Ever since that day, Ankit could think of only one thing.
When will I turn one and a half years old?
When will I finally awaken my powers?
The anticipation consumed him.
Every second or third day, he would visit his grandfather’s house.
If no one took him there, his grandfather would come personally to pick him up.
Every visit was the same—and yet, never boring.
His grandfather would demonstrate breathtaking swordsmanship, perform incredible magic, and read ancient books to him for hours.
While listening, Ankit never lost focus.
He carefully observed every page, every symbol, and every word.
Little by little, he absorbed everything.
Before he even realized it…
A year passed.
Ankit had finally turned one and a half years old.
— “Hello, everyone.” “It’s me, Ankit.” “I know…
it’s been a long time since we last talked.” “What can I say?” “I’m an incredibly busy person.” “…Ah.” “Wait.” “I forgot.” “I’m not a grown man.” “I’m still just a kid.” He scratched his cheek with an awkward smile.
“But I’m not the same baby I used to be.” “Now I can walk.” “I can run.” “And I can finally speak…” “Well…
sort of.” “My tongue still slips over some words.” “But that’s only a matter of time.” “And you know what?” “I can already read and write this world’s language.” Because of that, he had learned countless things about the world around him.
“The first thing I discovered is that this world is divided into eight nations.” “Five belong to humans.” “One belongs to the Half-Humans.” “And the remaining two belong to Demons.” “The two Demon Nations are ruled by a single Demon Lord, while each nation has its own Demon King governing it.” “In other words…” “The Demon Lord stands at the very top.” “It’s no wonder the demons are constantly trying to conquer the Human Nations.” “As for the Half-Humans…” “They prefer to stay within their own borders and live peaceful lives.” “They rarely interfere in the war.” “So the real conflict has always been between Humans and Demons.” He paused for a moment before continuing.
“And here’s the most important thing I learned.” “Among humans, there are five elemental magical affinities.” Wind.
Water.
Fire.
Earth.
Sky.
“Every human is born with one of these five elemental powers.” “However…” “In extremely rare cases, someone may awaken with two different elemental affinities.” “Once a child reaches the age of one and a half…” “They undergo a ceremony to determine which element they possess.” “The result decides how their parents will raise and train them for the rest of their lives.” “The ceremony uses a special phenomenon known as the…” “Crystallizing Effect.” “…And today…” “It’s finally my turn.” “That’s why I wanted to explain all of this to you first.” He suddenly fell silent.
“…Wait.” A puzzled expression appeared on his face.
“…Who exactly am I talking to?” “…Seriously.” “I really do say the strangest things sometimes.” Ankit’s father called out with a smile.
“Come on, Ankit.” “It’s time for your test.” Ankit’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Yes, Dad!
Let’s go!” “I’m really excited!” His father blinked in confusion.
“…What did you just say?” “Ex…
ex…
excited?” “What does that even mean?” He scratched his head.
“You really do come up with the strangest words, son.” Ankit let out an awkward laugh.
“Haha…
It’s nothing, Dad.” “My tongue still gets twisted sometimes.” His father laughed heartily.
“Oh, I can definitely see that.” “Your tongue trips over itself all the time.” “Come on.” “We’re getting late.” With that, he lifted Ankit onto his shoulders.
Sitting high above the ground, Ankit looked around with shining eyes as his father walked toward the Testing Hall, located just outside the village.
His heart began to pound faster with every step.
This is it…
The day I’ve been waiting for ever since I was reborn.
Today…
I’ll finally discover what kind of power this world has chosen for me.
Perched on his father’s shoulders, Ankit looked around with curiosity as they walked through the village.
The peaceful streets were lined with farmers working hard in the fields.
One of them noticed the two of them and waved with a smile.
“Hey, Sore!” “How are you?” “And Ankit!” “Are you on your way to take your Crystallizing Test?” Ankit beamed with excitement and answered loudly, “Yes, Uncle!” The farmer laughed.
“Good luck!” As Sore and Ankit continued walking, another man working nearby quietly asked the farmer, “Brother…” “Isn’t the Village Chief’s son taking his child a little late?” “That boy looks at least three years old.” The farmer shook his head with a smile.
“You don’t know?” “He’s only one and a half years old.” “He just grows and learns much faster than children his age.” “That child isn’t ordinary.” “He’s special.” “They say he learned to read and write before he even turned one.” The second man stared in surprise.
“Seriously?” The farmer nodded.
“Now I’m just curious…” “I wonder whether he’ll awaken two elemental powers…” “…or perhaps even three.” He looked toward Ankit with anticipation.
“Who knows…” “That child might surprise all of us once again.” Before long, Ankit and his father arrived at the Crystallizing Hall.
The place was already packed with people.
A long line of parents stretched all the way to the entrance, each of them carrying their young child wrapped in a soft cloth.
The atmosphere was filled with excitement and nervous anticipation.
As soon as the villagers noticed Ankit, smiles appeared on their faces.
“Oh!” “Ankit, you’ve finally arrived!” “Good luck with your test!” Ankit happily bowed his little head and replied, “Y-Yes…” “Hello, everyone.” The villagers couldn’t help but smile at his adorable attempt to greet them.
His father gently lifted him down from his shoulders and placed him on the ground.
Patting Ankit’s head, Sore smiled.
“Come on.” “Let’s wait for our turn.” Ankit nodded obediently.
“Okay, Dad.” Standing quietly beside his father, his heart began beating faster and faster.
This is it…
After waiting for an entire year…
The moment I’ve been dreaming about is finally here.
I wonder…
What kind of power is waiting for me?