A BOY who looked like he was seven or eight years old appeared before them wearing a simple white shirt that barely passed his knees.  He had long black hair the color of the dark night sky.  On top of his head were a pair of fox ears.  His long eyelashes were fanning his plump cheeks.  He had a cute button like nose and lips the color of rose petals. 

The boy slowly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of blue irises the color of sapphire.  On his back were five fluffy tails.  And on his forehead was the blue gem.  When his eyes were fully opened, he looked around in confusion.  Then he looked down at his eyes and a shock expression appeared on that handsome little face. 

That shock quickly turned to intense happiness.  He sharply raised his head and looked around once again.  His gaze stayed at a particular direction.  He waved his hand and tried to run towards that direction.  But before he could even make two steps, he lost his balance and was about to fall face first on the ground.

Luo Yan, who already kind of predicted that this would happen, had long run from where he was.  That's why he was able to stop the other's fall.  He crouched down and just let the little boy fell on his arms.

Eclipse seemed like he didn't mind falling.  He raised his head, his eyes still full of enthusiasm, and said in a childish and milky voice; 

"Mashter!  Eclipse is finally a boy!"

Luo Yan chuckled and patted the other's head.  "Silly, Eclipse has always been a boy.  Or have you been a girl this whole time and just had been hiding it from me?"

Eclipse stood up, his cheeks bulging.  "Mashter, you know that's not what Eclipse meant!"

This adorable face added with those bulging cheeks was like a huge crit hit to Luo Yan.  So, he didn't hesitate and just poke the boy's cheek. 

Eclipse acted as if he was surprised by what he did and then quickly put his hand on his poked cheek.  "Mashter, why are you bullying Eclipse?"

Luo Yan almost laughed.  Really, this drama queen.  "Because Eclipse is just too cute right now.  Master simply couldn't resist."

The little fox boy seemed to be appeased by that compliment.  "Is Eclipse really cute?" 

Hearing this question, Luo Yan acted as if he was having second thought with what he said earlier about Eclipse being cute.  To be more believable, he stared intently at the boy's face.  But doing so, he suddenly noticed something.

Eclipse actually looked a bit similar to the Gamekeeper!  If you just change his hair color to dark blue and make it shorter and also change his nose shape, he would look exactly as the Gamekeeper.  Were a lot of young NPCs in this game modeled after the young Shen Ji Yun?

He narrowed his eyes.  No, wait.  Eclipse's eye shape was also different from the Gamekeeper.  Because that particular NPC was modeled exactly from Shen Ji Yun, his eyes were a bit sharper.  But this boy here, his eyes were bigger and shaped like peach blossoms. 

Luo Yan stopped when he realized that.  Because Eclipse's eye shape looked more similar to his own eye shape.  Now that he stared at Eclipse's more, he's really not that similar to the Gamekeeper.  His features were more like a combination of his and Shen Ji Yun's.  Then wouldn't it seem more that this guy was his and Shen Ji Yun's son instead of Kagetsuki?

The suspicion he had about some of the game programmers actually assisting Shen Ji Yun in chasing him suddenly became stronger again.  Could that actually be possible?

Seeing that he hadn't answered after some time had passed, Eclipse suddenly sobbed.  "Wuuu… Mashter thinks Eclipse is ugly!"

That sob brought Luo Yan back to his senses.  Anyway, whether his suspicion was correct or not, he still had a lot of time to find out about it.  It's not as if those programmers would be gone or something.  Right now, he had to comfort this little guy first.

"Master is just teasing.  Of course, Eclipse is the cutest," he said, rubbing the little boy's head.

Eclipse let out a childish laugh, clearly delighted by what his master said.  Then as if thinking of something, his cheeks bulged again.  "But Eclipse wants to be as beautiful as Mashter."

Luo Yan stared again at Eclipse's features.  "Well, with how you look, I'm sure you would be once you became an adult."

Eclipse's sapphire blue eyes brightened again.  "Really?  Then when will Eclipse be an adult?"

"Hmm… maybe once you grow nine tails?"

The little boy looked back at his five tails.  "Eclipse wants to grow up soon."  Then he looked down at his clothes.  "Eclipse also wants cuter clothes.  Eclipse… Eclipse is suddenly feeling… sleepy…"

After he said that, the boy was suddenly surrounded by a black smoke and then turned back to his fox form.  The sleeping fox fell into Luo Yan's arms.  Then he noticed that the little fox seemed to be not so little anymore.  If before, he was as big as a small puppy.  Now, he's probably as big as a corgi, except that his legs were not as short.

He was about to carry him, when a pair of arms stretched out from his side and did the carrying.  He raised his head and saw Shen Ji Yun.

"Let me carry him," the other simply said.

Luo Yan smiled because he knew this guy was simply worried that he would get tired carrying the now bigger fox.  Which was impossible, by the way, since this was the virtual world and all.  His strength was not equal to his real-life strength.  But that didn't mean he didn't enjoy this type of care.

He stood up and turned back to Shirayuki who he now only noticed had bright eyes.  She was obviously very excited by the 'awakening' of her nephew.  "Is it normal for him to suddenly fall asleep like that?"

"Yes.  Eclipse is probably still unable to stabilize his humanoid form," she answered.  "While we wait for him to wake up, why don't we go to our tribe's village first?  I think all of us have a lot to discuss."

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