"It seems there are no more questions, so it's best for everyone to eat and sleep," said Alexander. "We leave at sunrise."

  "Alexander," called Diana, finally entering the conversation. "What about that over there? Shouldn't we store the creature’s body inside an item?"

  Alexander, Mark, and Stella had completely forgotten about the fox during the conversation.

  When Diana reminded them, everyone approached it.

  "I think it's better if you don't get too close," warned Alexander.

  "Why?" asked Stella, still approaching.

  "It could be dangerous," replied Alexander. "She’s alive and angry."

  Alexander's words seemed to be the cue for the fox, which until then had been completely inert, to open its eyes and turn towards her.

  Stella was startled to see that the fox was still alive and jumped back trying to escape.

  However, the fox made no move to attack, as if it just wanted space.

  Shortly after managing to scare Stella away, the fox began to tremble and had to close its eyes and become inert again.

  "What the hell was that?" questioned Stella angrily. Probably under the impression that Alexander was messing with them.

  "Instinct. She was protecting herself," replied Alexander. "Look at her closely and you'll understand why."

  Stella and Mark began to observe the fox attentively, yet Diana already had a good guess: "Is it because of those 'lines' on her body?"

  "Exactly," replied Alexander with a strange expression.

  "They don't seem like much," pointed out Mark. "They're so thin."

  "What are they?" asked Stella.

  "Frost poison," replied Alexander sullenly. "Or rather, its effect on this fox's body."

  The mere mention of frost poison caused shivers in the others.

  Even Mark—who initially made light of the "lines"—was no exception.

  This reaction was not without reason. Poisons with properties—like cold-based effects—represented the highest form of venom.

  They were the ones that came closest to making a qualitative leap and evolving into toxins.

  After the shiver passed, the group couldn't help but wonder where Alexander had gotten such a sinister poison.

  However, after thinking for half a second more, the image of a she-wolf appeared in their heads.

  While the rest of the group swallowed their saliva and looked at Ocean with a mix of fear and admiration, Alexander sat down beside the fox and placed it on his lap.

  The fox even opened its eyes to see who it was, yet when it realized it was Alexander, it seemed to resign itself, closed its eyes, and snuggled into him.

  Its snuggling into him surprised the others and made Diana and Stella melt inside, but Alexander knew it didn't do that because it liked him.

  What it wanted was to obtain more of his body heat.

  "Can't you let her go?" asked Diana, moved by the fox's situation. "That poison must be making her suffer a lot."

  "No… Not yet," replied Alexander. "I have plans for her."

  "What plans?" asked Diana, even though afraid of the answer.

  "You don't need to worry so much," Alexander said calmly. "I just intend to make her a familiar."

  "Another familiar?!" blurted out Mark, almost cursing the heavens for being so unfair.

  From his point of view, it was only a matter of time until Alexander gained another familiar. One just had to look at how the fox was snuggling.

  "I said I intend to make her a familiar. I never said she would be one of my familiars," smiled Alexander.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  This twist surprised everyone, yet it didn't take long for the group to understand the implication.

  What Alexander wanted was to "give" the fox as a familiar to someone else.

  Stella and Mark instinctively turned to Diana—who in turn had no one else to look at.

  She could only lower her head so no one would see her face completely red with embarrassment.

  "Not this time," said Alexander, feeling a bit embarrassed for the first time since arriving in that world. "My plans are a bit different this time."

  He ignored the slight spark of embarrassment that passed through his mind and explained: "I decided to make her a prize for the entire group from the moment I first saw her. All you had to do was agree to fight the {Hobgoblin Rider}."

  Alexander had this idea based on the carrot and stick theory…

  Using the stick was efficient. However, if he didn't throw a carrot now and then to the one being whipped, things would get complicated.

  "This fox has the potential to become a great familiar for any of you," assured Alexander. "But as you can see, there's only one. So I'll let her choose who she wants to stay with."

  "Really?" asked Mark with a mix of relief, excitement, and disbelief.

  "Yes," replied Alexander. "She’s not compatible with me."

  This information surprised the group.

  Just a few seconds ago, Alexander was talking about how the fox was a good match for them, yet he himself didn't want it.

  Seeing doubt and suspicion hovering over his companions, Alexander just smiled lightly. "Already forgot?… Don't you remember what led us to find this fox and the hobgoblin?"

  Alexander's words were like turning a key in the rest of the group's minds. They had indeed forgotten that part.

  When they remembered, things began to fall into place and make sense.

  "This fox is a magical beast with fire powers?" asked Stella, with clear excitement in her eyes.

  "Yes," confirmed Alexander. "However, it isn't just any magical beast with fire powers. Her fire is special."

  "Special?" asked Mark, seeming even more excited than Stella.

  "It is a {Blue Fire Fox}. As her race's name suggests, it has one of the elemental variations of fire: the {Blue Fire}," clarified Alexander. "Stella should understand better than I do what it means to have this variation. Any questions about that, ask her."

  After this revelation, Alexander could no longer tell who was more excited about the fox.

  Diana even showed some interest in it, but the enthusiasm in Mark and Stella's eyes was on another level.

  Their excitement was not without reason. Most people dreamed of having a magical beast like that.

  Obviously, some people preferred humanoid beasts or monsters. As such creatures tended to have greater vitality and sharper instincts.

  However, the preference of most was always for magical beasts. They were more intelligent and could compensate for the lack of magical damage and/or healing.

  Things just got more intense in that case, where the possible familiar in question had a particularly powerful variant.

  Seeing that everyone was at least a little interested, Alexander explained how the choice of who would keep the fox would happen: "Each of you will have only one chance, and the order will be decided by a game of chance."

  "And if she refuses to become a familiar?" asked Diana, worried about the fox's fate.

  “I’ll let her go,” replied Alexander. “There are things that simply shouldn’t be forced, and I’m not going to kill something I once considered making a familiar for someone in the group... Not choosing any of you is the same as choosing freedom."

  Alexander then introduced them to Rock-Paper-Scissors so they could decide who would try first in a relatively fair way.

  After a few rounds, it was decided that Stella would be first, Mark second, and Diana last.

  Stella, who couldn't be happier, took a step toward Alexander, who was with the fox, and he asked her: "Do you want to do this alone, or do you want my help?"

  If it had been before, Stella would certainly have chosen to face the situation on her own. However, she was no longer as intransigent as before. "I don't want your help… But I'll accept advice if you have any."

  Upon hearing this, Alexander smiled and replied: "She’s cold. Try to form a bond using your fire affinity to warm her."

  "The heat shouldn't be too weak, nor too strong to the point of bothering her," said Alexander. "In other words, create a very cozy warmth for her."

  Stella nodded. Following Alexander's advice, steadied her breathing, concentrated, and placed her hand on the fox's head to try to form a bond between them.

  The fox opened its eyes as soon as Stella placed her hand on its head, even while on Alexander's lap, but it didn't attack her.

  Upon feeling that warm mana trying to enter its body and connect with it, the fox seemed to be in doubt.

  It desired that warmth, yet it also did not wish to be limited… bound to another being.

  After some hesitation, the fox still chose to reject Stella.

  However, as it began to pull away from Stella's warm hand, the cold that plagued it began to return and reminded it that its situation was not very good.

  Resigned to its situation and fearing for its life, the {Blue Fire Fox} finally yielded and allowed Stella to form a bond with it.

  Feeling that the bond between them had been successfully established, Stella almost jumped for joy.

  Yet as soon as she thought about celebrating, the fox's desires began to flow into her.

  Upon feeling its desire to warm itself, Stella tried to take it from Alexander's hands to warm it, but he stopped her. "Congratulations on managing to form a bond between you. But be very careful about the relationship you will establish between you—or it may cause 'accidents,' especially after some possible evolutions."

  "Most wild creatures enjoy fighting and crave it," assured Alexander. "But if you treat your familiar only as a weapon, your fate tends to be sad."

  With his warning given, Alexander handed the {Blue Fire Fox} over to Stella.