Touch of Healing (1)

After Joo-Hee finished absorbing the concentrated mana of the potion and testing her newfound powers, she decided it was time to report back to Kang Ho now that Hyun-Woo's healing was complete.

Pulling her leather cloak back on, she made her way to the reception area, where she noticed Kang Ho engaged in a phone conversation.

Joo-Hee's curiosity piqued after hearing certain person's name.

She slowed her pace, catching snippets of Kang Ho's conversation, "… Ji-Hoon… done here... transport... back to the training center."

Joo-Hee's eyebrows lifted as she absorbed this new information.

'So, that creep wasn't around after all,' she thought, feeling a small surge of relief.

'I'd be halfway to being busted if he was here. Guess luck's on my side today.'

Seeing Kang Ho occupied, Joo-Hee approached a nearby female hunter.

"Miss, Shin Hyun-Woo's fully healed now, can you let Mr. Kang know, after his business? Thank you," she informed her with a polite nod.

She looked surprised, then smiled in relief, nodding back.

"Thank you, I'll make sure Mr. Kang knows," she replied as she walked off to pass on the message.

Now all she had to do was wait for the hunters to be transported back, with her own secrets safely concealed—at least for now.

After wrapping up her conversation, Joo-Hee made her way through the bustling crowd of hunters near the entrance of the dungeon, her mind racing with thoughts.

'Time to find the other healer,' she resolved, eager to level up her [Healing Touch] skill.

As she navigated through the throng of low-ranked hunters, she spotted a familiar face tending to a few injured newbies.

The healer turned and recognized Lee Joo-Hee.

"Oh, it's you! Thank you so much for helping with Shin Hyun-Woo. His injuries were pretty extensive, and we were lacking in skilled healers."

Her voice was warm, and Joo-Hee felt a flicker of pride at the acknowledgment.

"No problem at all," Joo-Hee replied, a hint of humility in her tone.

"I'm just glad he's okay."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Chae Nayun," she said, extending her hand.

Joo-Hee shook it, noting her firm grip.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Chae."

As they chatted, Joo-Hee learned more about her background.

"So, you used to be a doctor before awakening as a healer?" she asked, genuinely amazed.

"That's really impressive! It's not every day you meet someone with medical skills and healing abilities."

Chae Nayun chuckled, her eyes sparkling with humility.

"Haha, thank you. I'm just lucky to have awakened abilities related to my field, quite an advantage, I guess."

As they continued talking, Joo-Hee found herself enjoying her company.

"Well, I'd love to help out. I can see that you're tired, Ms. Chae. Just treat it as fellow healers helping each other," she said with enthusiasm.

Chae Nayun's face lit up, and she clapped her hands together.

"Really?? That helps a lot! I'll sure be back after I recover my mana."

Joo-Hee nodded without showing her underlying purpose.

She quickly moved to the nearest group of injured hunters.

One had a deep bruise across his chest, while the other struggled to bear weight on an inflamed ankle.

With the mana she had accumulated, she was confident she could heal both at the same time.

'I must practice first and get the hang of it.'

"I'm here now. Don't worry that much, this wound will be closed soon," Joo-Hee said, her feminine voice soothing and caring.

To the hunters, it sounded almost like a saintess's promise.

She closed her eyes, centering herself, and silently uttered the incantation for [Healing Touch].

Almost immediately, a soft, green glow enveloped the wounds, radiating warmth.

It was as if a mother's embrace wrapped around them.

Initially, the healing energy flickered as Joo-Hee focused on visualizing the cellular composition and enhancing its regenerative properties by infusing energy—each infusion tailored to their specific wound or injury.

It was challenging, but she dug deep, recalling the system's activation mechanism, along with every lesson and moment of practice.

'Just a little longer,' she urged himself.

As she concentrated, the glow brightened, and within seconds, the pain began to fade.

The hunters watched in awe as their wounds transformed before their eyes, healing rapidly.

She could feel the gratitude radiating from the hunters as their expressions shifted from agony to relief.

"Thank you!" one of them exclaimed, standing a little straighter as he tested his healed chest.

"Yeah, Unnie! You're a lifesaver!" the other added, relief washing over her face.

"Just doing my job," Joo-Hee replied with a smile, feeling buoyed by their gratitude.

She didn't linger too long, eager to continue her work.

Moving on to the next pair of hunters waiting for healing, she felt a rush of confidence.

'This is it, just a little more,' she thought, determined to master and level up her [Healing Touch].

Chae Nayun, who was recovering her mana, couldn't hide her amazement at Joo-Hee's skills, watching with admiration as she healed the hunters with precision.

"She's rather amazing," she murmured.

"If she'd been awakened as an S-rank, she could've been the second coming of Sir Byung-Gyu."

Kang Ho, who had overheard her comment, chimed in with a smirk.

"I know, right? That girl is literally a hidden gem. But born with the fate of just being a B-rank… I'm curious to see how bright she'll shine despite it. Don't you think so, Yuna?"

Nayun's eyes widened at the sound of her old nickname.

She glanced at Kang Ho, taken aback.

"Ha! You're still the same as ever, Ho," she grumbled, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"And, don't call me Yuna around other hunters. It's… embarrassing."

Kang Ho chuckled, unbothered.

"Ah, but you know what? Seeing Joo-Hee reminds me of our days, back when we were in raiding. Sure, it was… full of ups and downs," he admitted, his gaze turning somber.

"But it was fun too, wasn't it? And… memorable."

For a moment, Nayun's expression softened, a mixture of nostalgia and melancholy clouding her face.

She felt her eyes start to sting but held herself steady, a slight smile breaking through.

"Yeah… I just hope this generation of hunters will carry on the path we worked so hard to forge."

Kang Ho nodded, his gaze shifting to Joo-Hee as she continued her work.

"Maybe they will. They have more than we did. And maybe, just maybe, they'll push past everything we only dreamed of."

As Joo-Hee finished healing the eighth hunter, she had finally reached a point where she could heal multiple people of varied injuries at once, her mana control smoother and more precise than ever.

'Whew, that took a while,' she thought, pleased with the rapid progress she'd made as she looked at the "guinea pigs" she could use without raising anyone's suspicion.

Then, the system's familiar chime sounded in her mind—a notification she'd been hoping for since the start of this whole healing thing.

_______________________

[ You have gained enough proficiency. Healing Touch has reached Level 4. ]

_______________________

Without a moment's rest, Joo-Hee opened her status window, navigating through her magic power.

'I still have plenty of mana left,' she thought, excitement bubbling within her.

'With this, I should be able to heal at least 42 more people!'

Eager to maximize her skill, she approached the next hunter, who had a nasty cut on her arm.

"Let's get this sorted out," Joo-Hee said confidently as she carefully touched the injury.

She uttered the incantation for [Healing Touch], channeling her energy.

As she focused, Joo-Hee felt an unmistakable change.

'This feels... different.'

She noticed that her precision was sharper, and the healing process unfolded before her like a well-rehearsed dance.

The bruise began to fade much faster than before—an estimation of 20% increase in efficiency.

Within half a minute, the blood flow normalized, and the hunter's expression shifted from pain to relief.

"It... feels much better now. Thank you," the hunter exclaimed, flexing his arm in disbelief.

Unbeknownst to Joo-Hee, Chae Nayun had been watching from a distance, her eyes wide with astonishment.

'Did I just see that right?' she thought, her mind racing.

'How did she—' Her thoughts halted as she realized Joo-Hee's healing became faster.

'This is impossible. How could she improve so much in such a short time?'

Her concentration was broken when Kang Ho approached, puzzled by her sudden tension.

"What are you doing? Why did you stand up all of a sudden?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Lee Joo-Hee, you know her, right?" Nayun blurted out, her voice tinged with urgency.

"Do you have any other info about her?"

Kang Ho looked at her, confused.

"What's with you? You're acting like Ji—" he remarked but was cut off by Nayun.

"You won't understand. You're a meathead after all," she snapped back, her frustration evident.

"Just now, Joo-Hee's healing skills improved drastically."

Kang Ho shrugged, dismissing her concern.

"Of course she would improve. Everyone improves through practice."

Nayun rolled her eyes, frustration bubbling up.

'This buffoon will never understand; nobody improves that fast from just a few practices,' she thought.

Determined to witness it for herself, she kept her gaze fixed on Joo-Hee.

Meanwhile, Joo-Hee continued her work, moving swiftly from one injured hunter to the next.

In just 14 minutes, she had healed a total of 16 people.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment, she whispered, "Status," to check her progress.

_______________________

...

— Healing Touch (Skill Level 4 - 48%)

...

_______________________

"Just a little more, and this skill will also reach level 5," Joo-Hee murmured to herself, a determined spark igniting in her chest.

She could practically taste the fulfillment that came with mastering her inherent ability.

With a newfound sense of determination, she moved to the next pair of hunters waiting for help.