My Students Regret It After I Retired

80 – Abilities Are Not Your Sole Domain

The Celestial Society Leader’s obsessive fixation on Leos. No one truly knew the reason.

To the general populace, it could be mistaken for simple obsession with Leos’s power, but for members of the Celestial Society, it made no sense.

One by one, masked figures spoke.

“The Celestial Society Leader’s direct subordinate has died by Leos’s hand.”

“The Leader must be furious.”

“Haha! Didn’t I say it? If you don’t keep your dogs on a tight leash, they’ll bite you.”

“Lower your voice. Do you think you’d survive if the Leader heard you say that?”

Tekaje shook his head, speaking.

“Hahaha! L’Card, do you think I don’t know? That the Celestial Society Leader would be angry? But look now. Despite his direct subordinate, Litan, being killed by Leos, the Celestial Society Leader hasn’t issued any proper punishment!”

“Tekaje. The Celestial Society Leader *has* issued punishment. It wasn’t ignored.”

“Punishment, you say? Punishment is supposed to be for the offender, so is ordering the death of Leos’s comrades punishment?”

“Hmm…”

“Well, that wasn’t my point. Anyway, the Celestial Society Leader is completely infatuated with Leos. He doesn’t have the spare time to keep tabs on anything else. I bet he doesn’t even care what we’re doing. He’s been observing only that b*stard all day long. Did he fall in love or something?”

Gohael, unable to listen anymore, stepped in.

“Be quiet. The Celestial Society Leader must have his reasons for his actions.”

“Haha! Yes, there must be a reason, but I find it difficult to understand. Why is the Celestial Society Leader so obsessed with a bug that until recently couldn’t even awaken his abilities properly? How many times have I questioned it, observing that b*stard? Could it be because of his pretty boy face?”

“Hah…watch your words. Didn’t Leos possess the power to seal the Red Gate? And recently he even awakened the ability to wield the Five Swords.”

“Do you think that is talent enough for the Celestial Society Leader to be so fixated?”

Tekaje shouted, sending shards of ice flying in every direction. With a whoosh, the ice fragments instantly began to swirl and spread out.

“There are many people in the Celestial Assembly who wield abilities far superior to those petty Five Swords. To give them special treatment just because they can handle five swords is utterly ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“There must be a reason. The reason why the Celestial Assembly Lord is so obsessed.”

Rdak pondered for a moment, then nodded.

“Tekaje, you simply don’t know. The Celestial Assembly Lord never acts without a reason. So there must be one. The real reason he’s obsessed with Leos, I mean.”

*

Leos felt an immense surge of energy welling up from his heart, causing him excruciating pain.

“Leos! What’s wrong!”

Rakart rushed towards Leos, but Leos couldn’t say a word and collapsed to the ground. He was being drawn, almost against his will, towards Keltazar.

“Leos needs treatment! The damage from the previous battle must have accumulated!”

“Get…get back…that’s not…important right now…”

Leos clearly heard the system message.

[Due to your influence, Keltazar’s ability has bloomed.]

[A hidden ability is awakening.]

Keltazar’s ability had bloomed because of his influence.

‘Me, I have the ability to awaken abilities?’

Leos felt a small sliver of hope for a moment. He had thought he would never be able to defeat the Celestial Assembly. It was because they used abilities. No matter how much Leos struggled, it would be impossible to face dozens, maybe even hundreds, alone.

‘But if there are more people with abilities, it’s not impossible.’

Just twenty, no, even ten, would drastically increase their odds.

[Ability Conductor]: You can awaken the abilities of those around you. However, this ability only applies to individuals possessed by an unparalleled, intense will. This trait is only manifested in those whose fates are intertwined with yours.

Leo wondered how much his ability affected others. Luckily, he had someone right next to him he could test it on immediately.

Keltazar.

Imprisoned in the solitary cell, he was writhing in agony, clutching his heart. Yet, crazed words still spilled from his mouth.

“The Empire…for the Empire…the Emperor’s safety…the annihilation of the Heavenly Assembly…Your Majesty…Great Emperor…”

Despite the visible torment that seemed to tear him apart, Keltazar was screaming for the Emperor. Like a madman, Keltazar had lived only for the Emperor, now and always. And it seemed that this fanatical devotion was the reason his ability as an Awakener had manifested.

*‘It seems I can’t choose who I use it on.’*

As Leo moved closer to Keltazar, he felt his pain gradually lessen. In contrast, Keltazar’s agony intensified.

“Keuh…Your Majesty…Emperor…Your…”

Foam bubbled from Keltazar’s mouth. Leo, his condition having recovered by then, stood and watched the scene. Even though he had done nothing, his Awakener ability had manifested.

*‘It only activates on those intertwined with my destiny… only on those who will become my allies? No, that’s not right. Keltazar could never be my ally. After all, I ended up in this prison because of him in the first place.’*

Leo didn’t consider Keltazar an ally. He was merely a tool, something to be used and discarded in the extermination of the Heavenly Assembly. Therefore, it was impossible to define the criteria of being “intertwined with fate”. But that wasn’t what mattered.

“…”

Keltazar, his pain seemingly subsided, had stopped screaming. But his eyes were still bloodshot. As he slowly pushed himself up from the ground, undead began to form around him.

*‘What is this ability, summoning? No.’*

Before Keltazar could do something foolish, Leo spoke to him.

“Keltazar, your power awakened because of my ability. I’m the one who awakened you.”

Leo lied. The Awakener ability didn’t allow him to choose his target. But despite that, he spoke the way he did to control Keltazar.

“Why me…? Why did you give me this power…?”

He didn’t ask *how*. The five floating swords in front of Keltazar gave credibility to Leo’s words. Leo had always been someone who effortlessly achieved the impossible. For Keltazar, there was no reason to doubt.

“I gave you this power so you could kill the members of the Heavenly Assembly. You are nothing but a useless tool, but you still want to kill the Heavenly Assembly for the Emperor, right? Decide whether you’ll die here, or if you’ll kill the Heavenly Assembly.”

“…”

Keltasar hesitated for a moment, just as he was about to charge the undead at Leos.

“My ability can be recalled at any time. Don’t forget that the power granted to you can also be taken back. The moment your power vanishes, it will be absolutely impossible for the likes of you to take revenge on the Heavenly Assembly.”

“…”

Keltasar immediately dropped to his knees, slamming his head into the ground.

“I beg you. Don’t take it back. I have to get revenge on them.”

“Then don’t defy me. Don’t touch my allies. Don’t harbor vain thoughts. From now on, all you can do is kill the Heavenly Assembly. And your power must only be used for that. If this promise is broken, your power will be extinguished.”

Keltasar answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“I will never use my power on you or your companions.”

“Good, you can kill as many of the Heavenly Assembly b*stards as you like. Just don’t touch anyone around me.”

“In the name of His Majesty the Emperor, I swear it.”

Leos didn’t push further. He already knew well enough what the existence of the Emperor meant to Keltasar. Even if it meant taking his own life, Keltasar would never break a promise made in the name of His Majesty the Emperor.

He was that crazy about the Emperor.

‘That takes care of variable control for now.’

The fact that Keltasar, who wasn’t an ally as solid as Rakart or Herisia, had awakened his power was regrettable, but there was a silver lining.

Since he didn’t consider Keltasar a comrade, he could be used and discarded like a tool without reservation. Leos commanded Keltasar.

“Try using your power. How many undead can you create at once?”

Keltasar fumbled at first, unused to it, but soon summoned about a hundred undead and spoke.

“Information is flooding my mind. The ability is used freely, just like moving arms and legs. According to the information I recognize and learned, I can summon up to 500 undead at once. However, with my current condition, about 100 is the limit.”

“Confirmed. Now dismiss them all.”

Keltazar, at Leos’s word, instantly dispelled the undead. The horde vanished in a blink.

Leos, watching, cracked a wry smile.

‘Celestial Society. Just you wait. From now on, power isn’t your exclusive plaything.’