Reincarnated in the Royal Family with a Plunder System-Chapter 29: Choice.

What should he do?

The young boy looked at Ryan’s conflicted expression with confusion. No matter what, the weird expression made him inwardly panic. No matter what, a trapped animal will feel the danger at some point, and he was exactly that—a trapped animal.

"Princess Seraphina," he said hesitantly. "May I ask why I was called here?"

Seraphina smiled. "For nothing. Just wait, Ryan will tell you."

Ryan took a deep breath.

It was time for a choice. But...

Humanity or Strength?

Were those two things mutually exclusive?

Did one have to become a villain to gain true strength?

Seraphina acted as if having no morales was a necessity to become someone strong. As if morality was a great weakness to shed away. But was it truly like that? What would strength amount to if he had no human heart beneath the layers of swords and armor?

"Miguel," Ryan said. "I have something to ask you."

"What is it, prince Ryan?"

Ryan rubbed his cheek. "What would you feel if I was a Plunder Sucker and plundered your Inner Authority skill?"

"...Eh, that is a weird question."

"Just answer me."

"Well, if that was the case... I think I would feel sad? Angry? Frustrated?"

"What would you trade this skill for?"

"..."

Even Miguel noticed that the questions were weird. At the same time, he had a feeling that he could not answer these questions lightly. After a moment of thought, he bowed to Ryan.

"No matter what there is in this world, some things are more important to people than other things. I do not know why the prince is asking about the skill, but for me, that skill is the same as my own face, it is part of my identity."

Ryan nodded, looking at his own hand. "So you won’t sell it for anything?"

"I... think so."

Seraphina opened her mouth. "What if I helped you retire your father from his duties with a lifelong monthly salary? No, add your own retirement to the mix. Think of it, a 15 year old who retired with lifelong salary from a royal position—that is quite something, if you ask me."

Miguel’s expression tightened.

Then, he took a deep breath. He became very confused, hesitant.

His whole life... he had been primed to become a great butler. This retirement offer would directly make him reach the final goal of his life on his 15th birth year. With that offered, did he even have to question it?

"Do you truly want to be a butler all your life?" Seraphina asked. "I am not looking down on butlers, in fact, I am very respectful of your father. But is being a top tier butler his dream or your dream? Are you truly willing to spend the rest of your life in this palace?

"Are you truly willing to live as the servant of some naive, lazy prince all your life?"

Miguel clenched his hands.

Seraphina placed a hand on his shoulder. "There is a whole world out there. Mugen is vast, humans are but a small, tiny part of it.

"And us Royalty are even smaller than the humans. Choose now, Ryan over here truly has the Plunder Sucker class. If you let him plunder your skill, I will do what I promised and will retire you and your father early."

Miguel trembled. So his conjuncture had indeed been true—this truly was not a joke. The Useless Prince, the invisible one among al princes, Ryan Armedius had one of the most legendary classes known to man.

"Princess, are you going to silence me?" he asked in fear.

Ryan might not have truly known the implication of it all, but Miguel saw it all. He felt his heart tighten.

He was in Seraphina’s personal gym, out of anyone’s sight, and with Seraphina here—he was like meat on chopping board. He was weak.

"Don’t worry," Ryan said. "We have a memory potion. Whether you agree or disagree, we will just feed it to you and then throw you out of this gym."

Miguel looked at Seraphina, and when she nodded, he immediately breathed out a big sigh of relief.

Then, he clenched his hand one final time.

No one liked losing their own potential.

"What do I have to do?" he asked.

"Just give the prince your hand," Seraphina said with a smile.

Miguel hesitantly gave Ryan his hand.

Ryan took it firmly. He had noticed how simply Seraphina had made the prince change his mind. And deep down, he was satisfied with this way of doing things. Now, even when Miguel ends up without skills, his life would still be full of hope.

At least, he wouldn’t become like those poor main characters from cultivation novels. Getting his talent stolen, becoming a piece of trash, and being looked down upon by everyone who used to care for him.

Ryan was now just happy to get a new skill.

1 minute. 2 minutes. 3 minutes.

The strained touch lasted for exactly three minutes before a deep darkness opened up within Ryan. The moment it opened, Miguel fell to his knees—his face instantly becoming sweat-soaked.

"Ah..."

Ryan felt something profound leave the youth’s body and enter his own. Immediately, his body felt more solid, his mana flow also became instinctive to his mind. Until now, it had been a wild river, but now, he had suddenly gained the power to build bridges and damns.

[Inner Authority Lv. 1 has been plundered]

[This skill allows its user to control their own physical strength or mana while they are below 100 stat points with needle precision. Use of this skill reduces mana cost of all skills by 10% and increases physical strength by 50%]

[Mana Cost: 0]

[Skill Plunder going into cool down for the next 10 hours]

Ryan smiled at Miguel. "Don’t worry, we won’t go back on our words."

Miguel stared at Ryan, sweat-soaked, breathing heavily.

Seraphina asked, "What do you feel now? Fear? Weakness? What do you see in Ryan? Do you feel like fighting him?"

Miguel said with utter terror. "His presence was like standing at the mouth of the underworld—calm, cold, and inevitable. You don’t fight someone like that. You pray that when you are looking at the abyss, it is not looking back at you."

Then, he simply kneeled.

Seraphina’s brows quivered.

Miguel begged. "Please make me... forget this face of you, Your Highness."

Ryan looked at Seraphina.

Seraphina sighed. "Goody two shoes." Then, she threw him a red vial.

He handed it over to Miguel.

The youth drank it without hesitation. His eyes became blank.

"Now leave this gym, forget everything that happened here."

Ryan then watched as Miguel walked out of the gym and the gym door closed back up. He clenched his hand around his chest.

A person had lost his memories just like that. What was this? freeweɓnøvel.com

Miguel would not know that he had lived a moment in life that never happened.

What if all of us had such memories that we experienced, which were either the greatest or most terrible memories of our life, which we forgot?

Wouldn’t it be like those things never happened?

A smile slowly stretched across Ryan’s face.

What was this feeling of great victory?

Then, he walked towards the weights in the middle of the room.

He breathed out.

Passive Skill—Inner Authority.

50% physical strength boost.

An aura of cold dominance rose from his body—an aura so utterly terrifying that even Seraphina felt a slight sensation of looking at something beyond dangerous.

Apex Predator!

50% physical strength boost!

He gripped the bar with one hand.

Nothing.

Then the veins on his forearm burst into life—like snakes writhing beneath skin stretched too tight.

He gritted his teeth, eyes flashing.

He pulled.

The weight shuddered.

It was like trying to lift a mountain with a single arm—but the mountain moved.

The weight slowly lifted from the ground, veins stretching all over Ryan’s single arm.

"Gh!"

With gritted teeth, he lifted the single arm on top of him.

The weight floated above him like a mountain.

For now, his hand was stronger than the weight it had to hold.

His muscles bulged. His veins arced throughout him. His dark eyes glinted.

His body felt so at ease.

Then—

He felt it—like the world had suddenly remembered gravity’s full cruelty. Like the bar was trying to crush not just his muscles, but his soul. His Physical Stat, with the boost from his skills, was no longer 21, but 42 points. He was stronger, but that also meant that his maximum lift was also much higher.

The bar became heavier according to the person.

It became much, much heavier.

"Ryan," Seraphina said sharply, "The weight’s increasing. Put it down!"

But he didn’t hear her.

His world narrowed to the bar.

And he added his second hand.

And then—

He roared.

He was tired of stopping whenever the world became heavier. He was tired of giving up when things became harder.

The bar surged overhead.

To choose between humanity and strength?

No.

He wanted both.

Wasn’t that why he chose the Plunder Sucker class in the first place?

To no longer be limited by choice. To have it all.

For one perfect, violent second, Ryan stood beneath 210 kilograms of defiance.

A boy no longer.

Then—

BOOM.

The weights hit the floor like thunder made solid.

Ryan dropped to his knees, gasping, the shock still ringing through his bones. His entire frame screamed in protest. Pain licked through his spine like fire. But in his chest, his heart pounded like a war anthem.

Seraphina approached calmly. She extended a hand.

He took the soft hand, but instead of standing up, he gave a sharp tug, trying to pull her into his arms.

She didn’t move an inch.

"You’re too weak for that," she said with a smirk, effortlessly steady.

He grinned up at her, the ache in his muscles contrasting with the fire in his chest. "For now."

She raised a brow but said nothing.