Pick me Up – Chapter 271 – Catastrophe (2)
I opened my eyes.
[Floor 76.]
[Mission Type – Exploration]
[Mission Objective – Investigate the Ragnassar Palace.]
The mission window appeared on the right side of my field of vision.
This time, the objective was exploration. It was what I expected.
The forces defending the imperial territory had nearly been annihilated on the 75th floor. During the battle, most of the high-ranking officers, including the commanders, were exterminated, leaving only a few stragglers.
‘Imperial City Bardia.’
It was the capital that had grown alongside the empire.
A beautiful city, worthy of a painting, built around the grand imperial palace.
Crumble! Boom!
Debris from the golden roof fell.
The city was ablaze in various places.
“Long live the prince…!”
The head of a kneeling soldier rolled.
A mercenary with a scruffy beard wiped the blood from his sword and ordered his subordinates.
“There must still be some rats left! Find them and kill them all!”
“Yes!”
The garden outside the palace.
Between the marble columns, bodies were scattered everywhere.
The cries of agony and the strong smell of blood mingled in the air.
‘Doesn’t seem like there’s any need to fight…’
I looked up.
The fleet floated in the twilight sky.
It was an allied army formed by heroes and the princess’s army.
Although the prince’s army had been practically destroyed on the 75th floor, the allied fleet seemed not to lower its guard and was ready for bombardment.
<Traitor who has betrayed the Empire and its millions of citizens, listen, Pryos Al Ragnar!>
A resonant voice was heard from the fleet’s flagship.
<The imperial city is completely blocked. You have no way out. Come out and receive a just judgment. Once again, we declare: this war under the blessing of the rightful princess will be our victory…>
“What an annoying noise.”
Belkist covered his ears.
“They’re trying to boost our morale. It’s a declaration of our victory, isn’t it?”
Jenna nodded while looking around.
“The civil war is almost over. Soon we’ll be able to go home. Only that prince or whatever is left to catch.”
“That’s the real problem.”
Belkist clicked his tongue.
From the 50th floor to the 75th floor, the prince had not appeared even once while his subordinates died one after another. If he had intervened actively, the war would have had a very different outcome.
‘What is his objective?’
If his purpose was “liberation” as he initially declared, he should have come out much earlier.
But even now, when the princess’s army’s sword was about to touch his neck, he still did not show himself.
I had no clear answer despite thinking about it several times.
There was only one way to find out: face him directly.
I looked around.
The garden and the corridors around the palace.
In the center, there was a door leading to the throne room.
And…
“Han…”
Pria, dressed in a white gown, was there.
“I knew you would come.”
Pria smiled at me.
The small dimples in her cheeks appeared softly.
With a gown and a crown, and surrounded by strict guards, her demeanor was completely natural.
On the 60th floor, she still had an air of awkwardness, but now she even seemed majestic.
‘No longer…’
There were no traces of the young Pria.
Well, she was approaching her 30s.
She had become older than me.
“Welcome, brother.”
Yoshu, with a sword, bowed his head.
He had scars on his face and a thick beard.
He had completely shed the weakness of his youth.
“Thanks to you and the heroes, our army has triumphed. We only need to plant the flag on the throne.”
“There’s still one person left. It’s too soon to celebrate.”
“What he can do is limited. And no matter what he does, there’s nothing to worry about. We have an invincible warrior with us.”
Yoshu smiled.
“Yoshu, don’t burden Han any more. He’s done enough.”
“I said it in jest, Your Majesty.”
“I… am not Your Majesty.”
Pria sighed.
“Anyway, this exhausting war is coming to an end. Now we must unite forces and move towards a new era.”
“Open the doors.”
Creeeak.
At Yoshu’s order, the doors leading inside the palace opened.
A cold breeze blew from inside.
“The enemy is inside. We should send in the elite troops immediately…”
“No, I’ll go alone. I have something to discuss with my brother.”
“It’s dangerous. Your body no longer belongs to you alone.”
“It’s fine. I’ll be with the knight I trust most.”
Pria looked at me.
“Could you wait outside?”
“But…”
“If my brother wanted to fight, he would have appeared already. Trust me once more. Can you ask the other heroes to wait outside?”
“Well, that…”
Jenna looked at me nervously.
Pria was a primary protection target. If she separated, there would be a gap in her guard.
The risk of an attack would increase exponentially.
But Pria was also right.
If the prince wanted to fight, he would have counterattacked long ago.
I nodded.
“Thank you, Han.”
Pria bowed, holding the folds of her gown.
Then she slowly entered the palace. I followed, holding the sheath of Bifrost.
Bang.
As soon as we entered, the door slammed shut.
The lanterns hanging on the marble columns lit up, illuminating the interior.
‘They didn’t send her in without a plan.’
I murmured low enough for Pria not to hear.
“Belkist, Jenna, come in immediately when I give the signal. Be alert for anything suspicious.”
<I will.>
<Understood.>
“Roderick, please prepare to enter as well.”
<Understood.>
I received the response from Roderick, the commander of Taonier.
With this, the basic precaution was covered. If something happened, I just needed to buy a little time, and reinforcements would arrive.
Step by step.
Pria’s steps echoed in the empty palace corridor.
“Han.”
“What?”
“I’ve aged too. Don’t I look worse than before?”
“You don’t look worse.”
“Hehe, then it was worth taking care of myself.”
Pria looked younger than expected.
From the outside, anyone would think she was in her early 20s.
“Have you not decided your answer yet?”
“That… is correct.”
“Think about it calmly. I’ll also do my best not to displease you.”
Pria murmured, almost sighing.
“So many years have passed… but I keep aging.”
I didn’t respond.
I just gripped Bifrost’s sheath tighter.
“It’s hard to understand. Everything is a mystery. What was that dream that guided me? Why did my brother do what he did? And why did you come to us? This distortion is…”
“I don’t know. Maybe he’ll tell us.”
I said while looking ahead.
Beyond the open door, the view I had seen at the four-star ascension ceremony stretched out.
‘The Emperor’s Hall.’
The place where Taonier’s heroes made their last stand before destruction.
I thought there would be at least a servant, but the palace interior was completely silent.
There wasn’t a single rat in sight.
A completely desolate space.
Except for one person sitting on the golden throne on the other side.
[Danger!]
[Black Prince]
[Pryos Al Ragnar Lv.391]
A name tag appeared above his head.
The level shown was 391.
‘It’s incredibly high.’
There were no monsters of this level in the entire game record.
It was certainly suitable for a final boss of an S-level account.
I was ready to draw my sword at any moment.
I couldn’t let my guard down because I didn’t know what tricks he might have up his sleeve.
“…Brother.”
Pria narrowed her eyes and advanced towards the throne.
I followed her slowly.
[A special event has started.]
[Event 001 – Reunion]
‘Special event?’
What nonsense.
I shrugged.
“You’re both here. You saved me the trouble of looking for you.”
The mouth beneath the bandages twisted into a smile.
He was half-reclined on the golden throne, examining something on the armrest.
A blue globe on a metal base.
That is…
‘A globe?’
Something I didn’t expect to see appeared.
“You’ve brought many troops, Pria.”
“…”
“It’s all useless. Even with a million soldiers, the result will be the same.”
The prince spun the globe once.
Then he looked at me.
“Isn’t it? The future of this world is predetermined. No matter what we mortals do, we can’t change it.”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
Shing!
I drew Bifrost halfway.
“I don’t have time for your jokes. If you have something to say, say it quickly.”
“You…”
The prince spun the globe again.
“You come from an interesting place. A very fun place. They called it Earth, right? Horse-less carriages ran through the streets, and steel palaces rose to the sky.”
“This damned…”
“Don’t underestimate me. Even though I’m just a sacrifice, I’m not completely disconnected from the outside. I had a very faithful helper.”
Swoosh!
On the prince’s sides, shadows emerged.
Two small children. A boy and a girl in tattered robes.
They looked at me without emotion.
‘Lantia and Sternberg.’
They were ancient species of Taonier like Halgion.
“Brother, you…”
“I wanted to know.”
Pryos slowly left the throne.
“I desperately wanted to know why we had to be destroyed.”
Pryos tore the bandages from his face.
Half of his face was like a sculpture, while the other half was marked by burn scars.
Outside the scars, black veins pulsed.
“Where did you get those scars…?”
“Let’s say it’s the price of knowing the truth.”
“What truth, Prince? I saw the destruction of Taonier. I saw the city burning and the citizens suffering. But you…”
The prince spoke.
<Remember.>
Pria’s eyes clouded over.
She fell to her knees.
The prince smiled as I drew my sword.
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t hurt my dear sister. I just helped her remember what she had forgotten.”
“Forgotten memories?”
“The memories of Taonier before it became a toy.”
The four-star ascension ceremony.
The moment Tel forced the contract by taking Pria hostage.
“It’s not time for us to end our struggle. This world is saying so too.”
The prince extended his hand.
That hand faded with a gentle wave.
It was the system’s effect indicating he couldn’t approach.
“What do you mean?”
“Look up, Han.”
The prince pointed to the ceiling.
I looked up.
There was a small hole in the center of the ceiling.
The midday sunlight shone through it.
“Do you think that glow will last forever?”
“…”
“That is the light of Taonier, called the Eye of the Goddess.”
I frowned.
I didn’t fully understand what he was saying.
“Hundreds, thousands, millions of years will pass and the Eye of the Goddess will keep shining. The light of life will illuminate all of Taonier’s continent. But if millions, billions of years pass, what do you think will happen?”
“What nonsense are you talking…?”
“What will happen to the world you come from?”
Pryos’s eyes glowed with a strange light.
“Do you think Earth, the paradise you come from, and the universe it belongs to are eternal?”
A voice bordering on madness.
The prince reached back.
The globe floated to his hand.
“…Those damned bitches.”
The prince looked at the globe.
Crackle! The metal globe began to corrode rapidly.
As if time had accelerated millions of times.
“They restored something that shouldn’t have been restored.”
The prince waved his hand.
The remains of the corroded metal dispersed like dust.
“There are four more left. I’ll prepare a suitable stage for the end.”
The prince snapped his fingers.
The next moment, Pria and I were standing outside the palace doors.
“What the hell…?!”
Yoshu, who was waiting, ran towards us.
Pria was sitting on the ground, with a dazed expression.
“What happened, brother? Why suddenly…?!”
“He forcibly threw us out. It seems it’s not time yet.”
I murmured.
We can’t resolve this until the 80th floor.
Even if his level exceeds 400, he’s still restricted by the system’s rules.
“Why…?”
“She’ll wake up soon. Take good care of her.”
[Mission completed!]
[Group 1 cannot level up as it has reached the maximum level.]
[Roderick (★★★★★★), Benik (★★★★★★), Anan (★★★★★★)…]
[Rewards – 3,000,000G, Royal Badges (B) x 4, Black Marble (A) x 13…]
[MVP – Roderick (★★★★★★)]
Floor 76.
I had anticipated it would be some kind of prelude to the 80th floor.
But I didn’t expect it to unfold this way.
“What happened inside?”
Jenna asked hastily.
The light of return enveloped us from the feet.
“We talked a bit.”
“What did you talk about? Did he reveal some birth secret?”
I clicked my tongue.
The topic was much bigger than a simple birth secret.
‘Suddenly he talked about Earth, the stars, and the universe. It was pure nonsense.’
It seemed he wanted to give me a hint.
About the fundamental reason for Taonier’s destruction… or rather, Mobius’s.
I don’t know how he discovered it.
Even with the help of two ancient species, I didn’t expect a simple monster to have such information.
‘They restored something that shouldn’t have been restored?’
I looked up.
Crack!
Beyond the blurry landscape.
As if a glass window was breaking, cracks appeared in the sky.
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