Chapter 124:

We kindly ask for your understanding regarding the inconsistency of character pronouns, particularly for the Entities (ex. The Greedy Predator). In Korean, pronouns are rarely used, making it challenging to ascertain a character's gender or identity until later narratives unfold. Given this is a guest-funded site, the time to backtrack is better used to keep other works' going. On a more important note, refrain from sharing this work on social media to ensure our survivability. Thank you for your cooperation!

“A watch?”

Yun Jaeheon’s gift was a sleek black smartwatch.

“It syncs with your phone. You haven’t bought one yet, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Hunters find wearing a watch more convenient than carrying a phone. It frees your hands, after all. It’ll be helpful from now on.”

“Wow, that’s thoughtful of you.”

Back in the F-class days, she didn’t feel the need for it as hardly any fighting was involved. But now, the situation had changed. Although she couldn’t use it in dungeons, it would be handy in other situations.

“Thank you, Brother. I’ll make good use of it.” Seora immediately synced the watch with her phone right there. It was fun to operate it for the first time. Oh, it even measures exercise.

Bang, bang!

“Yun Jaeheon!”

Bang, bang!

“Aren’t you worried about your captain at all?”

Bang, bang!

Just then, a loud voice echoed amidst the loud pounding on the door. The hotel seemed to shake with the force of the pounding. Seora’s ears were almost torn apart, and she covered them.

“The captain seems to be looking for you intensely. Go out and see.”

“Um, I guess I’ve been by your side too much.” Yun Jaeheon laughed with a slightly embarrassed expression. Even the fox on Seora’s lap pushed him away with its paw, as if telling him to leave quickly.

“It seems like Liza wants to send you away quickly. Go.”

“I couldn’t even touch it except when it bit me, and at times like this, it pushes me away like a ghost. Seora, is this really a fox?”

No, but she couldn’t say it was not. “Go quickly before the door breaks down.”

Jaeheon gave her a suspicious look, but when Ali knocked on the door, he finally left the room.

Now, Seora was left alone with the administrator. She lifted the fox in her arms and met his gaze.

“Administrator-nim.”

【Administrator: ◔_◔?】

“I wanted to ask you something since earlier, but the timing wasn’t right until now.”

【Administrator: (◕_◕)??】

“Why can’t I hear your voice all of a sudden?”

The emoji reactions that were appearing promptly stopped. It was clear that the administrator was purposely not responding.

“Why do you go silent when I try to talk to you? Why is it like this all of a sudden?”

Whine.

“Just because you’re making fox noises doesn’t mean it’s not silence!”

Yip!

“You think you can fool me with that? …Is it because of my injuries?”

The fox’s swaying tail suddenly came to a stop. Seora clicked her tongue as she looked into the rapidly sinking green pupils.

“Did it scare you? I didn’t want to show that side of me to you, but I had to do it then.”

Her hand gently stroked the fox’s cheek. However, the gloomy eyes showed no sign of returning to their usual state. Seora sighed as she rolled her eyes around, “I was wrong. I acted recklessly without considering my body.”

The fox’s body nestled in Seora’s arms transformed, as if triggered by some mechanism. Its single tail split into nine, and its size grew to fill a whole bed.

As the fox’s paw, with no extended claws, pressed against Seora’s shoulder, her upper body instinctively leaned backward and she fell. The fox, or rather the entity beyond it, gazed fixedly at the contractee beneath.

〖“You chose to fight, and thus, inevitably, you got hurt. I understand that, and it’s what I expected from the moment we made the contract.”〗

Finally, a voice reached her ears.

〖“But you are my contractee. Understanding doesn’t mean I can simply disregard your wounds.”〗

A sincere sentiment that was unyielding made her heart ache. The sad green pupils seemed to cause her pain.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

〖“I made up my mind to watch over you, no matter what path you chose, but it seems I am weaker than I thought.”〗

The fox’s mouth touched her forehead. The contact with the being protecting her brought peace to her heart. The bond forged by the contract was truly heartwarming.

“When I was young, I couldn’t understand my mother at all, but now I find myself doing exactly what she did. I never wanted to live like this.” Seora gently stroked the fox’s soft fur. Although it wasn’t the actual form of the entity beyond, the fact that its will was contained within was enough to bring her joy.

However, that’s not the case anymore. As the contract deepened and she received more, as their exchanges grew, her greed grew as well. The desire to meet him in person became uncontrollable.

“But I’m different from my mother. Not for the sake of the general public, but for myself, and especially for the administrator who cherishes only me, I will do my best. So, please understand, Elizabeth.”

〖“If it weren’t for that last sentence, my heart would have wavered.”〗

Seora chuckled at the bittersweet tone. It had been almost half a year, and he could have given up on the name by now, but he still clung to hope, making him truly adorable.

〖“Happy birthday, Seora.”〗

【The system administrator gives a gift to the sole contractee.】

【Please check your inventory.】

A message appeared in front of the fox’s face.

“You even prepared a birthday gift?”

As the fox moved back and sat down, Seora got up and opened her inventory. Let’s see… She had quite a lot of things, especially after tearing apart three dragon heads. She would have to organize them once she returned to Korea…

“Huh?”

A NEW! sign indicated the administrator’s gift, which was placed in the last slot of the inventory. Staring blankly, Seora blinked her eyes for a moment and looked again. However, nothing had changed. She lifted her head with a bewildered expression.

【Administrator: (*˘︶˘*).｡.*♡】

“Um, Elizabeth. I don’t think it’s the right time to smile so happily…”

【Administrator: (⁎˃ᴗ˂⁎)】

Unbelievable, really. Seora took out the administrator’s gift from her inventory. The texture felt even softer and more velvety than the fox’s fur. It was a plush slipper, and to her surprise, it was shaped like a white fox.

“You’re seriously giving this to me?”

【Administrator: (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))】

“Really…?”

【Administrator: (((o(*≧∀≦*)o)))】

Don’t laugh…!

It was so absurd that she couldn’t stop laughing. Hehehe. Seora decided to try wearing the slipper. Yeah, it’s really soft. Just like the one the administrator gave her during their first meeting.

“Did you give this to me to reminisce about that time?”

The day she miraculously made a contract with the administrator and came back alive from the Werewolf’s Dungeon, the administrator had given her a similar slipper when she was wandering around barefoot, having lost her shoes. It was a rabbit slipper in a flower pink color. Looking at the newly received gift, the memory of that time naturally came back to her.

‘Come to think of it, that slipper got so dirty with blood and dirt that I couldn’t even wash it. I ended up throwing it away.’

At that time, she didn’t think much about it, but now looking back, she felt a bit uneasy about throwing away a precious memory like that.

“Well, I wondered why would you give such a thing as a birthday gift. But yes, now that it’s all over, it’s become a memory.”

The time when she inexplicably wore the ridiculously cute flower pink rabbit slipper and walked around had dealt a significant emotional blow, but even that had become a memory. Seora smiled happily and gave a little kiss on the fox’s forehead.

“This time, I won’t throw it away in the trash. Thank you, Administrator.”

【Administrator: (*˘︶˘人)♡】

Despite receiving a truly absurd gift, as long as it made the administrator happy, Seora was content. She carefully placed the slipper on the floor and embraced the large fox before lying down on the bed. Holding the warm and fluffy fox and using its plush tail as a blanket, the dull throbbing pain in her body seemed to ease.

The pain from the skill’s recoil would probably last for a while. Until she fully recovered, she hoped the administrator wouldn’t notice it if possible.

***

Various soft sounds filled the room.

The fox, lying motionless by Seora’s side, opened its eyes and sat up. Seora’s arm, which had covered its body, fell limply. However, even as it woke up, Seora remained asleep. The fox quietly moved down below.

Its white fur began to shine brightly as the fox’s form started to change. The nine tails and ears vanished, replaced by something else.

A pure white hand gently touched Seora’s hair.

〖“I was angrier than anything that you got hurt… Because of me.”〗

The words expressed his sincerity, something he couldn’t easily say to Seora.

〖“In the end, it seems like I’m the one causing you to be in danger.”〗

Grief surged within him. Am I hindering your path?

〖“No matter how many times time repeats, it seems I can’t be of any help to you.”〗

He had thought that this time would be different, as she finally chose him, believing it would be unlike the past. But that was arrogance. He was never an all-powerful god.

〖“I’m sorry, Seora.”〗

Kneeling down on the floor, he lowered his head, pressing his forehead against one side of the bed. Even as the bed moved slightly, Seora didn’t wake up. His lips, revealed beneath the cascading hair, formed a self-blaming smile.

〖“My bet with Hyeon Jaehui is like a curse, binding me relentlessly.”〗

It seemed there was no way to escape that curse.

After a while, he transformed back into the fox and climbed back onto the bed. Seora’s hand waited for him, pulling him close once again. The fox buried its head on the reassuring shoulder of its contractee and closed its eyes.

As if nothing had happened, the bedroom fell silent once more.