The Generous Giver (2)

[Heavenly Dragon Fruit] seemed to be a type of fruit.

Biting into it, a strong sweetness characteristic of fruits filled the air.

What was especially impressive was its softness inside.

‘…It’s a bit like a mix of banana and mango.’

In ‘GAL,’ it was described as having a taste as exquisite as rare fruits, and it was indeed like that..

‘Mm, I like it!’

It’s been a while. Maybe I should check my stats.

Ah, nice, very nice.

Really. Was this really the same Yu Seha who seemed like a loser just a few weeks ago? It was exhilarating to even see this.

‘The variety has increased a lot.’

It wasn’t just the number that had increased.

The main stats called strength, speed, and durability had also grown to maintain an average of 15.

Originally, durability was lacking by 1.
But unexpectedly, with the acquisition of [Eyes of Reversed Heaven] and bringing [Combat], 1 was added as a reward.

With these stats, I could easily pass as a D-class hunter.

It was just that my current achievements were too few.
Considering how Yu Seha’s character was an F-rank hunter who hadn’t even taken a proper promotion exam, it was practically like a dragon rising from a stream.

If you only consider the attack power led by [Song of the Sword], I wonder if he might not even be C-rank, limited to being a dealer.

‘The title is good too.’

Acquiring [Conqueror of Darkness] was also impressive.

The effect was only [Darkness Resistance].
At this point, there weren’t many hunters who had a title.

Of course, I had some regrets.

‘[Swordsmanship] hasn’t increased at all.’

[Swordsmanship], being a basic attribute, wasn’t that difficult to level up.

And as the level increases, it shows impressive results.

Being the root of the most basic [Sword], it naturally had a variety of [Derived Skills].

Just off the top of my head, there were dozens I could even think of.

‘If I could just get any one of those, it would be of great help to me.’

Rather, the fact that [Flowing Slash] was level 4 despite being a rare grade suggested that something didn’t quite fit.

I knew the reason well.

‘I’ve never seriously used a sword before.’

Until now, my battles had been one-hit kills based on [Flowing Slash].

In fact, I’ve hardly ever drawn my sword to mix in a basic attack on the opponent.

This was something I needed to keep in mind and practice deliberately in the future.

Drrrk.

“…Huh?”

I realized it belatedly while looking at the status window.

Ma Hana.

My favorite character.

My precious girl was standing there, blankly shedding tears.

“…Ah.”

Tears of undeniable emotion and joy were sliding down her eyes.

It seemed like she felt overwhelmed by the unbelievable growth she had shown in just one day.

“Meowi, can you show me your stats?”
“……”
“Meowi?”
“M-meow?! Ah, yes!”

Meowi hurriedly wiped her tears with her sleeve and looked up at me.

‘It has increased a lot for her.’

Although there were still deficiencies, this was an unbelievably explosive growth.

Surely, if a guild official sees this scene, they would say, ‘…Is it a bug?’.

Especially notable was the acquisition of ‘Push Shield’.

In GAL, being a [Guardian] was said to be impossible to go solo due to the lack of personal attack skills.

And this was true even in this world, which has become reality now.

Therefore, it was essential to forcibly form a party.

Our Meowi was an exception in such an environment.
The reason was precisely because of that ‘Push Shield’.

The most noticeable description was the phrase ◉System: Skill Tree.

[Push Shield] was also a skill that could be enhanced by embedding [Runes], just like [Flowing Slash].

Therefore, if Meowi could just find good [Runes] now, it would be even more amazing.

[Raise Shield], [Push Shield]—based on these two decent skills, she could aim for various synergies.

‘…Of course, assuming mana consumption is manageable.’

In my estimation, it would be some time before she learned this.

I thought she would at least need to reach level 5 in [Shield] to acquire it.

‘That must mean her determination has grown.’

She truly was my favorite character.

“…Is this really the same pouch from before?”

Meowi looked incredulously at the bead pouch before her eyes.

The pouch I had told her not to cut and just leave alone had swollen up like a plump balloon.

I realized the time had come and borrowed a butchering dagger.

‘Let’s see…’

It should definitely be written here.

“I found it.”

“Huh?”

“Look here, Meowi. Do you see something like numbers here?”

“…Oh, wait?”

Where I pointed, numbers from 1 to 6 were faintly marked here and there.
“It’s hard to find if it’s not inflated. You have to draw it in order. Otherwise, it’s a disaster.”

“What if we just cut it…?”

“It would melt down, and we’d gain nothing from it.”

“…My goodness.”

Meowi muttered, ‘Why is it so complicatedly rigged?’

Well, of course, because those GM guys are bastards.

Thud!

The sequentially connected blade stopped, forming a hexagon like a turtle’s shell.

Then, vast smoke seeped through the cracked gaps.

The first thing that appeared was a marble the size of a fist.

It was clear and transparent, like a [Fantasy Pearl], but not as rare.

‘After all, it’s called a fake.’

But for us now, this was better than a real gem.

Because it was something that could overcome Meowi’s weakness.

“Meowi, why don’t you grab that pearl there and infuse it with magic?”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

As she closed her eyes and infused magic, the pearl, filled with her power, emitted a brilliant flash.

“…Bound?!”

Meowi was flustered by the unexpected words she was seeing.

But it was too early for her to be surprised.

Countless icons appeared above the pearl.

Each and every one of them was a normal grade skill.

“Wh-what on earth is this…?”
“Meowi. This [Disguise] can permanently bind any one normal skill of your choice.”
“…Wh-what?!”

I smiled broadly and turned the page.

The rest wasn’t necessary.

What Meowi needed most right now was exactly this.

Specifically, a skill from the [Taunt] category.

A must-learn virtue for a tank to reach the upper ranks.

And I chose the very reason why our Meowi had been side-lined by the others.

“…Uh, eh, uh?”

“You can’t just use it. Like [Shine], you have to add a socket to the shield for you to use the skill.”

And with use, the skill itself would permeate into the user’s body permanently.

This way, it was possible to learn even better skills later on.

Since I’ve acquired the fundamental root.

“Ask Hyeja noona¹ to make the socket.”

“……”

Hmm, it seemed like it would take some time for her to regain her senses as she stared blankly at all that was happening.

I should gather more things in the meantime.

I rummaged through my pockets and pulled out two large spheres.

‘Found them.’

These were [The Pearl Spitting Tortoise’s Runes].

Exactly two of them.

These were also guaranteed drop rewards given to each party member who entered.

“Meowi. We should each use one. I’ll use mine first, so can you cover me?”

“……”

“Meowi?”

“Y-y-yes! Ah, yes!”

Wow, the kid’s broken entirely.
Well, it was enough to cause a brain freeze.

Without hesitation, I placed the [Rune] on my chest.

A warm energy seeped into my body, spreading a unique force throughout the veins in my body.

It was quite a lengthy explanation just for the addition of one rune.

“…Simply put, it means adding an attack power buff and a conditional finishing move.”

The Pearl Spitting Tortoise’s rune truly shines with its second [Turtle’s Rage] passive.

When fully stacked, the [Enhanced] effect of the engraved skill displays the power of a subpar version of an [Ultimate Skill].

‘It’s practically like carrying an extra finishing move.’

Of course, due to the intense mana and health consumption, it couldn’t be fired recklessly.

Still, having or not having a decisive blow is crucial for anyone.

The future image I envisioned for Meowi definitely required the power of this [Rune].

‘Beyond simply playing the role of a tank, it was used as a deal porter in the first phase.’

With this level of setup, just by increasing Meowi’s stats, she would grow into a tank that’s well worth her keep..

“…S-Seha. I can’t think straight. I-I’m not sure, but… is this the end?”

“No. There’s one more left.”

“…Eh?”

This was the last hidden piece.

Not many Supervisor’s even know about this one in the community.

First, I spread out the sagging pearl pouch like a bundle.

On top of it, I placed the shattered shield and cracked sword.

“…Ah.”

A short groan escaped Meowi.

She was probably embarrassed for being too caught up in the rewards to care for her partner, who had been with her for a while.

‘First, I’ll remove [Shine] and…’

Finally, I wrapped up the last item, like packing luggage.

*Chikchik! *The pouch made a sound as it swelled.
It spewed steam as hot as a pressure cooker.

“…Seha. What the hell is this?”
“Just watch.”

One hour later.

The pouch, having completed its final mission, crumbled into dust as if begging to be put out of its misery.

What appeared inside were undoubtedly the broken shield and sword.

But they were shiny and new, with a unique wave pattern engraved on them.

“…Eh?! Huh?”
“Meowi. It’s new gear.”

This was precisely why he had vehemently discouraged buying an uncommon shield.

Commonly known as the Turtle Series.

In fact, among the countless rare equipment, it ranked quite low.

Usually, even the least impressive rare items had at least one special ability.

But this one had none.

Instead, it boasted significantly increased durability, making it unparalleled for rough use.

Once a better item was found, it was perfect to switch to for beginners.

“…Wow.”

Meowi, slumped down, clutched the [Turtle’s Shield] tightly, and had this blank look on her face.

“…A rare shield? It must be worth at least 200 million.”

Wow, damn.

That’s ridiculously expensive.

A mere rare shield costing 200 million?

Lately, living as a hunter, the word ‘million’ felt as common as a neighborhood dog’s name.

‘…Ah right, wasn’t the hero grade around 500 million in the market…?’

I thought I’d faint seeing that.

Was it like buying two apartments?

“…Ah.”

Ma Hana watched Yu Seha muttering, “Not bad”, as he swung his long sword.

“Unbelievable.”

Ma Hana couldn’t comprehend the situation she was in right now in the least bit.

It was just a day—no, half a day.

Her stats, which never used to increase, had risen.

She had cleared a [Trial] that one might only encounter once in a lifetime.

She had tasted the precious elixir, [Heavenly Dragon Fruit], which she thought she would never get to consume even in death.

And the rare rune from a rare boss.
She even acquired the [Taunt] skill, which had been her lifelong regret.

And now, a rare grade equipment too?

Moreover, she didn’t even need time to adjust to her long-time partner, whose only change was in grade.

“……”

Ma Hana bowed her head deeply, overwhelmed by the indescribable emotions she was feeling within her.

Yu Seha.
She was immensely grateful to him.
And at the same time, she was afraid of him.

How could she possibly repay him for all these things he had given her?
There was simply no answer.

‘…So burdensome.’

His trust and faith were overwhelmingly heavy on her.

‘I don’t want to disappoint him.’ That resolve began to waver within her.

Even when blocking the Pearl Spitting Tortoise’s attacks, the firm will crumbled as if struck by an earthquake.

‘…Not me, not a dropout like me.’

Shouldn’t a more remarkable tanker…
Stand by his side?

No matter how much she thought about it, a born 1★ trash like her didn’t deserve to be by his side.

“…Originally, Seha is a [Sword Saint] and a natural 5★.”

He was someone who was on a completely different dimension from her.

And he had given her such an opportunity.

‘Should I… should I run away?’

By telling the staff unnie…
Someone much more amazing…
Should she find at least a natural 3★ level tanker and ask to change the contract with Yu Seha?

Ah, no matter how much I think…
Someone like me…

―Snap!

“Ah!”
“Sss!”

Ma Hana’s thoughts could not continue after that.

Because Yu Seha, who had suddenly approached with a ghostly expression, was standing with his arms crossed.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop putting yourself down?”

“…Ah, I didn’t…”

“Oh, don’t lie. I know our Meowi better than anyone.”

She was truly curious about times like these.
They had only been together for a few days, yet how does he know her so well?

And…

“Don’t worry. Meowi.”

“…Meow?”

“I’ll tell you over and over again. The only tank I need by my side is you.”

“……”

How could he utter such words so nonchalantly?

Why did he trust her so much?

Sob.

Ma Hana forcibly gulped down the tears welling up again.

Yu Seha extended his hand.

The precious benefactor who offered to lift her up was smiling.

‘Alright.’

I don’t know how far I could endure.

I would follow him at least until his faith in me runs out.

“Shall we go back now?”
“…Yes!”

The next day.

“…Excuse me, could you repeat that once more?”
“It’s a trial.”

The casual response from Yu Seha makes the female employee drool from her mouth.

Ma Hana looked at the female employee and nodded in understanding.

‘…Right.’

That’s a normal reaction.
It’s definitely not me who’s strange.