Outrun – Cyberpunk LitRPG

Chapter 223

I awoke to a warmth surrounding me on all sides. I struggled to open my eyes, feeling them burn with tiredness as I blankly stared at an unfamiliar roof- 

Why? One of my eyes was blank, leaving my vision off. Did the chrome-

A flood of memories hit me, instantly turning my tiredness into a raging migraine. I raised a hand, feeling as though I had to fight through an ocean of warmth, and rubbed at my head. After a second, I paused, inspecting it. Perfectly fine flesh, as if it was never injured. I checked my other hand just to make sure, and both of them were fine now. 

Err- almost fine. As I compared them, I realized one was noticeably smaller than the other. It looked like a child’s hand at the end of my wrist. Not quite healed yet? Honestly, looking at the smaller hand was incredibly off-putting. It made me so queasy I had to look away.

Well… at least I know Quick Healing can heal missing limbs now. I distinctly remember it being blown off in the blast. Who would’ve thought, but shooting flammable substances with what was essentially thermite almost point-blank was a very, very bad idea. The shockwave alone felt like it had shredded my internal organs and that was before being flung away like last night’s refuse.

As for what happened after the explosion? My memory was foggy. Definitely brain trauma of some kind… hopefully Quick Healing could take care of that one too. I struggled to sit up, my entire body feeling drained and sore in a way I hadn’t felt since getting the interface. Everything felt bruised. A chill ran up my arms as I left the warmth.

As I sat up, getting a look at my new location, I caught sight of dozens of foxes lying all around me. They were all piled up in a- well- a foxpile centered around me. We were on a bed--a rather large one--that was absolutely loaded with the cute animals.

The room looked vaguely familiar, though everything seemed extremely expensive. And blue. Lots of blue and black hues. It didn’t take much to figure out where I was. Fox’s Shrine. How I ended up here was a mystery, but at least it was somewhat familiar. Seems I reached my goal after all. Or I died and this was the afterlife…

My stomach grumbled, causing quite a few of the foxes to look up at me with sleepy eyes. One of them yawned cutely, causing a chain of yawns to go all around. It was almost too much as a yawn brought tears to my eyes. So sleepy.

I reflexively summoned my canteen, though I stopped myself before I could drink it. Usually I changed it to make either Jack’s Sun Kicker or the Sentinel Super Supplement right before going to bed. Usually. Falling unconscious took that chance away from me.

Not that it was a big issue this time. At some point, it’d been changed to produce Jack’s Sun Kicker, though I had no recollection of doing such a thing.

I gulped down the stuff, feeling my hunger fade away. As it did, intense drowsiness hit me once more. The warmth and softness of the foxes lured me in, and before I knew it, my head was back on the pillow-

No, not a pillow. I faintly realized it was a massive red fox that I’d been using as a pillow. As my eyes closed one final time, snuggling into its soft fur, I saw its four tails lightly swish in happiness.

– – –

I awoke once more, feeling well-rested. The number of foxes around me seemed to have doubled, making it difficult to sit up. My actions disturbed a bunch of them causing a wave of fur as they all looked at me with their adorable faces. I brushed a tail off my head, nearly sneezing as it tickled my nose.

“Hey, guys… mind if I get up?” I patted the closest one to me on the head. Its eyes crinkled in happiness as its ears shifted to the side to give me more petting space. Its tail, rapidly wagging, smacked the face of a different fox just to its side.

Petting one of them proved to be a mistake. After a minute, another fox forced its way onto my lap and tilted its head to me for pats. Petting two of them was an even bigger mistake as a chain of growls, yips, and pushes made me spend what felt like hours petting the foxes as they playfully fought each other for attention.

It wasn’t until the big fox that I’d been using as a pillow growled that the lot of them calmed down. They shifted, lightly jumping off the bed. Most of them unmaterialized, fading through solid objects as they left. About a dozen of them worked together though, opening the door just enough to allow them out before closing it behind them. Just me and the large fox now.

“Thank you.” I patted the big fox behind me as I finally pushed myself up and off the bed. 

It followed a moment later, allowing me to take in just how truly big it was. Even just standing, it reached just below my shoulders. More impressively, it had four swishing tails that felt like a fan as they twirled around. Its eyes crinkled into half moons as it looked up at me. 

“Are you… are you a Greater Sprite?” I asked. It had a certain… gravitas to it that the other fox sprites lacked. Not quite to an eidolon’s level, but leaning that way. It felt similar to Crow’s Greater Sprites that I’d run into. And the four tails were a giveaway. If multiple eyes were Crow’s thing, it seemed tails were Fox’s.

Its head dipped lightly. A voice, feminine, came from it. Just like Corvin, it was a telepathic one. “Indeed. My name is Vulpes.”

“Thank you, Vulpes… and sorry about-” I motioned to its back. Its nearly radiant fur was still pressed down with an imprint of my head.

“No problem, child of Fox.” Vulpes moved for the door. Her head tilted slightly before dipping into a nod. “Your ally awaits outside. My lady will find you later.”

Then, as if her presence had been a lie, she disappeared. Insight faintly tingled as I felt her move through the Aether for a few moments. The sensation eventually faded, drowned out by the sheer presence that Fox’s Shrine seemed to emit. Insight, just like the last time I was here, eventually went mute due to the overstimulation.

My gaze went off into space as I looked at where Vulpes vanished from. Not how I saw meeting one of Fox’s Greater Sprites. And the child of Fox, eh? Fox’s Grace was responsible for that one, of which I had no doubt. 

A meeting with Fox was also apparently in the books, which was… nerve-wracking? It felt like working for someone online for years and then finally meeting them face to face. Not exactly the same, but similar. I’d seen her before, of course, but my memories of that time were quite faint. Trauma, probably. I just remembered her resting on a rock, looking down at me with a cold harumph.

I stretched, hearing my spine pop a dozen times. I checked my body for injuries as my mind finally approached something I’d been trying to avoid: my situation. What happened after the explosion? How’d I get here? How long had I been here? Where’s my stuff? Were my secrets blown? 

Thankfully, while I didn't have an answer to most of those questions, my body was fully healed. Or, at least, mostly healed. My eye was still gone, leaving an empty optical socket. And the scar along my face was still there. Some things even Quick Healing couldn’t heal. Probably thanks to being old injuries. I wonder, if I used some kind of healing relic or medicine to regrow my eye, would it fix Quick Healing?

I could think about it later. I hesitantly looked down at my clothes. I had on an extremely large white t-shirt, the neck big enough that my shoulder peeked out from one side no matter how I adjusted it. And then add on a pair of sweats that barely fit my waist. Who changed me? Where was my stuff at?

I cracked open the door, half expecting to see someone standing there after Vulpes mentioned a companion. I wasn’t entirely wrong. Two foxes, wearing ornate armor, sat on either side of the door, watched the hallway. As I stepped out, they both glanced up at me with wagging tails.

”Oh… hello.” I hesitated for a moment, watching the two guard foxes. “Don’t suppose either of you know how I got here?”

One of them stood up, nodding to me. It walked down the hall before turning back to look at me over its shoulder as if to ask if I was following. I spared a glance at the remaining guardian before following along down the hall. 

Walking was a hassle. With my eye out, it threw off my entire sense of balance. It’d take some time to get used to being a cyclops once more. Hmm… should I even get chrome again? Or should I switch it up for a bit? Maybe trying a clone flesh eye from Slab Co wouldn’t be a bad idea?

Foxes of all shapes and sizes ambled around the shrine, most of them watching me with curiosity. A group of tiny fox pups yipped playfully, running around me in circles as they looked up at me. 

It wasn’t until the guard fox growled lightly, chasing them off, that I felt comfortable walking once more. Would be a true shame to accidentally step on one of the little ones.

We headed through several halls before making our way to what looked like a study likewise flanked by two guard foxes. The door was cracked, and two people talked within. The fox guard guiding me nodded to the door before stalking off after a group of fox pups watching me from around a corner.

I paused for a moment at the door before knocking lightly. A woman called from inside, “Enter!”

I stepped into the room. It was the stereotypical study that I’d come to expect from places. Two people sat inside. One, behind the desk, was the Shrinemaiden from the last time I was here. The other on my side, dressed in Blue Crusade gear, was a man I hadn’t seen before. 

The man turned to look at me, revealing a face covered in a mask. Inquisitor? Or Knight? I watched him for a few moments, checking him over. Definitely an Inquisitor. He had a Fox amulet around his neck, implying he was a Magus as well.

”My patient!” The Shrinemaiden, with her lethally beautiful face and curly blue hair, laughed lightly as she spotted me. Her voice was soft and silky, though seemed to have undertones of mischief. If she became a singer, she’d become a megastar in no time. “I’m glad you’re awake! You really had me worried~!”

”Oh… thank you.” I felt the Inquisitor’s eyes on me. As always, I felt that rush of intimidation and guilt. Was he here to arrest me? Did they know I was impersonating a Squire? “How did I get here? My- uh, my memory is a bit foggy.”

“Inquisitor Ligh brought you here… a week ago. You strongly, strongly requested to come here rather than Medtech.” I felt his gaze drop to my newly regenerated limb. “He was the only one for the decision, though I can see why now. Glad to see you all healed, Squire Zuku.”

Right. The Inquisitor… I faintly remember him in the warehouse. I guess the Crusade got there in enough time to bail me out. Times like these make me really appreciate the Blue Crusade and my connection with them. A serious pain in the ass, but they were there for me when I needed it.

And he called me Zuku. There was a chance that my identity wasn’t blown. Yet. I’d have to play it by ear, though for now, I should continue to act like normal to avoid any suspicion. 

”Where’s all my stuff?” I asked.

The Shrinemaiden stood up, stretching out. Her black robe—a kosode, I think its called—and dark-blue long skirt drew attention to her perfect figure. “Ahh~! That felt good… come with me, my friend. It's all in storage! As for your clothes… well… they weren’t salvageable. I’ll give you one of my spare outfits~!”

”Don’t lie to the poor girl.” The Inquisitor also stood up, nodding to me. ”Most of your torn clothes were sent back to HQ after Lady Vulpes removed the tracker. The cleaners should be able to fix most of it. Your gear looked custom built though, so we left it here for you.”

Cleaners… the old granny in the basement? She was incredibly skilled, so there was a chance I’d be able to get everything back. That’d be nice. Would seriously suck to have to remake and rebuy a bunch of gear. Especially with the Circle getting more and more active. I simply wouldn’t have time.

”Stop ruining my fun~! I thought we were friends.” The lady stuck her tongue out at the Inquisitor as she whined like a kid. Her blue eyes glanced back to me, seemingly having a feverish tinge to them. “You’d look so cute in a skirt~!”

”I- um- I’ll think about it…” I’d rather not wear a skirt. They were too breezy. I don’t think I’d even touched a skirt since my horrid time in school.

The Shrinemaiden sighed deeply and then led the way down a hall. She stopped briefly to pick up a fox pup that whined pitifully up at her, stroking its head gently. Two fox guards fell in step tailing behind us as we walked down several sets of stairs into what looked like a massive storage hall. 

There were a ton of things scattered around, everything from Remnants to mechanical wonders. There was even what looked like a half-built set of power armor locked in a cage on the far side of the place. It had nine tails sticking out of it, half covered in sensors and the other half looking like some kind of gun. What an intriguing idea.

The Inquisitor waved at us as he continued down the stairs. “I’ll be back. Ligh will want to know you’re awake… and we need to debrief now that you’re up.”

”Right… how’s the situation now? Stable?” I asked the Inquisitor. I’d been out for a week according to him. Not a small time. Back when I got Quick Healing, it did say that more severe injuries would take longer. This was the first time something wasn’t healed in just a night though, so I felt thrown off.

The Inquisitor paused on the stairs, his shoulder stiffening somewhat. “Somewhat. We’ll talk about it later. Oh, I’m Inquisitor Zere, by the way.”

A warm hand wrapped around my own, causing my entire body to go tense. The Shrinemaiden didn’t seem to notice as she dragged me into the storage hall. “Now then, come on~! Let’s get you in a kosode!”

I hesitantly followed after her.