Pick Me Up!

We significantly intensified our training, devoting ourselves from morning till late at night. No one was exempt. We reduced our rest time, focusing almost all our available hours on training.

“Shoot.”

As always, we engaged in arrow-deflection training.

Initially, I used a shield to block the arrows. However, at some point, I discarded the shield and added more challenging conditions to the training.

“…”

Lately, we have reduced our sparring sessions. Our primary focus has shifted towards arrow defense training.

If we had emphasized weapon mastery, I could have reached level 6 in low-level swordsmanship much earlier. However, that wasn’t the right path. Awakening new skills proved more beneficial for increasing overall power than enhancing the level of the obtained skills alone.

In this journey, there is a skill I must acquire, or rather, a skill I have been striving to obtain for quite some time.

Arrows fly from above and below, each heading in a different direction.

The moment they are released, my instincts kick in, allowing me to anticipate their trajectory. Naturally, my sword smoothly rotates in the direction that deflects the arrows.

[‘Han (★)’ has acquired the ‘Projectile Defense’ skill!]

[‘Han (★)’s ‘Low-level Swordsmanship’ has reached Lv. 6!]

‘Projectile Defense.’

It is a skill that greatly enhances defense against projectile weapons, including arrows. Acquiring this skill was challenging, but I persevered in training and had already mastered its techniques. It can be seen as a delayed awakening, rather than a recent discovery.

Furthermore, since projectile defense falls under the category of weapon skills, I can simultaneously advance my proficiency in low-level swordsmanship. By incorporating a few additional skills, I can elevate my modest weapon mastery to an intermediate level.

“Oppa, you’re becoming more impressive with each passing day.”

Jenna murmured with a hint of frustration in her voice.

“No need for praise. Did you practice your weapon switching?”

“Um, you mean like this?”

Jenna shot an arrow at a wooden statue 10 meters away, seamlessly transitioning to her dagger and swiftly striking down a scarecrow positioned next to her. The fluidity of her weapon transformation was akin to the graceful flow of water.

Checking the status screen, I confirmed that the ‘Switching’ skill had been successfully acquired.

For a thief who values adaptability in various situations, this skill proves exceptionally useful.

However, it is undeniable that her learning speed is far from ordinary.

Despite having an innate rank of 1, she possesses tremendous untapped potential.

If I had been dragged into this world without knowledge of “Pick Me Up,” I would have lagged far behind Jenna. At best, I might have reached the level of an average rank 1, like Aaron. Although he has elevated his low-level spear mastery to level 3, that is the extent of his progress.

Aaron has been absent from the training grounds for a while.

He is likely secluded in his room, honing his pain tolerance.

Eolka, on the other hand, is engrossed in magic training at the specialized facility within the Magic Hall.

My request to her was to reduce the firepower while minimizing the consumption of magical energy. Employing rapid and successive spellcasting proves more manageable than unleashing single, forceful bursts.

As for Party 2, led by Edis, they are currently engaged in formation training, occupying the left side of the training grounds.

No matter where you go, a fight is a familiar concept, much like the force of gravity. Under the experienced guidance of Edis and Roderick, Asher and Dica poured sweat.

And then, in a corner, there were others training aimlessly.

Their stances lacked finesse, and their strength was meager. These were the recently promoted rank 1 individuals. Despite leveling up a few times in the lower floors, their skill levels were still low.

“Are we supposed to babysit these guys?”

Fortunately, there were only two of them.

Anytng seemed disinterested in recruiting new heroes.

She had used up all the gems to create the Magic Hall.

Anytng appeared to be fully engaged in preparing for the ascent to the 10th floor.

With the operation of the equipment production facility, the party’s gear had significantly improved. The shabby E-rank leather armor had been reinforced to D-rank, with the addition of metal plates. Aaron and I also received daggers as secondary weapons.

Furthermore, the two individuals from the training grounds joined me and Edis’ party.

The rank 1 individual who joined our party was named Shurn. Although we tried to include him in formation training, he often struggled to keep up. He couldn’t even acquire the fire resistance skill that I had requested.

If we had more time, I would have forced him to learn it, but judging by Anytng’s actions, our departure to the 10th floor was imminent. It would be better to focus on training the core members during that time.

Ideally, I wanted them to level up before we set off.

Coincidentally, it was the weekend when all the weekly dungeons were open, so I visited the mine, but I couldn’t find any rare monsters.

That night, Aaron also developed pain tolerance.

The preparations were complete.

Seated at the desk in my room, analyzing the dungeons from the 6th to the 9th floor, I was interrupted by the fluttering sound of wings.

It was Iselle.

“What brings you here? Looking for me?”

[No! I just wanted to check how the preparations are going. So, Loki, how’s it going? Have you finished predicting the mission? Can we blitz through it?]

“If that were possible, I’d be a god.”

[You certainly are one!]

“If I were, I would have conquered the 100th floor a long time ago.”

Master of Masters.

It’s true that I’m among the top players in Pick Me Up.

But even with that reputation, I haven’t managed to fully clear Pick Me Up. After two years of struggle, I only made it to the 88th floor. Countless parties have been wiped out by unpredictable random patterns and brutal trap designs.

In Pick Me Up, masters grow through defeat. And I’m no exception.

Anytng still remains oblivious to defeat.

If we were to continue in the current state, the moment he experiences defeat would be my demise. The more I think about it, the more it drives me to the brink. To succeed in every mission without a single failure up to the 100th floor—it’s a daunting task.

‘…’

Anxiety is a luxury I can’t afford.

Just because the odds are against me doesn’t mean I’ll give up.

I cleared my mind, erasing any stray thoughts. I must calm my racing thoughts.

Based on my estimation, tomorrow is the day we climb to the 10th floor.

Yes, tomorrow.

It will be the second boss stage we encounter since arriving here.