Solo Leveling: Banishment of the Anomaly

Seeing that Jin-Woo's wounds had yet to heal, Joo-Hee exhaled deeply, pushing her rising negative thoughts aside.

She needed to focus on the present.

"Jin-Woo," she said softly but firmly, her gaze steady and unyielding.

"Lower your head. I'll heal you first before we go."

Jin-Woo hesitated for a moment, wanting to protest because he knew she might use it to tease him later.

But the persistence in her eyes silenced any objections.

With a faint sigh, he relented, bowing slightly like a golden retriever following its owner's command.

Joo-Hee stepped closer, raising her hands to his face.

She placed them lightly on a deep cut that scarred his cheek and neck.

Testing the mental link with her system, she willed her thoughts to resonate with clarity.

[Healing Touch], she thought.

A surge of warm, soothing energy flowed from her palms, weaving through her fingertips and into Jin-Woo's body.

Her mana surged effortlessly, the system amplifying its efficiency and precision in ways she had already expected.

The cuts and gashes on Jin-Woo's face and body began to mend almost instantly, healing in less than a minute.

The torn skin stitched itself together seamlessly, leaving no trace of injury.

Even the smallest scars he had carried for years faded away like fleeting dust, his skin was left smooth and flawless.

Jin-Woo's eyes widened, disbelief flickering across his face.

He studied her silently, a flood of unspoken questions swirling in his mind.

'It's different...' he thought.

His memories drifted back to their earlier fight, a gnawing unease settling in his chest.

'When I mistakenly severed her arm earlier... she reattached it in a matter of seconds using her healing magic...'

'Even when I slashed her countless times with half of my strength, her barrier and healing magic worked together seamlessly. It was instantaneous, almost automatic.'

He frowned inwardly, his sharp eyes catching subtle differences now.

'But now... it's slower. Less potent. It's as if her healing has degraded since she returned.'

The realization unsettled him.

Her mana control and mastery over healing, once unparalleled, seemed almost... diminished.

As curiosity gnawed at him, Jin-Woo's mind raced.

He weighed his options, his instincts pushing him toward action.

'No one is here beside us,' he thought, glancing at the empty ruined cave dungeon around them.

'If I wait to ask her outside, the risk of being wiretapped and followed isn't zero—especially for a reawakened hunter.'

'It could put us both in grave danger. And I'm not strong enough yet to protect her if something happens.'

Resolving himself, Jin-Woo decided this was the right moment.

While Joo-Hee carefully healed his wounds, one by one, Jin-Woo hesitated briefly before mentioning a more personal topic.

"You know," he started, his tone lighter than usual, "my sister keeps talking about you. Jin-Ah's been begging me to invite you over again. She really wants to meet and thank you properly this time."

Joo-Hee's hands paused briefly over a cut on his arm, her expression softening.

A genuine smile spread across her face.

"Really?" she said warmly.

"I'd love to spend time with her again. She's such a sweet and innocent girl."

Jin-Woo couldn't help but smile back, pleased with her response.

"Then it's settled. Once we're done here and take care of some matters at the association, I'll take you to our apartment."

"Jin-Ah would be thrilled to have you over."

"Sure, that sounds perfect," Joo-Hee replied, her tone bright and cheerful.

"So," he asked cautiously, "how are you feeling after... reawakening?"

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, plastering on a reassuring smile.

"It still feels new. My body feels light, and my mind is at ease. Though this overwhelming energy still feels a bit foreign... but I'm managing."

"Thanks for asking, Jin-Woo."

Jin-Woo studied her closely, his sharp eyes catching the faint hesitation in her response and body language, especially how she moved and used her mana.

He didn't press further, instead steering the conversation into safer territory, making Joo-Hee lower her guard even more.

As they talked, their conversation grew deeper, and more personal.

They exchanged thoughts and small smiles, the tension in the air easing bit by bit.

But Jin-Woo's mind remained inquisitive.

'The Joo-Hee earlier… really wasn't her.'

His thoughts drifted back to the "fight".

'The way she moved, the precision of her attacks, the way she wielded mana—it was leagues beyond anything I've seen from her.'

'It was as if she wasn't in control at all.'

His jaw tightened as the realization hit him.

'It had to be her system... It must have taken over—to protect her and wait for Joo-Hee to complete her second awakening.'

Jin-Woo glanced at Joo-Hee, who was smiling softly as she continued her work, unaware of his internal turmoil.

Joo-Hee, on the other hand, continued to focus on healing Jin-Woo's deep wounds.

She was at ease—more so than she had been in hours—calmed into a sense of normalcy by their back-and-forth conversation.

What she didn't realize was that Jin-Woo's calm exterior hid a calculated and inquisitive edge.

Unbeknownst to her, he had been working subtly, guiding their conversation with precision.

'I'm sorry, Joo-Hee,' Jin-Woo thought grimly, his eyes narrowing as he watched her closely.

'It's not that I don't trust you enough... but I need to be sure. I need to be careful.'

He couldn't afford to let his feelings and their friendship cloud his judgment.

Joo-Hee, unaware of Jin-Woo's intentions, was almost done healing all his wounds, her mana flowing steadily as she worked.

She had grown used to his questions and replies, answering without hesitation as their conversation deepened.

And that's when Jin-Woo struck fast.

"Joo-Hee," he said, his tone deceptively casual.

"Do you also have a system?"

The question sliced through the air like a blade.

Joo-Hee's focus was still on channeling healing mana to the wound on his calf.

Her guard was down and was distracted.

Distracted by their conversation and intently focused on healing him, she didn't catch the weight behind his words—or the trap hidden within them.

Without thinking, she smiled faintly, her voice calm and natural.

"Uh-huh, I have. Don't you al—"

The words left her lips before she realized her mistake.

Her eyes widened in horror as the realization hit her like a thunderclap.

The air between them thickened, an almost suffocating weight pressing down as if the world itself had frozen in anticipation.

Their eyes locked—her gaze trembling, his unwavering—each filled with unspoken questions that spiraled endlessly.

Would Joo-Hee reveal the truth she so desperately guarded? Or would this moment shatter their fragile bond, paving the way for betrayal—or something far more sinister?