Joo-Hee hesitated for a moment, glancing at the Exclusive Class Quest Scroll dropped on the floor.
"No… not yet. Opening the quest scroll now would be a foolish decision."
As tempting as it was to open the scroll and receive her exclusive quest, she knew better.
Right now, she was just rather average in both power and control.
"I'll utilize this scroll to its fullest for now… and change some of my plans."
"After all, I still have a couple of months before the main chaotic storyline happens… so this exclusive quest can be buried for quite a bit of time."
With a decisive nod, she set the scroll aside and turned toward the drawer near the closet, pulling it open.
Inside, several bags of seeds lay neatly packed.
Joo-Hee rummaged through them until she found a small paper sachet.
Inside were three elongated black metallic seeds, resembling grains of rice.
"Well, now should be the perfect time to grow the Mindbloom Herb."
She recalled the words of the seed seller who had given them to her.
"If I manage to grow it, then it will help me in the long term, increasing my insight permanently."
"If the seller's claims were true, then cultivating the Mindbloom Herb could significantly enhance my comprehension speed, allowing me to grasp and refine my skills faster."
Her fingers tightened around the sachet.
"And by combining [Verdant Growth] with [Fragmented Tongue of Babel] together, I can drastically accelerate its growth, far faster than simply waiting for it to mature naturally."
[Verdant Growth] could force and manipulate plant's cellular structure to mature faster, but at the cost of her own energy.
Meanwhile, [Fragmented Tongue of Babel] allowed her to "speak" with the plant's essence, commanding its growth—but it drained her mentally, leaving behind a mind fatigue.
Before, she wouldn't have even considered this method due to the extreme physical and mental strain.
But now?
Her gaze flickered to the quest scroll lying beside her.
"With this scroll serving as a healing artifact, my body will recover no matter how much strain I put on myself."
It was a gamble, but one worth taking.
Joo-Hee exhaled sharply, pushing aside her doubts.
She grabbed a potted houseplant, carefully removed the snake plant inside, and transferred it to another pot.
Then, she placed the three Mindbloom seeds inside, spacing them apart with precise distances.
Next, she reached for a bottle of mana potion.
"Since this is an otherworld plant, normal water won't suffice. A low-grade potion should do it."
She uncorked the bottle and poured a thin stream over the seeds, watching as the liquid absorbed into the soil.
Now came the hard part.
Joo-Hee stared at the potted seeds, the quest scroll beside her.
Her hands trembled slightly—both from fear of pain and the sheer craziness of what she was about to do.
She wasted no more time.
Summoning her mana, she activated [Verdant Growth] to start her plan.
Immediately after, she continued as a foreign sensation slithered up her throat—ancient etchings and scriptures crawling over her tongue like parasitic tendrils.
The golden markings that appeared on her neck, marking the activation of [Fragmented Tongue of Babel].
Her breath hitched.
The memories of the excruciating pain from using this Origin Skill came flooding back.
Still, she clenched her trembling hands into fists and stared intently at the potted Mindbloom Herb seeds.
Then, she spoke,
A searing pain erupted in her tongue and neck, akin to fire scorching her flesh itself.
"AGH—!"
Joo-Hee screeched in agony, immediately grabbing the quest scroll with trembling fingers.
The moment she touched it, a wave of overwhelming vitality surged through her, relieving the pain instantly.
Her smirk grew as she murmured, "I-it worked...! My plan actually worked!"
As long as she had mana, she could abuse this method endlessly!
Her tongue and throat were still dry, but it was nothing compared to the unbearable burning pain from before.
Joo-Hee shifted her gaze to the Mindbloom Herb, watching as a glowing white-blue sprout emerged from the soil.
It was small at first, but it kept growing, reaching several centimeters tall each second that passed.
Her heartbeat quickened, "I can use my skill one more time before my mana drops to one-third…"
She looked at the scroll in her hand, "Such an overpowered item... I don't have to be afraid of the physical strain anymore. It even heals my mental fatigue instantly…"
Driven by excitement, Joo-Hee tested the limits.
...
Noon arrived, and the Mindbloom Herb was no longer the same as before.
What had once been a small plant only a few centimeters tall had now grown into a towering two-meter marvel.
Calling it an herb felt like an understatement now.
It had even sprouted a single, fully bloomed blue flower, alongside a small, unopened bud.
Joo-Hee let out a relieved sigh as she glanced at the transformed plant and the empty mana recovery potions scattered around her.
"Whew... using that skill more than seven times in a row is absolute torture," she muttered.
"At least the scroll's power didn't diminish, even after multiple uses. That's a total relief."
She stood up and gently touched the vibrant blue flower, marveling at its beauty.
"But, this is amazing… I can't believe it actually bloomed," she murmured.
"If it can grow a flower… could it also bear fruit if I keep nurturing it?" A mischievous grin spread across her face.
Satisfied with the result, she opened her skill panel and checked her progress.
_______________________
Basic Skills:
— Healing Touch (Skill Level 6 - 49%)
— Verdant Growth (Skill Level 6 - 69%)
— Nature's Embrace (Skill Level 5 - 4%)
— Basic Swordsmanship (Skill Level 4 - 0%)
— Basic Meditation (Skill Level 6 - 58%)
.
Origin Skill:
— Fragmented Tongue of Babel [???] (Skill Level 1 - 1.8%):
_______________________
As Joo-Hee observed her skill proficiency gains, she couldn't help but feel satisfied.
Two of her skills had seen significant improvement, proving that her method was working.
"Not bad at all..." she murmured.
However, her attention quickly shifted back to the Mindbloom Plant standing before her.
Curiosity sparked in her mind as she tried something new to understand the plant better.
With that in mind, she inhaled deeply and issued a command to her system.
"Thoth, please analyze this plant for me."
A familiar mechanical pang echoed in her ears as the system responded:
[The command has been registered. This might take a while...]
Suddenly, a web of glowing green circuitry began to spread across the Mindbloom Plant, covering it entirely like a digital net.
Joo-Hee stepped back slightly, watching as the system worked its wonders.
Minutes later, a notification appeared, relaying the analysis results.
[Plant analysis has been completed.]
_______________________
[Plant Analysis]
Plant Name: Mindbloom Herb (B+)
Plant Age: 104 years
Description: An otherworldly plant known for its ability to enhance one's insight. However, its current lifespan is highly abnormal, as most Mindbloom Herbs are only known to survive up to 80 years. The cellular analysis indicates that its effects are most potent upon first consumption, with subsequent uses yielding only minimal benefits.
System Suggestion: Refrain from consuming the herb and allow it to mature. At 500 years of age, it will bear the Mindbloom Fruit at the expense of its death, which will offer its optimal effects.
_______________________
Seeing the panel, Joo-Hee couldn't help but cover her mouth in surprise.
"The system is really my best partner now compared to before. It even gives suggestions…" she thought, feeling a newfound appreciation for Thoth.
But her excitement was short-lived as she let out a small tsk as reality set in.
"But I'm completely out of potions now, and I'm even too broke to buy more to keep replenishing my mana!"
She took a deep breath and carefully reread the analysis.
"Well, combining both skills really led to amazing results… I can't believe it actually aged the plant to over a century. Though it's a bit of a pity that it works best only on the first consumption."
"Hmm... If I can get more than one fruit, maybe I could give one to Jin-Woo..."
A hopeful thought crossed her mind.
"Let's just hope it's not seedless. If I can grow more, I might even be able to sell them."
For now, though, she decided to let the plant grow naturally, helping it along by using her skill only twice a day.
With that settled, Joo-Hee went about her daily chores.
...
When night fell and she had finished everything for the day, she stepped out of the shower, toweling off her hair.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a message.
_______________________
Sung Jin-Woo: Joo-Hee, are you free tomorrow at lunch? Jin-Ah wants to invite you over to our place if you're not busy.
_______________________
At that moment, Joo-Hee recalled something Jin-Woo had mentioned a few days ago while they were in a dungeon that Jin-Ah had wanted to invite her over as a thank-you for taking care of Jin-Woo at the hospital weeks ago.
A small smile played on her lips as she typed her reply.
_______________________
Joo-Hee: Sure, I'll be there, Jin-Woo. But… are you sure Jin-Ah was the only one who wanted to invite me and not you?
_______________________
She chuckled to herself, imagining the startled expression Jin-Woo would make when he read her message.
Leaning back, she exhaled softly.
"I better savor these moments…" she thought. "Once Jin-Woo grows stronger and progresses, he'll change. Just like in the novel… he'll become colder, more distant…"
Her smile wavered for a brief moment, but she quickly shook off the thought.
For now, she would just enjoy the present.