Nyang nyang nyang-nyang.
As I strolled down the path, a group of lizards started trailing behind me. I lifted my head and tail high, and the lizards mimicked me, raising theirs in sync.
—Hoi hoi
—Kkadeuriiiiii
[System]: Lizard Miraltteong’s Affection has increased. +2
I flashed a little smile at the lizards, then resumed walking as I opened my quest window.
Help over 100 lizards and receive their scales.
<Baby Fox, Do You Want to Become a Lizard?> Quest.
Becoming a lizard would mean joining their species—surely, there’d be plenty of advantages.
‘But what kind of help am I supposed to give them?’
Since I had no idea, I just loitered near the water. I’d seen plenty of lizards swimming in this area, so I figured if an infant lizard ended up in trouble, I could act like a lifeguard and help them out.
Blink, blink. I was spacing out and almost dozing off when a scream rang out. Sure enough, a baby lizard was being swept away by the current.
—Help meee!!
I gave my head a few shakes to snap out of it, then bounded toward the water in a flurry. Just as I leaped in, I heard the distinct click-click of a camera shutter going off nearby. Kessler?
“Pro……Pro!!”
No—it was Jung Da-hoon. I carefully positioned myself on the shore, grabbed the flailing baby lizard’s tail in my mouth, and tugged with all my strength to pull it out.
Nyang, nyang!
I braced with my hind legs and gave it my all… but in the end, I couldn’t overcome the weight of my belly and fell in along with it.
Now there were two of us floundering in the water. Jung Da-hoon, who had been enthusiastically filming me, finally seemed to register the situation and flung his camera aside, rushing over.
“PROOOOO!!”
But as he charged in, a wave crashed and pushed me even farther away from where I’d originally fallen in.
“Haaah! Help me! Pro!!”
Now there were three of us in the water. But it was okay. Thanks to the loud cries from me, the lizard, and Jung Da-hoon, the nearby lizards began noticing the commotion.
—We’ve got to save them, Kkadeuri!!
The baby lizard and Jung Da-hoon, being closer, were quickly rescued. The problem was me. My body was small and light, so I was starting to drift away with the strong current.
“No! Pro!!”
A soaked Jung Da-hoon shouted after me.
I tried to dog-paddle. Even though I go nyang nyang, a fox is technically part of the canine family—and I’m an Arctic Fox, so if I really tried…
Nyang. Nyang.
But I’d overlooked something. This Arctic Fox was stuck in its baby stage and didn’t have the kind of body capable of swimming smoothly.
I gave up flailing and let the current carry me, trying to recall the swamp’s geography in my head. If I continued down this path, it would narrow into a stretch of water reeds. Further down, there were even fishery nets installed. So one way or another, I’d survive.
“Prooooo!!”
In the distance, Jung Da-hoon was sprinting like mad. I flipped belly-up and floated peacefully, waving my front paw to signal that I was okay.
“We need to rescue him quickly! Baby Fox is reaching out in desperation!!”
That gesture was misunderstood.
[System]: The water feels a sense of fondness toward you.
As I gently floated along, a system message popped up—and the current began nudging me softly back toward land.
Soon after, something tapped against the back of my head. Curious, I looked up—and filling my field of vision was Kessler’s face. He scooped me up firmly with both hands.
“Are you a fish or what?”
Nyang?
What had tapped my head wasn’t his hand, but a freshly washed dish. My front paws were covered in bubbly foam… wait, what… he was doing the dishes?!
Kessler pretended to squeeze water from my fur, kneading my belly while examining my body.
“Why did you go in the water? Were you just playing around?”
I shook off as much water as I could, then he wrapped me in a dry towel and finished drying me off.
“Aigo, Pro!! Are you safe?! You’ve rescued the Baby Fox!!”
“What? So he just fell in while playing in the water?”
“Pro tried to save a drowning lizard but ended up getting swept away by the current.”
“Baby Fox is just too kind. He’ll warm up if I melt him with my body heat.”
Kessler lifted my front leg and slipped me inside his shirt.
“…Were you in the middle of doing the dishes?”
“How about switching to disposable containers next time? This is rough.”
“Lizards hate environmental pollution. How about giving a discount coupon to any lizard who eats and does their own dishes?”
“Do I have to cook again?”
Kessler didn’t ever want to see that confused look on a lizard’s face after tasting his food again.
“My dexterity stat dropped, too.”
Kessler looked down at his own hands and spoke in a tone full of resignation. Watching him, Jung Da-hoon gave a subtle nod and said,
“You’ll get better with practice. I’ll be counting on you going forward.”
***
Even though I hadn’t been much help to the baby lizard who fell in the water, the other lizards who witnessed it were deeply touched by the gesture.
You helped a lizard. 1/100.
One slot had been filled. Inside Kessler’s shirt, I closed the system window and nudged at the button area with my paw.
“What, you want to come out?”
Nyang.
“No no. You have to stick close to your hyung.”
[Yeo Woo-rim]: I need to do my quest.
I tapped out a message in party chat with my front paws.
“Then give me seven kisses.”
Only after planting seven kisses on Kessler could I finally leave. Click. I vaguely sensed that my private moment had been captured, but I was used to it by now.
[Yeo Woo-rim]: I’m heading out.
“Where are you going? What quest? Can I join?”
[Yeo Woo-rim]: It’s a racial quest. Can’t do it in a party.
“Can’t I help somehow?”
[Yeo Woo-rim]: I’ll ask if I need help.
“Okay okay.”
There would be more lizards falling into the water in the future, but not right away. After an accident like that, guardian lizards would stay alert and monitor the area more closely.
While roaming the swamp looking for other things to help with—
—Kkadeuriiii
The sorrowful cry of a lizard tugged at my heart. I stopped and turned toward the sound.
Lizards dressed in black suits were moving in and out of a deep cave with somber expressions. As I watched, it dawned on me.
‘A funeral.’
—Baby Fox, will you come in and pay your respects with us, Kkadeuri?
As I hovered near the entrance, one of the lizards slipped two black flowers into my fur and picked me up.
—It’s my great-uncle. He lived a happy, lazy life, and passed away peacefully during a midday nap. So it’s a good death, Kkadeuri. Don’t feel too down.
Nyang.
Inside the cave, candles lit the dark path, and we followed the flickering flames. Before long, we came upon a group of lizards eating meat and drinking alcohol.
—Back in the day, he even knocked out a wild boar with his bare hands. I miss him… Should’ve been more filial, Kkadeuri…
The moment I saw the portrait of the deceased, the system went haywire.
[!!! You are the protégé of JukGol the Undertaker. However, after leaving Shadow Castle, you could no longer uphold his legacy.
You’ve built your new life here, in the swamp.
In this land where no one worships death, please honor the final moments of the departed.]
How exactly am I supposed to pay tribute? As I pondered deeply, I noticed some grieving lizard family members slumped in a corner. I approached them and gently nudged my butt into their space.
The granddaughter of the deceased, who had been sniffling quietly, paused and looked at me.
—This flower… Are you giving it to me, Kkadeuri?
Nyang.
—Thank you, Fox-Kkadeuri…
I watched the system, but no notification came up indicating I’d helped a second lizard. So simple comfort like this didn’t count as real assistance. Then what was I supposed to do?
Just then, I heard the shutter of a camera behind me. Jung Da-hoon had snuck in with a scrap of grass stuck to his head and had started snapping photos.
—You shouldn’t be doing that here, Kkadeuri.
“Just wait… Just a moment.”
That’s when it hit me—what I had to do.
‘People always loved it when I danced.’
With a determined look, I stood facing the portrait of the deceased. Then, I slowly raised one front paw and swiped it through the air. Tok. A drop of water burst somewhere, and all the lizards turned their attention toward me.
[System]: Baby Fox begins a dance of mourning.
As I gently tilted my head toward the sky, a black cloth fluttered in from somewhere and wrapped around me, concealing everything but my eyes, snout, and tail.
‘Baby Fox’s Black Shadow Dance’
In a place where no one tends to the dead, the still-inexperienced Baby Fox offers a farewell through dance.
The lizards gathered in small clusters, watching my dance intently. A soft melody played. My tapping front paw gradually slowed to match the quieting music—until I finally stopped. Silence.
—Thank you, Kkadeuri… For showing us such a beautiful dance on his final journey…
[System]: The deceased lizard Elder Bori Chile protests that he’s not actually dead.
[System]: Elder Bori Chile asks how much condolence money came in. Elder Bori Chile says he wants to stay behind as a spirit and talk to you.
Would you like to speak with him?
Yes / No
—If accepted, you can change your class to Undertaker Baby Fox.
