“Alicia, I will go to Celestial Forest for a month”

Alicia was shocked by Alex’s revelation. “Can I go with you?”

Alex shook his head.

“Alright then, be careful” Alicia sighed and told him.

This time was Alex’s turn to be surprised. Usually, Alicia will nag him to bring her with him but eventually persuaded by him to not. But now, Alicia didn’t nag or argued with him. She only asked once and agreed with his decision.

Seeing Alex’s astonished face, she pouted. “What?”

“No…nothing. Usually…you will…” Alex hesitated.

“What? Are you going to say I usually persisted on wanting to follow you?”

Alex gulped down, he didn’t know whether to nod or not.

“Well, you are right. Before I usually did that. Don’t worry, now I won’t be like that again. I will support you with what you want to do. I might hinder you if I recklessly follow you” The Alicia now, already matured. It might be a good experience for her to went inside the dungeon with Mia that day.

“It just, you must definitely come back here” She said in a low voice.

Alex was surprised but soon turned to smile, “Yes, Definitely”

…

The next day,

Alicia woke up but didn’t find Alex in the room. Only a plate of breakfast on the table. She looked at the note beside the plate.

“I’m going, Alicia. Sorry if I didn’t say goodbye to you, I scared that I might reluctant to go if I did that. This is breakfast, maybe from tomorrow onward for a month, I can’t make you more breakfast and you might need to get them in the cafeteria. Also, please tell Firia about this. -Love You, Alex”

…

Alex already went on his way toward Celestial Forest. He already knew the way to the celestial forest. He didn’t bother to search for a caravan group to get there since his speed was much faster than them. He only has a month for this, So going with caravan might be a bad thing for this. With his current speed, he can reach Celestial Forest within 2 days.

On the third day, Alex has arrived in front of the celestial forest. He inspected the forest surrounding, he found it similar to the terrain of Night Forest. This should be easy if it was similar, he thought.

Alex then has his way inside of the forest. He moves toward the volcano in the center of this forest. Since the information said the herb was beside the volcano.

On the way, he killed many monsters. But their rank was only rank 2 or below.

When he entered the Volcano zone, the monsters that started to appear was between rank 3 to rank 5. Alex easily killed them though.

After he searched the herb for two days. He finally found it. But he really surprised by what he saw. It was just a red rose. From the description of this herb. He knows this herb was the herb he searched about, the Fire Miletonia Herb. The difference of this herb and red rose on Earth was this herb giving heat to its surrounding

“Why they don’t call this rose?” Alex was curious. But he somehow knows the answer. He never saw any flower with ‘Rose’ name on it. He sighed, he almost forgot he wasn’t on Earth. Different world, different naming sense. He should be content that there still somethings that had any similarities with Earth, whether its name, appearance, etc.

“According to the information, there is a rank 5 monster guarding this herb?” After he said that, he heard a sound.

“Crack”

Alex immediately put his guard up. He already pulled out his sword.

A Fox covered in Fire appeared in front of Alex looking at him angrily. The fox roared as he charged toward Alex.

“Fire?” Alex smiled.

When the Fox bites him, Alex covered his body with his flame armor. The Fire that surrounded the Fox was somehow become submissive and was absorbed by Alex flame armor.

The Fox was surprised by Alex’s element, he felt suppression in all of his body in front of Alex’s flame. But he also felt a sense of familiar feeling in front of Alex’s flame. He jumped back a bit and looked toward Alex vigilantly.

Alex was surprised by this, he frowned.

He used his flame once again in front of the fox. The fox was scared by his flame.

“I won’t kill you, just go” Alex said to the fox.

“Wuu” The fox responded to his word, but the fox didn’t run away.

Alex frowned, he didn’t know what the fox said. He then pointed at the Fire Miletonia Herb, since this herb was protected by him, Alex thought that it was relating to this herb. So he asked, “Do you need this herb?”

“Wuu” The fox shook his head furiously.

Now Alex was sure, The Fox was intelligent enough to understand him. But he frowned when he saw the Fox didn’t need this herb. “Then why aren’t you go? Are you expecting me to kill you?”

Alex was somehow didn’t want to kill this fox. Even though this fox was a monster, it was rare to encounter monsters with this much intelligent. Most of the monsters he encountered would only think about killing him.

“Wuu” The fox shook his head again scaredly.

“Then what do you want?” Alex asked.

“Wuu” The fox hesitated but he ultimately started to move closer to Alex. Though the fox walking toward him scaredly it still arrived in front of Alex.

Alex frowned, he readied his battle stance, in case this fox suddenly started to attack him. But he soon surprised with what he saw next.

“Wuu” The fox started to lick his feet gently.

Alex was confused. Was this fox want to try his leg first before eating it?

“What are you doing?”

“Wuu” The fox suddenly becomes terrified.

Alex looked at the fox, this Fox seems didn’t want to attack him. He then stretches his hand, trying to stroke the fox.

The fox lowered its head and let Alex stroke him. Then he started to lick Alex’s hand. Alex’s eyes then brightened.

“Are you want to follow me?” Alex asked.

“Wuu Wuu” The fox nodded hurriedly.

Turned out the fox only wanted to follow him. Alex sighed, he never thought from all the reason he thinks in his head, none of it matches the fox intention. Tasting him? Eating him? He was stronger, why exactly he thought about that.

“Why do you want to follow me?”

“Wuu” The fox didn’t answer him

Alex sighed, it might be nice to keep this fox as a pet. He can also give this fox to Alicia, this fox can protect her after all this fox was a rank 5 monster.

“Alright, you can follow me.”

“Wuu” The fox wagging his tail happily.

“Let’s name you first since you want to follow me it won’t be nice if I need to call you fox every time ain’t it?

“Wuu” The Fox looked at Alex in anticipation.

“… I forgot to ask you, are you a male?”

“Wuu” The fox shook its head.

“Then you are a female?”

“Wuu” This time the fox nodded. Turned out the fox was a female. Alex thought this fox would be a male since h-she was aggressive. The fox somehow felt Alex though something rude “Wuu”

Alex then thought of a female name. He wanted to call it pochi like the anime back on earth but he refrains from doing that. He thought a bit “Sherry… it will be your name”

“Wuu” The fox joyfully accepted the name. Maybe the fox also joyful that Alex didn’t name her with some weird name.

“Well, glad you like it. Nice to meet you, Sherry. I’m Alex”

“Wuu Wuu”

After Sherry leaped around in joy, she suddenly turned to Alex. “Wuu Wuu”

Alex stroke her head, “What is it?”

“Wuu” She then gestured like she wants to eat.

“You want to eat?” Alex asked. Sherry nodded its head.

“What do you want to eat? Don’t tell me this herb?” Alex then asked her with a surprised face. This fox approached him just so Alex will give the herb back to her?

“Wuu” The fox shook her head. Then suddenly the flame burst from its body and covered her body. “Wuu”

“Flame? You want to eat flame?” Alex asked about that, but soon his eyes widened. “You want to eat my flame?”

“Wuu” The fox nodded furiously.

“…” Alex was speechless, turned out this fox aim was his pure fire. Well, he didn’t really mind feeding her with his flame, as it won’t get him any bad from doing that.

Alex then put out his fire. A small fireball appeared on Alex’s palm. The fox gets closer to Alex’s palm and eats the fireball. She finished eating the fireball in a minute

“Wuu” She seems didn’t get enough and asked for more.

Alex only sighed and shook his head as he pours out more fire for the fox to eat. After half an hour, the fox was laid down, satisfied.

“Glutton” Alex cursed out jokingly. This fox eats too much, he spent around a third of his mana to feed the fox. But he was suddenly surprised because the fire from within the fox seems suddenly spurted out from its body.

“Wuu” The fox look like in pain.

Alex wanted to help her but he didn’t know what to do. But soon, he was surprised. Because this fox’s red-colored flame started to become pink. Alex stopped for trying to help her, This fox might try to evolve.

Alex then watched the fox carefully. The process was a half day. The fire started beccome tranquil and back to the fox’s body. The fox slowly opened its eyes. She looked at Alex then jumped to him joyfully and licking his cheek “Wuu”

Alex was taken by surprise, he then fell to the ground. Alex observe carefully this fox. Its body was almost a meter in height. The fur was orange with a pink color here and there as that was her body surrounded by pink flame.

“Can you hide your flame? it might be dangerous with it when we walked around”

“Wuu” The flame that was surrounding the fox was slowly getting smaller and smaller until it was disappeared.

Alex nodded seeing the flame nowhere to be seen now.

Alex then pondering for the next plan, His eyes suddenly brightened, but he hesitated. He then turned to Sherry. “I’m going to a dangerous place, so please stay here. I don’t want something happened to you”

“Wuu” Sherry looks like she was wronged.

Alex was hesitated, but seeing her, he sighed. “Fine, you can follow me. If something happened I won’t care about it”

“Wuu” the fox wagged her tail.