Pick Me Up Infinite Gacha! - P.M.U Chapter 271: Catastrophe (2) (Part 2)

“Who knows? Maybe that guy will tell us.”

I spoke, looking ahead.

Through the open door, a familiar sight from the four-star promotion ceremony was laid out.

‘The Emperor’s Chamber.’

The place where the heroes prepared for their final stand before Townia fell.

I thought there would at least be one attendant, but the palace was utterly silent.

Not even a single rat scurried about.

It was a completely deserted space.

Save for one person sitting on the golden throne.

[Danger!]

[Dark Prince]

[Phriaos Al Ragnar Lv.391]

Above his head, a name tag appeared.

Level 391 displayed.

‘Insanely high.’

There wouldn’t be a monster like this anywhere across my entire account.

Truly fitting for the last boss of an S-grade account.

I readied myself to draw my sword.

I couldn’t afford to be careless. Who knew what he might do?

“…Brother.”

Pria narrowed her eyes and took a step toward the throne.

I followed slowly.

[A special event has commenced.]

[Event 001 – Reunion]

‘A special event?’

How elaborate.

I shrugged.

“You were both here. Saved me the trouble of looking.”

A twisted grin appeared beneath the bandages.

He was leaning back on the throne made of gold, examining something placed on the armrest.

A blue sphere on a metal stand.

That’s…

‘A globe?’

A completely unexpected object.

“You brought quite the army, Pria.”

“…”

“It’s all meaningless. Even with a million troops, the result is the same.”

The prince spun the globe lightly.

Then he looked down at me.

“Isn’t that right? The future of this world is predetermined. There’s nothing mere mortals like us can do to change it.”

“You’re talking more nonsense than ever.”

Srrng.

I partially drew Bifrost.

“I don’t have time to banter. If you have a point, get to it quickly.”

“You…”

The prince spun the globe once more.

“You came from an interesting place. A very amusing location. Was it called Earth? I saw silent carriages racing along roads and steel palaces piercing the sky.”

“You bastard…”

“Don’t look down on me. Even though I ended up as a mere pawn, I still have ways of connecting with the outside world. I had a reliable helper.”

Shadows rose on either side of the prince.

Two small figures emerged— a boy and a girl in worn-out robes. They looked at me with expressionless faces.

‘Lantia and Shutenberg.’

Ancient beings of Townia, like Halkion.

“Brother, you…!”

“I wanted to know.”

Phriaos began to step down from the throne slowly.

“I was desperate to know. Why did we have to face destruction?”

Phriaos gripped the bandages wrapped around his face and tore them off.

The flawless side of his face contrasted sharply with the hideous scars left by severe burns on the other half. Black veins throbbed visibly around those scars.

“Where did those scars come from…?”

“Consider it the price for learning the truth.”

“What truth, Your Highness? I witnessed the fall of Townia. I saw burning cities and suffering citizens. But you, Your Highness…”

The prince spoke again.

<Remember.>

Pria’s eyes went blank.

Thud. She collapsed to her knees.

The prince glanced at my drawn sword and smirked.

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t harm my beloved sister. I only helped her recall forgotten memories.”

“Forgotten memories?”

“Yes, the memories from before Townia became a mere plaything.”

The four-star promotion ceremony. That time when Tel took Pria hostage to forcibly seal the contract.

“So, this isn’t the time to settle things. Even this world is saying so, don’t you think?”

The prince extended his hand towards me.

A gentle wave emanated from it, signaling that the system wouldn’t allow any closer approach.

“What exactly do you want to say?”

“Look up, Han.”

The prince pointed to the ceiling.

I directed my gaze upward.

At the center of the ceiling, there was a tiny hole.

Through that hole, the bright midday sun shone through.

“Do you think that light will last forever?”

“…?”

“That light is called the ‘Goddess’s Eye,’ the beacon of Townia.”

I furrowed my brow.

I wasn’t quite following his words.

“For hundreds, thousands, even millions of years, the Goddess’s Eye will continue to shine. It will illuminate life across the whole of Townia. But after tens of millions, hundreds of millions, or even billions of years, what then?”

“What are you babbling about…?”

“What about the world you came from?”

A strange glint flickered in Phriaos’s eyes.

“Do you think Earth, that paradise, your universe will last forever?”

His voice carried a hint of madness.

The prince reached behind him.

The globe floated up and wrapped itself in his grip.

“…Those damned beings.”

The prince looked down at the globe.

Skkrrkk. The metallic globe began to corrode quickly, as if time were sped up by billions of times.

“They’ve reversed what shouldn’t be reversed.”

The prince brushed off his hand.

The powdered remnants of the metallic globe scattered.

“Four more times. I will prepare the stage that suits the final act.”

The prince snapped his fingers.

The next moment, Pria and I were outside the palace gates.

“What in the…!”

Yoshu ran up to us.

Pria was still dazed, sitting on the ground with a vacant expression.

“What happened, Oppa? Why were you suddenly…?”

“We were expelled by force. I don’t think it’s time yet.”

I muttered.

It seemed even a level over 400 couldn’t escape the system’s restraints.

“Your Highness, why…?”

“She’ll wake up soon. Take good care of her.”

[Stage Clear!]

[‘Party 1’ cannot grow further due to level limitations!]

[‘Eoderick (★★★★★★),’ ‘Bennick (★★★★★★),’ ‘Anan (★★★★★★)’…]

[Rewards – 3,000,000G, Royal Seal (B) x 4, Black Marble (A) x 13…]

[MVP – ‘Roderick (★★★★★★)’]

Floor 76.

I had already expected this would be the prelude to the showdown on the 80th floor.

But I hadn’t expected it to go this way.

“What happened inside?” Jenna’s tone was almost accusatory.

The light of our return began to envelop me from my feet up.

“We talked for a bit.”

“What could you have talked about? Was it some secret about your birth?”

I clicked my tongue.

A secret birth was hardly significant compared to what I’d just heard.

‘Out of nowhere, he brought up Earth, stars, the universe… and started spouting that nonsense.’

It seemed like he was trying to give me a hint.

About why Townia—or rather, Möbius—had faced its doom.

I didn’t know how he learned it.

Even with the help of the two ancient beings, for a mere monster to uncover such information was unexpected.

‘They reversed what shouldn’t be reversed?’

I looked up.

Crack!

Beyond the blurring scenery.

A fracture, like a crack on glass, etched itself across the sky.

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!

•