The hole vanished as if it had never existed, and the collapse and shaking of the Old Bookstore abruptly stopped as well. Only the "rotten knowledge" continuously streaming down from the bookshelves continued to pile up, rapidly turning into some kind of sludge-like substance upon touching the floor and giving off an unsettling, corrupt stench.
Only then did Yu Sheng turn and leave the Old Bookstore, which had become increasingly bizarre and no longer worth exploring. Almost the instant he ran out the door, a loud bang came from behind him—the shop door had slammed shut, and the entrance, previously illuminated by bright lights, immediately became as dim as those of the other shops around it.
Little Red Riding Hood and King stood at the entrance. The girl and cat watched the depths of the alley warily, while the short staff in the "priest's" hand emitted a soft, warm glow that illuminated a small area around them.
"The hole disappeared," Yu Sheng said quickly. "Before it vanished, I saw that everything outside was covered in fog. There were also things like spiderwebs stretching over from the distance."
"Could you stop being so reckless all the time?" Little Red Riding Hood turned back and gave Yu Sheng an exasperated look. "Even if you aren't afraid of dying, you should at least consider the pace of ordinary people like us... Wait, spiderwebs? What kind of spiderwebs?"
"What else could they look like? Something similar to what Eileen usually uses." Yu Sheng sighed. "Isn't that why we came here—to look for clues in that area? Now we really do have a clue. Something outside the Dark Alley is indeed 'seeping' in. Unfortunately, the hole only lasted for a moment, and it brought the whole Old Bookstore down..."
"This is the Otherworld. Everything will