Chapter 22
Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Unexpected Friendship with the White Tiger
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘Ugh, why does my chest feel so tight?’
In front of the door where Ji-hoon and Han So-young had entered.
Hye-na paced back and forth anxiously for a long while.
She knew it was pointless.
No one else could enter the labyrinth except those two.
But the thought of Ji-hoon alone with that woman—
‘......It pisses me off.’
Just that fact alone rubbed her the wrong way.
Of course, she knew Ji-hoon had stepped up for her sake.
‘I still don’t like that woman.’
Han So-young had been blatantly throwing herself at Ji-hoon from the start.
Brushing up against him with sneaky touches, acting all cutesy.
Constantly chatting him up, playing coy.
The kind of vixen tricks women always talk about!
Thankfully, Ji-hoon seemed uninterested.
But just watching her made Hye-na’s irritation boil over.
‘With so many other guys around, she’s clearly just toying with innocent Ji-hoon!’
The Ji-hoon she knew was a total singleton who’d never even dated.
He obviously had zero knowledge about romance.
That’s why his childhood friend had to protect him.
It absolutely wasn’t personal feelings!
‘Ugh! But Ji-hoon just had to take her into the labyrinth!’
She couldn’t stop worrying about what that sly vixen might do to him.
If anything happened inside, she wouldn’t stand by idly.
“......If I were stronger, Ji-hoon wouldn’t have had to make that choice.”
Hye-na let out a deep sigh.
Soon, she resumed her anxious pacing in front of the door.
“Eeeek! Save me! Get away! Nooooo!”
Han So-young shrieked at the pack of wild dogs charging toward her.
So-young and I pressed on through the Beast’s Labyrinth.
The further we went, the more beasts appeared ahead.
But no fights broke out like before.
“ROOOAAARRR!”
“Kyaaak!”
My powerful roar echoed.
The snarling beasts fled before combat even started, with just one skill use.
‘This is more useful than I thought.’
A new skill I’d gained from the bear I’d just taken down.
Its grade was low, just E.
But driving off beasts was plenty effective.
Best of all, zero MP cost.
No loss in trying it out.
“Ugh, my ears are gonna bleed.”
“Deal with it.”
The only downside was the noise.
But that wasn’t my problem.
“......What the hell are you, anyway?”
Han So-young asked as we walked the labyrinth together.
“A survivor, just like you.”
“That’s not what I’m asking!”
“Then what?”
“Taking down a bear? No normal human could do that.”
“The world’s not normal to begin with.”
It wasn’t just apocalypse talk.
This was a novel world, after all.
Any character could grow with the right opportunity.
“And you’ve got skills like Charm—what’s so surprising?”
“......Mine’s just a job effect.”
Like Hye-na’s Best Driver, maybe.
Those were heavily influenced by one’s natural talents.
I could guess what kind of life she’d led.
‘Han So-young probably appeared in the original story too?’
What happened when she met Yoo-ri there?
Not that it mattered anymore—gone forever.
“By the way, why didn’t Charm work on you?”
“You’re ugly.”
“W-what did you say?!”
Objectively, Han So-young was pretty attractive.
Just not on Yoo-ri or Hye-na’s level.
“I’ve got looks, you know? Didn’t you see the guys going crazy?”
“That’s the Charm, obviously.”
“It’s always been like that.”
Hurt pride, maybe.
Han So-young suddenly started babbling.
“Wear something revealing, flash a bit of thigh, and they can’t look away. Smile and hold their hand—they fall right over.”
“......”
“You think a girl survives among guys without skills? It’s ‘cause I’m that good.”
“Not interested.”
I genuinely didn’t care.
I just wanted to see pure Hye-na and slyly adorable Yoo-ri ASAP.
“......We’re alone now—how about it? Big sis can give you something your girlfriend won’t.”
I stopped in my tracks.
Han So-young’s eyes sparkled.
“Oh? Even you guys are into this stuff? Not free, though—”
“Shut up for a sec.”
I gripped the baseball bat with both hands.
Soon, a prickling pressure crawled over my skin.
“Grrrrr!”
Slowly.
But unmistakably approaching footsteps.
It was a massive white tiger.
One bigger than a compact car.
Enormous paws and gleaming fangs.
And those piercing blue eyes radiating raw power.
At a glance, it was clearly different from the other beasts.
“RAAAWRRR!”
The White Tiger roared.
The air itself seemed to tremble from the massive sound.
“Ah, ahh......”
Han So-young trembled behind me.
Her legs growing wet between them again.
‘This woman pisses herself every time she sees a beast.’
Well, I got it.
Annoying messages had been popping up nonstop.
Unlike the last boss’s mental attack.
This was pure killing intent from its very existence—no skill involved.
Strong enough to trigger ‘Metafiction’ on its own.
This wasn’t a mere ‘beast’ anymore. ‘Ferocious beast’ fit better.
‘Can I win?’
The Moss Zombie was stronger, sure.
But I’d cheesed it with Yoo-ri’s sword.
Straight-up fight?
No chance, honestly.
“Hoo.”
Should’ve brought Yoo-ri after all.
I stepped forward, bat in hand.
And that instant.
The glaring White Tiger moved too.
What the hell?
A boss monster feeling affinity?
The Yellow Cat Shoes did boost cat affinity, sure.
‘But on a tiger? A boss monster?’
I looked up at the White Tiger.
Thinking about it, it was just watching us.
No attack.
Unlike the bear’s immediate swipe.
“Hmm, doesn’t wanna fight us?”
“Krrrng!”
The White Tiger let out a soft, gentle cry.
Like agreeing with me.
I lowered the bat.
Then slowly approached and reached out.
“Eek!”
Han So-young squeezed her eyes shut, expecting me to get eaten.
But nothing happened.
“Hey, hey. That tickles. Told you it tickles.”
“Kiiing.”
Lick! Lick!
The White Tiger licked my cheek.
Its size made even that risky.
But it controlled its strength nicely.
“Up close, you’re pretty handsome. Wanna be friends?”
“Krrrng!”
“Then guide us through this labyrinth. My friends are waiting outside.”
“Krung!”
The White Tiger roared happily and rubbed its cheek against me again.
Its fluffy fur felt amazing.
“......What the hell is that?”
Han So-young stared blankly at the scene.
After meeting the White Tiger.
Clearing the labyrinth got way easier.
As expected of a boss monster.
No other beasts dared approach once it showed up.
“Kruuung!”
It even let me ride on its back.
Never thought I’d ride a tiger in my life.
Like fulfilling a childhood dream.
‘Fluffy and comfy too.’
Thanks to it, I cleared the labyrinth in total comfort.
Probably the easiest boss fight ever.
“W-why won’t it let me ride?”
Han So-young, running alongside, yelled.
She’d tried at first too.
“Grrrr!”
“Eek!”
But the White Tiger growled at her.
“Says you stink.”
“Ugh!”
Han So-young’s face flushed red.
She’d been pissing herself nonstop, after all.
“T-then make it let me ride!”
“I’m a friend, not the owner.”
It liked me, that’s all.
I wasn’t controlling it.
Couldn’t force it to do what it hated.
“Thanks to it, we’re passing without fighting. Just follow quietly.”
How long did we ride?
We finally reached the labyrinth’s end.
The messages appeared, and the labyrinth began collapsing.
The floor crumbling in spots.
Ceiling dust raining down.
Guess cleared labyrinths vanish automatically.
“Krrrng!”
The labyrinth monster, White Tiger, glowed and started fading too.
“...Knew this would happen, but still guided me?”
“Kahruung~”
It rubbed its face against me one last time.
I stroked its fluffy chin.
Short meeting, opponent a monster.
But a special experience.
“......Thanks to you, we made it here. Appreciate it.”
“Krrrng!”
With that reply.
The White Tiger fully dissolved into particles.
Monsters vanish on clear, so inevitable.
Still felt bittersweet.
‘Hope we meet again someday.’
Its majesty, behavior.
No ordinary monster.
If I survive this novel long enough, maybe.
“Alright, let’s get outta—”
Thud.
Sudden force shoving my body.
Lost in sentiment after sending it off.
Caught off guard, I tumbled into a collapsing pit.
“Sorry. I get you’re impressive and all.”
Han So-young entered my view.
Still in the pushing pose, face cold.
“But I’m not into guys who don’t listen.”
Didn’t matter when she’d planned the betrayal.
What mattered was not going down like this.
I instinctively reached for her long hair.
“Aaaah! Wait! My hair’s gonna—ah.”
Her flailing body floated into the air.
I smirked at her shocked face.
“If you’re dying, we die together.”
And so we plummeted into the pit.