Chapter Seven: The First Healer
The cavern air was thick with the scent of ozone and dread. Hyejin was a knot of fear, huddled against the cold rock. "I can't," she whimpered, staring at the translucent blue screen that had appeared only for her. [Objective: Awaken the 'Seed of Life']. "I don't know how to fight. I don't have a weapon, and I just saw you... what you had to do to survive."
Minwoo's mind was a whirlwind of calculations. The Gate's energy was unstable. The longer they stayed, the greater the chance of a catastrophic collapse that could kill them both. He had to be her anchor. He had to make her see.
"Listen to me," he said, his voice as calm as he could make it, a stark contrast to the frantic beat of his heart. "You don't have to be strong. You don't have to know how to fight. You just have to do exactly what I tell you." He tossed her the makeshift club, the splintered oak branch. "That monster... the one that's hidden... it's a creature of illusion. It feeds on fear. It's going to show you things that aren't there."
He took a step closer, his eyes fixed on hers. "But I can see it. With my Sense, I can see its true form. I will be your eyes. You will be my hands. We will fight this together."
The look on Hyejin's face was a mixture of utter bewilderment and dawning hope. "You can see it?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What is it? Is it like... one of those things you fought?"
"No," Minwoo said, shaking his head. "It's small. And weak. But it's smart. It's trying to make you afraid."
As if on cue, the cavern air warped. A low growl echoed from behind them, and a grotesque figure of a massive, black-shelled monster lunged from the shadows. Its eyes glowed a malevolent red, and its mandibles snapped inches from Hyejin's face. She screamed, stumbling back, dropping the branch.
Minwoo didn't even flinch. He saw nothing. His Sense showed him the truth: a small, translucent beetle, no bigger than his thumb, hovering in the air where the monster should be. The illusion was flawless, but to him, it was a ghost.
"Hyejin! Don't look at it!" he commanded, his voice a sharp crack. "It's not real! It's an illusion! Trust me! Pick up the branch!"
She scrambled, her hands shaking as she fumbled for the crude weapon. The illusionary monster roared, and a powerful, invisible force slammed into her, sending her sprawling. Minwoo's high Vitality was his only shield, but he had to protect her. He stepped in front of her, feeling a brief, sickening weight as the illusion passed through him. He saw a quick flicker of movement, the tiny beetle trying to hide itself in the shadows.
"It's on your right!" Minwoo yelled, pointing. "Three o'clock! It's moving fast! Swing now!"
Hyejin, blinded by fear and the terrifying illusion, swung the branch wildly, a desperate prayer. The wood whistled through the air, completely missing the illusion.
"No!" Minwoo shouted. "Trust me, not your eyes! It's on your left, it's low! Get on the ground and strike!"
She hesitated for a split second, then, with a primal cry, she dropped to her knees and swung the branch horizontally, a blind strike aimed at where Minwoo's voice had guided her. The splintered wood met an invisible resistance, and a faint, high-pitched shriek, a sound only Minwoo could hear, cut through the air.
[System Message: Illusionist Remnant defeated.]
[Objective Complete: Awaken the 'Seed of Life']
[Experience Points Gained: 25]
[System Coins Gained: 10]
The illusionary monster vanished in a puff of dissipating shadow. The air returned to normal, and the low, constant hum of the Gate began to fade. A new message, this one glowing with a soft, green light, appeared directly over Hyejin's head.
[Skill Acquired: 'Seed of Life' (Passive)]
[Description: The body's innate energy has been awakened. Grants a minor regeneration effect on HP and MP. Increases healing potential.]
Tears of relief streamed down Hyejin's face as she looked at her new skill. "I... I did it," she whispered, her voice full of a disbelieving awe. She looked at the wooden branch in her hands, then at Minwoo. The fear was gone, replaced by a profound sense of gratitude and wonder. "You… you saved me. You told me the truth."
The cavern's walls began to shimmer, and a pulsating sphere of pure energy, the Gate's core, materialized in the center of the room. The dungeon was cleared.
Minwoo felt a surge of relief. He had successfully navigated a treacherous situation, preserved the timeline, and in doing so, created a crucial ally. He had not fought a battle with strength, but with his mind, and for a pawn of a Demon Lord, that was all he had.
"Let's go," he said, his voice hoarse. "This place is done. We need to get back to the world."
As they stepped through the fading portal and back into the late afternoon sun, Minwoo knew that the challenge had only just begun. He had a Level 2 body, a low-grade club, and a terrified new partner with a powerful potential. He also had a secret: he was a pawn in a game between gods and demons, and he was the only one who knew the rules. He looked at the Tower of Beginning, now a permanent, terrifying fixture in the sky, and knew that his journey had truly begun.