Crown Prince Sells Medicine
Chapter 30

‘…What?’ 

Raciel’s eyes widened, taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. He had been contemplating how to obtain the round needles, but now it seemed that accumulated HP could provide a solution to his dilemma.

‘What’s this good idea they’re talking about?’ he pondered internally, seeking an answer. Before long, a response echoed within him.

[Heart: Don’t you remember? You received a guide on where to use the HP.]

[Lungs: Huff… Let’s open the Book of Memories… Huff… it’s making me dizzy… You guys don’t smoke like this…]

[Spleen: If you can’t remember in 3 seconds, I won’t hesitate to open my pyloric sphincter, lol.]

“…Skills, or Phantom Beasts?” Raciel mused as he listened to his talking organs. The memory resurfaced, recalling the day he first awoke in this world and heard a message lingering in his ears.

At that time, he was still half-asleep and disoriented, dismissing the message without much thought. However, it now appeared that it was a guiding message on how to utilize HP.

Raciel revisited the contents of that message.

[Heart: Correct, lol.]

[Lungs: Applause.]

[Spleen: …What a waste.]

“……”

The organ’s messages concluded there, with no further response when he attempted to communicate with them.

Raciel opened the system window, contemplating his next move. 

‘Let’s see. They were saying the answer lies in skills and summoning Phantom Beasts. Could the problem be solved if I develop acupuncture skills?’ 

The possibility seemed plausible.

‘Just like it was with Medical Billing.’ 

Skills held more significance than he initially realized. They possessed remarkable functions beyond simply receiving monetary compensation for treatments.

‘Thanks to it, I was able to gain extra life. Perhaps acupuncture could provide a similar benefit. A powerful function that I can’t even fathom right now might offer crucial assistance in resolving the problem.’

He proceeded to search the skill list.

Ding-dong!

<Available Skill List>

[1. Acupuncture]

[2. Moxibustion]

[3. Cupping]

[4. Herbal Medicine Preparation]

[5. Herb Recognition]

[6. Herb Search]

[7. Tincture Brewing]

The skills he had already unlocked—Palpation, Medical Billing, Asrahan Core Technique—were excluded from the list. Without hesitation, he made his decision.

“Acupuncture skill.”

Ding-dong!

[You have selected No. 1. Acupuncture.]

[Skill Development (2nd round) Cost: 1,500 HP]

[Current HP: 500]

[You do not meet the requirements for skill development.]

[Insufficient HP.]

“……”

His request was abruptly denied.

Raciel steadied his shaken mindset and activated his cerebral cortex, seeking a breakthrough. 

‘I’ve been saving up HP, but it’s nowhere near enough. What should I do then?’ 

Developing any skill required 1,500 HP, and he couldn’t immediately come up with a groundbreaking method to acquire more HP.

‘Could the answer lie in selecting Phantom Beasts?‘ 

He directed his attention to the “Phantom Beasts” tab next to the skill window, awaiting an immediate response.

Ding-dong!

[You have selected the option for “Phantom Beasts Selection Draw.”]

[You can invest a certain amount of HP to draw a Phantom Beast.]

[Strong and unique Phantom Beasts will exhibit unwavering loyalty to their summoner and provide various abilities.]

[Cost for the first draw: 300 HP]

[Current HP: 500]

[Do you wish to proceed with the Phantom Beasts Selection Draw?]

[YES / NO]

“Hmm,” Raciel contemplated, staring at the message.

It was undoubtedly a low cost.

Could it be because it was his first draw? The idea of possessing a powerful Phantom Beast for just 300 HP was enticing.

‘And as the Heart mentioned earlier. There’s a way to ‘immediately’ use HP. Since unlocking skills is currently impossible due to insufficient HP, maybe the solution they recommended is this Phantom Beast draw.’ 

Such an inference naturally crossed his mind.

Raciel glanced around.

‘Gardin must be asleep, right?’

After the afternoon struggle caused by administering acupuncture to Sergio, he had spent the entire evening lost in thought.

By now, it was late at night, and Gardin had retired to his room long ago. The only person likely to be awake nearby would be the guard stationed at the bedroom door.

‘As long as I don’t make too much noise, it should be fine.’ 

Raciel reassured himself.

He looked back at the message window, determination in his eyes.

With resolve, he selected “YES.”

[Proceeding with the Phantom Beast Selection Draw.]

Along with the prompt, 300 HP was consumed. Simultaneously, a holographic-like guidance text materialized in the air.

Pa-ah…!

[Please specify the desired function for the Phantom Beast before the selection draw.]

[The Phantom Beast candidates presented in the draw will be tailored to the desired function.]

‘A function?’

There was no need to contemplate it for long.

‘A Phantom Beast capable of reliably providing a large quantity of Round Needles without being constrained by location or time,’ he immediately decided.

Almost instantly,

[Your requirements have been registered.]

Whooa!

The guidance was enveloped in a radiant light that transformed into three card-like forms. They appeared in a left, center, and right arrangement, each bearing brief phrases.

<Candidate 1: Oink Buzzer>

<Candidate 2: Steel Excreter>

<Candidate 3: Pooping Cactus>

“…”

What on earth were these?

Raciel furrowed his brow as he read the phrases inscribed on each card.

‘It seems like a riddle,’ he concluded at that moment.

[You have been presented with three candidates from the Phantom Beast Selection Draw system.]

[The three candidates reflect 100%, 50%, and 0% of your requirements respectively.]

[The choice is yours.]

[Once a Phantom Beast is chosen, it cannot be exchanged, returned, or refunded. Please choose carefully.]

The message that appeared was crystal clear.

“Huh. One of the three is a jackpot, one is a half-pot, and the other is a flop,” Raciel muttered to himself. However, the problem lay in identifying which candidate fell into each category.

What if he had bad luck? What if he ended up selecting the flop? It could mean acquiring a Phantom Beast that didn’t align with his requirements at all, which would be disastrous.

“……”

So, which one should he choose? Raciel crossed his arms, fixing his gaze upon the three cards.

“Oink Buzzer, Steel Excreter, Pooping Cactus…”

What could they possibly represent?

What kinds of Phantom Beasts were concealed behind these phrases?

He engaged in deduction, guesswork, and contemplation. This was a decision that could only be made once. In order to make the best choice, he endeavored to calm his mind as much as possible.

And thanks to that, the door to ideas gradually swung open. He began to discern the meaning behind the riddles inscribed on the cards.

‘First of all, the one I can somewhat deduce is Oink Buzzer. It’s either a bee that likes honey or a pig.’

If it were a bee…

It would possess a stinger that he could potentially employ for acupuncture.

“Especially if it provides bee venom, it would be ideal.”

Yet, Raciel shook his head.

‘But if it’s a bee, it could pose problems. Even if it provides a stinger, a bee’s sting is single-use. Furthermore, a venomous sting would be painful.’

However, he needed a substantial quantity of Round Needles that met certain standards and caused minimal discomfort.

‘So, it’s not a suitable option. Even if it’s not a bee but a pig, it’s still unsuitable.’

Raciel diverted his attention from the first candidate, the ‘Oink Buzzer’ card. His gaze shifted to the second candidate, the ‘Steel Excreter’.

‘I have no clue what that could be.’

Does it excrete steel instead of feces? What if the steel is incredibly thin? What if it maintains a specific thickness as it is expelled? Then, he could produce a plethora of Round Needles.

However, Raciel once again shook his head.

‘It’s too uncertain. Choosing that would be a gamble.’

Finally, his gaze landed on the third card.

‘Pooping Cactus.’

Could it be a plant? Is it literally a cactus that excretes? Or is it an animal that resembles a cactus?

‘Either way, both possibilities seem to fulfill the conditions I desire.’

Cacti possess numerous spines. If he could utilize them, they could serve as Round Needles. Even if it were an animal reminiscent of a cactus, it would yield similar outcomes.

“Alright.”

Raciel made up his mind.

He extended his hand towards the third card.

“This is my choice,” Raciel declared confidently.

Ding dong!

[You have chosen Candidate 3: <The Pooping Cactus>.]

A message materialized before him.

Simultaneously, the third card began to emit a brilliant glow.

Woosh!

The other two cards vanished into thin air, leaving only the radiant third card. The glow intensified, and the card flipped over, revealing an engraved black silhouette on its back.

The silhouette took the form of a round, ball-like shape. Upon closer inspection, it was covered in numerous needle-like spines. Tiny legs were visible at the bottom. Gradually, the card’s glow extended into the silhouette.

Crack! Snap!

Sparks crackled from the card.

The silhouette began to wriggle.

It was as if a magic circle was activating or the birth of a new entity was being announced. Finally, something burst forth from the card.

Boom!

A powerful shockwave erupted, propelling a lump toward Raciel.

“Koko!”

“Eh?”

The lump, slightly larger than a tennis ball, hurtled towards him. Instinctively, Raciel caught it with both hands.

In that moment, Raciel was taken aback.

“Ouch!”

His palms stung, as if pricked by dozens of needles. However, Raciel maintained a firm grip on the lump.

‘It’s a Phantom Beast!’

He had invested a substantial 300 HP to draw it. Failing to catch it properly would have made for an unfavorable first encounter from the creature’s perspective.

‘That would be problematic! I need to make full use of it in the future!’

First impressions were crucial. Establishing a positive relationship from the outset would facilitate smoother interactions going forward.

With this wisdom in mind (?), Raciel cradled the lump delicately, treating it as if it were a hot sweet potato. He carefully examined its appearance.

The creature possessed spines as sharp as pine needles, short limbs on a squat body, and plump, firm buttocks.

“So, this is…A hedgehog?”

“Koko!”

In response to his murmured question, the creature blinked its small black eyes and emitted a chirping sound. It then rummaged through the folds of its plump belly, retrieving a tiny piece of paper.

“Koko! Kooo!”

“…Are you giving this to me?”

“Koko!”

The creature nodded its tiny head.

Raciel accepted the note and unfolded it.

Under the flickering candlelight, he strained his eyes to read the minuscule writing on the note.

‘It’s too small to read…’

Just as he squinted, attempting to decipher the text…

Ding dong!

The note’s contents appeared as a message in front of him. It served as a guidebook, providing detailed specifications and skills of the Phantom Beast he had just drawn. As he perused the contents, Raciel couldn’t help but clench his fist.

An overwhelming sense of joy enveloped him.

The decision he had made today.

The Phantom Beast he had drawn.

It was an absolute jackpot.