I Became a Healer Royalty?

Who doesn't know you're supposed to live an honest life?

Everyone knows you have to work hard to make a living.

But naturally, as humans, we can't help but wish for a sudden stroke of good fortune.

The kind of luck that flips your current reality upside down.

I was no different.

A miracle falling straight from the sky. Awakening and becoming a Hunter.

Slaying monsters, making thousands of dollars in a single day, posting proof on the forum, and watching everyone else writhe in jealousy.

Turning my life around after being an orphan, living in a tiny studio apartment, addicted to online communities, and working day labor.

I used to pray for that kind of luck.

The opportunity is fair to everyone. Anyone can awaken randomly as they go about their life.

That's why today, countless people—myself included—yearn for awakening.

The Hunter Gallery was an absolute circus, as usual.

I decided to throw my own two cents into the ring.

They say misery loves company, or maybe losers just love looking at each other's faces.

Since everyone on the Hunter Gallery was a fellow idiot, they were incredibly good at playing along with the roleplay WWE.

It was the perfect playground for a shut-in, perpetual part-timer living in a sunless studio apartment.

Working a few part-time shifts to pay for living expenses, then spending the rest of my time browsing the forum. That was my life.

And in all likelihood, I'd keep living like this.

Every single day, I fell asleep dreaming of awakening and turning my life around.

The chances were practically zero, but hey, a guy can dream, right?

A few minutes later, I tossed my phone aside and closed my eyes on the bed.

I had to wake up early for another part-time job tomorrow. Sleeping was the best thing I could do right now.

The next morning, after falling asleep just like any other day.

"Mmm..."

For some reason, my eyes snapped open without any of the usual morning grogginess.

My shoulders and back, which usually ached from sleeping in terrible positions, felt completely fine.

Realizing anew how much a pain-free morning improves one's quality of life...

I sluggishly dragged myself out of bed.

Letting out a massive yawn to shake off the lingering sleep.

Scratching my itchy shoulder.

Grabbing my pants as they started to slip down...

Pants? Why were my pants slipping down?

Sure, I'd worn them for over three years and they were a bit worn out, but they still fit fine yesterday.

Not only that, but my T-shirt felt ridiculously oversized.

Just as I was wondering if I had somehow ruined them in the wash.

My blurry morning vision finally cleared up.

"......"

In order, I saw: tiny, pale feet; sweatpants dragging on the floor; and equally tiny, pale hands.

"Huh?"

The dumbfounded sound that escaped my mouth was high-pitched and delicate, like a child's.

At that moment, I tried to bolt upright and run to the bathroom.

Thud.

"Ack?!"

I tripped over the blanket tangled around my feet and faceplanted onto the hard floor.

A cascade of vibrant green hair spilled over my eyes.

"Ow... That hurt..."

Clutching my bruised knee, I struggled to stand up.

Dazedly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠twirling the green strands of hair, I finally made it to the bathroom and stared into the mirror.

Small.

If I had to describe this person in a single word, that would be the most fitting.

Small and cute.

If I had to use two words, that would be perfect.

In the mirror, a tiny, adorable girl was staring back at me.

Her eyes were wide with shock, perfectly mirroring my own utter confusion.

"W-What is this?"

Her grass-green hair cascaded all the way down her back. Her eyes were a vivid pink, and her skin was flawlessly white without a single blemish.

She looked at least ten years younger than my actual age. Not like a toddler, but maybe around middle school age.

And on top of that...

Her ears. Her ears immediately caught my attention.

They were long and pointed, just like the fantasy race commonly known as elves.

Combined with the green hair, she looked exactly like an elf straight out of a subculture anime.

A guy in his mid-twenties had transformed overnight into a middle-school-sized, green-haired elf girl.

This was a world where Gates opened, monsters poured out, and Awakened appeared. Common sense had long been shattered, meaning anything was possible.

Naturally, one possibility sprang to mind.

Awakening.

It was common for people to grow taller, bulk up, or have their hair and eye colors change upon awakening.

...Though I'd never heard of anyone's body parts completely deviating from humanity like this.

My heart began to race.

With a pounding chest and swelling hope, I whispered the magic words.

"Status... Window?"

"......"

I slid down and slumped onto the floor.

The bathroom tiles felt cold against my butt.

...It was real. I had awakened.

With my mouth hanging open, I read the text on the status window.

Class: Elf.

Classes were usually things like Warrior, Knight, or Archer.

An Elf class? I'd never heard of a race being assigned as a class.

So I really was an elf now.

But there was something far more important.

Skills: Spring Wind's Healing.

It said healing. It said it 'restored' mind and body.

In other words, I was a healer.

"Heh, hehe, ehehe..."

A goofy giggle escaped my lips of its own accord.

Outside, my phone started beeping. It was the alarm for my part-time job, but I didn't care.

It was just a warehouse gig. I could just not show up.

Why on earth would a Healer Royalty work at a logistics center?

I had lost the identity I'd held for over twenty years overnight, but I could easily overlook that. Trading my gender to become a healer versus living as a normal person? The choice was a total no-brainer.

"Now...! What do I do now? Where do I start?"

I sprang up and paced around the tiny bathroom in sheer excitement.

Joining a raid? Making the raid members lose their minds over my insane elf healing? Getting my rank measured, scoring an S-Rank, and receiving endless handshakes from the Hunter Association officials?

"The forum! I have to post on the forum first!"

I dashed out of the bathroom and booted up my computer. With a few practiced clicks, I opened the Hunter Gallery.

The Hunter Gallery was as chaotic as ever.

It was time to bring some order to this absolute trainwreck of a forum.

Because I was a Healer Royalty now.

I didn't care what those idiots said. I was a Healer Royalty.

Unlike the people crying about awakening every day, I had actually done it.

"Mwahaha."

As I giggled to myself, my eyes fell on a flowerpot sitting by the window.

I had bought the flower hoping to bring some life into my bleak studio apartment. I had long forgotten its name, and it was currently half-dead from neglect.

A brilliant idea struck me.

If I revived it with my healing and posted proof, things would get way more interesting.

Oh my god. To think of something like this already. Did awakening make my brain sharper too?

I snapped a photo of the half-dead flower with my phone.

And then... with a bit of hesitation, I reached my hand out toward the pot.

I had heard that you could use your first awakened skill naturally, just like moving your own limbs.

I tapped into the mysterious knowledge that had suddenly appeared in my mind. I channeled the latent mana inside my body as an Awakened.

"Spring Wind's... Healing?"

I felt a tiny amount of mana drain from me. Then, with a soft ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠*pop*, a shower of light poured out.

A green radiance enveloped the dying flower. The withered brown leaves turned a vibrant green, the stem straightened up, and with a series of tiny *pop-pop-pops*, buds sprouted and bloomed into beautiful purple flowers.

"Bwahahaha!!"

It worked! I hadn't actually expected it to work. Watching purple flowers bloom in my dreary studio apartment was surprisingly moving.

After snapping several photos of the spectacularly revived flower, I immediately drafted a post on the forum.

Uploading both the photo of the half-dead flower and the newly revived one.