NoveLight ™
1.
Soh Kyung-seok, also known as "Mantis-Man," was an insect-type Awakener.
He could transform parts of his body into mantis-like appendages.
Unlike Woo Ji-woo, who spun webs, the transformation for Soh involved his skin tearing painfully to form sharp blades. The process was not only agonizing but also time-consuming, often ruining his clothes in the process.
For these reasons, Soh rarely transformed, which slowed his growth rate. Despite Awakening two years before Woo Ji-woo, his Awakener level was still lower.
‘Still, he was a good guy… at least until yesterday.’
Soh Kyung-seok was in debt.
He had once joined a raid team led by a promising recruit from a major guild. Hoping to catch the guild’s attention, he had rented expensive equipment.
However, the trusted recruit was betrayed by subordinates and killed. Chaos ensued as freelancers were slaughtered by the turncoats, and Soh only survived thanks to the rented gear.
‘I’m sorry. I couldn’t refuse the offer.’
That gear, which saved his life, became a financial noose. The cost of the damaged equipment landed him in enormous debt—an amount impossible to repay even with an Awakener’s income.
Soh couldn’t afford to decline the Association’s offer to spy on his former companion Woo Ji-woo, even though it stung his pride.
“Hey, Inmyeon Jiju, what’s got your attention today?”
“Streaming.”
“You’ve been watching that a lot lately.”
Woo Ji-woo glanced at Soh briefly, his face unreadable.
Had his suspicions been raised?
Soh tensed, but Woo Ji-woo casually turned back to his screen phone.
“It’s fun. Record-chasing stuff.”
“Trying to beat Silent Swordmaster? That’s odd for you. Didn’t you used to watch idol streams?”
The content Woo Ji-woo was engrossed in was a competition to beat Silent Swordmaster’s records, featuring streamers attempting the same feats.
“Wow, these guys are oddly fast.”
“Apparently, they’re exploiting a glitchy bug technique.”
“Does it make them faster?”
“Yeah. These gamers, without Awakener abilities, can match our speed.”
“That’s impressive.”
“No, what’s really impressive is Silent Swordmaster.”
Technically, that was Hae Eung-eung, but Soh couldn’t know that.
He dutifully reported the situation to the Association, noting:
No notable changes in behavior. Woo Ji-woo seems to be engrossed in streams about Silent Swordmaster, a typical internet junkie.
‘This should put the Association’s doubts to rest.’
Soh still had some conscience.
He omitted certain details:
Despite his debts, Soh refrained from reporting these. After all, Woo Ji-woo was his colleague before anything else.
‘This is the least I can do. Whatever’s going on, don’t get caught if it’s dangerous.’
But if Woo Ji-woo crossed the line, the next order might not be surveillance—it could escalate to an ambush or even an assassination mission.
‘What a good guy,’ thought Woo Ji-woo, moved.
Even someone like Soh Kyung-seok, who drooled over any pretty girl, avoided asking about the deleted post or pressing him for details. Instead, he kept things light, chatting about streams.
Though they were now divided into "target" and "surveillant," their camaraderie as comrades remained intact—for now.
“Such a touching display of friendship.”
From a distance, Association psychic Awakener Yoo Min-seong observed them through binoculars, shaking his head.
With his mind-reading skill, he could "see" the thoughts of lower-level Awakeners from afar. Soh’s thoughts had already been thoroughly read.
Directly reading Woo Ji-woo’s mind wasn’t possible without closing the distance, which risked detection. Using Soh as an intermediary had been the correct choice.
“Reporting to C0. Requesting identification and movement tracking of the VTuber streamer known as Silent Swordmaster.”
Silent Swordmaster was now on the Association’s radar.
2.
Woo Ji-woo had done Hae Eung-eung a great favor.
If she had possessed an Awakener license, she wouldn’t have needed his help in the first place.
Yet her stance hadn’t changed:
‘I don’t like guilds or the Association.’
The guild-affiliated Awakeners she had seen through Myungho Guild had been little better than opportunistic thugs.
And the Association’s behavior reminded her of the hypocritical Murim Alliance she had despised.
Joining either was unthinkable.
‘If not for those aggressive Awakeners yesterday, I wouldn’t have considered it.’
Twelve Awakeners had ambushed her with knives and clubs in a dark alley.
Hae Eung-eung acted decisively, subduing them without hesitation.
But without a "license to kill," her situation became tricky once Woo Ji-woo arrived as a witness.
‘I didn’t even consider the CCTV.’
In 2050 South Korea, where registered Awakeners were the norm, being unregistered came with severe restrictions.
The order imposed by guilds and the Association was far stricter than the Murim Alliance’s control over martial artists.
‘Maybe it’s worth considering.’
If she could avoid committing fully to a guild and deceive the Association about her abilities, it might work.
After all, her martial arts and internal energy could mimic Awakener powers to an extent.
The Association’s website detailed how abilities evolved with rank:
F-Rank Awakener
E-Rank Awakener
D-Rank Awakener
C-Rank Awakener
B-Rank Awakener
A-Rank Awakener
What started as a modest power could, with growth, become formidable.
The Association provided opportunities to accumulate the achievements necessary for this growth, and in return, members fulfilled its contribution requirements.
‘Disgustingly similar to the Murim Alliance.’
The Association wielded even more power, with legal authority to impose penalties and control over growth opportunities. It could elevate compliant Awakeners while stifling potential troublemakers.
‘A loyal dog is nurtured, while problematic ones are deliberately stunted.’
The idea of aligning with such an organization repulsed her.
Becoming an Awakener officially was unnecessary—her martial arts already provided a path to power.
‘Awakener mana is just a variant of qi. If it doesn’t integrate with my internal energy, it’ll lead to internal chaos.’
Unless her life depended on it, Awakening was out of the question.
Hae Eung-eung resolved to avoid it entirely.
3.
Her recent emotional turmoil had subsided, allowing her to refocus on her training.
While she had mastered intermediate techniques, her skills were far from perfected.
Today, she decided to focus on techniques suited for the stealthy ambush-style combat common in Banjo Gorge.
As she walked through a park bustling with unusually late activity, she took it as an opportunity to practice stealth and concealment techniques.
Within moments, her presence blurred, becoming undetectable to those around her.
‘?!’
‘Did she turn invisible?’
‘Where is the target?’
Four Association operatives disguised as civilians panicked, scanning their surroundings as she vanished from sight.
Feigning nonchalance, they held their positions, but the eerie silence unnerved them.
After an hour of fruitless searching, they abandoned the area.
“This is C7. Have we ever had this much trouble with a surveillance target?”
“Stupid woman. Why are you laughing?”
“What’s your problem?”
“You didn’t notice, did you? While you were smoking.”
“Notice what?”
“That woman. She was watching you from behind the lamppost.”
The female operative, C9, froze.
“She was standing there for over a minute, just watching.”
The operatives realized they had been noticed and warned indirectly.
Their target wasn’t just skilled—it was clear she could eliminate them if she wished.
The Association acknowledged this was no ordinary target.
The case was escalated to direct oversight by C1, Yoo Min-seong, the psychic leader of the surveillance team.
Now, a true expert would personally track Hae Eung-eung.
Tftc