The baby arctic fox had disappeared.
He was always one to wander off, so for the first and second day, it was easy enough to dismiss. But by the third day, Kessler could no longer stay still.
[19M McMorning~Women Only/Note]
[Off to take a nap ㅇㅅㅇ]
The first place he checked was the Chapel, which had degenerated into a spot where players would set up omok boards and either go AFK or chatter away. He scouted out the users whom the fox often brushed his butt against suspiciously. No suspicious findings.
Next, he stopped by the Perfumery Workshop. The shop owner, Smellbone, bowed his head.
“The baby fox.”
Click, click.
“How many days has it been since he came by?”
Click click…
It was from that moment he realized something was wrong.
No one had seen the baby fox.
While tracing the fox’s whereabouts and returning toward the castle, he spotted a group of users holding a lavish meat feast in the square. In that moment, disgust flickered across Kessler’s eyes.
They used to adore the fox. They’d wrung every benefit they could out of the fox’s antics, and now, even though he was missing, they acted as if it was none of their concern.
“Huh? What the—? Why’s the grill turning off?”
“Our grill’s out too… What’s going on?”
With every step Kessler took, the users’ grills were snuffed out. Puff. The meat, once juicy and glistening, lost its savory color and shriveled dry.
Leaving the murmuring behind, Kessler made his way to the bell tower—the highest point of the castle.
He gazed up at the murky, leaden sky. A lone eagle circled, hunting for prey.
Kessler calmly waited for the eagle to cross into the domain of the Shadow Castle. Finally, the moment arrived.
As if forgetting how to glide, the eagle, who had been soaring along the laws of aerodynamics, suddenly flapped its wings in panic. Moments later, the great bird slammed into the roof of the Shadow Castle and crashed down pathetically.
Without a shred of hesitation, Kessler approached the bloodied, feebly twitching bird. He stomped down on one of its wings. An emotionless gaze bore into it.
“Did you eat the fox?”
The eagle cawed, insisting it hadn’t. Yet there was something impure in its explanation.
“You wanted to eat him, but you haven’t yet?”
A birdbrain was a birdbrain, after all. To spout such a blunt confession before the Absolute Lord of this place and call it an excuse—ridiculous.
“Good job.”
Kessler calmly praised the bird. The eagle begged to be released now, but Kessler’s boot refused to budge.
In the next moment, the eagle’s thrashing ceased as if it had all been a lie. The body that had flailed so desperately fell flat against the ground, its feathers limp, fluttering helplessly in the breeze.
“Potential threats must be eliminated in advance.”
Having harvested the soul of the Shadow Eagle, Kessler resumed his search for the fox. He ordered the summoned ghosts to scour every corner of the castle, then made his way toward the Night Market.
Maybe someone had deliberately targeted the fox. The thief who had stolen the Golden Collar had yet to be identified.
Moreover, the fox surely carried more valuables than Kessler knew about. He didn’t know exactly what they were, but hadn’t the fox tirelessly worked—busking in the streets, selling low-grade perfumes—just to save up for Kessler’s birthday present?
“My thinking was too shallow.”
It wasn’t about confessing his birthday. The baby fox was a vulnerable being in this castle—someone who absolutely had to be protected.
Kessler dropped by the second-hand luxury shop. The shopkeeper, a skeleton adorned with gemstones on every knuckle, immediately bowed his head.
—Welcome, Lord Kessler.
Kessler leisurely surveyed the items inside the store. This was a place where expensive goods gathered. If someone had snatched the fox’s birthday present, they would have likely sold it here first.
From that point, he intended to backtrack the culprit. And if he could find the culprit, he would surely find the fox’s whereabouts too.
“Recently, has anyone come in to sell off something expensive?”
It was then.
Jingle.
A familiar sound of bells brushed past his ears—the crisp ring that only ghosts could hear awakened Kessler’s senses.
Without hesitation, he followed the source of the sound and immediately found it.
Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle.
A golden dog collar. The very one he had given to the fox as a gift.
“The bastard who sold this off.”
Click click?
“Who the hell was it?”
Click click!
Sweating profusely, the skeleton shopkeeper, under the Absolute Lord’s deadly gaze, fumbled to recall the memory as faithfully as possible.
Someone about this tall, eyes shaped like this, dressed like this… and after selling the collar, they used the money to stockpile poison…
Listening intently to the skeleton’s account, Kessler left the shop, the Golden Collar in hand.
Even though he hadn’t paid for it, the skeleton shopkeeper dared not lift a club against the Absolute Lord.
Kessler walked back toward his own castle, where the event quest was still in full swing.
***
[The Absolute Lord’s intervention.
All Sand Bats have been exterminated. The quest is now complete.]
Kessler had obliterated every last bat. Then he came closer—and without allowing even a gasp of air, seized my throat.
“You.”
“What did you do to our fox?”
How was I supposed to explain when he was choking the life out of me?
‘Damn it, at least give me a chance to say something…’
My face flushed hot at first, then slowly began to turn icy. My mind grew hazy, and the strength drained from my flailing legs until they dangled limp. I thought I was going to die just like this—without even getting a word out… dying such a ridiculous death…
[Settlement begins.
You have achieved 1st place in the Special Quest, <The Steward’s Appeal>!
As a reward, you may now enter the ‘Room of Ancient Treasures.’
Would you like to enter now?
Yes/No]
Without a second’s hesitation, I slammed ‘Yes.’ The sensation crushing my body turned into one of weightlessness, and in the next instant, I was teleported to the ‘Room of Ancient Treasures.’
“Kuhk, kehkk…”
I collapsed to the ground as if slammed down, and only after expelling a long-stagnant breath did blood finally start circulating to my head again. A hot, pounding sensation flared in my cheeks, matching the frantic beating of my heart.
I stayed hunched over, supporting myself against the floor, catching my breath for a long time before finally managing to stand up. Only then did I notice my health gauge had hit rock bottom.
The place where I now stood was in front of the central staircase of the ‘Room of Ancient Treasures.’
The Room of Ancient Treasures was divided along the boundary of the central staircase: the 1st Treasure Room, the 2nd Treasure Room, and farther out, the 3rd Treasure Room.
—Yu okey, sibniga? (Are you okay, sir?)
The skeletal gatekeeper frowned, inspecting my condition with what seemed like concern.
“I’m fine. Please, lead the way.”
I followed the skeleton up the stairs. As the first-place winner of this event quest, I was entitled to enter the 1st Treasure Room. There were three treasure rooms in total, with rewards tiered accordingly for up to third place.
Jung Da-hoon, who had placed second, would likely be heading into the 2nd Treasure Room on the other side.
Click, click. Opening the door now.
The skeleton aligned its bones with the lock mechanism in front, and the door swung open. Beyond it, a dazzling array of rare items came into view.
As the skeleton began signing, as if conveying some guidelines, a popup message appeared.
[You may take only one item.
※ By absolute authority, the item ‘Black Hand Gloves’ will be disabled.]
I’d expected it, but still—seeing it locked off like that left a bitter taste in my mouth. I’d been half-hoping to smuggle out an extra item with some trickery.
I scanned the 1st Treasure Room. From a Moonlight Sword to a liquor aged with Blue Serpents… Every single item was utterly covetable.
Then my eyes stopped at one particular display.
[‘Thief Set (SS)’
Contents: Shadow Hand Gloves (S), Bag That Can Hold Anything (S)]
I’d originally planned to choose this all-powerful item set, designed to make any thief omnipotent once it was in their grasp.
“…Ha.”
But I lowered the hand that had instinctively reached toward it and clutched my head.
‘Is this really the right choice?’
No doubt, it was a practical choice. But considering my current situation, wasn’t it too short-sighted?
If I returned as the fox, I’d be hunted by a killer. If I went out like this, Kessler would kill me before I even had a chance to explain myself.
I was utterly stuck—caught between a rock and a hard place.
Maybe I should just be honest with Jung Da-hoon. Tell him, “I’m the fox, I’m Yeo Woo-rim, and I’m trapped inside this game. Please… help me survive.”
‘Maybe I should even ask him to file a missing person report for me while he’s at it.’
…Too risky. No one in their right mind would believe me. Even if he did, what if he said something like, “I’ll kill you so you can go back to reality”?
My fans were the intense type—way too intense. I wouldn’t put it past them.
I let go of the idea of taking the ‘Thief’s Set (SS)’ and started coldly evaluating the other options.
There was everything you could imagine. A hyper-secure subdimensional tent that guaranteed safe sleep, a pork belly whistle to command pigs, and then…
[‘Golden Hour Hand.’ Time is gold.]
I picked up the object that looked rather ordinary at first glance.
It wasn’t going to help me navigate the minefield I was currently in. Still, I chose it. It just… felt like I had to.
“This one.”
—Confffirmmmmed…… No changes allowed…….
“I understand.”
I tucked the hour hand into my inventory and left the First Treasure Room.
The moment I bounced off the exit barrier, I looked around cautiously and whispered:
“Cancel human form.”
My field of vision shrank along with my height. It was annoyingly limiting.
[System]: Sleepiness that had been delayed rushes in all at once. The Baby Arctic Fox is still a baby. He needs plenty of sleep.
‘Ah… I didn’t think about that.‘
Drowsiness hit me like a truck. Even so, I had to get somewhere safe before I could let myself fall asleep.
I forced myself to stagger forward—but my body gave out and flopped sideways to the ground.
Footsteps approached. Heavy, deliberate. My ears perked up. I didn’t even need to see to know who it was.
The last sensation I felt was a careful hand scooping me up.
***
“Baby fox.”
Sniff, sniff…
“Was the one who locked you up that bastard?”
Kessler gently parted the sleeping fox’s tiny mouth, as if hoping to find a hint or clue. But all that came out was the faint, milky smell unique of a baby.
“Sorry.”
Next, Kessler pressed his nose into the fox’s neck. Even here, there was only the scent of an innocent, sleepy little fox.
“Your return is the greatest gift of all.”
Only after inhaling that familiar scent did Kessler finally exhale a deep breath of relief.
