Pick Me Up!

Chapter 43: Prologue (2) (1)

I immediately drew my sword.

I didnt know who it was Even though that person was right in front of me, I couldnt properly recognize their appearance.

But one thing I could assert was that this bastard is directly related to the reason why Im here.

Finally, we meet.

An unpleasant voice, like scraping metal, pierced my ears.

I tightened my grip on the sword in my right hand. My knuckles turned white.

I want to kill her.

The blood and sweat I shed.

And the hellish battlefields I experienced.

They were all because of this bastard.

Though I couldnt see its face, the voice remained clear in my mind.

I took out a shield and placed it on my left arm.

I took slow breaths.

Assessing the power I had.

Desperately calculating my next moves to kill her; comparing my level, and skills to its abilities

Suddenly, a strong headache struck me.

Damn it

I couldnt see any way out.

Currently, I am level 10 at 1-star. Just a hero with six low-tier skills. On the other hand, her power was immeasurable. I vividly remembered how it wiped out my second party, consisting of six 6-star and 5-star max-level heroes, in less than 10 seconds.

I corrected my distorted vision.

It was close to me, but its figure was obscured by a strange mist.

The part that seemed to be its mouth suddenly wriggled.

Arent you going to rush at me? You must resent me.

If youre going to spout nonsense, then you can just f*ck off.

Hehe, good, very good. Indeed, if you didnt have that much restraint, you would have died already.

Its arms swayed as it applauded.

The headache intensified. I took a step back, assuming a stance to swing my sword at any moment.

Is this how all hero promotions are done?

Of course not. You are a special existence. This place is a gift for you. Its a stage that Ive prepared for you, the master who was once the glorious Ranker of Pick Me Up.

The fog covering the field dispersed.

Beyond the fog, it revealed itself

A woman.

No, she was more like a young girl than a woman.

Her features and figure were close to perfection, resembling a doll. The girl, wearing a flowing black dress, walked slowly towards me, with a fairy fluttering around her, the one that brought me here.

I didnt know how to introduce myself to you.

Ill just think of you as a damn b*tch.

Thats a bit harsh.

The girl smiled like a painting and flicked her finger.

An exquisite leather-covered chair appeared. She sat on it, directing her gaze at me.

Looking closely, she resembled Iselle greatly.

I felt that if Iselle would grow up, she would eventually look just like her.

The girl noticed my stare and giggled softly.

I dont look like Iselle; Iselle looks like me. That child is nothing more than my clone. The 147,900,000th one, to be precise. Well, isnt that number somewhat similar to Pick Me Ups download count?

What do you mean?

Think about it.

The girl chuckled and took out a business card from her pocket.

As she casually tossed it, the card rotated in the air and landed in my hand.

The name field was filled with special characters.

Are you playing games with me?

I dont have just one name. I change it depending on the situation.

I crumpled the business card and threw it to the ground, then stomped on it.

Pardon me?!

I etched her true form into my mind so that I wouldnt forget. Then I spoke.

Are you the one that brought me here?

Probably.

I almost jumped involuntarily.

The girl squinted her eyes, seemingly aware of my state, and smiled.

Dont hate me too much. Even for me, it was unexpected that you would be summoned to Mobius. It was an accident, a kind of mistake.

I dont care about your circumstances. If you dont want to die, send me back.

Thinking of killing me, a mere 1-star hero? Your ambition is quite grand, isnt it?

The chances of that might change as time goes by.

In that case, killing you right now might be the solution.

A reddish light flashed in the girls eyes.

Simultaneously, a black shadowy lance shot up from under her feet aiming at my chest.

I didnt avoid it.

Your courage is impressive.

The lance stopped right in front of my heart.

As the girl gestured with her hand, the lance returned to her shadow.

She still has no intention of killing me.

I could tell from the situation.

Though I couldnt precisely gauge the extent of her power limit, it was undoubtedly formidable. She directly intervened in a mission stage enclosed by a transparent barrier and even delved into the promotion process.

There must have been several opportunities for her to eliminate me.

However, she chose to overlook that and summoned me here. It meant she had a different purpose. I desperately suppressed my boiling thoughts.

What do you want?

Nothing much. I just wanted to have a conversation with you.

A conversation?

Yes, Loki. The 5th-ranked master in the world and the undefeated master. Im your fan. While monitoring, Ive lost count of how many times Ive marveled at your gameplay. Your powerful Niflheimr is also the top priority of our headquarters surveillance. How can I not treat you properly?

The girl giggled and stood up from the chair.

The chair vanished as if by magic.

Ive come here to reveal the truth of this world to you.