Glancing at the observation glass, she noticed a crowd of hunters who'd witnessed the whole scene, their expressions mirroring disbelief—especially Nayun, who stared with wide eyes, clearly shaken that Lee Joo-Hee, a healer, could deliver such an impact.
Sigh... I guess it was a smart move to mask the nature mana immediately, Joo-Hee thought, calming her nerves.
Now, the only thing on her mind was to leave the association quickly and quietly after renting that dungeon.
Keeping her expression composed, she turned to the male employee, putting on a facade of a calm and stoic look. "That should be enough to pass, right?"
The man blinked, still processing what he'd seen, then finally met her eyes with a stunned expression. After a few long moments, he nodded, managing a faint, "Uh… yes."
I... I should report this to Sir Baek later. This level of power from a healer... it's unheard of., he thought while glancing at Joo-Hee.
Without saying another word, he stamped her form and recorded her information. As Joo-Hee exited, countless eyes followed her, the hushed murmurs swelling around the room.
"Did you see that score? How the hell did a healer manage that?" one hunter whispered, his brows raised.
"A healer doing that kind of damage? There's no way that's normal," a woman muttered, her gaze suspicious.
One of the association guards scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I could barely pass 700 and yet a healer got more than that, How humiliating..." couldn't hide the unease in his voice.
Joo-Hee caught fragments of the murmurs around her as she walked, keeping her head down and rolling her eyes at the change in tone.
Just earlier, these people had judged her with barely concealed disdain, doubting and undermining her. Now, they were stupefied, caught up in the shock of what she'd done in that test.
Just as she neared to exit the area, she felt a firm grip close around her wrist and turned slowly to see who had stopped her.
Standing there was Nayun, her gaze sharp and unyielding. Her grip wasn't aggressive, but it was solid enough to keep Joo-Hee in place.
"Joo-Hee…" Nayun's voice dropped, barely above a whisper, as her gaze narrowed with a mix of awe and suspicion. "You… you don't happen to have another ability besides healing, do you? I mean—how is that even possible when you're a support-type awakened?"
Joo-Hee smiled, chuckling softly with an air of feigned innocence. "Another ability? I'm not sure what you're getting at, Ms. Chae," she said smoothly, her tone light and unbothered.
"I've just been experimenting with healing energy these days, you know, to perfect my art. That's all," she continued, waving a hand dismissively as if it were no big deal.
"But I really need to get going now, Ms. Chae. Bye!". With that, she turned and hurried off, though she could feel Nayun's sharp, suspicious gaze fixed on her back, clearly unconvinced.
Nayun watched Joo-Hee disappear down the hall, her mind spinning.
First, those healing orbs… and now this? she thought, her eyes narrowing. I clearly saw her infuse some kind of energy into her sword… was that really healing mana? But how?
Driven by her curiosity, Chae Nayun strode into the assessment room. Her eyes scanned the place carefully, and as she looked around, faint traces of healing mana residue lingered in the air.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible… how could this be?" she murmured, feeling a cold realization settle over her. This goes against everything we know about healing mana. It's only meant for restoring life and healing others, not… enhancing weapons.
What Nayun didn't realize was that she'd been fooled—Joo-Hee had deliberately released an aura of healing mana to mask the removed traces of the nature mana she used.
...
Continuing toward the dungeon rental area, Joo-Hee was suddenly intercepted by three people—a tall man with a stoic expression, a reserved woman with an enigmatic aura, and a charismatic woman with a lively smile.
Joo-Hee glanced at each of the three guild representatives as they handed her their business cards, their eyes filled with intense, almost desperate interest.
Her patience was starting to wear thin, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly, though she hid it behind a polite expression. I don't have time for this…
She shifted her weight, ready to make her escape, when suddenly, she was intercepted and they all began to argue with each other, their voices rising in volume as they tried to outdo one another.
Just perfect, she thought with biting sarcasm. Exactly what I needed right now...
Ji-Won crossed his arms, eyeing Eun-Ji with mild irritation. "Silver Hawk may be 'innovative,' but Iron Fang has discipline and rigor. She needs a guild that's serious about training."
Soo-Min folded her arms, her tone cool as she replied, "Discipline is one thing, but nurturing unique abilities is another. At Lunar Shade, we don't force hunters into molds. Ms. Lee's healing and combat skills would flourish without limitation among us."
Eun-Ji scoffed, stepping forward with an insistent grin. "Oh, please! You both just want her because she's a high-ranker. But being high-rank is nothing without guidance, and that's what we offer at Silver Hawk."
Ji-Won raised an eyebrow, his voice calm but firm. "Guidance? Silver Hawk's focus on 'versatility' makes it a jack-of-all-ass guild! Joo-Hee deserves a team with elite standards." He turned to Joo-Hee with a determined look. "You'd receive only the best training at Iron Fang."
Soo-Min sighed, her voice laced with amusement. "Best training? Or best restrictions? Ms. Lee, if you want freedom to grow, Lunar Shade is the only option worth considering—not these two."
Joo-Hee found herself caught in their competitive stares, each of them looking to her for a response.
"Well…" she began, looking at each of them with a fake small smile. "I appreciate all of your offers, but I still need to think about it."
Eun-Ji gave a triumphant smile, glancing at the other two as if she'd won. "Of course! Take your time, Ms. Lee. Just remember—Silver Hawk believes in you."
Ji-Won gave a curt nod. "Iron Fang will be waiting whenever you're ready to step up your training."
Soo-Min held Joo-Hee's gaze with a final, enigmatic smile. "Lunar Shade is always open to those who see beyond the obvious."
With that, the three guild representatives finally let her pass, each one watching her with clear interest as she continued toward the rental area.
Iron Fang, Silver Hawk... these guilds are nothing special. Probably low-tier ones not even mentioned in the novel and manhwa. Not worth my time, honestly.
She couldn't help but let out a sigh, eyes narrowing as she thought about the bigger picture. Guilds, huh? It's not like I'm interested in joining any of them right now. I guess I'll just wait for Jin-Woo to officially create his guild...
But as she reached the dungeon rental area, the reality hit her. Her steps faltered when she saw the long line extending far beyond what she expected—1472... that was the number flashing on the screen as the last number of the queue.
A sea of hunters stood in line, some chatting casually, others scrolling through their phones, but all waiting for their turn.
Her eyes twitched as she gritted her teeth. What the hell... those three bastards wasted so much of my time, and now what?! I'm stuck in this line for God knows how long.
The minutes seemed to drag on, and as her gaze flicked back to the line, she couldn't help but feel irritated by the great delay. I just want to get this over with…