"Yip!" The fox's bark snapped Mike back to reality. He turned to look at the colorful creature, though this time with far less hatred than before. Clearly, after eating that silver fruit, Mike's opinion of the fox had improved significantly. He watched as the fox nudged another silver fruit toward him before picking up one itself and starting to eat.
Mike stared at the fox, sitting there contentedly chewing the fruit. The creature didn't seem to be having as exaggerated a reaction as Mike had, but it was obvious that it, too, was enjoying the pleasurable sensation the fruit provided. Seeing this, Mike wasted no more time. He quickly picked up the fruit the fox had pushed toward him and popped it into his mouth.
GULP!
Once again, Mike felt an incredible wave of pleasure as the juice flowed through his body. This time, however, when the energy from the juice reacted with his own energy, it didn't feel as overwhelming as before. Of course, it was still amazing, but perhaps because he had already experienced it once, his body didn't react as strongly in... other areas.
When the sensation faded, Mike didn't hesitate. He sat down on the ground near the fox, who was already munching on another fruit, and grabbed yet another fruit from the pile. This was his third one so far, and he threw it into his mouth eagerly. And so, human and fox sat side by side, eating the dozens of silver fruits scattered on the ground, relishing the pleasurable sensation with each bite.
After nearly an hour of feasting, all the fruits on the ground were gone. Mike lay on his back, staring at the high ceiling of the cavern, savoring the lingering effects of the last fruit he had eaten. He had no idea how many fruits he had devoured in total, but he knew it was a lot. Yet something puzzled him—despite eating so many fruits, he didn't feel full at all. His body was brimming with energy, but his stomach felt completely empty.
"Yip!" However, Mike didn't have much time to think about it, as the fox barked loudly in his ear, making him sit up. After consuming so many silver fruits, Mike's hatred for the fox had disappeared. While he still didn't fully trust the creature, he no longer expected to be killed by it out of nowhere.
"Yip! Yip!" The fox jumped around joyfully, barking at Mike. Judging by its energy, it also didn't seem full. Once Mike got to his feet, the fox quickly turned and dashed toward the massive pile of treasures at the center of the hall, leaving Mike feeling a little anxious about what was about to happen.
After receiving the silver fruits from the fox, Mike wasn't sure what to expect anymore. But as he watched the fox race toward the towering pile of glowing treasures that seemed worth more than his entire life, he couldn't help but worry. After all, he had no idea if those treasures belonged to the fox or someone else. While Mike was concerned about damaging the treasures, the colorful fox seemed unconcerned. It quickly leaped to the top of the treasure mound without hesitation.
Mike watched in shock as the fox easily hopped to the top of the pile. Even though he knew the fox could fly, this was the first time he had witnessed it with his own eyes, as the last time it had been carrying him on its back.
"Yip!" The fox barked excitedly from the top of the treasure pile, looking down at Mike. He stood there, unsure how to respond. He had no idea what the fox intended this time, but he knew there was no way he could climb up to join it. However, what happened next was far beyond anything Mike had anticipated.
THUD!
Seeing that Mike wasn't following it, the fox seemed a little annoyed. Using its tail, it swiped one of the objects from the top of the pile, sending it hurtling toward Mike.
"Ahh! What are you doing?!" Mike panicked as he saw the object flying toward him. The object was shaped like an egg and was completely black, but all Mike could think about was preventing this "treasure" from breaking—or damaging the other treasures in the pile as it fell.
TING!
Unfortunately, Mike failed to catch the egg before it hit the treasure pile. The metallic sound echoed throughout the cavern, and the mere thought of the potential damage to the treasures sent shivers down Mike's spine. He didn't know who these treasures belonged to, but he was certain he didn't want to face the consequences of damaging them.
TING!
The metallic sound rang out again as the black egg bounced off the pile. Desperate, Mike sprinted toward where the egg was falling, determined to catch it before it caused any more damage.
Seeing that the egg was about to hit the pile again, Mike realized he wouldn't make it in time by running. He dove toward it with all his might, surrounded by treasures.
"Ugh—" Mike groaned as he caught the egg in his hands and landed on the treasure pile. The various objects beneath him dug into his body painfully—these treasures were definitely not made for cushioning. But what truly made Mike groan was the egg's weight, it was shockingly heavy for something of its size.
Struggling to stand with the egg in his hands, Mike refused to let go, determined not to risk further damage to the treasures beneath him. He managed to get to his knees, staring at the egg in his hands. It looked like a perfectly ordinary black egg, aside from its unusually large size—about as big as a human head—and its disproportionate weight. But before Mike could study it further, a mysterious voice echoed in his head.
[Ding! User detected… Beginning user compatibility evaluation with the system...]
"Huh?" Mike froze in confusion, having no idea where the mysterious voice was coming from. Before he could do anything, the weight of the egg vanished.
Panicked, Mike looked down at the egg in his hands, now weightless. He watched in shock as glowing golden runes appeared on its shell, shimmering brightly before the egg began dissolving into golden particles and disappearing into the air.
The mysterious voice echoed in his head once more.
[Ding! Evaluation complete! The user is 100% compatible with the system! Welcome!]
Mike felt a powerful, strange energy surge through his arms, quickly spreading to the rest of his body. It traveled through his chest, his stomach, his legs, and down to his feet before reversing direction and climbing back up. His legs, his stomach, his chest, his arms, his neck—and finally, his head.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Mike screamed as unbearable pain erupted in his head. Unable to withstand it, he lost consciousness and collapsed face-first onto the treasure pile.
"Yip!" The fox barked at Mike's unconscious body with a clever glint in its eye. It was clear this was exactly what it had intended all along. Its reasons? Only the fox knew.
But before the fox could enjoy the success of its plan, it sensed something that made it tense—the Golden Ape was approaching the cave. Wasting no time, the fox quickly darted toward Mike, biting the back of his shirt and carrying him as it flew rapidly back through the path they had taken to get here.
POFT!
In an instant, the fox arrived back at the spot where Mike had first awakened. Without hesitation, it dropped his unconscious body onto the ground. Without missing a beat, the fox flew back to the treasure hall, where it curled up beneath the small silver tree with emerald-green leaves. Yawning, it waited to greet the Golden Ape as if nothing had happened…