It was the sunniest day since being possessed by the game. Under the blazing desert sun, the desert flowers drooped helplessly, their strength sapped, their leaves drooping and buried into the ground, while the laboring skeletons trudged along even more sluggishly.
He had called it a “sunny day,” but the sky was still overcast—just slightly thinner layers of clouds than usual.
On the shaded train platform, Kessler stood with his suitcase, and next to him, I waited for the train, wearing a hat.
Soon, the train rolled in, raising a long gust of wind.
“Watch your step, Baby Arctic Fox.”
Aside from briefly visiting the waiting room before the game started during the alpha test, this was my first time actually boarding the train, and I was genuinely excited.
I stepped back slightly, pushing my rear out to hop across the platform gap, but Kessler, who had already placed our bag aboard, suddenly scooped me up.
“Come here.”
…What a lunatic. He’s ridiculously kind to this fox.
The ticket-checking skeleton, who had been clacking his jaw, looked at me as if I were the cutest thing ever, then reached out to gently stroke my fur. The users liked me too, but for some reason, the skeletons liked me even more.
The train soon departed.
“Let me know if you get motion sickness.”
Meow.
Kessler set up my spot on the table, then bought an overpriced strawberry-flavored pudding and placed it in front of my snout.
For himself, he took out a boiled desert turtle egg and a cloud soda for a snack.
I rested my front paws on the window ledge and gazed out.
It felt unreal because it was too realistic. All of this existed within the graphics of a game world.
I could see puddles scattered throughout the endless desert. There were also solitary cacti standing proud with their spines raised.
Suddenly, it started pouring. Rain slammed against the window glass so fiercely that visibility disappeared, and when it cleared again, a rainbow appeared beyond the droplets.
“Fascinated?”
Kessler’s hand slid along my back and tail. When he playfully grabbed my tail, I shook it vigorously in annoyance.
“Don’t get all cranky. Pay some attention to me, too.”
He rested his face on the table, then kissed the twitching tip of my tail and rubbed his cheek against my back.
“I’m so damn happy I could die.”
Reflected in the damp window was Kessler’s face, looking more thrilled than ever.
If he likes me this much, is he still the Black X?
I discreetly swapped the title next to my name.
[System]: Title Fox Who Knows Love has been activated.
You can now view others’ affection levels.
And yet, floating above his head was still the ‘Black X’. I glanced around. Ghost passengers waved at me, and skeletal crew members bustled about.
But none of them had any affection markers above their heads.
‘Come to think of it…’
Strange. This affection display only showed above users’ heads. When I first acquired this skill, I assumed Kessler was a user, so it hadn’t felt odd—but now, it raised questions.
‘Back during the last quest, when I tried to bind Kessler’s ankle…’
I had received a strange notification.
—
Who would you like to bind?
………
Shadow Binding, success!
—
What had that meant? At the time, I’d thought maybe it was because Kessler’s character was overflowing with shadows. But seeing that ‘Black X’ again, my thoughts began to spiral.
“We’re here.”
At some point, we had arrived at our destination. Unlike the previous area, the sky here was brilliantly clear—like we had stepped into another world.
After stepping off the train, the view of a resort opened up past the railing.
Long rows of sunbeds surrounding a clear, lush oasis. Palm trees swaying gently overhead. And beneath them, wealthy skeletons tanning their bones while sipping coconut juice.
“It’s kinda hot.”
Kessler and I each bought a cup of tasty desert juice and finished our check-in.
“Mr. Kessler and one fox. Would you like separate rooms?”
“Does that even make sense? Give us the same room. He’s basically a toddler.”
“Understood.”
After changing into beachwear, we stepped outside again.
Nyang nyang!
The sparkling water and the wide, open scenery made me feel like a weight had lifted from my chest. I couldn’t help but let out a cry.
[System]: You’ve discovered an oasis for the first time. Baby Arctic Fox feels great and begins to dance.
A coconut came rolling from somewhere and stopped right in front of me. Instinctively, I climbed on top of it.
Upbeat music began playing, and I started performing tricks.
Nyang nyang nyang nyang nyang nyang♬
It felt different from the dance I’d done before. Where my front paws had once neatly gathered and swayed, now even my tail flicked rhythmically as I balanced atop the coconut.
Eyes began to focus on me. Even Kessler was intently watching.
Ppiyalling♪
After the dazzling performance, like a musical scene from a Bollywood film, applause burst out from all directions.
An elderly skeleton couple was so moved they practically squeezed marrow from their bones.
“You start showing off the moment you arrive.”
Kessler picked me up and carried me over to a hammock in the shade. While I lay belly-up, unwinding from the journey, I eventually dipped into the fox-only oasis for a swim.
“Come here.”
Nyang!
“Nope, you need this. You’ll sink with that belly of yours.”
I’d wanted to try dog-paddling, but Kessler forced a float around my neck, turning me into a helpless fox bobbing on the water without needing to move a muscle.
Splash splash.
After frolicking in the water, as the sun set, we joined the Oasis Pool Festival.
Events were happening all over—water gun battles, communal bath parties, games like shadow-stepping. Amid it all, Kessler and I sat at a table.
I snacked on a special pudding sold only at the oasis and looked up at the sky, scattered with glimmering stars.
“Feels good.”
Kessler looked in a good mood too, sipping a can of beer and casually dipping his finger into my pudding to steal a taste. That’s when it happened.
[System]: A quest has begun.
[System]: !!! Your current location is outside the quest zone. You cannot participate in this quest.
‘So the Shadow Castle’s started the thief hunt quest.’
I dismissed the notification, and beyond it, two women in bikinis were flashing dazzling smiles at me.
“Oh wow, what a pretty fox. What’s his name?”
“My fox.”
“Hi there, Myfox~!”
“No, I said he’s my fox.”
What the hell? I give a name, and he gives a declaration of ownership?
“Can we pet him?”
The visiting Noonas didn’t seem the least bit fazed by Kessler’s abrupt claim. If this were the Shadow Castle, they would’ve backed off immediately—but these oasis patrons were all gold-spoon elites from the desert village.
Kessler looked at me. He was handing over the right to touch me. When it came to things like this, he oddly respected my autonomy.
‘What the hell, sure.’
I swayed my tail and offered my back. The women leaned in, reaching out with their hands—and the curves of their bodies were revealed without restraint through the gaps in their bikinis. My gaze instinctively followed, and I quickly covered my eyes with a paw.
“So soft! How is his fur like this?!”
“There may be people who’ve never touched him, but no one’s stopped at just once.”
Kessler mumbled in agreement.
“I can see that happening. My name’s Mokhwa, and this is my friend, Dolsun. We run an ice cream factory. Where are you from?”
“The Baby Arctic Fox who lives with me.”
“No, you. What’s your name…?”
“Kessler.”
“If it’s alright with you, I’d love to treat you and your fox to something delicious. Especially ice cream—foxes love it.”
“You said you run an ice cream factory?”
Kessler echoed her job title with a flicker of curiosity, then turned to look at me.
“You wanna go?”
Nod.
“Then let’s go.”
The Noonas led us to a private villa near the oasis.
Upbeat music flowed from inside, and beings were dancing to the rhythm.
‘So these Noonas were party people.’
We weren’t the only ones invited—there was quite a crowd. The dress code was sunglasses, so I pulled out my fox-sized shades from the inventory and joined the fun.
“Where’d you get those?”
Kessler glanced around cautiously, only to find me already transformed into a social butterfly in my sunglasses. He looked at me with slight disbelief.
Eventually, he picked up a pair of sunglasses someone had left on a table and put them on. At the center of the pool, where bubbles were pouring down, floated an empty duck tube.
“The puppy’s here to ride the duck float!”
At my appearance, all eyes turned in my direction.
“Not a puppy—it’s a fox dog.”
Kessler, as always, corrected them.
Nudged from behind, I found myself drifting toward the center of the pool and climbed into the duck tube. Kessler, acting the responsible guardian, tried to get in with me, but the tube was far too small for both of us.
[System]: All beings find you adorable. They wish to see you dance.
Memories of dancing my way into the year-end awards ceremony surfaced. The lighting was eerily similar.
“The Baby Arctic Fox is going to dance! Everyone, attention please!”
I bobbed my head in time with the music, then began tapping my front paws rhythmically like a pump, performing an elaborate series of moves.
Riding the energy, I tried to pull off a headspin—but I hadn’t fully assessed the situation. My body, wobbling off balance, flopped over awkwardly, and the unintended motion caused my belly to spin instead.
The crowd erupted in wild cheers and applause.
I’d only shaken my front and back paws a few times, yet the full two-minute song had flown by.
Through the cheering crowd, Kessler stood out—gazing straight at me.
His eyes were filled with pride as he looked on.
“Long live the fox!”
“That was seriously amazing!”
“You’ve raised him so well. How did you even manage that?!”
Before I realized it, we had become the heart of the party.
Surrounded by praise and adoration from the beings around us, the night blazed on in brilliant white.
