After exiting the cabin, Arch continued his search for the exit. Along the way, he used the system to order soft drinks and ten spicy burgers. Once purchased, the food was delivered again by the "big finger," costing him 11 PS in total. He didn't stop searching or gathering clues during this time.
After searching for about five hours straight, he decided to take a little rest. He found a dilapidated building that looked like a store and went inside. There, he saw a table with moss covering its surface, and nearby, he spotted a chair. After scrubbing the moss and dirt from both the chair and the table, he placed the remaining food he had purchased earlier down and clasped his hands together.
ARCH: itadakimasu!!
He then started to eat. While chewing, he suddenly noticed a fox-like creature sitting at the entrance of the store, glaring directly at him. He couldn't help but be filled with awe. Seeing the fox face-to-face gave him goosebumps at the same time.
It had snow-white fur, and its eyes resembled those of a snake. Most strikingly, its tail was a big white snake...
( Fox's image in the comments section )
Wait," he thought. "If I remember correctly, when I last encountered this fox, its tail was like a hydra of snakes... What's happening?"
The fox was just sitting there, its eyes unblinking. If not for the large white snake hissing, crawling, and coiling around the fox's neck, Arch would have suspected the creature was a statue. It just kept staring at him.
Then, Arch noticed a drop of saliva dripping from the fox's mouth. He couldn't help himself; he burst out laughing. "Gurarararara! Look at you, you're lusting over my food!"
He grabbed one spicy hamburger and tossed it toward the snake-fox creature. The snake coiled around the fox's neck moved with unbelievable speed and snatched the burger in mid-air. The snake-like tail, with the burger secured in its mouth, then offered the food to the fox.
The fox did not eat it immediately. It sniffed the burger for a while before deciding to swallow it whole. Arch burst out laughing again. "Gurararara!" He gave the fox a thumbs-up. "That's the spirit right there!"
Arch looked intently at the three-foot-tall, snow-white fox. The fox, noticing his stare, gazed back. A staring contest ensued, lasting over five minutes.
Arch finally broke the silence, erupting in his iconic laughter: "Gurarararararara!"
With a more intense gaze, he addressed the fox: "Hey, Foxxy! See this?" He pointed at his own white hair. "It's white. And you're white, and your snake buddy is white, too! Gurarararara!"
He stood up from his chair and slowly walked toward the snake-fox, stopping two feet away. Arch stretched out his right hand as if initiating a handshake, and offered it to the fox.
Then, in a loud voice, Arch declared: "Hey, Foxxy! BECOME MY SON!"
.
.
.
.
.A moment of silence followed. The fox's head and the snake's head both tilted simultaneously, and an imaginary question mark seemed to hover above them. The snake-fox looked at Arch, utterly dumbfounded.
Seeing this reaction from the beast, Arch merely shrugged his shoulders and walked back to his seat to continue eating his burger. He looked back at the snake-fox.
Now that you're my son," he declared, "you should follow me, and—
Before he could continue his lecture, he was cut off by the system.
*CREAKKKKK
[ USER TAB]
Name: Arch D.Newgate
Age:5
Whitebeard Template: ⬆️ 30%/100.
Arch almost choked. He hastily grabbed his soft drink and drank it all. His eyes snapped to the system interface. On his user tab, the Whitebeard Template now displayed 30% / 100%.
He exclaimed, "Whaaaat! Are you for real? A twenty percent increase just for saying that phrase?!"
He slapped his face hard, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
The slap left his cheek flushed scarlet, but Arch barely registered the sting. He was already too busy roaring in victory: "GURARARARARARA!"
He turned his gaze on the snake-fox, which was still staring blankly, utterly confused by the shouting human child. As a reward, Arch swept the remaining burgers off the table, sending them flying toward his new "son."
The fox finally snapped awake at the sight of food. The snake-tail caught the flying meal, but skipped the formality this time, gobbling the burger down in one swift motion. Arch grinned, delivering another vigorous thumbs-up. "Attaboy! That's what you earned!"
------ to be continued-------