The Fox in Sheep's Clothing

After clearing the quest for the "useless fox," my points were higher than I had anticipated.

It seemed the quest completion reward had come with a little extra. Under normal circumstances, I would have spent the points on boosting my Stamina stat, which cost 100 Coin.

However, thanks to my efforts that defied limits, my Stamina had surprisingly increased. Since it cost 200 Coin to raise it from E-rank to D-rank, I didn't plan on upgrading it right this second. I’d heard of people raising their Strength, Agility, Health, or Magic through hard work, but Stamina? I’d never seen anyone else with that stat.

I wanted to fill out my pathetic skill window, which stood in stark contrast to my brilliant unique ability, but I didn't have enough points. So, I purchased an item I’d been eyeing.

Since it had the official "Recommended" stamp of my ability, I didn't feel like the points were wasted. "This is..." It was a simple design, a rectangular remote with a red button in the center. I immediately used the Trait Scanner on Miho, who had started whining that she had to return to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guild tomorrow.

Click.

"Eek. Master, what is that? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Don't tell me... is that that ability?!"

'Hmm...?' Miho, who had been lying on the living room floor playing with her phone, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"...Our Miho. You were a more useless fox than I thought."

"Ugh... what are you talking about all of a sudden!" The way she bristled was just too cute. The glimpses of her airheaded and complacent nature that I’d seen from time to time—seeing the reason for them floating right in front of me made everything click.

Well, she’s pretty, has big breasts, and is obedient to me, so isn't that enough? I didn't really care if she was lazy or useless. Even if her "Useless Fox" trait was at level 8 out of 10, she also had the "Genius" trait. And perhaps anticipating such a situation, the shop even had items to remove traits. However, the price was 300 Coin, which was a bit of a burden right now. I decided to leave the "Horny Fox" trait alone, since, frankly, I liked it. And "Timid"... I wondered if that would really be a problem. In the end, it would cost 600 Coin to erase both of those traits.

Even if the concept of traits was a bit unfamiliar, I didn't plan on sparing any support for her, as her getting stronger would be a huge help to me as well.

"What is this that you're looking at me with those eyes..." Miho reached out as if asking for the Trait Scanner, and I handed it over without resistance.

Click. Click.

"...? Isn't this just a remote control?"

Even when she used the Trait Scanner on me, her puzzled expression didn't vanish. Was the Trait Scanner considered an exclusive ability of Interspecies, making ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it impossible for others to use or even see the item information? I had been able to check the effects of the Pendant of Submission, so this was a new discovery. The criteria for that would naturally reveal itself in time.

"It's okay. No matter how useless or lazy a fox you are, this Master of yours will fix you."

"Ugh..." She showed a hint of resentment at the sudden reprimand, but at the same time, she looked strangely accepting.

One day before the one-week vacation Miho had mentioned ended. I made a suggestion to Miho, who was clinging to me, whining that she had to go back to the guild and handle all the work that had piled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up.

"I'll go with you and help you work."

Ultimately, raising her Dominance was the path to making Miho more obedient and making myself stronger. To that end, sticking by Miho's side—my only management target at the moment—was the most appropriate course of action.

I wondered how much help an F-class like me could really be. Still, for an S-class hunter, it wouldn't be strange to hire a dedicated porter. Miho, who could open her own subspace, didn't need a porter, but I planned to use the opportunity to have sex whenever I had the chance and observe other demi-humans.

Above all else, a quest with a one-month time limit had appeared. By the way, the phrase about Miho, an S-class hunter—the third-highest rank among the nine from SSS to F—not being able to establish her position in Baekryeong-ga bothered me. I decided to look into that part myself later.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but... Master is a 'human,' so it's a bit..."

I decided to give a stinging punishment to Miho, who didn't even try to hide her sneer as she covered her mouth with one hand.

"Hoo... get on your knees."

"E-eeek! I'm sorry!"

It was too late to beg. Smack! Smack! I sat on Miho's lower back, spanking her, and held a red pill in my hand.

I had thought I absolutely had to try this when I first found it in the item shop, but now that I was actually about to use it, I felt a sense of resistance. However, since I had already made up my mind and blown all my coins, I couldn't just back out now. The note about my personality changing slightly worried me, but since I had Miho, who was bound by the Pendant of Submission and was absolutely on my side, I could handle it even if something went wrong.

"It hurts!"

"Don't you hit harder when we're having sex?"

"Th-that's..."

Seeing Miho make a fuss, I felt a sense of calm. And I trusted Interspecies, which had shown me abilities that defied common sense.

Gulp.

I swallowed the pill in one go, wishing to transform into a Fox-kin.

For a brief moment, less than a second, my body felt a little itchy, and then I instinctively realized something had changed.

"Ah, aaah..." I spoke aloud on purpose to reduce the sense of incongruity and felt my body. Nothing had changed significantly. Two ears had grown on top of my head, and my fangs felt a bit sharper. And...

'...What is this?'

I felt an "instinct" surging within me to embrace Miho, who was pinned beneath me.

Miho, who had become quite addicted to the sex she’d been having with Kim Doyen lately, had thought there would be nothing more surprising in her life than this.

"Crazy..."

Rough words flowed from Miho, who usually tried not to use profanity. He had explained various things about his ability, but she hadn't expected a single unique ability to have such diverse effects.

He hadn't grown a tail, but his appearance with the ears characteristic of a Fox-kin was the very image of a Fox-kin himself. Even the unique scent of a Fox-kin had started to leak out, so if she hadn't witnessed the transformation herself, she would have mistaken him for just another person who happened to look the same.

The sight of Kim Doyen, who had simply transformed from a human into a Fox-kin, hit Miho in many ways.

"Y-you are Master, right...?"

"Probably..."

Kim Doyen was unable to control his excitement and had his face buried in Miho's chest. This was the first time she’d seen him unable to restrain himself like this since the first time they met and had sex.

"Haa... it feels like I'm not me anymore. 'Slightly,' my ass..."

Watching Kim Doyen, who had swallowed his last words, approach her in the form of a Fox-kin rather than a human, Miho felt her heart racing wildly.

Thump-thump.

The dizzying scent, which had become even deeper as he became a Fox-kin, clouded her brain. The sensation of his coarse hair pricking the space between her breasts felt just right.

'No matter how I look at it... he's definitely a Fox-kin, right...?'

Miho swallowed dryly and gently stroked Doyen's hair. As a result of looking into the human race out of interest while living with Kim Doyen, she had learned that humans were a crazy, omnivorous, "anything-is-possible" race that could show sexual desire and love toward all other races if their hearts were moved. Of course, there were individual differences among demi-humans, but for Miho, who had been wondering if she was also omnivorous, Kim Doyen taking the form of a Fox-kin served as a catalyst to break down the racial barriers that had been blocking her.

"Master...?"

"Why?"

"A-ah, it's nothing...♥"

Miho, unaware that her expression looked like that of a girl in love, gazed at Kim Doyen, who had his face buried between her breasts.