The 4th Ability Unlocked!

December 31, 1919, around 10:20 p.m.

It was the time when the year was ending. The royal palace was currently noisy with a party in full swing. While everyone enjoyed the party as they waited for the new year, Ian, the king, had come to a separate place. He was in one of the spires located in the royal palace, and the view of the capital seen from this place was extremely beautiful.

As he looked at the view of the capital like that, three figures entered the spire. Ian turned his gaze toward them and said.

“Did you bring it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

It was the figure of Wizard Oran. Beside him were Camyu and Holy Knight Midran. At the sight of them, Ian felt quite excited. He had already heard the report that they had obtained three White Crystals. He did not know how excited he had been when he heard that news.

‘I can absorb one of the three.’

When there had been two, he had agonized over it, but the moment he heard that there were three, he immediately made up his mind to absorb one. And the moment he had been waiting for had arrived. In truth, Wizard Oran, Camyu, and Midran had arrived early. They had boarded the airship that departed two days ago and arrived here around this evening.

In truth, considering the value of the White Crystals, they should have transported them safely by ship. However, since Wizard Oran, Camyu, and even Midran were together, he had thought they could sufficiently handle it even if there was a risk of the airship crashing, and had called them here.

“Hand one of the White Crystals over to me.”

“Understood.”

Oran immediately took a pouch from his chest and took out one White Crystal. Others could hold it in their hands, but he had personally felt and seen before that he could not. Therefore, from the moment he received it, he knew that he would absorb it.

In truth, because the three of them were here, he could absorb it right away. All three were beings who were absolutely loyal to him, and so there was no need to mind their gazes. He just had to carry it out immediately. Amid the sight of Wizard Oran approaching like that, he stretched out his hand to receive the White Crystal.

“Wait.”

“What is the matter?”

Wizard Oran, who had stopped, asked why, and Ian had to take a short deep breath in response. He had steeled his heart, but when he was actually about to begin something like this, nervousness naturally rushed over him. Since it was a nervousness he had not felt in a very long time, he had to feel his heart waver on its own.

‘If I absorb that, what kind of power will I have? And just how much stronger will I become?’

He already possessed a distant power that transcended humans, but through another awakening, he might reach a realm that transcended even that. When he actually thought that, he could not help but feel worried. He felt as if he might become some other being, not the current him.

‘If I change, will my family look at me normally?’

Perhaps an invisible emotional wall might form. His daughter Karina might become afraid of him or hate him. Thinking about that fact made him afraid, and he wondered whether he should really absorb this. It was a situation where he had already decided to absorb it, but now that it was right before his eyes, his worries arose again.

“Could you wait a moment?”

“Of course.”

Only then did Wizard Oran take one step back while holding the White Crystal in his hand. The three of them stood still like that, waiting for Ian to say something. Even in that moment, Ian’s expression became subtle, and he was deeply lost in thought.

He could not help but agonize over whether to be satisfied with the present or obtain something new. Both sides inevitably had pros and cons. If he was satisfied, he would be able to spend things smoothly enough as he was now. However, he would no longer be able to grow.

But the moment he absorbed it, he would grow greatly and obtain a new power. However, there was a possibility that he could become something different. In the end, even if his thoughts went around and around, he could only remain walking in place within the same worry.

‘To think I am this indecisive. How pathetic.’

Ian, who thought himself pathetic, glanced outside the window. It was something he had seen earlier too, but he saw the city center glittering splendidly with the lights. Originally, there were many places where lights would be turned off because people were sleeping at this hour, but since today was the final day, everyone was awake and spending the last moments of the year.

In any case, as he looked at the appearance of the city, he could not help but naturally feel how different the present was from the sight he had seen in the past. The appearance of the city before he became king and after he became king had changed far too much.

It was not only the outward appearance that had changed. Things like the subway had also been created, so many things had changed underground as well. In addition, along with the expanded appearance of the city and the increased population, many things had changed.

‘Like the appearance of that city, should I also not stop growing?’

It seemed that his decision was being made little by little in one direction. In truth, it was a decision he had already made. He had merely become frightened for a moment and stopped briefly to think. Amid anxiety about what if, he was worried, but on the other hand, he also thought, What am I supposed to do if I do not trust myself?

‘I will not change. I just have to believe that.’

Ian thought that he had looked pathetic, even if only for a moment. Then, looking at the three who were waiting for him, he soon turned his gaze toward Wizard Oran and spoke.

“Hand it over to me.”

“Understood.”

Wizard Oran, who approached again while moving his steps, showed the White Crystal in his hand before anyone knew it and tried to hand it over to him. At that sight, Ian decided not to hesitate any longer and stretched out his hand to receive it as it was.

The sphere shaped like a pure-white bead fell from his field of vision and was falling onto his palm. He felt something touch his palm with a tap. And at that moment, he saw the White Crystal slowly melt, seep through his palm, and disappear.

‘So it does become like this after all.’

He had also considered the possibility that perhaps it had only been like that back then, but as expected, it melted and vanished from his palm just as it was. And the noise he had felt before strongly occurred inside his head.

Eeeeeeeeng—!!!

It was a noise that strongly rang through his head. And, like before, he strongly felt as if something were interfering with him. In the past, there had been a moment when he had barely endured it, but now he could not feel anything like that at all. It felt as if he could endure it without trouble.

‘It must be because I’ve become stronger than before.’

Perhaps, having already absorbed one White Crystal, he had become fully accustomed to the energy. And at that moment, he felt as if his head had entered warm water. Previously, it had clearly felt like cold water filling up, but now it felt as if warm water, close to hot water, was filling his head completely.

The water that had filled his head little by little like that was sinking and disappearing, and in that instant, what filled his head was something new. It was a new awakening. And he was able to understand at once what that ability was.

‘So this is the kind of ability I gained this time?’

If the third ability he had awakened was the ability to manipulate weather, then the ability he had gained this time was the manipulation of air. It seemed like an ability that was nothing special, but like weather manipulation, it was an extremely terrifying ability.

Air was an essential element for any living being. If one realized how terrifying it was to manipulate that air, they would know that terror at once.

‘What if I make the air in the surrounding area disappear?’

The living beings located there would become unable to breathe through their lungs in an instant and would be led to death. Moreover, what was terrifying was that there was also something called an air bomb.

What would happen if ultra-compressed air were detonated on the spot? Literally, an enormous explosive force no less than a nuclear explosion would occur.

‘Of course, that much is impossible right now, but I feel like I can generate a decent level of explosive power.’

The newly awakened ability could truly be called an ability capable of inflicting fatal injuries on living beings. Of course, even against inanimate objects, it could show a destructive power that could not be ignored. Whatever the case, his fourth ability had finally been unlocked.

It was certain that he had now entered a new realm. Starting from the first ability, his second and third abilities were also in a state where they had risen greatly according to the influence of this awakening.

“Fortunately, nothing changed?”

Ian’s expression held relief as he murmured to himself. He thought that he had worried unnecessarily earlier. Inwardly, he had worried that he might change, but there did not seem to be any change at all. Thinking that perhaps only he felt that way, he turned his gaze toward Wizard Oran and asked.

“Oran, has anything about me changed?”

“I do not think there is anything in particular.”

“Has my way of speaking or where I place my gaze changed by any chance?”

“That also seems the same as before.”

“Is that so? That is a relief.”

Since nothing in particular had changed, it seemed that he no longer had to doubt himself. Then, he quietly raised his hand. He tried using the air manipulation he had awakened. Pururu—an unusual vibration different from anything until now was conveyed, and before long, he could feel the flow of air moving.

The objects inside the spire began to twitch. In truth, this was different from telekinesis. If telekinesis moved matter itself, this literally created movement in the air and influenced objects to make them move. Whatever the case, he could vividly feel the flow of air.

‘If it gathers like this…’

Shushushu—

Air was gathering above his palm as if swirling. From this sight, he thought it was similar to controlling the weather and calling a typhoon. Thinking that, he felt as if it could somehow overlap with the ability he had before.

‘What would happen if I called a typhoon and moved the flow of air?’

He thought that perhaps a strong wind beyond imagination might blow. Of course, if he did something like that, he had no idea what would happen to the capital, so he had no intention of carrying it out directly. Before long, he immediately erased the vortex of air that had gathered above his palm.

As he erased it like that, voices carried by the flow of air reached his ears. All kinds of conversations from those located in the royal palace could be heard. He could hear the conversations of nobles enjoying the party, and he could also hear the conversations of attendants and maids moving in unseen places.

They were merely conversations like everyday life. What was important was that he could eavesdrop on the contents of their conversations.

‘It is a little dizzying.’

Since all kinds of voices came in at once, he felt dizzy. He immediately blocked this flow. Then he could feel all the voices that had been heard just moments ago disappear. He thought that if he became fully accustomed to this ability, it could become a very useful ability.

‘I will be able to know everything that happens inside the royal palace.’

He would know who harbored impure intentions. Of course, even now, the palace was under near-perfect control, but with this ability, he might be able to know not only control-related matters, but even the contents people were trying to hide.

‘Besides, I learned something interesting.’

Originally, he knew almost nothing about the secret passages. He had found the secret passage next to the office and even the secret passage made by the previous king, but after searching several times, he had judged that there were no more.

‘There were more secret rooms I had not found.’

The flow of air allowed him to learn about new places. Unless it was a place where even air did not pass through, as long as there was even a very faint flow of air, no matter how hidden the space was, he could clearly feel it.

‘I will be able to find treasure again this time.’

He thought it was an unexpected harvest. Of course, he thought there would not be much more gold or jewels. Since they were spaces made quite long ago, the amount that could be hidden there was inevitably limited. Still, since more time had passed, there was a high probability that historical artworks would be there.

‘I have plenty of time, so I should look for them slowly.’

For now, he wanted to focus on the fact that his fourth ability had been unlocked. And after a little while, the final moment of this year would pass. Since he had no intention of spending the end in a place like this, Ian hurriedly decided to go down from the spire.

And when he went down and arrived at the Queen’s Palace, he could see Queen Adrina and Consort Helena already waiting for him. His daughter Karina was already fast asleep because it was late. While apologizing to the two of them for coming late, he came to spend the final moment of the year together with them.

Ding, ding, ding—

Along with the sound of bells ringing from the large clock, the moment when the year finally passed arrived. World Era 1920 had arrived. With this, Ian’s age also changed to a new leading number, and he became 30 years old.

Now his twenties had passed, and his thirties had arrived.