The dream was so bizarre that I woke up feeling weak all over, drenched in sweat, my clothes clinging to my skin.
But then I laughed bitterly—how could the woman in the red dress be Nova? I didn't know why I'd had such a dream. It was strange, to say the least.
After opening the curtains, I saw the sun was already high in the sky. Checking the time, I realized it was past ten in the morning. I washed up and went downstairs. Stein had ordered breakfast for me, while Antonio was teasing the little fox with a roast chicken, shaking a drumstick just out of her reach. The little fox was so furious her cheeks puffed up like buns, her tail bristling straight up.
As soon as she saw me, she rushed over. "Hey! When are you going to let me go? You promised before—no cheating!" She pointed at me with a tiny, indignant finger.
I shrugged. "Fine, you can go now. I won't stop you. Go ahead."
The little fox patted her chest and demanded that before she left, I remove the Demon-Suppressing Talisman from her heart.
I shook my head. "I won't press it, but you'll have to wait until Stella gets back for that."
Realizing I was being stubborn again, she puffed out her cheeks and crouched down to sulk in silence.
I took the roast chicken from Antonio's hand and handed it to her, then stroked her head. "The Three-Tailed Fox hasn't been dealt with yet. If you go back unharmed, what will he think? You wouldn't be able to explain yourself even with ten mouths. If he turns ruthless and kills you, you'll die for nothing."
The little fox's eyes darted around as she considered this. What I said made sense—since she'd fallen into our hands, she was supposed to be dead. How could she return unscathed? If the Three-Tailed Fox grew suspicious, killing her was a real possibility.
Frowning, the little fox grew visibly worried. If that were the case, she wouldn't dare leave. Staying here was much safer.
I reassured her, coaxing her further. "Whether you follow the Three-Tailed Fox or return to the deep woods, staying here is still the better option."
The little fox blinked her innocent eyes. "What's so good about this place? You're all humans, and I'm a demon. It's bad enough that I'm mixed up with you."
By then, I had already shoved the roast chicken into her hands. She'd been craving it for so long that her mouth watered. The moment she got it, she devoured it ravenously—proof that foxes and weasels both loved roast chicken.
"That's the first benefit," I said. "At our place, roast chicken is endless." I wasn't about to treat her poorly in that regard.
"There's another benefit," I said. "With us, you won't be hunted down by Erebus profiteers. Some only kill humanoid demons, but others don't care—they'll eliminate any demon they find. Staying with us is like having shelter."
A demon with as shallow a cultivation as the Little Fox wouldn't stand a chance against an Erebus profiteer. That's exactly why she'd sought out the Three-Tailed Fox as a backer—ironically, he'd sold her out without a second thought.
"When you put it that way, the conditions do sound pretty good," the little fox whimpered between nibbles on a chicken leg.
"Well? Decided to stay? Think of it as working for me," I pressed.
The little fox blinked, thought for a dozen seconds, then said, "Fine, but I have one condition: twenty roasted chickens every month."
I almost laughed—she agreed so quickly. She really was the most naïve fox I'd ever met. Who knew I'd actually trick a demon into working for me?
"No problem. Twenty roasted chickens? Easy. You'll get them," I agreed without hesitation.
By now, the little fox had gnawed the roast chicken down to the bone. She licked her fingers greedily before adding, "And… the Demon-Suppressing Talisman on my chest—"
"No rush on that," I cut in. "As long as it isn't activated, it won't affect you at all."
The little fox gave a soft "Oh," as if she believed me. If she were human, she'd probably get kidnapped by traffickers the second she stepped outside—she was that gullible.
Of course, the Demon-Suppressing Talisman couldn't be removed yet. Just in case. She was still a demon, after all. No matter how innocent she acted, I couldn't be absolutely sure she wouldn't cause trouble or hurt someone. Better safe than sorry.
With the little fox settled, I'd gained another helper. Since she was a demon, she wouldn't care about money—just roast chicken. Even if she wasn't particularly useful, having her around to act cute wasn't bad. Like keeping a pet.
Just then, my phone rang unexpectedly. I answered—it was Nova.
"Come to my family's place. Now," she said the moment I picked up. "And come alone."
When I asked what was wrong, she refused to explain, insisting I get there first.
I'd already planned to visit Nova's family today—others in her household still needed Chitipati tattoos. I'd told Nova to gather them so I could work through them all. With so many people, it'd take days, but that was fine. Business was business, and I wasn't complaining. Nova's family was loaded, after all. I could definitely squeeze some extra cash out of them—50,000 per person. With over thirty people, that'd be well over a million. The thought alone made me giddy.
But Nova didn't answer my questions. Instead, she hung up abruptly. Baffling.
Had my Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts failed?
No way… right?
After breakfast, I left Stein and the others to watch the shop and headed to Nova's family alone, feeling uneasy about what might be happening.
When I arrived at Nova's estate, I found her subordinates standing at the door, all grim-faced and fearful. The door was shut tight - no one dared enter, only staring at it in dismay.
Nova's household staff numbered about twenty, evenly split between men and women, yet none of them moved or spoke a word.
I asked what was wrong. No one answered; they simply gestured for me to enter, saying Miss Nova had ordered it.
Their behavior struck me as odd, but I didn't press further. I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room was pitch black. Nova must have closed all the doors and windows and drawn the curtains - not a single ray of light could penetrate the darkness.
As my eyes adjusted, I made out a figure sitting on the couch. From her silhouette, it was clearly Nova.
"What's going on? What happened here? Why are all the lights off?" I called toward the figure on the couch.
Nova didn't respond. Instead, her body kept writhing strangely, as if trying to communicate something. A sudden realization hit me - we weren't alone in this room.
When I sensed something was wrong, I began scanning the darkness frantically but couldn't spot anyone. Just then, Nova looked up desperately, her movements clearly urging me to look upward.
I immediately raised my gaze and froze in shock.
Dozens of women hung from the ceiling - thirty or more. All appeared dead, their heads lolling limply while their feet swayed ominously above me. The horrifying sight sent chills down my spine. How had I failed to notice them immediately? Now that I saw them, I could feel my scalp prickling with terror.