The Dragon's Heart and the Fox's Evolution

I couldn't make an immediate decision when the status window asked if I wanted to evolve Miho right then and there. Even though it wasn't a full adult yet, an adult Ice Dragon—a creature capable of leaving gashes on an SSS-Class hunter's body—was closing in on us. If I chose to evolve her and Miho ended up in a defenseless state… I would have no choice but to use the Gate Escape Rope. If I did that, not only would the additional quest rewards vanish, but it would also be a headache if someone asked how we managed to escape.

Thud…. A heavy sound that even reached my ears. Miho, whose senses were sharper than mine, must have already felt it.

"Grab that thing and let's bolt!"

"Okay!"

Miho, having stashed the Ice Dragon's heart in her subspace, lifted me into the air and we began to fly.

Fortunately, we were able to rejoin the raid party before long. Since they were fighting monsters that had respawned, Miho immediately joined the fray, while I kept my eyes on our rear, thinking about the sound I’d heard earlier. If we kept going like this, we could make it out safely. But my worries weren't for nothing; about 3km from the gate exit, Thud, rumble-rumble! The sound of the cave collapsing began, and the ground started to shake.

We're screwed….

High-ranking hunters above S-Class might be able to survive if they sprinted at full power. But the low-ranking hunters—the healers and mages who were easy to hire despite their low grades—and the porters and mana stone collection team, including myself, were as good as dead. Even Carlson, the guild leader of Baekryeong-ga and an SSS-Class hunter, looked like he was debating whether to just throw it all away and run.

As the raid team leader, he stood to gain significant profits, but he also had the responsibility of keeping as many people ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠alive as possible. If a man like Carlson ran away? The World Hunter Association would probably hunt him down and turn him into mush. No matter how much of an asymmetric power an SSS-Class hunter was, he was still just one man. Anyway, there was no time to waste on hesitation.

"Rania! Miho! Come here, quick!"

Even the tanks, who should have been standing on the front lines, were in a state of chaotic confusion. No one listened to my voice, so I watched Miho and Rania approach me and prepared to use the Gate Escape Rope.

"We have to run right now…."

"Forget that, just take out the heart."

Miho pulled out the Ice Dragon's heart without a word.

Go for it. If she ends up defenseless, we can just run away then. But if Miho becomes dramatically stronger? I’d become the hero who prevented the S-Class double-gate disaster.

"Ah, ugh…."

The Ice Dragon's heart, beginning to break down into particles in mid-air, flowed into Miho's chest. An ominous current of magic power, a blizzard, began to swirl around her.

"Ah… my short life was fun."

"W-what the hell! Should we run or not!!"

"Team Leader Miho?! What is happening all of a sudden!!"

People who sensed the anomaly began to look our way, but the situation was so chaotic that, fortunately, no one but Rania noticed I was involved.

Thump, thump. With the sound of a beating heart, the blizzard cleared.

The energy of a Dragon. Unlike the dragons classified as monsters chasing us, this was something supposedly used by the Dragonian race—the "Strongest Species"—a power that transcended mere magic.

Even the people in a panic, and I myself, couldn't close our mouths after seeing Miho's changed status window. It wasn't like she was a boy-manga protagonist who gets stronger in a crisis… I didn't know she would get this strong. The Ice Dragon, which had been forcing its massive body into the cave, also came into view, but it instinctively stopped moving upon seeing Miho.

Magic has formalized rules, to the point where there are separate academic fields for it. But Jusul (Sorcery) is a free ability ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠without rules. Miho said she just used it based on how she felt. That makes it difficult to learn, but once you reach a certain level, it displays power beyond imagination.

"Bang."

A massive fireball, created in mid-air using magic power as a medium, flew toward the Ice Dragon. "Bang" is what you call it, Miho-Miho…. Since it was forcing itself into an ice cave that didn't fit its body, the Ice Dragon couldn't dodge and took the hit.

"Kwoooargh!"

The dragon screamed, having taken the fireball to its face—specifically, its left eye. At the same time, the dragon's body heaved, and the resulting tremor made the cave look like it would collapse right then and there.

"Hmph! Come at me if you're not happy about it!"

Our "useless fox" had gained incredible power and become an even more useless fox.

Surprisingly, she was on the verge of maxing out her real traits. By the way, when did "Arrogant Fox" appear…. Still, it didn't really bother me. Miho's dominance was already at 89, and the fact that she was a fox obedient to me hadn't changed. And though I couldn't see it with my own eyes as a born F-Class hunter, maybe she was acting cocky because she could see a way to fight and win even now.

Miho, who had been having a silent staring contest with the dragon, looked back at me, looking slightly intimidated. …Now, of all times? Just as I was thinking that since Miho had gotten stronger, we might be able to escape somehow, a sound echoed in my head.

-H-help! Master, help!

-…What is this?

-I don't know! Anyway, I could use it, so hurry!

Certainly, the way the dragon was looking at Miho, ready to bare its claws and pounce at any moment, did look dangerous.

Would it work? Generally, this skill doesn't work on monsters without intelligence. However, in this current situation where it was sensing danger and maintaining a standoff. To my eyes, that Ice Dragon didn't look like a mere monster.

As expected. It seems Interspecies classified that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dragon as a demi-human too. …Wait, does that mean if such a special monster turns me on, I can try Interspecies on it? A new possibility popped into my head, but I decided to bury it for now.

The Ice Dragon glared at Miho with slightly heavier eyes, then flapped its wings and left the cave. Rumble-rumble…. The spot where the dragon had been was now filled with the debris of the ice cave.

'…Ah. I should have checked the status window.'

Since the Interspecies ability worked, it wouldn't be strange if a status window existed for it too. I decided to definitely check next time a similar situation arose.

"W-wow!!!!"

"Team Lea… no, long live Guild Leader Miho! Long live!"

"Thank youuu!! Long live! Long live!"

Facing a dragon so massive you couldn't even fathom its size, we had returned from the threshold of death. Everyone, regardless of species, surrounded Miho and shouted "Long live!" over and over.

"Ahem!"

What if her "Arrogant Fox" level goes up even more if she keeps doing that?

Eventually, we escaped the gate safely.

'Kek. This is it.'

I hadn't planned on fighting at the front anyway, but I'd gained a skill that would save my life once a week. As I was checking the quest rewards, the porters and mana stone collection team began to disperse. However, the raid party members were giving statements to the Hunter Association officials regarding the double gate. And at the center of it all was Miho, who had stopped this disaster.

"Dammit, I told you it wasn't!… Reinforcements, yeah! I went to call for reinforcements!"

In the end, there was Carlson, who had run away alone because he couldn't take it.

-…I'm getting bored and tired now, I want to run home… Ah, Master, can you give the statement for me?

-Do you think that's possible? Just bury the fact that you snatched and ate the dragon's heart.

It was a heart with a minimum value of 100 billion won. Actually, that was just a rough estimate Miho and I had made, but considering the majesty of the adult dragon I'd confirmed earlier, it wouldn't be strange if it were worth even more. Miho had saved everyone, but since the amount was so large, it was right not to leave any room for potential controversy.

-Hing… okay….

While Miho was enduring the boring statement using the technique she'd dubbed "Telepathy," someone tapped my shoulder.

"…Doyen-ssi."

"Rania? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"Yes. Thank you for worrying about me."

Rania's expression wasn't one of joy at having survived, but one of having firmly resolved herself to something.

"I'll do it."

"Do what?"

"S…ex."

"I can't hear you well?"

I tilted my head with a mischievous expression.

"Ugh… s-sex…."

"Huh? Didn't you say sex is something you only do with someone you like?"

"……."

Thump. A spicy fist hit my chest. I should stop the teasing here.

"Sorry, sorry."

As if to prove she'd made a big decision, her ears and face were bright red.