Chapter 97
Chapter 97
Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 97
Ears perked straight up toward the sky, a long snout, glossy snow-white fur, and nine fluffy tails.
No matter if it rolled forward or backward, flipped three somersaults in midairit was unmistakably a monster in the form of a nine-tailed fox.
So cool...!
That noble bearing, that stunning beauty! Oh my god. A nine-tailed fox this adorable!
And nine-tailed foxes were among the top mythical beasts in Korea! With powers like shapeshifting and illusions, this was an absolute jackpot. It might even be able to fly...
Kyung?
No, no. Who cares about that? The way it tilted its head, staring right at memy heart nearly stopped.
Ha. Look at that cuteness. It could punch through the training room wall and ascend to heaven.
Hi, cutie! I'll give you the coolest name! Looking forward to our time together...!
Se-ra shouted at the top of her lungs and charged toward the nine-tailed fox.
One message suddenly blocked her entire view. Se-ra's movement froze dead in midair.
What the...? Wagging its tail? The System Administrator said it was a personwhy does it have a tail?
Uh, hold on. Tail?
The fox groomed its face with its paw like a proper fox. It was so lovable, but still...
What is this? No way, Lija-ssi, this is your idea of 'interference'...?
No, right? Surely you didn't go that far?
The fox grooming itself let out a sharp kyung! at Se-ra's mutter.
Yep, it's me.
Se-ra's jaw dropped at the flower-crown emoticon floating above the fox's head.
No wayyou've taken over the fox's body...? The real Administrator is inside the fox...?
Which is basically the same thing...!
Se-ra finally understood exactly why the Administrator had said this summoner contract would be great for both of them.
If this was possible, you should've told me sooner...!
Kkiuung. The nine-tailed fox drooped its tails at Se-ra's shout. Its green eyes welled up with tears. She felt a pang of guilt, like she'd bullied a small animalor something like it.
You really know how to tug at heartstrings, don't you?
Kyung?
I don't hate it. I don't hate it at all. Even if it's a fox, I can actually touch you nowso it's even better.
As Se-ra's expression softened, the fox pattered over and placed a paw on her knee. Ah, those paw pads. Pure bliss.
So soft.
She gently stroked its head, and the fox rubbed its snout against her hand. It didn't feel like the Administrator at all. It felt exactly like a fox. How was it this good at being cute?
Look at those fluffy tails. Too adorable for real.
As she started properly petting the tails, the fox wagged them happily, rubbing against Se-ra's cheek and patting her shoulder.
Maybe because there were nine tails, but before she knew it, Se-ra wasn't the one holding the fox anymoreshe was practically buried in its embrace. The tails softly and delicately wrapped around her.
Tingles ran through her as her face flushed red, and Se-ra paused her hands. Thinking of it as the Administrator's will rather than just a fox suddenly made her insides heat up.
L-Lija-ssi?
She nearly swatted the fox's snout at that husky voice.
Warn me before you talk!
For the rest of her life. The casual promise of staying together forever unless the contract was broken sent heat surging through her again.
This Administrator really had a knack for messing with her heart.
...So that's why you picked the summoner contract?
Se-ra stroked the fox's head as it started acting cute toward her again.
Does my face look burdened?
Se-ra's face, buried in the fluffy tails, was beet red, and her mouth corners were trembling up to her ears. No matter how good she was at faking it, she couldn't hide the clown of truth.
The fox nuzzled her cheek with its snout. The wet nose touch felt like it might give her a heart attack.
Got it. Looking forward to it from now on, Elizabeth.
Administrator, Elizabethtwo letters overlap, perfect fit, right? Give it up already, Elizabeth-ssi. It's been months, and you're still holding out hope.
As Lija wagged her tail, the tiger-sized body shrank with a poof to the perfect lap-dog size. Se-ra let out an impressed ooh. The nine tails merged into one.
Wow, you can change size too.
A crystalline blue orb sparkled on her extended red tongue. Se-ra could sense the strange energy emanating from it, so she didn't touch.
She scooped up the fox and shook it gently uzzu uzzu, and the slightly black-tipped tail swung side to side.
Can the summon stay out like this all the time?
O! That's a relief.
You ignored me when I said I wanted to meet in person, but I never imagined it'd be like this first. You're not possessing the fox because you have no physical form or can't show your real one, right?
No answer again. Was there really no physical form? Or was it some unimaginable weird appearance? She had no idea.
It was so frustrating that Se-ra lightly booped Lija's snout. It chattered away fine when it wanted tonow it whined like kkiaang kkiaang. Infuriating. Adorably so.
Still, it feels like we're closer now. I like it. Bit by bit like this, maybe we'll meet for real someday.
Kkiung?
Don't play dumb. Revenge is donemy next goal is meeting you in person. When I set my mind to something, I always make it happen.
She'd meet her and call her Elizabeth right to her face.
Se-ra kissed the fox's forehead and pulled it into her arms. Not just the occasional head patthis direct contact truly calmed her heart.
The summoner contract that the Administrator had snuck ingood thing she did.
* * *
The day to raid the Rank-1 dungeon in the Sea of Japan had dawned.
Do Jun-young and Jung Ho-young, Kang Se-jun, Yoon Se-ra, and support hunter Jung Tae-seok boarded a plane at Gimpo Airport together, heading for Busan.
Since the gate was out over the ocean, they'd take a boat from Busan.
News of Headbang's participation had spread far and wide, so the airport and port were swarming with people clutching cameras.
They scanned Se-ra's group with gazes sharper than hawks hunting prey.
But go ahead and stare all day. No one would know until Headbang stepped up and announced, Here I am.
Se-ra ignored the confused voices wondering who Headbang was or if she was coming separately and boarded the boat.
Even as they set off leisurely, people were still craning their necks with cameras in hand.
Flying and now boating back-to-back. Just a few days ago, I'd never done either.
Cleaving through the blue sea felt refreshing. If it weren't a trip to raid a dungeon, she could've savored her first voyage at leisure. What a shame.
That teleport ability was super convenient. Why isn't it commercialized?
Looks plenty convenient already, doesn't it?
Kang Se-jun gave her an incredulous look as she lounged on a sunbed on the ultra-luxury yacht Japan had sent, sunglasses perched on her nose.
Her grumbling was for showshe was enjoying it 200 percent.
Yacht's nice. I wanna try a cruise ship next. Heard the top ones even have poolsis that true?
Yeah, it's true.
Have you been on one, Kang Se-jun-ssi?
In the past. There was a time overseas requested a dungeon clear like this. I got one as a reward.
...Got what?
A cruise ship. Sold it because maintenance was a hassle.
She got a cruise ship. Top-rankers lived even more extravagantly than she'd imagined.
Tsk. More tempting than expected.
Maybe once or twice a year like this? Cruising the emerald Mediterranean on a luxury linerwhat could be better?
And with our fluffy Lija tucked against my side? Perfection.
Thinking of the adorable fox she'd desummoned brought a smile to her face.
No one knew yet that she'd contracted with the nine-tailed fox. She wasn't hiding it on purpose, but there was no reason to announce it either, so she'd let it be.
Japan's sending five S-ranks, right? What was it like before?
Se-ra whispered so Jung Ho-young and Do Jun-young, deep in conversation, wouldn't hear.
After the breakout, they begged for help from neighbors multiple times, but no one answered. They had the labyrinth right in front of them back then too.
Makes sense. Japan never helps other countries anyway.
Totally self-inflicted.
China never came once. Their state leader never deploys the Awakeners he controls overseas.
China. Kang Se-jun's offhand mention brought the kidnapping incident in the US to mind. The culprits had pointed straight at China as the client.
They'd probably disposed of all evidence by now, so they wouldn't reveal it. It could backfire on them otherwise.
Annoying.
Se-ra wrinkled her nose. Just you wait. She wouldn't fall for it twice.
So our four plus Japan's five S-ranks... Think we can handle it?
More than handle it.
Jung Ho-young and Do Jun-young were among the absolute top of Korea's S-ranks. Jung Ho-young in particular was the most specialized against ghost-types, so he'd be a huge asset.
We're almost there.
Se-ra sat up from the sunbed, where she'd been wiggling her toes, and straightened her clothes.
Several large ships were anchored around the gate she'd glimpsed from the plane days ago. Japanese flags fluttered in the sea breeze.
Huh? One of them's Chinese?
One ship in the mix flew a Chinese flag.
China wasn't participating?
What? What's going on?
Se-ra whipped around to Kang Se-jun, but even he looked genuinely shocked.