Pick Me Up!

Boom!

A bolt of lightning struck down through the scattering dark clouds.

The massive lightning bolt, spanning several kilometers, brushed past the side of the Anytng we were riding.

[Dimension 1013 – Valdrak]

We had long left Townia behind.

Having already made multiple dimensional jumps, Iselle and I were now passing through an unnamed dimension.

Perhaps it had been abandoned, as there was no sign of the Waiting Room’s emblematic tower. Out in the field, storms with wind speeds of several hundred meters per second raged ceaselessly, accompanied by lightning. If we hadn’t deployed a barrier over the entire airship, we would have been swept away and crashed.

Rumble!

Amid the gray clouds, pale lightning struck down into the darkness.

“Feels like watching a movie.”

If there were a perfect 3D movie, would it feel like this?

Outside, storms capable of shredding human flesh into pieces were raging, yet on the airship, everything was eerily silent. The Anytng cruised smoothly through the void between dimensions without a single tremor.

Crunch.

I took a biscuit from the pouch on my belt.

Once the war began in earnest, I wouldn’t have the luxury of moments like this. As emergency rations, it wasn’t particularly delicious, but it was enough to keep me from getting bored.

[Loki.]

“What?”

[Are you really okay with this?]

Iselle, sitting on my shoulder, swung her legs back and forth.

[Leaving like this—won’t you regret it? Even if you’re not their Master anymore, those heroes…]

“It would be more annoying if they clung to me with useless sentiment. This is for the best.”

If they had tried to stop me with tears, it would have been unbearably frustrating.

No matter how they reacted, they would only be a hindrance to me.

“Bringing weaklings along only to have them die? That’d be a pain. If they got taken hostage, that’d be even worse. Going alone is easier.”

[Then what about me?]

“You’re from Server 1. I needed a guide.”

I had no intention of hesitating.

As soon as I reached Server 1, I would head straight for Mobious headquarters.

A swift and decisive strike. I would end this before their influence could spread further.

“Oh, right. I’ve thought of a new name for you.”

[My name?]

“You said you wanted to be real, didn’t you?”

Nisel, Samsel, Tasel, Rosel…

I tried coming up with a few variations, but none of them felt right.

“You also need to get a proper body instead of looking like a half-finished toy.”

[A toy?!]

“Or would you rather stay the same?”

Iselle pursed her lips.

The fairies belonging to Mobius were all about the size of an adult man’s forearm.

Moreover, they all had the appearance of immature young girls—like miniature humans. It was obvious that Tell had designed them this way on purpose.

“When this battle is over, I’ll get you a nice body. One that you’ll really like. Just bear with it until then—Frey.”

[…Frey.]

“What, you don’t like it? My naming sense isn’t great, so just go with it.”

[No, no, not at all!]

Iselle—no, Frey—muttered the name several times before shaking her head.

[Frey! It has a nice ring to it! And it goes well with Loki, too!]

“Glad to hear it.”

[It feels a bit strange, but it’s better than Iselle. Yes, my reborn name is… Frey!]

Frey blushed and smiled.

Then she started humming a tune in a high-pitched voice.

I had just picked a name that sounded vaguely familiar, but it seemed like the right choice.

‘This one… is quite useful.’

I hadn’t brought her along out of mere sympathy.

After the battle in Townia, I had already linked my data with Frey. The fairies’ unique ability for multi-angle, extensive calculations would be a great asset in the coming fights.

To put it in comparison, it was like upgrading from a single-core to a dual-core processor.

[Just leave it to me! I’ll handle everything!]

Frey laughed loudly—

Then suddenly, with an anxious expression, she looked at me carefully.

[So, you won’t abandon me, right?]

“Of course not.”

Thunk!

A heavy vibration ran through the airship.

It was the signal of a dimensional jump. We had already crossed into another dimension.

“Not much farther now.”

Less than an hour remained until we reached the boundary of Server 1.

I pulled my wolf-fur cloak around me. Maybe I should take a nap. Rest like this would soon become impossible. I had no idea how many battles lay ahead, so I needed to…

[Loki.]

Frey spoke in a low voice.

I got up from my chair.

“Looks like I won’t get any rest.”

Beyond the horizon, an uncountable number of black dots were approaching.

Woooooooong.

Even from here, I could hear it—

The noise of countless airships burning fuel.

“How many?”

[82 large-class, 113 mid-class, 155 small-class.]

Exactly 350.

I stood up from my seat.

“They’re not from Mobius.”

At first glance, they seemed like one unified force, but their airships, equipment, and formations were all different.

It wasn’t hard to tell.

I had seen forces like this before.

Up in the sky, enormous holographic letters appeared.

[The opponent Master players will face this time is the strongest and worst enemy in history—unprecedented and unparalleled!]

[The rogue Master, Loki, is attempting to overthrow the server using exploits and cheats! Show the power of the United Masters! Mobius stands with you!]

I clicked my tongue.

“They sure love recycling this nonsense.”

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!