The Prince Who Absorbs Abilities With a 'Click' - C31

Chapter 31: Beggar Siblings Outside the Shelter (1)

All schedules have been completed.

For the time being, the Empire decided to maintain a good relationship with Balderheim, which was covered by zombies.

While Cola was behind this, it didn’t matter as long as the result was good.

“You left me alone.”

“Your, Your Highness! I have committed an unforgivable sin!”

And Winston, who was bowing his head to apologize to me.

Even though he was a temporary bodyguard, did he leave me behind and run away because of the zombies?

A knight who swore to protect me with his life?

‘I can’t just let this slide.’

It was true that Winston had bought time for me to act. However, if I let this go, it would surely tarnish my reputation.

But I wasn’t going to give him a severe punishment, so this might make me look like a wise ruler.

At any rate, Winston had stepped away, allowing me to prepare ahead, so I decided to show him mercy.

“Reflect on what you did wrong until we arrive at the palace.”

I deliberately spoke coldly and closed the door.

The reason for getting rid of Winston was simple.

I had a game to play in the carriage.

I could rest now since the work was all done, but I had to make the most of the remaining time.

I wasn’t going to be bored the entire way.

‘Finally!’

I immediately lay down on my seat.

Then, I took out the smartphone I had carefully placed in my pocket.

“Ugh.”

Playing on the phone while lying down is the best.

The game I had chosen—well, I guess calling it a game is a bit strange.

It was a real-world simulation.

‘But calling it a game is easier.’

My choice was “The Last Day on Earth: Survivor Training.”

From now on, I was going to focus on training Kang Ha-yoon.

[Survivor ‘Kang Ha-yoon’ has survived for 183 days.]

The first notification that appeared when I started the game.

Kang Ha-yoon had survived for 183 days.

‘Is this time passed based on the criteria I set for Kang Ha-yoon?’

It probably was.

And the 7 days Ha-yoon had spent felt like a day to me.

If 183 days had passed, it meant I had only spent 26 days.

It’s almost been a month since I got my smartphone.

‘Time really flies.’

More than that, I realized that while I hadn’t been paying attention, six months had passed for Kang Ha-yoon.

I felt a little guilty.

‘So today, I need to take care of Kang Ha-yoon.’

It would take several days to return to the palace.

Moreover, with so many people moving together, it might take even longer.

Since the work was finished, there was no need to rush, so I could relax.

In the meantime, I planned to focus on training Kang Ha-yoon and gathering supplies.

The screen switched, and Kang Ha-yoon appeared.

‘Not much has changed?’

Her living space was the same, and her younger brother, Kang Minhyuk, was still there.

The only noticeable change was Ha-yoon’s abilities.

She was summoning fire on her palm, and what had once been a small flame had grown much bigger and clearer.

‘She must have worked really hard over the past six months.’

And she still dutifully sent items to me?

There probably wasn’t a better survivor than her.

‘I’ll make sure to look after you till the end.’

A moment later, someone approached Kang Ha-yoon.

[The personal bodyguard reports to Kang Ha-yoon.]

• • Bodyguard: “Ha-yoon, the Administrator wishes to meet with you immediately.”

【Please choose what Survivor ‘Kang Ha-yoon’ will do next.】

▶ Follow the bodyguard’s words.

▶ Refuse.

▶ Slap the bodyguard’s cheek and say, “How dare you tell me to come or go? Don’t you know I’m an Awakener? The Administrator should come to me.” (※This will likely lower Kang Ha-yoon’s reputation.)

‘Wait, Ha-yoon has a personal bodyguard too?’

I hadn’t noticed before because I had been logging in intermittently. And since I had focused on the items Ha-yoon sent, I realized just how little I had been paying attention.

‘Has our Ha-yoon made it?’

She even has a personal bodyguard, something I don’t have.

Of course, I wasn’t jealous.

If it were a normal Earth, it would be different, but on the Earth where Ha-yoon lives, zombies and humans work together. Who would want to live here?

‘Anyway, let’s see.’

It’s been a while since I saw a choice like this.

And, of course, my choice was the first one.

Regardless of Ha-yoon’s position in the shelter, it seemed best to follow the Administrator’s orders.

In any place, it’s important to follow the words of those in top positions.

‘The choices are all fine, but there’s something ridiculous about one of them.’

Honestly, I did want to see the innocent-looking Ha-yoon slapping the bodyguard’s cheek and saying that.

If this were just a game, I might have chosen it at least once.

‘What a shame.’

After I accepted, Kang Ha-yoon began following the bodyguard somewhere.

Kang Ha-yoon showed a slightly surprised expression at the bodyguard’s words.

It wasn’t because the Administrator had asked to see her.

[‘Nameless God’ tells you to meet the Administrator.]

‘…God?’

It had been a long time since such a message appeared.

Other than the early days, there had been no divine revelations for a while, so Ha-yoon had been a little anxious.

The more that happened, the more Ha-yoon had offered items to the God.

Although God never spoke, the items she offered disappeared immediately.

Ha-yoon had thought of that phenomenon as a link between her and the God, and for over half a year, she had continued to offer items.

Then, after a long time, God had spoken.

‘The Administrator told me to meet him?’

Even without God’s words, Ha-yoon had planned to meet the Administrator.

“Yes, let’s go quickly.”

She said that, and Ha-yoon followed the bodyguard.

The Administrator was the one in charge of the shelter.

His name was Park Jong-ho and he was in his early 60s.

The only information she knew was that the Administrator was a former soldier.

‘Did he say he was an officer?’

Ha-yoon didn’t know much about military ranks.

She had seen a photo of him, and his military uniform had three spikes like chestnuts on it.

Although it was awkward at first, she had grown to talk to the Administrator more than anyone else.

They had become quite close.

The Administrator also treated her and her brother well, so Ha-yoon treated him with respect.

Though she knew the kindness was due to her abilities, in a world like this, give and take was essential.

The Administrator provided her with food and shelter, and in return, she gave the shelter a symbol.

The symbol was the presence of an Awakener.

No matter how large the shelter was, without an Awakener, it was just an empty shell.

But even a small shelter with one Awakener always drew people in.

In a fallen world, power was order.

Having order meant an advantage in survival, and that was an inevitable result.

Awakeners had superhuman strength and fought against zombies, which made them even more valuable.

Moreover, Kang Ha-yoon’s flame-based abilities were highly effective against zombies.

For the past six months, she had been diligently training her abilities every single day.

The flames, which were once no larger than a finger, had grown to be larger than a human face and could burn for much longer.

Most importantly, she had learned to control the flames and attack from a distance.

At this point, she could probably burn three to four people, right?

She hadn’t burned anyone yet, but she had killed at least ten zombies.

Of course, it was within the shelter, where the zombies had been provided by the Administrator.

All of them were bound, so Ha-yoon could safely use her abilities.

‘But why is the Administrator calling her?’

It wasn’t like the Administrator had called her suddenly before, so Ha-yoon was a little anxious.

‘I hope nothing is wrong.’

Humans are said to be animals of adaptation.

What was once unfamiliar in the shelter’s daily life has now become completely familiar to her.

Thus, a new worry arose for her.

What if this peaceful daily life were to collapse?

Above all, Ha-yoon had a younger sibling to take care of.

Her only remaining blood relative after their parents’ passing, Kang Minhyuk.

For her, while her own well-being mattered, her brother’s safety was just as important.

“…….”

The shelter was a city surrounded by walls.

Behind these walls, people could live safely, avoiding the zombies.

Some might describe it as being trapped in a birdcage, but that was nonsense.

At least, it wasn’t so for her.

Until now, Ha-yoon had lived in a place that could barely be called a shelter. Living there, this place felt like paradise.

A life in a cage?

It was better than being chased by zombies and struggling against hunger like a mayfly.

For that reason, Ha-yoon prayed that her current life would not fall apart.

‘Please, let it not be anything serious, Nameless God.’

She thought to herself.

By now, it was almost like a chant.

Whenever Ha-yoon felt uneasy, she turned to the Nameless God.

Her comfortable life now was all thanks to that God.

Thanks to the awakening power the Nameless God had given, both she and Min-hyuk could survive.

Moreover, Min-hyuk had made friends and was happy.

Even though zombies roamed outside, humanity had to keep progressing. So, there was a school within the shelter for children.

The reason they were so joyful wasn’t necessarily because they enjoyed learning, but because they could finally play with friends of their own age.

Ha-yoon didn’t want her current peaceful life to collapse.

As she walked while thinking about all this, she soon reached the administrator’s office.

Knock knock-

“Ha-yoon has arrived.”

The bodyguard knocked on the door and said.

“Come in.”

Then the administrator’s voice came from across the room.

“I’ll be waiting here.”

The bodyguard saw Ha-yoon off but stayed vigilant, keeping his distance.

“Yes, I’ll be back.”

The administrator’s office resembled a small command center.

On one wall, the CCTV monitors displayed the real-time status of both the shelter’s interior and its surroundings.

A heavy oak desk was kept neat and tidy. On the left, there was a radio and communication equipment, and on the right, a notebook and fountain pen were placed neatly. The nameplate on the desk was a simple stainless steel plaque engraved with “Administrator Park Jong-ho.”

Behind the desk, a glass case displayed his military decorations.

Beside it was an old frame, a photo of Park Jong-ho with his wife, daughter, and himself wearing a colonel’s badge.

This was now a familiar sight to Ha-yoon.

One thing that had changed was the type of flowers placed in front of the photo.

“I’m here. Admin…no, Grandpa.”

“Oh, really. Our Ha-yoon is here?”

Since they saw each other almost every day, by now they no longer observed formalities when addressing each other.

They only used formal titles when others were around, and even then, Ha-yoon nearly called him “Administrator” instead of “Grandpa” by accident.

“How’s life in the shelter? I know it’s not perfect, but it’s okay, right?”

It was a customary question.

Every time, Ha-yoon would reply, “I’m doing really well,” and hearing that, Park Jong-ho would smile warmly.

“So, the reason I called you here is because of this.”

Park Jong-ho showed Ha-yoon a photo.

In the photo, a pair of siblings dressed like beggars were curled up inside a crumbling building.

“Who are these children…?”

“These are the kids our scouts found. They’re scared, and our scouts couldn’t even approach them.”

By “our scouts,” he meant the shelter’s reconnaissance team.

The reconnaissance team was armed and went outside the shelter, which made their job dangerous, so they received higher allowances than the others.

“Even though the scouts tried to persuade them, they just hid in fear.”

By this point, Ha-yoon understood what Park Jong-ho wanted.

“So, you want me to go?”

“Yes, you’re smart, Ha-yoon.”

Park Jong-ho gave a smile, almost like he was looking at his granddaughter.

The scouts were armed with guns.

Of course, to those young siblings, the scouts must have seemed like terrifying figures.

But he wondered if Ha-yoon, being young and a woman, might be able to lower their guard.

That was what Park Jong-ho wanted to exploit.

However, he quickly shook his head.

“If you don’t want to, it’s fine. Safety always comes first, and I don’t need to tell you that.”

Ha-yoon was a key figure in the shelter.

In the six months that Park Jong-ho had observed her, Ha-yoon had shown remarkable progress.

In just a few years, she would likely become the leader of not just the shelter, but the entire region.

“……”

Ha-yoon thought for a moment.

Since coming here, she had never stepped outside the shelter.

Her focus had always been on training and learning within the shelter.

She was unsure of what to do, but she wasn’t scared.

At this moment, it seemed like following the administrator’s words would be the right choice.

The administrator treated her well because of her abilities.

The world was about give and take.

In a world like this, it was even more essential.

As she pondered, a message appeared before her.

[The ‘Nameless God’ says to accept the administrator’s proposal.]

【Please choose survivor ‘Kang Ha-yoon’ next action.】

▶ Follow the administrator’s words. (※ After completing the mission, Ha-yoon’s abilities will be upgraded.)

▶ Refuse.

▶ Kill the administrator. (※ Very high chance of failure, a slim chance of becoming the shelter’s administrator.)

‘I should follow the administrator’s words.’

Her abilities would be upgraded?

I can’t resist that.

After finishing their conversation, Ha-yoon said goodbye to the administrator and headed home.

Once home, she spoke to her younger sibling about what had just happened.

She was probably explaining what had just taken place.

But then something happened.

[Kang Min-hyuk insists on going with her.]

• • Kang Min-hyuk: “I want to go too! I want to be with you, sis!”

【Please choose survivor ‘Kang Ha-yoon’ next action.】

▶ Don’t take him. (※ Min-hyuk will now dislike his sister.)

▶ Beat up ‘Kang Min-hyuk’ until he knows his place. (※ Min-hyuk will now dislike his sister.)

▶ Take ‘Kang Min-hyuk’ with you. (※ Unpredictable! If something happens to Min-hyuk, Ha-yoon’s emotions may change.)

“Wow.”

My mind was screaming ‘Don’t take him.’

Ha-yoon’s brother was still young. There was no need to take him outside so I decided to choose the 1st option.