The monsters had sticky, frog-like skin, crooked yellowish eyes that gleamed strangely, long ears, and long noses. Their long fingers looked as if nails and skin had fused together, and they wore only ragged, worn-out cloth scraps to barely cover their private parts—like crude underwear. They closely resembled the goblin monsters from the fantasy webtoons Soochan sometimes read on clear days.

  There were four or five of them, wielding crude stone-like weapons, running wildly around the not-very-wide basement while chasing the foxes. But the foxes had a strangely familiar yet unfamiliar appearance.

  Overall, they looked like the foxes Soochan knew, but their fur was glossy silver like that of arctic foxes, and instead of one tail, they had two.

  Their fur stood straight up and their long, thick tails were raised—clear signs of angry foxes—but the extra tail and the fact that they were even larger than his old Jindo dog Maru left Soochan deeply confused.

  “Kick! Kick! Kick!”

  The monsters cried out and attacked the foxes again. They pinned them down in a violent tumble, smashing stones onto them. In response, the foxes raised their claws to tear at the monsters’ bodies and bit into their throats with their jaws.

  Monsters whose throats were ripped open collapsed while spraying blood. But the three that remained smashed the foxes’ legs with stones. One of them, having dropped its stone, picked up a wrench lying in the basement and hammered the fox’s leg joint. It was an utterly cruel sight.

  “Kick kick! Kick!”

  When one fox’s leg was completely shattered and it staggered and fell, the victorious monster let out a bizarre cry and smashed the fox’s head with the wrench.

  “Kyaang!”

  Blood poured from the struck fox as it collapsed. The remaining fox immediately charged and rammed its body into the back of the wrench-wielding monster. Its strength was tremendous—the monster was pushed back along with the other two and tumbled over backward.

  “Kyao!”

  Confirming the monsters had fallen, the fox suddenly raised its tail straight and stiff. Its entire body’s fur stood on end as if electrified; it opened its jaws wide and roared. At that moment, even though the basement windows were closed, a gust of wind blew through—and lightning sparked.

  Crackle—!

  A brilliant flash of lightning struck all the rising monsters at once. They convulsed violently, vomited something black from their mouths, and collapsed. Soochan saw black smoke rising from their mouths.

  The pungent smell of burning filled the air—clear proof of electrocution. Somehow, the fox had created powerful lightning.

  “What in the world…?”

  Soochan blinked in astonishment at the incredible power. Both the existence of the monsters and the lightning-emitting fox were utterly bewildering to him.

  “Kyao! Kyao!”

  Hearing Soochan’s voice, the fox twitched its ears toward him. It judged him as a new enemy and raised its fur again, warily watching him. It looked ready to attack with lightning at any moment—but no lightning appeared this time.

  ‘It’s observing me. And it’s clearly exhausted from the fight.’

  Though he knew nothing about this mysterious lightning fox, having grown up with Maru had taught Soochan well the habits and body language of canines.

  ‘Is it planning to attack?’

  The stiffened neck muscles and slightly raised tail were exactly the posture Maru used before pouncing on rats around the island.

  Soochan hesitated. Should he close the door and leave? Or take a fighting stance to protect his home? Lower the harpoon in his hand? Or step closer—down the stairs—into firing range?

  ‘If it shoots lightning like before, I’m dead… Better to retreat.’

  If the fox fired lightning again, there was no way he could survive. He didn’t know how tough the monsters were, but three died instantly from the same attack—so it was clearly no weak strike.

  ‘Retreating is safest. If I close and block the door, it can’t get out. And it doesn’t seem to have the energy to chase me right now anyway.’

  He looked at the bleeding, suffering fox and the other one still guarding it while warily watching him. Then, very slowly—so as not to provoke it—he backed up the stairs. To ease the fox’s guard, he moved his legs extremely slowly, reaching for the door. Just as Soochan was about to close it and leave—

  “Keuung! Keuung! Keueoong!”

  A gurgling, phlegm-filled roar erupted from deeper inside the basement—and suddenly a hand burst out.

  ‘What the hell is that now?!’

  Soochan, on the verge of leaving, barely held back a scream as he saw the new monster. If the previous ones were chimpanzee-sized, this one was gorilla-sized, emerging from the basement storage wall.

  ‘Is that… a portal?’

  Soochan’s eyes widened as he looked at the wall. There was a black portal—the kind he’d only seen in games.

  “How…?”

  He steadied his shocked heart and stared at the monster. The one that emerged from the black portal looked far stronger than the previous ones. Similar appearance, but with a muscular gorilla-like body, enormous size, and upward-curving tusks—overwhelmingly threatening.

  “Kyao!”

  The fox cried out again, warily facing the new monster. The monster also spotted the fox.

  “Keuung! Keuung! Keuung!”

  It went berserk like a crazed gorilla, hurling objects around the basement, then swung a massive fist at the still-healthy fox.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  The battle-hardened fox seemed to expect it—leaped aside, dodged, and immediately clamped its jaws around the monster’s wrist.

  “Keuung!”

  The bitten monster panicked and swung its arm wildly. But no matter how much it swung, the fox refused to let go. Enraged, the monster grabbed the fox’s muzzle with its other hand and slammed it against the wall.

  Boom!

  “Keuung! Keuung!”

  Furniture shattered and broke; new wounds appeared on the fox’s body. Soochan’s heart pounded faster. Fear and excitement alternated as he watched the two beasts tear into each other.

  ‘It’s going to die at this rate…’

  The monster was dominating. Every swing of its arm sent the fox flying helplessly. The overwhelming difference in size and power was impossible to overcome.

  Yet even so, the fox refused to give up—still tenaciously biting the wrist. With fierce determination, it poured all its strength into its jaws, as if trying to sever the wrist completely. The monster’s arm bled profusely.

  Thud! Thud!

  “Keuung! Keuung!”

  Feeling the pain, the monster roared and desperately swung again to shake the fox off. The basement became drenched in blood. The violent movements only worsened the wrist wound—blood sprayed everywhere.

  ‘It’s tougher than I thought. Maybe… maybe the fox can win.’

  Soochan unconsciously rooted for the fox. But only for a moment—light suddenly glowed from the monster’s left hand. A red light tinged with blood.

  ‘What?!’

  Before he could even be surprised, the monster struck the fox’s belly with the glowing hand. The fox—still clinging desperately—was sent flying and crashed into the wall. A wooden shelf collapsed; cracks spread across the wall behind it. Clearly extraordinary power.

  ‘The fox shoots lightning… and the monster has some kind of power boost?’

  Quick-witted Soochan realized the monster also possessed a special ability. Meanwhile, the fox struggled up again from beneath the shattered shelf fragments. Its blood-soaked body barely rose—but the impact was too much. It vomited a large clot of blood and collapsed once more.

  “Kyao… Kyao…”

  The fox cried weakly. It tried to raise its fur and glare sharply again, but the threat from its broken body carried almost no weight.

  “Keuung! Keueoong!”

  Seeing the fox fall, the monster looked at its own wrist and howled. The flesh had been torn away as if sliced by a knife—nearly severed. A fatal wound.

  “Keuung! Keueoong!”

  Excited by the injury, the monster looked around wildly. Holding its mangled right wrist against its body, it picked up a crowbar with its left hand.

  The crowbar-wielding monster snorted dust away through its large nostrils and approached the fallen fox. It intended to finish it.

  “Keueoeoong!!”

  Roaring loudly, it raised the crowbar high—preparing to crush the fox’s head completely. But right before the crowbar could smash down—light flashed once again.

  “Keuung!”

  The light was lightning—the same kind the fox had used earlier. The crackling bolt struck the monster’s thick chest muscles and the metal crowbar. The monster flew backward and slammed into the wall. Incredible power considering its size and weight.

  ‘Did it get him?’

  Soochan stepped one stair lower to check on the monster.

  “Keueoe…”

  It was still alive. Its skin charred black, body cracked in places, blood vessels burst—clearly on the verge of death—but its eyes still burned with murderous intent as it rose again.

  ‘What a tenacious bastard.’

  The revived monster looked at who had attacked it. The fox that had been smashed with a wrench on its leg and head was staggering to its feet again. Fur raised, threatening the monster. It seemed determined to protect its companion.

  ‘A friend… or maybe even family…’

  Seeing the fox try to protect its kin, Soochan thought of family.

  “Kyao!”

  The fox roared loudly and charged the monster. As if saying, “Now it’s my turn to protect you.” Bravely aiming for the monster’s throat. But the monster was no pushover.

  “Keuung!”

  It swung the crowbar at the charging fox.

  Thud!

  A dull sound—the fox was sent flying. It crashed into the wall and couldn’t rise, only panting shallowly. The accumulated damage left it without strength to stand. Yet even so, the fox refused to give up—struggling with its front legs to get up.

  ‘Get up. Come on.’

  Soochan silently cheered the desperate effort. But despite his support, the fox couldn’t stand. Soon the monster rose as well. It straightened its posture, looked at the fox, then raised its massive foot to crush it.

  “Kak!”

  The filthy three-toed foot stomped down on the fox. Increased pressure made it vomit blood. Crack! The sound of bones breaking inside its body.

  After that, the fox moved no more. Dead. But the monster’s rage didn’t end with death. It raised the crowbar again and brutally beat the already-dead fox’s corpse.

  Thud! Thud! Thud!

  “Keuung! Keuung! Keueoong!”

  Strange cries as it attacked. Blood from the monster’s wrist and the fox’s mixed and splattered everywhere. The brutal violence made the remaining fox tremble and cry low.

  “Kyao… Kyaooo…”

  A worried cry for its companion. Hearing it, Soochan clenched his fists tightly. Both fox and monster were threats and intruders to him—but the familiar Jindo-like appearance of the foxes and the monster’s cruelty—even mutilating a corpse—ignited pointless anger in him.

  Moreover…

  ‘If it kills both foxes, I’m next. With that size and strength, even blocking the door won’t hold it back.’

  He instinctively knew—if the foxes were finished, he would be the next target. Fighting head-on—even with a harpoon—he couldn’t possibly win against such brute force. If there was any chance to fight back, it was now—while the monster was distracted dealing with the foxes.

  ‘This is my home. My parents’ last refuge. I won’t forgive anyone who defiles it!’

  With resolve hardened, Soochan steadied his stance and fixed his eyes on the monster. Having finished one fox completely, the blood-drenched monster now moved toward the remaining one. Its appearance—covered head to toe in blood—was exactly like that of a cruel murderer.

  The wounded fox rose again and glared at it. It could barely stand, but its eyes burned with enough ferocity to tear out the monster’s throat. Incredible fighting spirit despite its ruined body.

  ‘Getting up with those wounds… what an incredible creature.’

  Admiring the fox’s almost inhuman tenacity, Soochan raised his harpoon and pulled back the rubber band attached to its end.

  ‘One shot. I have to end it in one hit.’

  Feeling the taut tension in the rubber, he steadied his stance and prepared to leap. His eyes locked on the monster’s nape. If the fight dragged on, it would be dangerous—so he aimed for the vital point to finish it instantly.

  ‘I can do this. Think of it as harpoon fishing.’

  He mentally told himself he was at the seaside—not in the basement—and the monster’s nape was just a big fish he often hunted in the ocean. Like a predator, he waited for the perfect moment. The opportunity came quickly.

  “Keuung!”

  The monster panted heavily and raised the crowbar high. Just as it was about to smash the fox’s head—

  ‘Now!’

  Soochan seized the moment—leaped down the stairs and jumped. His sudden shout and charge made the monster flinch and look toward him. Their eyes met—and at that instant, Soochan was already above the monster’s head, thrusting the harpoon downward.

  He released his grip just before contact. The stretched rubber snapped forward violently, launching the harpoon straight through the monster’s thick neck.

  Puk!

  “Keng!?”

  The sharp tip pierced deep—halfway through. The monster released the crowbar and staggered. Unable to turn its head, it looked at Soochan with panicked eyes. And then…

  “Keu… eo…”

  Its eyes rolled back; it collapsed backward like a rotten tree. With the harpoon still lodged in its neck, the body convulsed, then slowly stilled.

  “I got it! I got it! Haha! I killed the monster!”

  Soochan cheered at his successful hunt. Truthfully the foxes had done most of the work—he only delivered the finishing blow—but the relief of eliminating the threat washed over him. Tension released; strength drained from his entire body.

  “Kyao…”

  While he rejoiced, the fox moved. Dragging its battered body, it approached its dead companion. It lowered its head and licked the corpse’s face.

  As if telling it to wake up, to get up again. But tears flowed from the fox’s eyes. It knew… its friend—no, its family—was already gone.

  “Kyao… Kyaooo…”

  The fox cried. Hearing that sorrowful wail, Soochan felt solemn. The frail, blood-soaked fox’s back looked exactly like himself when he had to send Maru away.

  No one left on this lonely Hwado to comfort him. He knew that pain too well. So he approached the fox. And…

  “Cry all you want right now. Let it all out.”

  Not as human to beast, but as friend to friend, he gently stroked the fox’s head and ears. At his soft touch and comfort, the fox’s raised fur slowly relaxed. Too exhausted even to remain wary, it buried its head in its dead companion’s embrace and leaned against Soochan—falling asleep.

  Exhausted eyelids closed. Tears slipped from between them—falling from the blood-and-dust-stained fox under the dim old bulb’s light—beautiful as the shooting stars Soochan had seen on his lonely walk home.

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