Pick Me Up Infinite Gacha! Novel - Chapter 336
Chapter 336 – The Sword Waiting to be Unsheathe (1)
<Episode 7 of Aaron’s Parallel Story>
***
Aaron closed the book.
The hysterical laughter of the goddess echoed in his mind.
«What do you think?»
«…..»
«Aaron, what do you think of this story? Who is the good one and who is the bad one?»
Who is to blame?
Ikar, for not being able to abandon Moebius?
Tel, for plunging all dimensions into chaos for her sister?
LeCardis, for orchestrating all of this from the shadows?
Or perhaps the law that dictated the destruction of Moebius?
«I don’t know.»
«I don’t know. That’s okay too. That is also an answer.»
Yurnet smiled.
Aaron spoke frankly.
«Either way, all of this has already ended.»
In the present, the three gods who had planned the Pick Me Up Project were extinct.
Now, no one in any dimension worshipped them.
They had received the punishment they deserved.
«And, regardless of the circumstances, what the goddess did cannot be forgiven.»
How many heroes and monsters suffered because of that goddess?
Tel had to die.
For the peace and future of Moebius, she had to die.
«I believe so too. We, and many other existences of Moebius, suffered. But what do you think? The goddess demonstrated her purity splendidly.»
«She did?»
«We are here. Moebius has been resurrected.»
«I cannot accept the process just because the result is good.»
«You are right.»
Yurnet continued.
«If only the goddess had shown a little bit of mercy, maybe we wouldn’t hate her so much.»
«Mercy… you say.»
Tel used everything she could to revive Moebius.
The lives of Moebius, gods and spirits, people from Earth, and even herself.
There was no mercy in it.
Tel was willing to plunge everyone into hell, as long as she could fulfill her pure objective.
She did not consider at all the suffering it would cause to others.
«If the goddess had shown mercy in her purity.»
Would things have been different?
Could some of the suffering of heroes and monsters have been alleviated?
Aaron didn’t know.
Not being a god, he couldn’t understand Tel’s true feelings.
But he could assert something.
«It is impossible.»
«Why do you believe that?»
«Because that goddess’s mercy was already dead.»
«Haha, you are absolutely right.»
Therefore, the process and the outcome of the story were already predestined.
The moment the goddess of mercy sacrificed herself and died, the goddess of purity could no longer hold onto her mercy.
«Do you know the purity and mercy of the goddess worship?»
«I have only heard some things from the believers in my hometown. I don’t know much.»
«Purity and mercy. Mercy and purity. It is said that both complement each other and give lives the strength to live.»
Yurnet continued explaining.
«Two in one. One and two. According to the doctrine of goddess worship, if purity and mercy are separated, the world will fall into chaos.»
«Why is that?»
«Because mercy without purity cannot decide anything, and purity without mercy leads everything to destruction.»
Yurnet poured tea into a cup.
Aaron murmured.
«Mercy without purity cannot decide anything.»
«It considers everything, tortures itself with decisions, and remains stagnant without progressing.»
«Purity without mercy leads everything to destruction.»
«It moves forward only by itself, devouring the universe with greed.»
Therefore, they must be properly mixed.
In the goddess worship, the state where purity and mercy are combined is called ‘harmony.’
«What do you think? Isn’t it attractive when you understand it?»
«Well… I’m not sure.»
«In times of peace, people followed mercy, and in times of chaos, the ancient kings followed purity. Because purity…»
«Does it give strength to fight adversity?»
«Wow. You have learned well.»
Yurnet smiled.
«Exactly, Aaron. Purity is courage. It is resilience and perseverance. True purity is the will not to back down from any difficulty or adversity.»
«…..»
«By mixing a little mercy, the ancient kings achieved feats that remained in history.»
Aaron frowned.
Mixing purity with mercy.
Isn’t it strange?
«Did you think that? Mixing purity and mercy is strange.»
«Yes, for a moment.»
«Right, it is a contradiction. Purity and mercy, in fact, do not logically complement each other. But it is possible. Because contradiction is the essence of humanity. On Earth, this human characteristic is called ‘hypocrisy.’»
«Hypocrisy?»
«Wow, maybe I didn’t choose my words well. In any case, the important thing is that you understand it.»
Yurnet tilted her head and then clapped, changing the mood.
«Let’s leave the difficult discussions here. Let’s move on to the next topic.»
«So, is everything ready?»
«Unfortunately, Aaron, there is a small process left.»
Yurnet smiled gently.
Aaron thought she was doing it on purpose, but quickly shook his head.
«If you read this… then it will truly be the end.»
Yurnet gestured.
The book of the forgotten gods returned to the shelf and another book appeared on the table.
A rough gray cover.
It had such a sharp edge that it seemed to cut just by touching it.
Aaron immediately recognized the owner of that book.
«No, this book is fine.»
Aaron stood up abruptly and waved his hands.
«Why?»
«This book… I mean, isn’t it from that person?»
«Are you referring to Lidygion?»
Lidygion.
Dubbed the best warrior of Valhalla, his gaze alone was enough to paralyze Aaron.
Just locking eyes with him left him motionless like a rabbit in front of a tiger.
That man used to be very quiet.
But when he showed any emotion, a furious aura of killing intent emanated from him.
Aaron, being sensitive to atmospheres, found it difficult to bear that aura.
That’s why he avoided meeting him unless they were fighting together. Honestly…
‘I’m scared.’
Although he had survived many life-or-death situations, he couldn’t help but feel fear towards him.
Aaron admired the members of the first team who treated that man like any other.
«Indeed, inviting you here was the right decision.»
«Excuse me?»
«You two don’t get along. How can you call yourselves comrades like that? It could negatively affect in combat.»
«Well, that’s true, but…»
«Don’t worry. Lidygion has also allowed you to read it.»
He allowed it?
That man?
«If you really don’t like it, there is another option.»
Yurnet smiled with her eyes.
«How about a special to become friends? You would spend an entire month paired with Lidygion…»
«I’ll read it!»
Aaron sat down immediately.
«What a pity. Lidygion will be disappointed.»
Aaron began to see the woman in front of him as a demon.
«You are mistaken. Although he may seem distant, he is a kind and warm person.»
Aaron remembered his first encounter with Lidygion.
And his first conversation with him.
<Are you the successor of that man?>
<Yes…>
<Do you want to die?>
Where was the kindness in that?
Cold sweat ran down Aaron’s neck.
«Come on, read it. It’s just like with the first book. Open it and focus, the story will begin.»
«…Understood.»
It seemed like he had fallen into a trap.
There was no choice but to prepare himself.
Better to enjoy it.
The story of that man.
It’s not that he wasn’t curious.
He was the best swordsman of Valhalla, the best spearman, and an invincible archer.
Sword, spear, saber, bow, mace, whip, sickle, fist, leg.
There was no weapon in which he didn’t have a rival.
Anything he took in his hands became a lethal tool.
Even bare-handed.
In Valhalla, countless warriors gathered, and each one honed their skills for decades or centuries, but in front of that man, inevitably, they succumbed.
It was a predetermined fate.
As if it were destiny.
He was a genius.
A genius among geniuses, and among them, the genius who surpassed all others.
Therefore, among the numerous warriors of Valhalla, he was a symbol of combat mastery.
Some admired him, others envied him, others tried to surpass him, but…
He never yielded his place to anyone in his field.
‘I am also one of them.’
Aaron was also one of them.
That man had what Aaron had always dreamed of.
An overwhelming talent for combat.
However, he was never arrogant.
He was the first to rise in the morning and the last to stop training.
‘I want to know.’
What was the life of someone so opposite to me, with no talent for combat?
Suddenly, he forgot his fear.
Curiosity alone filled his heart.
Aaron opened the book.
It was the beginning of a new story.
* * *
«Waaa!»
The roar of the audience echoed, a cry for bloodshed. He gripped the hilt of his sword as the blood on the blade splattered the arena.
«Grr!»
Not far away, a muscular man charged with an axe.
‘Vertical cut from the left, then a diagonal upward cut from the right.’
Before the man could wield his axe, the actions he would take formed in his mind.
«Haaah!»
The man let out a beastly cry, swinging an axe blow aimed at his shoulder. He avoided the attack with fluid movements.
«Die!»
The next upward cut from the man was skillfully dodged.
«Haha…»
The man smirked, feeling a sense of victory. As he had expected, blood flowed from the opponent’s left shoulder.
«Woooh! Kill him! Kill him!»
The more blood spilled, the more swords clashed, the more the crowd shouted.
They didn’t want an overwhelming victory.
They wanted both to become bloodied, for the battle to be fierce, and they would eagerly throw their money.
What they truly desired was the clash of two lives burning in flames.
That’s why a swift victory did not fit the nature of the arena.
He knew better than anyone.
«Die… die… die!»
The muscular man swung his axe wildly with both hands.
A flurry of attacks like a typhoon.
The arena was filled with flying sand.
«…..»
Clang! Clang!
He avoided or deflected the deadly attacks.
If the attacks were light, he accepted them.
Soon, blood ran all over his body.
«Haha! Hahaha!»
The axe-wielding man felt victorious.
Although he avoided the lethal blows, the difference in strength and mass was evident.
‘This is how it should be.’
The strange sensation of encountering an infinite wall at first had disappeared.
The man in front of him was weak.
And boring.
‘From the start, it was destined for me to win.’
In weapons, strength, and training, the difference was clear.
The man wielded a huge axe made of the finest steel, provided by a nobleman who supported him in secret.
In contrast, the man held an old, worn-out sword.
The blade was seriously damaged.
Once they clashed, it would break immediately.
He had barely managed to stop his attacks so far, only by luck.
«Don’t underestimate me, bastard.»
The axe-wielding man muttered.
Both belonged to the same arena.
He knew well how the other lived.
Compared to the veterans who trained tirelessly, that man led a lazy life.
He did not.
He never neglected his strength training.
The handle of his training axe was always soaked in his sweat.
And that man?
He sat idle all the time.
He did not show the urgency to win the next battle.
He had been lucky to survive until now, but meeting him would be his end.
‘Effort does not betray.’
Clang!
The heavy axe plunged deeply into the arena.
Most men couldn’t even lift that weight.
Through countless training sessions, he had come to master that axe.
He wasn’t strong from the beginning.
In his first battle, he won by sheer luck.
But to survive, he continued to strive and reached his current position.
Superior-level gladiator.
An honorable title for those who survived more than ten battles.
He held that title.
He was proud of himself.
That’s why he despised that man.
How could he be on the same level as him?
But he didn’t let his guard down.
Before the battle, he carefully analyzed the other’s fighting style.
‘He has only faced weak opponents.’
The battles in the arena were normally selected by drawing lots.
If he was very lucky, even a weakling could become a superior-level gladiator.
That was him.
He had no impressive techniques.
He was not especially strong or agile.
He had never dominated an opponent.
He had only won by sheer luck.
«I will kill you.»
He pointed at the man.
And with his left thumb, he ran his finger across his neck in a cutting gesture.
«Waaa!»
«Yes, Rals! Kill him! I bet on you!»
«Don’t lose to that trash! Kill him!»
The cheers of the audience.
The muscular man had many fans.
His bold fighting style and lethal techniques were impressive.
The man, named Rals, smiled.
«Let’s end this.»
The cheers intensified.
‘That phrase’ was the signal before cutting his opponent into pieces with his deadly technique.
A kind of spectacle.
The noble audience was excited at the prospect of blood and flesh flying.
Clang!
He pulled the axe from the arena and carried it over his shoulder.
The distance between them was about five meters.
Although he had declared his deadly technique, the man’s face showed no sign of nervousness. He just stood there, with his sword lowered.
‘What’s wrong?’
Is he not afraid?
Did I declare that I will kill him?
Is he so scared that he lost his mind?
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
It was a duel between superior-level gladiators.
The reward would be generous.
He would eat good food and rest well.
«Hahaha!»
The muscles of the man tensed.
His body trained to the limit was ready.
«Die!»
Bang!
The arena was filled with sand.
In an instant, the man was in front of his opponent.
Although he was a muscular giant, he was not slow.
Few could react at that speed.
’17-strike attack!’
Bam!
An assault like a storm, using all his strength and weight.
The first blow seemed like it would split the man’s head.
He avoided the blow with a sidestep.
‘As expected. It wouldn’t be fun if he died from a single blow.’
Rals smiled broadly.
«One!»
The 17-strike attack was the trademark of Rals, the superior-level gladiator.
With each strike, the crowd cheered.
«Two!»
From a downward blow to a horizontal one.
Normally, these moves didn’t connect, but his strength made it possible.
‘Try to block it!’
He would be shattered.
His steel axe had crushed many opponents along with their weapons.
It was impossible to block a blow with all his strength.
Furthermore, the man held an old, worn-out sword.
A scrap that would break at the first blow.
The man raised his sword to block.
Rals’ eyes gleamed with euphoria.
«Die…»
Clang!
«…..?»