I Activated Cheat Mode in a Bizarre Game

If the script was right, then a monster would soon appear and target Bora and me.
But instead of watching the script, Bora looked up and spoke to us.
“…Since we’re already here, should I invite you in for a bit? I’ll at least treat you to something light.”

Treating guests—at a time like this?
It made no sense, but on the other hand, that kind of composure was exactly what made Bora who she was.
Without waiting for an answer, she walked up to the creaking gate and entered the house like she’d done it a hundred times.

We exchanged glances, then silently followed her inside.
“Wow… even the floor color, that old clock over there… It’s exactly the same…”
Bora’s eyes sparkled like a child’s as she looked around the house.

Her voice was filled with wonder—and maybe a bit of excitement too.
But that didn’t last long. She spotted a small camera cleverly hidden in the corner of the room, and her expression immediately darkened.
“…They really installed one here too.”

Apparently, this filming followed us no matter where we went.
“Oh…”
“Impressive.”
We carefully followed her and looked around the interior of the house.

It was a style of home you didn’t see much anymore in the city—a little old-fashioned.
The faded wallpaper, creaking wooden floorboards, and a large mother-of-pearl cabinet dominating one side of the living room all carried the weight of time, but without losing their dignity. It gave the space a unique atmosphere.
The other antique wooden furniture pieces shared the same vibe.

But not every part of the house filled us with admiration.
Creeeeak—
“Aaagh!”
“What happened—?”
As we passed through the living room into the back, Hanbit—who was in the lead—opened one of the doors without thinking and let out a panicked scream.

Startled by the shout, I looked into the room—and immediately felt a chill run down my spine.
It was a room.
But not an ordinary one.

The walls on all sides—and even the ceiling—were completely covered in yellow talismans.
There had to be hundreds of them, emitting an eerie energy that made them seem like they were alive.
The smell of old paper and a suffocating pressure filled the room.

“What is this place…?”
“I-Is this a monster phenomenon…?”
The rest of the team recoiled in shock.
Only Bora remained calm, even smiling as she spoke.

“Oh, this is the talisman room. I used to draw them whenever I was bored and just stuck them all up in there. Those ones on the walls are mostly reference samples I kept for practice. Neat, right?”
She said it so casually, but not a single one of us dared to step inside that “neat” room.
Even after hearing her explanation, the room remained grotesque and unsettling.

We all exchanged a look, then quietly closed the door. That was one room none of us wanted to enter.
“Please have a seat. I’ll get you a glass of something cold.”
Bora guided us into the living room without a hint of unease.

With practiced ease, she opened the refrigerator and poured cold barley tea into glass cups.
Receiving such ordinary hospitality in the middle of this madness—it felt surreal.
Hanbit was still wandering the house like a curious child, looking around in amazement. Very much the little prince.

While sipping the cold barley tea, Park Sunja asked cautiously:
“Is this house currently unoccupied?”
Bora took a sip of tea and answered calmly.

“Yes. It’s completely empty now. My grandmother’s in a big hospital in Seoul because of her health. My parents are both up there too, taking care of her. And me… well, I joined Baekho, as you know. So there’s no one left to come back for a while.”
There was a faint trace of loneliness in her voice, but her usual cheerful expression returned almost immediately.
Park Sunja nodded slightly, then asked a more direct question—one that we were probably all wondering.

“Then… do you know of any monsters that might be hiding in the area? The script clearly says someone will use a hidden monster nearby to attack us.”
At that, Bora paused in thought, then gave an unexpected answer.
“Actually… there aren’t many monsters around here. My family put up a lot of talisman wards in the area, so minor monsters can’t easily come down from the mountains. And more importantly…”

Bora narrowed her eyes and glanced out the window.
“There’s a creature called Daeho that lives on this mountain. Because of that, no other monsters dare make a fuss around here.”
“Daeho?”

A name I’d never heard before.
I looked puzzled, and Bora elaborated.
“It literally means ‘great tiger.’ But I’m not even sure if it’s an actual tiger. My grandma used to call it the Mountain Spirit. My parents say it’s just a powerful monster in tiger form. I don’t know who’s right—but either way, it’s insanely strong.”

The moment we heard that, the rest of us all shared the same thought—our eyes met in silence.
Could the monster mentioned in the script—the one that would attack us—be that Daeho?
Especially considering the script title was Tiger Murder Case.

Seeing our anxious expressions, Bora gave a short laugh.
“No way. Come on. Daeho wouldn’t get involved in some petty monster scheme like this.”
She said it with certainty.

But somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to believe her.
This monster phenomenon had already surpassed our expectations too many times.
And Hanbit, for one, already looked convinced.

“…It wasn’t exactly the same, but that uncle of mine and the General Spirit were imitations too. So a tiger…”
“W-Wait, that’s not what I meant…”
Seeing Hanbit sulk a little, Bora realized her mistake and quickly apologized.

That’s when Park Sunja spoke.
“If that tiger Daeho really does come after us… what’s our best move?”
To that, Bora replied without even a second’s hesitation—in an unshakably firm voice.

“Run. No matter what, just run. Don’t even look back. It’s as big as this whole house, and regular talismans burn to ash the second they touch its body.”
Even hearing about it sent chills down my spine.
A tiger the size of a house?

Then, just as she finished speaking, Bora paused—as if something had occurred to her—and stared directly at me.
Her gaze was… strange.
“…Now that I think about it…”
“…What is it?”

Her eyes pierced right through me, and I was momentarily speechless.
Still staring at me, she spoke in a voice that was both doubtful and weirdly confident.
“Minjun… You’re not a tiger… are you?”

“…Excuse me?”
“…Hmmm.”
What the hell did she think I was?

That was when it happened.
That wretched director’s voice suddenly rang out all around us, louder than ever, his tone brimming with excitement.
[Now then, since we’ve invited such a special guest, let’s try to get it in one take this time! No NGs!]

Before the voice had even faded, a thunderous roar erupted from outside the house—so loud it shook the entire mountain.
RUMMMMBLE!
It was like a massive landslide had hit—the ground trembled, and the windows rattled violently in their frames.

“Wh-What the hell…?!”
We stared at each other in alarm, then bolted outside on instinct, running toward the source of the noise.
And in that moment—I felt it.

That sharp, primal chill that prickled the back of my neck.
My eyes were drawn, as if by instinct, toward the mountain.
Night had fallen without us noticing.

And then—I saw it.
Standing on a massive boulder halfway up the mountainside, with the moon at its back, was a presence so immense it felt unreal.
“…No way…”
“It’s a tiger…”

A tiger the size of a house—no exaggeration.
Its golden fur glowed under the moonlight with an almost divine radiance, and its eyes blazed red with a terrifying light.
But the most horrifying thing of all—

Was what it was holding in its jaws.
Fwoooosh—
A bundle of bright red talismans, burning furiously.

As if they were nothing but toys clenched between its teeth.
“The barrier…!”
Those talismans must’ve been the ones meant to repel monsters.

But they were already reduced to ash, burning away inside the tiger’s mouth like ordinary paper.
And then—from within the mountain’s shadows—other beings began to emerge one by one, their blue eyes glowing.
“…The wild dogs are here too.”

More than twenty of them, easily—monsters in the shape of wild dogs, encircling Daeho like loyal underlings.
But they weren’t just dogs.
Some had three eyes. Some had two tails. Some had extra limbs in grotesque places.

All of them looked like abominations that defied biology.
Thud… Thud…
As the tiger slowly descended the mountain, its sheer size became undeniable.

It was as big as a car—just looking into its eyes triggered something primal in my brain.
That had to be the Daeho Bora spoke of.
And now, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Daeho was revealing its overwhelming presence to us.

Grrrrrr…!
With that deep, familiar growl…