Chapter 7

    The Crisis of the Illusion Forest

    “There’s the exit, Möbius.”

    The young fox exclaimed, dashing towards the sunlight at the end of the cave. She longed for the Illusion Forest, a place characterized by its blue trees and green fireflies that circled the trees. It belonged to her tribe, the Celestial Foxes. But the sight that met Gumiho was so shocking that she immediately covered her mouth with her hands.

    “What’s wrong, Miho?”

    Möbius, who was following closely behind, hurried to the young fox’s side when he noticed her unusual behavior. The young man found that the cave was connected to a low cliff on the edge of the forest to the south. Möbius was just as shocked as she was when he saw the sight before him. Currently, the western part of the Illusion Forest was enveloped in yellow fog. Every tree within this yellow fog was withered and dead. Fortunately, the forest from the eastern side, where Gumiho’s home was located—as she had described during their journey through the Cave of Fate—remained lush and vibrant.

    “Let’s hurry to my home, Möbius.”

    The young fox, clearly in a state of anxiety, led Möbius to her home immediately Along the way, shrouded in the yellow fog, there was no sign of life. The atmosphere made them both feel like this was a dead forest. As they approached the still-thriving part of the forest, they could see a thin barrier of energy preventing the fog from entering.

    Touching the energy barrier, the young fox felt a familiar force—it was the power of the leader of the Celestial Foxes, her mother, Inari. The energy felt significantly weaker than usual, prompting them to quickly head towards their destination.

    "Mother, mother."

    The young fox called out as she rushed to the foothill at the eastern end of the path. The area was a wide clearing surrounded by caves that spiraled up the mountain in a winding path. But now, there was not a single fox in the village. So, Gumiho hurried up the path to the sacred site of the Celestial Foxes.

    "Miho, wait for me."

    Möbius was slightly left behind due to the fox's haste. When he ran up the mountain after his partner, the sight he saw was a group of about thirty golden foxes sitting around a much larger nine-tailed fox in the center. The less-tailed ones surrounded them in layers, with some foxes lying unconscious.

    "What has happened here, Mother?"

    Miho shouted, asking the large fox in the center. Noticing Möbius's arrival, Inari transformed into a human form to let Möbius know what was happening. The fox mother in human form was a beautiful young woman who looked about 20-22 years old, wearing a short kimono similar to Gumiho’s, but with a much wider neckline that revealed her fair shoulders, forcing Möbius to avert his direct gaze.

    His gaze tended to linger on Inari’s neckline. She had long golden hair that fell to her mid-back, resembling an adult version of Gumiho, but the difference was that Inari had golden eyes while Gumiho had emerald green eyes.

    “Not long after you sent Xiao Chuan back, those people came back again. This time, they brought a poisonous tree with them, a boss-level monster from another continent called Giga Rafflesia,” Inari explained, sounding exhausted.

    “A single tree shouldn’t be able to kill an entire forest.”

    Möbius pondered before asking Inari to elaborate.

    “Yes, but the problem is that those humans planted the poisonous tree on the sacred spring in the western part of the forest, which is like a power source for the Illusion Forest.”

    Inari replied. She couldn’t believe those people would go to such lengths; not only did they kidnap Xiao Chuan, but they also damaged the forest she lived in. The tree not only sucked the life force from the forest but also emitted poisonous pollen. When Inari thought about this, she looked at the two newcomers in surprise.

    “This tree also releases yellow pollen with a potent poison. Did you really get past it without any harm?”

    Inari looked at the two of them, astonished. Even she, the highest-ranking member of her tribe, could not withstand the yellow pollen’s poison.

    “Uh... we have a resistance to poison.”

    Möbius realized immediately that it must be because of the exciting porridge that Gumiho made for him, never imagining that it would end up saving their lives by accident.

    “If that’s the case, I must ask you both to deal with that poisonous tree...”

    Inari, not quite finished yet, knelt to the ground, exhausted, before explaining why.

    “Every celestial fox in our tribe is helping to maintain a barrier to prevent the pollen from spreading and also sharing their life force with the forest's creatures. You must hurry before the entire tribe runs out of strength.”

    After Inari finished speaking, Gumiho thought of something.

    “Möbius, get out the multi-colored potions, quick.”

    Gumiho urged Möbius to bring out what could temporarily help her tribe. Möbius quickly took out the colorful potions and placed them down. He and Gumiho had collected these potions along the way: 100 red, 140 blue, and 120 yellow. Before he could finish arranging them, Gumiho handed the blue and yellow potions to her mother immediately.

    “Ah... these tastes great, Miho. What is this? Oh!! I feel my magical power increasing and I’m less tired too. Can I have several more bottles?”

    Inari reacted much like Miho when she got a treat she liked. Möbius simply smiled at the mother-daughter duo, seeing no difference between them. He and Gumiho then distributed the multi-colored potions to the foxes tasked with maintaining the energy barrier to protect the forest.

    At this moment, the condition of the Celestial Fox tribe has significantly improved, but this was only a temporary solution. Once the energy-enhancing potions run out, things could revert to their previous state. Möbius felt a deep anger toward the Shield and Sword Federation for their actions, which involved using such methods to capture and sell the entire Celestial Fox tribe. This fueled his desire to completely eliminate the Federation as one of his goals.

    "Miho, you stay here and look after Mother. I'll go and deal with that tree myself."

    Möbius, seeing that his partner was very concerned about her mother, suggested that it might be better for her to stay and take care of her.

    "No, Möbius, no matter what, I'm going with you."

    Gumiho immediately replied, grabbing Möbius's hand. Her daughter’s response made Inari smile.

    "Thanks to the help from this child, Möbius, there's no need to hurry now. Let's rest for a day before we go. It will be difficult if it gets dark."

    Inari suggested, sipping on a blue potion much like her daughter often did.

    "Um, is that really okay, Ms. Ina...?"

    Möbius was startled by Inari's way of addressing him, but before he could finish his sentence, the fox mother brought her face close to his, lightly touching his lips with her index finger.

    "You should call me Mother, dear Möbius."

    Inari said with a mischievous look that made her appear incredibly sexy, before providing her reasoning,

    "Isn't Möbius the partner of my Miho? You should call me Mother. Even if your status is higher than a partner, you should still address me as Mother. It’s better to get used to it, dear~ Mö~bi~us."

    Möbius could only blink his eyes, now understanding the odd reason Miho often used came from whom.

    "Yes... Mother."

    Möbius could only follow that reason, but before he could fully regain his composure, Inari suddenly hugged him warmly, gently stroking his head. Möbius felt a gentle warmth through the hand that was stroking his head, as if he had received this kind of touch somewhere before, from someone very important to him, someone he couldn't remember who it was.

    Suddenly, the hand that was petting Möbius’s head stopped, causing the young man to startle, as this kind of situation had happened once before. He slowly looked up at the fox mother embracing him and saw that she was looking at him with approval, but it was the kind of approval Miho showed when she saw her favorite food.

    "Whoa... please don't eat me. I'm not tasty."

    The young man tried to wriggle free from Inari’s embrace, but of course, his strength was no match for the fox mother, who was the leader of the celestial fox tribe. He fell silent when the beautiful woman licked his face lightly to "taste" the prey in front of her.

    "How is it, Mother? Delicious, right? I brought this for you, Mother."

    Gumiho rushed in cheerfully, causing Möbius to try to escape immediately.

    "Um... if you eat me, how am I supposed to help save the Illusion Forest?"

    Mobius's words brought Inari back to reality. She finally released him, biting her finger in disappointment. Her actions were no different from those of Gumiho’s, no matter how you looked at it. She then spoke to the other party.

    "That's right... what a pity. It tasted so good."

    The young man sighed in relief, fortunate that the beautiful woman in front of him was not going to eat him after all. This was lucky for him, because if Inari, the leader of the tribe, didn't strike first, the other foxes would not be able to eat him either. This meant that his little life would be extended.

    "Don't worry, dear. No matter how delicious you are, I won't really eat you. But tasting, that's another matter."

    Inari smiled, waving her hand dismissively. Of course, even though she felt a bit regretful, since Möbius was Gumiho's partner, he was like family to her, so she had to resist the urge. Then, she narrowed her eyes and looked at Möbius charmingly.

    "Hey, hey, Mother, food is better when shared, right? And does the taste become more delicious if it's shared?"

    Gumiho tilted her head and asked her mother cutely. obviously, the taste she was referring to was her partner.

    "That's right, I've never really tasted anything like this. I wonder..."

    Inari tilted her head, pondering. The lesson about sharing food was her own idea, of course. Foxes like them would eat on the spot and didn't really taste much. But Möbius, standing between the mother and daughter foxes, felt an odd premonition, just before the fox mother completed her thought.

    "Then, I might have to try that. Sharing tastes, that is..."

    "Yes!!! Mother, you're the smartest."

    Gumiho nodded vigorously, completely agreeing, while Möbius was lost in thought amid Inari's laughter, who had to cover her mouth with her sleeve.

    "Kikikik."

    The evening in the village of the Celestial Fox tribe was very peaceful. Now, Inari had three eight-tailed celestial foxes continue the barrier creation in her place. They were happy to take on this responsibility because it meant they could consume lots of blue and yellow potions. After this, Möbius entered Miho's home for the first time. From the outside, it looked like a simple cave, but inside, the cave was a sleek, shiny area.

    The ceiling was smoothly arched with the same type of luminescent crystals found in the Cave of Fate adorning it beautifully. Miho's home had only one room, which was the bedroom with a very large bed. He guessed it was probably because most of the celestial foxes preferred to gather to hunt prey or play outside. His problem began when he saw the image of the mother and daughter foxes in human form rolling around on the large bed, leaving a space in the middle for him who was standing there.

    "Um... I think you'll get tired of being in human form for a long time. Why don't you go back to your fox form and then sleep?"

    Möbius said with a disheartened expression, causing the two to giggle at each other.

    "I told you already that Möbius is trustworthy. Okay, it's time to share the tasting, let me taste first."

    Gumiho and Inari transformed into celestial foxes before Gumiho used her tail to coil around Möbius standing at the foot of the bed, just like she had done in the hotel in town, and dragged the young man who couldn't resist any further towards her.

    "Miho, you have tasted it already, let me taste first."

    Inari said before she, too, transformed into the fox and her larger golden tail grabbed Möbius before Gumiho's could. Inari gave her daughter a victorious look before the war over the treat named Möbius began. Möbius's head was being tossed back and forth like a tennis ball in a high-speed game from the tugging of mother and daughter.

    Though he thought it wouldn't matter who got him because the other one would taste him anyway, eventually both mother and daughter fell asleep before they could taste him. Meanwhile, he too fell asleep in the middle, albeit wrapped up like a mummy by golden tails.

    "Uh... eh?"

    Möbius, who awoke in the middle of the night, found that Inari had disappeared, leaving only Gumiho using her tail as a blanket over him as she did every night. Möbius tried to go back to sleep but to no avail. He couldn't sleep. So, the young man stepped outside the cave for a change of scenery and found Inari in her large fox form, maintaining the barrier while savoring her favorite new power-boosting potion. When Inari saw Möbius, she transformed into a beautiful woman.

    "Come here, dear one, Möbius."

    Inari gestured to a nearby rock and waved him over. The young man, who had been unable to sleep in the first place, walked over and sat down beside her hesitantly, half afraid he might get "tasted" again. The fox mother smiled and spoke softly to him.

    "I have something to discuss with you, about Gumiho."

    This statement immediately eased Möbius's fears, and he comfortably walk over to sit down next to Inari, given he really didn't know much about his partner, the young fox.

    "First of all, thank you for taking such good care of Gumiho."

    Inari smiled at Möbius, her full-blown feminine charm evident, causing him to nod and shyly avert his gaze.

    "It's nothing, really. Mostly, it's Miho who's been helping me."

    Möbius reflected on several critical moments when the young fox had saved his life. More importantly, he couldn't imagine what he would be like if he were alone in this unfamiliar world, unable to remember anything.

    "Is that so? That's wonderful. My dear Möbius, can you promise me one thing?"

    Inari nodded slightly at Möbius's response, thinking him endearing and humble. She got straight to the point without waiting for him to respond, her voice more serious than before and her expression worried.

    "Never let Miho die. She's quite special, more so than others. If she were to be fatally injured, she might not be able to be revived."

    She looked into Möbius's eyes as she spoke. This was something she was very worried about. When Gumiho had left the forest, she had almost followed her out of worry. But if she did, the Illusion Forest would be left unprotected, and worse things could follow.

    Möbius, looking back into Inari’s gaze, saw only warmth and concern in the fox mother’s eyes. The young man didn’t need long to find his answer.

    "I promise, on my life."

    "Aren't you going to ask why?"

    "I've had my reason from the beginning. To me, Miho is the most precious thing to someone who has nothing like me. So don't worry, even at the cost of my own life, I will protect her."

    Möbius, his gaze still locked with Inari's, responded without hesitation.

    "Miho is very lucky. Here, take this."

    Inari smiled and nodded at Möbius’s words, before plucking a strand of fur from her tail and magically transformed it into a plain black box with no patterns.

    "Once, a traveler came here and said that whenever you need help, give this to the person who aids you as a token of gratitude. I want to give this to you, dear one, Möbius."

    Möbius felt a familiar aura emanating from the box as he received it and placed it on his lap. With a mixture of anticipation and excitement, he slowly opened it. Strangely, he was confident that whatever was inside this box was surely meant for him.

    "This is?!"

    Inside the box were two handguns, laid side by side. The grips of both guns bore ancient depictions of a woman Möbius had never seen before. Both guns were meticulously cared for, as evidenced when Möbius lifted them, the moonlight reflecting off the gun barrels, enhancing their beauty. The two guns were distinguished only by their colors; one was an enchanting black, the other a shimmering silver.

    "These two are called Ivory and Ebony."

    Möbius tested holding both handguns and found them remarkably suited to his hands, with just the right weight and seeming to be designed specifically for him to hold them comfortably, before he began to explore their capabilities.

    Item Details Window

     Name

     Dual Desert Eagle .50 Ivory and Ebony custom ????????????

     Level, Type, Element

     4, Handgun, None

     Durability

     100/100,100/100

     Specifications

     Attack Power (Standard Ammunition): 80

     Firing Rate: 45 rounds/minute

     Ammunition Capacity: 16 rounds (8+8)

     Special Ability

     Capable of firing magical bullets

     Notes

     ???????????????????????????

    At that moment, a letter fell from the lid of the box. When Möbius picked it up and read it, he found that it contained only one sentence:

    "Shoot yourself in the head with the silver gun if you dare."

    Möbius blinked rapidly and read the letter several times to make sure he wasn't misreading it before turning to Inari who was sitting next to him.

    "Mother, who wrote this message?"

    "I'm not sure, dear, but it must have been the same person who gave me this box. Since he gave it to me, I have kept it well."

    Inari responded, sipping her yellow potion a cheerful demeanor, while Möbius, frowning deeply, contemplated what to do about the message.

    As the eastern sky began to brighten, signaling the imminent sunrise, Möbius stood in the sacred clearing of the celestial fox village, pointing the gleaming silver gun at his own head. He hesitated, doubting whether to believe the message in the paper, because if it wasn’t true, shooting himself to death would certainly not be pleasant.

    As Möbius stood there hesitating, Gumiho, who had just woken up and found herself alone in bed, came out looking for Möbius and her mother outside. The sight that greeted her was Möbius with the gun to his head, while her mother stared at Möbius without blinking, holding half a bottle of yellow potion in her hand.

    Gumiho immediately understood the whole situation. Möbius had mistakenly taken half of her mother’s potion and Inari had suggested he atone by shooting himself. Seeing this, the young fox transformed into a human and ran to them immediately.

    "Mother, Möbius just drank half a bottle; it’s not worth a death sentence."

    "It's not what you think, Miho."

    Seeing Gumiho running towards him, Möbius immediately defended himself, thinking that any moment now, the system would cause Gumiho to bump into him, making the gun go off and kill him.

    "Oops…"

    And as expected, Gumiho tripped on nothing as she rushed towards Möbius. Anticipating the system’s move, Möbius took a step back to avoid Gumiho, who was about to collide with him, and started to lower the gun from his head as the situation had become too dangerous.

    Gumiho, despite tripping, did not fall but instead stumbled forward several steps past Möbius and straight towards Inari, who was standing beside him. Instinctively, she reached out to grab the closest thing to stabilize herself, preventing her from falling.

    Swoosh!!!

    The fox girl grabbed both Inari’s sleeves. Since the fox mother's collar was already wider than usual, her kimono slipped down almost completely. Thankfully, it caught on the curve of her body. However, Möbius, who was running to assist Gumiho, saw it all from a close distance.

    “…”

    All three were so shocked that they couldn't say anything, creating an eerily quiet atmosphere, but it was the calm before the storm.

    "Scream...!!!"

    Inari shrieked loudly after her kimono was pulled down almost revealing too much. The fox mother quickly pulled her garment up to cover her exposed parts, but it was too late—the sound of a gunshot had already rung out.

    699 (Remaining 1/700) (Critical hit from ability)

    Möbius, who hadn't lowered his gun yet, reacted strongly when he saw something startling. His pupils constricted, his muscles tensed throughout his body, and his fingers twitched, pulling the trigger of the silver gun he held. The mysterious bullet flew from the gun's chamber straight into the young man's head with a sound like thunder striking.

    A number that seemed to deliberately leave 1 point of health appeared above his head. The bullet embedded in his head then turned into a faint light that seeped into Möbius. Blood sprayed from the bullet hole like a fountain before he fell down in a pool of blood. Strangely, most of the blood that covered him came from his nose, not the gunshot wound on his head. As Möbius lost consciousness from severe blood loss, he heard a system announcement that seemed to mock him:

    'Player Möbius has gained the ability auto reload.'