In mere minutes of searching for her lost companions, Joo-Hee spotted two collapsed figures sprawled on the ground.
Her heart leapt as she hastened her pace, but caution steadied her steps.
She thumped her foot against the earth, conjuring a large patch of soft grass that spread across several meters.
Her connection to nature allowed her to feel the faint but steady heartbeats of the two men.
'Thank goodness, they're alive,' she thought, letting out a sigh of relief, her chest easing from the worry.
Breaking into a run, she closed the distance between herself and the fallen men.
Yet, halfway there, her steps faltered as her eyes landed on something impossible—a miracle.
Song Chi-Yul.
His severed arm—gone for almost a month—was now whole again, fully restored as if it had never been lost.
She froze, her breath catching in her throat. Her mind reeled.
'How... how in the world is this even possible?!'
'W-Was it because of the system intervention too?'
She knew the hard truth of this world.
Regenerating a severed limb required an A-rank or S-rank Healer with greater healing abilities or a high-grade item—neither of which should have been anywhere near this dungeon.
Song Chi-Yul had resigned himself to a life of a cripple.
And now, this? It wasn't just life-changing—it was a fate-defying miracle.
With her thoughts spiraling, she reached out to her system, [Thoth], summoning the mechanical voice that echoed in her mind.
...
After asking for a detailed explanation of what had actually happened earlier, fragments of information filled her mind within moments.
Her shock only deepened after knowing the other end of the story.
The system had rearranged her stats during the chaos, optimizing them to elevate her basic skills to their peak proficiency to battle Sung Jin-Woo, who executed great bloodlust.
Her [Healing Touch] and [Verdant Growth] had reached level 10.
At this level, his nurturing skill managed to terraform the land, creating a domain suited for battle.
His healing ability was maximized, allowing him to heal wounds instantly and regenerate entire limbs in seconds.
She also saw the system's battle with Jin-Woo.
It was flawless and enviable, as such a level of precision was out of reach for her at this moment.
The memory fragment left her entirely speechless.
'So it... was indeed because of the system? It's rather disgraceful to think that the system is a better fighter than me despite just newly evolving. It can even increase the level of my skills on its own.'
Her hand instinctively flew to her mouth as awe and disbelief washed over her.
All of this led her to consider a certain possibility.
'But... if this is what happens at level 10, what would their evolved forms be capable of?'
But reality tempered her awe.
She knew well enough that advancing such skills would be an arduous task.
The higher the level, the harder it would be to increase their proficiency.
'I better ask the system later; maybe there's a way to just skip the proficiency thingy.'
The thought drew an excitement and weary sigh from her lips.
Joo-Hee knelt beside the unconscious bodies and placed her hands gently on them.
She paused her efforts to heal her own throat and channeled the remaining threads of her mana into their bodies, activating [Healing Touch].
It didn't take long before Jeonho moved first, groaning softly as his eyes fluttered open.
Before he could speak, Song Chi-Yul awoke as well.
Both men blinked in confusion, their gazes darting around the surroundings.
The moment Song Chi-Yul's eyes landed on Joo-Hee, his expression hardened.
Flames sparked to life in his palms instinctively.
Jeonho, startled as well, grabbed his mace and raised it defensively, pointing it at her.
Joo-Hee took a cautious step back, her hands raised in placation.
Her voice cracked as she struggled to speak through her still-raw throat.
"It's me," she croaked. "Mr. Song… Jeongho… there's no need to be on guard. I'm back."
Her words were rough but steady, her lips curling into a gentle smile.
She gestured toward Song Chi-Yul. "Mr. Song, please look at your left arm."
Song Chi-Yul's flames extinguished as he glanced down, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"My left arm… wh—" he began, his voice trailing off.
His gaze fell on the arm that had been severed, now restored.
He froze. His breath hitched.
Slowly, he raised his restored hand, flexing his fingers as if to confirm it was real.
Mana flowed effortlessly through the limb as tears welled in his eyes.
He fell to his knees, his hands trembling as he touched his arm again and again, unable to believe it.
Drops of tears fell freely, his voice breaking as he whispered, "Joo-Hee… did you…? No…"
He bit his lip, his shoulders trembling.
"Thank you… Thank you so much, Joo-Hee. Thank you…"
Joo-Hee felt her own throat tighten as she watched him.
For a man who had resigned himself to a crippled fate, this was nothing short of a miracle.
She remained silent, letting him process the moment.
Jeongho stood frozen, staring at the scene in disbelief.
His mind raced.
'How…? Mr. Song's arm was gone. We all knew it was over for him. He was even ready to retire soon.'
His gaze shifted to Joo-Hee, and a sudden wave of guilt washed within him.
The memories of their betrayal resurfaced, and shame burned his cheeks.
Finding the moment suitable, he bowed deeply before Joo-Hee and Song Chi-Yul.
"Joo-Hee… Mr. Song…" his voice cracked, heavy with regret.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what we did. I know we were selfish… leaving you behind like that…"
His voice wavered as he continued, "There's no excuse. I thought only of my own survival. I'm sorry…"
Joo-Hee's mind drifted to the bitterness she had harbored earlier outside the dungeon when Kim Sang-shik tried to apologize to her.
She'd been so angry, consumed by the frustration the real Joo-Hee had felt back then.
But as she looked at the two men before her—alive, against all odds—a sense of clarity settled over her.
She thought to herself, 'Maybe it's time to let go of things. Holding on to anger and fear will only weigh me down. I... should at least live for myself now.'
'But now that I think about it… I've managed to successfully change their real fates. Jeon-ho and Mr. Kim didn't die here, and Mr. Song's arm was even regrown.'
A faint smile graced her lips as she responded, "It's alright, Jeongho. I… I was angry earlier, but I understand now. You did what you thought you had to do. I'm just glad we're all alive."
With a small bow, she added, "I'm sorry, too. For the harsh words I said earlier, Jeonho."
"And thank you—thank you both for doing your best to protect me when I was reawakening."
The three stood in a fragile moment of understanding, the weight of the past beginning to lift. Joo-Hee could feel it—the possibility of reconciliation, of starting anew.
...
After a moment of heartfelt reunion, Mr. Song let out a soft laugh, brushing away the lingering tears from his eyes.
He reached out and patted both Joo-Hee and Jeong-Ho on the head, a fatherly gesture that made them feel oddly comforted.
As he lowered his hand, he asked with a more serious expression, "But, Joo-Hee… where's that Sung kid? He's not with you..."
Joo-Hee hesitated for a moment, glancing between the two men.
Deciding there was no need for lies, she exhaled softly and began to explain.
"About that…" she said, her voice still rough.
She told them the piece of truth and briefly mentioned to keep Jin-Woo's true strength hidden for now, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
Both men listened in silence, their brows furrowing as they processed her words. When she finished, Jeong-Ho and Mr. Song exchanged a glance before nodding in unison.
"That boy…" Mr. Song muttered, shaking his head with a bemused smile. "He must have his reasons for keeping his strength. Let's trust him."
Then, looking at Joo-Hee, he added, "About the responsibility—let's just say all of us helped out. I don't feel right letting someone who gave me my arm back take on the full liability. And now that we're back in one piece, it'll be believable."
Joo-Hee couldn't help but smile at his optimism.
"Alright, Mr. Song. Let's go with that," she agreed.
The three of them began walking toward the third cave intersection, where they hoped to reunite with Jin-Woo.
The air felt lighter now, the weight of earlier battles slowly lifting.
As they walked, Joo-Hee glanced at Jeong-Ho, curiosity tugging at her.
"Jeong-Ho," she asked, "have you noticed any changes in your body? I doubt Mr. Song was the only one who benefited back there."
Jeong-Ho paused, frowning thoughtfully.
"Now that you mention it…" he rolled his shoulders, flexing his arms.
"My body does feel lighter, like some kind of weight has been lifted off me."
"Jeonho, try activating your ability," Mr. Song suggested, a knowing glint in his eyes.
Nodding, Jeong-Ho concentrated and activated [Harden].
Almost immediately, he felt the change.
His skin hardened more intensely than before, the effect noticeably stronger and more resilient.
It was as though his ability had been enhanced by at least 30%.
His eyes widened in astonishment as he stared at his hardened physique.
Turning to Mr. Song, he added, "Mr. Song, did you feel anything like this too?"
Mr. Song grinned, his face lighting up with a warmth they hadn't seen in a long time.
"Uhm, I didn't really expect it either, kid. My mana purity has even improved, and my fire control has become sharper than ever."
Jeong-Ho couldn't contain his excitement.
He turned to Joo-Hee, bowing deeply.
"Thank you, Joo-Hee!" his voice carried a deep sincerity.
Seeing their happiness, Joo-Hee felt a swell of pride and relief as a gentle smile spread across her lips.
'To think they managed to benefit from the system enhancement this much. I can also feel it—Mr. Song no longer has the mana of a C-rank...'
But just as she let herself relax for a moment, Jeong-Ho suddenly stopped in his tracks.
His smile faded, replaced by a wary, tense expression.