Chapter 7: This member has already withdrawn.

On my way home from the Firebloom Guild,
“Ugh, what a waste of time,” I grumbled, kicking a pebble on the street.

I had wondered if the 10 million won offer for five flowers was too good to be true, maybe hiding some shady intentions.
But since the buyer was from one of Korea’s top three guilds, I decided to trust them.

And then what?
They just straight-up told me to join their guild?

I huffed with a scoff.

They probably thought I looked naive and easy to manipulate, planning to sweet-talk me into joining so they could pry out my cultivation secrets.

Their intentions were painfully obvious.

More than anything, I had zero interest in joining a guild.

If I did, I’d have to go into gates every day, fighting terrifying monsters in bloody battles.

“They bragged about guaranteeing gate runs like it was some great perk.”

For someone like me who avoids gates, that was more like a punishment.

Kicking another pebble and muttering to myself, a flicker of unease crept into my heart.

“…Did I act too rudely, though?”

After all, I’d just been in Firebloom, one of Korea’s top three guilds.

In a place of that caliber, I couldn’t hold back and let my irritation show.

“Do I have to join the guild to buy the flowers?”
“Well, then I’m not selling. Goodbye.”

But what else could I do?

I’d come all the way out, hyped for my first big sale.

“Still…”

I’d left a small “bribe” behind, so it should be fine, right?

“I hope it’s fine.”

Firebloom Guild looked insanely rich.

Their building was massive, the interior gleamed with marble, and the first-floor reception had a ton of staff.

In the elevator heading down, I made a quick decision.

When I start mass-producing or cultivating rare plants, Firebloom could be a big client, so I shouldn’t make them an enemy.

To prevent my rude behavior from turning Firebloom against me, I took precautions before leaving.

But with a guild of that stature, I couldn’t help but worry a little.

Kick—kick—

Lost in thought, kicking pebbles as I walked, I suddenly felt the surroundings grow unusually noisy.

That’s when it happened.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

A piercing alarm blared, and my phone screen flashed.

[Gate Outbreak Alert]

At approximately 15:42 today, an outbreak occurred in a mid-tier gate in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, due to prolonged uncleared status.
Nearby residents, evacuate immediately.
(Ministry of the Interior and Safety / Gate Management Agency)

Tearing my eyes from the screen, I saw a devastating scene.

People running in panic, staring straight ahead.
Others, pushed down in the chaos, struggling to get up and flee.

And at the center of it all…

People lay covered in blood.

Some were bleeding heavily from their legs, others dripping blood from their heads.
The rest were sprawled on the ground, gravely injured.

It was a horrific sight, too gruesome to look at.

“…”

My mind went blank.
My feet felt glued to the ground.

I stood frozen, staring blankly ahead.

Thrum—

A gentle vibration came from the pot I was holding.
At the same time, a blue wave rippled around me.

Thrum—thrum—

After a couple more mana pulses, my wildly pounding heart began to calm.

The muffled sounds, as if I were underwater, became clear again.

“It’s bad… They might not make it to the hospital…”
“Is there anyone nearby with healing skills? Is there a healer!?”
“Healer-nim, please, is there a healer out there!?”

Families of the injured clutched their bloodied loved ones, crying out to the crowd.

I quietly approached the injured, kneeling beside them.

“…Healer-nim?”

A woman muttered in disbelief, and I gave her a small, reassuring smile.

Closing my eyes, I focused.

“…”

Using my healing skills in front of so many people would let everyone know I’m one of the rare healers in Korea.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could handle the aftermath.

My quiet life might get a bit noisy.

But whatever.
I had to save people first, didn’t I?

I gently placed my hands over an injured person’s wounds.

A soft glow flowed from my fingertips.

‘…At this rate, I’ll be here all day.’

The wounds were so severe I’d need to use three, no, five times the amount of Heal I used in gates.

Gritting my teeth, I drew up the mana in my body.

A powerful glow surged from my fingertips, and the injured person’s torn flesh began to heal.

“…Phew.”

Then, a warning sounded deep within me.
My mana was depleted, urging me to stop.

But there were still so many injured people left.

I quietly looked down at the pots I’d been clutching all day.

‘Ten million won… huh.’

I never thought I’d end up using them myself.

But it’s for the best.

If I’d sold all the flowers to Firebloom, I wouldn’t have been able to heal these people due to low mana.

‘Sorry.’

I put the carefully cultivated flowers in my mouth one by one, frantically casting Heal.

My mouth filled with a bitter taste, and the mana in my body swirled wildly.

A message about “proficiency increasing” flashed by briefly, but I had no time to care.

“Phew.”

Finally, I managed to heal all the injured.
All that remained was my empty mana and overwhelming exhaustion.

I felt like collapsing on the spot.
Should I just lie down? I was seriously considering it when—

Grab!

Someone suddenly seized my hand.

Startled, I turned to see one of the sobbing family members looking at me.

“Thank you. Healer-nim, thank you so much…”

Her tear-streaked face overflowed with gratitude.
That started a wave of thanks directed at me.

“Healer-nim… Thank you for saving my dad. Sob, hic…”
“Thank you so much for saving my daughter…”
“I don’t know how to repay you… Thank you…”

Everyone, teary-eyed, bowed to me.

Feeling awkward, I scratched the back of my head.

“I just used my skill, that’s all…”

I’d just been lucky to awaken healing skills and used them to help those in need.
Was it really worth this much gratitude?

Even as I thought that,
seeing people sincerely thanking me, holding my hand tightly, made my heart flutter strangely.

It was an unfamiliar feeling.
But… it wasn’t bad.

A massive TV filled the wall of the office.

[At approximately 15:42 today, an outbreak occurred in a mid-tier gate in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, due to prolonged uncleared status.]

Song Yoohwa’s gaze locked onto one figure on the live broadcast.

[A healing awakener passing by was caught treating critically injured citizens, becoming a topic of discussion.]

Eyes reminiscent of fresh green leaves.
Silver hair shimmering like moonlight.

A cute, lovable face, like tightly packed cotton candy.

“…”

Staring unblinkingly at the screen, Yoohwa muttered in a hollow voice.

“No way.”

Her lips trembled slightly.

“That girl… was a healer…”

Her voice, low and heavy, seemed to crawl from deep within her throat.

There was a reason for her shock.

Firebloom Guild, which didn’t have a single healer, was so desperate for one that they’d formed a dedicated task force just for healer recruitment.

And yet, just a few hours ago,
she’d let a precious healer slip right through her fingers.

“No need for long talk. Join Firebloom.”
“You probably haven’t even been to a proper gate. Join Firebloom, and we’ll guarantee gate runs…”

With a side of arrogant remarks, no less.

Reeling from the shock, Yoohwa pressed a hand to her forehead, staggering.

Just then, a first-floor staff member entered the office.

“Excuse me. The guest who visited earlier asked me to give this to you, Guild Leader.”

Yoohwa’s trembling hands accepted the pot, and the staff member added,

“They said you looked exhausted from work and that keeping this nearby would help.”

“…”

“I’ve delivered the message, so I’ll take my leave.”

The office door closed with a thud.

Yoohwa silently clutched the pot tightly.

A blue glow shimmered from within the black bag wrapping it,
and her turbulent heart began to calm.

“Oh, right! I should tell you this too. Just keeping the flower nearby emits mana waves that help with mental stability…”

The girl’s chattering voice echoed in her mind.

‘Even after I acted so arrogantly…’

She left this precious gift?

Her eyes shook violently.

And to think the person who cultivated this flower
was one of the rarest healers in the world.

‘Can I even put a number on the value I just lost?’

Song Yoohwa had lived her entire life with the motto, “I have no regrets.”
She’d never once regretted her choices.

But now,
for the first time, she was feeling regret.

She finally understood what it meant to regret something to her core.

Instinctively, she opened the marketplace app.
It was the only way to contact the girl now.

But…

A single line on her phone screen plunged her into deep despair.

[This user has already deleted their account.]