[Ding!]
[Applying Effects to All ‘Heroes’ in Dimension 1035, ‘Townia’!]
[Effect 1: Continuous Recovery in the Waiting Room Disabled.]
[Effect 2: All Hero Stats -30%.]
[Effect 3: Status Effect Resistance -50%.]
Seris’s expression stiffened.
“...”
As if it weren’t enough to suspend a legitimate player’s account, they were now using internal cheats to interfere directly.
If news of this got out, Pick Me Up! would be doomed. But since the developers were already working on a new game, it seemed they didn’t care anymore.
“Nisled.”
“You called, Master?”
Out of nowhere, a girl in a maid’s uniform appeared.
Nisled, Niflheimr’s Master Assassin and Yurnet’s deputy.
“Ensure that Master is safely returned to Earth.”
“As you command.”
Seris let out a deep sigh and locked eyes with me.
“Master, this is where we part ways.”
“...”
“I ask only one thing of you—please live a peaceful life on Earth. It has been an honor to fight alongside you.”
Seris knelt before me on one knee, her posture elegant and dignified.
Then, in an instant, she rose, grabbed the crimson scabbard of her Levatein sword, and walked briskly out of the promotion chamber.
Boom!
The sound of explosions and faint tremors continued to echo in the distance.
“Master, we don’t have much time. Their target is...”
“Me, isn’t it?”
For them to go this far just to get their hands on me...
I must be incredibly valuable to them.
“...Please.”
I took the counterfeit Book of Reversal from Nisled.
I didn’t harbor any resentment toward her. She was simply following orders.
After all, I had assigned all the deputy commanders of my first-party team to prioritize their orders above all else.
‘Seven-Star Promotion.’
Once I completed the promotion, there would be no avoiding my return to Earth.
Nisled wasn’t the only one here. Outside the chamber, at least twenty Master-Class assassins were stationed, watching my every move.
Swoosh.
Nisled dissolved into shadows and scattered into the air.
She would be observing me from somewhere nearby.
If I decided to return to Earth, I wouldn’t need to concern myself with what was happening here.
No matter what Möbius tried to pull, Niflheimr would at least buy me some time. Seris and the first-party members wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice their lives if it came to the worst-case scenario. 𝘳𝖆Νộ𝔟Ę𝘴
‘In any case...’
The promotion comes first.
I placed the Book of Reversal on the altar and waited. Soon, the magic circle began to glow brilliantly.
[Master, would you like to begin the promotion?]
[Yes / No]
The screen wouldn’t stop displaying the promotion message.
I pressed “Yes.” The light emanating from the magic circle grew brighter and brighter, gradually enveloping my entire body.
The radiance swallowed my vision completely.
[Floor 0.]
[任無 %#!형 – ?!#?]
[목목!목목; – ㅇㅁ[email protected]]
Through the blurry haze, letters appeared faintly.
After blinking a few times, my vision finally cleared.
It felt surreal, like being in a dream.
But the sensation wasn’t unfamiliar.
Because I had been here before.
[Palace of Ragnasars]
[The Throne for the Golden Sovereign]
In front of me stood a palace constructed of silver and marble.
‘This place...’
The Four-Star Promotion Ceremony.
This was the end of the world.
The scenery I was seeing now was Townia before it had shattered and been gamified, before it was destroyed by the fragments.
Appropriately, the sky was already scorched gray.
Why had I ended up here again?
I thought I had seen everything this place had to show me.
It was in this very location that I uncovered the truth Tel had hidden.
That the monsters we had been killing were actually former heroes.
That the contracts between the goddess and the heroes were riddled with coercion and unfairness.
But now, I had been summoned here again.
“...”
I needed to investigate.
I grabbed the handle of the palace’s grand door.
If I went inside, I would likely find the emperor, the crown prince, Pria, and their subordinates preparing for the final battle.
Clunk.
But the door wouldn’t open.
No matter how hard I pulled or pushed, the door didn’t budge.
Last time, it had opened without issue.
Eventually, I gave /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ up on entering the palace and decided to search for another way in.
There were paths beside the main door, so I should be able to find something if I kept exploring.
I walked down a marble-paved road.
At the end of the path lay a luxurious garden surrounded by various structures.
This, too, was part of the imperial palace.
I remembered wandering these grounds during the Imperial Capital Conquest.
According to Pria, this area served as a sanctuary and residence for the imperial family.
Normally, it would have been heavily guarded, but under the circumstances, there didn’t seem to be any security present.
“It’s about time... for you to arrive.”
A familiar voice broke the silence.
I turned to the side.
[First Heir to the Throne]
[Phryos Al Ragnar Lv.???]
By the lake in the center of the garden stood a golden-haired young man in ornate attire.
With a sword hanging at his waist, he gazed into the water, watching the fish swimming below.
‘Why is he here?’
Phryos Al Ragnar, the prince of Townia.
By now, he should have been in the throne room, conducting a meeting.
“The meeting won’t begin for another half a day.”
The young man murmured as if he could read my thoughts.
“Once all the heroes are gathered, we will prepare for our final stand. And... the 17th Townia will come to an end.”
Phryos chuckled bitterly.
But he wasn’t talking to himself.
“Can you hear me?”
His voice seemed to address someone.
I scanned the area again.
But other than the prince, the garden was completely empty.
“At last, you’ve reached the end of your journey.”
Phryos turned toward me, a faint smile on his face.
His eyes, however, showed no recognition of me.
Of course.
This was an event from thousands of years ago, long before my time.
There was no way he could see me.
‘Then who is he talking to?’
“If my voice reaches you... it means you’ve traveled far and long, and finally returned home.”
Phryos smiled more deeply.
And then, staring straight at me with those empty eyes, he said:
“Isn’t that right... Han Israt?”
My breath caught.
And then, he spoke again.
“No...”
His lips curved into a knowing smirk.
“Israthio Al Ragnar.”