Mr. Song turned to Jeong-Ho, concern etched on his face.
"Jeong-Ho, why did you stop?"
Jeong-Ho's serious expression deepened as he slowly turned around to face them.
"Mr. Song, didn't we ask Mr. Kim to go outside and report on Joo-Hee's awakening? He wouldn't… accidentally let that female attendant know about Jin-Woo too, would he?"
The question hit Joo-Hee like a bolt of lightning.
Her eyes widened as she quickly scanned their surroundings.
'Now that you mention it… Mr. Kim isn't here! If he says anything, it could ruin everything,' she thought.
"How long has it been since he left?" she asked, her voice laced with urgency.
Mr. Song frowned, rubbing his chin.
"It's been more than twenty minutes. He must've made it outside by now."
Jeongho glanced toward the cave entrance, his mind racing.
"Then, I think we'd better split up for now, Mr. Song, Joo-Hee. If I hurry, I might catch up to him and explain the situation before he says something he shouldn't."
Joo-Hee and Mr. Song exchanged a quick look before nodding.
"Thank you, Jeong-Ho," Joo-Hee said, her voice tinged with both gratitude and worry.
She sighed, brushing her hair back.
"Let's just hope he hasn't said anything yet. Or else..."
"Nah," Mr. Song said with a confident wave of his hand.
"That old man isn't slow-witted. He owes Jin-Woo an apology after all. I'm sure he'd think twice before causing more trouble."
Seeing Mr. Song's optimism sparked a glimmer of hope in Joo-Hee's heart.
As Jeongho hurried off, she and Mr. Song resumed their path toward the third cave intersection.
Midway through the journey, Joo-Hee suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She felt it—a familiar presence stepping onto the soft bed of grasses she had conjured earlier.
Her lips curved into a small smile.
"Looks like Jin-Woo's finally done."
Moments later, the silhouette of a young man emerged from the dim cave corridor.
Joo-Hee waved her hand, her heart lifting at the sight of Jin-Woo, unharmed and calm as ever.
Jin-Woo joined them without much fanfare, offering a simple nod.
As he approached, he showed no surprise at the sight of Mr. Song's restored arm.
He had already crossed paths with him and Jeonho earlier when he strided to go to the dungeon boss.
With his usual calm demeanor, he had simply offered a brief yet heartfelt, "Congratulations on getting your arm back, Mr. Song."
Mr. Song chuckled. "Thanks, kid. I owe this all to Joo-Hee."
The three walked together, the tension of earlier battles momentarily replaced by a sense of camaraderie.
They talked about their plans moving forward, each word bringing a sliver of hope to their otherwise harrowing day.
As they approached the cave's entrance, Joo-Hee slowed her pace.
She extended her hand, activating [Verdant Growth].
Thick roots erupted from the ground behind them, spiraling and weaving into an impenetrable wall that sealed the path tightly.
Jin-Woo and Mr. Song watched in awe as the massive roots glowed with intricate green patterns, their sheer size and strength altering the cave's structure.
"Isn't that a bit… excessive?" Jin-Woo asked, though there was a hint of admiration in his voice.
Joo-Hee shook her head, her expression steely.
"It's a precaution. We can't let the Association find the corpses in there. It would cause more problems than we need."
Pouring a third of her remaining mana into the spell, she ensured the impenetrable wall of roots would hold.
Jin-Woo and Mr. Song exchanged glances, impressed but silent, as they continued toward the cave's exit.
When they finally stepped outside, the sight of the blue sky and radiant sun was almost overwhelming.
Joo-Hee paused, closing her eyes for a moment to let the warmth wash over her.
'Finally, I'm out! But I still have more problems to solve. Sigh...'
Opening them again, her gaze landed on the group of Association officers waiting nearby.
Among them, Woo Jin-Chul stood at the forefront, smiling as though he already knew the outcome of their venture.
Her stomach twisted slightly as she noticed Jeong-Ho standing near the officers, but his subtle nod and thumbs-up put her fears to rest.
Mr. Kim hadn't revealed anything about Jin-Woo.
Relief swept over her, and she exhaled softly.
Woo Jin-Chul stepped forward, his gaze immediately falling on Jin-Woo.
His eyes widened in surprise, his professional demeanor briefly faltering.
"Mr. Sung," he said, his tone both respectful and curious.
"We meet again. You look… much better than the last time I saw you."
Jin-Woo offered a small, polite smile.
"Ah, you're that surveillance agent..."
Turning his attention to the group, Woo Jin-Chul bowed slightly.
"Yes, I'm Woo Jin-Chul, the manager of the Surveillance Department. I'd like to apologize for the incident caused by Kang Tae-Shik. It was a grave oversight on the Association's part."
"Mr. Kim Sang-Shik and Mr. Kang Jeong-Ho have already given their report, but I'd like to ask for your cooperation as well."
His eyes softened as they landed on Joo-Hee.
"Ms. Lee," he said with a warm smile, "Congratulations on your successful reawakening. Never would I have thought that this experience would lead to your second awakening. I'll also need your cooperation to identify your rank later, but first…"
His expression grew stern, his aura surging as he addressed all three of them.
"Let me be direct—was what Mr. Kang Jeong-Ho said true? Were the four of you responsible for killing B-rank Hunter, Kang Tae-Shik?"
The sudden pressure from his aura made the air feel heavy.
Mr. Song stepped forward, shielding Joo-Hee and Jin-Woo.
"Yes," he said firmly and went as planned. "It's true. But the one who dealt the most damage was Joo-Hee. She reawakened and fought him head-on."
Woo Jin-Chul's eyes narrowed as he studied Joo-Hee, his thoughts racing.
"Despite reawakening as a mage, she managed to injure the close-range fighter, Kang Tae-Shik. Her aura is stronger than before, almost on par with mine. This just proves that her awakened abilities must be strong enough to counter the weaknesses of a mage."
"I see," he finally said, his tone neutral but laced with curiosity.
'If she's truly this strong, she must be at least A-minus rank or higher. Though it's really a pity she didn't reawaken as a healer… if she had, South Korea might've gained another S-rank.'
He sighed inwardly, lamenting the missed potential.
Jin-Chul turned again to Joo-Hee, his tone formal but courteous.
"Ms. Lee, please come with us for further evaluation at the Association. We'll also need someone to file a detailed report about the dungeon incident. I hope one of you two can write the report."
Song Chi-Yul stepped forward without hesitation.
"I'll take care of the report," he volunteered, his voice calm and steady.
Joo-Hee nodded, but as she approached the car, her eyes drifted to Jin-Woo, who stood a few steps away, deep in conversation with Woo Jin-Chul.
With her heightened senses gained from the system enhancements, she couldn't help but eavesdrop.
Woo Jin-Chul was warning Jin-Woo about Hwang Dong-Soo, the S-Rank hunter who had marked him and Jinho as targets after the death of his older brother, Hwang Dong-Suk.
Jin-Woo's face grew serious, his usual calm replaced by a hardened resolve.
Joo-Hee sighed, her thoughts heavy.
'So the story is still following its original course. I guess some events are really inevitable. But what about the ripples caused by my intervention? Saving Kim Sang-Shik and Kang Jeong-Ho—what kind of butterfly effect will that trigger?'
She shook her head slightly.
'Well, not that I care about altering the flow of events or the timeline of this world… Jin-Woo is the Heaven's Herald of this Worldview. I'm pretty sure the world will correct itself and support him even if the sky falls. I'll just stick to my plan and play my part for now.'
As Joo-Hee was guided into the car, the agents surrounding her treated her with a level of deference she wasn't accustomed to.
Their polite smiles and gentle words made it clear that her newfound status had shifted their behavior.
"Ms. Lee, please, right this way," one of them said, bowing slightly as he opened the door.
Joo-Hee smirked inwardly.
'People's attitudes really do change depending on your perceived status. If they didn't think I'd reawakened, I doubt they'd be this polite.'
Her eyes scanned the hunters accompanying them, noting their auras.
'C-ranks and B-ranks… not a bad escort, but nothing exceptional either.'
Once inside, Woo Jin-Chul joined them, his demeanor respectful yet professional.
"Ms. Lee, please make yourself comfortable. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to let us know."
Joo-Hee simply nodded, offering a faint smile before closing her eyes.
As the car began to move, she activated [Basic Meditation], focusing on replenishing her mana.
Meanwhile, Woo Jin-Chul flipped through the documents and reports on his lap, his sharp eyes scanning every detail.
It wasn't until the car hit a smooth stretch of road that something struck him as odd.
He looked up, his eyes narrowing as he studied the reflection of Song Chi-Yul in the rearview mirror.
Turning slightly, he addressed him directly.
"Mr. Song," Woo Jin-Chul began cautiously, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but how is it that your arms… were restored? According to your records—and from what I personally recall—you'd lost them long ago. Yet now, they seem completely healed."
Song Chi-Yul chuckled softly, scratching the back of his neck.
"Ah, that… Well, it's all thanks to Joo-Hee. As far as I remember, she was emitting some kind of strange energy during her awakening. We were exposed to it, and when I woke up… my arms had already regrown."
Woo Jin-Chul's brows furrowed, his face a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.
"I see," he said slowly, his voice measured. "Thank you for being honest."
His gaze shifted to Joo-Hee, who appeared to be asleep but was actually deep in meditation.
Her serene expression belied the extraordinary power that lurked within her.
Woo Jin-Chul leaned back, his mind racing.
'How is that even possible? She awakened as a mage, yet she somehow regrew a severed limb? Could it be that her healing abilities improved alongside her awakening?'
He placed a hand under his chin, his thoughts growing more focused.
'If that's true… then she's far more valuable than any ordinary S-Rank. Becoming a mage turned her into an all-rounder. A combatant and a healer rolled into one.'