“The Wolf Extermination Squad is about to depart!”
A man holding a high-quality torch that lit up twenty meters ahead was leading the expedition.
“Everyone, make sure to register your names if you’re joining! That way, we can distribute the items properly!”
I, who had casually slipped into the rear of the formation, opened the party window.
[System]: You must create a name before you can join.
Come to think of it, I guess I didn’t even have a name until now.
‘I’ll go with Yeo Woo-rim.’
[System]: Confirming—’I’ll go with Yeo Woo-rim.’ Is this correct?
‘No, just Yeo Woo-rim.’
[System]: Confirming—Is your name ‘Yeo Woo-rim’?
Yes. I raised my front paw and smacked it down a few times.
[System]: You have joined the expedition as the 664th member.
Done. After officially joining, I let out a breath of relief, and that’s when I spotted Kessler over there.
That guy… did he sign up for the expedition too…?
Awooooooooo!!
[System]: You have been weakened by the wolf’s howl. Falling asleep.
‘Ah, not again…’
His figure, steadily approaching, grew blurry in my vision.
I tried my best to fight it off, nodding off on the spot, but ended up falling asleep.
I vaguely felt someone’s hand gently picking up my plump little body.
When I came to, the expedition had already climbed somewhere near the middle of the mountain.
Rubbing my eyes, I stared at the endless stream of text scrolling up in the corner of the screen.
[System]: You have gained experience. +78
[System]: You have gained experience. +78
[System]: Level up! Congratulations!
[System]: You have gained experience. +65
[System]: Level up! Achievement unlocked: Strength Beyond a Small Body!
L…….
Everyone was in the middle of wolf hunting, each wielding a club.
Some players who had been knocked down were dragged to the rear of the formation in a critical state—right where I was.
[System]: Natural enemy detected. A wolf is approaching. Your bladder activates out of fear!
Suddenly, urine began trickling out, soaking the hands of Kessler, who had been sitting calmly with me in his arms.
“Scared?”
This time, it truly wasn’t intentional.
“Peeing all over the place, huh, you little mess.”
[System]: You feel a chill through your body.
[System]: !!! You feel intense embarrassment.
[New special skill acquired: Trigger Protective Instinct! In moments of danger, you become more lovable than anyone else.]
What the hell is this now?
“If not me, who else would catch your pee, huh? You starting to understand how precious your owner is?”
My mind was spinning. Meanwhile, the area around us looked like an all-out battlefield.
While Kessler fished out a wet towel, my body suddenly leapt from his arms and began tapping and twirling on its own, like a clumsy tap dance.
Was this that skill or whatever it was…?
“…?”
Kessler stopped mid-wipe, watching my dance performance in fascination.
“Kessler! Are you okay? Why are Baby Arctic Fox’s eyes so huge all of a sudden?”
Bori noona, her body covered in wounds, plopped down heavily onto the ground and gulped down water from her bottle.
“I’m down to zero HP. I need to meditate and slurp some soup to recover… Haah… Got any emergency potions left? If I can just hold out a little longer… Deaths are piling up.”
[Remaining wolves to defeat: 77/100.]
Just like Bori noona said, the summit was practically within reach now. The wolf count had just ticked up from 77 to 78.
At that moment, a man approached, grumbling under his breath.
“Kessler, don’t you have a weapon? You’re just gonna sit there and leech EXP?”
“Leave him be. Baby Arctic Fox got scared, so he has to take care of him.”
“What the hell… Bringing a damn pet all the way out here for no reason… Huh!”
[System]: Skill ‘Trigger Protective Instinct’ is now active.
The man, who had been glaring at me irritably, couldn’t even finish his sentence before clutching his chest, overcome. It looked like he was genuinely moved by how adorably bright-eyed I had become.
[System]: You gazed at the Cute Fox. Temporary HP recovery speed boosted.
“Huh? Wait, seriously. Bori, look at the fox. He gives buffs!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Seriously, look closely!”
[System]: You gazed at the Cute Fox. Temporary HP recovery speed boosted.
Bori noona hesitantly reached out and touched me. In that instant, her eyes widened in shock.
[System]: You touched the Cute Fox! 30% of lost HP recovered!
“This fox is i-i-i-insane!”
“Everyone! Line up right now and make sure you get a touch from the fox before you go!”
[System]: You high-fived the Cute Fox. HP increased.
[System]: You won a staring contest with the Cute Fox. Luck increased, boosting item drop rate.
“You damn swarm of leeches. The fox is mine.”
“Kessler, please! Let me touch the fox just once!”
“Go wash your hands first.”
Hearing the rumors, players began to flock over. Even though the sudden influx of people annoyed Kessler, he didn’t forcefully drive them away, instead leaving everything up to my will.
I liked that about Kessler.
“Alright, alright, instead of fighting over it, how about we watch a performance the fox puts on?”
In the middle of the battlefield, people formed a circle around me. Standing there with my two front paws neatly together, I started the show without hesitation, living up to their expectations.
[System]: ‘Trigger Protective Instinct’ duration: 3 minutes 58 seconds
Following the slightly off-beat clapping, I picked up a broken bead with my mouth, tossed it high into the air, and caught it skillfully with my tail.
Then, I wiggled all four legs in a clumsy little dance, attempting a somersault. Because of my small, chubby body, I flopped over with a heavy thud, but everyone just cheered louder, clapping even more enthusiastically.
Next, I spun in circles, as if encouraging them to start a wave.
Honestly, it felt a little ridiculous, but I was just following the prompts from the ‘Fox Performance Guide’ that only I could see.
For the finale, I leapt into a water bucket that had somehow appeared nearby and splashed around wildly.
[System]: Baby Arctic Fox has successfully completed the performance. All spectators recover 50% of their HP.
[System]: Holders of the ‘Happy Fox Amulet’ recover an additional 10% HP.
[System]: You were splashed by the Water-Playing Fox! Temporary defense boost applied!
One player, who had been near the water bucket and caught some of the splashes, widened his eyes and started calling people over.
“Holy crap! Everyone, hurry and catch a drop of the fox water! It boosts your defense!”
[System]: You have exhausted all your strength. You collapse, drained.
After finishing my performance at the center, I promptly drifted off into sleep on the spot.
“Sleepy again, huh?”
While everyone else crowded around the water bucket, Kessler approached me alone and scooped me up with one hand.
[System]: ‘Trigger Protective Instinct’ skill duration has ended.
He gazed at me, blinking slowly as I dozed in his hand. Then, without warning, he leaned in close. After sniffing me a few times, he pressed a soft kiss onto my snout.
Even though the ‘Trigger Protective Instinct’ skill had ended, why was he still acting like this? I didn’t have the energy to think anymore. I sank deep into sleep.
***
The Wolf Extermination Operation ended smoothly, apart from the casualties in the early stages.
“Seriously, the fox turned out to be a blessing. What would we have done without him?”
“Exactly.”
“Who would’ve thought the fox would be a buffer?”
In truth, the final phase of the operation almost became a disaster. The wolf packs had entered an awakened state, while the players’ HP kept draining away, with deaths piling up.
At that critical moment, Baby Arctic Fox had burst onto the scene like a comet, showering everyone with a performance that healed both their bodies and hearts.
“He taught us the lesson that sometimes the right answer is to slow down and rest.”
“Haha, true. That little guy is truly adorable.”
Even the players in their fifties and sixties smiled warmly, saying the fox reminded them of their grandchildren, while poking at the firewood to stoke the flames.
“Good work, everyone! It’s time to feast on wolf meat!”
***
‘Yaaawn, slept so well.’
When I finally woke up, a bunch of notifications had piled up. Quest complete, level up, various reward notifications.
Sniff sniff.
And then—an amazing smell wafted into my nose.
Kessler, sitting among the others with soot smudged across his face, was peeling a perfectly roasted sweet potato. When he noticed I was awake, he silently broke off a piece, cooled it carefully, and placed it gently into my mouth.
Without thinking, I gulped it down—and my eyes went wide. It was delicious.
“Here.”
Kessler, setting down his own sweet potato, now focused completely on feeding me.
“Yeah, that’s it. Eat up and grow strong. That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
After devouring an entire sweet potato, my belly felt blissfully full. The fullness made my plump little body feel even heavier.
As I stretched my front and hind legs out wide, people passing by gave me enthusiastic thumbs-ups.
“Such a cool fox!”
“Did you eat lots of food, little one?”
[More and more people are falling in love with you! Your prestige is rising. You have earned the title, ‘Fox Who Knows Love.’]
It must have been the help I gave during the extermination that made the difference.
[While in ‘Fox’ state, you can now view other people’s affection levels toward you.]
What now?
I equipped the newly received title in my status window and glanced around.
‘Let’s see, the red hearts must mean they like me.’
Blue indicated neutrality, and as for the black X…
“Cute little fox, did you eat a lot?”
I looked up at Jung Da-hoon, who had come closer, smiling kindly as he patted my head.
I glanced at the black X floating above his head and opened up the detailed description.
[Black X: This individual could turn you into a lump of fox meat at any time. Exercise extreme caution.]
Yeah, that checks out for Jung Da-hoon. He had stolen my Jingling Bell and even locked me up in that dusty room.
But what truly baffled me was the other one.
“Hey. Did you not hear me when I said to wash your damn hands before touching my fox?”
Kessler, standing guard and glaring at Jung Da-hoon with suspicion— He also had a black X gleaming above his head.
