A few days later, in the morning.
On the way back to the plaza after finishing my morning walk, I was crossing the fox-only crosswalk when it happened.
“Ugh, disgusting.”
“There should seriously be a law forcing people to shower in the morning.”
“Wow… revolting. Absolutely revolting.”
I lifted my head at the sound of user voices filled with scorn. There stood Jung Da-hoon, his entire appearance pitiful and filthy, his shoulders hunched in shame.
He looked like he’d just been released from prison.
His grime-covered hand instinctively tried to cover the Poksup badge on his chest—as if he didn’t want to tarnish my name.
‘…He really is a champ, huh.’
He’d apparently shown a knack for assembling bone figurines, and his release had come a full ten days earlier than scheduled.
“Baby Fox, please keep walking. The light is blinking green.”
Nyang nyang.
“You’re such a good fox.”
Buoyed by the crowd’s cheers, I finished crossing the fox-only crosswalk. Applause erupted around me.
Coincidentally, Jung Da-hoon and I were headed in the same direction. While I entered the plaza receiving waves from skeletons and users alike, Jung Da-hoon was blocked right at the entrance.
“Why won’t you let me in?”
“Apologies. Your body odor is currently extremely offensive. Snake Rim-nim is enjoying his leisure time inside the plaza park. We cannot risk upsetting him.”
A user recently hired as a civil servant of the castle was restricting Jung Da-hoon’s entry.
“Seriously? Isn’t this a public facility? I can’t even wash up unless I go inside.”
“We’re very sorry. Please get lost.”
Jung Da-hoon stood there dazed, like a man who’d lost everything. From where he stood, the crowd parted like the Red Sea.
‘Yeah, the smell really was something else.’
Totally different from me—who’d been pristine and fresh 24/7 lately.
Thanks to Kessler being addicted to picking off my eye boogers and cleaning me, my hygiene had been thoroughly maintained.
“Has my adorable little fox come to celebrate my freedom?”
Jung Da-hoon wasn’t the only one who had been released today.
Snake Rim, who had served a penal labor sentence for disobeying the lord’s order to guard Yeo Woo-rim and instead sneaking off to have fun, was holding a drinking party with the other laborers on the big wooden porch.
“My time has come!”
–Congratulations.
He used to show up in luxury silks with wine in hand, but after acquiring a taste for soju-beer cocktails at the labor camp, he now lived with his shirt perpetually off.
“Well done coming, Baby Fox. Have a cup of sikhye. Pour one for the little guy.”
–The baby drinks deliciously, too.
One of the skeletons wiped an ashtray clean and poured the drink into it with a dribble.
Nyang nyang!
I gave a bark of thanks, then trotted over to the ashtray. A cool, nutty aroma wafted up.
Lick. It was sweet and refreshing, sliding down smoothly with each gulp. …But something felt off. Does sikhye normally have carbonation? This isn’t just sikhye, is it?
“Aigoo, you drink so well. Pour him another.”
–Gigilgigilgil.
[SYSTEM]: Alcohol has been consumed. You feel good.
It tasted closer to honey makgeolli than sikhye. God knows how long it had been since I had alcohol. I just kept drinking whatever was handed to me. It stuck to my tongue deliciously.
I thought I could hold my liquor decently, but by the time I’d emptied two trays, I was wobbling.
I’d only had a few sips, but the world was spinning and my front legs were getting wobbly. Beyond my hazy vision, I saw Snake Rim dancing with his tail in wild loops.
Skeletons were playing music in time with his dance.
“Come now, little fox, let us dance.”
Snake Rim lifted one of my front legs and danced with me.
“Oh? Look, it’s dancing!”
That was all it took for users who’d frequented street performances in Hongdae to form a crowd and cheer us on.
Fox performances were known to sometimes grant buffs, so even those who weren’t interested stopped to watch.
♬♬ Nyang nyang nyang~ eolssuri♪ nyang nyang nyang?
As the dance session ended, passersby clapped naturally.
“This is insane. It was born to be a fox idol.”
“Hey, capture that for the thumbnail!”
“That belly fat! Absolute perfection!!”
“朝起きる時目の前にこの光景?がってたら永眠しちゃうわ可愛すぎて……”
Unintelligible foreign languages could be heard from somewhere.
Meanwhile, the buzz from the alcohol got stronger. My head was spinning, but my mood was fantastic.
I high-fived the surrounding spectators and led them in a wave. It was pure fan service.
“Wait, is that alcohol I smell on the fox?”
“Thank you, thank you!”
I returned to Snake Rim and collapsed, using his tail as a pillow.
I wanted to enjoy the festival more, but sleep was suddenly crashing down on me—there was no fighting it.
[System]: You are falling asleep until the toxins in your body are cleansed.
I felt so good, my mouth hung open.
Just as my eyes were closing and I drifted into sleep, I thought I saw Kessler’s face at the edge of my vision…
***
Kessler, out searching for the fox who had gone off on his own, spotted Jung Da-hoon lingering awkwardly by the entrance to the plaza, being denied entry.
“…The fox is in the park.”
Receiving this information, he walked straight ahead until he came upon a dense crowd gathered in one spot.
At the center, the Baby Arctic Fox was dancing. But something was off—the fox’s pink belly fur looked unusually flushed.
“Wait, is that alcohol I smell on the fox?”
Kessler’s expression turned grim. The fox, bounding joyfully and working the crowd with an innocent smile, really did reek of alcohol.
“……”
After the performance ended, the fox passed out flat on his back with his belly exposed, using Snake Rim’s tail as a pillow.
Ttarorik…
A strange noise came from the Baby Fox’s snout. Kessler gently picked him up and brought his nose to the slightly parted mouth to sniff.
He was checking the fox’s breath.
A heavy silence followed.
Feeling the shift in gravity, one of the skeletons trembled, as if his bones were chilled. Trying to read the mood, he reached out and gave Snake Rim a light poke.
“Mnnya nya.”
But Snake Rim, completely passed out and at peace, didn’t react. He was now in serious danger.
“You gave alcohol to the Baby Fox?”
Clack clack. The skeleton’s teeth chattered.
When Kessler started repeating himself like this, it meant he was at his most dangerous.
“Golgol, take the Baby Fox to the nursery.”
Clack clack.
Following the command, a skeleton carefully scooped up the fox and fled. The surrounding area grew dense with a heavy gravitational pressure.
“Wow, he’s stepping on Snake Rim’s tail. That guy’s got a death wish.”
“For real. But he’s hot.”
“Him? That’s Kessler, the fox’s owner. He’s got the biggest ego ever.”
“Oh, he’s the fox’s owner? But… why did the sky just suddenly… get dark?”
“Let’s just head to a safe zone.”
The users felt a chill. The sky looked like meteors could come crashing down any second, and the air was thick with tension.
The very same users who had just been enjoying the fox’s performance scattered toward the castle. Now, only Snake Rim and Kessler remained in the park.
Snake Rim twisted in discomfort, overwhelmed by the crushing weight of the shadowy pressure and spiritual force.
Kessler, staring down at him with cold eyes, gave his final warning.
“Hey.”
“Kkiik… kkiruruk…”
“You need to come to your senses. Hard.”
[System]: 60 days of loading/unloading labor have been added to Snake Rim’s calendar.
Snake Rim’s eyes shot open in agony under the pressure, and he howled in pain.
***
[System]: 50 people have covered their noses because of you. Access to public facilities is restricted until your contamination level decreases.
At the now-empty plaza fountain, Jung Da-hoon was pitifully washing himself, having been shunned by everyone.
[System]: You have removed your foul-smelling sleeveless shirt. Cleanliness +127
[System]: You have taken off your stinky socks. Cleanliness +129
[System]: You have removed the underwear you wore for 21 days. Cleanliness +223
[System]: Contamination level is decreasing. Public resentment is subsiding.
Jung Da-hoon felt utterly miserable. He had never gone through anything like this in his life.
“Still… it could be worse.”
He carefully took out a Yeo Woo-rim fan badge from his pocket, holding it like a precious treasure.
“What would Yeo Woo-rim do in a situation like this?”
As he gently dipped the cherished badge into the fountain to clean it—
[System]: !!!
“Huh?”
[System]: Your filthy body has contaminated the fountain. This is a severely condemnable act. Escape before the guards arrive!
Startled, Jung Da-hoon flailed for a moment, then—as if making up his mind—dove into the fountain.
If it were Yeo Woo-rim, he’d take full advantage of the situation and run with the spoils. That’s what he thought.
[System]: You’ve completed your bath. Your body is now clean.
The stench that once clung to Jung Da-hoon had vanished—but the fountain water had turned pitch black. At last, the contamination detector blared its alarm. Grabbing a large banana leaf from a nearby tree, he covered his front and back, and bolted.
Jung Da-hoon fled into the chapel. Despite only having a banana leaf to cover his privates, it wasn’t all that attention-grabbing here—some users walked around in just tight shorts, shirtless.
“That pressure earlier was insane. But wasn’t it the same deal during the rat extermination quest?”
“Seriously, I think I’m gonna have to stay here a while. I heard the fountain turned completely black.”
“Whoa… what the hell even happened…”
Users who had taken shelter from the sudden climate shift were exchanging updates about the outside. Meanwhile, the true culprit of the fountain incident, Jung Da-hoon, remained silent.
“Da-hoon!”
Just then, Bori, Jung Da-hoon’s girlfriend, appeared. As she approached him, every step felt like a dream.
“Bori…”
Tears the size of chicken droppings welled up and spilled from Jung Da-hoon’s eyes.
