In A Fantasy World I Can Absorbs Abilities

Once the soldiers had vacated the room, Michael turned to Miaomiao and spoke.

"Miaomiao, as a member of the wise Sphinx clan, you should know much about the abilities granted by the Outer Gods. The old woman who infiltrated tonight was the High Shaman of the Rock Bear Tribe. After executing her, I attempted to resurrect her—but it didn't work. However, my ability to absorb powers functioned without issue. Why do you think that is? Is there some kind of limitation on the ability?"

Miaomiao pondered the question for a moment, her eyes gleaming with wisdom before she finally spoke.

[To be honest, I always thought your ability lacked proper restrictions. The power to resurrect should not be so absolute. Typically, such abilities are constrained when the deceased harbors deep resentment or unfulfilled grudges toward the one trying to bring them back.]

It made sense.
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Until now, none of the people Michael had resurrected bore any ill will toward him.

Leonardo had accepted his fate willingly, and Ispher had done the same. As for the ones he had revived from graves, they had never even encountered him in life.

Now it was clear. Babaru had died with immense hatred and resentment toward him for killing her only granddaughter, Kalina. That was why the resurrection had failed.

[Additionally, those who pass away without lingering attachments often refuse to return, even when the power of resurrection reaches them,] Miaomiao added.

Michael nodded.

That meant there were two clear conditions for resurrection.

The first was that the deceased must not bear strong resentment toward the one attempting to bring them back. Since Babaru had died cursing Michael, the power had not taken effect.

This also meant that if he had attempted to resurrect Lincoln, it might have failed as well. Back then, he had only used his ability to absorb powers, so he hadn't been aware of these conditions.

The second condition was that the deceased had to possess the will to live again.

Babaru, having lost her granddaughter, had no desire to return to a world without her.

All those Michael had revived so far had harbored a strong yearning to continue living.

Even Ispher, he later learned, had been desperately searching for his origins before his death.

Understanding why Babaru's resurrection had failed, Michael felt at ease.

From now on, when faced with such cases, he would simply use his power absorption ability instead.

He had grown reliant on the convenience of resurrecting the dead, but sometimes, it seemed, there were limits even to his powers.

Their discussion was abruptly cut short as commotion erupted downstairs.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed up the stairwell—Crown Prince Randolph and the King himself were approaching, accompanied by their men.

A moment later, Ispher, who had remained in the banquet hall to gather information, arrived first.

Kneeling before Michael, his face pale, he spoke in a grave tone.

"I have failed as your guard. To think that you suffered such an ordeal in my absence—I have no excuse."

Michael helped Ispher to his feet, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"There's no need for such words. You were only following my orders, so don't let this weigh on you. Now, before others notice, return to the shadows."

Though Ispher had not entirely erased the somber expression from his face, he silently disappeared into the darkness.

At that moment, Crown Prince Randolph appeared at the top of the staircase.

"What in the world has happened here? Count Michael, this is a grave matter indeed! Some vile scoundrel dared to target my most valued commander?"

Behind him stood Dominic, Michael's father, his face tight with concern. However, upon confirming his son's safety, he visibly relaxed.

"The intruder has already been dealt with, and the beast accompanying them has been captured. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness," Michael said, addressing Crown Prince Randolph.

Randolph's expression of deep concern as he looked at Michael made his head ache. He was well aware of the prince's intent to get closer to him and wished to avoid further proximity.

The soldiers of the Crassus family, who had followed Dominic, appeared pleased to see the crown prince paying such close attention to their lord. However, Dominic's face was far from cheerful, as he fully understood the burden weighing on his son.

Randolph glanced at the ruined bedroom and offered a suggestion. "You won't be able to rest comfortably in this state. Why not move to the room next to mine? There's something I've been meaning to discuss with you. For tonight, get some rest, and come to my quarters for breakfast tomorrow morning."

Although Randolph's concern and invitation were unnecessary, Michael felt compelled to express his gratitude, even if the gesture was unwelcome.

"I gratefully accept your invitation, Your Highness."

Pleased with himself, Randolph slowly gathered his belongings, bidding Michael to rest before disappearing from sight.

Behind him stood the anxious captain of the Elonia guard, clearly worried about being reprimanded for the breach. Bowing repeatedly, the captain began to apologize profusely.

"My deepest apologies for this incident. I assure you, we will tighten our security measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. Please forgive us."

Michael raised his hand to stop him. "It's impossible to stop every determined intruder. Don't dwell on it too much. Instead, ensure that the security around the crown prince and princesses is reinforced. Given their importance, their quarters must be secured."

In truth, the royal family's lodgings were likely far better guarded than Michael's, but even that wouldn't have mattered against an attack by a grand shaman like today. If anything, had the intruder targeted the prince or princesses, their mission might have been successful.

After offering lengthy apologies and leaving several subordinates to assist with clearing the room, the captain finally withdrew, leaving Michael in a rare moment of quiet.

Ordering the soldiers to gather his belongings, Michael turned to his father with a faint smile. Dominic, still visibly tense, spoke with concern.

"Are you truly unharmed? What happened here? Was there really a beast involved, as well as this intruder?"