The Fox Den (4)

What on earth is going on here?

Yeon adjusted her grip on the sword she'd been holding at an awkward angle and took in the scene. The white fox that had appeared alongside that sweet voice just before the illusion shattered, and Choco, who kept yipping away as if she were trying to hold a conversation.

Given the circumstances, that voice had to belong ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the white fox standing before them. And right now, the two of them seemed to be talking. Yeon did wonder why none of it reached her ears, but she figured it was probably some speciesist thing — like humans had no business butting into a conversation between foxes.

Whether that was actually the case or not, her expression soured in no time. She'd been reduced to a fifth wheel, and she knew it. So she sheathed her sword, reached out with both arms, and scooped up Choco, who was still barking away at the white fox.

"Ups-a-daisy—"

"Kyeng?!"

Choco whipped her head around, startled by the unexpected maneuver, but Yeon just kept stroking her head with that same sulky look on her face.

"I don't know what you two are talking about, but Choco and I are one, okay? I'm not about to sit here ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and let you have a private chat."

That was what she said, but at its core it was no different from a child jealous over a stolen friend. She ignored the chilly glare being shot her way from that prim little face and kept stroking Choco's head — and then a voice flowed into her mind.

"Successor? What's that supposed to mean?"

You travel with the Successor without even knowing that much...?

The white fox clicked her tongue, then gave a sudden twitch. In the same instant, space itself seemed to contract — and before Yeon knew it, the white fox was looming over her, those icy blue eyes gleaming right in front of her nose.

"Hhk..."

She'd thought the white fox looked big even from a distance, but up close like this, its size was staggering. A beast nearly two stories tall was staring her down, exhaling hot breath against her face — and even knowing this was a game, her knees went weak.

At that low growl, Yeon swallowed hard without meaning to. The sharp fangs visible through that slightly parted maw looked ready to tear her head off at any second.

"The fox goddess... Gumiho?"

It was a name that felt both unfamiliar and familiar at once. The gumiho was a fairly major legendary creature across Asia, and for Yeon — born and raised in Korea — it was a being she'd heard stories about often enough without ever having to go looking for them.

A fox that had lived a thousand years and grown nine tails. That was why it was called a gumiho — and depending on the region, it was known as either a yokai or a sacred beast. Some of the stories said it would take the form of a young maiden and devour people's livers. That was the version Yeon was most familiar with.

Tales about needing to eat a hundred human livers to become human... That was mostly thanks to a certain classic folklore drama, but still — wasn't that a bit low-tier for a goddess?

"Eek!"

Yeon flinched as the roar rattled through her skull.

"Why'd you suddenly get mad... wait. Did I just say that out loud?"

"Kyaaang..."

"I'm so dead..."

Choco was staring at her with an expression of utter disbelief that all but confirmed it, and Yeon's face went pale. She might not have known much, but even she understood that talking down a goddess in front of one of her believers — well, a fox, not a person, but still — was the kind of thing you deserved to get smacked for.

"Kyeng! Kyeng!"

Choco yelped something in a panic, but it didn't look like she was going to stop the white fox's wrath. A forepaw larger than a grown man rose high into the air and came crashing down toward Yeon.

So this is how I die. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Huh?!"

It wasn't the white fox's sweet voice that rang out. If the white fox's was that of a mature woman, this one belonged to a child who hadn't even hit puberty. Before she could even think about whose it was, her body moved on its own.

She thrust her arms up and hoisted Choco high overhead. It put Choco squarely in the path of the descending paw — the first thing that would get crushed — but Yeon trusted that voice.

And then the paw came down.

If a person had taken that hit, they would have been reduced to a pulpy smear of blood. But Yeon was still alive. Even as her body shook, even as the dust tickled her face, she just stood there with her eyes squeezed shut.

So you do have the basics down, at least.

"...Huh?"

I wasn't talking about you.

The anger from before was gone from the white fox's voice. The tone was still sharp, but it sounded less like hostility and more like someone grumbling about a person they just didn't like. Only then did Yeon realize she was still alive and open her eyes. She could also see the massive crater gouged into the ground right in front of her.

"Hah... haaah..."

The breath she'd been holding without realizing it came rushing out, and her legs gave way beneath her. Yeon clutched Choco close, trying to calm her trembling body.

"I-I really thought I was going to die..."

She was about to add, Right, Choco? — but she couldn't. Choco had already passed out with her tongue lolling out, so there was no point talking to someone who clearly couldn't hear her. Then again, even Yeon had gone weak in the knees just from squeezing her eyes shut. There was no way Choco, who'd been staring that attack down from the very front, would have come through it unscathed.

"I'm sorry, Choco..."

She never expected that old habit of talking to herself to pop out at a time like this. Yeon let out a long sigh and stroked the unconscious Choco's head, vowing to be more careful from now on.

Hrk. I sucked in a breath and my eyes flew open.

"Oh, you're awake?"

The Successor's courage leaves something to be desired, I see.

Yeon's gentle voice, paired with the white fox's distinctly mocking one. Thankfully, I still seemed to be alive. That had been a close one.

I was breaking into a cold sweat on the inside when the white fox spoke up again, her voice a touch prim.

I can no longer hear your thoughts, so you'll have to convey your intentions to me directly.

She can't hear my thoughts? What's that supposed to mean? I looked at the white fox in confusion, but she just whipped her head away and kept acting all prim. I wondered if something had changed while I was out, but a quick look around suggested not much time had passed since I'd fainted. She'd been eavesdropping on my thoughts just fine before I passed out, so why couldn't she do it now? Beats me.

"Choco, I'm sorry. I put my foot in my mouth..."

Right. There was that, too. The cause of this whole mess came back to me a beat late, and I bit Yeon's face without a second thought. She hadn't been on the receiving end of a face-bite in a while, so she immediately pulled a teary look. Not that I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had any intention of letting her off.

You deserve this.

"Hnnngh, I'm sorry..."

"Kyeng! Kyeng!"

Does "sorry" undo almost getting killed?!

"I was wrong... wait, Choco, you can talk too?"

"Kyeng?"

What kind of nonsense is that?

"But I can hear your voice in my head right now. Didn't you just say 'what kind of nonsense is that'?"

At Yeon's words, I stopped biting and craned my neck to stare at her.

You can hear me?

"Yeah. So that voice telling me to hold you up high really was you, huh?"

Well, that part's true, but...

She heard that? I stared at Yeon in disbelief, then turned to look at the white fox.

You can look at me all you want. I have no idea what you're thinking.

You can hear my voice too?

Yes, that babyish little voice of yours is coming through loud and clear.

Does this one have some kind of disease where she'll die if she goes a single sentence without mocking someone? I gave the white fox a look of pure exhaustion, then turned back to Yeon.

You can seriously hear me?

"Yeah. Crystal clear. So this is what your voice sounds like, Choco."

Yeon was gazing at me with sparkling eyes, looking genuinely moved. I was thinking finally myself, but when she stared at me like that, I couldn't help looking away.

Still, why could I suddenly talk? A trigger... well, there had been one, actually. After Yeon put her foot in it by calling Gumiho low-tier, and the pissed-off white fox tried to flatten her. No matter how I thought about it, that was the only moment it could have been. Then again, if Yeon hadn't heard my voice back then, we'd both be a matching pair of bloody smears logged out by now... well, I'd be dead, actually.

Wait. Thinking about it again is making me mad.

"Eh? Kyaah!"

I bit Yeon's face again and started chewing away. She pulled another teary face and went hnnngh, but I ignored her. I needed to chew on something to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠get this anger out, so she could just sit there and take it.

Tsk. Leave it to a kit to start nipping at everything...

Who are you calling a kit.

Who else? A certain foolish Successor who threw herself in harm's way without a thought for her own life.

The white fox shook her head as if she couldn't believe what she was dealing with.

You may have been chosen as Lady Gumiho's Successor, but that body of yours is still incomplete. Even I, inadequate as I am — unable to produce even a single tail — could pin you down with one claw in your current state, you know?

If I'd just sat there, I would've died too. Isn't that obvious?

Hmph. Even if you'd stayed put, not a single hair on your head would have been harmed. I'm not some incompetent fox who can't control her own attacks, I'll have you know.

That attack had not looked even remotely controlled. I'd passed out in the middle of it so I couldn't say for sure, but at the very least, that strike had been the real deal. An attack filled with killing intent, aimed at taking both Yeon and me out for good. That was why I hadn't been able to withstand the overwhelming pressure and keeled over.

Dammit. If I'd still had those mental barrier skills from when I was human, I wouldn't have fainted so pathetically. I was grumbling to myself about it when the white fox snorted.

And you — you already knew I couldn't attack you in the first place, didn't you?

Well, you had been calling me the Successor, so.

That was what I said, but honestly, it had been a coin flip. She'd been calling me the Successor, sure, but she'd also been sniping at me the whole time in a tone that made it clear she wasn't happy about it. I hadn't been at all confident it would actually work. Though given I was still breathing, it seemed to have paid off.

Tch. The brat's got a decent head on her shoulders...

Hey. I can hear that.

Hear what?

She played dumb like she had no idea what I was talking about, and I just stared at her, speechless. She of all people knew perfectly well that whispering didn't matter when the words rang directly inside your head. And she was pretending otherwise?

Well, at any rate, you've grasped the basics of spirit power, so shall we move on?

Hold on. The basics of spirit power? What's that supposed to mean?

The fact that you're conversing with me right now means you've acquired the foundation for wielding spirit power. Don't tell me you didn't know?

No, I don't even really know how I'm doing this. I'm just going off the feeling of sending my thoughts over.

You're using a method that crude?

The white fox sounded incredulous, but I felt this was deeply unfair. Crude or not, I'd only just suddenly become able to do this. How was I supposed to know the proper way?

What won't last much lon— wait...?

Spirit power depletion, of course. Did you really think a greenhorn fox like you could keep spamming a method that just slams spirit power into everything to communicate?

I just woke up a minute ago. I tried to protest out of sheer indignation, but forget a voice — my consciousness was sinking deeper and deeper.

Ah, crap... getting sleepy...

"Ah, Choco?!"

Yeon's startled voice was the last thing I heard as I passed out all over again.