The Prince Who Absorbs Abilities With a ‘Click’ - C34

Unfortunately, the author officially dropped the novel.

Chapter 34: The 8th Prince Awakened His Power

[The ‘Sage’s Blueberry’ has been successfully harvested!]

【Sage’s Blueberry】

- Grade: Mythical

- Forms a mana circuit. If the mana circuit is damaged, it restores everything.

- Administrator: Legendary Bear

It was an explanation that helped understand why only three berries had appeared.

‘This is really amazing.’

The surprise didn’t end there.

The full name of the game was ‘Real Farm (We Really Deliver!)’.

The point was that it truly delivered.

Then, a new message appeared.

[The harvested crops can be delivered by courier. Please choose your desired location.]

▶ [The Last Day of Earth, Raising Survivors]

▶ [Dungeon Master]

▶ [Magical Girl Maker]

▶ [Village Builder Tycoon]

▶ [Device User ‘Nameless’]

The five options appeared simultaneously.

‘All the installed games are here?’

More than anything, his eyes were drawn to the last option.

‘Nameless…’

That was the user name I had registered when I first started using the smartphone.

No, I hadn’t registered a name specifically, but somehow, by accident, it had been registered that way when I touched the screen.

‘That’s not important right now.’

If that referred to me, then it meant I could possibly keep the Sage’s Blueberry for myself.

It was different.

Even though the items offered by Kang Ha-yoon and the magical girls moved through dimensional rifts to different worlds, they were still limited to the game worlds installed on the smartphone.

I didn’t have a direct choice in the matter but now it was different.

‘Should I try it?’

The issue was how the courier would deliver it.

‘There’s no way the courier driver would come personally, right?’

I thought this but couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

I didn’t believe that would be the case. And my hesitation didn’t last long.

Isn’t there a saying?

Worry only delays delivery.

[You have selected Device User ‘Nameless’. Please select the crops and quantity you wish to send by courier.]

‘Oh, I can choose like this?’

Now things were different.

I decided to try it by selecting just one of the Sage’s Blueberries for the test.

[To send the crops by courier, you must prepay the shipping fee.]

[The shipping fee is determined based on the crop’s grade.]

[The shipping fee is 10,000 gold. The amount must be paid before sending.]

“……”

Right, I had thought things were going too smoothly.

Seeing the prompt to pay 10,000 gold, I let out a bitter laugh.

‘This is ridiculous.’

Still, 10,000 gold was cheap considering the value of the item.

After all, it was an item whose value couldn’t even be measured.

I took out additional gold from my pocket and made the payment.

‘If this were a real game, there would probably be multiple reviews saying how money-hungry it is.’

After paying the 10,000 gold shipping fee, the air around me began to distort.

[Shipping fee payment has been completed.]

[By adding 500 gold, you can send a message to the recipient-]

‘This part can be skipped.’

There was no need to write a message. I tapped the screen repeatedly and skipped through it.

‘This is really a game that eats up money.’

At this point, it was like a money-devouring monster.

500 gold just to send a message.

A well-bred horse raised in the imperial palace costs only 200 gold.

But 500 gold just to send a message?

It made me think this game was truly obsessed with money.

However, after paying the shipping fee, the delivery began.

[The ‘Sage’s Blueberry’ has been sent.]

[The ‘Sage’s Blueberry’ is being delivered.]

[The ‘Sage’s Blueberry’ will be delivered soon.]

[Delivery has been completed. Would you like to receive it?]

As soon as I touched the screen, a box appeared in the air.

“Eh?”

I unconsciously exclaimed at the sudden appearance of the box.

The box then dropped right into my hands.

When I opened it, there was a small blueberry inside.

‘So this is how it gets delivered?’

I was astonished by the new delivery system.

At least, the good part was that I could receive the delivery discreetly without anyone noticing.

‘This makes Real Farm even more important.’

The Sage’s Blueberry was the highest grade in the game, but the single berry in my hand had such immense properties that it could potentially turn the world upside down.

If I revealed this, I was sure that the empire and many other countries and mage towers would all compete to get it.

So, what about the other crops?

I didn’t know since I hadn’t cultivated them yet, but they probably wouldn’t be ordinary either.

From this alone, I could see how important Real Farm was.

‘Now, what should I use this for?’

I carefully picked up the blueberry.

It was a single berry that seemed ready to burst with just a little pressure from my fingers.

To think this could turn the world upside down.

That said, I wasn’t planning on announcing it to the world just yet.

If I did, it would attract unnecessary attention.

If things went wrong, my life would be in danger. Was I crazy enough to announce this?

‘At least not right now.’

The reason there were so few was part of the issue, and more importantly, I needed to be in a position where no one could easily harm me before I could act freely.

If I announced this with no proper protection, it would be like asking for someone to kill me.

Thinking like this made me feel like it was just a pie in the sky.

‘This really has no immediate use, does it?’

But there was no immediate place to use it either.

‘For now, I’ll just put it back in the box.’

I carefully placed it back inside the box and tucked it gently into my pocket.

Then, my eyes were drawn to the two blueberries left at the farm.

‘Would Ha-yoon get stronger if she ate this?’

Suddenly, I thought of Kang Ha-yoon.

Kang Ha-yoon was an awakened person who handled flames. She already had quite decent abilities.

But there was still room for growth.

The issue was that she was an ‘Awakened’ and not a magician.

‘Could it be different from a magician?’

A magician’s mana moves through the mana circuit. The mana circuit plays an important role when casting spells.

So, would an Awakened person’s abilities also rely on the mana circuit?

No, before that, did they even share the same mechanisms as magicians?

Besides, they lived in different worlds.

I wasn’t sure if applying his knowledge of magic to Kang Ha-yoon would work as expected.

She summoned flames, but was it the same magic he knew, or was it a new method unique to Awakened ones? I wasn’t certain, so I hesitated.

‘It could be risky if it goes wrong…’

But it was worth trying.

If the effect of the blueberry worked on Kang Ha-yoon, and she became stronger?

That would directly benefit me.

‘It would make my resource supplier stronger.’

Of course, the opposite could happen, but I could leave that judgment to Kang Ha-yoon.

‘I could use the message function from earlier.’

I remembered the courier message function that had seemed useless just a while ago.

It was a crucial moment that made the 500 gold worth it.

[Please enter the message to send.]

I carefully began writing the message.

Kang Ha-yoon’s daily life was no different from any other day.

After returning to the shelter from outside and severely scolding her younger sibling, everything had been normal.

Today as well, after sending Min-hyuk off to school, she was resting for a bit.

[‘The Nameless God’ is sponsoring items for you.]

[Do you accept the item?]

“Uh?”

Kang Ha-yoon was startled by the sudden appearance of the message.

“…Sponsorship?”

It was the first time something was given after the Nameless God had bestowed power upon her.

“I wonder what kind of item this is?”

With a mix of anticipation and excitement, Ha-yoon selected “accept.”

Then, a small box appeared in the air.

Opening the box, there was a single purple-blueberry inside. After reading the accompanying message, her eyes widened.

“Will eating this make me stronger?”

Of course, there was a chilling phrase written afterward.

It said that eating it might make her stronger, but there was also a chance that there would be no reaction, or in the worst case, something could go wrong.

“……”

In other words, the message said everything was uncertain.

However, she stared intensely at the message sent by God.

The content of the message warned her about what effect it might have on her.

Soon, Ha-yoon quietly examined the blueberry and then spoke.

“Thank you, God.”

It was an item bestowed by God.

If something went wrong after eating it, then that would be God’s will.

She didn’t hesitate.

With nothing but faith, she brought the blueberry to her mouth.

The sweet juice spread in her mouth.

And soon,

“Ugh…!”

As the blueberry slid down her throat, a sharp pain covered her entire body.

It felt like hot molten metal was seeping into her body, and Kang Ha-yoon rolled on the floor in agony.

“AAH!”

She felt something forming beneath her skin. It was a pain as if burning fire was flowing through her veins.

“Ha-yoon! Ha-yoon!”

At Ha-yoon’s scream, bodyguard Im Jia rushed toward her in panic.

Im Jia immediately grabbed Ha-yoon’s shoulders, but she couldn’t calm her down.

In desperation, she quickly pulled out a walkie-talkie.

“Emergency! Ha-yoon is…”

“Ughhhh!”

Even as Im Jia was reporting, Ha-yoon’s screams continued.

Her blood vessels swelled to the point they might burst.

A blue light circuit formed beneath her skin, and soon her entire body began to glow.

“Get all the medical personnel immediately-”

Im Jia’s urgent transmission was cut off.

The intense energy radiating from Ha-yoon’s body had blown the walkie-talkie away.

“AAARGH!”

With her final scream, an immense heat began to rise from Ha-yoon’s body. Soon, intense flames wrapped around her body.

Im Jia stared at the scene in shock.

“Ha…Ha…”

After a while, the pain seemed to subside, and Ha-yoon slowly composed her breathing.

Her entire body was drenched in sweat, but strangely, there was no feeling of exhaustion.

“Ha-yoon! Are you alright?”

Im Jia asked with a concerned expression.

Ha-yoon slowly raised her hand.

An immense flame, like no other she had ever seen, blazed atop her palm.

This flame was on an entirely different level compared to any she had seen before, and maintaining it no longer felt difficult.

It felt as though this was simply how it was supposed to be.

“Yes, I’m alright. In fact…”

She looked at the flame dancing on her hand.

A completely different power was now enveloping her entire body.

“I think I’ve become stronger.”

The flame began to move at Ha-yoon’s will.

Seeing this, Im Jia’s face showed shock.

It was as if the flame had become a part of Ha-yoon, so naturally it flowed with her.

After confirming through the screen, it was clear that Kang Ha-yoon had indeed become stronger.

Now, even the training zombies inside the shelter could be reduced to ashes with a single burst of flame.

‘Yes, this is it! This is right.’

That’s when it started.

The shelter’s administrator, having confirmed Ha-yoon’s improved skills, began sending her out of the shelter once every two days.

Of course, the main goal was for her to gain experience, so bodyguards were sent along, but that alone was a benefit for me.

Ha-yoon would leave the shelter, use her powers like a madwoman, and kill zombies.

[‘Survivor Kang Ha-yoon’ is donating a ‘bottle of zombie blood’.]

It wasn’t just zombies.

Occasionally, armed raiders could also be encountered.

[‘Survivor Kang Ha-yoon’ is donating a ‘machine gun’.]

Each time, Ha-yoon used her abilities to suppress her opponents. She then secretly donated the spoils to me.

It was clear that because it wasn’t confined to the shelter, she was able to acquire a variety of items.

‘I’ll give the machine gun to the skeleton gunner.’

There were other random items as well, but for now, there wasn’t a situation where they would be useful.

Among them, the bottle of zombie blood seemed useless.

‘What if drinking that turns me into a zombie?’

What happens if a monster drinks it?

This seemed like it was worth experimenting.

I also planned to give this to the skeleton gunner and test it later.

As I spent time playing the game, I was soon able to arrive at the royal palace.

“Phew, haah.”

As I got off the carriage as the familiar air hit my nose.

Indeed, home was the best.

Ignoring Winston’s desperate plea to talk, I turned away.

“Prince! Please, just hear me out-”

I no longer had any business with the knight who abandoned the prince, so there was no need to listen.

Quickly returning to the prince’s palace, I found a guest waiting.

“I greet you, Prince.”

The person bowed their head and greeted me.

“…Who are you?”

The problem was that the person’s face was familiar, but not quite memorable.

The royal palace was large, and because I preferred a secluded lifestyle, I couldn’t remember all the faces.

As I tilted my head, the maid Lynette hurriedly whispered in my ear.

“That…It’s Mage Edwin.”

Lynette said urgently.

“Edwin?”

Hearing the name, I remembered.

Edwin was a mage belonging to the royal family.

More than that, he was highly skilled and renowned as the future mage to represent the Exion Empire.

But why would such a person come here?

Since he was a major figure visiting me, I too bowed my head slightly in greeting.

“Oh, my apologies. Mage Edwin.”

However, I disliked formalities.

Instead of beating around the bush, I preferred to get straight to the point.

“So, what brings you here?”

My cold response caused Lynette to pinch me in the side.

“…?”

Wait, did the maid just pinch the prince?

Has she crossed the line because we’ve mixed bodies before?

I need to scold her sharply next time.

Fortunately, Edwin didn’t seem to mind and quickly got to the point.

“Originally, I was going to follow the Crown Prince’s wishes, but it didn’t seem like proper etiquette, so I came to meet you, Prince.”

The Crown Prince’s wishes?

What does that mean?

I stayed silent, and Edwin continued explaining.

“Actually, I’ve decided to leave the royal palace. My daughter’s condition has been worsening day by day, so…”

To summarize, it was simple.

Edwin had decided to leave the royal palace to focus on treating his sick daughter.

He had informed Crown Prince Raiel, who had nominally tasked him with protecting me, telling him to focus on his daughter’s treatment and not to worry about work.

‘Unbelievable.’

This was an act of disrespect towards me.

Still, I felt positively about Edwin, who came to speak to me honestly without disregarding me.

‘Still, it’s a bit disappointing.’

Edwin was a skilled magician.

If he truly took on my protection, it would be ideal, but that was impossible.

Edwin had no interest in the prince or princess.

Knowing this, the crown prince must have assigned him to my protection in name only.

‘Tch.’

Was there any way to make Edwin my ally? It was unfortunate, but there was nothing I could do.

Since he was here, I had planned to have a few more words with him, but Edwin’s gaze was piercing through me.

After a while, he opened his mouth.

“Your Highness, have you had some kind of realization recently? Or have you been hiding your strength…? As expected, rumors can’t be trusted.”

Realization? Hiding my strength?

What was he talking about?

Edwin muttered to himself, drumming and playing some kind of imaginary instrument.

When I stayed silent, he continued.

“There’s no need to worry. I am the only one who knows that Your Highness has the potential to be a magician. And not just as a magician, but also as a knight. When you think about it, the difference between aura and mana is just a single sheet of paper.”

He said I had such talents? As a magician and a knight?

That was absolutely impossible.

It was well known that I had no talent in magic.

Royal family members undergo various tests in their childhood to manifest their talents. In those tests, nothing showed up for me, so I was labeled as useless.

‘Could he be mocking me?’

Without realizing it, I frowned, and Edwin quickly made an excuse.

“It’s okay. If His Highness doesn’t wish to speak about it, I will not mention it further. I also have no intention of speaking of this elsewhere.”

He maintained that attitude, and instead of being angry, I became curious.

What about me did he see to speak like that?

“…I’m curious about what you see in me to say such things.”

At my question, Edwin slightly smiled.

“Hah, you really didn’t know? Or… Ah, I apologize. If you truly didn’t know, then I can only explain it as having encountered some kind of fateful opportunity.”

Edwin approached me and placed his hand on me.

“Please forgive my rudeness for a moment…”

I was surprised by his sudden action, but an even more surprising event occurred.

Edwin was injecting mana into me.

The mana flowing from his hand entered my body, vibrating subtly.

“……!”

I had no talent in magic.

To say I had no talent in magic was the same as saying I couldn’t feel mana.

But what is happening now?

I could feel the mana Edwin was injecting into me.

That meant I was capable of feeling mana.

“Your Highness seems to have talent both as a knight and a magician. Seeing your surprise, it seems you’ve unknowingly encountered a fateful opportunity.”

Fateful opportunity?

Edwin said I had talent as both a knight and a magician.

Could this be a fateful opportunity where both could be obtained?

In that case, the only thing it could be was the smartphone.

But that alone didn’t explain how latent abilities were suddenly awakened.

‘Could it be…!?’

In an instant, the memory of the Skeleton Gunner flashed through my mind.

Once, the Skeleton Gunner had sacrificed the corpse of an intruder.

And I recalled that from the sacrifice, I absorbed one random ability.

‘What did it absorb back then?’

There was no need to think too deeply.

It was a simple enough trait for me to recall quickly.