[The final survivor has made their choice. Your master status is now changed to player “Kessler” at ‘?? of the Shadow Castle’.]
As soon as I confirmed the notification, I jumped out of Kessler’s arms and scurried toward the OX Quiz box, rummaging through its contents.
Curiosity had gotten the better of me, and I wanted to see what other questions were inside.
「Naughty Skeletons fart more than three times a day O」
「The far left room in Shadow Castle is haunted X」
Even after unfolding each paper, it was all familiar stuff.
‘Maybe I really am a Castle Master Expert…’
The castle manager kindly unfolded more questions for me as I showed interest, but meanwhile, Kessler had wandered off somewhere.
Nyang nyang!
“Just watch for a second.”
I quietly watched Kessler’s back as he walked away and quickly followed him.
“Even being away from you for a second makes my lips break out.”
Proudly teasing me, he scooped me up again. But there was something I needed to confirm.
‘Title ‘Fox Who Knows Love’ has been activated.’
I gazed intently at Kessler, who brought his cheek closer, clearly inviting affection. I wanted to see if the label “Black X” still appeared above Kessler’s name.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
The next moment, a clear, gigantic red heart appeared over his head. Was it just my imagination, or was his particularly dazzling?
‘Special King-Sized Heart’
A unique heart that appears only over the person who adores you the most.
Nyang!! Nyang nyang nyang nyang!!
It wasn’t just my imagination. Confirming the message, I eagerly stood up on my hind legs in his arms, licking him energetically—a personal gesture of affection.
“You’re really covering me in saliva. You must genuinely like me. Bark once if you agree.”
Nyang nyang!!
“So you like me twice as much?”
I nodded vigorously, and Kessler chuckled, playfully pinching my chubby chin.
“Hehe.”
Kessler walked steadily, massaging my butt comfortably, until we reached his room.
Inside, the child who had regained control of the castle sat in the same lonely posture as earlier.
Kessler watched the child quietly for a moment, then started carefully collecting the fox polaroid photos decorating the room, one by one, as if they were precious treasures.
“……”
The child just stared blankly at Kessler’s every movement.
Kessler added a few of the fox’s outfits to his bag, then looked around the room. It was filled with traces of the fox, practically a fox’s personal playroom.
Sob, sob, sob…
Sob, sob, wail…
Shadows burst out of the child and wailed in anguish, as if his grief had taken form and needed to be known. It was a cry for someone—anyone—to notice his sorrow.
Kessler carefully looked through the polaroid photos. Then he selected one—specifically a ‘ruined photo’ where I was drooling in my sleep—and offered it generously to the child.
“I’ll give you the third prettiest one.”
But the child wasn’t satisfied and threw a tantrum. All the shadows in the room pointed toward me, nestled in Kessler’s arms.
Give baby fox
Pretty fox
With a sigh, Kessler reluctantly took nine fox tails from his bag and attached them to the child’s behind. The tails swayed gently, soothing the child’s tantrum slightly.
The little castle lord’s eyes were red-rimmed. Taking a step closer, Kessler placed a hand gently on the child’s head.
“I’m sorry.”
……
“I’ll try to find a way to save you.”
I’d never seen Kessler act so gently toward someone else. Beyond mere patience, his actions seemed infused with genuine remorse.
Afterward, Kessler left the room. The black, lengthy hallway no longer displayed countless portraits of Kessler. His face had vanished, replaced entirely by the child’s soot-covered visage.
At the end of the hallway hung the portrait that used to depict Kessler and me. It now showed the child and myself.
Kessler stopped briefly before it, lost in thought. Perhaps guilt?
“Gotta take this too. You came out great.”
…Nyang.
Kessler carefully packed every item related to me and headed toward his personal storage.
—Please store the items.
He meticulously stuffed all the items he had brought into his personal storage. This vault, reserved exclusively for winners, allowed stored items to be carried over and used in the next server.
—Baggage is too thicc, sir.
There were just too many fox-related items for the cramped storage space. When he forcibly shoved them in, the vault bulged like it had eaten too much.
—Cannot. It won’t fit, sir.
“Just this one last thing.”
Despite the system’s protests, he kept cramming it in with sheer stubbornness—until even the fox cushion he hugged to sleep was squeezed inside. Really… shouldn’t he be packing practical stuff? That thing was utterly useless.
Finally, we stood side by side at the train platform.
—The train is now arriving. Please take two steps back for your safety.
As we waited for the incoming train, a rustling sound of footsteps emerged behind us. A crowd of skeletons had appeared, led by the young castle lord.
The child, who had come to see us off, waved his black hand at Kessler. Observing this, Kessler took off his cloak and gently draped it around the child’s shoulders.
“I’m okay now.”
……
“You’ll be okay too.”
The little lord nodded bravely.
A gust of wind roared as the train thundered in.
—Come visit again, Baby Fox.
—Grow up big and strong.
My fur fluttered wildly in the wind, along with the child’s cloak.
Nyang nyang!!
Standing upright on my hind legs, I waved enthusiastically with both paws. The Byeonhogol quintuplets, Naughty Skeleton, Money King Skeleton, GuardGol, the weakling clutching his broken ribs, even the CleaningGols…
As I was about to board the train, my body lifted into the air. Kessler had picked me up.
“You’re small but fat. You’ll get stuck between the train doors.”
[System]: Peace returns to the Shadow Castle.
“Peace, my ass.”
Kessler looked completely dumbfounded at the system message.
Peace returning just because he was leaving? That felt like a straight-up jab.
High above, atop the belfry, the painstakingly stacked Tower of Shadow Atonement was being dismantled.
After a thorough ticket check, the bone-clacking ConductorGol signaled for departure and the train began to move.
They sat by the window and stared outside. The all-too-familiar desert landscape sped past, and Kessler silently soaked it all in.
Curling into a ball on the table, I buried my face in my thick tail, not wanting to disturb his reflective moment.
His hand naturally found its way onto my back, gently stroking my fur repeatedly.
—Fresh snacks for sale~ Very tasty~ Fox-friendly ice cream also available~
Just then, the VendorGol rolled in with a trolley, jingling a bell. Kessler checked the items, then reached for his pockets—only to remember that all his money was left in the castle’s personal locker.
Without hesitation, he plucked one of the Jewel Ice buttons off his shirt and handed it to VendorGol. In return, they received colorful pearl ice cream: one set for foxes, another for humans.
Kessler scooped up the white snowflake-flavored beads, while I happily licked strawberry-banana beads. They tasted so good, my mouth stretched into an involuntary grin.
“Hehe. That funny face… You like it?”
Nod.
“Let me try some.”
Unlike Kessler, who neatly ate with his spoon, I’d messily devoured mine, leaving beads stuck all around my mouth.
Kessler picked one off my face and tasted it, then offered a large spoonful of his white snowflake beads directly to my snout.
“Say ahh, Mr. Baby Fox.”
I eagerly opened wide, and a large portion of snowy beads entered my mouth. The texture of the tiny beads was delightful.
After our snack, Kessler returned to quiet contemplation.
The scenery remained monotonous and dull, yet each passing scene held something strangely captivating.
—Clack!
—Clack clack clack!
The quiet little SkeletonGols, who had been yawning and stretching just moments ago, suddenly crowded noisily to one side of the window. Curious, I also peered outside.
There was a long line of PilgrimGhosts—hundreds of them—marching. Led by IljjangGhost and IjjangGhost, they waved toward the children on the train.
At each station, more of the little skeletons got off. Their numbers gradually dwindled. Gradually, the number dwindled until only the two of us remained.
The journey continued into the third, then fourth day. Sleep, wake, kiss, eat.
“Only for you, Fox.”
Leaving the desert proved much longer than anticipated, until finally, Kessler’s last button had to be ripped off. The pudding acquired this way was handed directly to me.
“I’m fine. Don’t have much of an appetite anyway.”
Nyang.
I glanced up, silently suggesting we share, but he avoided my eyes.
“It’s not because I’m broke and can only afford one. If it comes to it, I’ll just sell my clothes—so don’t worry. Eat up.”
