Awakened as an F-Class Nine-Tailed Fox!
Thud.
"Hey, clerk! Drink up, it's on me! I'm outta here!"
"...Excuse me?"
A drunk with a face flushed crimson slammed two bottles of soju down on the counter, paid for both, and walked right out leaving one behind. He tossed an incomprehensible remark over his shoulder on his way out: "Why's a young buck looking so damn miserable, huh?!"
I was too dumbfounded to even try stopping him. The overhead bell merely gave a pathetic, mocking chime as the door swung shut. Left completely alone at the register, I stood staring blankly at the solitary green bottle.
'...What am I supposed to do with this? It's not like soju is part of a buy-one-get-one-free deal.'
After finishing my shift, I dragged myself back to my cramped, suffocating studio apartment. Sitting on the linoleum floor, I popped the cap off the soju and cracked open a marked-out spicy pork lunchbox whose contents had already hardened into a stiff, greasy lump.
A heavy sigh slipped past my lips.
"Some lucky bastards awaken insane superpowers and put up whole skyscrapers, while I'm rotting in a shoebox feeling sorry for myself."
I threw my bitter grievance into the empty air, but nothing changed. Awakening was a cosmic lottery, pure and simple.
Skipping the cup entirely, I tipped the bottle to my lips and swallowed a sharp, burning mouthful. The silence in the room felt thick enough to suffocate in, drowning in gloom. How many years had it been since I aged out of the orphanage? College was out of reach, finding a decent job was an exercise in futility, and lately, it felt as though I was the only person on earth born without a single redeeming quality. Nothing I touched ever panned out, and recently, even the will to try had completely evaporated.
"Pah. Knowing I shouldn't be wasting away like this doesn't help at all..."
The sickening monotony of each passing day was wearing down my soul. With the lingering sting of alcohol coating my tongue, I booted up my humming, dust-caked desktop and clicked over to the Hunter Gallery.
[Profile photos of four S-Rank Hunters]
National-power-class squad officially confirmed holy crap
The entire forum was ablaze with chatter over the S+ Rank Gate that had abruptly materialized right in the heart of Seoul two days ago. Headlines dominated the front page in endless succession:
[Photo of Korea's First S+ Rank Gate Entrance]
[(Long Read) Combat Analysis of the Upcoming Raid Force]
[Tried Sneaking In with Stealth, Got Caught at the Perimeter]
[Projected Damage Radius if Seongsu-dong S+ Gate Suffers a Break]
Every trending post was screaming about the calamity waiting to happen, but frankly, none of it had anything to do with a nobody like me. The four strongest beings in South Korea were joining forces, so naturally, they would clear it without breaking a sweat.
"Man. Gallery's boring tonight."
I tipped the bottle back again, gulping down several more mouthfuls. The bitter alcohol scorched its way down my esophagus, immediately ushering in an overwhelming wave of fatigue. I had another shift tomorrow afternoon anyway. With nothing better to do, maybe I should just knock out.
Letting that pointless thought be my last, I stumbled over and threw my unwashed body onto the bare mattress.
'Man... I wish I could awaken too.'
How long had I been out?
Kzzzzzt—! CRACK!
Right in the middle of my slumber, a deafening roar tore through the darkness as if the very fabric of the world had shattered. A brilliant, blinding cascade of golden radiance poured down over my consciousness.
"Ugh..."
I forced my heavy eyelids open. It didn't feel like I had slept at all. My head pounded with a splitting migraine—probably from the hangover—and every single joint in my body ached as though I'd been disassembled and pieced back together bone by bone.
'Ugh, my stomach... I shouldn't have chugged all that lukewarm soju before crashing... Wait.'
Reaching up to rub my aching forehead, my hand froze. What was this?
Why was my hair this color? And why was it so ridiculously long? My skin felt suspiciously soft, too, almost doughy...
In fact, didn't everything feel... smaller?
Scrambling to gather my scattered wits, I pushed myself up from the mattress, only to freeze in sheer horror.
"Wh-What is this?!"
I had definitely gone to bed wearing a stretched-out old graphic tee and boxer shorts. Yet now, even while standing on both feet, that very same t-shirt draped past my hips and hung down past my knees like an oversized sundress.
Worse, the voice that slipped out of my throat wasn't mine. It was high, sweet, and unmistakably that of a little girl. That squeak came out of my mouth?!
"A-Ahem. Ah. Ah. Gasp!"
I tested my voice again, only to clap both hands over my mouth in total shock.
Something was catastrophically wrong.
I sprinted straight into the cramped bathroom and glued my eyes to the grimy mirror hanging over the sink. The reflection staring back at me—framing only my upper body—stole the breath right out of my lungs.
Lustrous, cascading silver hair. An impossibly delicate, adorable face. And a pair of vivid, blood-red eyes.
No matter which way I looked at it, the person in the mirror was a breath-takingly cute young girl. But
I turned on my old computer and logged into the Hunter Gallery.
[Title: Current Status of the S+ Rank Gate Raid Team]
[Author: Hunter-Bung Doesn’t Know He’s Wrong]
(Profile photos of 4 S-rank Hunters)
A national-level squad has been confirmed... wow
- Wow, all four S-Rank hunters are going?
N: That makes sense for an S+ Gate.
- Isn’t this the first time all four have gathered? Seriously, they’re like the Avengers;
- ?? Only those four are going? There are plenty of strong A-Rankers too, right?
N: They’re useless compared to these guys.
When an S+ Gate popped up in Russia, they said no one except those six S-Rankers was any help.
Come on, you still need to bring along someone with a scouting class or something;
- Serri’s magic pouch… oh my.
Oh my.
- I live in Seongsu-dong, so I guess I don’t have to evacuate. This is awesome~ Since they say it’ll open at midnight, I can sleep soundly.
The community was abuzz with talk about the S+ Gate that suddenly appeared in the heart of Seoul the day before yesterday.
[Photo of the entrance to Korea’s first S+ Gate]
[(Long post) Analysis of the assault team’s strength for this Gate]
[Tried to sneak into the S+ Gate using stealth but was stopped]
[Estimated Damage Scale if the Seongsu-dong S+ Gate Breaks]
It seems all the other popular posts are also in an absolute frenzy over the appearance of this top-tier gate, but hey, it’s not really my concern. Since the four strongest players in South Korea have all gathered, it’s only natural that they’ll clear it.
“Ugh. The board’s a total bore today.”
I picked up the soju bottle and took a few more swigs. As the sharp burn of alcohol traveled down my esophagus, an overwhelming wave of fatigue washed over me.
Ugh, I have to go to work tomorrow afternoon too. I don’t really have anything else to do—should I just go to sleep?
With that pointless thought, I shuffled over and flopped my unwashed body onto the mattress as if collapsing.
“Ah, I want to awaken, too.”
And how much time had passed?
Zzzzzzzz—! Zing!
Accompanied by a tremendous burst of sound, as if the world were shattering in my dream, a dazzling, blinding golden light poured down.
[The slumbering spirit of Yoho awakens.]
[Awakening as a One-Tailed Fox.]
[Physical data is being transferred and reconstructed.]
[The first power is unlocked.]
***
“Ugh…”
He lifted his heavy eyelids. It felt like I hadn’t slept at all. Maybe it was the hangover—my head ached as if it were about to split open, and every joint in my body felt stiff, as if it had been reassembled.
‘Ugh, my stomach hurts. I shouldn’t have drunk all that lukewarm soju and gone to sleep… Huh?’
I paused as I rubbed my forehead with my hand. What is this?
Why does my hair look like this? And why is it so long? My skin feels kind of soft, too…
It feels like… I’ve shrunk overall?
Barely managing to keep my wits about me, I sat up—only to be utterly shocked.
“W-what the hell is this?!!”
I was definitely wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt with a stretched-out neckline and boxer shorts when I went to sleep….
Even though I was standing on both feet, the short-sleeved T-shirt hung down to just above my knees, like a loose dress a girl would wear.
On top of that, the voice that came out when I was startled—no matter how many times I listened to it—sounded like a little girl’s?? That sound came out of my mouth??
“C-cough. Ah. Ah. Gah!”
I tried making a sound again and, startled, covered my mouth with both hands.
Something was wrong.
I immediately ran to the bathroom and looked into the mirror mounted above the sink.
The reflection in the mirror, which barely showed my upper body, was…
Shiny silver hair, a strikingly small and cute face, and blood-red eyes.
At a glance, I was a cute little girl.
On top of that, the most shocking thing was that the ears on the sides of my face had disappeared, replaced by “fox ears” on top of my head.
“What the heck? Give me my ears back.”
This is crazy.
Overnight, I’d turned into some kind of beauty. And not just any beauty—an incredibly cute and pretty little girl.
When I absentmindedly looked down, I saw that my frame had become shorter, and there was a strange curve on my chest where there shouldn’t have been one.
“Yikes!”
Without even realizing it, I jerked my head away. It’s clearly my body, but for some reason, I feel like I shouldn’t be looking at it…
Plus, why is my lower half so bare…? The things that should be there are gone, and the things that shouldn’t be there have appeared.
Is this really not a fantasy? Seriously?
I raised my delicate hands and pinched one of my cheeks hard.
“Ouch….”
It hurts. This is reality. It wasn’t some hilarious hidden camera prank after all.
If that’s the case, there’s only one miracle that could create such a crazy reality….
“S-status window!”
Ding—
It was an awakening after all!
Hey! I finally had my awakening too! Well, sort of…
I’ve never seen or heard of an awakening story where your appearance and gender actually change… At most, maybe you gain some muscle or your hair color changes.
And the “status” of the “Status Window” that responded to my call seemed a little off, too.
I’m pretty sure I heard on the Hunter Gallery that the Status Window is a semi-transparent blue window with a… stiff? font. They said that’s a common feature for all hunters.
But what I see before me is… how should I put it… like an antique scroll? Or a scroll? And the text is written in elegant calligraphy…
[Name: Han Seol]
[Species: One-Tailed Fox]
[Rank: F]
[Charm: S]
[Spiritual Power: 14 / 100]
[Succession Level: 0 / 100]
[Evolution Conditions: ???]
[Abilities]
- Seduction
…I don’t understand a single thing. This is way too different from the status screen layout I’d heard about….
Anyway, my name is “Kim” Hanseol, right? Of course, since I don’t know who my biological parents are, it’s just a surname I was given. Still, I’m glad I got to keep my name. Honestly, I kind of liked my name.
They say I was left all alone outside an orphanage in the middle of a blizzard? That’s why my name became Hanseol. Maybe that’s why my favorite season is winter, too.
Anyway, let’s just put that aside for now. Well, not that I should just brush it off, but let’s just assume that’s the case for now.
It’s not a job, and it’s not a class—so what’s this “species” thing? Does that mean I’m not even a real human anymore? And “Ilmiho”? Not even a “Gumiho”? Is it called “Ilmiho” because it’s a Gumiho with only one tail?
But I don’t even have a tail to begin with…
“…I do!!”
Wait, why is this here? It’s attached really naturally to my tailbone, right above my butt?? What is this??? It looks so natural I didn’t even realize it was there????
Whether it sensed my bewilderment or not, the tail swayed gently with my every movement. I never imagined a human tailbone could do something like this. I just assumed it was called a tailbone for the name’s sake….
Anyway, let me calm down and finish checking the status window.
“Ugh, next… the rank is F…?”
Hmm. Yeah. I wasn’t expecting anything. I didn’t have any delusions that I’d suddenly become S-rank just because I awakened, seriously? That’s just me, I guess.
But my charm rating is S. I can tell that just by looking at my reflection in the mirror right now. It’s embarrassing, but even to my own eyes, I look incredibly charming right now. Regardless of my age.
And on the next line, it says “Yōryoku” instead of “Magic Power”… Am I some kind of yokai? Oh, wait—a gumiho is a yokai, isn’t it? I guess it’ll recover like mana does—by eating food or as time passes?
But wait a minute. What are “Evolution Conditions”? I don’t know what “Succession Level” means either. Does that mean I can actually raise my rank? I’m not sure right now, but does that mean I can rank up if I meet the conditions? Is this something I can look forward to? Then I’m looking forward to it??
The last line says “Powers” instead of “Skills.” Plus, there’s only one.
“Charm…?”
Since I’m a nine-tailed fox, does that mean I’m supposed to go around bewitching people…? Or something like that? But how am I supposed to use this to enter the Gate and defeat monsters?
As I was thinking that and staring intently at the word “Charm,” a detailed description suddenly appeared below it.
- Charm ()
Your charm increases dramatically.
You can use Spirit Power (10) to interfere with a target’s emotions and judgment.
The lower the target’s rank, the greater the effect.
Cannot be reused on a target who successfully resists for a certain period of time.
Huh? This is actually better than I thought! I can just mind-control them and say, “Go kill monsters for me and bring me the loot, Ningen.” Right? I’m so smart. Plus, this skill is why my Charm stat is S!
Okay. I’ve got the gist of it.
Once I’d calmed down a bit, I came out of the bathroom and sat down at my desk. Let’s sort out my current situation.
First off, I’ve awakened. Of course, I’m at the lowest rank—F-class—but since there’s an “Evolution Conditions” section in my status window, it looks like I can rank up to a higher tier. My final form will probably be a “Nine-Tailed Fox.”
But the change in my appearance is incredibly drastic. Not only has my gender changed, but I’ve also turned into a girl through and through. I look to be about eleven? Twelve?
“…This is crazy.”
If that were all, it would almost be a relief, but the bigger problem is, of course, these.
Her human ears have vanished, replaced by pointed fox ears sticking up from her head, and a fluffy tail attached so naturally to her tailbone.
For now, her hearing seems to be the same. Or maybe it’s even sharper and better than before? Anyway, since her ears are functioning just fine, I think she’ll be able to go out if she covers them with a hat or pulls her hood down tight.
But no matter how much I think about it, the tail is still the biggest mystery. It’s actually quite a bit bigger than I expected. It seems to be just a little shorter than my leg… Were fox tails always this long…?
Swish, swish—
It feels incredibly soft and fluffy—I don’t think I’d ever get tired of touching it all day long. Plus, I can move the tailbone however I want to make the tail sway naturally.
But since it’s so big, it’s awkward to tuck it inside my pants, and if I leave it hanging out, it’ll definitely stand out. Sigh… Is there any way I can just get rid of the tail?
No sooner had I thought that than the tail vanished with a poof.
“Huh?”
It really disappeared? But it still feels like the tail is there… Is this what they call phantom pain or something?
Just then, the tail popped back into view.
“Oh, what the—”
After repeating this a few times, I got used to controlling my tail. I could easily make it disappear or reappear just by thinking about it. Phew.
“Hmm… My ears don’t work.”
Unfortunately, my ears were still perched right on top of my head.