Pick Me Up Infinite Gacha! Novel - Chapter 285
Pick me Up – Chapter 285 – Home (2)
Thus, we successfully overcame the obstacle of the 80th floor.
Anything and Taonier only had ten missions left to complete the final phase.
‘Normally, this is where obstacles should appear…’
The same thing happened in Niflheim.
As soon as the news spread that I had cleared the 80th floor, other high-ranking players began to pressure me.
However, everything was eerily silent. Anything didn’t even receive a congratulatory note for clearing the 80th floor. The reasons could be one of two: either Sirres had removed all potential obstacles, or most players had abandoned due to the critical state of the server.
Now I could feel it clearly.
The Pick Me Up server, which had been impeccable when I played it, was in a disastrous state.
The connection dropped at least once a day. Anything didn’t seem affected and reconnected without issues, but what about the other users?
Entering the official forum, the message boards were in complete disarray.
If it were just the server crashing, waiting for it to reconnect would suffice, but the problem was the numerous severe errors accompanying it. Heroes disappearing suddenly, items and abilities appearing and disappearing randomly. There were even reports of fragments appearing in level 10 missions and massacring heroes. With screenshots included, Moebius couldn’t deny anything.
‘How much longer can they hold out?’
According to Yurnet’s explanation, when the server collapsed, all Lobbys would plunge into chaos instantly.
The goddess acting as the server was suppressing the billions and trillions of fragments hiding in the dimensional boundary. However, her containment capacity was not perfect, and the fragments exceeding the capacity were leaking bit by bit. The massive elimination of those fragments was the grand event of Pick Me Up, known as the World Raid.
‘……’
Even knowing the truth, nothing changed.
After a brief pause, Anything continued the preparations to conquer the next level.
With Niflheim secretly providing external defense, I could focus solely on the missions, which was convenient.
From the 81st floor onward, great strength wasn’t needed.
Anything obtained information and sent an elite team on the mission.
Level 81.
[Floor 81.]
[Mission Type – Exploration]
[Objective – Explore the designated location.]
I opened my eyes.
The first thing I saw was an ash-gray sky.
Beneath it, a ruined cityscape stretched out.
The capital of the Empire, Bardia.
The level 80 mission had wreaked havoc in several places.
It seemed the missions continued to unfold in this place.
“It’s still a disaster.”
Jenna shook her head.
A look of disgust appeared on her face.
“I thought something would change after completing level 80, but it’s still the same. Isn’t it a lie that they will revive Taonier? A lot of people have died.”
“Let’s go.”
I adjusted the collar of my jacket and walked down the destroyed avenue.
Some NPCs, looking like mercenaries, were clearing the rubble from the buildings.
In the distance, people who seemed to be refugees were passing through the streets.
“Brother…”
A weak voice.
I looked to the side.
“I’m hungry… Something to eat…”
It was a girl who didn’t look more than ten years old.
She wore rags dirty with dust and ashes, pulling on my jacket with force.
“If you don’t want to die…”
“Calm down.”
I pushed Belkist aside and searched my pockets.
I pulled out a small piece of dried meat. I placed it in the girl’s dirty hand and whispered softly.
“Run away as quickly as you can.”
The girl nodded and disappeared into an alley.
Shortly after, a dozen beggars followed her.
Belkist let out a mocking laugh.
“It’s pointless.”
“It’s better than starving.”
I looked again at the imperial city.
A shattered city, filled with beggars and refugees.
Occasionally, the cries and screams of mercenaries mixed with the wails of refugees could be heard.
“It’s not a pleasant sight. I hope it’s resolved soon.”
Jenna sighed.
We passed by the mercenaries, beggars, and refugees, heading toward the city center.
Above the palace ruins, there was a tent serving as the princess army’s headquarters. At the camp’s entrance, a guard who recognized our faces let us in.
“How much food is left?”
“If distributed three times a day, it won’t last a month.”
“Reduce it to once a day. And cut the quantity in half.”
“But people will complain…”
“Tell them to wait a week. We’ll find food.”
“Understood.”
A mercenary, following Yoshu’s orders, hurried past us.
In front of the tent, a man with a thick beard, Yoshu, frowned at us. He wore leather armor and greeted us with a deep voice.
“Brother.”
“That man looks like an old…”
Jenna laughed awkwardly.
Yoshu’s thick beard reached down to his neck.
Yoshu chuckled.
“It’s embarrassing, I know. But I haven’t had time to shave. Anyway, come in.”
Yoshu opened the tent entrance.
The interior was extremely simple for its size.
There was only a large map on a table and some small chairs.
“You’ve come.”
The woman sitting in the main seat stood up.
The leader of the princess’s army, Pria. She wore simple leather clothing that didn’t match her status.
“Sit down.”
I sat in one of the chairs near the table.
Jenna and Belkist sat next to me.
“It’s quite chaotic outside.”
“We’ve decided to take in the refugees in the imperial city. We have no other choice.”
Pria sighed deeply as she looked at the map of Taonier.
Then she looked at Jenna and spoke.
“Do you know how many people died in the first invasion?”
“Uh, didn’t we stop them? There were no citizens in the imperial city.”
“Some managed to escape the city. That’s why I sent Yoshu.”
“I’m sorry. It was our fault.”
“No, you don’t have to apologize. It was impossible to handle.”
Pria smiled bitterly.
And bit her lip.
“Thirty percent of the Empire’s population died.”
“……”
“Just losing a hundred of them, millions died.”
Of course.
Common weapons and magic don’t work well against the fragments.
Moreover, they have very different characteristics from normal monsters, making them difficult to face if it’s the first time.
The images of the burning city and the massacred citizens came to my mind.
“So, what’s your plan?”
Pria closed her eyes.
“If we have the dimensional sword my brother left behind, we can face them.”
“That’s true. We can close the holes.”
“We need to gather refugees from across the country in one place. If I can’t reach them, I can’t save them. And we’ll have to defend the imperial city along with the heroes.”
I smiled bitterly.
A game of unilateral defense. Closing one hole won’t solve everything.
Over time, more and more holes will appear.
“Han, it seems you know how to deal with those things. Teach our heroes how to fight.”
“How many are there?”
“About ten thousand.”
“Ten thousand.”
Do you intend to repel the fragments with just ten thousand people?
And they’re not even heroes, they’re ordinary people. They can’t use abilities or Engravings, and their physical capabilities are much lower.
I sighed.
“I’ll do it if I have time.”
“Thank you.”
Pria placed her clasped hands on the table.
And, hesitating, she looked at Belkist, Jenna, and me.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“The next mission… could put you in danger.”
“Speak. Don’t beat around the bush.”
Yoshu looked at us disdainfully, but Belkist just laughed.
Pria hesitated for a moment before placing a transparent stone on the table.
“What is this?”
Pria tapped the stone with a finger.
Whoosh! A blue light emanated from the stone, tinting the table.
Soon, two different images appeared.
[Ping!]
[You are presented with options.]
[You can select one of the two priority missions.]
Wow.
A mission with options.
I focused on the slowly fading images.
<Kraaaa!>
The first image.
A small hill with a windmill.
Originally, that place should have been peaceful, but it was in chaos.
<I’ll kill you! Ma! Ta! Ré! Pryos!>
A huge bird with exposed bones and flesh was wreaking havoc.
Every time it flapped its wings, black blood splattered everywhere.
<How dare you… an insignificant human… how dare you, I, the ruler of the ten thousand demons…!>
“Lower the volume.”
Click.
The sound muted.
“Sternberg.”
Isn’t he dead?
Well, he’s a transcendental being.
Then, there’s no need to see the next video.
<Han.>
It was Halgion’s voice.
<It seems they are contaminated. They have no trace of reason.>
It’s clear he’s not in his right mind.
Sternberg was casting storms of magic without any pattern.
The residents had already disappeared without a trace, and the village was completely altered.
<Hehe, but it’s still an opportunity. He came on his own, saving us the trouble of looking for him.>
“Looking?”
<Han, have I ever told you about your potential? You are an exceptional vessel, comparable to our emperor. You’ve grown well. So, shouldn’t you consume the next transcendental being? If you absorb the Blue Winged King, you’ll gain infinite magical power. If you absorb the Red Winged King, you’ll get eyes that pierce through reality and illusion. In any case, there’s no loss.>
“……”
<Or, you can gain the strength needed to advance to 7 stars by eliminating those two.>
Of course.
To return to Earth, I needed to become a 7-star hero.
That means those guys must be the sacrifice.
‘It seems I have no choice.’
After all, the mission was decided by the Master.
If this hunt is part of the journey to level 90, there’s no option but to accept it.
I twirled my fingers.
[Master, Han (★★★★★★) suggests the mission ‘Hunt for Sternberg’.]
[Do you accept?]
[Yes (Select) / No]
[Ping!]
[You have selected the mission ‘Hunt for Sternberg’.]
[The field for the next mission will change automatically.]
With that, the procedure was complete.
I opened my mouth.
“These guys are causing havoc everywhere.”
“That’s right. The two are blocking the main routes to the imperial city. Because of them, the refugees are trapped and isolated. Our army is also gathering elite troops…”
“No need. I’ll eliminate them quickly.”
The images on the table disappeared.
Yoshu bowed his head toward me.
“Sorry for bothering you again. We’re not in a good situation…”
“No need to say it. It’s obvious. Jenna, Belkist, wait outside. I’ll catch up soon.”
Jenna and Belkist left.
Yoshu looked between Pria and me before bowing and leaving as well.
“……”
Silence.
There was no change in Pria.
Despite practically having killed her own brother and now knowing a future without hope.
“Are you worried about me?”
Pria spoke in a low voice.
“I’m fine. I’ve already made my decision.”
“……”
“Now there’s no turning back. I can only move forward, no matter where it leads.”
I said nothing.
I just watched Pria in silence.
“Han, I know you don’t come from Taonier.”
“From a place called Earth.”
“I can’t ask you to stay forever. I can’t ask someone from another place to stay here.”
Pria smiled.
“The promise we made, forget it. Do what you can while the mission lasts and then go back to your home. Find your own happiness there.”
“……”
“Taonier can’t be your home. It was my mistake to think that.”
Pria stood up from the chair.
And turned, heading outside.
“I’m sorry…”
With a trembling, almost inaudible voice, Pria murmured as she passed by me.
‘Home?’
I closed my eyes.