Sung Yang-Sang, a man in his twenties, sat under the bright sun, planting seeds in the dirt. He wore baggy pants stained with earth and a white tank top. His lean physique, a result of countless hours of farm work, was further accentuated by the straw hat he wore, casting a shadow over his face.
Sung Yang-Sang removed his straw hat and wiped the sweat from his face. His features were sharp yet soft, almost feminine. He had jet-black hair, which partially covered his blue eyes, but the most surprising aspect of his appearance was the pair of black fox ears perched atop his head.
Hearing footsteps, Sung Yang-Sang turned his gaze and saw an old man approaching—his grandpa.
"Sung Yang-Sang, are you ready, my boy?" the old man asked.
Sung Yang-Sang smiled softly. "Is it already time, Grandpa?"
His grandpa nodded, and Sung Yang-Sang sighed. "I'll miss the farm life…"
"No, you won't. Once you get a taste of the great kingdom, you'll never want to come back," his grandpa replied.
Sung Yang-Sang gathered his shovel and hoe before walking toward a small shack. "When is the carriage going to be here?"
"At midnight, so get everything you need packed by then, my boy," his grandpa said.
Sung Yang-Sang kicked open the rusty wooden door with his left foot and stepped into the shack. Farming supplies were scattered everywhere. He leaned the shovel and hoe against the wall before walking back out.
"Grandpa, will a fox person really be fine in a human kingdom?" Sung Yang-Sang asked.
"You'll be treated like royalty, my boy. We're the last remaining of our race. They'll treat you like a treasure!" his grandpa answered.
Sung Yang-Sang smiled softly and looked down. "I hope you're right, Grandpa."
He walked past his grandpa toward the cabin and rested, talking with him for a while. Sung Yang-Sang tried to get some sleep before the carriage arrived, knowing it would be a long ride, but his heart wouldn't allow him to.
Soon, the carriage arrived, drawn by two white horses. Each of them was worth at least 150 gold coins, and Sung Yang-Sang could hardly believe his eyes. Two men in silver armor stepped out of the carriage.
Sung Yang-Sang's grandpa walked out of the cabin to greet the men, but suddenly, one of them unsheathed his blade and hurled it toward him. The blade struck his grandpa right in the head, killing him instantly.
Sung Yang-Sang's eyes widened as blood splattered across his face. He placed his thin fingers on his face and opened his mouth. Before he could make a sound, the other man charged at him with a blade in hand.
The man slashed him across the chest, and blood spurted out like a fountain. Sung Yang-Sang collapsed to the ground, and the men climbed back into the carriage, leaving him there to bleed out.
Sung Yang-Sang's life left his eyes, and everything went white. Not even a second later, he found himself in a completely white dimension.
He was completely naked, feeling cold, weak, and afraid. Before him stood another version of Sung Yang-Sang, but this one exuded a different energy. He had clearly been through something.
"You are me?" asked our Sung Yang-Sang.
"Yes, I am you from ten thousand years in the future," said the other Sung Yang-Sang, whose eyes were hollow and whose face was marked by dark bags beneath them.
"Huh… from the future?" our Sung Yang-Sang asked, still in disbelief.
"I can't go into details. Or rather, I'm not allowed to speak of what's going on. My only purpose is to guide you," the future version replied.
"Guide…?" our Sung Yang-Sang muttered, confused.
Suddenly, five nine-tailed foxes appeared behind the future Sung Yang-Sang—one red, one blue, one purple, one yellow, and one green.
Future Sung Yang-Sang stepped to the side. "Each one of these foxes will grant you something different. You may only choose one."
He pointed to each fox as he spoke.
"Red, the fox of anger, allows you to grow stronger with anger and with anyone you kill. Yellow, the fox of the sun, makes you stronger whenever it's daytime and passively boosts your power under the sun. Green, the fox of nature, gives you control over all plants and makes you stronger with every connection to nature. Blue, the fox of the sea, grants control over all water and boosts your strength whenever you're near the sea."
"What about purple?" our Sung Yang-Sang asked.
"No, you are not allowed to choose that one," answered future Sung Yang-Sang.
"Why not?"
"You just can't. Do you want to avenge your grandpa? Then don't pick it."
Sung Yang-Sang sighed. "Can I at least know what it does?"
Future Sung Yang-Sang sighed heavily. "Purple, the fox of lust. Anytime you… engage with someone, you grow stronger."
"Engage? By that, do you mean… sex?" Sung Yang-Sang asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Yes, I mean sex," answered future Sung Yang-Sang.
Our Sung Yang-Sang took a deep breath, determination filling his eyes as he began walking toward the red fox. He was going to kill those men.
But as he moved, his foot caught on nothing, and he stumbled forward. Before he could regain his balance, he accidentally fell toward the purple fox, his hand brushing against its fur.
Everything went black, and Sung Yang-Sang felt himself suffocating. He extended one hand upward and touched a concrete surface above him. With his other hand, he felt the cold, unyielding concrete below. He was trapped in a small, confined structure.
Panic set in as he realized he could slide the surface above him. Summoning his strength, he pushed it aside, and dirt began pouring onto him. In that instant, Sung Yang-Sang understood what was happening.
Desperation fueled his movements as he clawed and dug through the dirt. Finally, he broke through to the surface, gasping for air as he rose from his grave. He looked around, finding himself in a massive cemetery surrounded by a gold fence and neatly trimmed bushes.
Sung Yang-Sang walked out of the cemetery and found himself in a bustling city. Buildings stretched in every direction, people crowded the streets, and stores lined the roads. He turned his head and spotted a massive black-bricked castle towering in the distance.
He had been in that white place for less than three minutes. How much time had truly passed?
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his head, clear yet faint, and only he could hear it.
"Fifty years have passed, Sung Yang-Sang."
His eyes widened in shock as he muttered under his breath, "What was that? Who are you?"
"I am the nine-tailed fox of lust—the one you chose," the voice replied. "I will guide you. I will ensure the fox people do not go extinct in this reality. Your path is simple: engage with others and grow stronger. You'll unlock your first ability once you… engage with someone."