NOVEL NEXT C2
Chapter 2: The 8th prince is in a good mood
Points were earned.
“Is this how you earn points?”
It was just 1 point, but discovering a way to earn points was significant enough.
“Should I just keep killing zombies?”
Occasionally, zombies would appear on the screen.
Each time, I tapped the screen to kill them.
As I continued to handle the zombies, there was nothing left to threaten the siblings.
In the center of the screen, the girl was still kneeling and praying.
‘They don’t give additional points, huh?’
It was a bit disappointing, but I had saved the siblings, and that was enough.
As long as they survived, I’d be able to earn points eventually.
“But do I have to keep tapping like this?”
At first, it was fun, but constantly tapping to hunt zombies?
That kind of grind wasn’t for me.
‘Surely this isn’t all there is to it?’
Fortunately, it wasn’t.
Text appeared on the screen.
[You successfully saved the survivors who were being chased by zombies!]
【Choose the next action you want to take.】
▶ Leave the survivors behind and exit the game.
▶ Offer kind words to the survivors.
▶ Sponsor the survivors.
It seemed to be a game where the direction progressed based on my choices.
“This one’s a no-brainer, isn’t it?”
The option to leave the survivors behind and quit the game was unnecessary from the start.
Offering kind words would be better, but empty words of hope can be cruel.
“The third one it is!”
I immediately selected “Sponsor the survivors.”
【You have chosen to sponsor the survivors.】
【Select what you want to sponsor them with.】
▶ Rifle – 2,000 Gold
▶ Katana – 500 Gold
▶ Awakening – 10,000 Gold
Three new options appeared.
“Gold?”
This time, it wasn’t in points but gold currency.
I tried selecting the rifle, but a message appeared saying I lacked the necessary gold.
[Insufficient gold.]
[Please recharge your gold.]
[Place coins on the device to recharge.]
“Oh.”
A game kindly showing me how to spend real money—what a masterpiece.
“This is how they lure players into spending?”
Maybe I should just stick with offering kind words?
But this was the first game I’d played in ages.
Plus, I had figured out how to earn points. It didn’t feel right to give up now just because of a little spending.
‘I am curious, though.’
What could be worth encouraging in-game purchases like this?
“Not like I have anything better to do.”
My current goal was to gather more points and install other apps.
As long as I could earn points, the investment seemed worth it.
“Let’s experiment a little.”
From the pouch the Crown Prince had given me earlier, I took out 100 gold coins. When I placed them on the device, they disappeared like melting snow.
[100 Gold has been recharged.]
“So 100 gold in real life is 100 gold in-game.”
A crazy 1-to-1 ratio of real-world currency to in-game currency.
But my advantage? I still had financial leeway.
Not to mention the 100,000 gold my brother had given me.
“Let’s start simple with 10,000 gold.”
Initially, I considered choosing the cheaper rifle, but I doubted the siblings could use it.
“If they were military-trained, maybe, but they’re still kids.”
The younger brother, let alone the sister, looked about middle school age with their youthful appearance.
They might struggle to even hold the rifle.
The katana was no better. If anything, it would be harder to use than the rifle.
And I wasn’t going to tap the screen endlessly to kill zombies myself.
I couldn’t spend 24 hours glued to my smartphone.
‘That leaves Awakening…is it like becoming a hunter?’
In my past life of intellectual pursuits, I read plenty of web novels and webtoons. I understood what Awakening could mean.
‘Awakening, huh…’
It might not be exactly what I was thinking, but given the price, it had to be worthwhile.
‘10,000 gold should be worth it.’
10,000 gold in the game was equivalent to 10,000 gold in reality.
As the Empire’s 8th Prince, receiving 5,000 gold a month, this was no small sum.
The decision didn’t take long.
I pulled out additional gold from the pouch and recharged it.
[9,900 Gold has been recharged.]
A total of 10,000 gold.
I immediately tapped the third option.
[You have chosen Awakening.]
[10,000 Gold will be consumed.]
[You sponsored the survivor with Awakening.]
Then, a white light began to radiate from the girl’s body.
[Survivor ‘Kang Ha-yoon’ has successfully Awakened!]
‘So her name is Kang Ha-yoon?’
It was a familiar Korean name.
The white light emanating from the girl’s body soon dissipated.
At first glance, nothing seemed to have changed.
Moments later, Kang Ha-yoon raised her hand and summoned a flame in her palm.
‘Oh, it’s a power similar to magic?’
In the world I live in, there are mages, too.
Naturally, I had met royal mages as a child when they tested me for magical aptitude.
I vividly remember the mage’s disappointed expression when they realized I had no talent.
“Well, at least she can live with some ability.”
In a world full of zombies, a power like that would make survival much easier.
After summoning the flame, Kang Ha-yoon looked momentarily surprised, then began praying again.
[Kang Ha-yoon offers her thanks.]
[You earned 10 points as a reward!]
“She’s polite, I’ll give her that.”
I finally began to understand the game’s objective.
It seemed the goal was to keep the survivors alive.
After finishing her prayer, the siblings stood up and began walking.
[Kang Ha-yoon and Kang Minhyuk are moving.]
‘So the younger brother’s name is Minhyuk.’
Their parents were still nowhere to be seen.
‘Well, in a world like this, surviving is a miracle in itself.’
The siblings walked for quite a while before arriving at a location.
The place was fortified with stone walls.
‘Is this some kind of shelter?’
It was fairly large for a mere shelter.
Perhaps survivors had built it to fend for themselves.
‘With the world in ruins, there’s probably no government left.’
Ha-yoon, aware of this, was likely searching for a place to stay with her brother.
As they approached, a man confronted Ha-yoon.
Simultaneously, three options appeared.
[The shelter guard seems reluctant to let Kang Ha-yoon inside.]
【Choose what Survivor Kang Ha-yoon should do next.】
▶ Search for another shelter.
▶ Reveal that she is an “Awakened” and ask for refuge at the shelter.
▶ Attack the guard.
The first choice was to either leave or stay in the shelter. Attacking the guard was not an option.
‘Doesn’t seem too dangerous.’
Living inside the shelter was the safer choice in such circumstances.
‘Let’s try staying for now. If it’s bad, we can leave later.’
I selected the second option.
After making the choice, Ha-yoon revealed her flame to the guard.
The guard, startled, bowed his head to Kang Ha-yoon.
‘Looks like choosing Awakening was the right call.’
It seemed Awakened individuals were given preferential treatment in this setting.
Shortly after, the guard began escorting Ha-yoon and Minhyuk into the shelter.
[Kang Ha-yoon and Kang Minhyuk entered the shelter.]
[You have earned 5 points as a reward!]
‘Nice!’
When the siblings entered the shelter, points were awarded.
Only then could the tension ease.
‘It’s a shelter, so they should be safe for now.’
The constant worry of zombies appearing at any moment was finally over, and now it seemed possible to relax.
‘It’s a relief they have a place to stay.’
Thanks to the siblings, I even earned some extra points.
‘At this rate, I’ll be able to install the other apps quickly!’
Of course, this was only true as long as points continued to accumulate smoothly, but it didn’t seem like a bad strategy.
‘I’ve awakened them, so they shouldn’t die so easily.’
Hoping the 10,000 gold investment would prove worthwhile, I kept watching the screen.
‘Please, let them earn lots of points.’
In a year, I was destined to be sent to the northern city.
Until then, my goal was to install as many apps as possible.
Although the world had perished, the sky was still unnecessarily blue.
And then, a miracle occurred.
The zombies advancing toward her suddenly exploded one by one.
The miracle didn’t end there.
Letters appeared before Ha-yoon’s eyes.
[The ‘Nameless God’ has taken an interest in you.]
[The ‘Nameless God’ grants you power.]
‘Nameless God?’
Under the blue sky, Kang Ha-yoon stared blankly at the words.
Before she could fully grasp their meaning, her body began to emit a dazzling light that exploded outward.
“N-Noona! Are you okay?”
Her startled brother cried out beside her, but Ha-yoon smiled gently.
“Yes, I’m fine. Let’s rest a little more before we continue, okay?”
“Okay!”
She felt fine.
In fact, she felt overflowing with energy.
The rapid breathing and racing heartbeat from moments before had stabilized.
Ha-yoon instinctively understood what had happened.
‘Could it be… I’ve awakened?’
Awakening.
It was a superhuman power granted to humanity.
With zombies constantly evolving and growing stronger, how had humanity managed to survive for three years?
It was thanks to the existence of awakened individuals.
The power of awakened people prolonged humanity’s survival.
Now, any awakened person was welcomed wherever they went.
The only problem was that the probability of awakening was extremely low.
‘I never thought I’d awaken…’
It had always been Ha-yoon’s dream.
If she could awaken, she wouldn’t have to live so harshly anymore.
‘A miracle…’
It truly felt like a miracle.
But it was too soon to celebrate.
Awakened individuals possessed various abilities. Some were highly sought after, while others were less desirable.
Although she had awakened, it was necessary to confirm what kind of ability she had gained.
She wasn’t sure how to figure it out, though.
Ha-yoon clenched her hand without much thought.
Warm energy gathered in the center of her palm, accompanied by a tickling sensation.
Soon, a red flame began to dance atop her palm, responding to her will.
Ha-yoon’s heart raced at the unfamiliar sensation.
“Wow! Noona, there’s fire on your hand!”
Her younger brother exclaimed in amazement, and Ha-yoon, too, gazed at it in awe.
The flame burning atop her palm wasn’t hot. Instead, it felt as gentle and warm as sunlight in spring.
‘Fire…’
Although it was a small flame for now, if she could grow its size, its potential applications would be limitless.
“…”
However, she had only just awakened.
Feeling a slight dizziness, she quickly clenched her fist, dispersing the flame.
This was enough for now.
With this power, she and her brother could survive.
As an awakened person, she would undoubtedly be welcomed at any shelter.
She looked up at the blue sky once more.
Then, she silently offered a prayer.
‘Thank you, Nameless God.’
She remembered the phrase that had appeared during her awakening.
It was clear that the Nameless God had granted her this power.
And surely, it was the same god who had saved her from the swarm of zombies.
‘I will definitely repay you.’
Her once-bleak future now seemed bright.
With the Nameless God watching over her, what was there to fear?
‘Yes, let’s move forward with courage!’
After finishing her prayer of gratitude, Ha-yoon grabbed her brother’s hand and stood up.
“Shall we get going again now that we’re rested?”
“Yes, Noona!”
The surrounding streets were quiet.
But since there was no telling when zombies might return, they needed to hurry.
Even though she had awakened, her ability to control her power was still severely lacking.
For now, reaching a safe place was the priority.
After walking for some time, a shelter came into view at the end of the quiet street.
Its solid stone walls gave it the appearance of a small fortress.
Compared to the flimsy wooden barricade they had lived behind before, this place was on a completely different level.
‘This place won’t be breached easily…’
Ha-yoon and her brother approached the shelter.
“Stop right there!”
A rough voice rang out, and a shotgun poked out from an iron watchtower.
It seemed to belong to a guard.
The man descended a staircase and blocked their path.
Dressed in worn military fatigues, his sharp gaze scrutinized them.
“Are your parents not with you?”
His tone softened slightly upon seeing the young siblings.
He glanced briefly at Min-hyuk, who clung tightly to Ha-yoon’s hand, and clicked his tongue.
“If it’s just the two of you, we can’t let you in.”
Ha-yoon understood what he meant.
He was saying that they wouldn’t accept anyone who would consume resources without contributing.
A teenage girl and a little boy—anyone could see they’d be burdensome.
“Sorry, not even for one night. Food supplies are running low these days…”
Although his voice carried a note of pity, his grip on the shotgun didn’t waver.
This was a world where survival no longer allowed for sympathy.
A cruel world where even children couldn’t be shown mercy.
A normal girl might have turned back, but Ha-yoon wasn’t just an ordinary girl anymore.
She was awakened.
By revealing her status as an awakened person, the treatment she received would change.
Still, she hesitated.
‘Is it the right move to reveal my power here?’
As she deliberated, letters appeared before her eyes.
[The ‘Nameless God’ tells you to show your power.]
‘…God.’
The Nameless God had spoken.
It seemed the god wanted her to stay here.
This was undoubtedly a revelation.
‘If it’s God’s will…!’
Ha-yoon tightened her grip on her brother’s hand.
If this was the guidance of the god, it was right to follow it.
“Excuse me, sir.”
Ha-yoon boldly extended her palm.
A crimson flame blossomed above it.
Beautiful yet emanating a threatening aura, the man’s face instantly turned pale.
“This, this is…!”
The hand holding the gun began to tremble violently.
“A-An Awakened!”
He hurriedly bowed his head in a panic.
In a ruined world, an Awakened was akin to the apex predator.
Age was no exception.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize you were an Awakened, and I was so disrespectful…!”
The man repeatedly apologized as he opened the shelter’s heavy iron gate.
“I’ll guide you personally. Please, this way.”
Following his lead, Ha-yoon stepped into the shelter with her younger brother.
For her only family, her brother, and to repay the Nameless God, she resolved to do her very best.