Pick Me Up!

“Allow me to explain.”

I nodded.

Yurnet opened the door with a respectful gesture and led me outside.

The first thing I noticed was the gray sky—a sign that the Master was currently logged out. But above the overcast sky, a message appeared that I had never seen before.

[Warning!]

[Error – 7909]

[This account has been penalized for unauthorized program usage. For details, please refer to the 1:1 customer service inquiry. Penalized accounts are subject to permanent suspension and cannot reconnect or create new accounts.]

Error 7909.

I’d seen it before.

Back during the macro epidemic in the game’s early days, this error frequently appeared. Users who had employed illegal macros were all summarily banned, and to this day, those penalties had never been lifted.

“7909?”

As far as I knew, Möbius Inc. had completely revamped its client two years ago after detecting the first macro incident.

Yet now there was a macro penalty?

No. There was no way an ordinary Master like Anytng could pull something like that off.

There was only one possibility.

“Master, we don’t have time,” Yurnet said, quickening her pace.

I followed her, speaking as I walked.

“Did you suspend a functioning account?”

“Most likely. It seems the company has decided to intervene directly.”

Ha.

What kind of insane game is this?

“If word gets out about this, the game will completely collapse.”

“Seris mentioned that they’re already developing a new title based on a new server. I imagine they don’t care what happens to this game anymore.”

“…A new title.”

“Möbius Inc. on Earth is mostly a façade—a cleverly constructed ghost company. Creating another company would be trivial for them.”

I see.

It’s easier to build a new game than to salvage a dying one.

After two years as the reigning mobile game, they must’ve amassed a fortune.

[Oh, my.]

The warning message dissolved into fragments, and a new window appeared in its place.

Like a chat window, digital text appeared alongside an emoji.

[How could you spill the beans about a top-secret plan? That was supposed to be a surprise! What a shame. Anyway, just wait a little longer, Loki. We’ll come to get you soon! >_<]

The chat window disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and the warning message returned to its place.

[Warning!]

[Error – 7909]

“It seems we have far less time than I anticipated,” Yurnet muttered.

Thud.

She pressed the descent button on the elevator.

The elevator carried the two of us swiftly downward.

It wasn’t long before the glass revealed a view of the Townia waiting room.

Soldiers dressed in the black uniforms of Niflheimr were stationed throughout the plaza.

They were escorting Townia’s heroes somewhere. Beyond the open hangars of the airship dock, Niflheimr’s fleet of airships was parked. Clicking my tongue, I muttered,

“When did they get here?”

“While you were on the 90th floor.”

“They’re blatantly interfering now?”

“It’s to protect the heroes of Townia.”

It seemed Townia had already been seized by Niflheimr.

Scattered throughout the plaza were combat-class heroes restrained and bound.

‘As expected…’

Even if Townia had climbed higher in the tower, they couldn’t possibly match the strength Niflheimr had cultivated over countless years. And with Anytng forcibly ejected during her progress, they likely hadn’t even put up much resistance.

Floor 7. Floor 6. Floor 5.

No matter how far the elevator descended, the sight remained the same.

Townia’s heroes were being dragged away like fish strung on a line.

“Rest assured. No one was harmed during the suppression,” Yurnet said.

“Where are they taking them?”

“Once you return to Earth, we plan to safely protect them within Niflheimr. You have no reason to worry.”

Ding.

The second floor of Townia.

The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.

“……”

Outside stood Seris, dressed in Niflheimr’s black uniform.

The uniform, which resembled military attire, bore crimson patterns. A golden badge pinned to her chest symbolized her status as Niflheimr’s sub-master—a gift I had given her personally.

“You’ve done well, Yurnet. I’ll take over from here.”

Yurnet bowed to me once more and returned to the upper floors via the elevator.

Seris’s cold gaze scanned me from head to toe.

“I’ll guide you to the promotion chamber. Follow me.”

“It feels like I’m a prisoner.”

If my hands had been cuffed, it would’ve been a perfect match.

I chuckled dryly and followed Seris. Her indifferent voice came next.

“Once your 7-star promotion is complete, we’ll open a dimensional gate to Earth. Don’t get distracted—just go back.”

“What about Jenna and Velkist? What about the others?”

“That’s not something you need to concern yourself with.”

“If you’ve laid a hand on them…”

“Didn’t Yurnet already tell you? We haven’t touched them.”

“You’re protecting them?”

Seris nodded.

‘Well, I suppose it’s protection from their perspective.’

It wasn’t wrong.

If Möbius extended its hand, a faction like Townia, with no real foundation, would be easily dismantled.

Having Niflheimr step in to protect them would be exponentially safer. Niflheimr’s first party alone had enough interference power to stand against the company.

“Seris.”

“……?”

“Is there really nothing I can do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do I have to just sit back and leave?”

“You still don’t understand?”

“I do. I understand everything. That Möbius is already finished. That those damn fragments’ true nature… And even why you’re treating me like this.”

“Then…”

“I’m furious, though.”

That was the simplest way to express it—my raw, unfiltered emotion.

‘I’m boiling with rage.’

The image of Pria, bleeding and dying, came to mind.

I had been powerless. All I could do was stand there and watch.

I’d stood up, swearing revenge, but even that had failed.

‘The universe is already doomed.’

There’s no hope in this world.

Before long, the fragments will arrive and erase everything in Möbius.

‘…Smile for me.’

Pria’s dying words echoed faintly in my ears.

“This doesn’t suit you, Master. Calm yourself and think rationally.”

“……”

“There’s nothing you can do. A wise Master would already know that.”

“Probably.”

“It’s only natural.”

“What if I just killed them all?”

Seris stopped in her tracks.

“Those fragments—there are a lot of them, sure, but they’re not infinite, are they? What if I just kept killing until they’re all gone?”

“If you return, the first thing you should do is undergo a psychological evaluation.”

Seris responded coldly and resumed walking.

I stood there, dazed.

‘A psychological evaluation, huh.’

Ever since Pria’s death, something inside me had broken.

My logical circuits weren’t functioning properly.

There’s no chance of winning.

I knew that well enough.

They might not be truly infinite, but their numbers were close enough to it.

And those eyes—that monstrosity was a monster among monsters, capable of crushing the gods of Möbius like bugs. And even that was only a small fraction of their power.

But no matter how much I thought about it,

No matter how many times I turned it over in my mind,

‘This anger… I can’t suppress it.’

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!