Pick Me Up Infinite Gacha! - P.M.U Chapter 242: Stop Playing So Much (3) (Part 2)

I tripped Iselle as she tried to run away, and she fell face-first into the plaza floor.

[Ack!]

“We’re not done talking.”

[What, you still have more to say?]

Iselle turned back to me, rubbing her now-red nose.

“You should investigate why the game’s not being played.”

[Investigate? Does there have to be a reason? Maybe he just got bored…]

“That’s not it.”

I chuckled.

Sure, maybe he went through the tutorial and decided the game wasn’t for him. Pick Me Up isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and I admit it takes a specific taste to enjoy it. If he found it boring, I wouldn’t stop him from quitting. But something about this doesn’t add up.

“If he didn’t want to play, he would have logged out and uninstalled the game. But he’s kept it open.”

There were some odd details mentioned in his conversation with Anytng. His friends complained about it being a luck-based game, and he himself wasn’t sure it would be fun. If that were true, he would have quit right after finishing the tutorial.

‘A minor suspicion, but…’

It might seem insignificant, but I have a bad feeling about it.

[Hmph! Whatever he’s thinking, it’s none of my business. Money is king. I need money so I can start fresh with a sleek master like Loki. So just leave me alone! Now if you’ll—]

I brought the edge of Bifrost’s blade close to Iselle.

Crackle!

[Aaahhh!]

The effect was immediate.

Iselle flopped around like a fish just pulled from the water.

“Who said you could leave?”

[My Freedom XY…]

The coin-mining machine she had been clutching was completely fried. The wires and components were melted together from overheating.

“Honestly. You should be thankful I’m trying to help you.”

I kicked the box of the destroyed Freedom XY-46 aside.

The shattered remains of the graphics card scattered across the ground.

[You… monster…]

“Quit this coin nonsense. I’m serious, it’s for your own good.”

[But… this is the only way to make money… I need money so I can butter up the higher-ups and get assigned to a better waiting room…]

Iselle hugged the ruined mining machine and began sniffling.

[The director even promised… I’d be paired with a top-tier master…]

“You got scammed.”

[Don’t talk about it like it’s someone else’s problem! You! You’re the one who broke my Freedom XY-46 Super Strike Custom! Now that it’s come to this, I’m going to—]

Crackle!

[Aaahhh!]

Exactly like in Townia, Iselle was totally helpless.

She still hadn’t learned her lesson.

“I’m going to investigate. You’re going to help me.”

[But I… ]

I started to unsheathe my sword again, and Iselle’s face turned purple.

[How am I supposed to help? The master’s level is so low, I don’t have much power…]

“Use this to cover the lack of interference.”

Shrrr.

I tossed Bifrost at her feet.

Iselle grinned mischievously.

[You fool. If I get rid of this sword, you’ll be at my mercy…]

I snapped my fingers, and the blade of Bifrost, still lying on the ground, sparked with electricity.

“What did you say?”

[…Nothing.]

“Look up Jinho-Jang’s phone usage records. If he’s playing another game, find out what it is. Also, check what he was doing before installing Pick Me Up. Find out who he was talking to on CocoaTalk. I want a report in an hour. No funny business.”

[Uh, ugh…]

Iselle made a pitiful face, grabbed Bifrost hesitantly, and disappeared in a shower of stardust.

Once again alone, I turned my attention back to the door in front of me.

It seemed like Kardia was still working hard on her mission on the fourth floor, clueless about her own predicament, and fighting monsters with all her might.

‘How many waiting rooms must have vanished?’

The number must be in the millions by now.

Still, I wasn’t dwelling on it much.

Just as I hadn’t worried much about Africa when I was in Korea.

There were a few strange things about Jinho-Jang’s actions.

If I could resolve those, I wouldn’t care whether this waiting room collapsed or not.

Before Kardia even returned, Iselle brought me the report on Jinho-Jang in less than an hour.

I slowly scanned the letters on the paper.

‘He mainly plays Hellground, huh.’

It seemed he wasn’t much into mobile games.

There was no indication he had any interest in Pick Me Up at all.

‘If he’s not going to play, why install it?’

What a waste of data.

I turned to the next page, where I found a summary of Jinho-Jang’s recent CocoaTalk messages.

The name of the person he’d been chatting with one-on-one was…

‘Auntie.’

Auntie?

I blinked in surprise.

Starting from the top, I began to read through it.

Auntie: Jinho, are you awake? [12:02 AM]

[12:03 AM] No, I’m not. What’s up?

Auntie: I need a favor. Can you help me out? [12:05 AM]

The CocoaTalk chat log continued.

The conversation that started just after midnight went on until 1 a.m.

Auntie: She doesn’t listen to me. You were close to her, right? Could you talk to her for me? [12:57 AM]

[12:59 AM] Okay. I’ll try.

Auntie: If you succeed, I’ll give you a gift. Those long padded jackets are popular these days, right? Don’t you want to buy one? [1:00 AM]

[1:01 AM] Oh, really? I’ll try even harder then!

Auntie: Thanks, Jinho. Fighting! ^^ [1:05 AM]

That was where the CocoaTalk conversation ended.

‘So that’s what happened.’

A few days ago, it seemed that Jinho-Jang’s aunt had asked him for advice. The subject of that conversation was none other than Anytng.

Apparently, Anytng had become so absorbed in gaming that she was neglecting real life.

‘…A valid concern.’

Understandable from a parent’s perspective.

To Jinho-chan, she was ‘Auntie.’

But to Anytng, she was her mother.

It seemed Anytng had been playing games all day.

Barely getting any sleep, struggling at work, and living off instant ramen stacked in her cupboard.

Her mother was understandably worried that her health was deteriorating because of the game.

She noticed she’d stopped saying goodnight to her every evening, a routine they’d always had.

On top of that, she listed more than ten other things she was concerned about, all of which she unloaded on Jinho-Jang.

And so, in the end, she’d given him a task, sweetened with the promise of a gift.

‘Anytng…’

She wanted him to stop playing the game.

“Interesting.”

So this kid was sent to sabotage him?

To pull Anytng away from Pick Me Up.

‘You plan to interfere with us, do you?’

I crumpled up the report and tossed it aside.

Not on my watch.

Hyung_Otaku

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!

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