The Rankers Guide to Live an Ordinary Life - CH 31

It was a sudden event of confusion, but the whole process was handled quickly without any noise.

Successfully being able to deceive Mrs.Park and cover the mouths around her.

It was thanks to the fact that she had warned in advance that her mother shouldn’t find out no matter what.

Lying wasn’t that difficult at the national level.

Zio was hospitalized for a long time under the long name of 〈State-funded Trauma Treatment for the Victims of the March Nightmare〉 at a national hospital that operated under the Center.

Thanks to that, the place where she met up with outsiders was a therapy room in the children’s wards.

Zio said sourly.

「You say you’re the number one controller in the country?」

「Am I like that?」

「Huh. Was it by accident? To be honest, you don’t look that strong.」

「Not as much as you.」

「I’m number one overall, so you can’t compare to me. 」

The little girl talked without changing her expression.

Tiger smiled silently as he looked at the back of her little head that was concentrating hard on the sketchbook drawings.

「You don’t smell like cigarettes as much today.」

「I did my best. Thanks to a certain child.」

「Doesn’t it smell bad for you too?.」

「I smoke because I’m sick of the smell of incense. It’s hard to quit smoking, so please cut me some slack.」

「Okay, I’ll cut you some slack.」

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Zio muttered as she changed the crayon she was using to a different color. Well, it’s the same.

「Because ahjussi keeps looking after me. Even if I fall or complain, you keep coming back to see me.」

「…」

「I think most people would fall asleep while they talk to me, and I wouldn’t want to continue seeing them if they kept doing it.」

Measuring rank.

The first physical contact she ever had with the Babel.

After completing the official “registration” on the server, she was reborn from a state of having an incomplete awakening through a covenant into a fully awakened person.

Therefore, not the she received from h, but the traits of the awakened Gyeon Zio, such as ‘Heart of the Dragon’ and ‘Magic Screen’ became fully awakened, and the magic in her body began seething.

Previously, it was controlled by the deity. However, it was determined that keeping a ‘stigmata’ open for too long was too much for her young body.

The deity chose to forcibly turn off Zio’s switch whenever there were signs of Mana explosion.

That’s why she collapsed and fell asleep like a narcolepsy patient every time.

Even though Zio was annoyed about how he always put her to sleep and created a fuss, there was no way to stop his care for Gyeon Zio.

Thanks to that, she kept up a cold war of not talking to her contractor for a few days.

Tiger looked towards Zio.

She was pretending not to care, but her body kept leaning this way and sneaking a few glances.

‘You are nervous.’

He remembered the contents of the report he had skimmed through when he first arrived.

‘She is very self-defensive, and extremely reluctant to take on responsibilities or relationships…’

Perhaps instead of pretending to deal with trauma, he had to actually deal with it?

There was still a long way until they reached the center.

Tiger smiled and shook his chin.

「I like it.」

「…Huh?」

「I  said I like it.」

「…」

「You have a cute sleeping face. I can’t get enough of it. So it doesn’t really matter if you’re awake or asleep.」

Zio didn’t answer.

She didn’t even raise her head that was still looking at the sketchbook. Still, the man who was an experienced adult knew.

‘You’re relieved.’

It was really cute.

「I guess you like drawing.」

「Not really. No matter what I draw, it doesn’t get better. The Nurse-unni’s said it was a devil’s talent.」

「You’re working hard for it, aren’t you?」

「Since Soon-yo-ssi likes it.」

「Soon-yo… who does that last name belong to?」

「My mom.」

「Oh.」

「A long time ago, my mom’s dream was to go to an art school. But she couldn’t go because she was poor and was living a hard life. So I will go instead and tell her about it.」

「What about your college life?」

「No. Even if I go, there won’t be much and It’s really bad, so I don’t have to have any lingering feelings like my mom.」

Tak.

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She put down her crayons.

Zio wiped her hands.

The sketchbook, which couldn’t be seen before because of her head, was now clearly visible.

Tiger was silent. And asked quietly.

「What did you draw?」

The child with a straight back answered.

「The monster that lives within me.」

You don’t have to come here tomorrow, Ahjussi.

See you in the training room instead.

Because playtime is now over.

***

Series of magic specialising in combat.

Unmeasurable potential.

A magic circuit without limits.

The highest mana sensitivity.

Even without a contractor, it was a walking magic vessel that held no limits that would remain in the history of mankind.

In the end, she was a monster who met the ultimate deity, broke the limits of her race, and sat at the peak of the times and generations.

「Team in Duty, hurry up! Quickly join up! Be faster! What are you doing!」

「T-The damage is serious because it is a damage from earth and real magic! Once we join up, we have to move quickly and receive advanced treatment, Tiger-nim…!」

Behind the buzzing crowd, little Zio looked at her red hands.

The cube-style training room closed on all sides.

A wall that should have been white was dyed red with blood.

All of which belonged to Tiger.

[Your contractor, ‘Reader of Fate’ whispers.]

[It’s not your fault, you warned him, so he gently exhorts you that you’ll be fine.]

It had been a long time since she had last seen a message, but It didn’t come in properly.

The mana that was seething like a wild beast had just been released from its cage.

However, following the guidance of Tiger, and training step by step over the past few days, She was relieved that it had been more stable than she expected.

So what was the problem?

The signs didn’t look particularly good today…

In the end, this is how it ended up.

「Zio.」

「…Ah.」

「Are you okay?」

That wasn’t something to say to someone covered in blood.

Zio stared blankly at Tiger.

Tiger who approached, leaving the surrounding dissuasion behind, carefully examined Zio.

「I knew it. You are hurt. If you were sick you should have said you were sick.」

「…」

「I’m sorry. It shouldn’t leave any scars. Healer, start from here.」

「…No.」

He wasn’t the one who should apologise.

As she clenched the palms of her hand, Tiger looked at her curiously.

Before he knew it, Zio reached out her trembling hands and touched his shoulders.

Wizards and magic were one body.

The sensation of the moment when her magic power tore apart his flesh was terrifyingly clear.

「I-I-I-I’m sorry…」

「…」

「I am… I-I am sorry. Hic. I’m sorry,  Ahjussi. It’s my fault. I’m really sorry. I really didn’t mean to…」

Her sobbing face was messed up because of her rubbing it with her bloody palms.

The surge of sorrow and relief was like a tidal wave. She had done it when she learned that he was alive and well.

Tiger hugged the trembling child.

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「……why are you? Don’t say that.」

She felt even smaller when he held her.

To the point where it felt like a sin to claim that someone like this was the strongest.

Biting around, Tiger came out of the training room.

He was patting the back of the child he was carrying.

He whispered softly to her hot, young cheek.

「Zio. You asked me before, didn’t you? How can I be the best in controlling?」

「……」

「You know, I deal with demons. They’re always hungry. They can’t tell the enemy apart, and they rush to attack at any opportunity. To live with them… I have to take control first.」

Every moment of every day.

Fighting monsters. It felt like a monster was swarming inside his body.

「Am I the monster, or are they the monster.」

For him, the difference was hard to tell, but what about others?

Hunters are both humans and monsters.

It’s an undeniable truth, and they will never be able to get out of that formula.

「But Zio, ‘Jo’. Remember.」

Always keep your back straight and your chin up.

Look straight ahead.

「This is a hunter’s basic posture.」

Standing upright with a soul that will never be swallowed.

If you face the monster within you and control it properly.

A hunter can live as a human as much as they want to.

「Never be swallowed. Face your monster and put a very hard leash on it. And if you don’t let go…」

You’ll be a greater ‘Hunter’ than anyone else.