Pick Me Up Infinite Gacha! Novel - Chapter 289
Pick me Up – Chapter 289 – Another Ending (4)
The Sword of Taonier swiftly entered the dark tunnel.
Like a golden blade.
Thousands, tens of thousands of fragments were swallowed by the wave of light and disappeared.
However, for each one that vanished, more emerged from somewhere, and in the impenetrable darkness, the battle continued.
«Kiak! Kiaaaak!»
Though they resembled Goblins, they were not.
Their black skin was covered with grotesquely swollen masses of flesh.
They were several times faster and stronger than normal monsters. If not killed in a single blow, they continuously regenerated. The fragments sometimes transformed into Goblins, other times into Orcs, Lizardmen, or even Ogres, invading the deck.
«Huff, huff!»
A mercenary fell to the ground, spreading blood.
He had a blade stuck in his right chest. It was a fatal wound. The mercenary died with empty eyes. Around him lay the bodies of other mercenaries in similar conditions.
‘In this place, even the system struggles to intervene.’
It was impossible to know how many there were or what type they were.
Without Pria’s light, we wouldn’t be able to see even what was right in front of us.
Chiiis!
With the power of the Black Dragon’s Blood, I shredded and tore apart hundreds of monsters, but the attacks showed no signs of stopping.
Though I wanted to use high-power techniques, I had to restrain myself to avoid damaging the airship. Jenna, Belkist, and I continued to fight, covered in monster blood.
«Huff, Princess! Here… there’s nothing here…!»
A mercenary with three arrows stuck in his back crawled across the deck.
«There’s… no hope…»
Crash!
The mercenary’s head split in two and rolled to the ground.
In front of him, a Ratman twirled its dagger.
«Kiarararara!»
Bang!
The Ratman was immediately destroyed by an arrow from Jenna.
The deck of the airship was covered in corpses and blood.
«…»
Pria lifted her dimensional sword with a hardened face.
The golden light rippled in front of the bow, clearing a path.
A high-ranking mercenary ran towards Pria.
«How far do we have to go, Princess?! Answer me! If we keep going like this, we’ll be annihilated! Are you leading us to our deaths?»
«I’m sorry…»
«If it was going to be like this, we shouldn’t have come from the beginning! We trusted you! Damn it, damn it!»
The mercenary shouted desperately and jumped overboard.
It was suicide.
‘How many are left?’
The number of NPCs had noticeably decreased.
I never thought the mercenaries would be of much help.
What was important was whether the reinforcement group in the Lobby would take action. Anything, who had been kicked out of the server, showed no signs of reconnecting for almost an hour.
‘Three people aren’t enough.’
If the field were at least wide, I could unleash all my power.
But in this limited space, only close combat was possible.
«Urgh!»
Drip.
Black blood flowed from Pria’s mouth.
«Pria! Lower the power!»
«No… if we stop here… we’ll be devoured immediately.»
Flash!
The dimensional sword emitted a brilliant flash, but the light faded within seconds.
There was no way to know how much further to the end.
«Is it the end?»
Jenna lowered her bow.
‘I actually know already.’
It’s the end.
No matter what option is chosen, Taonier will not regenerate.
Priacis al Ragnar, the protagonist of Taonier, will die here.
Just as Dorado perished despite El Cid’s efforts, this was an inevitable fate from the beginning.
‘A suicidal charge.’
That’s how Belkist described it in his plan.
He was right. Inside the hole, there were only an infinite number of fragments.
There was no strategy to overcome this situation. The only difference from staying in orbit was that this was the end of the world, one single thing. Other than that, the result did not change.
«Even so…»
Crack.
I clenched my teeth.
My mind accepted it. I had understood it several times.
I accepted and understood that Taonier was over.
«Not yet!»
Bang!
I struck with my sword.
Several monster fragments scattered.
‘There must be a leader.’
There has to be one.
If these monsters came to end Mobius, there must be an entity directing them.
Somewhere, somewhere…
「…….」
At that moment.
A huge ‘eye’ appeared.
[亞&512構[email protected]ⓟ1∀ Lv.???]
In the deepest darkness.
It was looking at me.
‘What is this?’
[亞&512構[email protected]ⓟ1∀ Lv.999999999999999999999999……]
‘This guy…’
I felt it instinctively.
Even Tel, the representative of Mobius, and transcendent entities like Halgion or Asynis were mere insects compared to this being.
‘Are you the leader?’
No, it can’t be.
Even this monster is just a subordinate.
The real leader is beyond the confines of the universe.
「…….」
The eye curved slightly.
Just by looking at it.
Bang!
The Sword of Taonier lost all its light.
<We’re falling, we’re falling!>
The pilot announced desperately.
The airship, hit by an unknown attack, began to spiral down.
«What is this?! Why is this happening?»
«Didn’t you see that bastard?»
Jenna looked at me with wide eyes.
Could it be that only I saw it?
«Anyway, hold on tight!»
The shattered Sword of Taonier was falling towards an unknown place.
‘Pria?’
With a single blink of that eye, the dimensional sword disintegrated.
I looked towards the bow. Pria was standing, with the broken sword in her hand, in a state of shock.
«…»
Her golden eyes looked at me.
And then…
Crash!
The Sword of Taonier broke into pieces.
«Aaahhh!»
The pilot’s body fell and was torn apart.
The mast with the imperial flag split in two, and the remains of the shattered airship scattered everywhere. All I could do was cover my body with the Black Dragon Scales to cushion the impact.
Boom!
The airship finally collided with the ground.
‘Definitely…’
There was someone who could be called the ‘boss.’
I didn’t know if it was the boss or something else.
‘Damn it.’
Crash!
I threw off the wooden planks pressing on me.
«…»
A red ray emitted from my fingers illuminated the area.
The situation became clear. The last airship, the Sword of Taonier, was completely shattered.
«Cough, cough!»
Not far away, Jenna was getting up, coughing.
Beside her, Belkist was holding his sword.
«Where are we?»
«It seems we are at the bottom of the tunnel. There doesn’t seem to be anything here.»
Belkist shook the blood off his sword.
«And the others?»
«Everyone must be dead. No normal human could withstand this impact.»
Belkist lifted the debris with his foot.
Among the wooden and metal remains, there was a mass of red flesh that was once a person.
«The Princess?»
«I’m… here.»
Pria’s voice echoed weakly.
I walked towards the dark ground.
«Princess? Are you safe? What a relief.»
«…..»
«Let’s leave this. We don’t need more missions. Let’s take the princess to our Lobby. She can be recruited as a hero.»
Jenna shook the dust off her clothes and jumped.
«She’s there. I’ll get her out. Tsk, already.»
Jenna’s eyes were filled with confusion.
«What?»
[Ding!]
[Stage Completed!]
[Reward – None]
[MVP – None]
Stage completed?
[Congratulations, Master, for completing the mission!]
[A special reward has been granted. Please check your gift box.]
I ran towards where Pria was.
Jenna was staggering in front of the lying princess.
«…»
A sharp wooden fragment pierced Pria’s chest.
«It seems we arrived too late.»
Pria smiled weakly.
‘I arrived late.’
I knew it immediately.
The wooden fragment pierced the center of her right lung.
By now, her lung would be filled with blood.
«A potion, a potion…»
«We used them all a moment ago.»
Belkist spoke indifferently.
He was right. We used all the potions while fighting on the deck.
«Then…»
«Goodbye. Thank you for your hard work.»
Belkist murmured.
Pria nodded slightly.
The blood from her wound stained the ground red.
«Goodbye, what the hell…?»
«More than that, I want to return to the Lobby.»
«If that’s the case… you can do it.»
Pria moved her right hand.
A faint golden glow expanded, creating a circular dimensional portal.
«It’s good that I saved some strength. If you enter there… you will be able to return to the place you came from.»
«Thank you.»
«No, aren’t we going to give her first aid? We can save her…!»
«Major, think calmly. She has already done her job.»
Belkist looked at me, then carried Jenna and entered the portal.
Now only Pria and I remained.
«Han…»
Pria exhaled with difficulty, struggling to breathe.
Every time she exhaled, blood gushed from her lips.
I said nothing.
«Han, I have a favor to ask.»
«What is it?»
«I want… to see your smile.»
«Why suddenly?»
«Just once, smile at me.»
I tried to smile.
Or at least I thought I did, but my lips didn’t move.
«You always want too much.»
I used both hands to force a smile, pulling my lips upward.
Pria smiled back at me.
And then, she stopped moving.
«Hey…»
«…..»
«Is she dead?»
There was no response.
‘I knew it…’
I had anticipated it from the beginning.
I knew this would be the end of Taonier.
Before coming here, I was prepared.
‘Showing a smile?’
I clicked my tongue.
Was that her last wish?
‘Going back?’
Either way, the mission was complete.
This is how the 90th floor of Taonier ends.
Now, I just need to prepare to return to the Lobby. Yurnet must be ready.
«…»
Is this how it ends?
A meaningless death. What’s the point of going back if everything ends like this?
Dying pierced by the debris of a shattered airship?
This can’t be the kind of death that awaits me.
‘I’m going back.’
I won’t die like this.
It was a good lesson.
It taught me that chasing the useless leads to this end.
I turned around.
The portal Pria created was still open.
I headed towards it.
Just before entering.
«Damn it…»
My mind filled with rage.
«Damn it… damn it…!»
Bang!
I struck the portal with all my strength.
Chiiis! A crimson ray erased the portal’s glow.
«I’m going to kill you.»
I looked up.
I couldn’t see it, but I could feel it.
«You’re dead, you damn eye.»
Chiiis!
Dragon scales and wings sprouted from my back.
My vision turned red.
‘I will kill you.’
I couldn’t think of anything else.
‘Whoever you are, wherever you are.’
Fflap!
I spread my wings.
[Fragment of Chaos Lv.113] X 39135331320…
[Fragment of Despair Lv.108] X 13023643919…
[Fragment of Grudge Lv.121] X 29129069543…
Millions of fragments swirled in the darkness.
But it didn’t matter.
«Damn it!»
Nothing, nothing.
I can’t die like this.
Chiiis!
All my strength concentrated in Bifrost.
「…….」
He was laughing at me.
Mocking this insignificant human trying to defy ‘destiny.’
«No… way.»
I jumped with a burst of energy.
A wave of fragments blocked my way.
‘I will kill them all.’
I… raised my sword…
«Brother! Don’t do it, brother!»
Bang!
Something hit me from the side.
«It’s not the time! We have to go back!»
«Who are you? Get out of my way!»
«Don’t you recognize me? I’m Aaron.»
«I don’t know anyone by that name.»
«Please, regain your calm!»
«How is it possible you’re here if you were in Niflheim? What kind of trap is this? How…?»
<Aaron, bring the master back.>
Yurnet’s voice echoed.
A portal enveloped in mist appeared.
On the other side, Yurnet’s image watched me and whispered.
<Master, where there are encounters, there are also farewells. Do not lose your way.>
«Get out of my sight! Enough of this nonsense…!»
<…There is no choice.>
Yurnet’s eyes glowed white.
«I… still…»
<Sleep well. When you wake up, this will all be just a dream.>
Flash!
A dazzling light enveloped my vision.