As Joo-Hee neared her apartment, she mulled over the strange moments from the store, a nagging sense of unease mixed with curiosity. Just then, her phone rang, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She glanced at the screen, and a small grin crept onto her face—Jin-Woo, maybe? She was already ready to tease him.
But when she saw the caller ID, her smile quickly faded. It was from the Association, specifically the Dungeon Management Division.
Don't tell me... Why now, of all times?! My system is under upgrade...
Taking a steadying breath, she picked up. "H-hello?"
"Is this Ms. Lee Joo-Hee?" a male voice inquired, polite but businesslike.
Joo-Hee closed her eyes, bracing herself for the expected reason behind the call. Her thoughts swirled with frustration, but she kept her voice steady. "Yes, Lee Joo-Hee here."
"Ms. Lee, we're reaching out regarding an urgent B-rank dungeon raid," the employee continued, his tone professional and measured.
"The dungeon is nearing a break, and we require a healer of your rank to assist. So, kindly be ready to be dispatched."
Joo-Hee gritted her teeth, her thoughts dripping with sarcasm. Crap... Just what I needed right now, more trouble!
With her system out of maintenance, this mission felt like a looming threat. After all, she had always relied heavily on the system for her steady growth and automatic skill activation.
Though she gained mind-transmitted insights whenever her skills leveled up, she had never once attempted to activate them without the system's assistance since it had always been there for her—a constant guide, never once leaving her to fend for herself, except today.
The employee continued hurriedly, "Details will be sent to you shortly. The raid is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Please make sure to arrive before the time."
As the call ended, Joo-Hee let out a long, shaky breath, her mind racing. The male employee on the other end had been in such a hurry, not waiting for her response, as if the call was merely a formality—a quick relay of information rather than an actual conversation.
Spun on her heel, she hurried home with unease.
Her thoughts raced as she pushed herself to make every second count. The moment she entered her apartment, she hastily put her things aside, trying to focus her mind.
I just need to focus on healing. Healing Touch first. That's the priority. If there's time, I can practice Nature's Embrace too—maybe as a backup defense.
Sweat formed on her brow as she bit her fingernails, nerves eating away at her. With a shaky exhale, she forced herself to sit down. Out of instinct, she muttered, "Basic Meditation."
But then she immediately caught herself, shaking her head vigorously.
"No, idiot... stop thinking about the system, okay? Focus! And concentrate!" she muttered to herself, her voice laced with frustration. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, attempting to calm her racing mind.
Closing her eyes again, Joo-Hee focused inward, searching for the familiar flow of mana within her. The sensation came quickly—her abundance of mana making it easy to locate—but now came the real challenge.
Without the system's guidance, there was no automatic visual support, no immediate insights transmission upon skill activation. It was just her, her mana, and the fragmented knowledge she could recall.
I'm sure it was first to channel the mana... transform it... attune and give it healing qualities and effects, Joo-Hee thought, her mind frantically piecing together what she remembered. She clasped her hands together, her fingertips glowing faintly as she pushed her mana to the surface.
Thirty minutes passed. Then an hour. Failure after failure. The frustration built up inside her like a dam about to burst. She groaned loudly, slamming her hands onto the floor.
"Dude, why isn't it working?!" Joo-Hee exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair in exasperation.
"I did the visualization part, which was fine, but... the frequency attunement! Why does it have to be so damn hard!"
She got up and began pacing the room, her footsteps heavy with frustration. Each time she thought she was close, the mana slipped away, leaving her feeling like she was chasing shadows.
Finally, she slumped back down onto the floor with a heavy sigh, burying her face in her hands. Then, taking a quick glance at the clock made her wince. Almost 5 PM? Seriously? I haven't made a single bit of progress. For goodness' sake!
"This is useless if I keep going like this," Joo-Hee muttered, pushing herself away from her spot.
She turned to her computer, searching the Hunter Community Forums and other sites for advice. Within ten minutes, she stumbled upon countless posts from experienced hunters sharing their methods and insights.
She read them all meticulously for the next two hours, kicking herself for not considering this sooner. "I should've done this from the start," she grumbled. "Relying on fragmented memories and half-baked knowledge? What was I thinking?"
After taking in enough tips and techniques, Joo-Hee stood up, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. "This should be good enough for now," she murmured, trying to steady her nerves.
Sitting back down, she recalled the key advice she had read: calm the mind, focus on your intent, and visualize your will in the flow of your mana.
She closed her eyes, letting her breath even out. "Calm...empty the mind...visualize my will," she whispered, repeating the steps in her head. For ten minutes, she sat there, trying to bring her mana to life. Nothing.
Her fists clenched in frustration.
Thirty minutes passed, her mind tirelessly visualizing, her focus unwavering.
By the fifty-minute mark, her persistence bore fruit. A faint, green-yellow glow began to radiate from her body, although she remained unaware of it. Immersed in her meditation, she pushed herself deeper into the exercise, intent on refining and perfecting the process.
The sensation was exhilarating; her body began to feel lighter, almost identical to the ease she experienced when her system used to transform her mana automatically.
After ninety minutes, Joo-Hee opened her eyes—and froze. Wisps of light, soft and ethereal, were flowing and dancing around her. It was her mana, finally imbued with healing properties.
She clenched her fists in triumph, her face lighting up. "Finally! After hours of—"
Her excitement shattered her concentration. The flow of mana faltered, and a sharp, burning sensation shot through her mana channels and veins.
"Ahh!" she groaned, clutching her chest as pain flared from her mana core. Doubling over, she cursed through gritted teeth, beads of sweat forming on her brow.
Her triumph was short-lived, but she had succeeded. A painful lesson—but a step forward nonetheless.