Chapter 10 Mighty Fox Procession!

"Hahaha, great! You've done well!"

A baby evilly cackled as he petted a smug-looking fox.

At this moment, Jack couldn't have been more proud of the little guy's performance. The latter had actually eavesdropped on his father and the Flame Lord's conversation!

The report went:

"Woo! Woo!"

"Woo! Woo! Woo!"

"Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!"

This was so much information to unpack! Not only was it a lot, but it was all said in fox language…making it even more troublesome!

But with the foxes being so intelligent and playful, it quickly devolved into a game of charade. Thanks to this new communication method, Jack learned so much!

Apparently, his new mother had completely misunderstood him.

He had resisted her Charm thanks to his indomitable spirit, but she believed it had something to do with the god she revered, some Firefox Deity.

She believed him to be protected by her god and even left him with a bunch of foxes to deepen that connection. Ironically, it was the one god he had never received an offer from.

Still, there was one strange thing…

"Do you have any idea where that Fox God is?"

"Woo! Woo! ZZZZZzzzzzz!" The cute fox exaggeratedly began snoring.

Wait, did this mean a god was sleeping right underneath his feet?! Chances were the shrines were dedicated to him.

This was pretty much a time bomb!

Jack didn't want a repeat of the events back in the Holy Theocracy. This meant he'd have to be out of here before trouble happened.

"Hm. Let's establish some ground rules."

Eying an exquisite fox painting on the wall, Jack approached it with a grin. Then he… sliced his palm open, blood flowing all over the place! Using blood as ink, he wrote all over it:

| Great Survival Mantra |

1. Avoid the gods

2. Reject magical contracts

3. Remain low-key as of now

4. Train like your life depends on it!

The last one was especially crucial!

He had to take advantage of the new start his father had gotten him. After all, the man had sacrificed so much! Now wasn't the time for a regular and peaceful childhood!

"Now, to get stronger… I need a magical teacher!"

He could slowly learn on his own, but there was no way this would be as efficient. Still, nowhere was it written that a magical teacher had to be a being of flesh and blood!

Jack confidently called out to the foxes:

"Bring me to the library right now!"

"Woo! Woo! Woo Woo!"

The foxes all wanted to go and even fought for the right to join the "expedition". This was madness! Jack was escorted out as if a king!

His minions soon brought him to the Flame Barrier.

"Wait… there's no library in here?"

"Woo! Woo!"

It had burned after an "accident." Once upon a time, their mistress had gotten angry at a book's ending and burned the whole place down.

Jack made a mental note never to piss his new mother off, but that wasn't the critical part. They had to somehow go through the Flame Barrier!

"Woo! Woo!" The little foxes quickly explained how the thing worked. It was semi-sentient and should (in theory) recognize him.

As for why they couldn't do it themselves…. They were grounded after pulling too many pranks in Dawn City.

Jack sighed as he gazed at the raging inferno inside the barrier.

"I must be crazy."

Then he crawled inside…

[You've Intruded Upon the Flame Barrier!]

[Launching Spontaneous Combustion!]

[Resistance is futile!]

Instantly his Danger Sense went crazy. Even when he brought a Meteor toward Earth hadn't been that intense! This was insane!

His mind was overwhelmed by doubt. Was this how he'd die?! Should he retreat ASAP?! But as he glanced at the foxes by his side, he steeled his mind.

"C'mon, Jack. You've been through worse!"

If he wanted to survive in this world, he couldn't be that cowardly!

He stepped forward and forced himself to stand upright. This was so freaking complex with the body of a baby! Then he stared at empty air, his arms behind his back, posturing.

"Flame Barrier? You should be called Blind Barrier, Idiot Barrier, or even Can't do its Bloody Job Properly Barrier. Open your dog eyes. I'm the Flame Mansion's Prince!"

In the back, an army of foxes nodded kept nodding in agreement. You tell it, master!

[The Flame Barrier is Wavering]

"What are you standing still for?! Open the way already! At the mere sight of your master, you should part this sea of fire!"

[The Flame Barrier is Confused!]

"Let me tell you! Do you know what will happen if you anger my new mom? She'll be so furious she'll extinguish you with fox urine!"

[The Flame Barrier is Scared!]

C-could it be that all those threats were real?! Finally remembering how the Flame Lord had personally carried this baby home, the Flame Barrier couldn't take it.

The flames in front of Jack suddenly disappeared, creating a baby-size entrance.

"Perfect! Let's go, everyone!" The foxes looked at him as if a god. The human not only gave great belly rubs, but he could even break them out of being grounded!

The most enthusiastic delegation quickly entered Dawn City.

"Now, remember, everyone, we need to be low-key. Bring me to the library in the sneakiest way possible. We'll call this game...Mission Impossible!"

This sounded like so much fun!

For that goal, they passed through the alleys.

One had to know that the alleyways of Dawn City… weren't always the safest. How often did one wander in one and encounter thieves or rogues?

In one amongst many shady alleyways, a certain lavishly dressed young lady just chanced upon such an encounter! Three burly men surrounded her, sharp daggers drawn as they laughed.

"Hehe, hello there, young lady! How bout you part with a few coins? You see, my brothers and I haven't had any meal in a long time, and we're getting hungry."

"H-hungry?! You're obviously trying to rob me, villain!"

"Rob? No, no, this is Improved Begging!" He chuckled as he waved his knife.

"E-eek! S-stop! Otherwise, I'll—" Overwhelmed by fear, the young lady stopped.

She wanted to scare them with her family name, but what if they kidnapped her instead?! After all, her family was super rich!

She felt regret. If only she hadn't taken this wrong turn! But then the regret turned to confusion. The miscreants had become frozen, glancing behind her in shock.

But as she turned around, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. W-what the fuck was this?! A legion of foxes…and a baby?!

"Y-you, who are you?!" A robber asked cautiously.

He wasn't dumb enough to underestimate the Fiery Foxes before him. After all, they were capable of innate fire magic! Were these the girl's reinforcements?!

The young lady turned toward the foxes, hopeful. "Please help me! My father will reward you greatly!" She begged, looking like an angel!

For a second, the foxes were confused. They weren't the ones calling the shots! What was she looking at them for?

Still, they prepared themselves to fight.

Their master would surely save the damsel in distress, right? Not only did she look charming, but there was even the promise of a reward!

They arched their backs, readying magical fireballs! But just as they were about to release them, Jack stopped them.

"Ignore them. We're going to the library." He whispered to his troops.

Under the shell-shocked gaze of both parties, the fox army simply left the place. Reward? The Flame Mansion was loaded! Gallantry? Jack didn't care either!

They were on a covert mission: no time for heroics!

Besides, Jack couldn't sense any truly evil intent from the robbers. Losing a few coins would be a low price for a life lesson.

The last thing the flabbergasted robbers heard was a chuckle in the wind "Improved Begging, eh? Good one, hahaha. I'll use this line for sure!"

Jack was actually preparing a robbery of his own….

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Jack Bright (Classless)

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BODY 2 (STR 1 / AGI 1 / RES 0)

SOUL 40 ( MAGIC 5 / SENSE 17 / WILL 18)

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(NEW!)

- Posturing (F) ????

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