Harsh Realities of the Untalented (2)

A day after her [Basic Meditation] skill leveled up to level 3, Joo-Hee finally managed to fully familiarize herself with the eighteen opened mana points within her body.

Mapping out the invisible flow of mana wasn't easy, and feeling the quiet pulses of energy coursing through unfamiliar nodes was another problem. However, once the control, the balance, and the harmony had been attuned, it was all finally coming together.

Her [Verdant Growth] skill, too, was reaching a critical threshold. It needed only the lightest of pushes before it could level up. And today, she was ready to give it that push.

At her apartment, the warm morning sun filtered through the window, casting dappled light across the room.

Joo-Hee stood in front of her favorite potted house plant, the same one she'd trained with countless times now. She inhaled deeply, centered her mind, and activated [Verdant Growth].

Emerald light flowed from her hand like soft mist, more seamless than it had ever been. It wasn't just energy anymore—it felt like a part of her will, an extension of her thoughts.

With a single touch, the plant responded. The stems thickened, leaves withered, only to regrow anew, stronger and healthier than before. The entire plant seemed to breathe with her mana.

Then, with focused intent of separation, she willed the main stem to divide.

The single sturdy stalk split into sixteen smaller stems, living threads kept alive only through the life force being channeled from her mana. It was delicate work. Tedious. Taxing. But it was fun.

"This is getting easier as time goes by. This body of Joo-Hee is really gifted in terms of magic. I can even do this without my hands," she muttered to herself, while concentrating

Bit by bit, she twisted each of the sixteen segments around one another using only her will. It was a test of coherence, precision, and mental strength. One wrong tug could snap the flow. One lapse in control could cause the stems to wither mid-weave.

Ten strings done.

Then twelve. 

Then sixteen.

Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her mana dipped past the halfway mark. Still, she pushed, increasing the tempo, letting the stems coil faster, sharper.

The more she pushed herself, the more vividly the plant responded. Like limbs obeying her thoughts, they curled into a rope-like bind of verdant fibers—strong, alive, and pliable.

And finally—

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[You have gained enough proficiency.]

[Verdant Growth has reached Level 3.]

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She gasped, her chest rising and falling rapidly from the strain. A grin tugged at her lips as the tension bled from her shoulders. "Whew…" she exhaled. "Another progress… at last."

She stared at the rope-like plant structure. It had already healed from the forceful incision, now appearing green, sturdy, and warm to the touch.

Her heart swelled as she spoke, "Magic really is exciting... and mysterious."

There was something addictive about it. The deeper she dove, the more it responded to her. With every new level, she didn't just gain power—she felt even more connected. As if the roots, the vines, the blooms were all extensions of her soul.

"If I can keep this up," she said, gently brushing the twisted stem structure, "I could create instant bindings, restraints, maybe even walls. How useful that would be…"

Suddenly, a familiar wave of dizziness came—a sign of system information being transmitted directly to her mind.

Her eyes unfocused for a moment as knowledge of the properties of plant-type mana constructs and manipulation patterns for biofiber reinforcement flowed in. It was subtle yet useful.

She even gained new foundations of basic plant property manipulation and plant acceleration, a method to hasten the growth and control over plant life by syncing with a plant's innate vitality cycle.

Just as she was about to relax and meditate to restore her mana, Joo-Hee's phone buzzed. A message came from her former sword instructor, Mr. Kang.

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Kang Ho: "Attention, there will be a special training session for recently recovered hunters all over Seoul. The Association is offering a free-entry dungeon to help you get back into fighting shape. Let me know if you're interested."

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Her eyes widened. "Free dungeon entry?"

In this reality, dungeons weren't just handed out to be cleared instantly. Hunters usually had to rent them, or worse, buy them—both costly options. Most opted for rentals to avoid draining their wallets. But this… this was completely free.

Joo-Hee's lips curled into a smile. "Wah… this is such a great opportunity. Thank you, Mr. Kang!"

Her funds had started to run dry lately, and the timing couldn't have been better.

"I could finally gain some real experience… maybe even test how I fare against actual monsters. Well, I can just go to the rear and hea—"

CRACK.

But just as excitement began to rise, something inside her snapped.

Her chest tightened. Her head pounded. Breathing became strained. A vivid flash of Joo-Hee's memory crashed into her, so sharp and immersive.

A cold, cruel scene: stone statues swinging massive blades. One hunter's body mashed to paste as their insides turn to a pool of blood and flesh. Another beheaded instantly, with their head flying out of their body.

Screams. Blood. Terror. Fear.

It was all the remnant memories of Joo-Hee back on the Double Dungeon.

"W-wha... the—hech...?" the words slipped from her lips in a hoarse whisper as pain lanced through her.

Her body trembled uncontrollably. The fear was so intense it almost paralyzed her—not her fear… but the original Joo-Hee's. The trauma of the incident still lingered deep within this body, lying in wait like a curse.

Desperate to calm herself, she muttered a skill name, [Healing Touch].

A soft glow pulsed from her hand. Warmth spread through her limbs. Slowly, her breathing steadied, her hands stopped shaking, and her vision returned.

And then she vomited.

HURGH—!

As if her body, no longer able to hold it in, purged the terror clawing at her from the inside out.

She wiped her mouth, panting, pale, and shaken. "What the hell… was that?" she whispered, voice hoarse. "Is her body… rejecting the idea of going back into a dungeon?"

She clenched her fists.

"Crap. W-what should I do now...? To think her trauma is this deeply rooted… Even now, even though I'm the one in control—this body, these memories—they're not letting go."

This was a problem.

The fear wasn't just mental. It was biological. Muscle memory. Hormonal reactions. Something deeper than thought.

And yet…

Her gaze drifted back to the message from Mr. Kang.

A goblin-type gate. Low-ranked. A party of fellow hunters. On paper, the safest kind of training dungeon one could ask for.

A perfect opportunity to test herself, earn resources, and grow stronger.

But what if that fear surfaced inside the gate?

What if she froze?

What if the same thing happened again, and someone died because of her?

She hugged her knees, burying her face in her arms.

"I want to be stronger," she muttered. "I need to be stronger. But if this keeps happening…"

She gritted her teeth. She couldn't afford to fall behind.

For the next thirty minutes, Joo-Hee lay motionless on the sofa, her arms folded under her head, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling as her thoughts waged a brutal war within her.

The living plant beside her slithered across the floor, animated by her magic. Under her silent command, it stretched out its leafy tendrils to absorb the vomit with delicate, practiced movements, cleaning even its moisture.

"Sigh... I'm not even her," she whispered bitterly. "Just why...? Why can't this body forget?"

It wasn't just fear. It was the kind that crawled beneath the skin, that hijacked the body no matter how calm the mind pretended to be.

A trauma so deeply carved into Joo-Hee's being that Jake, even as a transmigrator, couldn't simply override it.

She clenched her fists.

And yet, she couldn't hide. Not if she wanted to live. 

"No one knows I can use nature magic now…"

They all still saw her as a healer. An advantage she could use to push her to the back lines, keeping her away from danger.

With a frustrated groan, she sat up and slapped both of her cheeks hard.

SMACK. SMACK—!

"Okay..." she exhaled. "I already died once. Facing this fear is something I need to do. Something that I need to move forward..."

With a final breath, she picked up her phone and typed a message.

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Lee Joo-Hee: "I'm in. Please send me the further details, Mr. Kang."

_______________________

She hit send.