Chapter 2

    The Celestial Fox, Gumiho

    (Whine~~~ It hurts, where did you come from?)

    A woman's voice echoed directly in Möbius's head, prompting him to look around quickly before his eyes met those of a large fox turning to glance back at him. The fox's emerald, green eyes brimmed with tears, making it look pitiful. From the voice he just heard and the fox's demeanor, Möbius could guess who was speaking to him.

    Möbius tried to use his hands to prop himself up to a sitting position, only to realize that what was beneath his hands was the soft golden fur of the large fox he was lying on. This made him quickly get off its back and immediately start apologizing profusely.

    "I'm so sorry, so very sorry, so sorry..."

    The young man felt fortunate to be able to communicate with the other party and tried his best to maintain his manners, fearing that the fox might kill him otherwise. Seeing that the other party remained still, he tentatively attempted to make conversation, his demeanor a mix of boldness and fear.

    "Ah... the weather is really nice today, isn’t it? Um... what's your name?"

    Möbius looked at the creature before him, a majestic large golden fox standing taller than his waist on all fours. Besides its striking green eyes, the nine fluffy tails that swayed behind it looked quite tempting to touch.

    (I am the celestial fox, Gumiho. Just stay still.)

    The fox, introducing herself as Gumiho, looked back at Möbius as well. His messy brown hair, eyes the same color filled with fear and curiosity, and his unremarkable face on a thin body that looked like it had never exercised, all clad in rough hemp cloth like a rice sack, led Gumiho to conclude he was not part of the group she was searching for.

    However, what really caught her attention was his scent, which was surprisingly sweet, like some kind of dessert she loved to eat. She couldn't resist sniffing loudly around him.

    "Um... is there something on me?"

    The young man, noticing the fox girl’s keen interest in him, couldn’t help but ask if there was something wrong with him, thinking perhaps the angel was right about the Newbie Valley being free of dangerous monsters, as this fox didn’t seem very ferocious and actually looked quite adorable.

    (Good…You smell so good...)

    "Smell…good? What do you mean by that?"

    Möbius blinked rapidly after hearing why she was interested in him, then felt a bit awkward as the fox began to lick his hand with her pink tongue, causing him to jump.

    (Sweet... you must be...)

    Gumiho backed away slightly after having a "taste" of him. She crouched down a bit as if preparing to do something. Clearly uneasy now, the young man began to slowly back away.

    "What am I, exactly?"

    (Well, you're the food that the gods sent me, of course, yum~~~)

    "Whoa!!! How is this not considered ferocious?"

    He yelled as he tried to run away. Although the other party didn't look dangerous, the prospect of being eaten whole was definitely not something he could just ignore. However… his escape attempt was utterly futile; the fox was much faster than him. With a single leap, she was already straddling him, pinning him down.

    Her beautiful eyes, filled with cheerfulness, stared at various parts of the young man under her paws, examining him carefully. The young man thought perhaps she might consider letting him go, but her next words turned his hope into complete darkness.

    (Yum, yum. I'll start with the arm; it seems like just the right bite.)

    "No, no, no, I'm really not tasty, believe me."

    ("You are delicious, trust me, I've had a taste.")

    Gumiho spoke cheerily before biting into Möbius's arm, sinking her teeth in. Although her bite was strong, it was as if his arm was made of rubber, impossible to tear apart. She tried biting several times to no avail, but the taste that came from the arm was quite delightful to her, and she chewed on it gently and non-stop, enjoying herself thoroughly.

    On the other hand, the young man, who had closed his eyes tightly and waited for the pain, opened one eye curiously when he felt the fox's fangs chewing on him like a toy. It was strange that despite the sharpness of her fangs, he felt no pain where she bit. He lay watching the fox play with his arm for a while before speaking out of a sense of weirdness.

    "Um... even though it doesn't hurt, this still feels very strange."

    (Oh!!! Eh~~~ What am I doing?)

    Her green eyes, which had been blissfully closed as she savored the delicious taste, suddenly widened. The nine tails that had been happily swishing stopped abruptly. Gumiho finally realized she couldn't really harm the other party.

    (Hey, hey, are you some kind of rubber human... no, no... rubber wouldn't taste this good... maybe a nougat... or...)

    Her sweet voice echoed in Möbius's head again. From this voice, Möbius concluded that the large golden fox before him was definitely female. He pondered the events that had unfolded for a while before deciding to try summoning a new window.

    "Companion Window."

    In the air before him, a small translucent window appeared, similar to the previous windows he had encountered but different in its header.

    Companion Window

    Name, Species

    Gumiho, ??? (Celestial Fox)

    Level, Age

    30, 183 years

    Health, Magic Power

    2500/2500 , 1500/1500

    Relationship Level

    5/100

    "I guess it's because in this game, creatures of the same party can't harm each other, so... you can't eat me."

    Möbius guessed correctly, citing one of the game's basic rules where attacks among the same group are ineffective. It was his first realization that he had received something fortunate from the excessively fair system, but the other party didn't listen to him. She continued to gnaw on his arm a bit longer before stopping.

    (Sigh... Playtime is over. I have to go before the trail of Xiao Chuan fades.)

    Gumiho voiced her disappointment before releasing her delicious prey from her grasp, who was still pinned beneath her. Normally, her species didn't reside in the Newbie Valley, but she had a compelling reason to be there this time.

    "So you're letting me go then? Whoa... what's this?"

    Möbius, still pinned down, was relieved to hear that she was going elsewhere. However, his surprise grew when he felt her tails wrap around him and lift him into the air. While the fluffy tails felt pleasant, his instincts screamed that this was definitely not a good development, and he was right.

    (Even though I can't eat you, Xiao Chuan might be able to, right? So, please, stay still, my boxed lunch.)

    "No~~~ Uhmm!!! ...Ahiamnotdeeliceous."

    The young man squirmed like a worm in a cocoon as one of Gumiho's tails covered his mouth, muffling his protests into unintelligible noises.

    (Please, be quiet and fit the role of a meal. Don't worry, Xiao Chuan is really cute. You should be happy to be eaten by something as adorable as that. Oh... Xiao Chuan is actually my little sister.)

    Gumiho scolded Möbius affectionately, causing him to eventually wilt and lie still, exhausted. The female fox then swiftly followed the scent of her younger sister, explaining to the young man that the creature about to eat him was her mischievous little sister, a celestial fox who might have strayed into this valley, prompting her, as the older sister, to come searching for her.

    Soon, the female fox and Möbius dashed through a pine forest where the leaves had turned completely red. As they passed, he noticed the wildlife around him, though most animals fled upon seeing the female fox. They soon emerged from the red pine forest into a lush green meadow sprinkled with small rocks and short bushes. Their speed slowed when they spotted something unusual ahead.

    Ahead were eleven people dressed in finer cotton clothes than Möbius was wearing, most armed with swords and two with bows. The largest man was carrying a cage with a small struggling fox inside. Möbius noted that everyone in the group had a large round shield symbol with a sword piercing through its center on their backs.

    (Why is Xiao Chuan inside there? And who are these people..?)

    "I think your sister isn’t just lost but has been captured by these people."

    The young man, now free to speak, responded softly to the shocked Gumiho, narrowing his eyes as he assessed the group that clearly was no ordinary group. Someone with his lowly status clearly had no chance against them. Just then, the golden tails wrapped around him slowly unraveled, setting him gently on the ground.

    (Stay right here, don't go anywhere.)

    The playful look in the fox's eyes changed, becoming like those of an animal eyeing its enemy. The fear caused the young man to easily retreat into a conveniently sized green bush. Escaping wasn’t a viable option since Gumiho could track her sister's scent from this distance, and surely his as well.

    "...wait, don’t go..."

    Möbius tried to hold the celestial fox back, but it was futile. She crouched and silently crawled towards where the players were located. He had a feeling something was off, given the deliberate pace of the group as if they were waiting for something, but it was too late. Gumiho had stealthily crawled through the bushes and was now behind them.

    At that moment, her nine tails glowed, and as the fox opened her mouth, a fireball about the size of a medium watermelon formed in front of it. It then shot straight at an archer walking at the back.

    1200 (Critical hit from an attack by an unaware target)

    The flash from the explosion was blindingly bright. The unfortunate archer was instantly killed by the fox's fireball, turning into a beam of white light that shot up into the sky. This attack alerted every player in the group that someone had risked coming to rescue the little fox trapped in the cage.

    "There, I told you its mother would come to rescue it. Now we're in for a jackpot, capturing both mother and child. Alright! Let's stick to the plan, encircle formation from all eight directions."

    The man carrying the cage shouted as he directed his men to spread out and surround Gumiho, preparing to capture her. These men seemed specifically trained to hunt down small creatures like Gumiho. The eight people holding swords surrounded the fox in all eight directions, taking turns attacking and defending in an orderly manner.

    "This is bad, this is really not good."

    Möbius’s expression immediately fell, realizing the true intent of the group. Despite his fear, it was as if there was some kind of driving force within him that made him unable to bear watching the scene unfold. He moved closer to the skirmish, seizing the opportunity while they were distracted by Gumiho.

    200×3 (Remaining 2400/3000)

    (Ouch...!!! That hurts.)

    Gumiho cried out in his mind, as three sword slashes left wounds on her side. Although she was far superior to these humans, the coordinated movements that encircled her left her unsure where to strike. Despite unleashing a powerful fireball, the enemies easily dodged it and took the chance to strike back.

    "Hahaha... This formation is what we use to hunt creatures like you over and over. There’s no breaking it."

    The bald, largest man said, clearly the leader of the group. He stood outside the circle with another archer, looking for opportunities to sneak attacks on the female fox. In his hands, he held a cage with a small golden fox as frantic as a small dog inside, desperately struggling because it saw its sister in distress. Möbius, of course, felt the same way.

    He clenched his teeth, watching Gumiho being relentlessly attacked. He absentmindedly picked up an oddly shaped rock and gripped it tightly in his left hand, channeling his frustration into it, unbeknownst to him, a black arrow glowing in his hand before swallowing the rock. The system then chimed in:

    ‘You have obtained 1 ordinary rock.’

    (Eh... What's this? What about the rock?)

    Unable to make a sound, Möbius muttered in his mind, looking for the rock he had just had. But another voice interrupted his thoughts.

    (Didn’t I tell you to stay right there? What was that about a rock just now?)

    The female fox, even in a tense situation, remained as curious as ever. She asked a question after hearing the voice of the other party in her mind, causing Möbius to look up and meet Gumiho's gaze. Just then, a swordsman was attacking her from behind, prompting him to warn her internally again.

    (Watch out behind you!!! Duck quickly.)

    As soon as he thought it, the fox quickly ducked, causing the sweeping sword to miss its target. This made the young man realize that Gumiho could hear his thoughts, likely due to some ability related to their partnership. If this was the case, he might be able to do something more.

    "Hey... how could you miss with him turned away like that?"

    The bald leader yelled at the swordsman who had missed the attack. If the attack had been successful, it would have been an attack that the other party was unaware of, causing one and a half times the usual damage. He then set down the cage holding Xiao Chuan, preparing to join the encirclement. This was an opportunity too good to miss, so the young man quickly sent another mental prompt to Gumiho.

    (Release a fireball like earlier, aim it in front of you, and then attack the fallen swordsman.)

    (Ah... okay, let's do that.)

    Even though Gumiho did not understand why she could hear the other person's voice, without any suspicion as to why he could hear hers from the beginning, she willingly complied. The female fox spat out another fireball, and sure enough, the swordsman near her head opened a gap to dodge it. This time, however, it was different.

    The fireball hit the ground where the two men had left a gap. Although it missed the direct hit, the explosion knocked both swordsmen down instantly. She didn't let the opportunity pass and quickly bit one of the swordsmen with her sharp fangs.

    "Argh... what's this? How come it suddenly..."

    Before the swordsman could finish, he died and became a beam of light soaring into the sky. The female fox then used magic to harden her nine golden tails like steel, piercing another fallen swordsman, causing him too to turn into a white beam following his companion.

    (Whoa, it really worked. Now, what do we do next?)

    Gumiho, seeing that the method the young man suggested worked, turned to ask him eagerly for the next step, only to find that Möbius was no longer where he had been. Before she could look for him, a gust of wind made her instinctively jump away, which was an attack from the bald leader, now furious that his tactical formation had been disrupted. He then shouted loudly.

    "Hey!!! Don’t move, we have a hostage here. If you don’t want the little fox to die, then give up. You understand human language, don’t you?”

    He spoke while pointing to the metal cage where Xiao Chuan was held, which moments ago he had placed on the ground. However, now the ground was empty, with nothing there at all. This left everyone bewildered beyond comprehension. Even Gumiho tilted her head in confusion.

    "There!!! It’s over there, grab it quickly."

    An archer with keen eyesight spotted a man quietly hiding in the bushes, holding the cage with Xiao Chuan. Due to the lack of time, Möbius couldn’t find a bush thick enough to fully hide himself, so a small part of his feet was visible. This made the young man immediately start running, while communicating his thoughts to his fox partner.

    (While they were distracted with me, you should take them down.)

    (Got it~~~ Understood. Besides being delicious, you're pretty skilled, you know.)

    The female fox sincerely complimented the young man before turning to deal with the other swordsmen who had previously surrounded her. With only six left, their formation was disrupted, allowing her to handle them easily. Meanwhile, Möbius, who was in trouble, had to frantically dodge through the bushes from the pursuit of the bald leader and the archer who wanted the cage that captured Xiao Chuan back.

    "Stop... young man, return the federation's property right now."

    The bald leader shouted while running alongside the archer. Of course, Möbius didn't stop. He chose to dash through the bushes, managing to move faster due to his thin build compared to the bulky leader and the archer with his cumbersome bow.

    "Panting... panting... I'd be a fool to stop now. How does this cage even open?"

    Möbius ran, gasping as he tried to open the cage that held Xiao Chuan. But there was a large padlock that was clamped on the cage door. With the strength of a cat like him, he definitely wouldn't be able to destroy it. However, due to the vast difference in their levels, the distance between them quickly narrowed. Before long, he could nearly feel the breath of his pursuers on his back.

    (I've handled this side. How did I do? Am I good or what?)

    The mental voice of the female fox rang in the young man's head. Gumiho, who had turned the other swordsmen into beams of light, was following Möbius' sweet scent swiftly. Her sweet voice almost drove the young man mad with joy as he was completely exhausted from running.

    (Gumiho, attack with a fireball at the ground under our feet, then use the smoke from the explosion to attack the two following us. Take out the bald one first.)

    (The bald one, right, will do.)

    Gumiho nodded rapidly before releasing a fireball at Möbius' feet as he requested. Although attacks from allies didn't cause damage, the blast's force still propelled the young man forward, while the archer and the bald man were helplessly pushed back.

    "Damn it, are they all gone already?"

    The archer who had jumped back to avoid Gumiho's fireball cursed in frustration as the status of his companions indicated they were all dead. Now in front of him, smoke from the fireball that had burned fresh leaves filled the air to the point where he could barely see ahead.

    Amidst the smoke, a large golden figure burst through, the sharp, spear-like tips of Gumiho's tails poised forward, ready to finish off the leader of the group who had also jumped back.

    700 × 7

    "Leader, you...argh."

    The archer exclaimed in shock and weakening. It was because the person whose damage numbers popped above his head was none other than himself. Blood flowed copiously from his mouth. At the back of his collar, a large hand held him; it was his own leader who had used him as a shield.

    The unfortunate archer turned into a beam of light and disappeared, but before the light completely vanished, a long sword thrust out from it. The group leader had used the archer merely as a tool for distraction for the female fox. No matter how well Gumiho was prepared, she might not have expected that he would dare use his own men as merely tools in such a deceptive tactic. Before she realized, a long sword had already thrust out from the white light that hadn't completely disappeared, heading straight towards her without a chance to dodge.

    1250 (Remaining 1150/3000)

    Gumiho was struck hard in the right side of her chest, collapsing before Möbius and Xiao Chuan, her blood slowly spreading across the floor.

    "Hahahaha, now I'm going to be rich. Someone offered a high price for the nine-tailed fox, you know."

    The last remaining leader of the group laughed maniacally, seeing his goal right before him. Gumiho, severely wounded, lay weakly on the ground, her wound from the stab still bleeding profusely, yet she faced her enemy with an unyielding gaze.

    "Still got some fight left in you?"

    The swordsman prepared to strike the fox girl again, but just then, Möbius, who had circled behind the bald leader, seized the opportunity while the other party was focused on Gumiho and charge from behind. However...

    "Pathetic... always sneaking up from behind like that,"

    The swordsman easily dodged and slightly extended his leg, causing Möbius to trip over it and fall loudly in front of the fox.

    "I won't let you hurt her any more than this,"

    the young man tried to use his hands to help himself sit up again and used his body to shield the fox, even though she saw him only as food. If he was going to help, he was determined to do it thoroughly. Meanwhile, Xiao Chuan, having escaped from her cage that was destroyed in the blast, began to lick her sister's wounds.

    "Hehehe, if you want to die first, go ahead. I'll show you what happens when you interfere with the Shield and Sword Federation."

    The leader looked down disdainfully at Möbius who was before him. Such sackcloth attire was only worn by new players who had just entered the game, often without any weapons at all in hand. Yet the look in Möbius's eyes was resolute. Even though he clearly couldn't fight, his refusal to give up was starting to get on his nerves.

    "I don't care who you are, but you're not getting Gumiho. She's my partner now."

    The swordsman paused, considering that the young man's words might be true. It seemed no one would dare intervene without a good reason, and being partners was a plausible one. What annoyed him most was how newcomers always seemed to luck out.

    "Hmph, if there's something the Shield and Sword Federation wants and can't have, then it must be destroyed. I'll kill you and then go on to torture that fox."

    The swordsman said fiercely, his blade glowing red with gathered energy. Möbius looked apprehensively at the fire-encased blade, knowing that a single strike with his meager power would be fatal.

    (Go on, take Xiao Chuan and run. I'll hold them off.)

    The female fox’s voice sounded in Möbius’s head. Gumiho was shocked that the human before her would sacrifice so much for her, making her reluctant to see him die. But he didn't budge at all.

    (If that's the case, I'll hold them off. You can run faster than me; you should be able to escape.)

    Möbius, equally determined, mentally responded. He wasn't sure what would happen if Gumiho died, but if he died, he'd likely respawn in town. It might be better if he were the one to die. By then, the blood from Gumiho's chest had stopped flowing, possibly allowing her to run. At that moment...

    "Die, you weakling!!!" The swordsman, his power fully gathered, swung his flame-engulfed sword swiftly towards the target in front of him. Möbius stretched out his right hand, his mind focused solely on protecting Gumiho behind him. Despite their brief acquaintance, she was the first good thing this fair system had granted him.

    "I will not let anyone harm what is important to me."

    Möbius shouted loudly, knowing deep down that no one could help him. But at that moment, a white light emitted from his right hand, and a stone that had been sucked into his left hand shot out at high speed towards the swordsman at close range. At such speed, no one could dodge it.

    400 (Critical hit from attacking on a fatal spot)

    The impact made a heavy, solid sound as the stone struck the swordsman's right eye hard. He dropped his red sword and clutched his bleeding eye. Although the damage wasn't extensive, the critical injury was significant enough to make the swordsman kneel weakly.

    While Möbius was relieved at what happened, he felt as if all his strength had been drained in an instant.

    The female fox didn't let this opportunity slip. Her nine tails glowed brightly, and a multitude of golden particles appeared at her mouth before they merged into a fist-sized golden orb.

    "You're the real weakling, and it's you who will die."

    The female fox unleashed her magical power, a tremendous heat emanating from the golden orb. Her emerald green eyes widened as a large golden beam burst from the orb, striking the bald leader who was still clutching his eye. This was the fatal move of the nine-tailed celestial fox Gumiho.

    The 'Foxfire Piercing the Ninth Heaven'.

    Without any sound from the swordsman, his chest was obliterated, leaving a gaping hole before the damage number popped up.

    4000

    "And you will regret being our enemy."

    The anonymous swordsman left these words before he turned into a light and vanished as the last member of the group, alongside a system notification announcing the young man's progression, who had unwittingly made an enemy of one of the groups controlling this virtual world.

    ‘Möbius, your partnership level has increased to 20/100.’

    ‘You have gained the ability to telepathy with your partner.’

    ‘Möbius has advanced to level 7.’

    ‘The ability of Möbius's Hand has been revealed.’

    What remained in front of him were the belongings of that group, left behind as a punishment by the system for bullying someone weaker. These included several thousand Ryo in cash, one small knife, one long sword used by the group leader, one set of cotton clothes that the group wore but this set had no Shield and Sword Federation symbol, and five bottles of blue potion.