A week later, the early morning light streamed through the window of Joo-Hee's apartment, illuminating the room with a golden hue.
She woke up groggily, preparing to head out for a jog—even though a part of her just wanted to stay in, play games, and enjoy the kind of life she never had before. But she firmly forbade herself. That wasn't who she could afford to be now.
Today, like every other day, she intended to practice her swordsmanship in the nearby park, determined to build a stable foundation.
As she laced up her sneakers, Joo-Hee muttered under her breath, "Another day, another pain."
A bitter smile tugged at her lips. 'Why the hell did I make that wish in the first place? It really is absurd, no matter how much I think about it, that what once felt like a thrilling fantasy of being isekai'd into a magical world was just a faux of endless repetition. If only I'm now prepared enough to fight monsters, and maybe... just maybe, it won't be this boring.'
Sure, she'd improved a little in swordsmanship. The muscle memory was finally kicking in, and her balance didn't falter as much anymore. But truth be told, sword practice felt more like punishment than progress. Magic, on the other hand… that was a different story.
Magic is a blessing for her—a blessing that made her keep going for the possibility of becoming someone with immense power.
Commanding plants, bending nature to her will—it made her feel like a conductor to an orchestra only she could hear. It was wild, addicting, and alive.
Arriving at the nearby park, she stretched her limbs, preparing for her daily routine. A long exhale escaped her lips as she tilted her head back, glaring at the sky.
"This body better not cramp on me again today," she muttered, rotating her shoulders with a pop. Then, without delay, she started jogging—light at first, then building into a steady rhythm.
She pushed herself hard for one hour, until her blood pulsed in her ears and her lungs slightly burned just enough to remind her she was alive.
As her feet pounded the pavement, thoughts flooded in.
'Jin-Woo is probably in some dungeon right now, leveling up like a shonen protagonist. Meanwhile, I'm here, sweating like a pig and barely scraping proficiency points.'
Her brows furrowed. "System, are you listening? Hello? A quest would be nice. Just one damn quest!"
But no answer came. No chime, no notification. Just the wind brushing past her cheeks and the rhythmic thud of her shoes on the path.
'What kind of isekai is this? Where's my overpowered skill? My sudden breakthrough? Where's the flick of the wrist that makes me strong and overwhelmingly lucky overnight?'
She scoffed despite feeling sorry for Joo-Hee. "Sigh... all I got is this body and a passive healing skill."
After her jog, she found a nearby bench shaded under a cluster of old trees. The sound of rustling leaves gave a sense of calm.
She leaned back, heart pounding, sweat trailing down her temple. From a vending machine nearby, she purchased a bottle of water, the chill pressing sweet relief against her palm.
She stared at the clouds for a moment, letting her mind drift.
"No matter how many times I scramble Joo-Hee's fragmented memory, she really had three innate skills," she whispered.
"[Healing Touch], [Haste], and [Strength Buff]. But when I got here… I only inherited [Healing Touch]. So, just why...?"
She closed her eyes. 'If I had those other two… I'd be so much more useful. I'd be more than just a walking band-aid.'
The memories echoed once more in her mind—blood, screams, the haunting stares of dying hunters. The weight of guilt. The moment she froze and watched someone die right before her eyes. Joo-Hee's third and fifth dungeons had broken her… and no one came to pick up the pieces.
She shook her head. "Let's stop looking through her memories. I'll just end up pitying her even more if I keep this up."
Still, the thoughts lingered. 'No wonder she retired after the Double Dungeon. But her death in this timeline… it's rather suspicious. She wasn't supposed to die...'
...
After her breath had returned to a steady rhythm and the remnants of frustration had melted from her mind, Joo-Hee walked further into the park, her gaze scanning for a shaded, secluded spot.
Beneath a wide, leafy tree with roots half-buried in moss, she found her place. Without hesitation, she sat cross-legged on the cool earth and slowly exhaled, preparing her body and mind for the part of her routine she cherished the most.
With a subtle whisper, she activated her skill: [Basic Meditation].
At once, her inner world quieted. A translucent path unfurled within her mind like veins of glowing crystal in the dark, mapping out the route her mana would take. She followed it, her thoughts floating freely as she let her senses dissolve into the ambient world around her.
The wind brushed gently across her skin, threading through the trees in soft murmurs. The rustling leaves sang their quiet lullaby, weaving into the rhythm of her breathing.
'Ahh... this feeling of lightness... This part of the training is the only thing that doesn't feel like a struggle.'
She inhaled, slow and deep, anchoring herself to the ground beneath her. Her awareness expanded like ripples across a pond. She could feel the pulse of the earth—the subtle way of mana hummed softly beneath her, subtle and rhythmic, yet filled with power.
It responded to her as if listening. She'd never felt anything like it in her old world, and yet now, it was as natural as breathing. The skill might be just a basic type, but for Joo-Hee, it was as if stepping into a realm she never imagined to tread.
In two weeks of practicing magic and mana control, the mana now flowed through her steadily, threading its way across twelve familiar mana points in her body—conduits she had come to recognize with the help of the knowledge she gained from her skill, [Basic Meditation].
At first, controlling them had been like learning a new language, one her body struggled to pronounce. But now, it was second nature. The more she practiced, the more the mana yielded to her will. Each level-up of her skill had revealed new pathways, deepening her understanding.
She sat there for what felt like hours, unmoving, perfectly still—until a soft chime echoed in the back of her mind like the ringing of a bell underwater.
_______________________
[You have gained enough proficiency.]
[Basic Meditation has reached Level 3.]
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Then it happened.
A flash, not of light, but of knowing, pierced her consciousness. A memory of knowledge bloomed in her mind, flowing in like water filling a carved channel.
It was the memory of a new mana circulation pattern: six new points, forming a network that connected to her original twelve. They lit up in her mind's eye like stars in a constellation, drawing her into a deeper current.
Her body trembled slightly as the new knowledge settled into her bones. The sensation was more than just learning. It was akin to enlightenment, like brushing up against a worldly truth.
When it passed, she opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the soft dapple of sunlight that filtered through the canopy above. Something inside her had changed.
Eighteen of her body's mana points had been successfully unlocked, with six still awaiting complete refinement.
The moment the realization dawned, her cheeks puffed instinctively, and her lips curled upward into a grin she couldn't contain. "At last!" she muttered excitedly, almost giddy. "It finally leveled up again! Now I can trace and refine the new points."
She clenched her fists with a childish enthusiasm.
With more mana points connected, her magic efficiency will increase, and the mana consumption for [Verdant Growth] and even [Healing Touch] will lessen.
Though it had taken nearly a week of focused meditation to reach this breakthrough, the reward was sweet. Compared to her halting progress with swordsmanship, despite [Basic Swordsmanship] now sitting at level 3, it was magic that made her heart race.
However, before physically testing her passive swordsmanship skill, she chose to raise it to Level 5 to ensure both its effectiveness and her safety in actual combat.
Without another thought, she shifted into a meditative stance, choosing to forgo sword practice for the day.
She decided to dedicate her whole session to familiarizing herself with the six newly unlocked mana points. Like trails across a map, she began to trace their pathways, one by one.
But with every twenty minutes that passed, she felt her mental stamina slipping away. The effort of controlling and perceiving the unfamiliar mana streams was taxing, like balancing on a tightrope while solving a puzzle mid-air.
Then, a spike of pain hit her forehead.
"Arghh…" she winced, clutching her temple. "I guess... that's enough for now."
She slumped back onto the grass, allowing herself to sink into the cool earth. Overhead, the sky stretched wide and cloudless. A canvas of peace.
"Sigh... a pity though," she sighed, eyes squinting at the blue horizon. "I almost fully unblocked the 16th mana point…"
Still, it was a victory.
She exhaled deeply and said, almost lazily, "Status."
With a shimmer, the blue system panel emerged before her eyes like a projected hologram:
_______________________
[Sage Enlightenment System]
.
Name: Lee Joo-Hee (Jake Garcia)
Class: Sage of Eternal Leaf
Level: 2 (30/150)
HP: 140/140 | MP: 260/260
.
Stats:
— Strength: 16
— Dexterity: 16
— Vitality: 14
— Magic Power: 26
— Intelligence: 21
— Wisdom: 19
.
Skills:
— Healing Touch (Skill Level 2 - 24%): Amplified healing abilities, allowing for rapid recovery of wounds and ailments.
— Verdant Growth (Skill Level 2- 73%): Manipulation of plants and nature, enabling the user to control and accelerate plant growth.
— Nature's Embrace (Skill Level 2 - 57%): A protective barrier formed from natural energy, capable of shielding the user and others from harm.
— Basic Swordsmanship (Skill Level 3 - 9%): Fundamentals of sword fighting, focusing on precision and control.
— Basic Meditation (Skill Level 3 - 4%): Enhances the user's ability to sense and manipulate internal mana, aiding in the recovery of magic power and increasing the effectiveness of other mana-based skills.
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