A/N: After careful consideration, I now decided to just stick to Joo-Hee's original name. Sorry for the confusion and inconvenience from the earlier chapters. Thank you for reading my fanfic!
.
.
.
The next day, after finishing the special event with the association and having met with Jin-Woo, Joo-Hee woke up early, a sense of urgency propelling her out of bed.
She needed to prepare to go back to that dungeon. And expand her knowledge about her skills, and train beforehand.
Sitting down on her computer, she started typing, searching for seeds of plants with special tendencies on the hunter association forum.
She knew the limitations of her skill, Verdant Growth, which made it clear to her that creating plants from scratch would take an excessive amount of mana and require extreme precision, making it inefficient for someone at her level.
So, using seeds to grow plants would be the more efficient approach to allow her to harness their powers quickly.
As she scrolled through various listings, a wave of regret washed over her. If I had known this would happen, I would have asked my mother to teach me more about plants, she thought, sighing as she felt the familiar pang of missing her family in the real world.
Narrowing down her selection, Joo-Hee came across five types of seeds that were both affordable and could be incredibly useful in the dungeon:
_______________________
1. Venomthorn Bush
- Price: 15,000 - 23,000 KRW
- Description: Produces toxic thorns; the seeds are rare and valuable due to their offensive capabilities.
...
7. Gloomshade Flower
- Price: 13,000 - 16,000 KRW
- Description: A flower that can produce spores to obscure vision; its seeds are rare and highly sought after.
8. Ironwood Thornvine
- Price: 11,000 - 14,500 KRW
- Description: Known for its strength and defensive properties, the seeds of this vine can produce tough, thorny plants useful for protection.
...
26. Viper Vine
- Price: 14,500 - 19,000 KRW
- Description: A fast-growing vine with paralyzing properties, useful for immobilizing foes.
...
48. Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia) - [Highly Recommended]
- Price: 35,000 - 50,000 KRW
- Description: Vibrant flowers emit a sweet fragrance that can attract goblins, making them useful for setting traps or luring goblins.
_______________________
Seeing the selection of seeds made her even more certain that her approach was much more efficient and less mana-intensive.
All of them were necessary for her upcoming dungeon dive, especially since she was going to be alone for the restrictive quest, [Killing the Goblins], which would help her sustain herself in the long run.
The most essential item on her list was the seeds of the Blanket Flowers. Just reading its description and hunter reviews made it clear how invaluable and helpful they would be for her mission.
After listing and preparing everything he needed, Joo-Hee headed out, determined to confirm a booking for the dungeon and visit the hunter market near the association to buy the necessary items.
...
Upon arriving at the association, Joo-Hee was greeted by a vibrant atmosphere alive with the hustle and bustle of various hunters preparing for their adventures.
It was a sight she had seen before, but it never failed to amaze her. Hunters clad in armor and robes, some showcasing intricate designs, while others carried massive weapons, moved purposefully through the crowd.
She couldn't help but murmur to herself, "If VRMMORPGs were possible in my world, I'm sure it would be just like this." The thought made her smile, imagining the camaraderie and thrill of battling alongside friends in a fantastical realm.
Joo-Hee stood in line at the Dungeon Rental Area, a sense of anticipation coursing through him.
Her excitement, however, was short-lived as she noticed a burly guy nearby, surrounded by her team, who kept casting glances at her.
The tension in the air grew thick as the man approached her, his swagger evident.
"Hey there, yeppeun agassi," he said, his tone dripping with arrogance. "You wanna join us for a dungeon raid later? I promise I'll take good care of you inside. You know how dangerous it can be for a girl in there. It's better to have a strong guy like me on your side." He flashed a smug smile, clearly pleased with his own charm.
Joo-Hee's stomach twisted in disgust. First Shin Hyun-Woo, and now this frog dares to ruin my day?
The guy's accent was unpleasant to hear. His high-pitched deep voice even made Joo-Hee clench her fists, feeling her irritation boil over. She wanted to ignore the man, but the way she was staring at her made it impossible.
Joo-Hee knew her patience was wearing thin.
With a forced smile that barely concealed his annoyance, she turned to face the burly guy. "Sorry, ahjussi," she said, deliberately emphasizing the word, "but I don't want to bother anyone, so I think it would be better if I go alone."
Joo-Hee's rejection and the laughter from his teammates sparked the burly man's anger.
His expression soured, and irritation flashed in his eyes as he responded, "Ahjussi?! It seems you've never been taught any manners, agassi. I invited you with good intentions, and you dare to disrespect me—Kim Jae-Hoon?!"
Joo-Hee's heart raced as she fought to keep her composure.
The guy even poked a finger at Joo-Hee's shoulder repeatedly as he continued, "I'm a B-minus rank hunter. You should be grateful I invited you out of everyone here."
That was it. Joo-Hee could feel the heat of fury rising within her. THIS FUCKER!! Talking about respect while his attitude is fouler than a sewer!!!
As Joo-Hee trembled, the onlookers might have thought she was afraid, but in reality, Joo-Hee was the one on the verge of exploding. Her eyes twitched with pent-up frustration as she imagined using Nature's Embrace to compress this jerk's face until he couldn't breathe.
She had to restrain herself, though. The last thing she wanted was to risk her Hunter ID over this arrogant fool.
With every fiber of her being, she willed herself to stay calm. Just breathe, Jake. Don't give him the satisfaction...
But the smug look on that guy's face, the arrogance in his voice, was pushing Joo-Hee to the edge. Her mind roared with the urge to snap back, to make this Jae-Hoon regret every word he'd uttered.
Don't think that I'll forget any of this, bastard. Her fingers trembled, nails digging into her palms as she forced herself to stay rooted. One day, you'll pay for this, you little shit—
The crowd around them had already started to murmur, some onlookers casting sympathetic glances at Joo-Hee.
A few whispered, "It seems our dear Jae-Hoon found a new toy to play with." Others simply shook their heads, pitying the "poor girl" caught in his sights. Even the association guards were subtly on edge, watching in case things escalated.
Jae-Hoon leaned in closer, a smug smirk plastered on his face as he sneered, "What's the use of being pretty if you're just a bitch?"
That word—bitch—echoed through Joo-Hee's mind like a spark igniting dry timber. She could feel her pulse thundering, fury coiling tighter with every second.
The corners of her mouth twisted into a smile, cold and menacing. Without thinking, she let out a low, mocking laugh that cut through the murmurs.
"One day, my ass... I take it back," he muttered darkly, her voice laced with venom. Then, she raised her voice, her eyes gleaming with piercing anger as she glared directly at Jae-Hoon. "Hey, you orc-faced bastard!"
The crowd froze. Joo-Hee's words hung in the air, sharp and biting.
Jae-Hoon's eyes widened slightly, surprised, and those around them gasped, the shock rippling through the room.
People whispered in horror, recognizing that the girl had just directly insulted Kim Jae-Hoon, a known troublemaker with a bad reputation in the association.