The Prince Who Absorbs Abilities With a ‘Click’

Chapter 20: Paladins Facing Earth’s Apocalypse Zombies

[The villagers, who were fleeing, witnessed a miracle. Title ‘Performer of Miracles’ has been acquired.]

[The effect of the title ‘Performer of Miracles’ grants a hidden reward.]

[Game ‘Village Construction Tycoon’ is being installed.]

[10,000 points -> 0 points]

[The app is being installed.]

“Suddenly?”

A new game was installed.

All I had done was spare people by showing mercy, without harming them.

I had redirected the zombies in another direction—who could have guessed this was a hidden Easter egg?

“Well, it’s not bad.”

Thanks to this, I acquired a title and was able to install a game worth 10,000 points.

“Village Construction Tycoon…”

It reminded me of the RollerCoaster Tycoon I played in my past life.

A game where you build rides, attract guests, and manage an amusement park with just a few clicks.

Maybe this game would also be about managing a village?

“Or perhaps it’s more similar to SimCity?”

Either way, there sure were a lot of games.

From apocalypse and dungeon themes to magical girls, and now even village building.

It was a perfect time for something new and refreshing.

‘The zombies will take a while to get there anyway, right?’

My gaze shifted to the horde of zombies beyond the screen.

They were still far from reaching the city of Balderheim—not even halfway there.

Even if the zombies sprinted day and night, it would take them several more days.

‘Until then, let’s play something else.’

It was decided.

I’d try out this newly installed game.

I closed the current “Dungeon Master” game and launched the new “Village Construction Tycoon.”

The screen changed, and a video started playing.

“Can’t skip this?”

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a skip button, so I had no choice but to watch it.

The video showed people living peacefully in a remote mountain village.

But that peace was short-lived. Soon, the village was engulfed in flames due to a monster attack.

The survivors, barely alive, left their ruined village and began heading somewhere else.

“So they’re going to build a new village from scratch?”

The video continued.

The village chief led the survivors, wandering from place to place, but they couldn’t find a suitable location.

And while heading north, they encountered an unexpected guest.

“Zombies appear here?”

The uninvited guests were zombies.

By some stroke of luck, the zombies passed them by and kept moving forward.

“Ah, could it be…”

By the time I watched that far, I finally understood.

The villagers in the video were the very people I had just spared moments ago.

“So, the game’s storyline is connected like this?”

In other words, the worlds of “Dungeon Master” and “Village Construction Tycoon” were part of the same universe.

In the video, the villagers all knelt down at what they had witnessed.

The village chief gazed at the sky, even shedding tears.

The God of the Sky watches over us!

The chief exclaimed loudly.

Then, he stood up and declared to the villagers:

This is it! The holy land given to us by the gods! We shall settle here!

With that declaration, the video ended.

“……”

What did I just watch?

To be precise, what they witnessed wasn’t a god or anything divine.

They had simply misinterpreted the sight of the zombies I controlled. It had nothing to do with any gods.

Yet they called it a miracle and decided to settle on barren land.

“No, no…not there.”

Why would they want to settle on such an empty, desolate piece of land?

Beyond the screen, the villagers were busily preparing to set up camp there.

“Sigh.”

A sigh escaped my lips.

It felt like things were getting harder and harder.

Even the magical girl Seo Jiwon hadn’t listened to me properly despite being a game character.

Because of her, I hadn’t logged into the Magical Girl Maker game for a while.

Anyway, the villagers on the screen were diligently setting up tents.

It seemed they intended to at least shield themselves from the wind temporarily.

“Hm, something should be popping up around now.”

No sooner had I spoken than text appeared on the screen.

【Nameless Village】

Level: 1

Chief: Torval (64 years old)

Population: F-grade

Facilities: F-grade

Economy: F-grade

Production: F-grade

Military: F-grade

Faith: B-grade

Culture: F-grade

Education: F-grade

[Facilities Owned]

None

[Village Special Focus]

Locked

[Technology Research]

Locked

It was an overview of the village’s current status.

It even showed the level, the chief’s name, and his age.

“Everything except faith is F?”

Of the eight metrics representing the village, seven were at the lowest grade.

Well, that made sense. The so-called village was nothing more than the tents they were putting up.

Calling this a village was generous.

I clicked on each metric, and short explanations appeared.

Population: Indicates the overall size and growth of the village. Reflects the number of residents.
Facilities: Represents the level of infrastructure in the village.
Economy: Shows the financial state and economic vitality of the village.
Production: Reflects tangible production, such as agriculture and manufacturing. Included in the economic metric.
Military: Indicates the defense and combat power of the village, reflecting the number of soldiers and the level of weapons/equipment.
Faith: Represents the villagers’ belief in their god(s).
Culture: Indicates the cultural level and diversity of the village.
Education: Represents the education level of the villagers and the available infrastructure.

No wonder the grades were so low—there were no facilities to begin with.

Still, it was too early to feel disheartened.

[Village Special Focus]: Choose the primary focus to determine the direction of the village.
[Technology Research]: Invest in unique technologies for the village.

If I could survive this initial phase, I’d have the chance to shape the village however I wanted.

The problem was how to get through this part.

“How do I make this work?”

Although it was called Village Construction Tycoon, there was literally nothing to start with. The villagers putting up tents was the entire operation.

‘At this rate, they won’t last more than a few days.’

But my worries soon dissipated.

[Villagers need homes to live in.]

[Would you like to build houses?]

“Oh! Finally!”

Now, this was what I had been waiting for.

“Of course, yes.”

The first priority was housing.

When I touched the screen, a new message appeared.

[Please choose the type of house to build.]

▶ Shabby Straw Hut – Free
▶ Sturdy Wooden House – 500 gold
▶ Premium Stone House – 3,000 gold
▶ Magic-Enhanced House – 10,000 gold

[Higher-priced houses increase residents’ happiness.]

“……?”

A familiar in-app purchase system.

“They’re really pushing micro transactions, huh?”

I was tempted to choose the free shabby straw hut out of spite, but the last line bothered me.

“Increased happiness, huh…”

Hmm…

I paused to think before spending any money.

What kind of benefits would this game bring me?

If I were being objective, the Magical Girl Maker game had been disappointing.

‘Points were scarce, and it didn’t really seem to provide any significant advantages.’

Why was I playing these games at all?

While part of it was for entertainment, the main goal was to gather points and install other apps.

From that perspective, the Magical Girl Maker was lackluster.

On the other hand, Dungeon Master was a goldmine for points.

I could earn points simply by defending the dungeon or turning people into zombies.

Likewise, Earth’s Last Days: Survivalist also had its perks. Even though points were slower to come by, Kang Ha-yoon’s offerings of items integrated with other games.

Even the zombies currently on the move were possible thanks to the zombie head Kang Ha-yoon had offered.

But what about Village Construction Tycoon?

I had no clue what made it special.

Its only apparent strength was its shared world with Dungeon Master.

“If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just turn the villagers into zombies.”

Spending money to build a village, but there’s no benefit?

From that point on, this village will turn into a zombie factory.

When money is involved, the only way to play a game is to be practical.

“Alright, let’s build a house then.”

My choice was the ‘Magic-Enhanced House.’

It was expensive, but it seemed sturdy, especially since it was magically enhanced.

I charged 20,000 gold from the funds I received from Prince Raiel.

[‘Magic-Enhanced House’ has been selected.]
[Please select a location for construction.]

There was no need to say much.

I tapped the spot next to where the villagers were standing. Instantly, houses sprang up in the designated area.

“Oh, not bad.”

The newly constructed houses were made of brick. They felt somewhat rustic, but their magical enhancement gave them a sturdy appearance and a subtle mystical aura.

The villagers beyond the screen had puzzled expressions as they looked at the scene.

“Yes, this is the power of spending money.”

And the effect of that power was immediate.

[The villagers’ faith level has increased.]
[Faith has reached S-level.]
[‘Village’s Unique Focus’ has been unlocked.]

[Village’s Unique Focus]

The Divine Has Descended!: The villagers will continue to believe in divine miracles, no matter the hardship. They cherish the divine word more than their own lives. However, if this devotion goes too far, it can lead to fanaticism.

[Would you like to name the god the villagers follow?]

By merely building a single house, the faith that was at B-level soared to S-level.

“As expected of spending money.”

At the same time, the previously locked unique focus for the village was unlocked.

“They follow a god more than their own lives, huh.”

In this game, the god they refer to was, of course, me.

After all, I built their house and saved their lives. If that doesn’t make me a god, what does?

“Of course, the god’s name has to be me.”

I didn’t hesitate to answer the question about naming the god.

[The god’s name has been set to ‘Kain.’ The name ‘Kain’ will now be engraved in the villagers’ hearts.]

The villagers, who had witnessed a divine miracle on the cold ground, were constructing tents under the orders of their chief, Torval.

Even though this place was called sacred ground, it was still a cold field.

To survive even a single night, they needed to set up tents.

Even the children joined in, helping the adults build the tents. At that moment:

Crack—

The ground trembled and split.

“Chief, what is this?!”

“Is it…an earthquake?”

From the split ground, a blue light began to rise.

The light emanating from the earth rippled like waves, becoming more intense.

“What…what is that?!”

The chief was dumbstruck.

The others stopped their work and stood still, staring at the phenomenon.

Swoosh!

The blue light formed into pillars that shot into the sky.

And at that moment, something began to emerge from the ground.

“Is that…a house?”

What rose from the ground was a brick house.

Not just any brick house—its surface glowed faintly with a blue light. Even those unfamiliar with the world could tell it was magical.

They didn’t know what kind of magic it was, but that didn’t matter.

“Ah… is this the second miracle?”

Torval, the village chief, spoke in a trembling voice.

Tears streamed down his face once again.

“The divine…the divine has blessed us with a miracle!”

Not long ago, he resented the heavens.

Why had the divine abandoned them and forced them to wander?

But the divine hadn’t abandoned them.

No, this trial was surely meant to prepare them for such miracles!

At that moment, a single name was engraved in the minds of everyone staring at the house.

“Gasp!”

Everyone uttered the name in unison.

“…Kain.”

It couldn’t have been an ordinary word.

Could a word spoken simultaneously by everyone truly be mere coincidence?

A trembling voice came from one of the elders beside him.

“C-Chief, could this be the name of the divine—”

But his words were cut off. The chief quickly covered his mouth with his hand.

“Enough.”

Torval’s gaze had changed.

“This is a miracle from the divine. We just need to follow it as it is.”

He looked up at the sky.

Moments ago, he had resented the blue sky, but not anymore.

“Our village has been chosen.”

Torval spoke with conviction.

“We must spread His name across the continent.”

Kain.

The name of the divine will resonate throughout the entire continent.

It will outshine even the emperor’s name and surpass the god worshiped by the religious orders.

That is the duty of the chosen ones.

Night had fallen but beings clad in silver armor were marching in formation.

Their identity was none other than the holy knights of the Sacred Order.

“Sir Kato, shouldn’t we take a rest soon?”

The holy knights had only one mission: to find the hero from the revelation received by Saint Irene.

However, they didn’t know exactly where the hero was.

They only faintly sensed the hero’s power somewhere in the northern region of the Exion Empire.

“No, we still have a long way to go. Let’s move a bit further.”

But Kato shook his head.

They had been marching relentlessly for three days since leaving the city of Balderheim.

Such a feat was only possible thanks to the holy knights’ exceptional stamina.

Furthermore, holy knights were not in danger even at night.

Who would dare harm the holy knights of the Sacred Order?

With the protection of the divine, what was there to fear?

Dozens of holy knights maintained their orderly ranks, advancing slowly.

Their long white capes fluttered in the wind.

It was then—

Thud, thud— Rumble—

The earth trembled faintly.

Thump— Thump—

The vibrations grew stronger.

“What is going on…?”

Kato spoke in a startled voice as he reined in his horse.

Something was approaching from the front.

‘Is it a person?’

No. If it were a person, they wouldn’t be running around in the dark like this.

Moreover, there wasn’t a single light ahead.

‘Could it be a monster…?’

It seemed the most likely possibility.

And shortly after, a massive horde revealed itself alongside heavy footfalls.

Kato’s face turned pale when he saw what approached.

“Z-Zombies! Everyone, imbue your swords with holy power!”

These creatures, with rotting and decayed flesh, were zombies.

Their numbers easily exceeded a hundred but despite their numbers, zombies were merely undead monsters.

For holy knights who wielded divine power, zombies were no different from lifeless corpses.

“Holy light, shine forth!”

Kato raised his sword and shouted.

Sacred energy radiated brilliantly, illuminating the surroundings with a silver glow.

However—

“Why…Why aren’t the zombies stopping?”

The corpses showed no reaction to the holy power.

Moreover, the zombies didn’t slow down but continued advancing toward the holy knights as if unaffected.

“E-Everyone, retreat—”

Kato’s cry was cut off.

The horde of zombies had already reached them.

The holy knights swung their swords.

Yet, the zombies kept moving even after losing their arms or heads!

“Th-They’re demons! The holy power doesn’t work!”

One knight screamed as he fell.

Then another. And another.

“Arghhh!”

Heart-wrenching screams echoed into the sky.

The earth was drenched in the blood of the holy knights.

“…Ha. Is this truly your will?”

Kato looked up at the darkened sky with a hollow laugh.

Soon, the zombies surrounded him completely.

Rotting claws clawed into the gaps of his armor.

His skin tore, and his flesh was ripped away.

The zombies’ teeth bit into Kato’s neck.

“God…!”

A final prayer escaped his lips and soon, his voice turned into a scream.

“Arrrghhhh!!!!”

Kato’s vision blurred as he screamed in agony from the pain of his flesh being torn apart.

But it was not the end of death.

Moments later—Kato’s limp corpse twitched.

At first, his fingers trembled slightly.

Then his arms moved, and finally, his entire body began to rise.

“Grrr…”

The silver armor that had once held divine energy was now defiled with blood and flesh.

And its wearer…was no longer a holy knight but something else entirely.

The ‘thing’ that had been Kato slowly raised its head.

The life in its eyes was long gone.

Only the faint energy of death flickered in its body where holy power once resided.

“Grrrah…”

It began to move with the other zombies, searching for new prey.

Caw—

A crow observed the scene from afar.

Its jet-black wings spread wide as it soared into the sky, resembling a harbinger of death.