Pick Me Up Infinite Gacha! - P.M.U Chapter 272: Catastrophe (3) (Part 2)

I saw the vacant throne. The prince was absent this time.

Instead, the boy who had served him stood looking at me.

<Finally, it’s my turn.>

A boy with a delicate, porcelain-doll-like appearance.

His cold eyes showed no hint of emotion.

<My name is Rantia Baalser. One of the ancient beings bound by a vow with the Emperor of Townia.>

“A greeting… to an ancient one.”

Pria lifted the hem of her dress in respect.

Rantia scoffed and approached me.

<Han Israt.>

“Hmm?”

<Join us.>

He got straight to the point.

<You already know, don’t you? This is all a meaningless play. No matter how it unfolds, Townia is doomed. So why are you still playing along on Tel’s stage?>

“…”

<I’ll tell you now—I’m not a monster like the prince. Nor am I a descender-type monster like Halkion or Assinis. I, along with Shuttenberg…>

Rantia threw something from his pocket.

A silver-white card gleamed in the moonlight.

<(Executive Director, Moebius Co., %@■)>

<010-6432-XXXX>

I’d seen it before.

It had been over half a year, but the memory was still vivid.

The business card Tel had shown me during the 2-star promotion ceremony.

<Yes, I was an executive at Mobius. Not just us, but all of Mobius’s senior staff are comprised of spirits and demigods from different worlds.>

Pria bent down to pick up the card.

She slowly looked it over.

<A gathering of many executives, including myself and Shuttenberg. And our sole purpose was to save Mobius and, consequently, our worlds. Unlike those who just talk, we took direct action.>

I narrowed my eyes.

This guy was an executive of Mobius?

<Do you know? Townia has undergone 17 cycles of rebirth.>

Pria stepped forward.

“What do you mean? My memory tells me this is the first time we’ve… turned back.”

<Since becoming the playthings of Earthlings, yes.>

Rantia laughed bitterly.

<In the first world, you couldn’t even muster any resistance. Humans and other races were at each other’s throats, fighting to the brink of extinction. Utterly foolish.>

“That’s not what I saw.”

I spoke up.

If he was referring to the end of the world shown during the 4-star promotion ceremony, he was utterly mistaken.

There, led by the prince, Townia’s heroes had banded together to resist the impending doom.

<How long do you think it took to reach that point? Using the goddess’s power, we chipped away at our existence and rewound the timeline over and over. We summoned countless myths to create mighty guardians. Just like you, Han Israt.>

Rantia closed his eyes.

<But it was all for naught. We couldn’t prevent the end. This is the truth. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.>

“Then whether or not I cooperate is up to me too.”

<If you join us, you won’t need to be part of this charade any longer. You can return to Earth, or whatever place you desire.>

“Stop with the nonsense. I didn’t come here to joke around.”

I smirked.

Rantia opened his eyes.

<Foolish.>

“Think what you want.”

In the past, I might have considered it.

The possibility of returning without completing the mission was tempting.

At least, I would have been willing to hear him out.

But now, that was not an option.

<Then… we’ll show you through results.>

Rantia waved his hand.

A flash of light, and suddenly we were outside the palace.

A faint chirping of insects reached my ears.

I looked up.

Crack!

The starlit sky.

A sharper, clearer fissure appeared.

[Current Progress – 40%]

[At 100%, the ‘Descent’ will commence.]

[Master, prepare for battle!]

My eyes widened.

Beyond the glass-like crack, something writhing looked back at us.

They had no defined form, shifting and squirming as they gazed our way.

‘They’re coming.’

The confrontation with them was inevitable from the start.

It had always been bound to happen.

“Han…”

I turned.

Pria was looking at me with trembling eyes.

“So, are you going to quit now?”

I muttered.

“Are you going to give up just because it seems impossible? No, you’re not. We’ve come this far, so we might as well do something.”

“That boy’s words…”

“Whether they’re true or not, don’t pay them any mind. Just do what you intend to do. You came here to give your brother a safe home, right?”

I placed my hand on Pria’s head.

The soft texture touched my palm. Even if she was older now, to me, she was still the same girl who used to pout and complain.

‘I remember.’

The first time we met.

“We all die in the end. You, me. Whether from old age or an accident, everyone’s life is finite. So, what should we do? Should we live swayed by others until we’re in our coffins? Or should we live doing what we want, for as long as we can?”

I continued.

“Forget the fate and end-of-the-world talk. Follow your heart. Or you’ll regret it forever.”

“…”

“I don’t care about living long. What matters is living the way I want and seeing it through properly.”

Pria blinked as she looked at me.

I was a game addict back on Earth. Even as the top-ranked player in the game, people saw me as nothing more than a shut-in.

But I had no regrets.

I got to do what I wanted as much as I wanted.

Even if this was the result.

“Regret.”

“You only live once. So…”

“You mean I should do what I want?”

“Exactly. Forget appearances and obligations. Didn’t you just say you didn’t regret selling out Townia to the goddess? Do it that way.”

I smiled softly.

“One thing is certain, though…”

“Certain?”

“Until this fight is over, I’m staying by your side.”

Pria took a deep breath.

“I see.”

She said and she smiled gently.

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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