New Skill
Now, what should I do? There were a few options. One was to make money through this gate. In fact, permanently boosting someone's stats was something irreplaceable. Another was to hide it entirely, just as Seon-woo and Dad had suggested—devoting myself to keeping the gate's existence a complete secret. But honestly, I couldn't be confident that was possible.
Before I even said a word, Seon-woo had noticed, and so had Dad. So I wasn't holding out much hope for maintaining the secret forever. I'd hide it for as long as I could, but that was it.
Keeping a secret isn't as easy as it sounds in novels. Can't I just keep my mouth shut? But wouldn't my behavior change? Whether I intended it or not, my actions would shift. With altered strength, agility, stamina, intelligence, and mental fortitude, could I really maintain the same habits and patterns as before? Honestly, I didn't think so.
I'd hide it as best I could for now, but if hiding wasn't foolproof, shouldn't I focus on gaining the power to protect what mattered?
"Right, Hoya?"
Nyaang! Hoya replied with an air of annoyance.
Come to think of it, Hoya always responded promptly whenever I called. He must be mindful of our bond.
"Hoya! Looks like Dad needs to get stronger. Let's head in—help your dad level up."
Nyang!
Hoya perked up his tail and strode into the gate with proud gusto. I followed right behind.
"Ah, the air. Wow, the crops have grown so well. Haha, time to harvest... no!"
I almost habitually started harvesting, then stopped and decided to go hunting with Hoya instead.
"There's something in that forest, right?"
Nyang. An affirmative meow.
Now I could understand Hoya's responses to some degree.
"No Animal Affinity skill or anything?"
The thought crossed my mind, but it wasn't important right now. Later. For now, I needed to get stronger.
The simplest way for me to power up was hunting. And for that hunt...
"Go, Hoya!"
Nyang!
Hoya would handle most of it. Not everyone has a cat like Hoya at home, after all. I wasn't delusional enough to think just anyone could fend off dozens of people with a single feline like him... Nah, I'd just chalk it up to me being a million times luckier than hitting the lottery.
Hoya dashed into the forest and burst back out with something in tow. Seeing it, I asked Hoya seriously.
"Hoya, you got a brother or something?"
Cats named Hoya usually share a theme—owners think they resemble tigers or hope they'll grow sturdy like one.
Our Hoya got his name because his pattern evoked a white tiger. As a rare American Curl, his markings really did mimic one. So Hoya it was. But the one he'd dragged out now? It looked way more like an actual white tiger.
In short: a real white tiger.
Nyaang?
Name: Island White Tiger (Level 25)
A white tiger inhabiting the island. Extremely aggressive and merciless temperament. Tough meat that tastes awful. First consumption grants +7 Strength. Subsequent consistent intake yields +1 Strength per portion.
Wild boars and wolves, sure—they're scary beasts. But compared to a tiger, the king of beasts? Worlds apart.
"Merciless, huh, Hoya?"
Nyaang!
Haaak!
Kroooaaang!
Hoya's adorable mew and hiss, followed by the white tiger's bone-chilling roar. No contest there.
Even I, with Calmness, felt a shiver. Without it, I might've fainted on the spot.
"But..."
Something was off with the white tiger. It roared fiercely, then its tail drooped like a timid housecat's. Hoya's, meanwhile, stood straight up. Anyone could see the tiger was terrified of him.
So why follow? Puzzled, I stared at Hoya. His info updated—Observation had leveled up, revealing previously hidden details.
Most stats were the same, but skills had changed.
Skills: Cuteness (Passive) MAX, Leap (Active) Lv 9, Claw (Active) Lv 10, Nyaang Punch (Active) MAX.
A new one appeared:
Skills: Cat King (Passive) MAX.
Checking the description:
Cat King (Passive) MAX
Dominates all felines of lower level than the user.
"Daebak!"
That explained why the tiger followed despite its fear—this skill let Hoya command it. Wild animals have hierarchies, usually within species, but this trait worked across the cat family.
"So, Hoya... why'd you bring this guy?"
Nyang nyang!
He seemed eager to explain, pawing at the tiger. Looked like: Use him for hunting. Basically, 'Make the noob do the work?'
"But will he listen to me?"
Krrrng. The tiger growled fiercely at me. Then—
Thwack! Thud thud!
Nng!
The tiger yelped like a kicked dog. Tigers cry like that? Cats do too if you step on their tail. I'd once accidentally trod on Hoya's at night—rushed him to the vet fearing a break. Tail was fine.
Slink slink.
The tiger crept toward me cautiously, then glared. Definitely a glare.
"Hoya, he seems pretty pissed."
Haaak! Hoya's merciless hiss.
The tiger promptly rolled over, belly up, right in front of me. Wild animals baring their bellies signals submission—or so I'd heard. For cats and dogs, anyway. The belly's a vulnerable spot: soft organs, minimal bone protection. Showing it means entrusting your life.
Hoya just liked sprawling out like a human, though.
"Pet your belly?"
The tiger's tail flicked, eyes pleading earnestly. Save me from the beating.
'Wait, tears?'
Cats do cry, I'd heard. Never seen Hoya do it—hard to imagine him tearing up from sadness or pain. But this tiger's eyes looked pitiful.
I approached cautiously and stroked its belly with both hands. Shockingly, it started purring.
"Huh."
Animal Affinity (Passive) Lv 3
Incredible—a skill, and not just Lv 1, but Lv 3. Must be from all my time with animals.
Pet food company had dogs and cats of all sizes and breeds—for testing feed reactions. No abuse: fed promising formulas, occasional blood draws, health checks. Most employees healed there. After losing Hoya, I found solace too, visiting whenever I could. That must've built it up.
"Alright, from now on, you're Baekya."
Lame name? I put thought into it.
Golong golong. Surprisingly sweet temperament. "Merciless" my ass—people and beasts alike change based on who's boss.
Will you tame Baekya?
"Huh?"
No clue why, but I glanced at Hoya. Felt guilty, like cheating and getting caught.
Nyang! Hoya waved a paw dismissively—Do what you want.
With official Hoya approval, I proceeded.
"I'll tame him."
Baekya has been temporarily tamed.
You are now Baekya's temporary owner.
Becoming the true owner requires significant effort and time.
I pondered "temporary" briefly but drew a blank. For now, the system recognized him as mine—that mattered.
"Baekya, go fetch some prey."
Kroong!
Baekya sprang up and bolted into the forest. Watching it, I turned to Hoya.
"Hoya, that forest... doesn't it feel off? A tiger on this tiny island?"
Boars and wolves were implausible too, but the tiger made it real.
Nyaang.
Hoya shrugged it off—who cares?—and trotted to the tent, grabbing the bow bag in his mouth.
Clear message: You're weak—gear up!
My take, but it rang true.
"I'm in."
No illusions of barehand hunting. Plus, curious about Seon-woo's upgraded bow.
I pulled out the bow, nocked an arrow, and fired at a tree. It flew true, hitting dead center.
"Nice."
Confidence surged.
"What sets humans apart from beasts is tools, right?"
Glancing over, Hoya was unscrewing a water bottle cap.
"......Are you human?"
Sometimes I wondered. What if he was a person pretending to be a cat?
Then Baekya slunk out of the forest, mouth full of something.
"Eh?"