Episode 14: How to Handle Abilities
Abilities are like stamina — it’s impossible to use them endlessly.
Just like physical strength decreases with age and collapses when you keep running without rest, abilities also weaken the older you get, and their intensity drops the longer they’re used.
And yet, quite a few ability users maintain their skills even past their physical prime.
Some might say it’s due to good upkeep, but there’s another reason.
That reason was covered in the previous lecture — something Abel also intended to make use of.
“Professor Ben mentioned it during the lecture. That in a duel between ability users of similar skill, the deciding factor is selection and focus. If we apply that well, it can help even in basic training.”
Selection and focus — rather than pouring out all your power at once, you only use what’s necessary, when it’s necessary.
It sounds simple, but if you wonder why not everyone does it, the answer becomes clear.
That’s exactly how some ability users manage to maintain their prowess even after their peak.
From Abel’s perspective, Seria’s main issue seemed to be her lack of experience in controlling her powers.
There were no proper ability users in her domain. Even if they wanted to invite one, the place was too remote and too poor, so it wasn’t even an option.
That meant she had to train on her own — but with no one to guide her, she couldn’t even find the right path.
“Do you really think it’s possible, Abel-nim? I couldn’t even understand the theory lecture today.” [TL note: From now on, I will use Abel-nim instead of Lord Abel when Seria says Abel’s name.]
“Don’t worry. You’re not lacking at all, Miss Seria. In fact, I think you’re incredible.”
He had the help of his father and sister, both ability users.
Though the training itself was his own effort, it was thanks to them that he knew where to start and how to move forward.
Seria, on the other hand, had nothing.
She awakened her ability with no guidance or knowledge — every decision she made was purely based on instinct.
And even so, she earned recognition from the examiners and entered the Academy.
That alone proved she had potential.
Her power ranking meant nothing — it wasn’t an official exam, just a rough check to gauge her current level.
“What do you think, Caligo?”
“If you’re asking about Miss Seria, then I’ll say what’s obvious. Just the fact that she made it to the Academy is impressive. Do you know, Miss Seria, how many people awaken abilities but never get recognized because their powers are too weak?”
Their words lifted Seria’s spirits a bit.
“Then what should I do, Abel-nim? Please teach me.”
“For me, when I use physical enhancement, I decide beforehand how much force I’ll use and what level of destruction I aim for in a given moment. How about you, Miss Seria? When you use your flame?”
“U-uh… to be honest, I just think of it as lighting a fire. I’ve tried doing it other ways, but whenever I do that, I can’t activate my ability at all…”
Abel stroked his chin.
He’d suspected as much, but it was too vague.
This made it difficult for her to grasp the concept of “selection and focus.”
What kind of flame? How large, how hot, from what point does it ignite — Seria would have to start by being able to control those basic parameters.
This was one of those times when it was frustrating they didn’t have the same type of ability.
If Abel had flame-type powers, or if Seria had physical enhancement like him, he could’ve explained it more easily.
But they didn’t.
He couldn’t use fire, and it would be hard for her to relate to his examples about body enhancement.
“Miss Seria, try using your ability again. I’ll observe.”
Caligo, who had initially questioned why he even came along, now seemed oddly proactive.
He showed no interest in Abel whatsoever — his eyes were focused solely on Seria.
“Here I go.”
Seria summoned her power with all her might.
Dozens of tiny flames gently floated up around her.
“Th-this is all I can do. What do you think?”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm.”
Neither Abel nor Caligo said anything.
Calling those “flames” was being generous.
They were small — far too small.
It was more like scattered embers drifting in the air.
To be blunt, it was an extremely weak fire ability.
For comparison, Flam — who used the same type of power — had once summoned a massive fireball.
“There are quite a few of them. And they’re not overly hot either, so I’d say your ability is warm — just like you, Miss Seria. Not all fire needs to burn violently. If anything, I think it’d mix well with my ability.”
“Huh…?”
“Just imagine it. Like stars sprinkled across a dark sky. A galaxy, almost. Doesn’t that sound amazing?”
This guy was supposed to give her ability advice, but now he’s off fantasizing.
We get what kind of character you’re playing, but in a series about ability users, romance should be like… the fifth hashtag, at best.
Before Caligo could spiral further, Abel stepped in and interrupted, placing himself in front of Seria.
“To put it bluntly, it’s lacking, Miss Seria. Even by freshman standards, it’s way below average.”
“…I see.”
Caligo narrowed his eyes at Abel.
Clearly, he thought Abel could’ve phrased it more gently.
But Abel simply looked back like, What’s the problem?
Because in this case, being honest was far more helpful than sugarcoating it.
“Thank you, Abel-nim. Actually, hearing it so plainly… feels a lot better.”
“Now that you’ve realized what you’re lacking, there’s only one thing left, Miss Seria. You have to confront it directly. To understand the theory, you need to first get a feel for it. Think of it like exploring your territory before learning to govern it.”
“Ah! When you put it that way, it suddenly makes more sense!”
“There’s only about 10 minutes left, so let’s give it a try, whatever it is.”
Right now, her flames are faint, more like leftover embers than real fire.
They needed to become clearer, more defined.
As for how… Abel didn’t know. It might sound dumb, but it’s the truth — he really didn’t know.
This is something Seria has to figure out herself. She needs to discover her own way to manifest and wield her power.
Every ability user has their own unique method for drawing out their powers.
In Abel’s case, when he swings his sword, he imagines himself becoming the embodiment of swordsmanship — executing a sharp, precise breakthrough. Then he charges forward, cutting down whatever stands before him.
Seria needs to find something like that — something similar, yet uniquely her own.
And of course, that process won’t be easy.
Knowing that, Abel was doing his best to help her. He saw his past self reflected in her struggle — lost and searching for direction.
“I don’t think this is it. When I try to imagine a bigger flame, the power just scatters.”
“Then let’s approach it from a different angle. Forget size — focus on the heat.”
“May I offer a suggestion?”
“Anything’s welcome, Mr. Caligo. You want to help Seria too, don’t you?”
“Of course! If it’s for Miss Seria, I could skip class and stay here all day!”
“Please don’t go that far.”
***
After making the most of their remaining break time, they returned to the lecture hall.
“Alright, let’s resume. By applying each of your unique manifestation methods, you can deploy your abilities in the right place at the right time — thus amplifying your power….”
The theory lecture was still hard for Seria. But… it didn’t scare her the way it had at first.
That short training session with Abel — not even twenty minutes long — had helped a lot.
It was okay not to know the way, because now, she had someone to walk it with her.
“Let’s talk again during the personal training period after class.”
Abel was surprisingly enthusiastic.
Seria nodded.
Having Caligo around might be a little overwhelming, but it was fine. If she kept discussing things with Abel like this, maybe she really would find the answers someday.
From the moment she left her territory, she’d felt alone.
She was nervous, scared, and filled with anxiety.
But then she met Abel on the carriage.
At first, he’d seemed cold and distant — but after talking with him, she realized how warm he truly was.
And now that same Abel wanted to help her, not by saying “Do it alone,” but by saying “Let’s do it together.”
She was a noblewoman from a rural backwater.
In fact, she wasn’t even born a noble — she used to be a commoner.
She always tried to appear cheerful, but deep inside, Seria might be carrying shadows and doubts even she wasn’t fully aware of.
How could she ever forget the person who reached out to her when that darkness started to grow in this unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers?
‘I’ll go ahead and wait! I can’t let Abel-nim wait for me!’
As soon as the morning class ended and lunchtime passed, Seria ran straight to the training grounds.
Since she was receiving help, she figured she should arrive before Abel.
A short while later, Abel appeared at the entrance and waved at her.
“You came early, Miss Seria.”
“Of course I did, Abel-nim! I had to be early.”
“You’re passionate about your ability too. That’s a great attitude.”
She didn’t come early just to be praised, but hearing it still made her happy.
“Unfortunately, Caligo won’t be joining us today.”
“Why not?”
“He was called in by the professor. He asked me to apologize to you on his behalf.”
“Oh, there’s nothing to apologize for.”
Wait — so that means it’ll just be me and Abel training together?
…Isn’t that… a good thing?
The moment the thought popped into her head, Seria startled herself and shook her head quickly.
“Miss Seria? Is something wrong?”
“N-no! Let’s get started right away! Let’s make the most of our time before dinner!”
“Like I said earlier — that kind of passionate mindset is excellent.”
In a world of ability users, what truly matters is growth.
And what’s most important for growth… is an unbreakable will.
Applauding her determination, Abel immediately moved to begin their special training — or he tried to.
“Miss Seria.”
“Yes, Abel-nim! I’m ready!”
“First, lie down.”
“Wha—what do you mean lie do—eek?!”
Abel pushed Seria down flat on the ground — and then covered her with his own body.
A strange situation: the girl lying beneath, the boy right above her.
And almost simultaneously…
A deafening boom tore through the air, loud enough to shatter the sky.