Chapter 148: Little Fox

Julian frowned in that direction. He was not sure what inhabited this world. Just because this world was called the Dragon world did not mean there were no other creatures living in it.

Perhaps, just like the human world, which was ruled by humans themselves, this world was called the Dragon world because they ruled and dominated it.

That was why Julian changed his thinking a little. It might well be that there were some dangerous creatures, so he needed to be careful.

Rustle-rustle...!

The bushes swayed again.

However, nothing immediately emerged from behind them. The bushes only swayed a few times before falling calm again, as if whatever was hiding inside was trying not to be seen.

Julian blinked, hesitated for a moment, then began taking steps closer. He did not know what it was, but from the fact that only a low level of Mana surrounded the bushes themselves, it did not seem to be anything dangerous.

Of course, Julian still had to remain careful.

That was when Julian saw something swaying. It was white fur with a little pink, wiggling gently, failing to hide inside the bushes.

’A tail?’

Julian stopped for a moment. The furry thing was still moving, even when the rest of the bushes had stopped swaying.

’...What kind of creature hides like that?’

As Julian thought so, the bushes shook harder, then revealed a small creature that leapt and lunged at him with sharp fangs.

"Gyauer—!"

Its roar was small and childish. Julian only tilted his body slightly, and the little creature stumbled forward.

"Grrr—!"

The creature quickly turned around. Its four legs planted on the ground, while the fur around its neck seemed to puff out slightly.

As if it were trying to make its body look bigger.

Looking at the little creature, Julian frowned.

"A fox?"

It was true. It was a fox with nine tails and very thick fur. The fox was white, furred with a mix of pink all over its body, while its eyes looked so dark yet filled with scattered tiny stars.

Forget how unique it looked, and focus instead on how that thick ball of fur was growling and threatening Julian with its little cries.

’...Isn’t it cute?’

Instead of looking dangerous, the fox looked adorable as it tried to pounce on Julian.

Unfortunately, the white fox was at such a low level that Julian even thought he did not need to touch or kill the creature.

"Gyaur!"

So, when he saw the little fox lunge at him once more, Julian twisted his body and let it pass right by him.

The fox landed again, a little awkwardly. Its nine tails swayed in disarray before it finally managed to straighten its body.

Julian merely watched it with a blank stare.

’...It really doesn’t give up.’

"It seems to still be a child. Doesn’t that mean its mother might be somewhere around here?"

While thinking about that, Julian was startled by Felicya’s sudden voice.

"Its mother... will not come."

At some point, Felicya had woken up, opening her eyes and glancing toward the fox with her usual listless gaze.

Julian seemed quiet for a moment, then looked at Felicya, "Its mother will not come?"

Felicya nodded.

"Just take care of it. It will be useful."

That suggestion came so suddenly that Julian was confused for a moment. Indeed, the fox looked like the kind of animal that would be very pleasant to keep as a pet.

But, the problem lay in how Felicya had woken up to give advice and respond. Didn’t that alone show that something was wrong?

What on earth kind of fox was before him now, to be able to make Felicya interested and wake from her lazy sleep?

Julian glanced at the little fox again.

The creature was still showing its fangs, even though it had clearly failed to touch Julian this entire time.

’...It looks like an ordinary fox. Well, except for the nine tails.’

"...Is it dangerous?" But, for some reason, Julian only looked at the fox for a moment, and asked.

Felicya shook her head, "No. Just give it Mana to absorb. It will be full."

’...This girl is really saying a lot of sentences just for this fox.’

It was hard to resist thinking that. Julian held back an awkward smile within his mind, then looked at the fox, which was getting ready to lunge at him for the umpteenth time.

Since Felicya had given advice, Julian would at least try. Because seeing how the fox itself did not look friendly and was so quick to anger, Julian did not know how he should bring that angry fox along with him.

Should he carry it by force, ignoring the parts of his body that might be scratched or bitten?

With Julian’s physique, he would clearly survive. But, who knew what would happen to the fox if it were forced like that?

So, Julian decided to leave the decision to the fox itself.

Julian glanced at Felicya in his arms. He carefully tried to put the girl down. Although she looked reluctant, Julian somehow began to understand more that Felicya was actually not the type to push him too hard.

Afterward, Julian looked at the little fox again.

"Are you hungry?"

Julian crouched slightly, facing the fox, which stared at him fiercely, a threatening whine sounding again and again.

’...Will it understand? ...Probably not.’

Julian held back the awkwardness that came from talking to an animal that could not possibly understand him.

The fox showed no meaningful reaction to his question. It only watched Julian, who had suddenly lowered his body, with both ears still standing upright.

’Well, of course.’

Anyway, after that, Julian did his best to control his Mana. At this point, his Mana control had become much better, but it was not at the level where he could move it freely like the Rank-As.

Julian deliberately gathered his Mana around his arm. Because he did not know how to feed the fox, or how to release his Mana outward freely, Julian intended to leave it up to the fox itself.

He maintained the flow of Mana while waiting.

Although Felicya had said the fox only needed to absorb Mana, Julian himself had never tried giving his Mana to another creature in this way.

’...I hope it works.’

Then, the fox looked wary, staring at Julian sharply through its starry gaze.

Its eyes were fixed on Julian’s arm, as if it were looking at something farther away. However, just because Julian appeared to be offering, the fox turned out not to be foolish enough to simply advance.

It looked wary, glanced at Julian for a moment, then slowly took steps closer.

Every time Julian moved his arm slightly, the fox immediately stopped in its tracks.

Seeing that, Julian finally chose to stay still.

’...Alright. I won’t move.’

That behavior might come only from the fox being confident it could run away at any time, or perhaps the fox was simply too hungry to hold back any longer.

With a certain excitement in his chest, Julian watched as the fox reached his arm, then sniffed Julian’s arm several times.

Its sharp eyes still glanced at Julian a few times as if assessing him, then after that its mouth opened, showing its fanged teeth.

"...Oh."

Julian unconsciously held back the movement of his hand.

For a moment, he thought the fox had finally decided to bite him.

Its teeth, even its mouth, did not touch Julian. It was only near Julian’s arm, and open.

Then, Julian could feel it: through its mouth, the fox was slowly absorbing his Mana.

’So, that’s how it eats?’

What a unique way. A few moments earlier, Julian had imagined that the pain to come would be annoying, and fortunately that had not happened.

"Gyah."

The fox let out a small groan, perhaps showing that it was happy with its food or something. Its tails danced, swaying so softly and hypnotically.

Even the growling that had sounded all this time had vanished.

Julian watched how the nine tails moved around, occasionally piling on top of one another before puffing out again.

’...They look so soft.’

Julian could not help noticing it, and with a little curiosity, he reached out his free hand.

His hand touched the fox’s soft fur, a sensation so extraordinary that Julian found himself stunned.

At the same moment, the fox’s whole body stiffened. Julian did not get to touch it any longer, because the fox leapt away, took a stance to attack, and started to growl.

"Hsss!!"

Julian pulled back his outstretched hand.

He looked at the fox, then glanced at his own hand for a moment.

’...Its fur really is soft.’

It seemed to still be too early to touch it.

Julian lowered his hand in disappointment, and that was when he noticed the fox’s gaze shifting along with it, staring at Julian’s arm that had just fed it.

That made Julian blink for a moment, then he raised his arm, moving it to the right and then to the left.

The fox followed the movement as if it were hypnotized.

In an instant, a certain idea crossed Julian’s mind.