Compared To Him, I am Plain and Ugly

“Sigh.”

I slowly sheathed the sword I had used to slay the Kappa Rhino.

Oh, damn. My hand was shaking so much that it was hard to put it away.

‘[Flowing Slash] consumes a lot of magic.’

I didn’t notice when I used it sparingly, but when I used it twice in a short period of time, I felt something inside depleting rapidly.

It was probably what was called MP.

It seemed that three times was the limit for me in this body.

It was truly pathetic.

‘…Just a few slashes, and I’m trembling already?’

Today, I entered the dungeon and didn’t get a single effective hit on the opponent.

All this meant that I was panting from just the physical exertion of my own actions, without any external factors.

This was a fatal flaw for a dealer.

It couldn’t be helped, though.

It seemed I would have to go ‘there’ once I left this place.

Those GM bastards had hidden a sort of hidden piece—a stage for entertaining newbies.

There, one could gain various opportunities for growth.

Naturally, this frail body of mine should be somewhat tolerable.

‘Of course, I won’t be going alone.’

I hurriedly ran out.

First, to the groaning Ma Hana.

Then, I took care of Moon Bora, who was seeing stars spinning around her eyes due to excessive mana consumption, making a ‘kwek…’ groan.

‘I must definitely take my Meowi too.’

There, Ma Hana could also become stronger.

“…Sigh.“

Having caught her breath, Moon Bora slowly put down the water bottle she was holding.

Drinking water after narrowly escaping death served as a comforting reminder that she was still alive.

Moon Bora snapped her fingers immediately at the welcome news she received.

Her entire body shimmered as her height, which grew, equivalent to a two-meter-tall doll, returned to her normal state.

‘…Indeed, hands and legs are meant to be long and slender.’

This was why she hated being the “Backup.”
The restrictions on her actions and original strength were something she did not want to experience.

Having finished her thoughts, Moon Bora examined her body.

The bandages were meticulously and beautifully tied.
Inside them, a green healing ointment was visible.

All were items brought by Yu Seha, and he was the one who had skillfully applied them to her wounds, too.

‘…He tied them… very well.’

The bleeding was neatly stopped, and the ointment was applied to the wounds efficiently and without waste.

She wondered if he might have a [First Aid] trait in his build up.

‘Or maybe he just has a lot of experience with this.’

Either way, she felt relieved.

Moon Bora got up from her place for her next task.

“…Mmmh.”
“Whoa! Stay still!”
“…Mmmh.”

Right in front of her were, Ma Hana, wrapped tightly like a mummy, and Yu Seha, observing her from every angle.

No matter how she looked at it, it seemed like an overuse of bandages.
Yet Yu Seha seemed to think that even that wasn’t enough, and was ready to strip off his own clothes to use them as bandages.

Then suddenly, he covered his mouth and choked up.

“Oh, my! How could anyone hit this tiny, adorable creature?!”
“……”
“……”

At these dizzying words, not only Ma Hana, the subject herself, but also Moon Bora, next to her bowed her head.

‘…Really. This person. Does he have no shame at all?’

To say such embarrassing things in front of the person involved without any hesitation.

For Moon Bora, it was an utterly incomprehensible act.

‘…Does he even realize that he is a man…?’

Most male hunters would be greatly disappointed when they formed a party with female hunters.

The same skills, the same level, and the same years, yet there was a noticeable difference in growth that one could feel with their eyes and skin.

The inevitable difference in the quantity and quality of magic according to gender led to this outcome.

Such a disparity in growth potential is truly despairing for anyone.

In the face of a terrifying boss, the utter ineffectiveness of one’s own power is even more disheartening.

‘…It can’t be helped.’

However, Yu Seha, this extraordinarily peculiar man, showed no signs of such feelings.

On the contrary, he was so active that it was startling to those watching him.

Of course, one might say, ‘Isn’t it because he’s strong?’ but, well, um. He was a bit different.

In his eyes and actions… there was an abundance of love.

It was a truly creepy expression to witness, but that was how it was.

‘…That’s how it is for me… and even more so for Ma Hana.’

Anyway, enough of the digression.

Moon Bora approached Yu Seha and began to speak quietly.

“…Mr. Yu Seha. I’m sorry, but could you step away for a moment?”

There was something she had to discuss with Miss Ma Hana.

“……”
“……”

It was a strange standoff.

Ma Hana bowed her head deeply, and Moon Bora looked down at her with a look of pity and sadness.

And from a distance, Yu Seha was trying to eavesdrop, intensifying his [Unprecedented Sense].

The one who broke the frozen silence was Moon Bora.

“Miss Ma Hana. You’ve worked hard. Everyone acknowledges that you did your best… not just me, but Mr. Yu Seha as well.”

“…Th-thank you…”

“But… you are a tanker.”

Ma Hana flinched at the word ‘tanker.’

It was proof that she understood the weight the word carried.

“The tanker’s role isn’t just about blocking the enemy’s attacks. It’s about leading the front line, becoming a beacon for those who follow. Showing a back that others can trust and rely on. That is the most fundamental and important quality a tanker should possess.”

In fact, the tanker class often took on the role of ‘leader’.

The responsibility they carried was immense, and the hope they demonstrated by overcoming it was remarkable.

“…I respect you. You have a small and frail stature. And even though I don’t visit the guild often, the bad rumors are so prevalent that even I can hear them, yet among the tankers I’ve teamed up with, you are the most diligent.”

They weren’t just words but sincerity.

Ma Hana—it was rare to find a party member who would give their all as much as she did.

“But… for whatever reason, you failed to take care of your own body. As a result, you made a grave mistake in the party play. You nearly caused the annihilation of the entire party. In the worst case… not only you and I, but Mr. Yu Seha might have died as well.”

It was because Yu Seha had unexpected strength that they succeeded in the strategy that they came up with.

It definitely wasn’t because Ma Hana did well as a tanker that they won.

Pausing for a moment, Moon Bora looked down even more at Ma Hana.

She tightened her weakening resolve.

This was for her, after all.

‘Virtue, cooperation, courage to face fear… A hunter needs various virtues.’

Ma Hana was an excellent person who possessed all three virtues mentioned.

Surely, there was no one better in terms of human relationships.

However, as a hunter, she was the worst.

She had set aside everything in front of her because she lacked the most essential thing.

‘Strength.’

And the ‘talent’ to climb the stairs called strength.

For a hunter, strength was indeed the most important thing.

Sadly, this industry was just that, and history had proven it so far.

‘The words of the weak are nothing more than futile struggles and excuses.’

It wasn’t just a theory of longing for power.
Moon Bora was also a hunter, respected here and there.
She was a promising candidate with the nickname [Snow Ice].

But that was merely because she bitterly lamented the sentiment of the ‘weak,’ a glory obtained only after climbing up with wounds.

‘…If only… if any talent can be shown, I would like to tell her not to give up.’

She could assert this.
Ma Hana.
She had nothing at all.

Not even a speck of mineral fragment, let alone a rock.

Yu Seha, on the contrary.

“…Right now, I don’t think I can follow you by just looking at your back. I won’t say anything bad, Ma Hana.”

Moon Bora slowly turned around.

“…Put down your shield.”
“…!!!”

The most shocking statement for a ‘tanker’ was quietly embedded into Ma Hana’s heart as she walked towards the gate entrance.

“……”

A soft sigh.

Unable to hide her gloomy expression, Moon Bora looked up at the sound of footsteps.

Yu Seha, whom she had just connected with today, was leaning against a tree and watching.

Something about his pose was slightly ridiculous, but maybe it was his looks.

It was a scene worth seeing.

“Thank you for today, Yu Seha.”

With those words, Moon Bora took off the gloves she was wearing and offered her hand to Yu Seha for a handshake.
Yu Seha, seemingly surprised by the action, accepted the handshake.

“Thanks to you, we were able to defeat the Kappa Rhino without any problems.”

It wasn’t an empty compliment. She was being sincere.

Undoubtedly, today’s ‘Break Out’ could be conquered because there was a hidden joker named Yu Seha.

The MVP of this dungeon was definitely him.

“No, if you hadn’t used [Ice Pillar] appropriately, I couldn’t have played such a role.”
“…Is that so?”

Moon Bora spoke with a bitter smile.

Yu Seha glanced at her briefly.

“Your expression doesn’t look that good.”
“…Do you also think… that I was too harsh on her?”

A statement clearly targeting Ma Hana.
At those words, Yu Seha was slightly flustered.

Of course, he had heard everything.

[Unprecedented Sense], this… It was no wonder it was an Epic-grade trait. It was really overpowering, too.

Moon Bora must know that he had similar traits, which is why she said that.

‘By the way… harsh words? What was that just now?’

Moon Bora’s words were gently pointing out the facts.

They were absolutely not harsh, rough, or filled with nothing but malice. They were a completely different dimension of gentle words.

‘This is practically an angelic manner of speaking.’

Not beating and not kicking is something good, isn’t it?
Looking at it this way, Moon Bora also really had a tender heart.

‘Definitely… she has a lot of compassion for others.’

It was the same at ‘GAL.’

Even if it wasn’t logical, appealing to emotions often made her weak and easily swayed.

‘I wonder if this is unnecessary self-reproach…’

This… this… as a ‘guide,’ shouldn’t I offer some warm encouragement?

“Not at all~ And Ma Hana probably knows that very well, too. So don’t blame yourself unnecessarily. It was meant in that sense from the start.”

“…What?”

“To put down her shield… It’s because you’re worried, right? Surely, if things continue this way, she’ll eventually get seriously injured or die.”

“……”

Moon Bora quietly closed her mouth at the piercing remark.

This man… even though he hadn’t seen right through her inner thoughts… why did he understand her and her words so well?

‘…Does he have the [Mind Reading] trait…?’

That can’t be.
She couldn’t even see the flow of magic around him.

Ahem.

Clearing her throat, Moon Bora brushed her hair with her hand and subtly turned her reddened face to the side.

“…You’re interpreting me too kindly. I just did my best because I don’t want to die.”

Moon Bora responded petulantly, like a typical tsundere, with a ‘Hmph…’

Yu Seha looked at her and felt his heart ache.

‘That’s right… This is it.’

Growth is good, and defeating strong boss mobs is great, but this is truly the essence of this game!
The joy of watching the cute actions of beautiful girl characters and smiling!
This is the real taste of “Gonis Archive Life.”

‘At first, it was quite childish and lacked magical resistance…’

But as he got used to it, he began to enjoy seeing all this.

Moon Bora was not the main focus, but she was a character he diligently raised when he played the game.

Despite being a dealer named 【Sorcerer】, she was a character who couldn’t live up to the ‘dealer’ role and performed better as a ‘backup’.

Thus, her character traits.

One of them being ‘Silent Warmth’, he knew well that all her actions now were of consideration and kindness towards the other person.

‘To deliberately play a poorly fitting, clumsy villain…’

She was so cute that Yu Seha wanted to bite her.

If he had a daughter, he’d want her to have this kind of personality, maybe?

“I’ll be going now.”

While he was thinking, Moon Bora had finished speaking and was passing by.
Huh? Was she really going just like that?

“Aren’t you going to take your reward?”

I pointed with the tip of my finger to the corpse of the [Kappa Rhino] and the bluish sphere that had fallen next to it.

“…It’s okay. It’s not the right [Rune] for me.”
“But you’ve worked hard, you should take at least one thing.”
“Thank you for your consideration. But I think it’s more urgent for me to report back to the guild right now.”

Moon Bora said she would inform the guild in advance.
She added that she would make sure the reward was generous.

“…Then maybe when the time comes.”
“Academy.”
“…!”
“See you at the [Gonis Hunter Academy].”
“…Did you, by any chance, investigate me?”
“No? Your face just says, ‘I will be heading to the academy’.”

Moon Bora was dumbfounded by his shameless response.
But… she had gained valuable information.

‘So, this man is also applying to the academy…’

After a moment of silence, Moon Bora quietly nodded.

“…We’ll be classmates then.”

A response that practically confirmed each other’s admission.

For Moon Bora, nicknamed ‘Snow Ice’, it was an obvious thing.

For Yu Seha, whom she met for the first time today, it was practically a rave review.

Then he added something unexpected.

“Yes. Three of us.”
“…Three… people?”

Moon Bora glanced at Ma Hana with a bewildered look.

“…Are you serious?”
“Of course.”
“….Yu Seha. She has talent.”
“Just wait and see.”
“…What?”

At her question, Yu Seha grinned.

Moon Bora thought, for a moment, that it was an unfairly charming smile.

He, too, must have rolled in the dirt and wrestled with monsters, getting filthy everywhere, yet how could he be so dazzlingly beautiful even now?

His words were warmer than a sun-like smile.

“Our Meowi.”

He would make sure that she would become someone she could trust and follow.

“……”

It was a response full of conviction.

Various doubts and confusions entwined in Moon Bora’s mind.

Why insist on calling her by a nickname?

Because Ma Hana often asked to be called that?

It felt too familiar. No, it felt like a bond one would have with family.

Was their connection that deep?

Was it not their first meeting today?

More importantly…

‘Why go to such lengths…?’

Ma Hana.
Did he trust her?

How could he be so certain about a person?

For Moon Bora, the act of “trusting someone” always returned as a betrayal.

Her past was like that, her family was like that, and the sister she loved provided that answer.

It was impossible for her to perform acts of trust.

“…I will try to look forward to it.”

Thus, Moon Bora could only barely utter those words and had to quickly escape out of the gate.

Compared to his warmth, she was…

‘…ugly.’

Because she was just too ugly.