Fox, Do I Have to Fight That?
"This human trash has nothing better to do than go after a little kid?"
"Pillow sales on a child? You absolute scum of a human being!!"
"No! I'm really not! This is a false accusation!!"
"Naru, are you okay?!"
"...Kaeng?"
After I finished speaking, a whole lot of things happened in a flash.
There was an enormously fat stranger who smelled weird, and another stranger yelling about a scoop. Before I knew it, Yerin and Kim Seoyeon had rushed over and started shouting something, and then black-clothed people dragged the fat human away. While I watched that, Yerin scooped me up and got us out of there.
From what I half-heard, Kim Seoyeon had set a trap to make absolutely sure the fat human was finished, and Yerin had gotten mad at her for doing something so dangerous.
"Alright, everyone, calm down. I told you to come for the Awakening test—what's all this racket in the hallway?"
That was when Nara, drawn by the noise, came out and spoke with a tired sigh.
"To sum it up roughly, Seoyeon-ssi engineered this whole situation."
"Yes. I judged it the most efficient way to clean out stagnant water quickly and thoroughly."
"Haa... If only you'd told me ahead of time."
"Nara-ssi has her own work. Informing you would have been inefficient."
"That 'efficient' judgment of yours is about to pile more work onto me."
"..."
Yu Nara let out a sigh and glanced at Yerin, who was still holding me.
"I'll apologize on her behalf for now."
"So can you explain in detail?"
In the end my prospective subordinate ended up on her knees explaining everything. According to her, she had predicted the fat man would approach me, planned to catch him in the act of trying to use me, and drag him down from his high position.
"Of course, even I didn't see the pillow sales coming."
"Come to think of it, Naru... why did you suddenly bring up pillow sales?"
"Nara said it! Pillow chunk!"
"Ah, you mean Lard Chunk?"
"Yeah, that!"
"Haa... So that's how it went. Thanks to that, the Association's already-falling reputation has literally punched through the basement floor."
The reporter who had sent photos and posted an article in that short span of time was so fast it made you wonder if they were an Awoken themselves.
"Still, we can definitely get rid of that guy."
"Sex crimes involving children are punished heavily, but he'll definitely be found not guilty. The evidence is thin to begin with, and it isn't even true."
"But now he can't run anymore, and he won't have time to hide his dirty laundry. I'm talking about the embezzlement that was the original goal."
"Well, that's true enough."
"Efficient, right?"
"Shut up."
"..."
I quietly listened to the conversation from Yerin's arms, but I'd heard too much at once and everything had happened so fast that I couldn't take any more of it in.
Blank—
I just stared into space with my tongue hanging out.
Yerin had been listening blankly to the two of them as well, then spoke.
"Naru."
"Kaeng?"
"From now on you absolutely must not go off alone. You might run into weird people like just now."
"Okay..."
"Shall we hurry up and do the test and leave?"
"Yeah, Naru's tired."
"Unnie's tired too."
"We do the test here?"
"Yes, that's right. It wasn't originally my responsibility, but unexpected extra work is not something I want, so I'll handle it myself."
I sat alone in a pure white room while Nara and Yerin spoke from the other side of the glass.
"Naru, you remember the testing method you heard earlier, right?"
Earlier Nara had given me chocolate and explained that they measured attack methods, mana, and physical ability inside the room... but I didn't need the complicated parts.
"Yeah! I just have to beat up the person who shows up in here!"
"That's right, but if you get scared, say so right away!"
"Heh, I am a brave and strong fox! I will defeat the enemy before my eyes!"
I didn't understand it perfectly, but if I waited in this pure white room someone would appear, and if I fought and won, that was that.
"To be precise it's a hologram, so it won't hurt and there's no reason to get injured, but be careful just in case."
"Okay!"
"Then we'll begin."
"Naru, fighting!"
With the word "begin," the room gradually darkened until even the glass on the other side disappeared.
I was startled by the sudden dark, but I was a fox who had learned night hunting from Boss!
Even in the dark, my eyes could see everything.
"Heh!"
I confidently opened both eyes wide to look around—and in that instant the lights blazed on with a flash.
"Kaeng?!"
The sudden bright light hit my eyes dead-on. They hurt so much I collapsed to the floor and flailed.
"My eyes!! My eyes!!"
Instinctively sensing threat, I scrambled up and started scampering away even though I couldn't see, only to slam into a wall and fall again.
"Kaeng..."
I was so flustered I'd hit too hard and couldn't collect myself—then a voice came from somewhere.
"Naru, are you okay??"
"...!"
Those words snapped me back. I realized I could see again and bravely stood up once more.
"Kh, to think they'd use a light attack... how underhanded!"
"It was just the room lights turning on... Anyway, we'll start now. Do you need any weapons?"
Hearing that it hadn't even started yet, I looked around in confusion. The pure white room had somehow turned into a forest.
"Hogok!"
Had they used teleportation magic to send me into a forest? My eyes sparkled as I began exploring the surroundings.
"Sniff sniff."
Strangely, even when I sniffed there was no grass smell or earth smell.
The potted plant I'd found in the Association hallway earlier hadn't smelled like plants either. There sure were a lot of weird plants around.
"Where is this?"
"The entire room is a hologram, but... you're so cute it doesn't matter."
"Hororare?"
"Hologram. Think of it as a three-dimensional image, not another space."
"Yeah, that!"
I didn't understand, but I couldn't embarrass myself by admitting I didn't know, so I just nodded and pretended I did.
"Anyway, you need to choose a weapon soon..."
"Ah, right!"
Come to think of it they'd told me to pick a weapon earlier, but I couldn't see any weapons to pick, so I just stared blankly into space.
"Ah, just say the weapon you want and we'll send it."
"Then Boss!!"
If I called Boss, Boss and I would be invincible!
Of course I said Boss so we could fight together, but the guide asked back in a flustered voice.
"Bo... Boss?"
"Ah, it's the stray cat who lived with Naru."
"A cat...? I'm sorry, but a cat isn't a weapon, so that would be difficult."
"Then Yerin?"
"Unnie will be right there."
"Absolutely not!"
"Hing..."
If neither Boss nor Yerin worked, there was also Subin, but Subin was weak so I didn't need her right now.
"Then never mind!"
"Pardon? But..."
I was a strong and amazing fox!
I didn't need something like a weapon.
Because this body itself was a weapon.
"We'll begin for real now. Attack the monster that appears in front of you."
"Bring it!!"
I shouted with the determination to show off a strong fox's power.
Then a giant penguin that looked twice my size appeared right in front of me and looked down with fierce eyes.
"..."
"You may begin."
Peng!!!!
At the penguin's thunderous cry I felt every hair on my body stand on end and just stared blankly at it.
My danger sense was completely quiet, but I was still so scared my body locked up.
In the end I slowly turned my head toward the direction the voices had been coming from and spoke.
"Do... do I have to fight that?"
It looked like it was in a bad mood...
I was so scared formal speech slipped out without me meaning to.
The penguin looked angry enough that it could pick me up and fold me like origami.
Peng!!
"Kaeng?!"
When the penguin roared again I startled and started scampering away as fast as I could.
Thud—
But no matter how hard I ran I only slammed into walls and realized I couldn't escape.
"Bo... Boss!! Yerin-aaa!!"
Peng!!!
"Kaeng!!"
I scratched desperately at the wall begging for help, but under the penguin's threat I had no choice but to flop onto my back and show my belly.
It was humiliating, but I had to survive.
But then the Boss inside my heart appeared and spoke.
"Hey, Napippi!"
Bo... Boss?
He was somehow black-and-white and full of muscles for Boss, but it was definitely Boss's face!
"You very very coward. I not raise you so weak! Your... uh... what is 'fool' in English? Anyway you bad! Very bad!"
But Giga Boss! The penguin is super big and looks scary!
"Stop thinking! You are idiot! Did you not say you become great fox? You give up because of one little penguin like that?"
Gr... great fox?
"Yes, Napippi. Miracle success not just come. You must seize it yourself."
I have to seize it myself...!
"Napippi, you must believe in yourself! You not want success?"
Yeah, Naru will fight!!
Encouraged by the Giga Boss in my heart, I immediately stood up and took a combat stance.
"Grrrr!!"
Peng!!
As expected, the giant penguin didn't even flinch at my threat.
But the me of now was on a completely different level from the me of a moment ago.
I was a man with a powerful ultra super awesome tail who would become a great fox!
Scamper-scamper—
I started running fast, looking for an opening on the penguin, then leaped high aiming for the back of its head.
"Take this!!"
The hunting technique Boss taught me.
Leap like a frog and attack like Boss!!
Thud—
My full-power headbutt landed squarely on the penguin, and I bounced off and rolled backward in a tumble.
"Kaeng..."
It hurt, but the penguin that took my attack also...
Peng...
With a cry, the penguin collapsed.
But even though my head hurt, I was still standing.
In other words, I won!!
"I wooo-oon!!"
I threw both arms wide to celebrate my great victory and offered thanks to the Giga Boss who had cheered me on.
Giga Boss, thanks to you I won!
...
Giga Boss?
I called for Boss with all my might, but for some reason Giga Boss gave no answer at all.