Chapter 90: The Tiger Who Became a Cat (4)

The tiger’s den was a fascinating structure.

True to its name, it was a building carved into a mountain, stretching underground. Honestly, calling it a “den” felt inaccurate—it was more like a bunker. But since Cheonji’s architecture leaned toward appreciating the essence of nature, let’s stick with calling it a “den.”

However, it didn’t look like a typical den. Instead, it resembled a Western-style mansion. Not just any simple mansion, either—it was the kind of grand estate you’d imagine a noble would live in.

A Western mansion built underground with no natural light? It was the perfect setting for a horror movie.

And it had no shortage of bizarre features.

There were gimmicks like spears suddenly shooting up from the floor or walls opening to spray something unexpected.

It was practically a dungeon.

Even though this was my second time seeing it, I couldn’t help but find it absurd.

Eventually, I had to ask Baek Yoorin.

“How do you even live in a house like this?”

“D-do you want to live with me here…?”

“No, geez. Forget it.”

I decided to drop it.

Baek Yoorin was in a state of panic after losing her abilities.

In other words, she wasn’t in her right mind.

This was someone who, as one of Cheonji’s Celestial Immortals, could have devoured twelve servings of mango bingsu, kept up with her “one eating a day” routine, and maxed out every gacha game character she wanted—all without breaking a sweat. And now, she’d been weakened to this point.

She wouldn’t be earning money anymore.

Her social reputation must’ve plummeted as well.

If it were me, I’d have lost it already. So I could understand why Baek Yoorin was so out of it.

But her dazed state was becoming excessive.

At this rate, things could get dangerous.

Especially considering that this mansion was far from normal.

“This won’t do.”

I bent down and said, “Get on.”

“W-what?”

“Get on my back. It’s dangerous.”

****

Baek Yoorin, now piggybacking on Yoo Hajin, fell into deep thought. Had she ever been carried by someone before?

In her faint memories, she could recall being carried by her mother a few times as a child.

‘It’s warm… I like it…’

Cling—

To think someone was carrying her.

To think someone was embracing this disgusting, revolting version of herself.

Baek Yoorin felt like she might actually cry. But just as her emotions started to swell, they were interrupted by Gamlo’s serene voice in her mind.

+To erase the negative, you must first understand its nature.+

Gamlo’s voice continued.

+Why does negativity obscure your spiritual power and prevent you from using your abilities? It’s because negativity denies your foundational wish.+

So that was it.

At that moment, Baek Yoorin had been denying herself.

She had wished for this monstrous form to disappear.

And so her soul had granted that wish.

+Therefore, affirm your fundamental vow with all your strength. Only then will you reclaim your spiritual power.+

Affirm her fundamental vow?

How was she supposed to do that?

How could she possibly affirm this?

+You must erase the negativity as quickly as possible. Don’t forget, many are targeting you. Right now, I and most of the Celestial Immortals are busy suppressing the Great Demon Gate’s outbursts. I’m sorry to say, but no one can come to help you.+

No one could come to help her.

‘The World Always Leaves You Alone’

It’s funny how they make it sound like they’re helping.

They didn’t come to help even before she was nearly torn apart by Kim Sojin.

The world is a place where you survive on your own.

For a monster like her, that’s the only way to live.

“Grr…”

Baek Yoorin bit her lip and looked off into the distance. Toward where the intruders were nearing the barrier of the Tiger’s Den.

“What’s wrong? Baek Yoorin, are you hurt?”

“W-what?”

Suddenly, Yoo Hajin’s large hand reached out toward her. Gently, he pressed his palm against her forehead.

The world was a place where you survived on your own. For a monster like her, that was the only way.

“You don’t have a fever.”

“P-probably just hungry…”

She couldn’t afford to lose her strength. If she didn’t recover, she wouldn’t be able to keep this person here. And yet, she couldn’t bear the thought of letting him go. So, she scrambled for an excuse.

“They say the Great Demon Gate is throwing a tantrum, and Gamlo and the other Celestials are busy dealing with it. Until Gamlo arrives, would you like to join me for a meal? I wasn’t able to treat you properly last time. Back then, all I had was instant ramen, but things are different now. Cooking… it used to be one of my hobbies…”

When Yoo Hajin visited last time, she’d only had instant ramen to offer. She remembered how embarrassed she felt and had since made sure her pantry was stocked.

But Yoo Hajin was focused on something else entirely.

“Wait, the Great Demon Gate?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He paused for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright. I never say no to free food.”

The man grinned widely.

And Baek Yoorin smiled back just as brightly.

She couldn’t even remember the last time she had shared a meal with someone. After becoming what she was, every dish she cooked had been imbued with her spiritual power, making it impossible for others to eat.

‘But now that my abilities are sealed…’

If her powers were dormant, wouldn’t it be possible to cook without imbuing her energy into the food? The thought made Baek Yoorin smile faintly as she began preparing herself.

Then, she started undressing.

‘I heard men like aprons. Especially...’

****

“Free Food is the Best Food”

That’s what I told myself as I took a seat at the table next to the kitchen.

The Great Demon Gate was causing chaos, huh?

Gamlo had said she was coming after dealing with that.

That meant I could ask Gamlo for more details about the Gate.

Just as I organized my thoughts, Baek Yoorin began taking off her clothes.

“What the—what are you doing?”

“H-huh? Oh, I can’t cook in clothes imbued with my spiritual energy. I was going to change into a clean apron.”

I’ll admit it: her silhouette was beautiful.

Her white skin stood out against the black lingerie she wore beneath.

“The Art of Cooking and Rediscovering Oneself”

The subtle but beautifully defined back muscles, the elegant curve of her spine, and the gentle sway of her hips, thighs, and calves.

I shut my eyes tightly and began singing the national anthem in my head.

And I thought to myself.

Wait, is it actually necessary to avoid wearing clothes infused with spiritual energy while cooking? Is this some new piece of spiritual common sense I’ve just learned?

If that’s the case, I had no choice but to accept it naturally. But watching her hips and waist sway while she cooked, I felt something… stirring within me.

Glance—glance—

Baek Yoorin, catching my reaction, gave me a sly, teasing smile.

What was that smug, cheeky grin supposed to mean?

Chop chop chop—

Sizzle—

Slice slice slice—

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast this morning. As the aromas began to waft through the air, my hunger surged.

Potato soup with plenty of bacon simmered on the stove. Shrimp sizzled in garlic and olive oil. Meat roasted to perfection in the oven.

It smelled amazing.

I couldn’t wait to dig in.

Meanwhile, Baek Yoorin continued to move gracefully.

It was… distracting.

I lowered my gaze again, trying to focus on anything else.

She noticed and chuckled softly once more.

But that smile didn’t last long.

“Ugh, it’s ruined. Even like this, my spiritual energy still got into it. I… I really can’t do anything, can I?”

“?”

Looking at the potato soup, shrimp, and roasted meat, Baek Yoorin fell into despair. Then, to my horror, she moved as if to throw it all away.

What the hell?! Did she not see how hungry I was?!

“Wait—what are you doing?!”

****

Baek Yoorin looked up at me blankly.

I was already devouring the potato soup like it was life itself, peeling the shrimp, and tearing into the steak fresh out of the oven.

“Is… is it good?”

“It’s amazing. Like, ridiculously good.”

Baek Yoorin used to love cooking back in middle school. But ever since the day her spiritual sight awakened, she hadn’t been able to cook anything.

Every dish she made would cause people to fall to their knees in reverence, throw up, or cry out in fear for their mothers the moment they saw it.

To create something meant to share a part of her spiritual energy with it.

But Yoo Hajin was eating her food—the food imbued with her energy—so happily, so naturally. Watching him, Baek Yoorin couldn’t help but shed a tear.

“Is it… really that good?”

“I’m telling you, it’s incredible! Wow, I cook a little myself, but I think I could learn from you. What’s in this steak sauce? It’s genius!”

‘I’m happy.’

‘Someone is enjoying the food I made.’

‘I want to cook for him every day.’

‘I want to share my spiritual energy with him every day.’

Baek Yoorin trembled slightly before shaking her head. But she felt it—a small piece of her strength had returned.

‘I was told to affirm my fundamental vow.’

For the first time in a long while, she felt a small affirmation of her fundamental vow. So this was how she could erase the negativity within her. She nodded silently to herself.

She needed to regain her self-esteem.

And to do that, she would have to show off what she was most confident in.

“Um… by the way…”

-Nom nom.

“Huh? What is it?”

“Did you know… I used to be an idol trainee?”

Yoo Hajin nodded absentmindedly as he took another bite.

“Since there’s still some time before Gamlo gets here, would you like me to show you a song I practiced back then? I mean, if you don’t want to, that’s totally fine! I’m also curious about how it sounds to someone else…”

‘What kind of man would turn down a cute girl offering to sing and dance for him?’ Yoo Hajin, without thinking too deeply about it, nodded.

****

The tiger had many enemies.

From hordes of malevolent spirits and unorthodox sects like the Mireuk Cult to even rival factions within Cheonji. The moment rumors spread that the tiger had been tainted by negativity and had its spiritual realm sealed, some of those enemies immediately made their move. The tiger was hated that much.

Thus, an assassination squad breached the barrier of the Tiger’s Den. They navigated through countless traps, steadily advancing into its depths.

“Wait, stop.”

The squad leader issued a command in front of what appeared to be a kitchen.

Sensing a powerful sense of foreboding, the leader cautiously entered the kitchen, scanning the surroundings. Their gaze eventually landed on the dishes piled in the sink.

“Hehe… hehe.”

The leader chuckled at the sight.

There’s an old saying: It’s better to live as an ordinary person than a mediocre spiritualist.

Ordinary people flee in terror when faced with the truths emanating from malevolent spirits or higher celestials. But spiritualists, unlike ordinary people, comprehend a fragment of that truth—something that was never meant to be understood.

“Hehehehe. This is… the Absolute Predator…”

Just as the leader turned to warn the others, the team launched an all-out attack on their own leader. In an instant, the leader was reduced to nothing—not even a scrap of flesh remained.

“This place is dangerous. We abandon the kitchen.”

The squad leader decided to pull back their team. The tiger was no longer the overwhelming predator it once was, now reduced to a seemingly ordinary state. However, even in this weakened state, the tiger was capable of killing them all with ease.

In such a scenario, it was unlikely the tiger would be hiding in such a dangerous spot. The leader quickly communicated this assessment to the entire squad, from the vice-captain down to the youngest member.

The youngest member nodded in admiration at the leader’s sharp judgment.

The search of the Tiger’s Den continued.

They were nearing the end of their hunt.

“This hallway is the last one.”

The youngest thought back to the rumors—how the tiger had lost all its spiritual guardians after fighting Kim Sojin. If the spiritual guardians were still around, this wouldn’t have been so easy.

With a smirk, the youngest followed the others into the hallway. From the distance, faint idol music could be heard.

The door to the room was ajar.

“With just the words ‘I love you, I love you—’”

Hearing such a cheerful song in a gloomy mansion was grotesque. Tension mounting, the youngest waited for the seniors to make a move.

“So… that’s what it is,” the captain muttered.

We’re all about to have our innards devoured by that predator.

The captain’s words sent shivers through the group.

“It’s too terrifying. Ah, ah…”

“But this is the truth, isn’t it? Aaaaah…”

“We have no choice. Aaaaaahhhh…”

The captain turned to look at the youngest.

Then, the captain ripped off their mask, letting out a bloodcurdling scream.

“That’s what this is! AAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Seeing this, the youngest also screamed in horror.

*****

“The Idol’s Encore”

I sat there, listening to Baek Yoorin sing and dance.

No, honestly, I couldn’t really think at all.

Was she really just a visual trainee for a major agency? How could someone supposedly just there for their looks be this good at singing and dancing?

She must have practiced relentlessly—even after being kicked out of her agency and joining Cheonji. Even now, she must have kept practicing.

“With just the words ‘I love you, I love you—’”

Waaaah kyaaaa paaah—

No, no, no. Don’t fall for this! Pull yourself together, Yoo Hajin!

But then, Baek Yoorin approached with a shy expression, clasped her hands together, and formed a heart. With a dramatic gesture, she “shot” the heart at me.

“I feel like I can’t express this feeling enough—”

So this is why people go to idol concerts.

Before I realized it, I was screaming at the top of my lungs.

“WAAAAAAH! YOU’RE THE BEST!!!”

****

In front of the passage leading to the Great Demon Gate, celestial beings lay scattered like fallen leaves.

The leader of Cheonji could no longer contain their frustration and roared into the void.

“Oh, malevolent god! What exactly is your grievance?!”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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