LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 2 - Recognition
At last, I confess to myself how much I’ve been pretending—pretending that death didn’t faze me. But deep down, I truly wanted to live.
Even if I could never reach the heights of a martial arts master, all I really wished for was to be able to run freely, to be strong and healthy. As I gazed up at the twinkling stars, I made a silent vow to myself.
‘I’ll destroy anything that stands in the way of my long life!’
It was frustrating to realize that I had this power all along but didn’t know it, leading to all that pointless suffering. But I quickly shook off those thoughts.
‘No, it’s enough that I’ve come back! Let’s think positively.’
I wasn’t fully healthy yet, and I had that two-month deadline hanging over my head, but I was determined to make it work somehow. Feeling a bit more optimistic, I reached for the fan lying beside my bed.
‘Alright, let’s do this.’
I decided to use one of my abilities, “Purification.” A gentle breeze stirred, and the air in the room felt fresh, like I could almost hear the distant sound of wind chimes. I watched as my energy levels dropped, just a bit.
“Wow!”
Stamina: 4 (up 1) / 100
Energy: 75 (down 1) / 100
It wasn’t much, but it was something.
‘Maybe I could just go around purifying the air? Become a walking air purifier?’
The idea made me smile, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I used the fan to purify the air in every corner of my room. But just as I finished making a full circuit of my large quarters, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me.
“Whoa… What?”
Stamina:1 (down 3) / 100
Energy: 79 (up 4) / 100
Warning: Do not condense energy…
“What the…”
I stared at the fan in disbelief. My energy level had shot up again, glowing red like a warning light.
Surrounded by the clearest air, purer than on any mountaintop, I sank onto my bed, feeling completely deflated. The air around me, filled with the energy I had just released, was now slowly returning to me.
* * *
Purification: Level 2 (up 1)
Stamina: 4 / 100
Energy: 68 / 100
I glared at the mirror, feeling utterly frustrated.
“Warning: Please keep energy levels below 50.”
The message seemed to mock me. No matter where I looked—the white surface of my fan, the wide sleeves of my robe, the canopy of my bed, the mirror itself, even the surface of water in a bowl—I kept seeing that same warning. It was like the universe was rubbing it in my face.
I had regained consciousness just before the frost of autumn. Since then, I had spent several months recovering, and now I had turned eight in February. My life had been hanging by a thread the whole time.
“Two months left, one and a half months left, two months left again…”
‘But how on earth am I supposed to use up all this energy?’ I thought, exasperated.
Using energy for purification wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Even though I’d managed to level up my Purification skill to level 2 through sheer determination, the results were… well, let’s just say they were less than ideal.
As winter approached, the trees outside my window stayed stubbornly green, not shedding a single leaf. It was unnatural and starting to draw attention. Because of that, I had to stop practicing purification near the window. The last thing I needed was people spreading rumors that “the flowers and trees in Ryeon’s place never wilt; she must have been touched by the gods…”
The purified space around me just made my energy levels rise, which was doing more harm than good to my body. But I couldn’t just stop using my powers. So, what should I do?
“Maybe I should learn some basic medicine and pretend to be a miraculous healer?” I muttered to myself, half-joking.
“Ryeon! Ryeon, Mother is here!”
My thoughts were interrupted as the door burst open, and the person I had been longing to see appeared. My mother, Wi Ji-chung, entered the room, her delicate beauty lighting up the space like a fairy stepping out of a painting.
Instantly, the words on the mirror shifted, reflecting my mother’s presence.
Wi Ji-chung
Attributes: Lost Child / Heir / Devoted / Joined Soul
Mount Hua Swordsmanship: Basic
Falling Star Twelve Swords: Level 2
Skills and Abilities: Mind’s Eye Level 3 Unlocked
Concerns: Dan Mok-ryeon’s health, Dan Mok-ryeon’s happiness, Dan Mok-ryeon’s future
Help: It’s important to let go of unnecessary guilt!
Other people’s information appeared differently from my own. While I could see their martial achievements, most of their details were hidden from me. However, I could probably unlock more of their skills and abilities if my own Mind’s Eye improved. What stood out to me the most was the “Concerns” section. It seemed to reflect what that person was most worried about recently.
‘My health, happiness, and future…’
Just like Nanny Jang, my mother, Wi Ji-chung, always smiled warmly at me, as if nothing bad existed in the world. But I knew better. There was plenty to worry about—they just didn’t show it to me because I was still so young.
‘Mother, I’ll make sure you have less to worry about.’
Longevity and health were her dreams for me too. Even though I hadn’t achieved them in the future I remembered…
‘I died at twenty-something.’
I couldn’t forget my sad end: being tossed around by the chaotic world of martial arts, unable to control my energy, and eventually collapsing. My mother, Wi Ji-chung, had never given up on me during those seven silent years, and in the future I had experienced, she had wasted away in tears after I died in my early twenties.
But I shook off those thoughts. That future wouldn’t happen. Not this time. Now, I could see and do so much more.
“My sweet daughter! Were you eating bingdanghoro?” My mother’s voice was like a warm breeze as she lifted me into her arms. The moment she did, the words in the mirror disappeared. I melted into her embrace, feeling safe.
“Mother! You’re here? The Apothecary Master made this for me. It’s sweet and sour, really tasty,” I said, my voice ringing out like a melodious chime.
My mother smiled at me, her eyes full of warmth. Seeing her expression, I quickly grabbed a piece of the fruit I had been eating and put it into her mouth. After regaining my speech following seven years of silence, I had initially spoken awkwardly, but thanks to my powers, I had quickly learned to speak clearly.
“This is really delicious. Even though I broke my closed-door training because of you, I couldn’t ignore this,” my mother, Wi Ji-chung, said with a smile.
She made a mental note to send a thank-you gift to Dan Mok Hyeonwoo, my uncle and the Apothecary Master. Then she signaled to a servant standing nearby. “Ryeon, look what I brought for you.”
The servant carefully placed something in front of me. It was a cluster of small white flowers that looked like grains of rice, giving off a sweet fragrance.
“I picked these to decorate your room.”
I stared at the flowers in amazement as my mother arranged the branches in a white porcelain vase.
“These are jasmine flowers. They smell lovely and add a touch of elegance to the room,” she said, picking a small blossom and tucking it behind my ear with a bright smile.
“With such beauty, it’s hard to tell where the flowers end and you begin. Don’t you agree, Nanny Jang?”
“Absolutely,” Nanny Jang replied.
If I really were just eight, I might have let it pass, but I couldn’t just sit quietly. My face turned red, which made my mother laugh.
“What’s making you so shy, my dear?” she teased.
Embarrassed, I pulled the blanket over my face, but I didn’t remove the flower she had placed there. My mother gently stroked my cheek, and I felt myself relax.
“I saw new sprouts in the garden today. Even the golden osmanthus tree, which I thought was dead, has new leaves. It’s as if all of nature is celebrating your recovery,” she said softly.
I knew it was likely due to my energy, but I said nothing, just leaned into her touch.
“If only your Aunt Seonglang could see you now, she’d be so happy…”
“Miss…” Nanny Jang’s voice wavered, and my mother turned away, her fingers trembling.
Watching her shoulders shake, I was reminded of something I hadn’t thought about in a while.
My father, Dan Mok-hyeon, had passed away five years ago, shortly after my brother, Dan Mok-bi, was born. My mother, deciding it was still too early to tell me about it, composed herself, wiping her tear-streaked cheeks with a smile.
“Remember, we’re going to thank your grandfather today?” I nodded.
“He’s the one who helped make the medicine that healed you.”
My mother gently explained, dismissing Nanny Jang and fastening my coat herself. The early spring air was still chilly.
“Your grandfather gave us the ‘Eternal Blood Treasure’ to make your medicine. It was originally meant for him, but he gave it up for you.”
My eyes widened in surprise.
“He gave me the Eternal Blood Treasure?” I asked, almost in disbelief.