Chapter 6 – Foxtail

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The wide road stretching from the village entrance and the vast fields beyond it brought an indescribable sense of freedom. The open horizon filled me with an exhilarating joy.

The cool breeze tickled my cheeks pleasantly. Walking long distances without feeling tired—how could I not be in a good mood?

If this were reality, or if I were in my real body, I would never have been able to experience this feeling. Long live Genesis, the game that had become reality.

I bounced around, enjoying the lightness of my body and savoring the joy of the moment.

The road connecting the cities was free of monsters. I wasn’t sure about other regions, but the path between the starting village and the great city of Foxtail was peaceful.

No monsters meant no battles. Since we weren’t out hunting as a party, there was no need to seek out monsters either.

Admiring the scenery only lasted for a short while.

Soon, the four of us, including myself bored and began awkwardly chatting.

The topic of conversation revolved around each other—not personal details, but our respective classes and how they worked.

“What does it feel like to use a Priest’s skills? Do you feel like you’re praying to a god or connecting to something mysterious?” asked Zevlin

His eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity as he matched my pace.

“No. I just think about using it, and I can,” I replied.

“Oh…” Zevlin nodded, seemingly disappointed.

But there wasn’t a hint of falsehood in my answer. When I strongly thought about using a healing skill, the method naturally came to me.

The same went for my second skill, Holy Armor. It was like asking someone how they breathe—how many people could explain it in detail?

Zevlin’s question wasn’t much different from asking how to breathe.

Even before becoming this small girl, I hadn’t followed any religion. Becoming an apprentice priest didn’t change that.

Yet, I could use divine power, undoubtedly thanks to the game-like mechanics of this world.

“What about Mages? Do you have to go through complex rituals when casting spells?” Zevlin seemed curious about other classes, perhaps more so than his own warrior.

“No. Mages have to solve math problems. Not just once, but repeatedly… During casting, problems pop up in your mind, and you have to solve them quickly to complete the spell,” answered Isolin, the Mage in our party.

“Really…?”

“Yeah, think of it like a rhythm game. Notes drop, and problems appear at regular intervals. Mages have to solve them mentally to complete the spell.”

“What if you get the math wrong?”

“The spell fails, of course.”

“So, if you’re not quick at mental math, you can’t be a Mage.”

“Exactly. You have to be really smart to be a Mage. That’s why those with low intelligence can’t even become one.”

“How do you know if your intelligence is high enough? Is there a test or something…?”

“You have to read spellbooks and understand their contents. That’s the first requirement to becoming a Mage.”

Isolin answered Zevlin’s questions while adjusting her large pointed hat, which fluttered with every movement of her small head.

After Isolin’s explanation, a brief silence followed. About five minutes later, Zevlin cautiously spoke up again.

“So, uh… do you have any questions about being a Warrior?”

Zevlin looked at me and Isolin hesitantly.

I shook my head. So did Isolin.

In games like this, the skills Warriors could learn were pretty straightforward. I’d heard that low-level Warriors weren’t much different from slightly stronger beginners.

So, I wasn’t curious.

“Oh, I see…” Zevlin trudged away, looking dejected. Even the Palm Tree next to him seemed to droop.

That evening, as we prepared a campfire, I asked Isolin a question.

“Hey, Isolin.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think the spellbook I bought to become a Mage might have been defective?”

“Hmm…”

Isolin, who was holding a bundle of firewood, tilted her head in thought.

“Well, I haven’t heard of any Mages getting defective spellbooks. But then again, I’ve only talked to a few…”

“So, it’s possible?”

“Yeah. You know how this world has its own weird sense of realism.”

“I see…!”

I let out a sigh of relief. The spellbook I bought must have been defective. There was no way I was too stupid to understand a single book.

I dumped the firewood onto the prepared spot.

Lighting the fire was Isolin’s job. She cast a Fireball onto the wood, and a massive flame roared to life.

For dinner, we had the venison we’d hunted countless times before.

There was no designated cook. Everyone prepared their own meal.

I selected the ingredients from my inventory and started cooking. A short gauge bar appeared, and when it filled up, the dish was complete.

-Poof!

[Perfectly Grilled Venison]

1. Well-cooked venison.
2. Satiety +30 

The result of this unrealistic process was a delicious-looking piece of venison. The meat was overly realistic.

Isolin and I devoured the venison, which was as big as our heads.

The next morning, after packing up the blanket from my inventory, I moved to an open area to stretch. Before starting my full exercise routine, I needed to loosen up my stiff body.

“Supreme?”

“Oh. Isolin. You’re up?”

I reacted belatedly to the voice behind me. Even after two weeks in this small girl’s body, I still didn’t immediately respond to the name “Supreme.”

Turning around, I saw Isolin looking at me with half-open eyes. Her loose robe and slightly exposed shoulder caught my attention.

As her twin tails swayed in the wind, she hopped over to me.

“What are you doing?”

“Just some stretches.”

“Stretches…?”

“Yeah. I’m hoping I might grow taller. There’s a limit to what I can do with this small body. Plus, stretching is the best way to loosen up.”

“Oh…”

I started my improvised stretching routine, answering Isolin as I moved. I stretched my shoulders and legs, loosening my joints. Then, I lightly bounced in place to check my condition.

Finally, I reached my arms high into the sky, stretching my body to its limit.

“Ugh!”

After that, it was just a repetition of the same movements. After about two rounds, Isolin, who had been watching with interest, started copying me.

Being a wise Mage, she must have quickly understood the benefits of my routine.

Loosening joints, bouncing in place, and stretching—

“Ugh!”

“Hee!”

Facing Isolin, who was the same height as me, we both reached for the sky. Isolin, standing on her tiptoes, closed her eyes tightly and wobbled.

Indeed, morning stretches were refreshing.

After finishing, we had breakfast with the two warriors, who had woken up late. Once we were done, we set off again.

We arrived at the great city of Foxtail around noon, with the sun high in the sky.

“Wow…”

“Is that Foxtail?”

[New Area ‘Foxtail’ Discovered!]

The ever-present game system confirmed that this was indeed Foxtail.

Unlike the starting village, the road was well-paved, leading into the city. The red brick road revealed the city’s interior.

Tall buildings and bustling NPCs filled the streets, with players in gleaming equipment scattered among them. The city’s overall color scheme was a mix of red and orange, reminiscent of autumn.

As we entered the city, I realized why it was called Foxtail.

The winding red brick roads between buildings looked like the tail of a red fox. And there were countless such roads.

Every player roaming the streets had a class. They all wore expensive-looking gear, and their faces were full of vitality.

I liked this place. Taking a deep breath of the new air, I stepped forward.

Vrslop_translator