A white fox walked out from between the trees, it was a normal-looking animal, but the pressure it gave off was not normal. The system began to send urgent messages inside Luthra’s head.
[EXTREME DANGER DETECTED. HOSTILE ENTITY IDENTIFIED.]
[ENTITY CLASS: BEAST KING.]
[RECOMMENDATION: IMMEDIATE AND TOTAL RETREAT IS ADVISED.]
’A Beast King? Seriously?’
The white fox sat down and cleaned its paw with its tongue, its movements were like a regular animal.
"You humans are all the same, you sense a little bit of power and you get all tense. You should relax a little, it is bad for your health."
Luthra did not relax, he just stood there. He knew from hunter notes online what a Beast King was, they were the absolute rulers of the monster territories, beings whose power was said to rival S-rank or above hunters.
"A Beast King, what are you doing in a place ? This is human territory."
The fox stopped cleaning its paw and looked up at him, its head tilted. Its ears twitched just a little, and it spoke again, its tone changing completely.
"Human, I do not appreciate that tone of yours."
An invisible force slammed down on his shoulders, and his knees buckled instantly, forcing him to the ground. The impact sent a jolt through his entire body.
’What the hell is this pressure? I cannot even move a single muscle. This is bad, this is completely different from the monsters at the gate.’
The white fox walked closer to him, its steps were completely silent. It circled him one time, its eyes observing him, before it stopped directly in front of his face.
"This forest has existed for many, many ages, long before your noisy cities of metal and stone were ever built. In that sense, is it not you humans who are the invaders here? Hmm?"
Luthra kept his head down, the pressure was completely immense.
’This is really bad. I cannot fight something on this level. The system was correct, I should have run away immediately. I need to change my approach right now.’
He decided to speak again, this time with a different attitude.
"My deepest apologies, honorable Beast King. I am but a foolish human who has wandered into your sacred territory. I did not mean to cause any offense at all."
The immense pressure on his body lessened slightly, and the fox let out a small, satisfied sound.
"Hmph. That is a much better tone. It seems you are not a complete idiot after all, human."
He remained on his knees, not daring to move an inch.
’Okay, it seems like being polite is working. For now, at least. I need to figure out what it wants.’
He decided to ask a direct question.
"If I may be so bold, honorable Beast King, why would a powerful being such as yourself come all the way to this unremarkable forest on the edge of human lands?"
The fox sat down again, wrapping its fluffy white tail around its paws.
"I was drawn here. For the past few days, I have been sensing a strange and very interesting power leaking into this world. And now that I am here, I can tell that this power is coming directly from you."
The fox’s nose twitched, and it took a long sniff of the air.
"You have a very unique scent, human. Your soul... it smells a little bit like the empty space between the stars. It is a very, very nice scent, especially for beings like myself. It is quite irresistible."
Luthra was completely confused by this.
’A nice smell? What the hell is this fox talking about? My soul smells like space? That makes no sense at all.’
He quickly consulted the only expert he had.
’Hey, System. What is it talking about? This ’soul scent’ thing. Is that real?’
A blue window appeared in his vision, but the message it displayed was not what he expected.
[Analyzing query: ’Soul Scent’... Searching all known databases...]
[ERROR: No data found on this phenomenon. This information is outside the system’s operational parameters.]
’What? You don’t know? You’re supposed to be this all-knowing thing made by a god! This is the first time you’ve been useless.’
The fox seemed to enjoy his confusion. It let out a sound that was very much like a human chuckle.
"You do not know? Ah, how interesting. That makes you even more of a rare specimen. This scent of yours, it is like a beacon in the dark. All monsters, from the weakest goblin to the most ancient dragon, will be drawn to you from now on. They will all want to consume you, to absorb that unique essence that clings to your soul."
Luthra felt a cold feeling spread through his chest.
’What the hell? So this whole ’nice smell’ thing means I’m basically monster bait? A walking, all-you-can-eat buffet? This is the worst possible news I could have received. That old god and his stupid system never mentioned anything about this major inconvenience.’
The fox got up and stretched its body, like a simple house cat.
"Normally, I would just eat you myself. A soul like yours would be a very delicious and nutritious meal. It would probably help me break through to my next stage of evolution."
It then looked directly at him, its eyes holding a strange light.
"However, you are in luck today, human. I have taken a liking to you. So, I will make you an offer. Become my subordinate, my little human pet. If you are under my protection, no other beast in this world will dare to touch you. It is a very good deal for someone like you, is it not?"
Luthra’s mind was racing.
’Become its pet? Absolutely not. I just got my freedom from my family, there is no way I am going to become some fox’s subordinate. But if I refuse this offer, it will probably just kill me and eat me right here. This is a terrible choice with no good options.’
He needed to buy himself some time, so he kept his tone as respectful as possible.
"Honorable Beast King, your offer is incredibly generous, and I am overwhelmed by your kindness. However, in my current weak state, I am not worthy to even be called your subordinate. Please, allow me to first prove my value to you."
The fox’s whiskers twitched in amusement, and the pressure on Luthra lifted completely, allowing him to breathe properly again.
"Hah! Prove your value? What an interesting thing for a human to say when he is on his knees. I find myself liking you more and more."
The fox stood up and began to walk in a small circle, its tail swishing back and forth.
"You are weak, but your words are not completely without merit, so I will give you a chance. A small test, you could say."
The fox stopped and lifted one of its front paws. It made a small, casual gesture in the air, as if it were swatting a fly. The shadows under the nearby trees suddenly deepened and churned, then they flowed together into a single spot, coalescing and taking shape.
A moment later, a wolf made of pure, solid shadow stood in the clearing. It was the size of a large lion, and its eyes glowed with an intense red light.
[DANGER: E-Rank Shadow-Type Monster detected.]