Pick Me Up!

Chapter 64: Value and Worthlessness (2) (1)

Early in the dawn, after finishing the meal prepared by Chloe, I headed out to the training grounds.

As usual, I followed the same schedule, returning late in the evening, without any expeditions to the dungeon. The members of the 1st party were excluded from the dungeon that had been part of their routine.

After conquering the 15th floor, it seemed like Anytng was focusing on something on the other side. His main tasks were nurturing sub-parties and collecting resources.

After completing the morning training, and on the way to the dining hall for lunch,

I found a group of heroes emerging from the rifts of time and space. They were the party that had just finished the weekly dungeon. Enok, the carpenter, was among them. His expression was deeply furrowed. As he was about to separate from the group and enter the warehouse, I grabbed his arm.

Whats wrong?

Theyre not helping.

Enok spoke in an emotionless tone.

They tossed a few branches and chatted in the forest. Thanks to that, I worked hard all by myself.

Enok glanced at the people heading to the dormitories and sighed.

Enok rarely expressed himself this way, with such little emotional change.

The situation has changed a lot. Back then, people like that had no choice but to die. Do you think that the world is better now?

Perhaps.

I have to go.

Enok entered the warehouse. He seemed to be preparing to transport lumber from the warehouse to the equipment crafting center. As a skilled carpenter, he was constantly busy without any time to spare.

I looked at the sky.

Anytng was logged in. He must be aware that the results of the weekly dungeon and the training were not the same as before. Operational efficiency was rapidly declining.

Hmm.

There were two ways to handle this.

The first was to go through mass synthesis. In that case, almost all second-generation heroes would be sacrificed. However, work and training efficiency would increase. If you didnt want to die, there was no other choice.

This method had significant drawbacks.

If synthesis was overused, the stress level in the waiting room would skyrocket. Therefore, most masters were inclined to regulate their stress levels by conducting synthesis at an appropriate level.

The second was to give heroes a motivation other than fear.

Lets see how it plays out.

Anytng wouldnt just stand by like this.

Whether the first or second option, a decision needed to be made.

I entered the dormitorys dining hall.

The lunch menu consisted of boiled chicken soup.

And that evening.

While practicing with my sword at the training grounds the door to the magic workshop opened, and Eolka appeared.

Eolka had taken a break from training, but she hadnt stopped her research. It seemed she had successfully finished her research for today.

After raising hero responsiveness and consistently researching without missing a beat, points had accumulated quite a bit.

Anytng immediately brought up the research status window.

[Research!]

[Current development status is as follows.]

[1. Hero Responsiveness Research (Lv.1)]

[2. Facility Scalability Research (Lv.0)]

[3. Dungeon Complexity Research (Lv.0)]

The cursor moved to select number 2.

[Facility Scalability Research has been selected.]

[Would you like to upgrade? 150 research points will be consumed.]

[Yes (selected) / No]

[Ding!]

[Research, Facility Scalability has become Lv.1.]

[The number of buildable facilities will increase.]

[You can modify the details of the facilities.]

[Facility customization feature is now open.]

[Tips/Facility customization allows you to change the structure of facilities to your liking. Decorate and change your own waiting room, Master!]

Unlike the hero responsiveness, there was no noticeable effect.

A message indicating function opening appeared quite simply.

Facility customization.

It was a system that allowed for the restructuring of facility layouts. Dozens of construction tools were provided, allowing for the creation of even intricate and complex structures based on the Masters manipulation.

I took a sip of water.

Research on facilities was complete. It seemed like the process of renovating the waiting room was about to start.

It had been a long time since expanding the waiting room, and there were many heroes now. It was a valid choice.

As I stood up, Aaron, who had just finished sparring with Edis, approached.

Since returning from the 15th floor, Aarons days had been filled with rigorous training from morning till night. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

Hyungnim, can we have one round?

With that body? You wont last a minute.

Im fine.

Arent you pushing yourself too hard?

Perhaps, but

I attached the sword to my belt as I leaned against the wall.

***

As the evening approached midnight, the training grounds were nearly empty except for members of the 1st and 2nd parties. The 3rd party was out in battle.

Its still early. Where are you going?

Jenna asked as she came out of the shooting range.

Im not going anywhere. Im just preparing.

What? For what?!

[Everyone gather at the plaza!]

Iselles booming voice echoed through the entire waiting room.

I shrugged my shoulders.

For this.

How do you predict things like this?

Anyway, we need to gather. Training is on hold. Wrap up what you were doing.

After placing the tools back on the rack, we headed to the plaza.

Dozens of people were bustling in the plaza. It was enough to make the plaza feel crowded. Anytng had conducted at least one draw a day. All of them were free draws.

Jenna looked up and mumbled.

Its the first time the Master has called everyone like this.

Could it be for synthesis?

Edis expression changed to one of concern.

I chuckled and said, 10 people would be synthesized.

That many?

Whats the problem, master can always draw again?

So hes sacrificing them all

True.

I looked at the heroes gathered in the plaza.

Support heroes like Chloe and Enok. Combat heroes like me, Jenna, and Edis. And even those who werent really useful. The third-tier seedlings avoided my gaze, their eyes skittering away when they met mine.

[Is everyone here? Except for those who went to the dungeon? If you were sleeping and didnt come, youll be in trouble!]

Everyones here.

Chloe said.

Iselle nodded in satisfaction and said, [Were about to undergo a major operation. So, all of you stay put in the warehouse and dont come out. Theres a chance you might disappear if you get caught in it. Got it?]

If its an operation Its the same thing we did last time!

Jennas eyes gleamed.

Well, the number of people has increased. Its time for some renovations. I wonder how things will change.

An operation?

You came late, so you wouldnt know. Sometimes the Master creates facilities in the waiting room. I wish theyd make a hot spring bath this time.

Jenna responded to Edis question with a cheerful smile.

[Everyone here, head to the warehouse. Execute!]

The door to the warehouse creaked open.

Hello Everyone, Here is a New Chapter, Enjoy!Please leave a Comment and Review this Novel in NU if you havent.For more chapters please support me on Patreon.