I couldn’t make out what Kessler was saying. The moment the second hint dropped, my mind went completely blank.
Why.
Seriously—why?
[Second Hint: The witch once claimed to be the owner of the baby arctic fox.]
The hint was shamelessly pointing to Haru noona’s group. And it had only been—what—an hour? One out of ten?
Just a single hour in, and they were already narrowing down a target?
It didn’t make sense. So much so that I started wondering if there was some kind of glitch. In this horror game, had the system ever helped the majority so blatantly, this early on?
It had.
Then that must be the reason. Too many players had died within just one hour. Enough to meet some invisible threshold. If that many were already dead, there was no point in dragging the quest out any longer.
Does that mean Haru noona is still alive?
Shit. That bastard Kessler had knocked over the curse-breaking potion I’d gone through hell to get my hands on.
He should’ve known what it was—any real Seeker would. So why would he do that?
Heart racing, I was just about to take off in any direction when I suddenly felt a hand clamp onto the back of my neck. In the next instant, I was hauled upward—straight into Kessler’s arms.
Put me down. Put me down right now!
I thrashed, teeth bared, and chomped down hard on Kessler’s wrist.
“Hold still.”
SCREEEEE—!
“You’re a clever little baby fox, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you serve a master who actually suits you?”
So what—you think that’s you?
“She was hopelessly incompetent. I’m a much better fit.”
What the hell. This guy’s a full-blown lunatic. I wanted to claw his face off, but I didn’t even have nails.
I gave up and curled into his chest like a coiled snake. That potion had been my shortcut, and now that it was gone, so was my workaround.
Still, something felt fundamentally wrong. The progression, the mechanics—everything about this deviated from the [Last Shadow] I knew.
This round felt… deliberately cruel. As if the entire game had been rigged to kill one person in the most vicious way possible.
I glanced up at the night sky on a hunch. Was there a crack up there? I remembered hearing that when the game bugged out, fractures would appear in the sky.
[The person suspected of being the witch has been taken to the execution platform!]
The announcement rang out, just as Kessler came to a stop. I held my breath.
“The wind’s shifting paths. Looks like the ceremony’s about to begin.”
He resumed walking, humming tunelessly and muttering something under his breath that I couldn’t quite catch.
We arrived at a long corridor. Along one side stretched a wall of glass windows, sleek and spotless. A crowd of what had to be hundreds was pressed up against the panes, all watching something intently outside.
The majority of players aren’t even dead yet… so what the hell is this?
I scanned the gathered crowd. No, the numbers didn’t add up. Not enough people had died for the main hint to be released early. So then why—?
The moment I followed their gaze out the window, my mind froze.
There, in the middle of the plaza in front of the castle gate, Haru noona was tied to a giant cross, struggling against her restraints.
At the end of the fuse leading up to the cross, a flame had been lit. It crawled steadily upward, inching closer, until the fire reached her feet.
“Baby foxes shouldn’t see things like this. I’ll protect you.”
Kessler covered my eyes, but I could still see the flickering light of the blaze through the corners of my vision.
“Damn… now this finally feels like a real horror game.”
“Right?”
Everyone started chiming in with their thoughts. Some popped open warm drink cans, chuckling like they were watching a movie.
“Man… so this is how Haru goes out, huh. There’s no loser’s bracket or anything, right?”
“Such a shame. I wanted to play more rounds with Haru noona. Honestly, this feels rigged. Why’d she get picked as the witch, of all people?”
“Eh, we should buy her a drink tonight or something.”
Casual chatter from her party members, as if nothing unusual was happening. Like it was just another night in the game. So jarringly out of sync with what I was feeling…
Nyang…
The screeching scream effect that had been echoing from above finally faded away. And when the final burst of flame flared—
An alert appeared.
[Second Survival Quest complete.]
“Oh! It’s over!”
“So she really was the witch!”
“Ew, that’s nasty.”
All that remained of the cross was a charred metal frame, warped and blackened. Burned onto it was the shriveled outline of a human skin.
[System]: A Soul Flower has bloomed.
And in the scorched cavity where her heart had been, a single flower bloomed—glowing softly.
So… my bond with Haru noona really was that strong.
The Soul Flower was a reward granted only to those who had fought with everything they had to save someone who died unjustly.
I turned my gaze toward the rest of Haru noona’s party.
Whether I was possessed or not, this was my reality—but to them, it was just a game.
“Unlucky, huh.”
“Yeah… real shame.”
That was the extent of what Haru noona’s unjust death amounted to. Just bad luck, brushed aside like nothing.
When I squirmed in Kessler’s arms, he let me down this time without a fuss. I padded down the corridor toward the pyre. Ever since I’d become a fox, my sense of smell had sharpened unbearably, and now the air reeked with thick, choking smoke.
A thin rain had started to fall. The twisted metal frame collapsed into a pile of ash, and the last embers that had burned Haru noona out were finally extinguished.
[You have obtained the Soul Flower.
This item is a necessary material for the quest <Baby Arctic Fox, Do You Want to Become Human?>.]
I collected the drop items she left behind. They’d make solid quest materials.
Haru noona, now forcibly booted from the game, would probably fume for a bit before hopping into a new session. But for me, it felt like the end of something. Strangely… I felt hollow. Regretful.
Maybe I’d grown attached without realizing it.
Rain slicked my ears down. Kessler came up beside me and began fiddling with them.
“I’m just drying out your ears. Something your dead owner would never have done.”
This guy… always had to make it about how much better he was treating me. As if either of them had any claim to begin with. I was mine, and mine alone.
“Your paws are caked in mud too. I’ll clean those up.”
Meow, meow!
Not grateful. Not even a little. The image of him dumping that hard-won potion came rushing back. Now he was pretending to be some kind of doting master? What, was he trying to win points?
I hadn’t spent much time with Haru noona—just three days. And sure, I knew it wasn’t technically his fault; the quest was randomized. But I’d lost an ally. And the emptiness and irritation that came with that made me want to take it out on him.
“You’re such a tidy little fox.”
My limbs drooped. Still, that didn’t mean I had time to lounge around doing nothing.
“There’s a decent gap before the next quest. Alright, let’s get to work!”
“Potion drop rates are double at night!”
“Let’s do this!”
“Cuttlefish time!”
Hearing the rallying cries from a group of guys carrying shovels, I snapped to attention. Right—the nighttime flag-digging event. Potions dropped at twice the rate.
Perfect chance to stock up.
Meow!
Still immaculately groomed like a just-born fox, I wriggled out of Kessler’s arms, leapt to the ground, and bolted after the crowd—nullifying all of his pampering in a second.
Rustle rustle! Meow meow!
I spotted a randomly generated flag and started digging furiously with my paws. The rain had turned the dirt heavy and soft, making it surprisingly easy to break through.
Clink! Clink!
A few silver coins rolled out from under the flag. I excitedly scooped them up—but then, just as quickly, I was hoisted into the air.
Kessler?!
“Your last master must’ve had you doing this pathetic crap.”
Excuse me?
“You’re seriously scrabbling in the mud for pocket change?”
…What?
“Get it together. You’re meant to grow into a fox with class.”
Unbelievable. I wasn’t even done collecting the coins yet! I squirmed in protest, kicking at the air to tell him off—and the guy had the nerve to smile.
“Well done. That was cute.”
What was? I was clearly trying to get away. But of course, he had to twist it into something else entirely.
“You showed a little affection, so you get a reward.”
He suddenly started lifting me up and down in his arms like an airplane.
My muscles tensed from the abrupt altitude shifts. Up and down, up and down—my body wasn’t made for this, and the constant motion wore me out fast.
“Tongue’s out. You’re enjoying this.”
What was I supposed to do with this complete breakdown in communication?
Then, out of nowhere, he swapped the bell cord around my neck for a flashy golden leash. Wait—what?
[Golden Collar]
[The most expensive dog collar sold in the Shadow Castle. Crafted by artisan “Leather Skull.”]
Gah! Mrow!
I let out a yelp before I realized it. I was honestly shocked.
This guy… he really did have some affection for me. From then on, I stopped resisting and let him carry me quietly into the castle.
[System]: Time remaining until the next Survival Quest: 6 days
There was still time. Until then, my goal was to bulk up. As a baby fox, I had no teeth and pitiful stamina. If I wasn’t careful, I’d be nothing more than a meat scrap in the dirt.
After the <Witch Hunt> ended, the atmosphere inside the castle devolved into pure chaos. The process of “finding the witch” had sparked unexpected gender conflicts.
Because of the first hint, players had confirmed the witch was female—so during the quest, innocent women had been hounded like prey.
Offended and furious, the noona players had begun forming a tight-knit alliance. Occasionally, a guy would try to cozy up to them, but they were quickly and firmly shut down.
“Oh look, a fox!”
Naturally, there were exceptions—good-looking men. The moment Kessler showed up holding me, the group of noonas who’d built an impenetrable fortress around themselves started stealing glances.
Kessler had been watching everything from a distance, but soon enough, he was surrounded by a crowd of women.
Then it happened—
“Aaaaaaaugh!!”
It was the sound of someone getting their throat slit.
The worshippers of Ttubi—who moments earlier had been bribing him with items in hopes of avoiding the role of the next witch—gasped and staggered back, retreating like a ripple in a pond.
Hissss. The scent of burning flesh drifted through the air.
Between the shifting crowd, I caught sight of Ttubi—lifeless. His eyes wide, mouth gaping open as thick black blood spilled out. Someone rolled his body over and checked his back.
A long, deep gash had been carved there—distinct and jagged, like a notched blade had done the job.
“Ttubi! Priest Ttubi!!”
The place erupted in chaos. Several players panicked and bolted for the exits, crashing into each other in the stampede.
“High Priest! Priest Ttubi has been murdered!”
And through all that mayhem, Kessler and I simply stood still—utterly calm.
