Meeting the Party Members (2)

After Da-Sol joked around with Joo-Hee and chatted with her for a while, Joo-Hee learned that the real Joo-Hee had met him a year ago when he was just starting out as a Hunter.

Da-Sol expressed how deeply grateful he had been for the help she had given him back then.

They continued talking and catching up with each other while waiting for their other party members in the bustling crowd.

Da-Sol took the initiative after seeing that nobody came, he shouted, "Team 4 members, please gather here!"

He repeated it several times, his voice rising above the din.

"If only we had a banner or something to represent our team number. It would greatly help a lot to find them with all these people here," he murmured.

'He's really trying hard... maybe I should help out too,' Joo-hee thought.

Then, with a quiet mutter, making sure no one would hear her, she whispered, [Nature's Embrace].

Joo-hee conjured a small orb of green energy—initially subtle but glowing brighter as she willed it into form.

Da-Sol watched with wide-eyed amazement, covering her mouth.

He had only ever known Joo-Hee as a healer, not someone capable of anything like this.

'Unnie's got more tricks up her sleeve than I thought!'

'Today... must really be my lucky day,' Da-Sol thought, his excitement evident as a sparkle appeared in his eyes.

'This guy, really... is acting like a big golden retriever,' Joo-hee chuckled to herself while observing Da-Sol.

Returning her focus to the task, she began shaping three lines of glowing green energy, forming them into a tangible, number 4 while levitating in her palms.

She could've used [Verdant Growth] to make it even more elaborate, but she didn't want to draw too much attention.

Within few seconds, the number 4 floated above them, softly glowing with a vivid green hue.

It immediately drew attention.

Whispers spread through the crowd, some admiring the impressive and innovative display.

Kang Ho, who was overseeing the event from a distance, narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of the floating number.

'So... Joo-Hee has this kind of potential?' he mused, his brow furrowing in thought.

'To create tangible constructs out of mana like that... it requires quite the exceptional control and practice for a healer.'

He glanced at the energy again, noting how stable it was.

'Why did she waste time practicing with the sword when she could've been honing her talents to be a support mage since she already have the healing abilities?'

He sighed inwardly, somewhat disappointed that such skill had been overlooked.

Meanwhile, Joo-Hee felt the weight of all those gazes as she gulped.

'Crap... I should've toned it down. I didn't think such a simple conjuration would draw this much attention,' she thought, avoiding eye contact with anyone around her.

She could feel people staring and whispering, which only made her more self-conscious.

Her plan to remain low-key had completely backfired.

Kim Da-Sol, however, didn't seem to share the same sentiment.

He was still clapping, looking up at the glowing number with stars in his eyes.

"Unnie, I didn't know you could do that! Conjuring something so flawless, you're amazing!" he exclaimed, giving a thumbs up in admiration.

Joo-Hee smiled awkwardly at Da-Sol's exaggeration, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Thanks... but, uh, let's keep it down a bit," she said, hoping to deflect the attention.

As the two figures soon approached, Joo-Hee's eyes darted to the two new arrivals as they neared.

The tall, lanky man with glasses seemed reserved, his humble posture giving away that he was Ryu Min-Soo, their porter.

The moment he glanced up at the floating number 4, a flicker of disbelief crossed his face, but he quickly composed himself.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Ryu Min-Soo, an E-Rank porter. Please take care of me," he said with a respectful bow.

Joo-Hee nodded, feeling the awkwardness that always came with new team introductions.

"I'm Lee Joo-Hee, a healer. Thanks for being here, Mr. Ryu," she responded, carefully omitting her rank to avoid any special or unusual treatment from the others.

Min-Soo gave a respectful bow, his voice soft and humble.

"It's an honor, Ms. Lee. I'll do my best to not be a nuisance to everyone," Joo-Hee felt a twinge of sympathy at the self-deprecating tone.

'Is this how porters always feel?' she gave Min-Soo a reassuring smile.

She added, "Don't worry about that. We're all in this together. Just do your part, and we'll all be fine."

Min-Soo blinked in surprise before nodding, clearly grateful for Joo-Hee's kind words.

Next to Min-Soo was Ha Yoon-Ji, the archer.

Her sharp eyes scanned Joo-Hee with a piercing gaze, but it wasn't hostility—more like a subtle scrutiny.

Her expression stayed neutral, though Joo-Hee could sense she was calculating something.

Maybe it was because of the unexpected display of mana with the floating number 4.

"I'm Ha Yoon-Ji, a D-minus Rank archer," she said, her voice quiet but confident.

"Can I ask something? Are you really... a healer?" her eyes narrowed slightly, as if sizing Joo-Hee up.

"Yeah, I'm a healer, Ms. Ha. Nice to meet you, by the way," Joo-Hee replied, forcing a smile.

There was a brief pause, and she could feel their silent curiosity about the number 4 and the unusual use of mana.

'I probably overdid it...' Joo-Hee thought, biting the inside of her cheek.

Before the moment could get too awkward, Kim Da-Sol spoke up, his voice cutting through the tension like a bright light.

"You guys don't need to worry. Unnie's skills are the real deal!"

"For now, let's just wait for the other two. Oh, before I forget, I'm Kim Da-Sol, by the way, a C-minus Rank swordsman."

His enthusiasm was infectious, even if a bit overwhelming.

After hearing Da-Sol's remarks, Joo-Hee bit her tongue in embarrassment.

'Joo-Hee... what on earth happened in the past? How come this person is overestimating you like you're some kind of saint?' she sighed internally.

Trying to shake off the awkwardness, Joo-Hee clapped her hands once, breaking the overwhelming atmosphere.

"As Da-Sol mentioned, let's wait for Park Jae-Sung and Choi Eun-Bi for now. In the meantime, feel free to get your equipment and other things ready," she said, keeping her tone light.

But before Joo-Hee could add something, someone else did the same loud clap, only this time, it was followed by a number 7 forming above them.

It was a guy from Team 7, and from the looks of it, he was trying to draw attention.

The crowd's heads turned, and Joo-Hee couldn't help but notice the guy's intense gaze locked onto her.

Something was unsettling about the way he looked at Joo-Hee.

His gaze was laced with arrogance, almost hostile, as if silently challenging her.

'What's with this guy? How can he be showing hostility when I don't even know him?' Joo-Hee thought, perplexed.

Da-Sol muttered, clearly impressed by the flashy display, "To think there are talented people joining today's event. I thought this was more for beginners or hunters recovering from injuries."

Joo-Hee nodded, half-listening as she kept her eyes on Team 7's guy, still puzzled by the sudden tension.

But she quickly refocused when Kang Ho's voice boomed over the crowd, reminding everyone to finalize their groups.

"At exactly 9 sharp, we'll head to Gangwon, where the practice dungeon is. So, for those who haven't fully formed their teams yet, please do so quickly for faster entrance registration later," Kang Ho announced.

...

Soon after, a bulky man with a smug look arrived, his gaze fixed intently on Joo-Hee.

Joo-Hee immediately felt a twinge of irritation.

Her team finally had a jerk she'd have to tolerate.

"And you are...?" Joo-Hee began politely, but before she could finish, the man cut him off.

"You're really cute for a mage. I'm Park Jae-Sung, D-Rank swordsman," he said, flashing a grin that seemed more arrogant than friendly.

He attempted to drape his arm over Joo-Hee's shoulder, but Joo-Hee quickly stepped back, feeling uncomfortable.

Before Jae-Sung could make things worse, Da-Sol intervened, putting his arm on Jae-Sung's shoulder.

"Easy there, man. Let's not overwhelm our healer, alright?" Da-Sol shot Joo-Hee a reassuring glance, sensing the sour look on his face.

'Thank you, Da-Sol. But... how dare this jerk act so smug and disgusting?!,' Joo-Hee thought, feeling grateful for the support but also burning with anger.

Jae-Sung smirked at Da-Sol.

"Your eyes must be quite blind, my friend. If she's a healer, then I should be a swordmaster myself!"

He made a theatrical gesture, pointing at the number 4 floating above Joo-Hee's head.

"Do you really think a healer can pull off this stunt?"

Joo-Hee sighed inwardly, rolling her eyes without letting anyone see.

'Typical jerk move,' she thought.

She took a moment to compose herself and forced a smile.

"I'm indeed a healer, Mr. Park. And practicing magic is just a hobby of mine, I'm still far from an actual mage's level," she replied, keeping her tone light.

With that, she closed her mouth, focusing inward as she silently recited her skill, [Healing Touch], and soon a greenish-yellow glow enveloped her hands.

The transformation was immediate, her teammates gaped in astonishment.

Jae-Sung's eyes widened in disbelief, and even the usually unbothered Yoon-Ji raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Whoa..." Min-Soo exclaimed, breaking his awkward demeanor.

Jae-Sung's smug expression faltered as he stared at the glowing aura.

"Wait, you're serious?" he stammered, clearly taken aback.

Just then, the last member of their group arrived.

She was a mage, clearly—dressed in an old cloak and carrying a wand topped with a small, dark, and light blue gradient mana stone.

Yet, she seemed meek, her gaze lowered as if she wished to disappear.

"I... I'm Choi Eun-Bi, an E-plus rank wind mage. I know three spells as of now," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Joo-Hee felt a pang of sympathy.

'I see, that's why she's so timid. With her low mana pool, it makes sense.'

With the team finally assembled, Joo-Hee couldn't help but wonder how they would manage together, especially with a smug jerk like Jae-Sung on board.

But she shook off her doubts.

They had a dungeon to conquer, and she was quite determined to make the most of it.

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Final Lineup:

- Lee Joo-Hee (B-Rank) - Healer

- Kim Da-Sol (C-minus Rank) - Swordsman

- Park Jae-Sung (D-Rank) - Swordsman

- Ha Yoon-Ji (D-minus Rank) - Archer

- Choi Eun-Bi (E-plus Rank) - Wind Mage

- Ryu Min-Soo (E-Rank) - Porter

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