The Wild Boss Appears

"So... where the hell am I...?"

I looked around in bewilderment, and a vast plain stretched out before me—one so enormous I'd never even seen in online videos.

It was the epitome of wilderness, the word popping into my head unbidden.

I'd definitely fallen through a sinkhole at the crosswalk, but even craning my neck upward, all I saw was a clear blue sky.

"Don't tell me this is a dungeon."

No matter how much I tried to deny reality, there was only one conclusion I could reach.

The only reason something this unreal could happen in the world was a dungeon gate.

Unless I'd gone to the afterlife—but I'd just confirmed I wasn't dead.

Which meant I was in a dungeon right now.

"Why me?"

Of course, I had no idea ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠why.

It wasn't like I'd ever fallen into a sinkhole before in my life. What I knew for sure was that I'd been late for my convenience store shift, that I had zero clue how to escape from here, and that I'd somehow turned into an incredibly cute little girl.

That was it—just those three things.

Everything else was a total mystery.

"Emergency..."

I glanced around cautiously as I took careful steps forward.

Whether it was suddenly plummeting into a sinkhole while walking down the street...

Or turning into a girl out of nowhere...

Every single thing was a first for me; I couldn't even get my head straight.

Then, out of nowhere, a possibility flashed in my mind.

Awakening. "Emergency—fly upward."

This place wasn't reality; it was a dungeon.

A spot non-awakeners couldn't even peep into, reserved strictly for hunters.

In other words, anyone in a dungeon was almost guaranteed to be an awakener.

Which meant I, stuck in one, had a very high chance of having awakened already.

My body had changed from head to toe into something completely different, after all.

Turning into a girl like this had to be some awakening side effect or whatever, right?

No hunter I knew of had ever changed genders upon awakening, but hey, I could just be the first.

Maybe the Hunter Association would slap some cool title on me later, like "The Pioneer" or something epic.

"Status window! Status window!"

Clutching that hopeful thought that I'd finally awakened, I whispered the classic line.

Given how my entire body had transformed—unlike a normal awakening—I figured I must have gotten some special ability.

But nothing happened.

No status window, not even a single ant crawling by.

"No, why isn't it coming up? This can't be right!"

Normal hunters faced their status window first thing upon awakening, letting them instantly grasp what powers they'd gained.

Which meant, since no window appeared for me, I was still a non-awakener.

This was bullshit on a cosmic scale.

How was a non-awakener supposed to survive in a dungeon?

And they'd gone and turned my body into this little girl's, too.

"Sta—tus—WINDOW—!"

At this point, it was so absurd I could barely process it.

Me, who never desperately called out for anyone—not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even my parents—now bellowing for the status window at the top of my lungs.

Praying for something, anything, to appear.

"Sta! Tus! Win! Status, window!!! Sniff, cough..."

And then.

Thud-thud—!

"Grrrrrr..."

"...! ...!!"

A massive bulk burst out right in front of me, blocking my path.

My heart skipped so hard it felt like it stopped; I couldn't even scream properly from the shock.

The enormous wolf still growling at me, glaring with savage eyes.

Some unnatural aura scattered everywhere, forcing me to stumble back.

Yet it lunged anyway, mouth gaping wide as if to devour me.

Crunch.

"...Ah..."

Facing teeth far bigger than my face, my mind went blank.

With these short legs, running was pointless; it'd catch me in seconds.

So this is how I die.

That single realization was all there was.

"...Please... spare me..."

Still, as the shadow pounced straight at me, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Imagining those fangs sinking into my shoulder any second now.

Clang—!

The sound of the wolf's fangs clashing against something hard rang out.

Was my shoulder blade really that tough?

I kept trembling, eyes still shut tight, as the wolf's heavy breathing echoed right in front of me.

Something flashed in front of my still-shut eyes.

Or was something moving?

To check, I'd have to open my eyes—but I didn't have the guts.

I could still feel the massive wolf standing right there in front of me.

Suddenly—thud.

"Whoa?!"

My balance tipped backward. Startled, I opened my eyes, and there was the massive wolf—not quite as terrifying as before.

Even meeting its gaze head-on didn't make my heart pound like moments ago.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

No intent to attack... thankfully.

"...Huh?"

Swish. My arms and legs moved on their own. Something soft twitched on my butt and head, too.

The massive wolf just stared down at me the whole time.

Until I finally assumed that submissive posture, just like the message said.

As if watching something intriguing.

"...Woof."

Before I knew it, my newly sprouted tail was wagging as I begged the wolf not to eat me.

I had no idea if it understood, but better to stay still and quiet.

Yelling or sudden moves might rile it up again.

That's just the neighbor's good boy, Ppo-sal, Ppo-ppi.

I frantically mind-controlled myself to stay calm.

And as a result...

"Who... are you?"

I'd reached the level where I could hear Ppo-ppi's voice!

Well, not exactly hearing with my ears—it was more like it echoed directly in my head...

"...Can you not hear me?"

It wasn't the natural ear-hearing sensation; something alien and disjointed.

Unless I was hallucinating from insanity, this voice belonged to Ppo-ppi.

Who was, admittedly, pretty huge and ferocious-looking.

"P-please... spare me!!"

"!"

A dungeon monster talking to a human? Unheard of.

But better than being chomped.

"I have zero intention of harming you! I swear on my mom and dad! Believe me...!"

"...A vow sworn even on one's very birth. I didn't know such an extreme oath existed in the world."

I went all-in on the ancestors' proverb about surviving a tiger bite if you keep your wits.

At least it didn't seem poised to rip me apart right now—let's resolve this with talk.

"Child."

"Y-yes?!"

"Am I... truly so frightening to you?"

I nearly blurted, Is that what you call speech right now? but swallowed it.

Whatever Ppo-ppi said, survival came first.

Securing my life was priority one.

"Look at you—tail curled tight. I wasn't that harsh with you... hehe."

"S-sorry...?"

I nodded vigorously to everything Ppo-ppi said.

It had literally tried to eat me moments ago, but whatever.

But then.

Ding.

"...Null? That's not my name?"

The status window I'd desperately called for earlier finally appeared—complete with skills of wildly varying ranks.