The lizard's gaze didn't waver.
Didn't blink.
Didn't need to.
The space around the ape tightened slightly.
Not enough to crush.
Just enough.
A warning.
Clear.
Precise.
*Take one step…*
*…and you die.*
Silence swallowed the ridge.
The fox remained frozen.
The ape stood trembling.
And above it all.
The lizard watched.
Waiting.
The ridge held still.
No wind.
No movement.
Only tension.
The **Crimson Eye Ape** stood frozen
Not by ability this time
But by fear.
Its body trembled slightly.
Muscles locked.
Breath shallow.
Those golden eyes
Still on it.
Unmoving.
Unforgiving.
Seconds stretched.
Then a minute.
And slowly
The fox's body loosened.
The invisible hold shattered.
Her limbs responded again.
Control returned.
She rolled her shoulder once.
Light.
Casual.
As if nothing had happened.
Then
She smiled.
Wide.
Sharp.
"…There it is."
Her voice was calm.
But laced with something colder.
"…Looks like you finally understand your place."
The ape didn't respond.
Couldn't.
Not with that presence still brushing against its neck.
The fox stepped forward slightly.
Unhurried.
"…You're probably wondering why I let that happen."
A small tilt of her head.
"Why I walked straight into your ability."
A pause.
Her smile didn't fade.
"…Simple."
Her eyes gleamed.
"I needed you to *see it.*"
Silence.
"I needed you to understand—"
A faint flick of her tail.
"—what you should actually be afraid of."
The air tightened slightly.
The ape's breath hitched.
Because it did understand now.
Too clearly.
The fox stopped just a few steps away.
Close enough.
"…And now that you're aware…"
Her voice lowered.
"…you're going to listen."
No room for misunderstanding.
No room for defiance.
"…I'm going to give you an offer."
A pause.
Her eyes locked onto his.
Sharp.
Absolute.
"And you're not going to do anything stupid while I'm speaking."
Another step.
"…Because there won't be a second chance."
The **Crimson Eye Ape** didn't lower its guard.
But it spoke.
"…You haven't killed me yet."
Its voice was steady now.
Not calm
But controlled.
"…So you want something."
A pause.
Its red eyes locked onto the fox.
"…What is it?"
The fox's smile didn't fade.
"…Careful."
Her tone dipped slightly.
"…Don't get too smart with me."
A small pause.
"…But I'll tell you anyway."
She tilted her head slightly, eyes gleaming.
"For the past few days…"
Her tail swayed lazily.
"…I've been bored."
A faint exhale.
"Same thing over and over."
"Hunt."
"Kill."
"Collect."
Her gaze sharpened.
"…Nothing interesting."
A pause.
"…Then I saw you."
Her smile widened.
"…And something sparked."
"—Get to the point."
The ape cut her off. Flat. Direct.
"…This is about my life."
A step of tension in its stance.
"…I don't have time for nonsense."
The fox's ear twitched.
Her smile faltered just slightly.
"…You really are—"
A breath.
"…a rude bastard."
Her voice sharpened instantly.
"Shut up and listen."
But the ape didn't stop.
"…Now that I think about it…"
Its eyes narrowed.
"…I know what you are."
A pause.
"…And what you've been doing."
The fox stilled.
"…Oh?"
Her tone shifted. Curious.
"…And how do you know that?"
The ape exhaled slowly.
"…Because I felt it."
A glance just barely toward the lizard.
"…That fear."
A pause.
"…That wasn't normal."
Its jaw tightened slightly.
"…You could've killed me."
"Easily."
Another pause.
"…And I didn't sense you."
Its eyes hardened.
"…Not even a trace."
Silence.
"…So I thought about it."
"…Disappearances."
"…Beasts vanishing."
"…No corpses."
"…No traces."
Its voice dropped slightly.
"…At first, I didn't understand."
A breath.
"…But now…"
Its gaze sharpened.
"…I do."
A beat.
"…It's you."
Silence filled the ridge.
"…You've been moving through the outer range…"
"…killing every Foundation Establishment beast you find."
The fox blinked.
"…Every?"
A small frown.
"…We've only killed a few."
The ape stared at her.
Then
"…A few?"
Its voice rose slightly. Not loud
But edged.
"…A *few?*"
Its irritation surfaced.
"…You've almost wiped them out."
A step of tension in its stance.
"…There are barely any left."
"…You can count them on both hands."
The fox's expression shifted.
Genuine confusion.
"…That's not—"
The ape cut her off again.
"…Do you think Foundation Establishment beasts are weeds?"
A sharp pause.
"…That they just grow everywhere?"
Its eyes burned.
"…Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Silence fell again.
This time
Heavier.
Because for the first time
The scale of it
Was starting to settle in.
The fox blinked.
Once.
Then again.
"…Oh."
A small pause.
"…So it wasn't random."
Her ears twitched slightly as her gaze drifted for a moment thinking.
"…We just kept running into them…"
Her tail slowed.
"…again and again…"
Another pause.
"…and I thought there were just too many of them."
A faint exhale.
"…Like ants."
Silence.
"…Turns out…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…we were just *lucky.*"
That word lingered.
*Lucky.*
The fox didn't speak for a moment.
Then
"…Damn."
Her voice dropped slightly.
"…I don't know if I should call that luck…"
A small tilt of her head.
"…or something else."
Her gaze flicked upward
Toward the lizard resting on her head.
"…Foundation Establishment beasts don't just line up like that."
Another pause.
"…And they definitely don't keep 'popping up' exactly when you're looking for them."
Her eyes sharpened faintly.
"…That kind of luck…"
A breath.
"…doesn't come for free."
Silence settled.
Then
Her lips curved into a faint, knowing smirk.
"…Hey."
A slight shift of her posture.
"…Little White."
Her tone turned casual again.
Almost teasing.
"…Looks like your luck's been working overtime lately."
A pause.
"…Which means…"
Her tail flicked once.
"…you should probably start preparing."
Another glance upward.
"…Because if you've been this lucky…"
Her eyes glinted faintly.
"…something bad is definitely coming to balance it out."
A beat.
"…That's just how things work."
She stepped back slightly.
"…So next time we move…"
A small shrug.
"…maybe keep your distance."
Her tone lightened—but the meaning stayed.
"…I don't want your bad luck rubbing off on me."
Above her
The lizard didn't react.
Didn't move.
Golden eyes steady.
Unbothered.
As if luck
Had nothing to do with it.