The video ended. It was too shocking. That made it feel even less real. What the hell did I just watch?
‘So to summarize: Kessler was the player who won the alpha test. Then, after winning, he gave his ticket to the castle lord and had him sent off, taking his place instead.’
Then, after claiming that spot, he kept causing trouble nonstop—so now the system wants to get rid of this bastard?
Who do they think they are, The Prince and the Pauper?
I looked down at Kessler, who was fast asleep and snoring gently. This bastard is a player? That part felt even more surreal. Then is he trapped here too, like me?
‘That would explain a lot…’
There were way too many things that didn’t add up. For someone playing the role of a “child,” Kessler was far too polished, too much like a fully formed adult. But more than that, it was his reactions.
[System]: The title, ‘Fox Who Knows Love’, has been activated.
The black X still hovered over Kessler’s head. A symbol that didn’t appear on any of the skeletons or other NPCs.
And the Relationship Panel. That concept didn’t even exist for NPCs. From what I’d overheard, when the Relationship Panel was first activated, Kessler was running around asking Bori Noona how to use it—and how to disable the ads.
‘He kept crossing the line between NPC and player.’
If that’s the case, then it makes sense that Kessler is trapped too, just like I am. But the part I still can’t wrap my head around…
‘Was he reprogrammed—or was this his true calling?’
His behavior patterns were indistinguishable from an NPC’s. Could this be related to how I can’t remember my own phone number or home address?
Maybe the neural relay system selectively removed only the information that would allow us to return to the real world. Even if I accept all that—if Kessler really is a player, and I’m supposed to get him out of here—there’s one major problem.
‘There can only be one winner.’
Let’s say I rescue Kessler and get him counted as a player again.
There can only be one winner in this game. So even if I save Kessler, one of us has to die for the other to escape. Which means the moment this quest is completed, a new tragedy begins.
I looked over at the system.
[System]: !!!
The system appeared in response to my suspicious gaze, its screen trembling as if startled.
[System]: You will be rewarded with a Plant Growth Enhancer. This item helps your Sprout Pot grow faster and bear fruit.
‘What is this? A reward proposal out of nowhere?’
Did it think I was threatening it, asking if there was no reward? Honestly, no matter what the reward was, it wouldn’t change much.
There’s only one reason I’ve grown to distrust the system. I’ve been burned too many times—patching up the barn after the cow’s already gone. That legendary delayed compensation where it threw a bottle of love gel at me after I’d already gotten thoroughly screwed—I still haven’t gotten over that one.
‘Fine. Whatever.’
As I tried to sort through everything, Kessler rubbed his eyes and sat up.
“This is a dream, Fox.”
As soon as he woke, he hugged me tightly, got up, and shuffled into the castle lord’s room. Then, without warning, he launched himself into the fox-sized ball pit.
Tumble tumble roll.
As Kessler flopped around with me still in his arms, the cool balls—shaped like little scoops of ice cream—bounced everywhere.
“Sleepin’ in hyung’s arms~”
He was sleepy, so he decided to drag me into it too?
Once Kessler fell asleep, the shadow creatures that had been wandering without a master gathered over him. I quietly watched their fusion process, then dog-paddled out of the ball pit.
Right after that, I started rummaging through Kessler’s treasure drawer.
[System]: You’ve acquired the item: High-Grade Magnifying Glass.
Next, I climbed onto the footrest of the chair, reached the table, and held the magnifying glass up to the Sprout Pot.
[System]: Would you like to examine the ‘Sprout Pot’ more closely?
(Doing so will consume the item ‘High-Grade Magnifying Glass.’)
‘Observe.’
Nyang nyang!
[System]: Item ‘High-Grade Magnifying Glass’ has been consumed.
‘Sprout Pot’
The Sprout Pot is preparing to bear a Fox Marble for you.
—Expected harvest time: In 130 days.
‘Fox Marble’
A Fox Marble is currently growing.
—Nature: Fox
Description: A marble capable of storing energy. If gifted to someone else, the recipient becomes ‘bound’ to it.
……
I stared silently at it.
The system definitely… feels like it’s spoon-feeding me something here.
‘Humanization.’
Transformed into Yeo Woo-rim, I headed to the room across the hall and sat down. I gripped a fountain pen and opened up a scribble pad someone had used and abandoned. I wanted to organize what I needed to do.
‘Current Quests.’
[Designated User Exclusive Quest:
Player ‘Kessler’ has been absent from the castle far too frequently.
The system has determined that Kessler is unfit for the role of castle lord.
Separate and retrieve him from Shadow Castle!
—Reward: Plant Growth Enhancer]
I brought up the quest window and stared at it as if analyzing its structure. Normally, a quest would display the necessary materials, conditions, or methods for completion.
But this one just threw the quest at me, like it was saying, figure it out yourself.
‘So this isn’t an official quest.’
In that case, I decided to treat it more like a discreet request from the system. It did say to keep it a secret, after all.
I twirled the pen in my fingers.
[System]: You’ve received a hint about the Golden Hour Hand.
[System]: You’ve received a hint about the being who needs to be restored and their location.
I had to find the real Lord and reinstate him. Even if it meant digging through the garbage heap to do it. But I didn’t have access rights to the junkyard. I had already hijacked and used Jung Da-hoon’s vacation time, too. Damn.
The distance between Shadow Castle and the garbage heap was immense, and there was only one way to traverse that vast expanse.
“Winner’s Ticket.”
The object imbued with authority to reach the final destination.
“So in the end, finding the castle lord is something that’ll happen after winning. Once I fit the Golden Hour Hand into the lord’s chest and restore them to their position, then Kessler and I will have to fight…”
…Reward: Plant Growth Enhancer. Actually, maybe Kessler and I don’t have to fight after all.
I tossed a question mark into the air.
“Is this your real intention?”
[System]: ?
“So if I bring back the real castle lord, I get the Plant Growth Enhancer, use that to harvest the Fox Marble, feed it to Kessler, and then—what—you’re telling me that as an Arctic Fox, I’m supposed to be the one bound to him?”
After all, the Fox Marble had a binding effect.
“So you’re saying both of us can win? If that’s true, nod.”
[System]: The system flinches at your speech pattern, which resembles that of Shadow Castle’s lord.
“Was that a yes or a no?”
[System]: The victory of the one you are bound to becomes your own victory.
I stared at the system window with meaning. They say it’s a high-intelligence AI, but it sure communicates well, huh.
When it said nothing more, the guide popup faded quietly.
“So basically, I still have to win—no matter what.”
I dug into my bag and pulled out a contract. The system, apparently intrigued by my action, displayed a prompt of curiosity.
[System]: ?
“I don’t trust you. Let’s put it in writing.”
I started writing without pause.
“I’ll read it out loud. The operational system of [Last Shadow] must guarantee the freedom of Yeo Woo-rim and Kessler if Yeo Woo-rim succeeds in reinstating the real castle lord. Freedom here refers to safely returning to the real world outside the game.”
I stamped it first and held it out.
[System]: Even without the above contract, the stated outcome is possible if the quest is completed.
“Yeah, I get that. Just stamp it.”
The flustered system window curled inward like a folding ribbon and stamped the contract with one of its corners.
[System]: Contract has been finalized.
The usual confirmation notification appeared, which meant the contract had been properly filed.
“Looking forward to working with you.”
It felt like a map to my destination had finally drawn itself out in my once-cluttered mind. And best of all, a path I thought I’d have to walk alone could now be taken alongside someone I cared about.
A new goal had emerged.
Next, I checked the number of survivors.
Logging out of the game, I checked the name tags of users who were fast asleep, dressed in bat pajamas and hanging side by side from the ceiling.
Among them, I spotted a familiar bat couple—Jung Da-hoon and Bori.
‘So they’re both still alive.’
I gently lifted their wings to peek at their sleeping faces when, from the opposite hallway, a few armed users approached.
“Yeo Woo-rim, what are you doing?”
“Checking which survivors are still alive.”
“And what exactly are you planning to do with that info?”
“I just wanted to see if any of them were my friends.”
“You’re not a spy, are you?”
“No. Though honestly, I doubt a real spy would ever admit to being one…”
The users—whom I’d only exchanged nods with in passing before—swung their weapons in the air, their faces tense with suspicion.
Twelve sleeping bats. Around a dozen or so armed users.
“These are all the survivors?”
“Some went out hunting. Garlic’s crew should be around too, right?”
“Got it.”
Even so, this many survivors was more than he’d expected.
“Say, ‘PeeledGarlicUnpeeledGarlic asshole.’”
“PeeledGarlicUnpeeledGarlic asshole.”
“Huh? That was fast. Guess you’re not a spy?”
“Because he is an asshole.”
Losing interest at my deadpan response, they lowered their weapons, no longer in a threatening stance. Then one of them tossed me a roasted sweet potato from the campfire nearby.
“Don’t you feel bitter about it? We all decided to be open with each other now.”
Apparently, after PeeledGarlicUnpeeledGarlic betrayed everyone except his close circle, the rest of the players had formed a unified front against his faction.
Would they beat me up if I claimed neutrality now? But I already know all your class info anyway…
“Yeo Woo-rim, you always stuck to Da-hoon and Bori, right? Why was that?”
“My MBTI shows 99% introversion. I prefer deep friendships with a few people. Please understand.”
I don’t really trust personality tests, but nothing shuts people up like that kind of explanation.
“Oh… seriously?! Okay, I get it. What do you think I am?”
“Hmm… ENFP?”
“What?! No way! How did you guess?”
Because your guild is literally named ENFP, obviously.
As she widened her eyes in disbelief, asking how I figured it out, I responded even more shamelessly.
“It’s obvious just by looking.”
