Granting Abilities (2)
I also granted abilities to Han Byeol's and Jeong Su-hwan's gear.
Han Byeol's ability was purely combat-focused, poured all into offense. The moment she activated it, a head-sized flaming orb ignited above her head, blazing fiercely.
It was obviously an attack power, and she confirmed as much. Testing it inside the territory seemed too risky, so we went outside the barrier. I observed through the drones.
The ability was simple yet devastating. A red beam shot from the orb floating above her head. Its penetration was at least equal to a railgun's—or more. I couldn't test on a person, so I didn't know the exact lethality, but it punched clean holes through rocks.
It fired nearly three beams per second, targeting whatever she perceived as an enemy or wherever she wanted to shoot. Using it effectively in battle alongside her other skills would take practice, though.
Han Byeol was over the moon, practically bouncing. It was incredibly versatile, whether one-on-one or against hordes. I pictured her dropping into the heart of the enemy lines, sword flashing as beams lanced out everywhere—pretty badass.
Surprisingly, that wasn't all. She said it could be used defensively too, so I had her switch modes. The orb vanished, replaced by a protective barrier around her—a transparent red shield.
For a test, I had Im Jui hit it with moderate force. It held up after one strike. She couldn't use the attack function while shielding, though. A well-balanced offense-defense hybrid.
Once activated, the orb lasted an hour, with a 24-hour recharge. The moment we returned to the mansion, Han Byeol beamed with joy and thanked me profusely. But I caught a flicker of regret in her expression.
"Why? You wanted to fly too?"
She startled at my words. "Yes?! Did you gain the ability to read minds too?"
"Nah, just your face looked a bit wistful."
"No way... I did feel a little jealous watching Seol fly freely through the sky."
"Yeah? I think your power's amazing too."
She giggled brightly, then stared right at me.
"What...?"
"Nothing."
Finally, we tested Jeong Su-hwan's ability.
"Whoa!"
"Holy..."
"What the..."
Everyone gawked at Jeong Su-hwan's power. I stood there with my jaw dropped, clapping mutely. Even he scratched his head in bewilderment after trying it.
"In some ways, it's more sci-fi than stealth."
The ability itself was straightforward but tricky— it'd need practice. It was the closest thing to a true superpower.
Teleport
Of course, it wasn't unlimited teleportation anywhere. It allowed short-range jumps. Testing showed about 50 meters, instant with no delay. Max 10 charges, 6 hours per recharge. Using all 10 meant waiting 60 hours for full reset.
Incredible. Even seeing it firsthand was hard to believe. He crossed space in a blink. Each teleport came with a distinct whoosh.
The zero-delay part was the most shocking. Even against stronger foes, if he kept it hidden, he could dominate fights. Slip behind them in an instant for a backstab.
50-meter limit and the sound were minor drawbacks, but compared to the sheer brokenness, those penalties felt fair.
I ordered him to try teleporting while carrying Im Jui. Shockingly, it worked. But he said moving two people counted as two uses—his remaining charges dropped by 2, not 1.
Paradise now had two awakeners who could assassinate in a flash. With stealth and teleport, no need for wars against annoying pests—just send in the killers.
"Han Seol scouts from above, Im Jui strikes, Jeong Su-hwan grabs her and bails."
That night, we held a feast with the executives. We ate and drank in the spa, chatting away. The main topic: criteria for ability liberation.
Sixwing, Alpha, Beta, Obelisk—those made sense enough. Han Seol got wings from Sixwing gear. Obelisk corpse gear granted erosion. Alpha and Beta matched their known powers too.
"But Dome Head? It didn't use any special abilities. Looked like a pure physical brute."
"Yeah..."
I'd awakened Dome Head myself and watched it slaughter the 1st Special Awakener Division from the VIP seats. No special powers—just overwhelming physicality. Easiest matchup for Paradise's forces, arguably.
Then Han Byeol offered a hypothesis.
"Gangnam government's leaked intel says they searched the National Assembly floor after slaying Dome Head. Nothing but its sleeping burrow."
"Huh? Oh..."
Dome Head had burst unannounced from the National Assembly floor one day. Logically, it'd tunneled underground to get there.
"So... what if Dome Head had underground teleportation?"
"Plausible."
"Otherwise, it was born under the Assembly. Or... it refilled its own tunnel."
Solid reasoning. Refilling a tunnel would've left traces, but Gangnam found zilch. If Dome Head teleported underground sans digging, it explained Jeong Su-hwan's power.
As the booze hit and we got tipsy, the executives exchanged glances, stood, lined up before me, and knelt in unison.
"Huh? What...?"
"We've received another unrepayable grace from you, Liege. We pledge our lives in eternal loyalty."
"Thank you!"
-Thank you.-
"Yeah, keep up the good work."
Back then, people kneeling before me flustered me. Now? Pretty routine. They called it grace, but I was just empowering reliable folks to defend my land. Powers I couldn't even use properly myself. They were already plenty devoted.
"Han Seol here."
"Yeah, come in."
She knocked as I handled territory affairs in the office.
"It's about I-rang..."
"Yeah, she brought friends?"
"Yes. She said she asked you first, but I came to confirm just in case."
"She asked last night if she could invite friends over. Told her sure, but stick to the first floor. No worries."
"Understood."
Last night before bed, I-rang had shyly asked about inviting friends. I'd worried she wasn't making normal pals at school. She had friends, but they seemed... off. Polite, overly careful with words, formal or casual but hesitant.
Living in the mansion made her seem untouchably elite to residents. I'd ordered adults not to use honorifics with her, but they still treated her like royalty in casual speech. Couldn't blame or order them otherwise—empathy check: imagine the chaebol heir starting as intern. Dad says "treat like any newbie," kid begs same, but everyone grovels anyway. Orders don't stick.
Time heals, I figured. So hearing she'd brought friends thrilled me. Two: Jeong Woo-rim, Jeong Su-hwan's daughter, and Lee Ha-yeon, Paradise's first kid resident under Doctor Lee Kyung-min.
Both had execs as guardians. Peers her age who could hang casually? Only exec kids. I'd cleared it with their dads.
"Shall we head down?"
On the first floor, the three huddled at the table, deep in something.
"O-oppa!"
"Liege!"
"Hey, don't mind me. Keep at it."
"Yes!"
They were playing chess. Kids around 10, dead serious across the board. One spectator glued to it.
I-rang vs. Jeong Woo-rim; Lee Ha-yeon watching.
"Who's best?"
Lee Ha-yeon shot her hand up. "Me! Winner plays me next!"
"Impressive..."
I knew basics, not great. But even a noob senses it watching: I'd lose hard. Not kid stuff—pro-level, like coached by a master resident.
"Do-hyun, dinner plans—?"
Han Seol entered, spotted the board. "Chess! I played tons as a kid!"
"Really?"
Lee Ha-yeon piped up. "Unnie, wanna play me? Extra board!"
"Sure?"
I grabbed Han Seol's shoulder. "Han Seol..."
"Yes?"
Couldn't say don't lose to a kid.
"Never mind... Fighting."
"Yes!"
She sat, beaming innocently. After her match—and for three days—she moped around glumly.