"Be strong. Stay strong."
That was Trisha's family motto, and for all her life, she abided by those principles.
Her father was a well-respected Martial Artist in the community, and he even used to have a dojo before retiring.
Despite her being the only child of the family, her parents treated her with love and didn't try to turn her into a boy.
However, she could see it in her father's eyes—the desire he had for an heir.
Someone to carry on their family's legacy.
"Father, I want to learn Martial Arts!"
In the end, she was the one who thrust herself in the world she became immersed in for most of her life.
Everything she did after that revolved around training, learning, trying her hardest to be strong.
It was difficult, but she comforted herself with the happiness of her father.
… With the success of her family.
Even now, Trisha had no real regrets. She still desired to be strong and every day, she strives to reach even more of the unattainable height that was the Martial Peak.
She couldn't blame her father for this path.
Everything she was, and all she had become… Trisha chose it of her own accord.
Which was why she began to crumble when she looked around her and found out a truth she couldn't see before.
In this world, where her father and the entire community she grew up with, weren't present… what was the purpose of everything?
Sure, she was strong… but did that really matter here?
Her Martial Arts were rendered obsolete by Skills and Magic, and she wasn't even the best at that.
She was outshined by the pretty girls and handsome guys of the class.
It grew into heavy frustration for her.
There was only one person whom she could truly look at without hints of envy, yet had some strange kind of respect for.
That was Rey Skylar.
Somehow, she knew he was strong… yet he didn't seem like it.
He was an average boy who had some mediocre Skills, yet she knew his application of Martiao Arts and his insight into abilities were beyond normal.
He was a truly special case.
Unfortunately, with Alicia already being much closer to him than she was, Trisha already realized she was fighting a losing battle.
As such, she backed off.
But… there was only so much a girl could take.
After stomaching everything for so long, Trisha felt like she would break.
Why couldn't she be as strong as everyone else?
Why wasn't she as attractive as other people?
It… just wasn't fair.
*********
"Wow. I didn't know you saw things that way." Alicia was the first to speak after a long moment of silence.
She had a genuinely compassionate expression on her face; one that felt completely different from pity.
"To be honest, I don't think of myself as special in any way. My beauty is all due to genetics, and I had to study very very hard to be able to pass all those exams that got me top grades…"
Of course, none of those compared to Trisha's hard work and experiences, but… Alicia hoped her own story could show her another side of things.
"My popularity wasn't always for the good. You might choose to believe this or not, but… I actually had a Karma Point of 57."
Gasps filled the air, and the two who heard looked completely flabbergasted,
"I don't believe it."
"That's not possible, right? Your Skills…"
Alicia smiled a little and shook her head.
"It's all about compatibility and luck in selection. By choosing a Skill or Class, you get a chain reaction in the mix." She sighed.
The girls still looked upon her in disbelief. There was no way they could believe such incredible news.
"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. My point is that while I was popular, I wasn't well-liked by a lot of people."
Alicia went on to give examples of their life on Earth—the rumors that spread about her on multiple occasions, and how she nearly got into trouble that one time.
These were mind-shattering revelations to the girls who listened.
"In the end, I believe all those superficial things don't matter. I won't deny that I was lucky to have gotten these powers here, and that my appeal played a big role in making me popular back on Earth, but in the end…" Alicia looked at Trisha and smiled.
"… What matters most is what we choose to do with what we have, right?"
Alicia didn't know if she was passing the message across the way she wanted to, but she knew there was something else she had to say.
"Also, I really think you're pretty, Trisha." As soon as Alicia said this, Trisha blushed and stopped back in shock.
"W-what? Stop kidding!"
"I'm serious. You look really pretty. I like your whole tomboy aesthetic, and I'm sure I am not alone in that sentiment."
Trisha shook her head as if she didn't want to believe it, but Belle giggled at the whole thing, causing both girls to look at her.
"I completely agree with Alicia. You're a very fine girl, Trisha. Especially those thighs of yours. Your butt is also pretty plump."
"BELLE! That's a bit too much, don't you think?" Alicia yelled, noticing how flustered Trisha looked as a result of her assessment.
"What? I was just saying the truth." The blonde answered innocently. "Besides, we're all girls here, right? I doubt the Undead guy is listening in on our conversation."
Trisha's face appeared very very conflicted. She fidgeted a little too.
It wasn't like she hadn't heard those words from people before, but she always thought they were making snide comments or didn't mean what they said.
Seeing her fellow ladies give her those compliments really encouraged her and gave her confidence in her body.
"Thank you… the both of you." Trisha's moist eyes glistened as she looked at Belle and Alicia.
This conversation was more liberating than she imagined.
"You girls are the best!"