Pick Me Up!

[Oh, you’re not going?!]

“Why would I go? I would die.”

“It’s not death. It’s synthesis!”

It’s the same b*ch!

Iselle’s adorable eyes wrinkled. Each time the wings on her back fluttered, sparkling dust scattered.

She pondered for a moment, then clapped her hands as if remembering something.

“If we synthesize, you can return to the original world! Let’s see, Han Israt, where you used to live…”

A register appeared next to Iselle. Iselle rummaged through it and stopped at a certain place.

“To Townia, where you used to live!”

“Townia?”

“Townia’s Heim Peninsula! Your hometown!”

It was an unfamiliar place to me.

I was taken aback and retorted, “My hometown is Gangseo-gu in Seoul.”

“Seoul? Gangseo-gu? Such names…”

The expression on Iselle’s face, as she alternated between the register and me, stiffened.

“Well, well? Wait? Who are you? Why don’t you look like your picture? Han Israt doesn’t look like this.”

“Han Israt, who is that, and where is Townia? I’m Han Seojin, born in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. I don’t know who you are, but let’s just send me back home while I’m still asking nicely, shall we?”

“Wait, you…came from Earth?”

“I came from Earth. You thought I came from Mars?”

Cold sweat formed on Iselle’s forehead.

Iselle began to search through the register. There were no visible movements, but her pupils rapidly rolled up and down.

“How can a being from a higher dimension…?”

Iselle muttered with a puzzled voice and pointed to the window at the top of the room.

“Can you see this too?”

[Now Loading…]

“I can see it.”

“Augh, ah! How am I supposed to handle this?! I’m going crazy! I’m going crazy!”

Iselle shook her head as if headbanging. Her black hair, braided left and right, spun like a windmill.

[Anyway, just go in! Go in!]

“I don’t want to! Why should I? You go in…”

[Go in!]

Iselle grabbed me by my wrist and threw me forward.

As if floating, I felt my body rise and flew into the synthesis chamber.

Thunk.

The door to the synthesis chamber slammed shut.

I immediately got up and pounded on the door. I kicked it and even tried to use my full strength. However, the locked door didn’t budge.

“Hey, you! Let me out, you brat! I won’t stay still! I will fight you”

Tough that little fairy had quite the strength!

I won’t have a chance.

“Quiet down, you’re being noisy.”

Shay, leaning against the wall, said. On the floor where I stood, there was a complex and strange magic circle that encompassed the entire room.

A thought suddenly came to my mind, and I asked, “You, you…where are you from?”

“Me? I’m from Arantia.”

“Arantia? Which region is that? The USA? Canada?”

“USA? Canada? What are you talking about? If you’re also a citizen of the Empire, don’t you know the Asinis, one of the Four Great Families?”

‘What nonsense is this?’

It would be easier to communicate with a foreigner than with this person.

Wait, what was I just saying right now?

I pressed my lips together. The words that came out just now, those weren’t Korean. They weren’t English or Japanese either.

It was an unknown language.

“Can such a thing even happen?”

Half in disbelief, I pulled out the decisive question. Once again, an unknown language escaped my lips. It felt as if the words I wanted to say were being filtered out by my brain.

“Did you come from Townia, by any chance?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Not Earth?”

“I don’t know about a place like that.”

So, this mage came from Arantia, which is part of Townia.

Everything went pitch black. Even my wildest dreams couldn’t compare to this.

And above all, the finale of the nightmare awaited.

[Master, synthesis is starting.]

“Drag and drop the hero you want to synthesize onto the hero you want to offer as a sacrifice. You can gain experience points. The sacrificed hero will disappear.”

[Tips: Registering heroes as favorites can prevent synthesis mistakes.]

I can return to the original world, huh?

I recalled how the fairy hesitated for a long time when I refused to go to the synthesis chamber. It was all a lie.

Pick Me Up, the final gateway that decorates the end of the tutorial.

Named Hero Synthesis. Users can experience a tremendous power-up by sacrificing heroes here. I experienced it myself.

The problem is, I’m a 1-star hero, and this girl is a 4-star hero.

“Stats!”

“What are you saying?” Shay wondered.

“Status window!”

I half-shouted those words in frustration.

A small window appeared before me.

[Han Israt (★) Lv. 2 (Exp 7/20)]

[Class: Novice]

[Strength: 11/11]

[Intelligence: 11/11]

[Health: 11/11]

[Agility: 11/11]

[Skills: None]

The fairy called me “Han Israt.”

So, these stats must reflect my current situation.

I looked at Shay, who was staring at me with curious eyes. This time, I whispered, barely audible, “Status window.”

[Shay Radasterry (★★★★) Lv. 2 (Exp 3/20)]

[Class: Knight]

[Strength: 19/19]

[Intelligence: 10/10]

[Health: 18/18]

[Agility: 22/22]

[Skills: Tactical Logic (Lv.1), Intermediate Swordsmanship (Lv.1), Knight’s Mindset (Lv.1)]

We were both at Level 2, but the difference in stats was like night and day. Moreover, Shay had three prerequisite skills.

Among them, the most noticeable one was Tactical Logic. It was an extraordinary passive skill rated as an S-grade among hundreds of skills. Intermediate Swordsmanship provided an attack bonus with swords, and Knight’s Mindset was a supportive skill that resisted mental manipulation.

Meanwhile, I had none.

“…Shay.”

I spoke with a trembling voice.

“What?”

“Is this a dream?”

“It’s a dream, but it’s a dream you can’t wake up from.”

Shay smiled softly.

[Do you really want to proceed with the synthesis?]

[Yes (Selected) / No]

A bright light radiated from the magic circle engraved on the floor of the summoning chamber. A peculiar sensation engulfed my entire body as if being submerged in water.

“So, this is how it ends.”

If this is truly the world of Pick Me Up, and if the “Master” is controlling this game, I would disappear here as a sacrifice to Shay. All for a few experience points.

I might not have made a significant impact during the battle. But judging from the goblin kill count alone, Shay had four, while I had barely one.

“Who would synthesize a 1-star hero with a 4-star hero?”

The light grew stronger, and I closed my eyes.

Hoping that when I opened them, I would be in my living room.

“Synthesis complete!”

“‘Shay (★★★★)’ has turned into light and disappeared.”

“Huh?”

I slowly opened my eyes.

Shay, on the other side of the magic circle, was being engulfed by light and disappearing.

Shay smiled bitterly.

“This is where it ends.”

“Why are you vanishing?”

“I wasn’t chosen. That’s all.”

“But, wait, is this even possible? You’re 4-star, and I’m 1-star!”

“I pray for you, Han.”