Pick Me Up!

Chapter 291: Han Israt (2) (1)

2nd Floor of Townia.

The square, which should have been bustling with passersby, was completely empty.

It was no surprise, though. The only promotion chamber in the waiting room was located here. For the sake of “safety measures,” the heroes had been cleared out in advance.

I followed closely behind Seris, who was walking ahead of me. Her upright posture and measured steps revealed the extent of her training.

“Escaping from here…”

I scanned my surroundings.

The place was empty, but it didn’t mean no one was here.

If I focused my senses, I could detect faint presences hidden in various places. It seemed that assassins had been stationed here, just in case I attempted to escape.

Well, not that escaping would accomplish anything.

“There’s no need to go this far, is there? Do you hate me that much? Enough to kick me out in this fashion?”

I spoke with a faint smile in my voice.

Without breaking her stride, Seris responded.

“Master, I hold no personal grudge against you. However, as I’ve told you before, this Möbius world is simply not compatible with you. Returning to where you belong would benefit both us and you.”

“I don’t see it that way.”

“Then what will you do? Stay here with us… and die alongside us?”

Seris paused briefly in her steps.

Her straight back came into my view.

“Master, I don’t know what you experienced in Townia. But I doubt those experiences are worth risking your life for. Please make a rational decision, as you always have in front of us.”

“…Rationally.”

“Yes. Please.”

Click.

The sound of Seris’s heels echoed as she resumed walking.

“Make a rational decision.”

Weigh the gains and losses precisely, and choose the most efficient path.

No matter what gets discarded in the process, it doesn’t matter.

That had always been my play style.

Seris wasn’t wrong. That was how I had climbed to the rank of 2nd Server Top Player in the past.

But if I were truly rational, I wouldn’t have quit my stable job to dive into this game in the first place.

While my playstyle might have been cold and calculated, I was, at my core, deeply emotional.

The reason I delved into the game so passionately was the same.

‘Because I felt… frustrated.’

A common, four-star hero was all I had.

And the game’s difficulty was so absurdly high that no other game could compare. Add to that the constant interference from PvP players.

Compared to other Masters, I was in far worse conditions and situations, struggling with every step.

It just irritated me.

‘So…’

I crushed it all.

Because it annoyed me. Because it made me furious.

When others gave up and quit, I stubbornly pressed forward.

Sure, I can’t deny that some luck was involved.

But that wasn’t rationality.

Clank.

Seris opened the door to the synthesis chamber.

The room was vast and unadorned, with a complex magic circle inscribed on the floor.

After confirming I had entered the room, Seris locked the door firmly behind me.

“Let’s begin.”

Seris pulled out a thick book from her arms.

The counterfeit “Book of Reversal,” crafted from the hearts of Shuttenberg and Lantia.

Regardless of its actual performance, using it allowed for the creation of a nominal “seven-star hero.”

“This book is enchanted with a special spell. Once the promotion is complete, a dimensional portal to Earth will open immediately. Master, you must step through that portal after the promotion.” ŕＡＮＯBÈṩ@@novelbin@@

“Right away?”

“Yes. Immediately.”

She wasn’t hesitating.

There wasn’t even room for delay—I was being kicked out outright.

“Master, don’t entertain any foolish ideas. I’ll be here to—”

Boom!

Suddenly, the entire waiting room shook violently.

Seris’s sharp gaze turned toward the door.

“Seris!”

The locked door to the synthesis chamber burst open, and a woman in a Niflheimr uniform came rushing in, out of breath.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s… they’ve already started attacking…”

“They were quite a distance away.”

“It seems they used dimensional movement!”

The woman made a circular motion with her hand.

As mana particles scattered, a black-and-white image appeared.

The plaza on the 7th Floor of Townia.

<Kyahahaha! Kill them! Kill them all!>

The sharp sound of gunfire rang out.

The attackers that had emerged from the void wore unfamiliar outfits, unlike anything seen in Möbius.

They were clad in full-body bulletproof armor and special helmets that covered their faces.

Equipped with advanced assault rifles with scopes and riot shields designed for special forces, their gear bore the Möbius Corporation’s logo on the right shoulder.

Seris narrowed her eyes.

These intruders, armed with such weapons, had appeared in front of Niflheimr’s heroes, who wielded swords, spears, and bows.

Forming a line, they unleashed a barrage of bullets and grenades, indiscriminately massacring heroes—be they from Niflheimr or Townia, combatants or non-combatants.

<Seris! You arrogant wench! I’ve returned from hell! I’ll rip you apart and feed you to the dogs! Come out! Come out right now!>

Leading the attackers was a man with a red tattoo on his face.

In his left hand, he held a massive axe. In his right, an RPG launcher.

He looked vaguely familiar.

“That man is…”

“Still alive, I see.”

Seris smiled coldly.

“Karacle.”

Now I remembered.

Karacle Ditan.

Formerly ranked 4th, a sub-Master, and currently the fourth-existing seven-star hero.

He had a history of fighting against Niflheimr, and once dueled Seris one-on-one. After being beaten to a pulp, he barely escaped with his life.

This was bad.

The Möbius Corporation had broken every rule. Their forces were here, armed to the teeth, using their most forbidden tools.

And now, Seris was preparing to fight them all.

But for me, another path had already been decided.

<You arrogant wench! I’m not the same as before! I received power from the great one… just to kill you! Kahahahaha! Come out! If you don’t, I’ll slaughter all the insects here!>

“Seris! It looks like the Möbius fleet has also infiltrated the outer regions of the tower!”

The woman made another circular motion with her hand, and this time the scenery outside the tower appeared.

Beyond the tower, the sky was filled with airships bearing the Möbius insignia.

“Deploy all forces in Battle Formation B. Send out the 7th, 8th, and 9th fleets immediately.”

“Yes, ma’am! I’ll issue the orders right away! But… who is this person?”

“You don’t need to concern yourself with that.”

“Understood!”

The woman saluted Seris before quickly running out of the room.

“It looks like things are getting complicated.”

“Master, this is not your concern.”

“That guy… he won’t be easy to deal with.”

I recalled the name tag hovering above Karacle’s head.

Level 532.

Numerically speaking, he surpassed even El Cid, who had been the previous number one in the rankings.

Karacle’s level was now more than twice what it had been when we first encountered him.

“Level isn’t everything. You of all people should know that, Master.”

“That’s true. But still…”

I glanced to the side.

A familiar holographic window had appeared.

[Emergency Access!]

[Verifying Password…]

*[PS: ********]

With a sound effect, the screen updated.

[Code Authorization: Omega Zero]

[Highest Level Access Granted.]

[Developer Tools Unlocked.]

Omega Zero.

That was the codename of Möbius Corporation’s CEO, Tel.

[Ding!]

[Applying Effects to All ‘Heroes’ in Dimension 1035, ‘Townia’!]

[Effect 1: Continuous Recovery in the Waiting Room Disabled.]

[Effect 2: All Hero Stats -30%.]

[Effect 3: Status Effect Resistance -50%.]

Seris’s expression stiffened.

“…”

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!