Outrun – Cyberpunk LitRPG Chapter 223

I awoke to a warmth surrounding 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 chro-

A flood of mories hit , 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 so queasy I had to look away.

Well… at least I know Quick Healing can heal missing limbs now. I distinctly rember 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 mory was foggy. Definitely brain trauma of so 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 . They were all piled up in a- well- a foxpile centered around . We were on a bed--a rather large one--that was absolutely loaded with the cute animals.

The room looked vaguely familiar, though everything seed extrely 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 sowhat 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 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 Supplent right before going to bed. Usually. Falling unconscious took that chance away from .

Not that it was a big issue this ti. At so 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 once more. The warmth and softness of the foxes lured 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 ti, 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 seed 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 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 on the head. Its eyes crinkled in happiness as its ears shifted to the side to give 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 for pats. Petting two of them was an even bigger mistake as a chain of growls, yips, and pushes made 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 cald 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 and the large fox now.

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

It followed a mont later, allowing 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 .

“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 seed tails were Fox’s.

Its head dipped lightly. A voice, feminine, ca from it. Just like Corvin, it was a telepathic one. “Indeed. My na 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 monts. The sensation eventually faded, drowned out by the sheer presence that Fox’s Shrine seed to emit. Insight, just like the last ti 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 eting 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 eting with Fox was also apparently in the books, which was… nerve-wracking? It felt like working for soone online for years and then finally eting them face to face. Not exactly the sa, but similar. I’d seen her before, of course, but my mories of that ti were quite faint. Trauma, probably. I just rembered her resting on a rock, looking down at with a cold harumph.

I stretched, hearing my spine pop a dozen tis. I checked my body for injuries as my mind finally approached sothing 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. So things even Quick Healing couldn’t heal. Probably thanks to being old injuries. I wonder, if I used so kind of healing relic or dicine 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 extrely 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 ? Where was my stuff at?

I cracked open the door, half expecting to see soone standing there after Vulpes ntioned 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 with wagging tails.

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

One of them stood up, nodding to . It walked down the hall before turning back to look at 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 so ti to get used to being a cyclops once more. Hmm… should I even get chro 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 with curiosity. A group of tiny fox pups yipped playfully, running around in circles as they looked up at .

It wasn’t until the guard fox growled lightly, chasing them off, that I felt comfortable walking once more. Would be a true sha 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 nodded to the door before stalking off after a group of fox pups watching from around a corner.

I paused for a mont 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 co to expect from places. Two people sat inside. One, behind the desk, was the Shrinemaiden from the last ti 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 , revealing a face covered in a mask. Inquisitor? Or Knight? I watched him for a few monts, 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 . Her voice was soft and silky, though seed to have undertones of mischief. If she beca a singer, she’d beco a gastar in no ti. “I’m glad you’re awake! You really had worried~!”

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

“Inquisitor Ligh brought you here… a week ago. You strongly, strongly requested to co here rather than dtech.” 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 rember him in the warehouse. I guess the Crusade got there in enough ti to bail out. Tis like these make really appreciate the Blue Crusade and my connection with them. A serious pain in the ass, but they were there for when I needed it.

And he called 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… co with , 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 . ”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 basent? 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 ti.

”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 , 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 ti 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 chanical 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 so 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 ti. Back when I got Quick Healing, it did say that more severe injuries would take longer. This was the first ti sothing wasn’t healed in just a night though, so I felt thrown off.

The Inquisitor paused on the stairs, his shoulder stiffening sowhat. “Sowhat. 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 into the storage hall. “Now then, co on~! Let’s get you in a kosode!”

I hesitantly followed after her.