Pick Me Up – Chapter 294 – Incarnation (2)
I opened the Inverted Sky Book.
It was torn and scratched all over, making it impossible to understand its content, but the power twisting inside was palpable.
“At first, I thought I was given trash.”
But it turned out to be more useful than I expected.
“Master, please stop.”
“Why should I?”
“We have summoned Yurnet. If you wait a bit longer, we will take appropriate measures and send you back to Earth…”
“Will you send me back to Earth?”
Nisled staggered as he approached me.
“This is not a place for the Master to stay. You should return to Earth and... live a safe life…”
“I didn't know you cared so much about me.”
“I am also a hero of the Master. I received your grace and have survived until now. That's why…”
“For me?”
“…Yes.”
“Don't worry. I will return to Earth.”
“Then, immediately…”
“But it won't be now.”
Vuuuum!
The light of the dimensional portal next to the altar in the promotion hall faded.
It was a passage connected to Earth. It would probably disappear in less than a minute.
I began to murmur while holding the open Inverted Sky Book.
“I can feel it.”
From somewhere, I was being called.
When I placed my hand on the edge of the bookshelf, a light spread throughout the promotion hall.
“If you refuse, I will do it by force.”
Nisled kicked the ground and jumped toward the ceiling.
With movements as agile as a snake, a dagger emerged from Nisled's hand as he ran upside down along the ceiling.
[ I won’t let you do it! ]
“Grr!”
Iselle, turned into a beam of light, struck Nisled’s side.
Nisled’s body was violently thrown backward.
[ Gyaa! Gyaa! Gyaa! ]
Crack! Crackle!
Iselle began to tremble as if struck by lightning.
A penalty was applied for attacking a hero. This time, there was no self-defense justification. Showing white eyes and foaming at the mouth, she seemed quite shocked.
[ Gaack! Maaack! I'm going to die…]
“You didn’t have to intervene.”
[ But… ]
Iselle, lying on the ground, looked at me as she twisted.
I let out a slight smile and spoke.
“Well, you did well anyway, number one subordinate.”
[ He, hehe…]
“Wait a moment. I'll be back soon.”
[ Understood. I'll wait. ]
Bang!
The door to the promotion hall burst open.
Outside, there was a crowd of assassins dressed in black clothes and masks.
Nisled, lying on the ground, muttered.
“…Protect the Master.”
In an instant, dozens of assassins, turned into shadows, rushed from all directions.
They attacked from different angles and speeds, targeting all possible points I might dodge.
“It’s too late.”
I don't need to flee or counterattack.
I firmly closed the Inverted Sky Book.
That was enough.
Flash.
A bright light spread out.
The figures of the assassins rushing towards me slowed down like in a slow-motion video and then stopped.
I let out a deep sigh and closed my eyes.
‘I can't leave like this.’
It's not for knowing my origin.
It's not for Priacis.
It's not for Yvolka or Edith.
It's just for myself.
‘If I get so angry that I can't sleep, I must ensure I can sleep.’
An expensive house, delicious food, and a car... What good are all those things?
If there’s something I must take responsibility for, I will, and if there's something I must pay for, I will.
This is simply following my own principles.
‘So…’
Don't hide, come out and face me.
I opened my eyes.
[ Unrecognized dimension. ]
[ Urgent attention required. Please call a manager! ]
Beyond my blurred vision, a place I had seen before appeared.
I blinked a couple of times. Then, my vision cleared.
A vast wheat field stretched out before me.
A cool breeze blew through the waving wheat fields.
Crackle.
I looked to my right.
A holographic message flickered before new words appeared.
[ Floor 100. ]
[ Mission type – Unknown ]
[ Mission objective – Unknown ]
The 100th floor, huh?
“This is…”
I clicked my tongue and started walking down the path that stretched into the wheat field.
Turning right on the winding path, a familiar wooden house appeared.
“Israt.”
The young man sitting on a chair outside stood up.
The young man, Pryos, dressed in simple cloth clothes, slowly approached me.
“You've finally arrived. I was waiting…”
Bam!
Pryos, who received a punch, rolled across the wheat field.
Pryos murmured with a bitter smile.
“It’s quite a rough welcome.”
I shook off my sore wrist.
I planned to knock out a few of his teeth, but his face was tougher than I thought.
I looked at the Prince with an impassive expression.
“Weren't you dead on the 80th floor?”
“Yes. I died then.”
The Prince wiped the blood from his lips and stood up.
“Then what are you? A ghost?”
“More or less. I'm neither alive nor dead. You could call me... a ‘memory’. It’s a feature of this land I created.”
“I didn't come here to play with your words.”
I looked around.
A small house built in the middle of the wheat field.
‘A piece of land.’
The Prince had created this refuge for Priacis.
So she could spend her remaining days without any interference.
“The punch of an adult younger brother… is as fierce as this.”
Pryos smiled kindly.
“Don't make me angry. You should thank me for not hitting you harder.”
“Hahaha.”
“Now do you expect me to treat you as an older brother? It was all an act from the beginning. You bastard.”
“I'm not that shameless, Israt.”
“Don't call me by that name.”
“As you wish.”
Pryos spat out the blood from his mouth.
Then, he spoke in a low tone.
“Let's get to the point. It doesn't seem like we have much time.”
“……”
“If this continues, Mobius will soon be destroyed.”
“I know.”
“Then I'll ask you.”
Pryos' transparent eyes scanned my body.
“What do you want to do?”
“……”
“Do you want to go back to Earth? Or will you continue the hopeless fight?”
“Before that, let me ask you something.”
“Whatever you want.”
“Did you do all this to keep me here?”
The Prince's eyes narrowed.
“I warn you, even if everything I've seen is true, Israt or whatever, that guy died a long time ago. If you expect me to treat you like family, don't even dream about it.”
“Hahaha. It's obvious. Israt, I abandoned you when you decided to stay with us in Taonier. How could I have the audacity to demand anything?”
Pryos spoke.
“I didn't think you would survive. It was a bet with very low odds.”
“Hmm.”
“But not only did you survive, but you also came back here. If it weren't for you, the Taonier scenario would never have started. It was a nearly discarded dimension due to its high difficulty and multiple errors.”
“……”
“If it weren't for you… we would have remained asleep for countless eras. I, Priacis, the heroes, and the ancient races would have been buried in darkness for a long time. That's why I acknowledge you. I didn't help you at all. You made it here with your own strength.”
A twisted smile appeared on Pryos' lips.
‘That's nonsense.’
It’s a really annoying habit.
In other words, this arrogant bastard was testing me.
If I had died along the way, he wouldn't have cared.
‘Did he not care if Priacis died too?’
Well.
After going through this 17 times, I can't guess what he was thinking.
“Then.”
I spoke.
“What are the odds?”
“Odds?”
“The odds that we can win if I stay here and fight them.”
“……”
“I don't make bets without chances of winning. Even if I had the power of golden blood, I don't think I can defeat all the fragments.”
“That's true. Dimensional power is not invincible. It has its limits, as you've seen. That power… is just an incomplete and immature remnant of a higher dimension.”
I crossed my arms and pondered.
If I have the emperor's blood, awaken that power, and face them with my full strength…
‘Could I defeat that damn bastard?’
No matter how much I think about it, it seems impossible.
That's beyond reasonable. I couldn't find a solution even after running hundreds of simulations.
For now, at least.
“Israt, golden blood is just a small part of your potential.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Do you know why the seven-star plan failed?”
“……”
“Because no hero, no matter how excellent, could fully contain the existence of a Master. The same happened with the hero known as the Conqueror. His body broke when crossing dimensions and had to be transferred to another hero's body. Even that was incomplete, and when he reached the limit of the seven stars, he began to crumble.”
The Conqueror.
He referred to El Cid, the number one in the ranking.
I remembered what was written in the Inverted Sky Book. When he was first summoned, he possessed the body of an insignificant one-star hero.
‘I see.’
If an existence from a lower dimension can't go to a higher one, the same should apply in reverse.
Even if transferred, it couldn't last long or use all its power. Like the sub-master of the Union who fought against Niflheim in the past. I ordered my thoughts one by one while speaking.
“Then how did Tel create the game?”
“He's just clumsily manipulating a small part of Earth. That's almost divine, but the concentration is different from yours, directly connected.”
Pryos smiled broadly.
“Israt, you are neither from Earth nor Mobius.”
“Then what am I?”
“I know a man who looks like you.”
“……”
“The Emperor.”
I frowned.
That name appears again.
“The ancients who made a pact with the Emperor called him that.”
Pryos continued.
“The infinite chalice.”
“……”
“It is the original of the golden blood that Priacis and I possess.”
“Then, will I gain some special ability?”
“You can do infinite synthesis.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh.
This time, it seems he explained it clearly.
‘Infinite synthesis.’
I remembered the characteristics of the seven stars I knew.
They could surpass the hero level limit of 99, reorganize and increase their abilities and engravings at will. Besides, they could synthesize nearby heroes, NPCs, and monsters to gain power on the spot.
‘But it also had its limits.’
Level 999.
Even if they surpass the hero limit, they can't surpass the system.
‘If synthesis is repeated, the information will mix.’
Ultimately, it was the union of data.
As synthesis repeats, the original information will dilute.
This will lead to collapse…
‘The vessel will break.’
Like what happened to El Cid.
But if there was no such penalty.
“This… could be useful.”
I murmured.
“Do you really think that?”
“……”
“It’s just a possibility. Do you think you can change the universe's fate with that power?”
Pryos approached me.
His golden eyes shone coldly.
“You saw it too.”
“Yes, I saw it.”
I saw it twice.
First, the sea of infinite fragments.
Then, an existence of an unmeasurable scale that seemed impossible to face.
This was just a joke.
What I saw wasn't even a hundredth or a thousandth part of them.
They won't stop until Mobius is destroyed.
‘Because that’s how it must be.’
When life ends, it dies.
It's a natural law that no one can deny.
From insects and plants to humans, stars and the sun, stellar systems, and galaxies.
It's an absolute rule that applies to the entire universe.
‘Then…’
I'll tell this to the ‘thing’ that made that rule.
‘To go to hell.’
“The odds of winning are about one percent.”
“You’re very optimistic.”
“Rounding up. Anyway, if there's one percent, it's worth trying. I'll get out of here, continue synthesizing, and increase my power.”
“And then?”
“I’ll kill them all.”
“Do you mean those Harvesters? Thousands, millions of fragments, billions, trillions of fragments? That's ridiculous. Even if it were possible, after…”
“After catching those bastards who sent the fragments.”
“……”
I turned my head.
Pryos held his face.
“You’re… crazy.”
“Think what you want.”
“Ha, ha, ha.”
Pryos bent over.
Before he could speak, he held his stomach and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!”
“……”
“It’s absurd! A mere human who is not even a speck in the vast universe dares to say such arrogant things! Ha, ha, ha! Do you want to kill me with laughter, Israt?”
“I didn’t say it to make you laugh.”
“Really…? Are you serious?”
Pryos stopped laughing.
And looked behind the cabin.
I narrowed my eyes.
Four strange figures in tattered robes emerged from behind the cabin.
Their faces were hidden under the shadows of their hoods.
“This insignificant human here present wants to challenge the entire universe. So… what will you do? I, Pryos Al Ragnar, with legitimate golden blood, command you.”
“……”
“Fulfill the ancient pact.”
Vuuuum.
Golden energy emanated from Pryos' feet.
That light traveled up his body, erasing the simple clothes he wore and dressing him in luxurious ornamented attire. A majestic cape settled on his shoulders, and a golden crown adorned his head.
“I said it before.”
Pryos extended his right hand.
The light emanating from it began to erase the wheat field.
“If I can't end it here, I'll start here.”