NoveLight ™
1.
Yoo Min-seong, a psychic Awakener, possessed the ability to read the thoughts of others merely by locking eyes with them.
This unique ability enabled him to effortlessly anticipate the intentions of monsters or detect traps, allowing him to rise to a mid-tier C-rank Awakener.
However, his growth came with restrictions.
Once, Yoo Min-seong had been invited to a high-level meeting of the Association.
The executives had smiled at him, offering hollow pleasantries, but their unspoken thoughts were chilling.
Their blatant mental warnings were as clear as if they’d spoken aloud, demonstrating their utter lack of fear toward someone who could read their thoughts. That day, Yoo Min-seong resolved to stop entering gates entirely.
If his level were to rise enough to read the thoughts of high-level executives or uncover sensitive information, his demise would be inevitable.
‘I have enough money to live comfortably.’
Becoming stronger would only invite further suspicion from the executives and risk more perilous missions—none of which Yoo Min-seong desired.
Instead, he chose to settle.
He read the minds of individuals assigned by the executives, uncovering their hidden truths and secrets. This seemingly mundane routine allowed him to trade his shabby semi-basement home for a luxurious 60-pyeong apartment.
From gazing at the Han River while sighing on a park bench, he now enjoyed a serene life overlooking the river from his balcony.
A windless life.
A plan with no failures.
He intended to live this way, untouched by the storms of the world, until his dying day.
At least, that’s what he once thought.
‘She’s unreadable from 25 meters away?’
The disruption of his peaceful life happened in an instant.
“This is C1. I cannot read the target’s mind even at a 25-meter distance. Requesting mission suspension.”
The estimated target level: B-rank.
Despite knowing that the target was immune to long-distance observation, the higher-ups still insisted on proceeding.
‘Is this woman really worth the risk?’
Her beauty was undeniable.
In all his life, real or virtual, Yoo Min-seong had never seen anyone as stunning as her.
But her secrets were as extraordinary as her looks.
The closer he approached, the more impenetrable her thoughts became. Even at 10 meters, he had no success.
‘Getting caught is not an option.’
There had already been a near-fatal encounter with the surveillance team.
Warnings from someone like her were seldom repeated.
‘Please, let 3 meters be enough.’
Feigning a jog along Hae Eung-eung’s usual morning path, Yoo Min-seong closed the gap to 3 meters, pretending to pass her naturally.
If he failed now, the next step would require direct physical contact—a perilous move for anyone.
She was eerily silent.
No footsteps.
No sound of her breathing.
Not even the rustle of her clothes.
It was as though a phantom was running beside him.
Yoo Min-seong’s face stiffened.
Though he tried to remain composed, he could feel his control slipping.
Once assured via earpiece that the target had moved far enough away, he trembled as he reported:
Even those fluent in a foreign language rarely think in it.
If she was thinking in Chinese, the logical conclusion was that her original nationality was Chinese.
A woman of unmatched beauty and suspicious abilities, she was now suspected of being a spy from China.
2.
Unsurprisingly, the core incantations of martial arts techniques were all in Chinese.
The stealth techniques Hae Eung-eung used to conceal her presence while moving were no exception.
As she increased her speed, the difficulty of maintaining stealth rose sharply. Repeating the incantations helped her internal energy flow smoothly, enabling her movements to remain undetected.
‘At least progress comes quickly.’
Satisfied with her morning practice, she pondered whether to increase her pace tomorrow as she finished her training.
3.
Even from a distance of 3 meters, with her guard seemingly down, Yoo Min-seong could only glean fragments of her consciousness.
But understanding or relaying those thoughts proved impossible—he didn’t know Chinese.
The directive was clear: he had no choice but to comply.
‘They’re trying to kill me.’
Yoo Min-seong clenched his fists in frustration, his knuckles whitening as the pain of slamming the table earlier subsided.
Someone in the higher ranks feared his abilities and was likely using this as a pretext to remove him.
‘A dog of the Association.’
The insults he had once dismissed as baseless accusations now rang painfully true.
He had no choice but to risk his life and approach the target again.
4.
The higher-ups sought answers to three key questions:
None of these were easy to uncover.
Dressed in his official Association uniform, Yoo Min-seong abandoned subtle surveillance and approached Hae Eung-eung openly in a public area, ensuring the presence of CCTV.
Hae Eung-eung’s sharp gaze landed on him.
He blew his whistle sharply, stopping her in her tracks.
“I’m a patrol officer from the Awakener Association. We’ve received reports of a villain hiding explosives nearby. I need to perform a quick inspection.”
Closing the distance to just 3 meters, Yoo Min-seong’s anxiety grew.
‘Why can’t I read her now, when I could earlier?’
His mind raced. Highly vigilant individuals often raised their mental defenses, making it harder to read their thoughts.
“Please allow me to scan for Awakener status.”
The scanner hummed as it processed her data:
“Hmm? That can’t be right. Let me try again.”
No matter how often he scanned, the results fluctuated wildly:
“Apologies, my scanner seems to be malfunctioning.”
Hae Eung-eung’s expression remained neutral, but her eyes betrayed faint irritation.
[May I leave now?]
“Sorry, but we’ll need you to accompany us to the nearest Association branch…”
Before finishing his sentence, Yoo Min-seong froze.
For an instant, her thoughts came through clearly:
It wasn’t a malfunction.
Somehow, she could interfere with the scanner’s readings.
Yoo Min-seong now had partial answers:
Still, the remaining questions loomed large.
Feeling the pressure, he decided to press his luck, drawing closer under the guise of stumbling.
If he could make physical contact, even briefly, he might glean more.
As their shoulders touched, Hae Eung-eung’s thoughts flooded his mind:
In just seconds, she had considered over thirty ways to kill him.
“Gah!”
He stumbled backward, visibly shaken.
[Are you alright?]
“I-I’m fine. Just a pre-existing condition flaring up. Excuse me!”
Yoo Min-seong fled the scene, running until his heart pounded and his lungs burned.
Once he was far enough away, the shock finally caught up with him.
Thirty different deaths.
The psychological trauma, combined with his frantic escape, overwhelmed him.
As he collapsed onto the ground, the world went black.
The Association’s surveillance had failed, leaving Yoo Min-seong as its latest casualty.
Tftc