The lizard's gaze did not shift.
He did not blink.
He simply looked at her, calm as ever.
Then he spoke.
"I want to break through."
The fox's teasing smile faltered.
Not dramatically—
but enough.
Her ears twitched slightly.
"…What?"
For the first time in a long while, genuine surprise crossed her face.
Not because of his tone.
Because of his words.
She straightened, turquoise eyes narrowing.
"You want to break through?"
The sentence lingered between them.
And with it, understanding slowly began to form.
Her expression shifted.
From puzzled—
to disbelieving.
"…Wait."
A beat passed.
"What do you mean you want to break through?"
She was staring at him now, fully focused.
"You're already at the peak of Foundation Establishment."
A brief silence followed.
Then her eyes widened, just slightly.
"…Don't tell me…"
The cave seemed to grow quieter.
Heavier.
The implication struck.
Her voice lowered, careful now.
"…Golden Core?"
She held his gaze, searching his face for doubt.
For hesitation.
There was none.
A faint breath caught in her throat.
"You want to break through into Golden Core?"
Another pause.
Then, almost incredulous—
"Now?"
She took a slow step closer, still staring at him.
"I thought…"
Her brows drew together.
"I thought you still needed more time."
There was no mockery in her voice now.
No teasing.
Only genuine confusion.
Because even for him—
this was sudden.
And yet, as she looked at him—
as she felt the pressure faintly coiled inside him like something caged—
she could tell.
He was not joking.
He was serious.
And for the first time since meeting him, the fox looked at him not as a strange companion—
but as something even she could not fully understand.
She remained silent for a moment, still processing.
Then practicality returned.
"How long?"
Her voice sharpened, more serious now.
"If you're going to break through…"
She paused.
"How long will it take?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Days? Weeks?"
A beat.
"How long?"
The lizard remained still.
"I don't know."
That answer made her ears twitch.
"You don't know?"
She stared at him for a moment, then exhaled slowly.
"So it could take weeks."
A pause.
"Months."
Her gaze lowered briefly as her thoughts raced.
"Maybe even years."
Silence settled over the cave again.
But this time, it was not calm.
It was heavy.
Because now, the fox's mind was already moving ahead.
*If he goes into deep cultivation now…*
Her eyes shifted slightly, focused but distant.
*He might not wake for a very long time.*
Her thoughts sharpened.
*Last time, breaking through only a minor realm took days.*
*And he was unconscious the whole time.*
*Completely unaware.*
A faint breath escaped her.
*This is a major realm.*
*Foundation Establishment… to Golden Core.*
*That is not something you sleep through in a few days.*
*It could take far longer than even I'm imagining.*
Her gaze returned to him.
Steady.
Serious.
"Then don't do it yet."
The words came immediately.
Firm.
The lizard's eyes remained calm, but attentive.
The fox stepped closer, stopping directly in front of him now.
"You need to hold it in."
There was no teasing now.
No playfulness.
Only reason.
"I don't know how long you'll be gone once you start."
A beat.
"So we need to prepare first."
Her tail flicked once, restless.
"Properly."
She held his gaze.
"We need to find a safer place."
"Set things up."
"Make sure nothing goes wrong."
A brief silence passed.
Then her expression shifted.
A faint smirk returned.
Lighter now—
but not entirely playful.
"And before you decide to sleep through half my life…"
Her eyes gleamed.
"…you still owe me."
The lizard said nothing.
But she continued anyway.
"The payback."
She tilted her head slightly.
"For the dragon's blood."
The cave fell quiet.
Her voice lowered, slower now.
More deliberate.
"Before you go into breakthrough…"
A slow, knowing smile spread across her face.
"You're going to do that thing you promised me."
The lizard looked at her.
Steady.
Waiting.
"What is it?"
The fox smiled.
Not playfully this time—
but sharply.
Focused.
"I need your help killing someone."
A beat passed.
"A fox."
The lizard's gaze did not change.
So she continued.
"She's late-stage Foundation Establishment."
A faint pause.
"Peak, probably."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as old memories surfaced.
"She's strong."
Then her tone shifted.
Lower.
"But that's not the real problem."
The cave seemed quieter now.
The fox's turquoise eyes darkened faintly.
"She's one of the Demon King's right hands."
Silence followed.
Even the roots of the Crimson Veinblood Tree seemed still.
The lizard remained calm.
So she laid it out plainly.
"To kill her…"
Her voice was even.
"…we'll have to get past a Golden Core demonic beast first."
A pause.
"The Demon King."
There was no drama in her voice.
No exaggeration.
Just fact.
The lizard's eyes remained fixed on her.
The fox exhaled softly.
"I was willing to wait."
She glanced aside for a moment.
"Wait until you got stronger."
Her lips pressed together briefly.
"But if you're going to disappear for years…"
Her gaze returned to him.
Steady.
"I can't."
A faint tension entered her voice.
Not fear.
Urgency.
"And the Golden Core beast isn't even our true target."
Her eyes sharpened.
"He's just the wall standing in the way."
A small pause.
"The real target is her."
Her tail flicked once.
"If we kill her…"
"…we leave immediately."
There was no greed in her voice.
No hesitation.
Only intent.
"But don't misunderstand."
Her voice lowered further.
"This won't be easy."
A beat.
"No."
A faint smile touched her lips.
Cold.
Honest.
"It'll be really, really dangerous."
Her gaze held his.
Unflinching.
"We could die."
Silence followed.
She did not soften the truth.
Did not dress it up.
Because with him, there was no point.
"So."
A pause.
"Are you willing?"
The cave fell still.
The lizard stared at her.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then—
"I don't like owing debts."
Simple.
Flat.
He licked his maw once, slowly.
Golden eyes gleaming faintly.
"And…"
A brief pause.