Play of the False Benefactor

The fire mage lay on the ground, her bloodied feet twitching as Joo-Hee healed her at a slow pace, prolonging the torment under the pretense of care.

Joo-Hee savored each second, each twisted expression on the fire mage's face.

'What to do next?' she mused inwardly, the thrill of revenge coursing through her.

'Something more… interesting?'

Joo-Hee focused intently, removing the tendrils embedded in the fire mage's calves one by one, his expression twisted into one of feigned concern.

"Mr. Kang, there seems... to be sharp barbed objects lodged deep in his feet and calves."

Joo-Hee reported, voice laced with fake worry.

"I might need more mana to remove them and time."

'Time... of endless pain,' she thought gleefully.

Kang Ho nodded briskly and concluded with ease, "I see, so it must be goblin traps..."

She turned to a nearby associate.

"Get some high-grade potions, now. We can't let Hyun-Woo stay like this, or that bitc—".

She caught herself, glancing around, "Soo-Jin might make this a problem."

Joo-Hee's eyes widened as she eavesdropped.

'Soo-Jin? Problem?' she thought with curiosity.

'Wait a second... does this guy have a connection?!' her curiosity got the best of her.

"Mr. Kang," she asked, hiding her unease, "who… is Soo-Jin?"

Kang Ho's face softened in an oddly respectful way as he replied, "Shin Soo-Jin. Hyun-Woo's mother. She's a B-plus rank mage."

Joo-Hee's heart sank.

'A B-plus rank mage? his mother?!' she staggerly looked down at Hyun-Woo, her mind whirling.

'What the...! This bastard have connections?? I'd better remove it fast—every trace of my mana from his calves.'

Immediate thinking started to grip her.

She was playing with fire here, and a misstep could cost her dearly.

'Jin-Woo's still weak,' she reminded herself, 'and I have no strong allies yet.'

If his mother ever found out, she'd face the mage's wrath by herself—a backlash of unimaginable proportions.

Quickly, Joo-Hee began working in earnest to heal Hyun-Woo's wounds properly.

Sweat gathered on her brow as she tried to absorb the tendrils without looking suspicious.

Hyun-Woo, watching Joo-Hee's focused expression, mistook it for care and concern that she never experienced before even from her family.

Enduring the waves of pain, she felt another flicker of shame, thinking, 'What a fool I was to mistreat her just because she's better than me.'

Joo-Hee was calculating her next move.

'I can still turn this around,' he thought.

'A false benefactor... and maybe luring would do its thing.'

As she closed her eyes, a slight guilt emerged.

'Sorry... Joo-Hee, I might need to use your body to play a little dirty.'

She leaned toward Hyun-Woo, her tone carrying a hint of concern.

"Can you hold on a moment?" she asked, noting the fire mage's hesitant nod, completely oblivious to the game Joo-Hee was about to start.

She knew exactly what could get a guy's attention—a delicate balance of physical touch and charm.

She casually reached for a tie, biting it lightly between her lips, taking her time as she pulled back her orange hair to reveal the soft, pale skin of her nape.

Her movements were slow, deliberately giving Hyun-Woo a full view as she secured the tie and glanced at her, noting how the mage swallowed, visibly flustered.

'Got him,' Joo-Hee mused, hiding her smirk.

The irony wasn't lost on her.

'Back on Earth, girls used to pull these tricks to catch a guy's attention,' she thought, amused by how the tables had turned.

'Who'd have thought I'd be using their moves in this world?'

Next, she removed her leather cloak, allowing the curves of Joo-Hee's form to show subtly under the healer's attire.

Pretending to adjust her position, she feigned a small slip, her hand landed on Hyun-Woo's left chest.

The contact sent a visible shiver through the fire mage, his cheeks reddening as he tensed at the unexpected touch.

Joo-Hee retracted her hands and acted as if she was momentarily shy, glancing away to further amplify the effect. 

Satisfied, Joo-Hee resumed her healing with a calm focus, concealing her smirk.

'The seed has been planted.'

Now, she'd sit back and watch her plan unfold.

Hyun-Woo swallowed hard, his face flushed as he replayed the "accident" in his mind, trying to convince himself.

'She just slipped,' he thought.

'But… she touched... my... No, I can't be thinking like this.'

He looked away, ashamed of his reaction.

Just then, Kang Ho handed Joo-Hee a high-grade potion, its pristine golden vial gleaming with a bright blue hue.

Her eyes widened slightly, nearly betraying her composed demeanor.

Despite being a B-rank healer, Joo-Hee was on the poorer side for a certain reason: she was quite a big spender.

From the branded clothing she saw in her closet to a wide variety of skincare products and countless hunter supplies, it was clear that her spending habits contributed to her financial situation.

'Women, indeed.'

It reminded her painfully of his spendthrift sister, who never seemed to have enough money despite her womanly lifestyle.

As she glanced at the potion beside her, she felt a pang of greed.

'This potion... cost millions of fortunes. Should I just... save it?'

The idea of pocketing it flashed through her mind, but she bitterly pushed it aside to maintain her act.

Instead, Joo-Hee bit the inside of her cheek, swallowing the bitterness that came from being on the receiving end of Joo-Hee's "generous" lifestyle.

Joo-Hee discreetly checked her status.

_______________________

MP: 389/575

...

— Healing Touch (Skill Level 3 - 49%)

_______________________

Her mana was holding, and with this potion, she could keep her [Healing Touch] going for a long time, potentially leveling up her skill.

Returning her attention to Hyun-Woo, Joo-Hee noticed the mage still blushing and sweating slightly.

Smirking inwardly, Joo-Hee leaned closer, her hand resting gently on Hyun-Woo's forehead.

The seed of physical touch was blooming.

The simple touch made Hyun-Woo's face turn an even deeper shade of red, right on cue.

"You're sweating a lot… Are you hurt anywhere else?" Joo-Hee murmured with a concerned look, softening her voice just enough to make it seem sincere.

She even took a tissue and gently wiped Hyun-Woo's face, each touch calculated to deepen the other's guilt and discomfort.

Hyun-Woo could barely keep his gaze steady, his breathing hitching as he thought, 'It's not fair… How can she be so kind and gentle... I clearly treated her so horribly just hours ago.'

Keeping a soft, concerned expression, Joo-Hee continued, "I know you don't like me, but if you keep being silent, how will I know?"

Watching the conflict on Hyun-Woo's face, Joo-Hee's patience is about to reach its peak.

'Tch... this is taking too long,' she thought.

When Joo-Hee decided to return to healing Hyun-Woo's leg, the mage suddenly grabbed her hand while avoiding a direct confrontation with Joo-Hee's eyes.

"Ho... how can you... still heal me despite everything I did?" he asked, his voice filled with a mix of shame and disbelief.

Joo-Hee grinned inwardly, thinking, 'Finally, you gave in, naive jerk.'

Meeting Hyun-Woo's eyes, Joo-Hee replied with a calm smile, "Do I really need a reason to save someone? I'm a healer—it's my duty to help anyone, no matter their attitude. Besides…"

She paused, letting her words sink in, "Everyone deserves a second chance to keep going."

Hyun-Woo looked at Joo-Hee in amazement from her conviction, his voice softening with regret.

"I'm... sorry. I guess I was just envious because of your rank and..."

Before he could finish, Joo-Hee's expression twisted into a mocking grin.

"...," a heavy silence hung in the air between them.

"Hah! So... it was all because of my rank?"

"Just jealousy? You really are pathetic," she sneered, shaking her head with exaggerated disappointment.

"Honestly, I'm too tired to keep up this little game."

The abrupt shift in tone left Hyun-Woo stunned, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to process the whiplash of kindness turned contempt.

The apology he'd been working up melted into a bewildered silence.

Struggling to comprehend the sudden shift.

Only moments ago, Joo-Hee had seemed like a compassionate, gentle healer—a stark contrast to his own family, who often degraded and belittled him for his C-plus rank.

Now, here she was, mirroring that same scorn.

Joo-Hee leaned in, her hand grazing the ground as she whispered directly into Hyun-Woo's ear, "So, how did it feel when my roots pierced your foul feet?"

The words dripped with malice, her grin twisted in cruel satisfaction.

Hyun-Woo's eyes widened in anger and betrayal as his frustration built into an outraged attempt to speak.

"It wa—"

In one swift motion, Joo-Hee murmured [Verdant Growth], and thick roots shot up, striking Hyun-Woo's neck twice in rapid succession, leaving him slumped and unconscious.

With Kang Ho and the other hunters preoccupied with treating injuries nearby, no one noticed Joo-Hee's actions.

Joo-Hee allowed herself a small, triumphant smile, but deep inside, a wave of dissatisfaction rolled through her.

'Well, it wasn't as satisfying compared to before,' she mused, an unsettling emptiness lingering beneath her twisted sense of victory.

Replaying her earlier words with a cringe and disgust.

'Deserve a second chance? What a joke,' she mused.

She almost laughed, the irony thick as her own words came back to haunt her.