"NO!" She screams, the moment she woke up. She scans her surrounding-- a familiar bed, clothes, and... room. She's in the hospital-- Her brother! She didn't know what to focus on, but one thing she's sure that is she want to see her brother.
She was halfway to the door when it swung open. Two men in black suits stepped in, their presence exuding authority. Instinctively, her guard went up.
"Are you in the right room, sirs?" Her sharp eyes narrowed to the two men who entered her room.
One of them, a blond-haired man, spoke first. "It is indeed the right room we entered, Ms. Lee Joohee."
Her breath caught.
What?
That wasn't her name. She was Park Hae Soo.
"I must say you really entered the wrong room. There is no person here named Lee Joohee." The men exchanged puzzled glances as if she had lost her mind. She didn't care. Right now, the only thing that mattered was finding her brother. "Now if you please excuse me. I have something to do." She spoke, trying to make sense to both of them to screw off. I really need to see my brother right now!
"Look, Ms. Joohee, we know it's really traumatic for you to experience the double dungeon. I apologize if we startled you." The blond man sighed and pulled out a business card, offering it to her. "We're the Hunter's Association surveillance team. We need your testimony about the double dungeon incident."
"A hunter's association surveillance team?" She hesitantly asks.
Her fingers trembled as she took the card. Hunters? Double dungeon? None of this made sense. She wasn't a hunter. She wasn't even in a dungeon—she was hit by a car on her way to see her brother.
"Yes, now the introduction is over, Ms. Joohee can you explain to us what you see inside the double dungeon?" She's confused, the only thing she remember is she was hit trying to go to the hospital to see her brother.
Her mind is a mess right now trying to grasp the situation. But her brother needs her! She can't be doodling around her when her little brother asks her presence.
"Ms. Joohee—"
"Please, stop! I can't remember anything, alright? Can you please take your leave now while I am asking nicely?" Her pleaded voice pierced the room. Joohee there, Joohee here, Joohee that, She's not that! She's getting annoyed why these people keep on calling her Joohee when she is not.
Silence. Then, the black-haired man nodded.
"I'm afraid we've been persistent even though you just woke up. I suppose that's not a good way to greet you, I apologize for the intrusion, Hunter Lee Joohee. I hope you have a good rest. Well then, we will now take our leave." The two men exited.
As soon as they left, she stormed toward the exit, her heart pounding. Han Do. She had to find Han Do. But the moment she stepped into the hallway, a chill ran down her spine.
This isn't the hospital where my family was admitted.
Her pulse quickened. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She shoved the thought away. Maybe she was still disoriented. Maybe it was all just a bad dream.
Then she saw it—Room 234. Han Do's room.
Cold sweat trickled down her back. She reached for the handle with trembling hands and pushed the door open.
"Yea-- Uhm... Excuse me?" A middle-aged woman approaches her with a warm smile.
Hae Soo's breath hitched. The room was different. The layout. The scent. The child in the bed.
Her knees buckled.
No.
This wasn't Han Do.
This wasn't her brother.
"Oh, my goodness, dear. Are you alright? Call a nurse there's a patient here!" The woman's voice was distant, muffled by the chaos in her mind.
A nurse rushed in. She barely registered their presence.
Wrong hospital.
She didn't move even when nurses rush in to take her. Maybe she's in the wrong hospital.
"Hey... Do you know where Hana Medical Institute is?" She asked the nurse, but it sound as a whispered.
"The nurse nodded. "Ah, yes. Hana Medical Institute is in Gwangju. It's a—"
Hope bloomed in her chest.
"Where is it?"
"A mental hospital."
Her heart stopped.
She was too stunned to speak. Too stunned to think.
"Alright, Miss Joohee. This your room, please, behave yourself." They placed her on the bed then leave. She didn't resist as they placed her back in bed. She couldn't.
Tears flows, like a waterfall. What will she do now? Her brother, her mother, and her father are left alone. Pain lanced through her chest like a thousand needles. Why? Why me?! Of all things, why now? Yes, she always believes in reincarnation and transmigration but didn't expect to happen to her now all of a sudden.
What about her little brother? Her brother is definitely scared right now.
"God... Why? Just why?!" Then it occurs to her that she was hit before coming here. Did she die? She gasped; she did die. A sob tore from her throat. She contemplates everything; her life when she was home. Home is where she can hold her mother, father, and Han Do.
But not anymore.
She didn't know when she passed out, but when she opened her eyes again, the same white ceiling greeted her.
It wasn't a dream.
At some point she felt numb. Numb because of the helplessness she's feeling right now. My family needs me..
She want to let out another cry but couldn't then her eyes roam her surrounding only finding two eye watching her lifeless eyes as she stares back.
"Are you fully awake now, Miss Joohee?" The black-haired man asks. It's the two men yesterday.
Her gaze snapped toward the two men from yesterday.
She inhaled deeply, forcing herself to sit up. Crying cannot change anything however they are rude. Very rude.
"Watching a lady sleeps? How rude." She didn't hide her annoyance to the two men.
"We apologized if we seem rude however the nurse let us in, Miss Joohee." The blonde man said, looking apologetic yet stern.
With a frown, she ask, "You ask something about dungeon yesterday, right?"
"That is correct, Miss Joohee. We need your testimony about what happened inside the dungeon you entered two days from now on. The Double Dungeon."
She noticed something familiar. This scene. The two men. The need testimony. The Double Dungeon.
She thought back to the story she had once obsessed over when she was a teen—Solo Leveling. Even now she can still remember it clearly. That's how addicted she is.
Her fingers curled into the sheets.
I remember her.
Lee Joohee. A side character. Not Cha Hae In, not someone strong. Just... her.
But in the novel, Joohee never died. How could this happened? A character that never died nor contributed great in the novel was gone and replace by another woman.
While reminiscing, she felt a sudden flow of memories. With so many memories flooding back, she found herself clutching her head. Her vision is on disarray.
"Inside the double dungeon..." she began, her voice steadier now. "There were stone statues. A statue of God."
The men nodded. "Alright, that is enough. Thank you for your time, Hunter Lee Joohee." She watches the men leave.
She watched them leave, then squeezed her eyes shut. As the men exit, a female nurse entered the room and approach her.
"Miss Joohee, the doctor said you can be discharge tomorrow. Please, take note that your body may experience different signs of trauma. So it's best to take care of your body and lay low on entering dungeon. That is all, if I may excused. Take care, Miss Joohee." With that the nurse leave the room leaving her speechless.
Of course, Lee Joohee has trauma after entering the double dungeon. Having Joohee's memories she felt the fear Joohee feels and as an ordinary human she feel the horror seeing people be killed merciless and powerless. That is something one cannot overlooked.
MORNING CAME, she was tidying her bed when she thought what she will do from now on.
Looking back, she remembers that Lee Joohee is a B-Ranked Healer. She really admires healers. Why? Because even if you can't determine the location of the illness or disease you can heal it right away. But in her actual world? There's no such thing as magic in there. Because it needs to be assessed, diagnose, do laboratories test and so on to cure the disease or injury.
She doesn't like to think that her presence here in this world would change anything. Well, there's a protagonist here who can dominate the whole world and save the world. She's better off to be a lazy bum.
Yeah, lazing is easy. I could do that.
She doesn't like to be involve in hunters. It's better this way. But if diligence hit her maybe she will be an amazing healer. From nurse to someone more effective than a doctor—imagine that. She let out a small genuine laugh-- laugh? This is her first laugh since coming here. Maybe she can start anew in this new environment. Although not an overnight change but a process-change like little by little.
ON HER WAY inside her apartment, which she knew by looking at Joohee's memories. It's neat and well maintained.
She was unpacking her things when her stomach grumbles. When she goes to the kitchen it looks empty. Please, not the refrigerator...
"It's empty..." She helplessly said looking inside the refrigerator. No food. No juices. No stocks.
But wait—she was a hunter. A B-Ranked hunter at that. Surely, she had some money in savings. Grabbing her phone, she checked her account.
18, 476 won. Her shoulders slumped. Broke. Completely broke.
Just where did Joohee spend her hard work money?!
"Do I need to enter a dungeon? But it's scary.. She has no family here in Seoul. No one to borrow some money..." But she has no experience entering an actual dungeon as she. She had the knowledge, sure. But knowledge was one thing. Experience was another. And she had none. What to do?
Thinking that she will enter a dungeon and will face monsters makes her body tingles in fear.
I think I can't..
"PLEASE state your name and your rank." The staff said while tapping the keyboards. She closed her eyes hard with a frown and anxiety.
"Lee Joohee. B-Ranked." Her brows are curled up because of frustration. The hell, she really end up applying to enter a dungeon. But no dungeon, no money. Although she can apply for other jobs but remembering Joohee's past she has no choice but to enter the dungeon.
"There's a B-ranked dungeon near in Jongno and they need an above C-rank healer on their raid." Informing her if she want to take it or leave it.
"How much they offer?" She don't care if she sound like someone who's greedy but, oh well, she damn well needs it.
"245,000 won--"
"I'll take it, Ma'am!" If anyone see her eyes they probably can see money in it. That's pretty much for her to survive in one week.
THAT TWO DAYS of training how to heal feels like forever. She was starving for real food! She satisfy herself by eating instants noodles and kimbap in her breakfast, afternoon, and dinner.
Her eyes roamed to the dungeon gate. It looked enormous—though she couldn't tell if it truly was, or if her anxiety was just playing tricks on her. After all, this was her first time seeing one up close.
She stared at the massive gate—it was terrifying. A shiver ran through her body, fear tightening its grip. Who was she fooling, claiming she could handle this? Beyond that gate, death could come in an instant. There are no respawns here—only death.
"Are you a healer?" The voice pulled her back to reality. She turned to find a woman whose hair blazed red like blood, whose eyes shimmered with the depth of the ocean, and whose lips were full and crimson. She was, in every sense, stunning.
"Yes." she whispered, cursing herself immediately for sounding so meek in front of someone so beautiful. Get a grip, girl. Pull yourself together!
"I am Yoon So-Yeon. I'm an A-Ranked Swordsman." She looked at her in awe. That is when she noticed So-Yeon white armor-- it's shiny enough to wield a great sense of authority.
"O-oh, I am L-lee Joohee. B-Ranked Healer." Instinctively, she bow covering her flushed face because she's not used to the name. She didn't expect that there are many eyes on her. She was so focused at the gate earlier that she didn't notice the nine pairs of eyes are staring at her.
"Alrgiht, alright. Don't stare too much, guys. You're making her uncomfortable." Hunter Yoon So-Yeon said with an amused smile flickering on her face. It must be because of her awkward smile that she plastered earlier when she saw many pairs of eyes on her. "Anyway, let me introduce you to the Raid Captain in our strike squad." Hunter So-Yeon point a man and, oh boy, they like two peas in a pod but in an opposite gender.
"Hi, Hunter Lee Joohee. Pleased to meet you! I am Yoon Tae-Hyun, twin brother of that woman beside you." It said while looking a little embarrassed. It was then replace by a stern look when the dungeon let out a loud growl. "Now then, why don't we enter this dungeon? To the dungeon!"
The air grew colder the moment they stepped through the dungeon gate. It's cavern filled with many torches and it has an eerily silence that is deafening. The fabric of her pants tremble in her grip as she followed the nine hunters ahead of her. Their armor gleamed faintly under the flickering torches mounted along the stone walls, and their confidence was enough to steady her—for now.
"Halt! Everyone, ready yourselves! There are Fenrirs!" Fenrir are giant white wolfs that have large fangs that can crush your skull when bitten. She felt her body stunned, tingles from her trauma enter her whole system leaving her dumbfounded in the surrounding.
"Shield up!" the raid captain shouted.
The tank stepped forward, blocking the wolf beast with his heavy shield. Clang! Then Hunter So-Yeon followed up, stabbing her weapon straight through its chest.
"Nice one!" the archer grinned as he loosed an arrow, the shaft flying past and hitting another Fenrir in the eye. Is this supposed to be this easy? She felt uneasy and scared how the team cut them down with ease.
The group moved quickly through the dungeon corridors. Lesser beasts rushed from the shadows—fangs snapping, claws slashing.
While fighting, a cut closed on Hunter So-Yeon's arm. Burns faded from the mage's skin.
"Healer! What are you doing?! Heal them!" The Tank roared at her. Her hand quiver with fear and confusion. H-how? Goodness!
"Heal them!" The Tank approach her with blazing eyes. She notice that many are staring at her with annoyed glances. I-I'm new to this, okay?!
She did train but--whatever! She raised her two hands, squeeze her eyes shut and the only thing that filled her mind is to heal them. Minutes passed and slowly she opened her eyes only finding that they are already healed and her hand glowed.
"Tsk, if you can do it in the first place why mess around?" The Mage ask with annoyance lingering in her voice.
"I'm sorry.." She bow, biting her lips to prevent the cry she want to let go. This new people, new environment, and new life is enough to make her in shock. She thinks that she can handle the sudden change with how she can manage in the last few days but she was entirely wrong.
"Don't be so hard on Hunter Joohee, everyone. It's just a minor injury. I know that later on Hunter Joohee will not make any more mistake." The raid captain said with his reassuring smile. She just lowered her face in response.
Her heart was racing, but she thought, I can do this.
The dungeon stretched on. The further they went, the quieter it became. The dripping of water echoed off the stone walls, and the torches along the path flickered weakly, fighting against the heavy air.
"Strange..." One of the fighter muttered. "No monsters for a while."
"That's not good." The raid captain said, frowning. "Stay sharp."
Everyone slowed down. Weapons ready. The silence was thick, like the dungeon itself was holding its breath.
Then the ground shook. Boom... boom... boom...
Pebbles fell from the ceiling. A deep, guttural roar rolled through the cavern, making her ears ring. She froze, gripping her arm so tightly her arms hurt.
"What... what was that?" she whispered.
Hunter So-Yeon swallowed hard. "Something big..."
From the shadows ahead, something moved. Scales scraped against stone. Golden eyes glowed in the dark—one pair, then another, then another.
And then it stepped forward.
A massive creature slithered out, its body thick and long like a serpent. But it had more than one head—five, twisting and snapping, each dripping with venom that burned holes into the ground. Ragged wings scraped the cavern walls, and smoke curled from its mouths with every breath.
"The Crimson Hydra..." the mage said, his voice breaking.
Her stomach dropped. This wasn't a monster—it was a calamity.
Her blood ran cold.
The raid captain lifted his sword, shouting, "Don't panic! Formation! We take it down together!"
"Easier said than done!" the archer yelled, already firing arrows that bounced uselessly off its scales.
The hydra roared, and the dungeon seemed to roar with it.
For the first time since they entered, the healer realized: the easy fights were nothing but a trick.
The real dungeon raid... was only beginning.
The Crimson Hydra roared, shaking the cavern like thunder. Dust rained from the ceiling.
"Archers, fire!" the raid captain shouted.
Arrows flew, striking the beast's necks, but most of them bounced off its thick scales. Only a few stuck, and the hydra barely flinched.
"Useless!" the archer cursed. "Its hide is too strong!"
"Don't stop!" the raid captain yelled. "Mages, hit it with fire!"
The mage stepped forward, chanting quickly. "Flame Burst!" A ball of fire shot from his hands, exploding against one of the hydra's heads. The creature hissed, scales blackening—but then another head lunged, snapping at him.
"Watch out!" the tank roared, shoving the mage aside. The shield caught the strike, but the sheer force threw the tank back, slamming him against the wall.
"Tank!" She cried. She raised her hand, light spilling from her hands.
"Heal!" His bruises and broken bones mended, but her mana was already draining.
The hydra's other heads struck together, spitting green venom. The liquid hissed as it hit the ground, melting stone like wax.
"Move!" the raid captain shouted.
One spearman was too slow. The venom splashed across him, and he screamed as his armor melted into his skin. His body collapsed in seconds, nothing left but steaming bones.
She froze, her stomach twisting. He's gone.. I couldn't save him...
"Don't look!" Hunter So-Yeon shouted at her. "Focus! More are coming!"
The hydra's tail swung wide.
BOOM! It hit two archers, crushing them against the cavern wall. Their bodies slumped, broken, before they could even scream.
"No!" She screamed. Tears blurred her eyes, but her hands moved anyway. "Heal! Heal!" She tried to cast on anyone still standing, but they were dying faster than she could help.
"Tae-Hyun, what do we do?!" Hunter So-Yeon shouted, slashing desperately at the monster's leg. His blade barely left a scratch.
"We cut the heads! Aim for the necks!" the raid captain ordered. He roared and charged forward, sword glowing with aura. With a single slash, he severed one of the hydra's heads.
"Yes!" she gasped, hope flaring in her chest.
But then—hissssssss! Two more heads burst out of the stump, snapping wildly, even larger than before.
"...That's impossible," the archer whispered, his face pale.
The commander gritted his teeth. "Damn it! Keep fighting!"
The mage raised his staff. "Thunder Strike!" Lightning crashed down, frying one of the heads. The air smelled of ozone and burnt flesh. But before he could cast again, another head lunged, fangs piercing through his chest. Blood sprayed across the stones as the mage screamed.
"No! Stay with me!" She cried, rushing forward with glowing hands. But the hydra shook the mage like a ragdoll before swallowing him whole.
Her spell fizzled out in her palms.
"Fall back! Fall ba—!" the raid captain's words were cut short as another head struck, biting him clean in half. His sword clattered to the floor, glowing faintly before going dim. That's when she heard Hunter So-Yeon launch a reckless attack head on while screaming.
"Damn you! I will--" Hunter So-Yeon's voice was cut off because one of the Hydra's head splatter venom straight on.
Her breath came fast and shallow. One by one, her comrades were ripped apart—people who had scold her and fought so bravely only moments ago.
Now only silence, screams, and the sound of tearing flesh filled the cavern.
And then—
Drip... drip...
She realized she was alone.
Her knees weaken with her shaking hands. The hydra's many golden eyes turned toward her at once, its three heads lowering, saliva hissing as it hit the stone.
The weakest one. The healer.
The only one left alive.
That's when she realized that this is her reality now--no more kidding around and contemplating her past life. She wasn't Park Hae Soo anymore. She was Lee Joohee now.
She let out a shaky breath.
She already died. Still, it saddens her heart, but she needs to fight in this life.
She had reincarnated.
And if she was here, in this story, then she needed to survive.
Even if she wasn't the protagonist.