familiar sense of weightlessness. Before she could pinpoint the source of this familiarity, her body was swallowed by an abrupt spatial distortion, vanishing without a trace.

[Dimensional Exile successful. Mission complete…]

The system recorded the outcome of the battle. In its observation, Liu Yu’s figure had completely vanished within this artificial universe. All that remained was to calculate the extent of the damage caused, conclude the mission, and return to the Rebirth Star.

[…Three Bloodkin detained have died… Other subjects were not affected…]

The system was tallying the life-bearing Dimensional Prisons when it suddenly observed a small black dot. It was imperceptible to the naked eye, yet it stood out distinctly, like a drop of ink in water.

Its location was precisely where Liu Yu had vanished.

It immediately raised its alert level.

[Warning, warning. Dimensional Exile suspected to have failed. Target may not have departed.]

“Don’t think the same trick will work on me (Shadow) every single time!”

A furious voice echoed through the silent universe. The minuscule black dot rapidly expanded to human size. The exiled young girl tore open space, angrily stepping back into this battlefield.

Once bitten, twice shy. Ever since being ambushed by Titan, Liu Yu had developed a resistance to spatial abilities, and this resistance had also been transmitted to her [Shadow].

In gaming terms, her [Shadow] had developed a resistance to spatial-type abilities. Even if Liu Yu didn’t react in time, her [Shadow] could counter it promptly.

“The exact same move as back then. So, you really are connected to that bastard Titan!”

[Chaotic Edge]

The enraged young girl swung her demonic sword, and the colossal black serpents once again began to devour the world.