“Why is that guy still following me?”
After leaving the barbershop, Yeo Woo-rim entered the perfumery workshop. In order to purchase quest materials needed for the soon-to-open Shadow Night Market, he had to earn money, and the most efficient way for him—someone who had acquired the ‘Perfumer’ special occupation—to make money was through hard labor at the perfumery workshop.
– – –
Synthesizing perfume. Please choose the ingredients you wish to use. Currently synthesizing Peach, Lily, and Violet essences… Success! ‘Sweetness of the Forest’
A perfume concocted by a Baby Arctic Fox who barely knows anything about fragrances. If you go outside wearing this scent, you might get snatched up by a flock of eagles drawn to the smell.
Grade: Low
– – –
Although a low-grade perfume with barely any noticeable effect was created, it didn’t matter. After all, it would’ve been strange for this tiny fox body to be able to craft a luxury fragrance.
Quantity over quality. Push through with numbers.
Success! ‘Flower Boy of the Forest’
Success! ‘Desert’s Crispness’
After mass-producing a bunch of low-grade perfumes, he set up an unmanned perfume stall along a path frequently traveled by players and NPCs alike. It was a system where passersby could leave money and take goods.
Nyang-nyang!
He barked loudly to draw attention, then started dancing.
Nyang-nyang-nyang-nyang? Ddo-it-ddo-it nyang-nyang~ ♪
He walked forward, stepped back, lifted his chin, and swayed his tail gracefully.
“Wow! Why did the fox get so cute all of a sudden?”
“Did he get a haircut?”
People began turning their attention toward him one by one. His promotional event continued.
Click, click.
From within the crowd, he heard the sound of a camera film whirring. It seemed someone who had changed their occupation to photographer was taking pictures of him.
As the crowd swelled and the excitement peaked, Yeo Woo-rim attempted an aerial spin. When he flopped clumsily to the ground, a chorus of sympathetic gasps and encouraging applause erupted.
It was perfect timing.
[System]: Opening the perfume, ‘Fox That Calls Butterflies.’
He uncorked his only ‘Medium’ grade perfume, bewitching the onlookers.
“Wow, it smells freaking amazing.”
Before long, butterflies began gathering, and he bounced around even harder, trying to catch them.
Jjang-lang.
A local skeleton NPC, who had been watching his lively sales pitch, tossed a coin.
“Should I buy one? The fox’s working so hard, it’d be wrong not to.”
“Me too, me too.”
Each time his chubby belly squashed against the ground like clay, his pockets grew heavier.
By the time he finished his song and dance routine, the sound of a sold-out fanfare played and a special effect of flower petals rained down around him.
“You were amazing, little fox! So hardworking!”
When the festive commotion faded, what remained was a pile of money. His mouth split into a wide grin.
‘This… I might be able to save up way more than I thought.’
Just then, a shadow loomed overhead, and someone scooped him up while efficiently packing away his goods. It was Kessler.
Feeling his pouch stuffed with coins made Woo-rim instinctively tense.
‘What’s with this guy?’
Kessler had never quietly helped him organize his things like this before.
‘He doesn’t seriously think all the money I made is his, does he?’
Something felt off. Woo-rim wasn’t usually fond of acting cute in front of others. The suspiciously flushed cheeks on Kessler’s face were even more concerning.
‘Guess even he’s not immune to cold, hard cash.’
Today, the way Kessler stroked him was strangely gentle and meticulous. As he melted under the careful petting, Woo-rim’s eyelids began to droop. Waking up at the crack of dawn, sharpening his senses to watch people, getting a haircut, crafting perfume, and even selling it afterward… It had been an exhausting day for the Baby Arctic Fox.
“I wasn’t asking for a birthday present or anything,” he mumbled.
Nyangnya-ring…
“You’re working so hard.”
He thought he faintly heard Kessler’s voice, but it was quickly buried under the warmth of the hands rubbing his belly.
After that, Woo-rim’s perfume-selling grind continued for two more days. During his waking hours, he crafted perfumes; meanwhile, perfumes at the unmanned stall steadily sold out.
‘Already?’
[System]: All perfumes at the unmanned stall have been sold!
Just as he was about to consider slashing prices because he thought the hype was dying down, a notification popped up announcing a complete sellout.
[System]: All materials inside the Perfumery Kit have been exhausted. It will take over a week for the ingredients to be replenished.
After scraping the Perfumery Kit down to the last drop, Yeo Woo-rim’s labor finally came to an end—and just in time, the ghostly festival, the ‘Shadow Night Market,’ opened.
“Ack, so creepy.”
“Come closer, babe.”
“Mmhm, Noona….”
Between the hems of couples’ pants, Woo-rim peered toward the castle gate. In the distance, he could see ghosts crossing over the drawbridge.
For the next five days, the desert would enter a polar night where the sun would not rise.
Night belonged to the shadows.
Workers had hung will-o’-the-wisps like lanterns, and beneath them, various ghosts swayed and danced. Though the market was decorated with bizarre things, from afar, the colorful scene was oddly beautiful.
“You look perfect, Bori-ssi.”
“It’s only because you’re looking at me so kindly, Da-hoon-ssi.”
Even the players were getting into the festive spirit. Jung Da-hoon tucked a screaming goblin hairpin into Bori’s hair, and Bori shyly smiled.
‘…Seriously, those two aren’t normal either!’
It wasn’t the time to be watching lovebirds enjoying their date. He needed to hurry if he wanted to buy what he came for. ‘That item’ was in limited stock.
Kessler was walking toward him not far away, so before he could get caught, Woo-rim bolted toward the market.
Bustling, chattering, crowded—food stall vendors lined the street, shouting to sell their skewers. Next was the children’s skeleton toy corner.
He nearly got trampled a few times by the vendors’ exaggerated gestures but managed to slip through skillfully.
Then, a faint chemical scent began to drift through the air. After hurrying past an alley draped with dyed leather and fluttering fabrics, finally—
Synthesis Materials Shop.
Since it only dealt in high-end goods, there were barely any customers inside. Woo-rim trudged over to it.
The merchant wearing a pointed hat showed interest at Woo-rim’s arrival. Woo-rim quickly scanned through the shop’s listings and, spotting what he needed, unleashed a flurry of punches.
‘Mystic Multicolor Powder.’
The merchant, who had been calmly observing Woo-rim’s face, slowly got up. He pulled out a packet of the powder from under a dark oak barrel.
[System]: You have requested to negotiate with the merchant ‘Mandely.’
The merchant raised three fingers. He was asking for three large coins.
‘No way that’s happening.’
Woo-rim stood on his hind legs and began hopping desperately, arms raised high as if shouting Victory! but actually signaling a desperate two coins offer.
It was a desperate gesture.
Moved by his earnest body language, the merchant nodded. The deal was sealed.
At that very moment, the quest condition was also fulfilled.
– – –
You have collected all the materials needed for the Race Quest, <Baby Fox, Do You Want to Become Human?>.
You can now synthesize the materials to acquire a skill.
Collected Materials: Soul Flower (1/1), Dew of Twilight (1/1), Mystic Multicolor Powder (1/1)
Would you like to begin synthesis?
Yes/No
– – –
‘Yes!’
Woo-rim flailed his paws in a dance of pure joy.
– – –
Synthesis process will now begin.
Estimated completion time: approximately 1 day.
– – –
His heart fluttered with excitement. Overwhelmed by happiness, he threw himself into Kessler’s arms and began furiously licking his cheek.
“Tch. What am I, your snack?”
Kessler seemed to be in a good mood, too. Actually, everyone in the market appeared to be riding the same festive high.
Woo-rim licked his neck without hesitation. Sniff sniff. A sweet peach scent wafted up.
‘Huh?’
At the end, he had mixed all the leftover peach essence into a final batch of perfume, and it seemed Kessler had bought it.
‘…Subtly touching, honestly.’
Panting happily, Woo-rim mentally coined a new saying: ‘Better one genuine X than ten hearts ♡.’
“You better stick close. Otherwise, with that tiny body of yours, you might get stepped on.”
Kessler nestled Woo-rim snugly against his neck. Woo-rim sipped on an ice pudding while Kessler drank a cherry coke soda, and together they sat at the edge of the night market, gazing out over the colorful scene. It was a good night.
– – –
The synthesis of the materials needed for the Race Quest, <Baby Fox, Do You Want to Become Human?>, has been completed.
You can now return to human form once per day.
-Required Material: Jewel Ice (repeat)-
– – –
As soon as he woke up from a deep nap, Yeo Woo-rim was greeted by a welcome message. Hmm… Jewel Ice again?
But it was fine. He had a skill that allowed him to find Jewel Ice.
[System]: After consuming Jewel Ice three times, your understanding of Jewel Ice has increased. You can now track it by scent.
He immediately activated the Quick Find function. The fresh scent of Jewel Ice was wafting from all directions, but he followed the strongest trail.
‘Ah—’
However, there was a problem. His vision distorted as if he were looking through a convex lens, causing objects to zoom in unnaturally. It was an effect purely focused on tracking. It wasn’t his first time experiencing it, so he brushed it off—but something else puzzled him.
The dizziness forced him to temporarily deactivate the Quick Find function. The place where he found himself was an unfamiliar room.
‘Where am I?’
Everything felt foreign. A space lavishly adorned with velvet. The air, the scent… Sniff sniff. The faint, familiar scent of peaches lingered.
Even back when he had been an alpha tester and prided himself on knowing the castle inside and out, he had never found a room like this. A sudden unease gripped his chest.
‘The place where the scent of Jewel Ice is strongest!’
For now, he quickly opened a bejeweled box and scooped up several pieces of Jewel Ice.
‘This must be a Hidden Room.’
The kind only accessible to those with special occupations like Seekers. Which also meant that if he got caught by the owner, he was as good as dead.
Without hesitating any further, he hurried out of the space. Beyond the door stretched a long, twisted hallway.
He cautiously set foot into the eerily warped corridor.
And froze.
Hundreds of portraits lined the hallway. Some frames were so old they had faded and worn away; others seemed freshly painted.
From the first to the last, every single one of them… was Kessler’s face.
