Chapter 13: Chicken and Knowledge Core?

  "What's this?"

  "Adaptation," the fox said at first.

  Idalia didn't understand; she just wanted to eat the fried meat leg. Her belly rumbled as she stared longer. The fox continued. "…A certain beast foreign to this place calls it… fried food. You can have it."

  "Okay!" Idalia's stomach growled one last time, drowning out the remnants of doubt.

  "Yes, yes, you'll be the perfect subject for my experimental core—wait, no questions? Typical Liorexes..."

  Smug fox talks nonsense. He loses. I win!

  Idalia leaned forward, her instincts guiding her as she took the leg of meat in her mouth, savoring the flavor that burst forth on her tongue. It was unlike anything she had ever tasted. Rich, savory, and beautifully warm.

  She then crunched through a shiny, circular stone that glowed with an odd fire. Her head began to ache as she heard a beep in her head. "Guh? Huh, what's that noise?!"

  She swayed, the sound rattled everywhere within her skull. She dropped the meat, its flavor still lingering on her tongue, as she instinctively pawed at her head as if trying to shake loose the confusion.

  The fox cub watched her with a gaze that felt both patient and knowing. "Ah, the awakening begins. You're feeling it, aren't you? The call of possibilities, the whispers of what lies beyond the veil you've known."

  "I feel fuzzy? You gave me bad meat—!"

  Idalia's voice cracked as her thoughts spun. She fought to steady her breathing, but the world around her felt like it was shifting, colors swirling and blending into a dizzying kaleidoscope.

  "Nothing harmful, I assure you," the fox replied, still floating, its demeanor calm as it watched her struggle.

  "I'll elaborate. You have tasted an open door, and now you must decide how far you wish to tread down the new path it has revealed.”

  Idalia shook her head, determination battling against the overwhelming tide of sensations.

  "I… don't… understand. My father… I need… to find him!"

  [Knowledge Core Development[E]: 3%]

  Huh? What was knowledge? Core? Development? But the number three. It made sense. Sort of.

  "Now, tell me, Idalia dear. Do you know what you ate?"

  "Chicken?" Idalia blinked, trying to reconcile the image of a chicken with the delicious aroma wafting from the sizzling meat. "But it smells… wonderful! Like the sun on a summer day!" Her mouth watered, and drool dripped from her jowls.

  The fox-cub tilted its head, the playful grin never leaving its face. "This is from a creature called a chicken. Not dangerous. Tender, even."

  Thoughts tumbled through her mind, swirling like the ash in the wind. She wanted to reach out, to close the distance and snatch the leg from the ground. But caution held her back; something deep inside warned her that the offer came with strings attached.

  However… too late.

  "What do you want from me, fox?"

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The creature lifted a paw, gesturing gracefully toward the leg of meat.

  "Nothing more than your attention. You see, Idalia, you are at a crossroads. You want to become Alpha. But to do that, you will need to adapt. To grow. This is a taste of growth; to expand your horizons beyond what you know."

  Idalia's heart raced with excitement and fear.

  The idea of becoming Alpha thrilled her, but the thought of adapting and changing felt like stepping into a dark cave without knowing what lurked within.

  "I remember now… Alpha Pawail taught us to never take food from other creatures. You're not a member of my pride. You're not even a Liorex!"

  The fox swayed closer, eyes sparkling with something akin to delight.

  "Wonderful. Here's another reward. I know where your Papa is. He lives…" He let the silence linger, "for now."

  Idalia gasped, then snarled as if she'd been threatened by fangs. "How—how do you know about my Papa?! Where is he?! Is he hurt?!"

  The fox's grin widened, revealing sharp teeth that glinted in the dim light. "Oh, he is alive for the moment, my dear. But his future? Not as certain. You see, he has wandered too far into territories that are not meant for him. Territories where even the bravest Liorex should tread carefully."

  Idalia's heart thudded in her chest, fear and anger swirling together like a storm. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?" She took a step forward, unable to look away from the fox, but still feeling the instinctive pull of caution that held her back.

  The fox cocked its head to the side, eyes narrowing slightly. "You want to save him, don't you? Want to be the fierce cub he raised you to be? Then you must consider this: the path to becoming Alpha is dangerous. There are sacrifices to be made, and wisdom to be gained from those who have traveled farther than you. This…," it gestured again to the sizzling meat, "is only the beginning."

  Idalia shook her head, her fur bristling. "You're offering me an empty reward! How do I know this isn't a trick? If you know where my father is, then you should show me! I won't be fooled so easily."

  A flicker of irritation crossed the fox's face, but it quickly smoothed into a composed smile. "Oh, I can show you the way, but I require something in return. A promise."

  "What promise?" Idalia's throat felt dry. She could feel the weight of her fear pulling at her, but the thought of her father brought a fire back into her spirit.

  "I don't trust you."

  The fox leaned closer, its voice low and conspiratorial.

  "Trust is built, young one. But in the world you wish to enter, trust is not given freely. It is earned. All I ask is that you promise to embrace the new, to seek out wisdom and adapt to it, even if it feels foreign. Will you accept this challenge?"

  Uncertainty rattled Idalia's mind. To accept the fox's offer was to step into the unknown entirely; it felt like crossing a threshold into darkness, where shadows danced and loomed with threats she couldn't understand. But what choice did she have?

  Her father was out there, alive, with an unknown fate. She glared at the fox, which appeared smug and sure of itself. Her stomach had rumbled again as she peered at the "chicken leg."

  She gulped, her mouth still watering at the sight and smell of the sizzling meat.

  "I… I'll accept your challenge. But you must tell me everything you know about my father. I won't be made a fool of again."

  The fox's grin had widened, and it had nodded, as if it had anticipated her agreement all along. "Very well, Idalia. In exchange for the promise to embrace adaptability, I shall share what I know."

  She watched as the fox picked up the leg of meat with a flick of its paw, holding it out to her like an offering. The steam curled around its fur, creating a halo of warmth that felt inviting.

  "Eat. You shall gain the knowledge of your ancestors and the courage of those who walked before you. Only then will you truly step into your destiny as Alpha."

  Idalia could only gulp. A strange feeling stirred within her chest, something she could neither name nor push away. It wasn't hunger, nor fear, nor pride. Something in between, something new that prickled like warmth and want all at once.

  Her ears twitched again when the fox spoke quietly.

  "Call it gratification… no, she wouldn't understand yet. But… play," she caught the fox murmuring.

  "Play?" Her ears flicked, confusion and curiosity tangling together.

  The fox's eyes glimmered with sly amusement, its voice lilting as if sharing a secret.

  "Yes. Instead of fearing what you don't understand, treat it as play. A game. That is where strength is born." Before Idalia could snap back, a tone chimed inside her head.

  | [Open] Status |

  The sound wasn't the fox's. It was her own voice, echoing strangely inside her head. The word lingered, waiting. She scrunched her eyes shut, trying to seize it, to pry it open the way she might paw at a stuck bone.

  Nothing happened. The glow faded.

  "Grr—! No, wait! Come back!" she yelped, stamping a paw.

  The fox gave a soft chuckle, something too amused for comfort and a knowing gleam that made her fur bristle. "Mm. Clumsy little paws. But you'll figure it out, cub. In time."

  It turned slightly, floating backward into the shadows as if retreating were only another game.

  "Until then… play. Play well." And with a flick of its tail, it was gone, leaving only the chicken on the dirt floor, steaming in the silence.