First Steps into the Unknown

The next morning, Jake woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside the hospital window. The light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a soft, warm glow over the room. It was peaceful—almost too peaceful, considering the turbulent thoughts racing through her mind.

She had spent the night tossing and turning, her mind replaying the events of the past few days over and over again. The strange sensations of living in a female body, the unsettling emotions she felt around Jin-Woo, and the overwhelming reality of being trapped in a world where danger lurked around every corner—it was a bit much to process at once.

But today, Joo-Hee knew she needed to start taking concrete steps toward her goals. She needed to get out of here and begin training, both to improve Joo-Hee's innate healing abilities and to explore the powers granted by the system.

After freshening up, Joo-Hee made his way to Jin-Woo's room. The door was slightly opened, and she could hear the soft murmur of voices inside. 

She gently knocked on the door before entering. Jin-Woo was sitting up in bed, talking to his sister, Jin-Ah, who had come to visit him. When they saw Joo-Hee, both of them smiled and greeted her.

"Good morning, Joo-Hee," Jin-Woo greeted, his voice warm but tinged with weariness.

"Morning!" Joo-Hee replied, putting a smile onto her face. "How are you feeling today, Jin-Woo?"

"A bit better, thanks to you," Jin-Woo said, his eyes meeting Joo-Hee's with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. "... and Jin-Ah. I'm really lucky to have you both watching over me."

Jake quickly averted his gaze and clenched his fist, feeling his face heat up. "I'm just doing what I can," he mumbled, shifting awkwardly. "But I think it's time we both started thinking about getting back to our normal lives. We can't stay in the hospital forever."

Jin-Ah, who had been quietly observing the interaction, nodded in agreement, but a teasing thought crossed her mind.

"Unnie's right," Jin-Ah chimed in, her voice teasing. "But what's going on with you two? Did something happen while I was out the past few da—"

Hearing this, Joo-Hee's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly forced herself not to blush.

'This brat,' she thought.

'She might be the death of me. I've been trying to suppress these feelings, and now she's saying it so straightforwardly.'

Before Jin-Ah could continue, Jin-Woo raised his hand and karate-chopped her head.

With his eyes closed, he muttered, "Stop with your nonsense. She's just my friend!"

Jin-Ah rubbed her head and pouted, but Jin-Woo turned to Joo-Hee with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Joo-Hee. My sister can be a bit mischievous."

Joo-Hee tried to steel herself and avoid looking directly into Jin-Woo's eyes, her emotions swirling inside.

Thankfully, the moment passed, and soon Jin-Ah presented the food she had packed from home—tons of kimbap in various types: spam, fresh, spicy, and more.

Joo-Hee's spirits lifted, and she couldn't help but forgive Jin-Ah internally for being such a tease.

Later that day, after chatting and enjoying the meal, Joo-Hee bid her farewells and returned to her hospital room.

As she sat cross-legged on the bed, she opened her eyes and focused on her system.

Taking a deep breath, she muttered, "Status."

A familiar, soothing green light enveloped her, and the system's interface appeared before her mind's eye.

_______________________

[Sage Enlightenment System]

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Name: Lee Joo-Hee (Jake Garcia)

Class: Sage of Eternal Leaf

Level: 1 (0/100)

HP: 140/140 | MP: 210/210

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Stats:

— Strength: 11

— Dexterity: 13

— Vitality: 14

— Magic Power: 21

— Intelligence: 18

— Wisdom: 19

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Skills:

— Healing Touch (Skill Level 1 - 17%): Amplified healing abilities, allowing for rapid recovery of wounds and ailments.

— Verdant Growth (Skill Level 1 - 12%): Manipulation of plants and nature, enabling the user to control and accelerate plant growth.

— Nature's Embrace (Skill Level 1 - 15%): A protective barrier formed from natural energy, capable of shielding the user and others from harm.

_______________________

Joo-Hee had become quite accustomed to the system over the past few days.

At first, when she first activated it, she had been ecstatic and overjoyed.

It was truly amazing and convenient for someone from the real world, where systems, magic, and anything of the sort didn't exist.

Just having a glimpse of the system had made her feel incredibly happy.

But as time passed, Joo-Hee started to realize the limitations of her system.

It wasn't like Jin-Woo's system, which had been well-equipped and robust.

Her own system was missing several key features.

For one, it lacked an inventory—a crucial feature, in her opinion.

It also didn't frequently issue quests, like Jin-Woo's did in the novel, which meant no easy guidance or rewards to spur her forward.

And, perhaps most frustratingly, it didn't have a store feature.

Without that, if she ever needed an item or a weapon, she'd have to fight for it at auctions or in the Hunter market, which was inconvenient and time-consuming.

At times, Joo-Hee had even thought that her system was defective—why had she gotten such a bare-bones version?

But despite these drawbacks, her system still provided her with guidance and utility.

Like, when she uttered the skill name [Healing Touch], though a little embarrassed by the act, her system would immediately convert her mana into healing mana, allowing her to heal.

Similarly, when she called out [Verdant Growth], her system would transform her mana into nature mana, helping her cultivate plants and grow things with ease.

These little conveniences were invaluable, saving her the need to learn the basics all over again.

While it wasn't perfect, the system was still a vital tool for her survival, and she would make the most of it.

In addition to the system's limitations, Joo-Hee began to realize something even more troubling—her body, or rather, Joo-Hee's body, had been significantly weakened when she had taken over as its host.

She had never fully understood the extent of it until now, but the more she explored the system, the clearer it became.

For one, her buff abilities, which had once been vital, were now absent, not even registered in the system.

But that wasn't the most concerning part

As Jake recalled Joo-Hee's residual memories, it became painfully obvious that her mana had degraded severely.

It was nowhere near the strength it had once been.

From the sensation of her mana flow, Jake deduced that it had been reduced to the level of a C-rank or lower—a drastic fall from its previous potential.

This discovery weighed heavily on her mind.

For someone who had once been stronger and capable of much more, the sudden drop in power was a constant reminder of how much she still had to overcome.

The realization made her even more determined to master the skills provided by the system.

If she was to survive in this new world, she would need every ounce of strength she could muster, starting with mastering the skills that the system had granted her.

Survival was no longer a given—it was something she would have to fight for, every step of the way.

She would need to practice, to experiment, and push the limits of what the Sage Enlightenment System could do.