A new territory has been unlocked for players.
Looking down, the users who had been slumped around like lifeless mosquitoes suddenly sprang into action as quest alarms began to ring, teleporting away in every direction.
It was not unlike how overseas Koreans returning to the country become eligible for national health insurance benefits after six months.
Up until now, players had been forced to live self-sufficiently in a restricted space, but now, having met their required duration of stay, they could enjoy the same perks as the skeletons—so long as they could prove their qualifications.
Even the third-floor corridor, once blocked off by obstacles and only accessible through special routes, must have opened by now.
Having more or less finished my meal, I wiped my mouth with a napkin.
“Thank you so much for preparing all this. I’m genuinely touched.”
Then I gave Kessler a quick kiss. I had meant to kiss him on the cheek, but at that exact moment, he turned his head, and our lips met instead.
He was surprised, but I was even more startled.
Back when I was a fox, I used to do things like this all the time without thinking, so it had come out instinctively… a bit of flirtation I shouldn’t have tried as a human.
“I have something I need to finish up, so I have to go. The food was amazing. Thank you.”
“……”
I needed to leave right away, but there was no easy way to soothe him. Flustered, I acted without thinking.
‘The Skeleton Village has been unlocked.’
I had urgent matters to tend to, so I hurried down the stairs. My destination was the Snake Rim Office.
***
Yeo Woo-rim approached and kissed him.
Kessler touched his lips. It had only been a moment, but the warmth still lingered.
A bit of chili oil, left on Yeo Woo-rim’s lips, had stained Kessler’s fingertip. He stared at the mark.
Kessler replayed the moment over and over again in his mind.
That single event had managed to wipe out the ugly memory of what had just happened before.
[Relationship Panel]: The other party has disabled location sharing. Unable to track their position.
“That baby fox…”
His location didn’t appear on the map, but through the window, Kessler could see Yeo Woo-rim running out of the village after descending the stairs.
Kessler watched that soft, vulnerable-looking head disappear into the distance, then quietly finished tidying up his meal and stood.
His heart was pounding.
On the way back to his room, the hallway—normally deserted and quiet—was buzzing with noise. The merchant players who had lost turf in the alley wars had come to set up shop along the third-floor corridor.
A sign hung overhead:
‘Original Obstacle Café’
The strange thing was that the very traps that used to attack players in the third-floor corridor—arrowheads, laser machines—were now part of the café’s interior decor.
“What the hell is this?”
“Oh, Lord Kessler, hello! Since the corridor’s been unlocked, we’ve opened our business. We’re offering a 10% discount just for you, Lord. Please come by often!”
“So the unlock season’s already here.”
Only then did Kessler understand why Yeo Woo-rim had rushed out so suddenly. Recently, he’d been preoccupied gathering petitions and evidence to reduce his sentence, leaving most administrative duties to the steward.
“Don’t go under. Hope business goes well.”
“Thank you, Lord Kessler!”
He offered them a few words of encouragement.
Having a café this close to his room was actually convenient for Kessler. There were many times he’d wanted a drink after waking up but gave up out of laziness. That wouldn’t be an issue anymore.
“Lord Kessler, good day!”
Just then, someone came up and started setting up Café No. 2 right beside the first.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
“Our shop only serves gelato ice cream. We source premium organic ingredients from the Oasis, and we also sell fox-friendly ice cream. Please stop by when you have time. Here—try a cup, on the house.”
“Lord Kessler, enjoy this while you handle your duties. Today, it’s free just for you!”
The original Obstacle Café, having finished organizing its ingredients, joined in the flattery.
And so, Kessler ended up walking down the corridor holding freshly brewed coffee in one hand and ice cream in the other.
Then, from the opposite staircase, a crowd of players came pouring up. Among them was Bori.
“Oh! It’s Lord Kessler!!”
“Hello, Lord Kessler!! This is our first time here!”
“What the hell? All these husks showed up as a group?”
Whether they were being called husks or not, the players were too excited to care. The liberation they felt from all restrictions finally being lifted was exhilarating.
“Ah, Lord Kessler! While we’ve got the chance, could we get a tour of your room? We’re dying to see the Lord’s chamber.”
“Yes, yes! Please?!”
“Is the fox in there too?”
“Know your place. What makes you think you’re allowed in?”
Kessler scoffed, but then he suddenly noticed the swaying tails behind the group of users. In that instant, his favorability toward them ticked up slightly.
“Aw, come on, just show it off! We’re dying to know what it’s like living with a fox!”
They had a point. Besides, the Lord’s chamber was a cozy, camp-style healing space—definitely worth showing off.
“Open it up! Open it up!”
Left sway, right sway. Their tails wagged in rhythm to the chant, and Kessler, with no choice left, gave a small nod.
“Make sure you tidy up so you don’t shed everywhere.”
“Wow!!”
[System]: The Lord has opened access to his room.
The barrier across the hallway vanished. As the users filed in one by one, they admired the portraits lining the corridor.
“Whoa, this is amazing. There’s even a painting of you and the fox?”
“You look good together.”
“You’re the perfect duo!”
“Legendary.”
Kessler’s shoulders puffed up under their praise.
“Wow, what is this place? The vibe is so grand…”
At the end of the hall sat a stroller—for the fox.
“So the fox rides around in that?”
“Yeah. Sometimes I bring it inside the room too. When the baby fox wants to go for a walk, he climbs in on his own.”
It was a scene filled with admiration and praise. In an exceptionally good mood now, Kessler naturally took the role of tour guide.
“You’re gonna be amazed when you see my room.”
“We’re so excited!”
“Da-da-da~!”
With his chin slightly raised and a proud smirk, Kessler opened the door to his room—revealing the cozy space he shared with the fox.
It was about 25 pyeong (approximately 825 square feet). Straight ahead was Kessler’s desk, and to one side were a sofa and bed covered in white fox fur.
But the real showstopper was the space opposite the bed.
“This is a total baby fox paradise!”
“This is where the baby fox splashes around and laughs while chewing on Jewel Ice.”
“That must be the cutest thing! This puts any kids’ café to shame!”
Next to the small swimming pool, colorful dog neck floats—previously sponsored by Jung Da-hoon—were hung neatly by shade.
“This is the baby fox’s ball pit. Sometimes he flops down on his back with his hind legs in the air.”
“Oh man, that’s insane.”
“This is where the baby fox eats. It’s a custom tray—when I serve pudding in this, he doesn’t leave a single drop.”
“He must be so happy!”
“Wow, the baby fox’s bed is nicer than mine!”
The room was filled with gasps of amazement.
“It gets such great sunlight too. Wow… look how you’ve decorated all these photos.”
The Polaroids Kessler had bought from players for a million won each were strung up neatly along long threads.
“Check out the clips. Those are rare items.”
One of the appraisers, habitually checking objects while touring the room, was stunned—the wooden clip holding the photo alone was a high-value item.
It was a warm, pleasant moment.
Until—
Rattle.
“Damn, this smells amazing. Baby fox scent experience! But where is the fox?! Foxy! Where are you!”
Someone clueless had jumped right into the ball pit. One of the balls bounced out, rolled, and landed at Kessler’s feet.
“……”
Kessler slowly bent down and picked it up.
“Did I say you could touch anything?”
Moments later, the man realized what he’d done and scrambled to his feet in a panic.
“You wanna die?”
“…N-no?”
“Then should you die?”
“K-Kessler-nim…?”
‘I’m so fucked.’
The pressure from the shadows stacking up behind Kessler’s back had the players inching backward before they all turned tail and fled in a panic.
***
[System]: Access restriction to the Skeleton Village has been lifted. Feel free to explore the area.
After parting ways with Kessler, I entered Skeleton Village with five Snake Rim brokers in tow. Jung Da-hoon was waiting at the entrance to the alley.
“Jung Da-hoon.”
“Yes, Player. You’re right on time. Hello to you too, Snake Rim hyungs.”
–Click.
–Click-click-click. Hello.
There was still some time before the survival quest <Resident Verification> would begin.
“I’m releasing all the money I’ve converted to cash so far.”
Secure property before prices spike. Some users were already entering the village, so I had to act quickly. My goal: stables, the lowest-maintenance properties.
“Gentlemen of Snake Rim, I’ll be purchasing every stable on the market in this village.”
Most users would aim for direct or joint purchases without brokers.
I, however, had my regular client discount. Others, unfamiliar with the real estate transaction system here and burdened by the high commission fees, wouldn’t be so lucky.
But it wouldn’t be easy to complete a clean deal without a broker. Among the skeletons, there were plenty of Honest Rims, sure—but there were just as many Scam Rims and Shady Rims.
Knowing this, the landowners in this area would want to sell only through Snake Rim to ensure a safe transaction… And all of Snake Rim’s brokers in this territory were under an exclusive contract—to work for me.
