Pick Me Up!

“I’ve come here to reveal the truth of this world to you.”

“….”

“Loki, what do you think about the story of mobile games? In gacha games, the story is one of the aspects users don’t pay much attention to. Instead, they focus more on the content. I’m the same. Frankly speaking, the story of Pick Me Up is a bit outdated. The world-building is nothing special, and most masters don’t even know if there is such a thing as story progression.”

The girl flicked her finger.

As if the stage of a play had changed, the dark-covered field transformed into a different location.

It was a familiar place.

The secluded city that served as the main stage for the 5th and 10th floors.

However, there was a difference. I looked around. The river to the east had completely dried up, and the once lush forest to the north now had only roots and branches remaining. The plain that used to be covered in the grass was split, revealing a red subsurface. The city, needless to say, was now just a ruin.

And above all, the sky was pitch black.

It wasn’t because it had become night. If that were the case, I wouldn’t be able to see anything at all.

It was an extremely unfamiliar sight.

“Do you know where this is?”

“I don’t really want to know.”

“I’m sorry about that. I tend to be a bit too playful. This place is the city of Nelsa on the Townia Continent, Haim Peninsula. As you can see, it’s completely destroyed.”

The girl flicked her finger again.

The location changed once more.

“Here is Silpia. Kaia. Edora.”

With each flick of her finger, the stage transformed.

The backgrounds were different, but they all had one thing in common.

Not even a single human, let alone an animal or an insect, was noticeable.

Every place had turned into ruins.

“Fiona. Mardian. Ikardia. Rilgia. Halcea. Arantia. Cisnia. And even Bardashia. This is the current state of all regions in Townia.”

After giving a significant smile, the girl continued speaking.

“Do you think Niflheimr is any different? Unfortunately, No. Every continent belonging to Mobius is like this. Over a hundred million worlds were annihilated.”

The field returned to its initial darkness.

“It’s a book with a predetermined ending. A very bad ending. Everything comes to an end. The characters in the book hope to change the ending, but they can’t do it alone. What should be done? The answer is simple. We need to bring in new characters from outside the book. We have to rewrite the story. Even if the setting and consistency fall apart, even if the spatial and temporal axes intertwine and collapse.”

“….”

“Higher-dimensional beings can distort causality just by observing. That’s why Pick Me Up was created, Master Loki.”

After making such a grandiose story, she looked at me with widened eyes, and I said,

“So?”

“So…?!”

“What’s the reason for telling me all this?”

“I’m asking for your cooperation.”

“Cooperation?”

“Together with me, save the world…”

I took out a dagger from behind my belt and threw it.

Thump.

The dagger neatly pierced through the girl’s forehead.

Black blood splattered from between the cracked forehead.

“I was getting curious, but you just blabbered nonsense and got yourself in trouble.”

“Think carefully, Loki. Is your answer a yes or a no?”

With her forehead split, the girl chuckled leisurely.

I replied.

“F*ck you.”

To suddenly call me to this miserable place and then ask for cooperation?

I’ve had enough of dealing with lunatics.

I assumed a combat stance and muttered under my breath.

“I won’t cooperate with you. You b*tch. If you want to kill me, go ahead. But I won’t fall without fighting.”

“You’re quite harsh with your words. It hurts. Hehe, hehehe…”

Thump.

The dagger stuck in the girl’s forehead was pulled out on its own.

The black blood flowing from the wound stopped and the wound was healed instantly. The blood on the floor merged with the girl’s shadow. I suppressed the urge to rush at her and tear her apart.

*Sigh*

I slowly expelled the boiling heat from my mind.

I have a skill called composure. Even my initial rage subsided to some extent, allowing me to calmly assess the situation.

“I can’t kill her right now.”

I’m just a 1-star.

My level is only 10.

My skills are mediocre, and my class hasn’t even been unlocked yet.

“Not just yet.”

If I were to kill her, I need to become stronger first.

No matter how powerful she is, there’s always a strategy to defeat the boss.

I closed my eyes and opened them again.

My head became clearer.

I said, “I don’t want to have any conversation with you. Send me back.”

“This is a bit disappointing… I’ve used a lot of energy to bring you to this place.”

The girl spoke with a nonchalant expression.

“Loki, I highly appreciate you. Truly, more than any other master in Pick Me Up. Even the top ranker is nothing compared to you, like a firefly in front of the moon. Do you know why? It’s because you, as a master, achieved a unique accomplishment.”

The girl flicked her finger again.

A holographic text appeared in the center of the field.

[Master, believe in your bond with the heroes]

“You should know where this sentence comes from, right?”

I do.

It’s part of the guidance that appears after clearing the tutorial.

“You were the only one who truly embodied the meaning of this sentence among the hundred million masters. Only you.”

“What are you talking about?”

The girl flicked her finger again.

The scenery changed once more, and within the unfamiliar background, holographic text slowly appeared.

[Floor 80.]

[Mission Type – Complex]

[Objective – Unknown.]

“Do you know where this is, Loki?”

The girl smiled cunningly.

“This is the 80th floor stage of Niflheimr, six months ago.”