darling12-15 minutes 01.08.2020
A long time ago, back during the age of the myth.
The Tiger Clan defeated the foreign enemies, yet they face a new crisis due to the betrayal of the Bear Clan.
At that time, the White Tiger was recognized as the best martial artist in the whole Korean Peninsula.
The White Tiger announced an ultimatum against the Bear Clan.
— To the Bear People who betrayed my brothers and my friends, you are all bound to die in my hands. But I will not kill you all with my teeth, my White Fang.
The White Tiger sealed a sword, the White Fang, which the Silver Tiger himself put down.
Instead, the White Tiger picked up a different weapon.
He chose the dark red and rugged Bear’s Claw, a weapon that did not match his image at all.
The Bear’s Claw was used to hunt and slaughter the Bear People.
It was a simple weapon, some would even say too simple, that did not match the graceful and noble martial arts mastered by White Tiger.
— You bastards won’t get the honor of seeing my true sword. I will slaughter you with these ugly claws.
The warriors of the Bear Clan were in despair after White Tiger’s declaration.
The Bear Clan warriors were not afraid of death.
They don’t even regret betraying the Tiger Clan.
Fighting in the name of their tribe and dying on the sword wielded by the greatest prosecutor of their time was their greatest honor.
But they felt insulted that they were to die by the Bear’s Claw, and not the White Tiger’s true sword.
— Wield the White Fang, White Tiger! Show us your true strength!
— A warrior should wield his mighty sword instead of those ugly claws!
The warriors of the Bear Clan begged the White Tiger.
However, the White Tiger never summoned the White Fang during the annihilation of the Bear People.
Not even once.
Not one Bear Clan warrior saw the might of the White Fang until the head of the Clan decided that he could no longer watch his people die and ordered them to retreat.
And now.
Inside Eungwang, in the west wing beyond the boundary of the Byeoksa Temple in Chengrangho Lake.
The right hand man of the head of the Bear Clan, the Shapeshifter was standing in front of the White Fang.
“T-this is… The White Fang…!”
The Shapeshifter, bedazzled by the White Tiger’s image, opened his mouth.
“…Take me with that sword.”
Fwaa!
The White Tiger beckoned and a flash of white energy wave turned into the shape of a large sword.
The glory of White Tiger is in complete play.
When the sword took its complete form, the White Tiger threw it to the Shapeshifter without saying a word.
Swish!
The Shapeshifter laughed like a mad man when White Tiger threw his weapon towards him.
“Ha… hahaha!”
The White Tiger had actually summoned another weapon.
The Shapeshifter grabbed the dark red handle as the veins on the back of his hand burst.
“Hahaha! I can’t believe the day has come when the Bear’s Claw has finally hunted me!”
The sword that the White Tiger summoned for the Shapeshifter was the Bear’s Claw.
* * *
A car with the logo of the Hwangmyeong Foundation entered the main gate of Eungwang High.
‘We usually had to get off the car in front of the gate though.’
Vehicles given access to Eungwang High were limited.
It was common to wait outside the main gate when calling a cab or an air taxi.
I belatedly realized that the shuttle I’m riding now is owned by the foundation.
Dingdong.
A message arrived as we passed through the main gate and headed towards the residential area.
[Gong Cheonghwon] Hani and I are on the way to the private residence for faculty members.
[Gong Cheonghwon] I’ll be listening to Hani’s story once we reach the first-floor lobby.
Looks like Gong Cheonghwon caught Hani’s attempt to escape from Lena and Saeum.
‘Hani tried to escape. I’m sure the service company sent her a message and threatened her.’
Hani wouldn’t have tried to escape so suddenly if she hadn’t received a threat, so there must have been something.
It would be better to go to the residential area and check the message that Hani received.
Bzz bzz.
Hwang Jiho frowned as he looked at a phone call from his device.
“…Why is this guy calling me?”
“Who is it?”
“Yong Jegun. What a hassle. I haven’t been in touch with him about anything.”
Yong Jegun is calling?
Inside the game, Yong Jegun rarely calls anyone.
For that reason, anyone who receives a call from him automatically feels nervous.
‘What could be the matter?’
I don’t know what’s going on, but why isn’t Hwang Jiho answering the call?
“Answer it.”
Although he was reluctant, Hwang Jiho switch the device to speaker phone call mode.
[Yellow Tiger Chairman Lee. Hello.]
“What’s the matter? If it’s not urgent then call again later and…”
[Shinrok was attacked.]
At the words of Yong Jegun, the expression on Yellow Tiger’s face completely disappeared.
Hwang Jiho continued talking as he visibly tried to suppress the energy wave forming within him.
“Is he okay? Where are you right now?”
[At the Light Skill Research Institute.]
Hwang Jiho gestured and the air shuttle hurriedly changed its direction toward the research institute.
‘He’s at the research institute? Doesn’t that mean that the attack was inside Eungwang High?’
Inside Eungwang High.
On top of that, it’s descendant Kim Shinrok who was attacked.
Amid our confusion, Yong Jegun continued talking.
[Are you in Korea already? Shinrok told me that it’s highly possible that you’re back in Korea ahead of schedule.]
“Yes. I’m in Eungwang High now. I’m headed towards you right now.”
[Instead of doing that, I think it’s best you pursue the attacker first.]
“So you know who the attacker was. Tell me who it is.”
Yong Jegun didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, there was a noise over the screen.
It sounded like a quarrel, but I think I heard Kim Shinrok’s voice.
[…Don’t tell him!… Before you report it to Yellow Tiger-nim, I will talk to him first and…]
However, Kim Shinrok’s voice soon became out of earshot.
Just like last time, it seems like he’s subdued by Yong Jegun again.
When it became completely quiet, Yong Jegun spoke again.
[The attacker is White Tiger. I checked the records and found that the Shapeshifter is not here too.]
“….!”
As soon as he heard Yong Jegun’s words, Jiho hung up and tried to call White Tiger.
The phone rang for a while, but the White Tiger didn’t pick up the call.
‘White Tiger attacked Shinrok and took the Shapeshifter with him without permission?’
Seeing that Shinrok tried to stop Jegun from telling us, it doesn’t seem like a lie.
It also makes sense that it was White Tiger who attacked Shinrok, seeing that Shinrok was overpowered too easily.
What could be the reason why the White Tiger attacked Shinrok, the son of a close friend?
I tried to think of a reason but nothing comes to mind.
But it’s the White Tiger we’re talking about.
I’m sure there’s a reason.
“Keep an eye on Shinrok.”
[I’d do it even if you didn’t ask me to.]
Jiho briefly called Jegun again.
He hung up after saying a few words and gestured for the shuttle to change direction once more.
This time, we’re headed to the Eungwang High Landscape Area.
“We’re going after the White Tiger?”
“Yes. White Tiger can’t go out through the shrine, and the only place in Eungwang District where my Guardian Power cannot reach is most likely where White Tiger would hide. And that place is Eunyeongwan.”
* * *
At the Eungwang High Landscape Area, around lake Cheongrang.
Amid the thick fog stood Hwang Jiho.
“So you’ve increased the intensity of the boundary… I think it will take some time to disable it.”
Just as Hwang Jiho said, the fog in the Cheongrang Lake was much thicker than usual. It could mean that White Tiger was inside the Byeoksa Temple and actively strengthening the boundary.
“…I didn’t imagine that this is what White Tiger was referring to.”
Hwang Jiho looked a little confused as he looked at the thick fog.
“Hmm. Ok. I’m sure there’s a reason for your actions.”
This situation didn’t occur in the game at all, but I have my trust in White Tiger.
There’s no way White Tiger would betray us.
But we still have to address this situation.
“I’ll take care of the boundary.”
<Light Skill, ‘Player Identity’ activated.>
The White Tiger’s player card materialized from thin air, glowed, and then disappeared.
I immediately used White Tiger’s light skill a few times in a row.
<Using Character’s Light Skill “Summoning Cloud Breaking and Thunder Slashing White Fang”>
“Impossible! You’re able to summon the White Fang…?!”
I heard Hwang Jiho burst into admiration.
<Using Character’s Skill “Ward off Evil Spirits”>
As the system message announced the skill’s name, the White Fang emitted a bright glow.
Beyond the white-colored glow, the White Fang eliminated the fog.
Woosh.
As I swung the White Fang, the fog lifted off along with an unidentified sound of something being cut off.
The fog cleared and we soon saw the sign board with the words ‘Eunyeongwan’ written on it.
“…That was impressive. I didn’t imagine that you could use the White Tiger’s power to this extent.”
Hwang Jiho’s golden eyes twinkled as if he was using his glare skill to observe me.
“Use the power of White Tiger as it is. I will use my leap skill.”
Although the summoning of the White Tiger has been deactivated, I could still use the power of White Tiger to enter the Eunyeongwan.
Entering the Eunyeongwan, I immediately felt a strong clash of two energy waves from a distance.
Clash! Clash!
The epicenter of the sound was the central dome, where the sky of the Western Chilsu was.
The more I jumped closer, the stronger the intensity of the sound was.
Hwang Jiho, who was jumping alongside me, quickly sped up and opened the center door leading to the Western Chilsu.
Crash!
“White Tiger!”
A sky with seven stars formed by energy wave was seen.
Below that…
The body of the Shapeshifter was collapsed.
The White Tiger had his hair all white as he held a red-colored White Fang.
Hwang Jiho was speechless for a few seconds before he was able to open his mouth in astonishment.
“You… Did you stain the White Fang…?!”
The White Tiger replied by shaking off the blood from the White Fang.
“I made a deal with the Shapeshifter. It was his lifelong desire to come face to face with this sword.”
“And you granted the wish of this Shapeshifter? The right hand man of the Bear Clan’s head? You attacked Kim Shinrok, and then you come here wielding the sword that Silver Tiger crafted… A sword which you swore you wouldn’t use…!”
“…I knew you would be against this.”
Hwang Jiho’s anger materialized through magic.
Broken shards of golden sparks bounced around in the wind.
Although Hwang Jiho’s hostile aura was directed at White Tiger, the former still gazed at Jiho with a calm demeanor.
“The price of that wish. He told me the whereabouts of ‘those people’ in exchange.”
“What are you talking about? Whose whereabouts? Was that information really that important! Think carefully about your answer! What you say next determines whether the wrath of the Guardian will be thrown upon you!”
The pressure from the golden magic increased.
In a flash, White Tiger spoke.
“Blue Tiger and the Son of God.”
“What…?”
“They assumed a human form.”
Hwang Jiho’s powers deactivated.
The wind became quiet at the Eunyeongwan.
White Tiger continued speaking.
“The Son of God’s true wish was to “become human”, and the heavenly god granted it.”
* * *
“It’s been a while, young master.”
Hong Gyubin ignored the remark and held out his business card.
“Hello. I’m Hong Gyubin, head of the PR Team 1 at the Player’s Association. I look forward to your kind cooperation, Mr. Choi.”
“Hmm, well then, young master, I’ll be calling you Team Leader Hong if that’s what you wish.”
Mr. Choi accepted Hong Gyubin’s business card.
“Team Leader Hong, is the “poet who can’t write poems” doing well?”
“What are you talking about?”
Mr. Choi had a gentle facial expression.
“I’m talking about the great teacher, Namok Poet, who gave up his lifelong dream in return for fulfilling his wish. I’m just curious to hear from you.”
