NoveLight ™
'What the hell was that?'
Min Doha turned and fled without a second thought.
‘She dodged the paint bullet by just hearing it?’
Chills ran down her spine. If this scene made it to the broadcast, it would undoubtedly cause a huge stir.
‘If only I had engaged in close combat...’
Originally, Min Doha had planned to start with long-range shooting and, if that failed, lure Seoyeon into close combat. She thought she could easily overpower a fragile-looking high school girl.
But now...
‘No way, it’s impossible.’
What was with those reaction speeds? And why did her eyes shine so terrifyingly?
“Huff, huff, huff.”
Min Doha heard footsteps approaching from behind as she vaulted over obstacles. The set was filled with various objects to hide behind. With so many obstacles, she believed she could escape if she kept running.
As she had hoped, the footsteps behind her gradually faded.
“Phew…”
Min Doha finally caught her breath, having sprinted across the set. She hid behind one of the obstacles, gasping for air.
All around her, she could hear various noises: the sound of gunfire, actors shouting their lines as they performed their action scenes.
‘Acting…’
Min Doha suddenly realized she hadn’t acted at all. Maybe she should’ve stayed and fought in close quarters… No, that would’ve been a mistake.
‘Huh?’
As she pondered, she noticed that the area around her had become strangely quiet. She instinctively looked up.
“...”
The first thing she saw was a head of black hair. Then pale skin. Red eyes. And a smile curling at the corners of the mouth. Slowly, those lips began to move.
“Found you.”
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
Min Doha let out an involuntary scream and tried to stand, but her legs gave out. She started crawling away on all fours.
Seoyeon, watching her, aimed her gun at Min Doha… and then slowly lowered it.
‘She’s good at acting.’
Seoyeon was genuinely impressed. It was convincing enough that she almost believed Min Doha’s scream was real. The way Min Doha’s legs gave out, forcing her to crawl away, was a performance worth admiring.
Seoyeon decided to let Min Doha go because of this.
‘If this is an acting audition, I need someone to match my character.’
Even if Seoyeon had crafted her character, she needed a counterpart to play off of. In that sense, Min Doha was a great match. She remembered that Min Doha had chosen physical enhancement as her ability.
That’s why Seoyeon had deliberately matched her speed when chasing Min Doha. A regeneration user outpacing someone with physical enhancement would have seemed odd.
‘Get stronger and come back.’
Seoyeon allowed Min Doha to escape. She could have pursued her, but since she had decided Min Doha was a good match, it would have been a waste to take her out now.
And then...
‘I feel like a lot of people are watching me.’
Seoyeon slowly scanned her surroundings. Initially, five people had been paying attention to her. But as time passed, she sensed that the number was growing.
Maybe she had been running around too much. Just as she was considering this—
Whoosh!
Something flew through the air and landed near Seoyeon’s feet.
“Huh?”
She dodged a paint bullet aimed at her shoulder and picked up the object.
‘An earpiece?’
It looked a bit different, but she could tell it was meant to be worn in the ear. Thinking it might be some special item prepared by the production team, she put it on.
“Can you hear me?”
Unexpectedly, Jo Seohui’s voice came through. Seoyeon was about to ask how she had gotten something like this, but then she remembered.
‘They did say we could bring any props necessary for our character.’
As long as it wasn’t a weapon or something of that nature, it could be brought in after being inspected by the production team. Jo Seohui’s character was supposed to be a genius, a wealthy and clever person.
‘So she’s using her props to her advantage.’
But where exactly was Jo Seohui right now? As Seoyeon pondered this, she heard more gunfire, and two or three bullets flew in her direction. Without thinking, she deflected one with her hand, earning another point.
“Let’s form an alliance.”
“Huh?”
“It’ll be hard to do this alone. I’m in a position where I can see everything clearly.”
Jo Seohui’s voice sounded like that of a support character in a movie. That’s when Seoyeon realized where Jo Seohui must be.
‘She didn’t head towards the bag; she went in the opposite direction.’
Jo Seohui had likely positioned herself on a high styrofoam ruin at the edge of the set, where she could see everything below.
“...I got hit five times while running away, so I’m at 5 points.”
Jo Seohui chuckled, clearly trying to lighten the mood. At least she hadn’t been knocked out, Seoyeon thought. It seemed that with the bag soon to appear, others had left Jo Seohui alone. Chasing someone helpless wouldn’t make for good drama.
‘Did they give up on her?’
Seoyeon found Jo Seohui’s actions puzzling. Did she really have no intention of advancing? It seemed that way.
“This spot is high up, so I have a good view of what’s below. Even you can’t see everything, right?”
In truth, Seoyeon could sense most things around her, but she nodded in agreement.
‘Huh?’
At the same time, she noticed that Jo Seohui’s tone had suddenly changed. But she dismissed it, thinking it was just the tension of the situation.
“I’ll guide you from here. What do you think of our alliance?”
“...Alright. Let’s do it.”
An alliance! Seoyeon had secretly envied the actors who had formed a team earlier. She hadn’t expected Jo Seohui to propose an alliance herself. The idea of Jo Seohui acting as her eyes, guiding her to the enemy’s location, felt like a great setup for the scene.
“Good. There are four people watching you right now. The rest are moving towards the bag. Oh, behind you!”
At that moment, Seoyeon heard a shot fired. She turned and dodged the bullet, tilting her body out of the way.
The person who had shot at her flinched when their eyes met. They aimed their gun at her, then slowly lowered it.
‘Shooting from a distance doesn’t suit me.’
Seoyeon glanced at her handgun with a frown. Handguns didn’t suit her style.
There was no impact.
If she had to choose, Seoyeon preferred close combat, like when she played Cha Seoah. She liked the idea of wielding something like a hand axe. Didn’t that match her red eyes quite well?
...Though it might be a different genre altogether.
“Alright, I’ll guide you. You trust me, right?”
“...A little.”
“That’s the right amount.”
Jo Seohui’s laughter echoed in Seoyeon’s ear as she turned her body. Then she charged at the people aiming their guns at her, lowering her stance and deflecting incoming bullets with her hands.
In the meantime...
[Ju Seoyeon: 38 points]
Seoyeon’s score began to rise, and it did so at an incredible speed.
“Wow, what is that?”
Han Bongshik, on the verge of reclaiming his status as a YouTuber with 1.4 million subscribers, muttered in disbelief. It was hard to believe what he was seeing on the screen.
The screen showed Jo Seohui hidden in the styrofoam ruins, scanning the battlefield from her high vantage point. Every time she spoke, Seoyeon moved in response.
It was almost like a solo performance.
Although there were groups of actors engaging in shootouts, trying their best to deliver their performances, the screen was dominated by one figure.
The appearance of Ju Seoyeon turned the battlefield into chaos. And since her ability was regeneration, it was nearly impossible to take her down.
Whenever a fatal shot seemed imminent, she would block it with her hands.
“Still, she’s sticking to her character’s traits. That’s what makes it even scarier.”
Seoyeon was still acting, and likely other viewers were noticing it too. The people chatting on Han Bongshik’s stream were probably thinking the same thing.
“If you hit her arms or legs, it slows her down. But what’s funny is…”
“It feels that way. As I mentioned before, action scenes require coordination.”
Han Bongshik replayed the video in slow motion, at 0.25x speed. The muzzle aimed at Seoyeon, the bullets flying towards her.
At first, it seemed like a coincidence, but you could see Seoyeon’s eyes tracking the bullets. She was literally ‘seeing’ the paint bullets and dodging them.
Whether that was possible or not was beside the point.
“She could have dodged them all, but she got hit.”
Whenever Seoyeon was hit, she slowed down just enough to give the others a chance. If they tried to take advantage of that opening…
“She’d immediately counterattack.”
As the chat pointed out, there weren’t many actors using their powers effectively. They seemed unsure of how to act in such a situation.
But then...
A woman with a rather cute face appeared on the screen. The instant subtitle identified her as “Han Soyu, Telekinesis.”
It was a pre-prepared explanation that popped up whenever a contestant with powers appeared on screen. However, none of the contestants had successfully showcased their powers up until now.
Until now.
“Here it is.”
Han Bongshik noticed Seoyeon’s eyes shift. She made eye contact with Han Soyu, who was now pointing her left hand at Seoyeon, the hand not holding her gun.
At that moment, the camera zoomed in on Han Soyu. The cameraman had clearly noticed what Han Soyu was about to do.
“I was going to mention this earlier, but acting out superpowers isn’t as easy as it sounds.”
“Especially telekinesis. It’s tricky because there’s nothing visible.”
Seoyeon’s regeneration and physical enhancement abilities were easy enough to portray, but powers requiring CGI could easily look ridiculous.
“But telekinesis is one of the few powers you can act out without CGI.”
Han Bongshik thought back to what Seoyeon had done so far. It seemed chaotic, but there had been a method to her madness.
First, she had recognized her opponents’ powers. For example, if someone had fire-based powers, she’d be cautious about getting too close or seemed to be on guard.
Although the person wielding the power often had no idea how to properly use it and just fired their gun randomly, it still showed that Seoyeon was paying attention.
‘The shootout was likely meant to showcase their action skills, but also…’
It was probably to see how well they could incorporate their superpowers into extreme situations. Han Soyu had likely figured that out. She knew, just as Han Bongshik did, how Seoyeon’s actions were guided by logic.
And she must have also realized how Seoyeon would react to her telekinesis.
“That’s what it means.”
Han Soyu extended her hand towards Seoyeon. Seoyeon’s eyes widened, and in the next instant, she was thrown backward as if by an invisible force, landing against a nearby styrofoam wall.
“Have you ever heard of WWE? It’s American professional wrestling. In wrestling, how well you ‘sell’ a move is crucial.”
The person receiving the move needs to react convincingly, making the ‘superpower’ feel more real.
Telekinesis, after all, is invisible.
“But if you show the whole thing on camera, it can look cheesy. Like bad special effects.”
That’s why the camera zoomed in, focusing more on the actors’ expressions and reactions rather than showing their entire bodies.
When Seoyeon was flung backward, it genuinely looked like she had been hit by something.
“This is all an advertisement. GH Group is using this to show how seriously they’re taking the upcoming movie.”
Han Bongshik watched as Seoyeon and Han Soyu played their parts. As expected, Seoyeon reacted perfectly to Han Soyu’s telekinesis.
The activation condition was simple: Han Soyu extended her left hand, and her telekinesis affected whatever was in her line of sight.
That was the power Han Soyu had been given in the script. She had experience playing a wizard in a children’s drama, which was cute and sometimes silly. But depending on how her opponent reacted, telekinesis could become a genuinely threatening power.
The camera showed Seoyeon moving out of Han Soyu’s line of sight, clearly wary after experiencing the telekinesis.
Now, everyone was eager to see how Seoyeon would overcome this new challenge.
“You!”
Han Soyu’s eyes twisted with a fierce expression. With that one word and look, her character was instantly established.
‘She’s decided to play the villain.’
Han Bongshik thought Han Soyu was clever. She must have realized that she couldn’t defeat Seoyeon with telekinesis alone. According to the rules, the only way to secure a ‘kill’ was to hit your opponent with a paint bullet.
Superpowers couldn’t directly determine a kill unless the opponent played along.
Given Seoyeon’s superior physical abilities, Han Soyu had no chance of winning in a direct confrontation. Realizing this, Han Soyu had set herself up as the ‘strong villain.’
The fact that Seoyeon, who had been overpowering everyone, was easily flung aside by telekinesis created a sense of real danger.
Once the mood shifted, the rest was simple. Seoyeon began to close the distance, dodging Han Soyu’s outstretched hand.
Her right arm twisted as if it had been broken by telekinesis, causing her to drop her gun. Seoyeon kicked the gun away, sending it flying.
“Eek!”
Han Soyu let out a shriek as Seoyeon lunged forward, grabbing her with her still-functional left hand. Han Soyu hastily extended her left hand in an attempt to use her power, but Seoyeon’s gun was already pressed against her chest.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With the crisp sound of gunfire—
[Ju Seoyeon: 68 points]
Seoyeon had single-handedly eliminated more than half of the competition.
“!!”
Min Doha, who had been hiding with the bag clutched to her chest, gasped. The area that had been chaotic just moments ago had suddenly fallen silent.
‘What’s happening?’
Having lost her will to fight after fleeing from Seoyeon, Min Doha had decided to focus on protecting the bag instead. After all, if she could just hold onto the bag, she could secure 30 points.
‘Fighting someone like her was a mistake from the start.’
But how could anyone fight against someone who dodges paint bullets? Min Doha felt genuinely wronged.
Was she some kind of special forces trainee? It was hard to believe otherwise.
‘At least if I can keep the bag…’
“Found you.”
“...”
Min Doha fainted on the spot.
With the bag secured, Seoyeon’s score soared past 80 points, far surpassing what anyone, including the production team, could have anticipated.
Even if her score were halved, she would still be in first place.
Adding in the acting score, she would easily surpass 100 points. It was an overwhelming performance, leaving the other contestants with little choice but to smile wryly. Even those who had been ‘killed’ by Seoyeon couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief—after all, the points determined who advanced to the next round, not who got ‘killed.’
Death was, after all, just part of the performance. Some contestants continued to move around even after suffering ‘fatal’ injuries, trying to earn points in any way possible.
‘At least I made it into the top 10.’ ‘This kind of acting really wasn’t for me.’
With mixed feelings, the remaining five minutes of the filming session ticked by. Only two contestants were left standing—Seoyeon and Jo Seohui.
Seoyeon, now holding the bag, made her way toward Jo Seohui’s location. Despite having taken a few paint bullets, Jo Seohui looked relatively unscathed compared to the others.
‘But…’
Seoyeon glanced at the scoreboard. Jo Seohui’s score wasn’t displayed. It was effectively zero.
She was undoubtedly going to be eliminated, even if Seoyeon handed over the bag.
Just as Seoyeon was about to approach Jo Seohui and ask if she was okay—
“Well done, Agent.”
Jo Seohui gave Seoyeon a sly smile, her eyes twinkling. Seoyeon paused, momentarily thrown off.
‘Acting.’
Why now? she wondered.
Bang.
A sharp gunshot rang out. Seoyeon looked down.
A paint bullet had hit her chest, right where her heart—the only weakness of her regeneration ability—was located.
It was point-blank range, and she hadn’t seen it coming.
[Jo Seohui: +34 points]
Jo Seohui’s score instantly catapulted her into the top five, despite having taken several hits earlier, leaving her with 29 points.
Seoyeon stared at the scoreboard in disbelief, then looked back at Jo Seohui.
“Sorry. But I’ll still let you have the bag.”
Jo Seohui tried to soothe Seoyeon with her words.
Seoyeon, however, was pouting.
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