The Fox Beneath My Fingernail
Hello~
Twitch twitch. Fox ears were flicking right in front of my eyes. Ash-gray hair. Slightly slanted eyes. A fox tail swaying from her waist.
"Lost for words from joy? Were you that desperate to see me?"
The cutie giggled. I was floored.
"You... you've been under my fingernail this whole time?"
"Spot on. Mayuri, you're smart~. So very smart~."
Clap clap clap. The fox applauded.
"Why didn't you show up until now? And why pop out now..."
"I could've sworn I already explained that. Now, student Mayuri. What did I just say~?"
"That you were waiting for a chance to devour me?"
"Exactly. Good thing your memory isn't as dim as the rest of you. What a relief."
The fox teased me like it was all a game. I was utterly thrown by this unexpected fox. And her attitude was worlds apart from the other monster girls I'd turned cute. My companions all followed me loyally, after all. But this one? She'd been lurking, eyeing me up the whole time.
"What, scared I'll eat you?"
She asked with a grin.
"...You gonna?"
"Maybe? I'll make it special, just how you like. Neck first? Or head?"
The fox just pretended, never making a real move. She clearly couldn't eat me even if she wanted to. The fact she'd been biding her time all along meant the Cute Girl Mod had imposed some restriction on her too. And right now, I was weaker than ever. How many hallucinations had I endured? How much time had I lost in them? My head was still spinning, my body drained. I felt like I could collapse any second.
Yet she wasn't baring her fangs.
"Don't wanna get eaten? Just put a collar on me. Isn't that right, our dim-witted Mayuri?"
Tap tap. She drummed her index finger on her neck.
A collar?
"You want me to name you?"
"Wouldn't it be awkward without a name? Or do you think a lowly beast like me doesn't deserve one?"
She shrugged. Naming her would bind the "Fox that Swallows Nightmares" to me. And she knew it. But wouldn't that kill her chances of ever eating me? No idea what her angle was...
Still, taming her was the only way I'd feel safe.
"Fox, so... Yeoul? Yeah, Yeoul it is. And for the family name..."
"Ma Yeoul."
She beat me to it.
"I like Ma. Sound good?"
You have encountered Possession but resolved it safely.
Possession has been added to the codex!
The codex has been updated.
• This entity is fully conquered.
• You can summon this entity at any time.
• Naming has bound this entity to you.
• Through your bond, you can borrow the entity's power and draw out its potential.
Can issue an invitation to enter dreams once every 15 days.
"Weird bond effect..."
Exhausted, I sprawled out in the hallway. I just wanted to nap. But Woo Jin-ho had texted he'd be here soon, so I stayed awake to check the codex.
An invitation into dreams? 'Doesn't seem useful.' No clue what it even did. Meeting in dreams? What was the point? Meet people in real life, call if you can't. Only upside I could think of was secure talk without bugs. And every 15 days? Way too infrequent.
"No idea..."
I sighed. Just bone-tired. After that ordeal, I didn't want to think at all. Closed the codex and stared at the ceiling.
Quiet. No sounds. I'd stored Ari, Lisa, and Nao. They weren't here. Ma Yeoul had left too, saying she had prep to do before people arrived. Wonder what for.
This peace... how long since? Real time? Maybe just an hour. Felt like decades older. Not fun. But I survived. More anomalies ahead, sure. But I beat this brutal one. I'd survive the next too.
That was my plan.
"Sorry for the delay, Director."
A voice echoed. I started to sit up.
"No need if you're worn out."
Woo Jin-ho said that, but it was mental fatigue, not physical. I leaned against the wall.
He had tons of guards. And a huge box behind him.
"What's that?"
"A box with a Muksi Saengmyeongche inside. You requested an entity immune to fear, so we brought it from the company."
"Oh, s-s-sorry... You went through all that trouble for nothing."
"No issue."
He shook his head.
"You resolved it, so all good. If anything, I'm sorry. Should've acted faster. Left you to suffer alone."
"Uh..."
Couldn't argue. It was true. This anomaly was just extra nasty. And game NPCs... they were all kinda slow. Made sense—too competent, and players had nothing to do. Maybe that's why he was late.
"We'll up your pay."
"Aigoo, no need."
But if you're offering... yes please. No ordeal money couldn't fix. My trauma? Poof, gone. Cash was king.
"We'll handle the rest. Hospital?"
"Nah. Heading home."
"Got it. Your team?"
"Sent the office staff on errands."
Lisa in a hat chimed in. Huh?
"I'll look after the director. Could you call a car?"
She asked Woo Jin-ho. What? I'd stored her...
Ah. 'Yeoul in disguise?'
Too sociable for Lisa. Real Lisa wouldn't ask for a ride—she'd piggyback me. Brain not there. And yeah, the fox had impersonated Ryu Harin in the nightmare before. Seemed Yeoul could shift forms freely.
"Of course. Car's waiting."
So I rode with Lisa(Yeoul). Then she carried me home. Punched in the passcode, called the elevator, hit the floor. Knew the place perfectly, huh? Lived under my nail.
"Where'd the hat come from?"
"Needed cover. Picked it up."
Lisa(Yeoul) doffed it, revealing twitching fox ears.
"Can't hide those, huh."
"Why? Hate this look? Prefer another?"
She giggled in Lisa's face, her signature laugh. And so I made it home.
Time rewind.
He witnessed the darkness vanish from the hallway.
Possession dissipated everywhere. Left behind: a little girl.
"Plan's busted."
Disaster. Apocalypse Cult suicide squad. Made entirely of Muksi Saengmyeongche or their infected shapeshifters. They followed the doctrine: "To overcome the end, all humans must become monsters."
Member 51, he was the most human-like. Specialized in "playing human." His skin suit? An Seong-tae, one of the plainclothes venue guards. He'd killed and worn him. Hosts never suspected a guard disguise.
Slipped in the Possession smoothly. Thought he'd deliver enlightenment to humanity.
But foiled by one kid?
'Heard rumors. Some girl messed with the choir event.'
Thought of the "Ambiguous Hairdresser" incident. And here, at an industry-only venue, a kid again. Coincidence?
Didn't matter. She'd tripped him up. Future missions would suffer.
So he drew his gun.
"Hi?"
Aimed. If his heart hadn't been pierced.
"Gahk...?!"
"We know each other, right? Don't tell me you forgot. That'd hurt."
Giggle. The human-shaped "thing" laughed.
No clue. Total stranger. He blurted in shock,
"Who the hell are you...?"
"Aw, harsh. You experimented on me. That nightmare you fed me? Delicious."
Crunch!
The fox-girl bit his nape. Neatly peeled off his face. Picked up the fallen hat.
"Perfect timing. I'll put it to good use. No reply?"
Rude guy. Ma Yeoul shrugged and donned the hat.