A night without incident—well, that's one way to put it.
Normally, in these kinds of stories, whenever someone goes into seclusion for cultivation, ignorant troublemakers always seem to show up from some corner, and then scripts diverge depending on the protagonist.
Take a disciple or magical companion along before going in—swear to protect them to the death, and the main character breaks through the barrier and slaughters everyone: classic fantasy plot.
A beauty is besieged during her seclusion, and the hero swoops in to defeat all assailants: standard gameplay strategy.
Bandits sneak past to attack the master while the protagonist is away: leads to unexpected adventures or revenge missions.
And, uh… other scenarios involving godly lightning and earth-shattering chaos—cough cough, let's stop there.
This wasn't some city gate open for anyone to wander through. The fox had searched for ages before finding this place. How could so many unrelated people suddenly appear?
Allen's obstacles blocking the entrance hadn't been breached yet—he had no idea what was going on inside.
Though curious, he couldn't abandon his current tasks, so he was stuck, unable to move.
There weren't many magical items inside anyway—just eight in total—and they were already separated. Were they really planning to take them all? If so, Allen would have no choice but to surrender completely.
But that was clearly impossible. Even if someone wanted to consume them like the fox, they would need to investigate and ensure the items were appropriate first. And if a second team came in, would they just let them walk away?
Did they think these people were coming in politely, doing good deeds? One deployment with this many people and no pay? Who would casually let a magical artifact with historical value slip by? After all, just because a thing "chooses" you isn't just an Eastern saying.
Theoretically, yes—but why was there still no movement?
Allen waited, growing increasingly bored.
Keeping watch was a tiresome job. Normally, he would've made Valor do it, but tonight he had to be alert. After all, the fox had risked herself to break through her limits to help him. Though the surroundings were well-prepared to prevent detection, his own presence increased defense severalfold.
As he waited, the fire dwindled. Allen had no intention of gathering more wood—after all, the fox's flames were far brighter and hotter than a campfire. What if something happens while I'm gone?
So, he kept watch over a pile of foxfire, waiting through most of the night.
Staying up all night is exhausting. Allen, after all, was a wizard, not a cultivator—no fasting technique here—so naturally he grew hungry, especially since the fox had eaten most of the evening meal herself.
Staring at the blue flames, he suddenly thought of barbecue. Different flames produce different flavors when grilling—a fact anyone with basic culinary knowledge would know.
These flames, though strange, were smokeless. Though they lacked a certain scent, the flavor would be unique.
As for toxicity? Allen wasn't worried at all—Soraka removed all negative effects, including poison.
Well, if you've got the ability, why not indulge?
Considering all this, grilling seemed feasible. With a food storage pocket and basic setup, he was ready. This is going to be fun.
=======
Allen was a man of action. Once he decided, he acted.
Cumin, chili, salt, fennel—he laid out all the seasonings. Ingredients and oil were placed on the ground. Under his magic, everything was prepped and skewered.
When he put the skewers over the foxfire, he realized just how intense the flames were. Even from a distance, the skewers cooked rapidly, forcing him to step back to prevent burning the outside while leaving the inside raw.
Luckily, he was a competent cook. The first skewer came out perfectly—delicious and flavorful.
Perhaps due to the magical flames, the skewers even had a slight restorative effect on magical energy. If I sold these in Diagon Alley, they might be a hit…
But considering the possibility of the flames killing him, he abandoned that thought and continued cooking. The first batch was just for starters—there was plenty more to do before eating.
Before dawn, at the time of the sun's reappearance, the fox woke up.
This was earlier than she had expected, and progress had gone better than anticipated.
She could now clearly sense the existence of her sixth tail—and a strange, enticing aroma wafted nearby.
What the—?
Neither her inherited memories nor the notes she had left behind mentioned this smell. She sniffed twice—it was food?
Slowly opening her eyes, she followed the scent. A young wizard had turned his head, glancing around as if searching for something, while skillfully sprinkling seasoning evenly over the skewers.
"Strange… what's going on? I definitely heard something… hey, Valor, is everything okay over there?" the young wizard murmured to himself.
Seeing no anomalies, he turned and noticed the half-sitting fox and the flames dying as she awoke. His expression mixed surprise, shyness, and joy, almost dropping the skewers in his hands—but he managed to steady them just in time.
"Pfft! You're awake!" Allen jumped in shock.
He had noticed a slight movement and checked, even communicating with Valor—but the fox was awake already!
Liar! Big liar! We were supposed to guard through the night—you wake up in the middle of it? How do I explain this?
Allen stared at the skewers in his hands, a bit dumbfounded—awkward, indeed.
Thinking quickly, he offered the skewers to her gently:
"You've been breaking through all night. You must be hungry. Here, have some supper first. I'll make a bowl of porridge for you later. The fire's a bit low, so I'll go fetch some more wood."
The fox, exhausted from expending so much energy during her breakthrough, was indeed hungry. She took the skewers and nibbled delicately. Mmm, this is really good.
Maintaining her elegance, she ate quickly, only halfway through realizing something was off.
Then, a roar erupted:
"Allen! Come back here!"
…..
180+ Advance Chapters on [P]atreon.[c]om/Veltoria [remove brackets]