The Tiger's Den
The enormous face tilted in clear puzzlement.
[Hm? Where have I seen this face before?]
His eyes, now level with hers, were as round as a full moon. Every time he spoke, the massive fangs that flashed into view looked like they had been driven into his jaw like logs. Combined with the savage aura rolling off him, the effect was even more menacing.
Especially in this dark space, the sheer pressure he exuded was beyond description.
While Yeo-won stood frozen in shock, Mu-ho slowly bent down and pushed his face closer. His large, moist black nose twitched as it sniffed at her.
Sniff. Sniff.
It was nothing more than the act of smelling, yet the overwhelming presence of his massive body made her instinctively hold her breath.
“Hup.”
Yeo-won squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. Even so, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her tightly clenched fists had gone bone-white.
Every time his warm breath brushed past her, her hair lifted and settled again as if caught in a fierce wind.
During that brief moment, Shin-wol’s words echoed in her ears.
‘Most spiritual beings take on human-like appearances. After all, it’s easier to win favor if one looks beautiful, even if only in form.’
For the first time, Yeo-won deeply rejected those words.
They did not transform merely to win human affection.
Their true forms were simply too overwhelming for humans to bear, so they adopted similar shapes to keep people from losing their minds at the sight.
Even if they were merely giant animals, once they exceeded the scale of human imagination, people would inevitably feel primal terror.
‘But when I first met Shin-wol, it wasn’t this terrifying…’
She had certainly felt something similar back then.
Yet it had been different.
The nine tails that flowed like luxurious silk, the sleek black fur that gleamed like ink, the beautiful smile that rang in the ears, and the footsteps so light they seemed lighter than feathers.
His appearance had been just as ferocious, and she had definitely been afraid. And yet…
What was it? It hadn’t been simple fear.
It had felt… a little more… like her chest was swelling with something fuller.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, a crushing groan sounded from above her head.
[Ugh!]
“Eek!”
Startled, Yeo-won collapsed right where she stood.
[You! It’s you, isn’t it? The human who has Shin-wol’s marble!]
When she lifted her tear-filled eyes, a majestic tiger with sharp, piercing eyes was staring down at her.
The sight was so terrifying that she could no longer hold back her tears.
Even as her body shook violently, Yeo-won managed a small bow.
“H-hello…”
[Hello my ass. I’m not doing so well! More importantly, how the hell did a human get in here?]
Mu-ho whipped his head toward the cat and glared.
[Nabi, did you bring her all the way here?]
“Meow, meow.”
When the cat shook its head vigorously, his eyes narrowed in displeasure.
[No? Then why are you so badly hurt, Nabi?]
“Meow.”
The strangely realistic conversation helped her trembling gradually subside. Her heart, which had been pounding wildly, was finally beginning to calm—
[Gumiho? Gumiho… Shin-wol?!]
His gaze snapped back to Yeo-won. The moment she met his now even fiercer eyes, her body flinched on reflex.
[Hey! Did you come here with Shin-wol?!]
What would have been a simple shout from a human became a full-throated roar coming from a tiger.
Yeo-won squeezed her eyes shut, then slowly opened them again and answered in a voice that sounded half-dead.
“Um… the path was closed, so I came to ask you to open it.”
[No, fuck! I sealed it so that bastard couldn’t get in, of course it’s closed! Where is he right n—]
He stopped mid-sentence. Yeo-won, who had been hanging her head in fear, cautiously looked up at the sudden silence.
The instant her eyes met Mu-ho’s—now so close their noses nearly touched—her mind went completely blank.
[Hey.]
Even when he called her, Yeo-won was too terrified to make a sound. He stared at her as if she were some curious object, then slowly opened his mouth.
[Your physical condition is… Hot damn!]
At that moment, dozens of flames shot out and engulfed the tiger in an instant. The dark surroundings brightened at once, and from behind her came a familiar voice.
[Get away from my child.]
When she slowly turned her head, Shin-wol was standing there motionless.
He neither offered his hand nor smiled.
He simply looked down at her with an unreadable expression.
Yeo-won blinked slowly.
[So this is where you ran off to.]
With a small mutter, he furrowed his brow.
Even that tiny change in expression was enough for Yeo-won to realize he was angry.
But it wasn’t simple anger. Beneath the coldness in his eyes burned with fury, she could faintly detect a trace of urgency.
Could it be…?
Yeo-won suddenly reached out toward Shin-wol.
“……Will you hold my hand?”
He only looked displeased and refused to take it.
“I didn’t run away.”
[…….]
His eyes twitched.
“I’m right here, Shin-wol.”
When Yeo-won gave him a soft smile, he instantly pulled her into his arms with such force it felt as if her body might shatter. Though the embrace was crushing, she stayed quietly within it.
Even as the pressure made it hard to breathe, she stubbornly reached up and patted his back.
“I’m sorry for disappearing without a word.”
[If you disappear like that again, know that I will truly bind you next time.]
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
Despite her small protest, Shin-wol offered no reply. Instead, a sigh softer than the sound of the wind brushed against her ear. She might have been imagining it, but to Yeo-won it sounded like relief.
“Um… I can’t breathe…”
When she pushed firmly against his chest, Shin-wol released her without resistance. Instead, he gently brushed his index finger beneath her eyes.
[Your eyes are red. Did you cry?]
His gaze sank into a chill that made his previous expression seem warm by comparison.
[Did Mu-ho frighten you?]
Startled, Yeo-won quickly shook her head.
“No, no he didn’t.”
[Like hell he didn’t.]
[I said I didn’t! Put out these damn flames already!]
Mu-ho, who had been unable to move an inch amid the flames packed tightly around him, finally lost his temper and roared.
Shin-wol looked at him with icy disdain and openly sneered.
[I wondered where you were hiding. So you were holed up in a place like this.]
[I’m not hiding, I’m recuperating! What the hell are you doing barging into someone else’s territory?!]
[Recuperating? You’ve set up quite a few clever little tricks for someone who’s supposedly recovering.]
Shin-wol looked down at the trembling cat beside Mu-ho with utter contempt.
[So this was the key. If I had known earlier, I would have torn it apart immediately instead of wasting time.]
“Shin-wol!”
Yeo-won flinched and called his name, trying to stop the conversation, but Shin-wol ignored her and continued.
[You really haven’t changed at all, have you?]
With a look of pure disgust, as if staring at an insect, he snapped his fingers. The flames surrounding Mu-ho vanished all at once.
[You hate anything difficult and only enjoy idling about like a lazy bum. That’s why your sorcery is barely better than cheap tricks.]
At his scornful words, a dangerous glint flashed in Mu-ho’s eyes. He sprang to his feet.
The impact of his movement caused part of the cave ceiling to crumble, sending stone fragments raining down.
But Shin-wol simply flicked them away with a casual gesture, turning every piece into ash as if brushing off dust.
[Don’t treat me like a kid! Do you even know how old I am?!]
As he fumed, his fur stood on end and the character “Monarch” on his forehead grew even more distinct.
The moment Mu-ho let out a threatening roar, the ground shook. When Yeo-won’s small shoulders trembled, Shin-wol warned in a low voice.
[If you want to be treated like an adult, hide your tail first. If you shout one more time, I will make sure you never need to recuperate again. Keep that in mind.]
Hiding his tail meant transforming into human form.
Even while growling, Mu-ho began to change shape. He clearly hated being treated like a child.
Before her eyes, Mu-ho’s massive body rapidly shrank until he took the form of a strikingly handsome young man.
While she watched the transformation in fascination, Mu-ho snapped irritably.
[Happy now?! If you’ve seen enough, get lost!]
[I was planning to leave even without being told. Open the path.]
[You think it’s that easy? Do you have any idea how much power it takes for me to—!]
Mu-ho bit his lip and swallowed the rest of his words. He seemed to realize that continuing would only embarrass himself further.
Swallowing a string of curses, Mu-ho waved his hand roughly. A loud noise came from outside the cave, and he muttered under his breath, mixing in more profanity.
[Fuck, how the hell did you even get out?!]
[With your level of spiritual power, opening the boundary to the other side is impossible. It will likely remain so in the future as well.]
At those words, Mu-ho’s hand froze in mid-air. A murderous tension filled the cave, and Yeo-won found the situation so unbearable she could hardly stand it.
Why are they so hostile toward each other?
Mu-ho looked like he was grinding his teeth to hold back his rage, but in the end he spat out a low curse and strode straight toward Shin-wol.
[Hey, this is my territory. My mountain. What gives you the balls to act so cocky? Just because Cheon-sin favors you a little, you think you can do whatever you want?]
[You should also fix that crude way of speaking.]
Sparks literally flew between them—small bolts of lightning crackling in the air.
[You damn old bastard.]
[You wet-behind-the-ears brat.]
Neither showed any sign of backing down. The terrifying war of nerves left Yeo-won, caught in the middle, feeling as if her blood was drying up inside her veins.
Despite how childish the argument was, every word they exchanged made the air grow colder. She couldn’t help but worry.
Finally, Mu-ho let out a sharp laugh and snapped his fingers. All sound was instantly cut off, and the entire space fell into absolute silence.
[Oh dear. I don’t have enough strength to open the path. Guess you’ll have to find your own way out.]
Yeo-won looked back and forth between them with anxious eyes.
The moment she saw Shin-wol’s gaze turn completely icy, she felt a vivid, blood-chilling sensation.
[I see.]
The corner of his mouth curved upward in a perfect, dangerous arc.