#272
272. Catastrophe (3)
I wiped the blade with a cleaning cloth.
once. twice. The third time, the unique ink-colored blade showed off a more bewitching light.
‘you’re close.’
Yesterday before returning to the waiting room, the crack in the sky I glimpsed was a sign that they were coming.
fragment series. The highest-ranked monster in Pick Me Up that appears on the 80th floor or higher. The Fragment Series earned the nickname of the main culprit of balance destruction by bringing rankers who barely managed to overcome difficult difficulties to their knees.
Five people on all servers.
It was the number of users who broke through the 80th floor out of 100 million masters.
Ranked 1st through 5th, respectively. Even if the flying and flying users poured thousands of units of money and set up strategies with their eyes wide open, the wall on the 80th floor was not easily penetrated.
The reason for this was because the 80th floor was jinglingly difficult.
Notorious gamers in Korea have said enough to give up.
In the end, they had to either quit satisfied on the 79th floor, or find other content other than climbing the tower.
‘Is it my turn to challenge?’
I looked up.
[‘4 raids’ (large) are formed.]
[Party composition – ’37 party’, ’38 party’, ’39 party’, ’40 party’, ’41 party’… … ]
Amkena, who logged in early after a long time, is making a new engineering college.
They are forming efficient members to attack the 80th floor. If I fail here, I will lose all the heroes at once. It was a truly horrific experience to see the heroes who had invested money and time die and disappear in an instant.
‘The final decision is on the 80th floor.’
The prince did say something meaningful.
Based on the clues, several hypotheses could be established.
Most of them were negative, but I don’t care too much.
Right now, I’m just concentrating on attacking the mission.
[Kuhm! here is isel. Can you hear me! Notify the waiting members of the raid. From now on, I want the person being called to come down immediately ready for battle! First, as long as he is our invincible ace… … .]
Isel’s voice rang out.
this. It seems that you are already trying to climb the 77th floor.
I sheathed the bifrost and left the room.
The hero called this time was less than one party.
Me, Jenna, and Belquist. only three.
Amkena must have noticed that the real battle starts on the 80th floor.
We entered the rift of time and space in a quiet atmosphere.
It was the second time to enter the ecliptic.
As soon as the image of the palace came to mind, a hologram window appeared.
[Floor 77.]
[Mission Type – Exploration]
[Mission Goal – Search the Imperial Palace ‘Ragnasars’!]
All content is the same as the 76th floor.
It’s so reckless that it makes you laugh.
Jenna grumbled.
“What is this? It’s the same as the previous floors, what! The man who makes the missions has become a nuisance.”
“It hasn’t changed at all.”
I said with a smile.
First, it was night time.
Looking up, I could observe the sky full of stars.
Next, the street scene became clear.
It seems that the remnants of the prince’s army are almost wiped out.
Only mercenaries with weapons were walking down the road with stern expressions on their faces.
Eyes met with one of the patrols.
The mercenary whispered with his colleague and then came to me.
“Excuse me, but are you Mr Han Israt?”
“however.”
“Your Majesty is looking for it.”
He left without saying a few words.
“…”
“Wouldn’t it be better for us to leave again?”
Belquist murmured.
I nodded without speaking.
“Call me if anything happens. I’ll come running right away.”
“I’m really bored.”
The two disappeared into a dark back alley.
Left alone, I turned my steps and headed for the main road in the center of the ecliptic.
It wasn’t difficult to get past the guard.
Because as soon as he saw my face, he got out of the way.
When I reached the entrance of the sealed imperial palace, I saw Freea waiting for me.
“You’re here.”
Freea, who was leaning against the stone wall in the garden, stood up.
She is wearing a simple white dress, not a wedding dress.
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As my gaze reached below, Fria scratched her cheek.
“……Doesn’t it suit you?”
“No, because why did you wear that?”
“I wanted to change the atmosphere.”
Freea started walking ahead.
Through the open palace gates.
I quietly stuck behind Freea.
“The memories of the past… have returned.”
Fria muttered as if talking to herself.
“Taoneer has already perished once.”
“…”
“Now I feel like the blockage inside is opening. You were my helpers from the Goddess. I think I now understand why the heroes once hated me.”
again and again.
Freea proceeded without hesitation through the dark corridors of the imperial palace.
The lights that were lit here and there dimly illuminated the interior.
“What I regarded as a dream was the token of a foolish contract. If it hadn’t been for me…they would have had a more honorable end than they deserved. “
“…”
“I may have sold them for my own greed. It was my karma that His Highness, the prince, ended up like that.”
Freea’s face was hidden in the shadows.
I said softly.
“So, do you regret it?”
“It’s half and half.”
“Half and half?”
Not even half fried and half seasoned.
“If I hadn’t sold Taoni, wouldn’t I have met you?”
“That’s a bit of a risky statement.”
I don’t know how Yoshu would have reacted if he had heard of it.
“Huh, didn’t I tell you? I’m a selfish person. I can do anything for my own greed.”
Freea laughed a little in the light.
My memory came back, but fortunately I didn’t seem to be shocked.
This must be a sign that she has matured.
“one.”
“why?”
“Do you remember that promise?”
I nodded.
It was the story of asking for a lifetime contract.
“You don’t have to worry about it. It looks like I’ve burdened you. I’m sorry.”
“Can you come and cancel it on your own?”
“Even if you think so…”
“I haven’t decided. I hope you give me more time to think about it.”
“but…….”
“It’s not over. Neither you, nor me, nor here.”
I asserted
Freea quietly bit her lip.
“……i get it.”
“They’ll be waiting for you. Let’s go.”
I can’t wait to see what nonsense he’ll say this time.
I opened the door to the palace and went out.
Starlight is pouring down from the vents in the ceiling.
A seat of power without an owner caught my eye. This time the prince was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, the boy who was aiding him was looking this way.
<It’s finally my turn.>
He was a handsome boy reminiscent of a porcelain doll.
A piece of emotion was not revealed in the cold eyes.
<My name is Lantia Baalser. He is one of the ancient servants who made an oath with the Emperor of Tao Nier.>
“Greetings to the ancient one.”
Freea lifted the hem of her dress.
Rantia snorted and came closer to me.
<Han Israat.>
“hmm?”
<Cooperate with us.>
The guy went straight to the point.
<You already know. It’s all pointless show. No matter how it goes, Taoni is over. But why are you still matching Tell’s stage?>
“…”
<I’ll tell you in advance, I’m not a monster like the prince. However, it is not an Advent type monster like Halgion or Asinis. Me and Stenberg… … .>
Rantia threw something out of her arms.
A silver-white card that glistens in the moonlight.
<Moebius Co., Ltd. Executive Director, %@■>
<010-6432-XXXX>
I’ve seen it.
Half a year has passed, but the memory of that time is still vivid.
The two-star promotion ceremony was like a business card that Tell showed me.
<I was an executive at Mobius. Not only us, but all Moebius executives are composed of spirits and sub-gods from each world.>
Freea bent down and picked up a business card.
And slowly began to scan.
<Me, Stenberg, and many other executives gathered. It had only one purpose. To save Moebius and his own world. We moved directly. Unlike the other two, who are just talkative.>
I narrowed my eyebrows.
This guy is a Mobius executive?
<Do you know? Taoneer has been regenerated 17 times.>
Freea stepped forward.
“What do you mean? As far as I remember, this is the first time I returned…”
<It will be like that after becoming a toy of earthlings.>
Rantia laughed self-deprecatingly.
<In the first world, you guys couldn’t resist. Humans and other races drew swords at each other until they were destroyed. It was foolish enough.>
“That’s unlike anything I’ve seen.”
I opened my mouth.
If you’re talking about the 4-star promotion ceremony and ‘the end of the world’, you’re wrong.
There, the heroes of Taonier, led by the prince, joined together to resist the approaching destruction.
<How long do you think it took for the results to come out? With the power of the goddess, we cut off our power of existence and returned the time axis again and again. He also created a powerful guardian by incorporating all kinds of myths. Just like you now, Han Israt.>
Rantia closed her eyes.
<But it failed. Destruction was unstoppable. This is all true. You are free to believe or not.>
“Then it’s my freedom to cooperate or not.”
<If you cooperate with us, you don’t have to do this kind of play anymore. Did you say Earth? You can go back wherever you want.>
“Stop talking nonsense. I’m not here to joke with you.”
I chuckled.
Rantia opened her eyes.
<You’re stupid.>
“Think wildly.”
In the past, you might have been worried.
Because there is a possibility of going back without completing the mission.
At least he was willing to listen to what nonsense he was talking about.
But now it was out of the question.
<Then… … It has to be shown as a result.>
Rantia waved her hand.
A light seemed to flash in front of my eyes, but before I knew it, we were back outside the imperial palace.
sting.
The sound of bugs coming from somewhere tickled my ears.
I looked up.
Dismissed!
starry sky.
An even clearer crack was engraved.
[Current progress – 40%]
[When it reaches 100%, ‘Advent’ begins.]
[Master, prepare for battle!]
I opened my eyes wide.
I see something wriggling through the crack like a glass bead.
They were staring at us, swaying without a fixed shape.
‘It’s coming soon.’
From the beginning, a collision with them was unavoidable.
What is to come has only come.
“……one.”
I looked away.
Freea was looking at me with trembling eyes.
“So, are you going to beat me?”
I muttered.
“Since it doesn’t seem possible, are you going to quit?
“That boy’s words…”
“Never mind real or fake. Just do what you set out to do. Didn’t you want to leave a decent hometown for your little brother somewhere out here?”
I put my hand on Freea’s head.
A soft touch touched the palm of my hand. He may be older than I am now, but in my eyes he is still just a grumbling kid.
‘I remember.’
The first time I met this guy.
“We all die anyway. You and I. Whether we die of old age or an accident. There’s nothing we can do about it since our lifespan is fixed. Then what should we do? Are you going to live under the influence of what others say until you enter the coffin? Or do what you want to do, Are you going to live as long as you want?”
I spoke.
“Tell them to stop talking about what fate is like and what the world is like. Follow your heart. Otherwise, you will definitely regret it.”
“…”
“I don’t want to live very long. What matters is whether I can live the life I want and end it properly.”
Freea was looking at me, blinking.
I was a game addict on Earth. Even though he was the highest ranker in the game, in the eyes of others, he was nothing more and nothing less than a waste in the corner of the room.
But I have no regrets.
Because I was able to do whatever I wanted to do.
Even if that’s what happened as a result.
“regret.”
“Death or life, life is only once. Then…”
“Are you asking me to do what I want to do?”
“That’s it. Let’s put face and duty aside. Didn’t you just say that you don’t regret selling Taoni to the goddess? That’s all you need to do.”
I smiled.
“Finally, one thing is certain…”
“Are you sure?”
“Until this fight is over, I’ll be by your side.”
Freea took a deep breath.
“I see.”
and gave a soft smile.
