Pick Me Up, Infinite Gacha

# 259

259. Requiem (5)

The video ended with countless fragments rushing towards El Cid.

I stood still in the middle of the darkened monitor room. In my head, the images of El Cid and his colleagues were mixed and spinning.

‘Just now…’

The meaning of what I saw.

Judging from the reaction of the Dorado heroes,

it seems that Tell’s words that the world can be saved by clearing the mission were false.

A slight headache radiated from his temples.

‘I don’t know where the real and the false start.’

As the number of floors increases, the world becomes desolate and eventually becomes barren.

A place where no life can live.

I was making a prediction.

It was clear what El Cid, who had given up on returning to Earth, was hoping for and carrying out his mission.

Even if you clear the mission to the end, the destroyed world will not be restored. There was no other reason for El Cid to go to Server 1, even sacrificing his teammates.

Now that anticipation has turned to certainty.

I opened the door to the video room and got out to solve another question.

Director’s Office.

Just outside the screening room, a middle-aged man in a wheelchair was coughing.

I looked at him with my eyes narrowed. The light returned to his dimly lit eyes.

“Loki…”

My eyes met with the director.

I pointed to the door of the video room and opened my mouth.

“Is that real?”

“It’s true… it’s true.”

The director’s wrinkled eyes turned to me.

That tired look was more like an old man than a middle-aged one.

“The boss lied to me again.”

I laughed out loud.

“It was made to bring it back? It’s a net joke. Where do you see that to bring it back? Even if you break it, there’s nothing left.”

“Yes… Cool!”

The director brought the white cloth to his mouth.

Red blood oozes from the handkerchief on his mouth.

“Even if the mission is cleared to the end… the destroyed world will not be restored…” ”

…”

I clenched my fists.

If the guy in front of me was Tell, he would have smashed his head right away.

“Then what is the purpose of this game?”

“To seek… the doom of destruction.”

“Don’t play with words.”

I quieted my voice.

“I told you earlier. It’s the same even if you clear the mission. But what about destruction?”

“It’s just… unfinished.”

The director put the bloody handkerchief in the trash.

“Originally, from the 90th floor onwards… a stage for restoration was to be prepared… I cooperated with the two…” ”

By the way.”

the director said softly.

“Failed.”

“…?”

“The impossible… couldn’t be made possible…”

He’s been talking nonsense since before.

I gradually approached him. With a flick of the hand, he could have summoned Bifrost and slit the old man’s head.

“I won’t see any more rudeness.”

I stopped.

I glanced to the side and saw Siselle thrusting a sword into my neck with infinitely cold eyes.

Jureuk.

A layer of skin peeled from his neck, and a shallow stream of blood gushed out.

‘The Black Dragon Rin… has been pierced.’

I caught my breath.

“Nothing will change if you use your sword here.”

“know.”

“As a developer, I feel sorry for letting you, a user, play an unfinished game. Please consider inviting you to this kind of event as our atonement.”

click.

Sizel returned the sword to its scabbard with a gentle motion.

“It is as the director said. Originally, Pick Me Up consisted of 100 floors, but due to a design flaw, stages higher than 90 floors were not implemented.”

“So you guys released an unfinished game.”

what did he say about this

Was it early access?

In any case, it was an outrageous scam.

“…sorry.”

Siselle bowed deeply to me.

I sighed.

“Currently, even if you complete the mission, the destroyed world will not be restored. Is it because it is an unfinished game?”

“Since the release, we have been steadily working to solve the cause, but it is difficult to rectify.”

Siselle bit her lip in anger.

“So the director asked to stop the service…”

“wasn’t accepted?”

“yes.”

I crossed my arms.

If this is the case, who should I trust?

If everything is a lie, isn’t it suspicious of Tell’s words that he created Pick Me Up to save the world? He had other ulterior motives…

“It’s not a lie… it’s not…”

muttered the director.

As if you saw through my heart.

“The purpose of the game… is to save Moebius…”

“They say it’s incomplete. You said the problem won’t be fixed.”

“He just… doesn’t admit it…”

“What’s wrong with the game being unfinished? It’s been over two years since it’s been out and you can’t fix it?”

Siselle intervened.

“I’m sorry, but it’s a top secret in the company about the design flaw. I can’t tell you the cause to you, an outsider.”

“…”

“This will break the goal.”

I sat casually on a nearby iron chair.

“The real company is a piece of shit. Doesn’t it release the game unfinished? Aren’t they arbitrarily kidnapping users and putting them in the game? It’s a lie to all kinds of scams. Now they can’t even tell you the reason. Isn’t it too lacking in conscience?”

“…”

“I believed you and suffered until I died here. I survived somehow. But… will it come out like this?”

I closed my mouth.

Sizel closed her eyes and the director just stared into space.

“If you… become no outsider… the story will be different…”

the director murmured blankly.

“…Like El Cid.”

“what.”

“Shortly after he cleared the game… I contacted number 1… and… signed a contract…”

The director looked back at me.

An eerie light shone between the wrinkled eyes.

‘Contract with El Cid.

I remembered what he was trying to do.

El Cid tried to gain enough interference power to go to Server 1 by eating his teammates in the waiting room and absorbing the heroes in the nearby waiting room.

“It will be the same this time. I will not be able to tell you the details of the contract.”

“sorry.”

That sound is also disgusting.

I clicked my tongue and looked at the director.

Because the words aren’t over yet.

“I can roughly guess. You said there was a way to save Dorado. That way must be connected to the problem you mentioned. Is that why El Cid went to Server 1?”

Well, it’s simple anyway.

That guy went to Server 1 to save Dorado.

“Going to Server 1 is…”

The director coughed once more.

“It’s not El Cid.”

“…?”

what are you talking about.

“As you may have just seen in the video room, El Cid consumed most of the power of the 7 Stars in Dorado’s final stage. It cost him his own life.”

“…”

“After clearing the 90th floor, he was on the verge of death.”

I put my hand on my head.

I needed some time to think.

El Cid almost used up his interference power on the 90th floor.

Then, does that mean that the power he showed in the raid… wasn’t power?

The problem is not this.

“He didn’t have time. It’s too bad.”

“Then the 1st server…”

“El Cid’s purpose… was not the 1st server.”

the director continued.

“…it was 2 servers.”

“2 servers? Does that make sense? There’s nothing…”

No.

It’s nothing.

I remembered the end of El Cid.

He didn’t even budge, no matter how many times I coaxed him to return to Earth.

Rather, as if asking me to kill him…

‘….’

The headache gradually began to come.

“Loki…”

“….”

“Your… Book of Reversal… contains the master key to unlock the 1st server….” ”

In other words.”

I continued.

“You mean El Cid came to Niflheim not to fight me, but to be killed by me?”

“…Yes.”

“Was it all a play?”

“…maybe.”

I laughed dejectedly.

okay. Right.

I felt a little bit hollow now.

“You’ve put the burden on me. Since you’re going to die soon, I asked you to go to Server 1 and fix the problem instead.”

I crossed my feet on the chair.

“Whoever wants to.”

“…”

“Is it a contract with El Cid that you invite me and talk like this?”

Even if you tricked me, you fooled me very firmly.

I feel dirty not joking.

To the point where I want to spit.

“Master Loki.”

Sizel said with expressionless eyes.

“You are free to go to Server 1 or not. He didn’t force you. He said it didn’t matter if you threw away the Book of Reversal.”

“…”

“To add one more word, it is said that it is incomplete, but the game is clear. If you complete Taoneer’s mission to the end and you are willing to do so, we will send you to Earth with all our might. Of course, as promised, I will bring a large amount of compensation and a portion of Mobius shares.”

I glared at Sizel.

Sissel continued with a calm attitude.

“We are giving you a choice. After completing the given mission, go to Earth and live a comfortable life. Or stay here, face the fate and truth of Mobius, and continue another struggle. Choice is always with you, Master Loki.”

“…”

“If you choose the second option, the legacy of the Golden Land left by El Cid will be of great help.”

Legacy of the Golden Land.

I thought of El Cid’s keepsakes hidden in my room.

Book of Reverse Heaven. The wolf fur coat he was wearing. El Cid’s two swords, Colada and Tisona.

All three were items whose value could not be measured.

“What if I leave?”

“It’s okay. As long as you clear the mission. We have to keep our promise.”

“Then what about Taoni?”

“I don’t think I need to explain.”

I remembered the contract with the black dragon.

His condition was to clear Taoneer’s mission to the end.

As long as the mission is cleared, leaving for Earth will not break the promise.

“You’ve come with some very dog-like options.”

“It is an honour.”

I closed my eyes.

After falling here, my purpose was only one.

to return safely to Earth. It had nothing to do with me whether Taonier perished or not.

But can I still say that?

‘I am…’

The place where I was born and lived is the earth.

that doesn’t change

But…

I remembered Freea’s face.

Iolka’s corpse, which disappeared into the deep sea, also reminded me of Edith, who was dying from an airship explosion.

And countless other victims…

‘Stupid.’

can’t decide right away.

I don’t care if this fucking world is ruined or not, so I’ll go home unconditionally.

I can’t speak like that.

“You’ll need some time to think. I know that.”

“…”

“El Cid’s insight was correct. You are a warmer person than you think. Master Loki.”

“Chi, Shirisujang…”

“It seems that the effect has run out.”

Sizel smiled and grabbed the handle of the director’s wheelchair.

I looked back

corner of the office. Suddenly, a dimensional vortex was swirling.

“This is the exit.”

“…”

“Now that our contract with El Cid has ended, we will be returning to Server 1. I hope we will have a chance to meet in the future.”

I have a headache.

I have a lot of time to think,

so I’ll think about it slowly while cooling my overheated head.

Right in front of the dimensional door.

I glanced behind me.

The office, where machines and computers had been scattered just before, had been transformed into a completely different space.

An unpredictably wide darkness.

Black fog and red lightning are swirling everywhere.

Among them, a man and a woman were walking with wheelchairs.

The woman pulling the wheelchair turned to me.

Her body was invisible due to the fog, but she could clearly see the pair of red eyes.

A name tag slowly floated on top of it.

[73＠313§Ac靑⊙┌8≤9 Lv.999]

‘As expected…’

It wasn’t an ordinary existence.

“See you on Server 1.”

A voice echoed from within.

A deep voice that seems to eat away at the spirit just by listening to it.

“Samra… All things… Siris-Jang…”

“That’s right. It’s from the seat of the universe. Whoa whoop…」

The two of them disappeared into the darkness.

‘…El Cid.’

That guy bet on me

that i will solve the problem

A sword that conquers fate?

Conquest is a piece of shit. You just put a dump on me.

‘Say something that makes sense.’

I sighed deeply and walked through the portal.