The White Tiger's Grace

The heroes watched me in a heavy, silent tension.

"Alright. Then, Arthur... I'm going to take back the coins. That's okay, right?"

"Yep! Go ahead!"

After receiving Arthur's confirmation, I began the process of transferring the coins from her personal inventory to my own. However, even while I was doing this, the two heroes who shared a similar, jealousy-prone personality were bickering back and forth.

"The Azure Dragon Sword... Hmm~ Why did it choose me~?"

"Grr... You're deliberately breaking up your words one by one just so I can hear you, aren't you?"

"Oh my~ Azure Dragon, there's a human right here who keeps coveting you!"

ROOOAR!

Flap, flap, flap!

Perhaps already acknowledging Arthur as the owner of the Azure Dragon Sword, the small dragon glared at Cheonma, flapping its wings furiously.

Arthur and... the little dragon...

Their chemistry is no joke, is it...?

The chaotic chemistry of the dragon duo seems a bit too much for Cheonma to handle on her own...

The familiar system screen caught my eye.

You have zero... they have zero... everyone has zero. Seeing that the heroes' coin holdings were all equal—at a universal zero—put my mind at ease.

Am I... a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠demon?

No... this must be the mindset of a true Gacha addict who knows how to be petty.

Thanks to Arthur's coin donation relay, I should have gathered 2,000 coins in my inventory. Alright... shall I take out the White Tiger Sword?

Just like with the Azure Dragon Sword, I held both hands out in a supporting posture and attempted to summon the White Tiger Sword from the subspace.

Gurgle, gurgle—

Like the previous sword, something black and slowly undulating appeared, fully revealing the White Tiger Sword above my hands before vanishing instantly.

The White Tiger Sword that appeared after the black substance faded was... a double-edged blade about 170cm long, slightly longer than the Azure Dragon Sword. It featured a pristine, unblemished white blade and a hilt with the White Tiger's pattern intricately engraved, much like the other. And, just like with the Azure Dragon Sword... a tiny White Tiger, the size of a small delivery box, was prancing around at the very tip of the blade, looking incredibly dangerous(?).

And the moment the little White Tiger prancing on the tip of the blade made eye contact with me, it let out a deafening, eardrum-shattering roar, just like the Azure Dragon.

KYYYAAAAOOOOONG!

However, unlike me, who had to hold the sword, the heroes who had already experienced this once quickly covered their ears and watched me and the White Tiger Sword... it was truly unfair.

Since I had walked this path before, I shook my head left and right to clear my dazed mind and attempted the second item appraisal.

"Item Appraisal!"

Whoosh—

Feeling the sensation I had already grown accustomed to after a few appraisals, I focused on the information appearing before me.

"..."

Just as I was about to answer that I would proceed... the little White Tiger walked slowly from the tip of the sword to the middle of the blade, watching me.

Seeing that, I spoke unconsciously.

"White Tiger-chan is so cute...!!!! Damn it... you're too cute... seriously..."

Kyaong!

It even reacted the moment I finished speaking.

A divine beast is a divine beast, indeed.

It really is a White Tiger.

I couldn't take my eyes off the White Tiger as I replied.

"I will proceed with the appraisal."

Afraid I might hurt the White Tiger, I carefully laid the sword down, rested the blade on my left palm, and wrapped my right hand around the hilt.

Then, just like with the Azure Dragon Sword, I began to fill the appraisal gauge by scanning every inch from the tip of the blade to the end of the hilt.

...

...

It was when I turned the sword to slowly examine the other side.

Sting—

Just like with the Azure Dragon Sword, I felt a piercing sensation in my eyes and felt some liquid flowing down my cheek.

What does a few tears of blood matter now!

I will walk this path willingly...

That is the way of a Gacha addict, paved with tears of blood!

Even though the blood tears flowed down my cheek, I ignored them and continued to examine the sword to fill the gauge to 100%... when the White Tiger, who had been lying in the center of the blade watching me, walked over and licked the blood tears from my cheek with a slight flick of its tongue.

Lick—

Soft and squishy.

What is this feeling...!?

!?!??!??!??@?!?

...

Guys...

For my cause of death,

Please write: "Died of happiness..."

Feeling the soft, squishy sensation of the White Tiger's tongue, I finished examining the hilt with the White Tiger engraving in a peaceful state of mind and completed the appraisal.

Looking at the floor, it seemed the White Tiger's soft tongue had absorbed all my blood; unlike the first appraisal, my current state was clean.

...Hmm...

Let's go for it right away.

I'll take the White Tiger's energy and go for it!

"Please confirm!"

Having received the White Tiger's energy, I immediately checked the appraisal result...

...

I had expected it, but it was indeed an appraisal failure.

"Ha... I guess you can't be full after the first bite..."

"...Did it fail?"

Hwaryeon, who had heard that her odds were high, approached me and asked.

I nodded at the approaching Hwaryeon.

"Yeah..."

"Ah... is that... so..."

Seeing me nod, Hwaryeon looked slightly dejected.

Ah~

I'm weak to this kind of thing.

Wait for it.

Your brother—no, this Olaboni will make it happen.

"Hwaryeon."

"Yes, Eodum. Ah... I'm fine."

"Fine, what's fine? Your expression shows exactly how much you've been waiting for this moment. This Olaboni... will make it happen. Just wait. Got it?"

"Okay. I'll wait. Olabo... wait, what!? No... why are you calling yourself Olaboni to me!? What is this!"

"Yep~ This Olaboni will solve it for you."

"Explain yourself quickly! Why are you calling yourself Olaboni to me! Stop calling yourself that!"

Leaving behind Hwaryeon, who had suddenly had a fit at the word Olaboni, I was about to retry the White Tiger Sword appraisal when... I remembered my pathetic state from earlier, when I had retried the Azure Dragon Sword and didn't even have the strength to pop the cork on a health potion.

I don't want to repeat that...

I wished for a health potion to appear from the subspace in my inventory, and soon, a health potion with red liquid inside a luxurious flask appeared on the floor alongside the undulating black substance.

"Um... Hwaryeon?"

"You're saying such ridiculous things... why are you calling me?"

"Um... I'm sorry, but could you open the cork of the health potion on the floor and feed it to me...?"

"What? You can just put the sword down or hold it and drink the health potion yourself, why... ah...!"

Perhaps remembering how I had ended up unable to open the cork after pouring out blood during the appraisal earlier, Hwaryeon quickly opened the potion and brought it to my mouth.

"...Say ah."

"Ah~"

Gulp, gulp.

Once the contents of the potion were gone, Hwaryeon glared at me, took the potion from my mouth, and said,

"Honestly... you're a man who needs a lot of help."

"Sorry... thank you."

"Don't overdo it."

"I know."

After thanking Hwaryeon, I attempted the White Tiger Sword appraisal once more.

"I will appraise it!"

...

...

After carefully examining the front and back of the White Tiger Sword again, I was able to fill the gauge to 100%...

...

...

...

Regrettably, the result of the retried White Tiger Sword appraisal was another failure.

"...Seeing the look on Eodum's face... I think I know. I'm fine. Let's do it again next time. I'm not like Cheonma, I won't throw a tantrum."

"Hey. Hwaryeon... why are you bringing me up there?"

"I was just stating a fact... is there something wrong with that?"

"HEY!!!!!"

Hwaryeon, perhaps trying to hide her disappointment, was trying to change the mood by provoking Cheonma to cause trouble.

It's not over yet.

Don't give up.

"...Not yet. There's one shot left."

"What?"

"This Olaboni will show you."

"No! Why do you keep calling yourself Olaboni!"

"Just trust this Olaboni."

"Hey! Can't you hear me!? Why do you keep saying you're my Olaboni!"

As I ignored Hwaryeon's words and turned my head toward the White Tiger Sword, Hwaryeon, seemingly having lost her temper, lunged at me with a face like a demon. However, seeing Cheonma, who had been watching closely, immediately rush in to block Hwaryeon, I ignored the commotion and brought the White Tiger Sword close to my face.

#$%%!#!!$##$!!%!%!#

Then, the White Tiger approached my face.

"White Tiger... can you hear me?"

-...-

The White Tiger looked at my face, tilting its head in confusion as if it couldn't understand why a human was acting like this.

I know you're listening, White Tiger.

Don't pretend you don't!

This is the last 500 coins...

It has to work this time!

Only then can I shout to Hwaryeon, "See that? This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is your Olaboni!"

"Do me a favor... okay? Just let it work once."

I trust you, White Tiger!

"I will appraise it!"

This time, I attempted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the appraisal while examining both the White Tiger Sword and the White Tiger itself.

...

...

Please!!!!!!!!

It's now or never!!!!!!!!

"Please confirm!"

Having received the White Tiger's energy, I immediately checked the appraisal result...

"SUCCESSSSSSSSSSSSS!! Did you see that!? This is me!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is who I am!!!"

Kyaong!

Startled by my voice filled with joy, the White Tiger closest to me winced slightly and cried.

Sorry...

I'm just so happy, White Tiger...