Pick Me Up!

Chapter 325: King of the Boundary (2)

Siris’s pale complexion began to regain a peach hue.

The infinite power reconnected her shattered bones and muscles, fused her torn nerves and severed blood vessels.

Her heartbeat grew steadily clearer. And then—

“Guh—!”

Dead blood burst from Siris’s mouth.

“Cough! Cough, cough!”

“Siris! Don’t die!”

Nihaku clung to her desperately.

I pulled my hand from Siris’s chest and muttered,

“Quit bawling. She’s not dead.”

I placed a hand atop Nihaku’s head.

Then Siris’s eyelids fluttered, and light returned to her green eyes.

“Siris!”

Nihaku threw her arms around her.

I stood up. No need to ruin the mood.

She had gone through hell. Whether it was out of carelessness or resolve, she had not only stood against me directly but even driven a blade into my heart. It must have taken a massive toll. And in the end, she died once for it.

“...Master.”

Siris, still collapsed, turned toward me.

Her feeble voice tickled my ears.

“Don’t call me that.”

The game was over.

Once Amkena, the last Master of Pick Me Up, disconnects, the server will never open again.

The crossroads between Möbius and Earth will vanish forever.

“I... ngh!”

Siris winced as she tried to sit up.

She hadn’t fully recovered. Even if she’d been linked to the Chalice of Infinity, she still needed time to adapt to the new power.

“Siris! Don’t push yourself! What if you collapse again!”

Siris gave Nihaku a bitter smile.

Then looked straight at me again.

“Rest. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“I... wanted to ask your forgiveness...”

“For what? Oh, for trying to send me back to Earth? I forgot about that ages ago.”

I scratched the back of my head.

Honestly, I owed Niflheim a lot. When I played the game, I never once considered the heroes’ circumstances. Siris, Yurnet, Ridigion, Müden, and Nihaku—each of them had come close to death or lost someone dear to them because of me. I worked them hard.

‘It’s a miracle none of them stabbed me.’

I never expected them to go this far.

“You’re missing your right arm and left eye. Hold on, I’ll regenerate them.”

“It’s fine.”

Siris shook her head.

“I’ll carry this as the price for my mistake.”

“You’re saying you’ll live with one arm and one eye?”

“It won’t affect my combat ability. I’ll learn a new method.”

Her eyes were unshaken.

The look of someone with firm resolve. I was about to argue but held my tongue.

Better to leave her be for now. There would be another chance to persuade her.

[Now Loading......]

[Niflheim is being re-generated!]

I looked back.

Rumble— A massive pillar rose beside the spot where Bifröst was embedded, like an enormous tree trunk.

I didn’t need to be told what it was.

It was the core structure of Niflheim, the waiting room I had painstakingly designed.

“Yggdrasil.”

Yurnet spoke from beside me.

“From that tree, the new Niflheim will be born.”

A faint tremor rippled through the ground.

Countless branches stretched out from the pillar. Like blossoms and leaves, light spread from each branch and began to fill the space.

The floor, once nothing but darkness and void, was now finished with clean tiles.

The horizon of darkness all around was enclosed by thick, sturdy walls.

A fountain—a symbol of the plaza—sprayed clear water, and benches assembled around it.

‘This scene...’

I had seen it before.

When I first fell here. When the waiting room was first constructed.

The light cast from the branches swept freely through the vast space, rebuilding the Niflheim I remembered. Pouring light and color into this once-empty Boundary.

“O King.”

Yurnet bowed her head to me.

“Who’s a king.”

“You forbade us from calling you Master.”

“I’m not a king either. Don’t call me that nonsense.”

Yurnet looked at me awkwardly.

She was asking me to define a name.

Not Master. Not King.

Then what am I?

Han Seojin.

I had already thrown away that life on Earth.

Han Israt too. I’d have to visit Townia once to see Pria and the others, but I couldn’t stay there. That name was over as well.

“Loki.”

A name from some myth where a god brings about the end of the world.

It was also my account name.

“Loki-nim.”

Yurnet murmured.

Then grumbled under her breath.

“I rather liked the title of king, though.”

“Huh?”

“In our world, kings only existed in legends.

They were said to lead all people to victory and usher in an age of prosperity...”

As if Earth were any different.

There, kings were relics of the past.

Just something we skimmed over in history books—nothing that suited me now.

“Ah, I see.”

As I explained that, Yurnet nodded.

Then smiled.

“Then my role must be to guide Loki-nim—who does not yet suit that title—to one day become a true king.”

“What?”

“It’s fine. We don’t really know what it means to be vassals, or what loyalty truly is.

We’ll learn together. I believe we’ll forge a satisfying bond in time.”

Yurnet’s radiant smile left me dumbfounded.

I was speechless.

“We’ve finally become one. You can’t run away anymore. Ufufu.”

“......”

“I trust you’re not thinking of breaking our contract now, Loki-nim.”

Yurnet concluded.

Well, this much was on me.

I was the one who accepted them.

Pwooooooo.

A resounding trumpet call.

I looked up.

<All Niflheim forces, advance!>

Beyond the dimensional rift, countless airships were gathering.

It seemed Niflheim’s main force had finally arrived.

<Light the Fires of Fall!>

The vast sky of the Boundary darkened.

Centered around the flagship Brynhildr-01, hundreds of airships large and small formed a grand fleet.

At their front flew the statue of the mountain goat—Niflheim’s emblem.

“To bring eternal victory to Loki-nim...”

“If they keep shouting like that, won’t they die?”

“...That’s true, but...”

I let out a sigh.

The battles here are nothing like the ones outside.

To make them useful, I’d have to start from scratch.

[Mwahahahahaha!]

At the prow of Brynhildr-01—

A fairy wearing a pirate hat and eyepatch burst into maniacal laughter.

[Now that I’m full-time, no one can stop me! Fragments, do you see this? My ultra hyper super golden fleet! Tremble in fear! Mwahahah! Come at me if you dare—]

“Demote her back to intern.”

“Yes, sir.”

I whipped my cloak.

The new Niflheim beneath my feet was being rebuilt, piece by piece.

My domain.

Niflheim.

It would be my fortress and my throne.

This could be fun.

Felt like starting a new game.

I was becoming a Master once more.

The difference now was—my fate was tied to Niflheim’s.

「Remember this.」

I muttered.

My voice, infused with power, spread across the entire Boundary.

「Now that we’ve made a contract, even if you die—you will not die.」

Even in death, you’ll rise again and fight.

We are one, and at the same time, we are all.

The Chalice of Infinity no longer belongs to me alone.

「In return, I’ll give you the strength to fight.」

In this endless war—

To seize victory.

“To the king, victory.”

Ridigion spoke solemnly.

<Victory!>

<Victory!>

<Victory!>

<To our king, victory!>

<To the King of the Boundary, victory!>

A resounding chorus echoed far and wide.

“We’ll need new reinforcements. I’ll set up contact nodes across all Möbius dimensions.

If there are those who seek war and glory, they’ll be able to join us.”

Yurnet said.

“To them, we shall be known as Valhalla.”

Valhalla.

Has a nice ring to it.

“There are some strong candidates in Townia. Would you like to hear them?”

“That...”

Can wait till later.

I smirked.

“Aaron.”

“Yes?”

“Do you regret coming here?”

Aaron ran a hand over his spear.

“I regretted it more times than I can count.”

“Yeah?”

“For thousands of years. So much that I got sick of it. Until there was nothing left.”

...I really was a bastard.

If Aaron had stayed as a training instructor, none of this would’ve happened.

He could’ve lived a quiet life doing what he was meant to.

He should’ve been smiling beside his little sister.

This was my karma.

I was the one who made him like this.

The one who dragged him into an eternal war.

“Hyung-nim.”

“Mm?”

“I have no more regrets.”

Aaron looked at me with unwavering eyes.

“To keep fighting by your side from now on... that’s an honor.”

“Honor, my ass.”

Still, he’d followed me well.

Even during those agonizing times with no progress, he never once blamed me.

He always chalked everything up to his own inadequacy.

I looked over at Ridigion.

He said nothing.

Simply displayed his tachi’s scabbard from afar.

‘So it doesn’t even need to be said.’

Nihaku was crying in the corner, sobbing like mad.

“I’m just so glad, Master... Master...”

I shrugged my shoulders.

And then—

“Siris.”

She looked mostly recovered now.

Siris staggered toward me.

Her left eye was wrapped in cloth, and her empty right sleeve fluttered in the breeze.

My...

Sub-master.

The hero I cherished most.

At first, it was just because she was my only 4-star. But soon enough, I realized it.

This one was different from ordinary heroes.

She made mistakes sometimes—

But in the end, she always walked the right path.

“You don’t look great. Regrow the arm and eye.”

“One day.”

Siris spoke.

A satisfied smile traced her lips.

“When I feel I’ve truly fulfilled my duty, I’ll restore them.”

“Still not listening, huh.”

Well, that’s just like her.

Master and Hero.

That one-dimensional relationship was over now.

In this long war ahead, it was time to build something new.

Be happy.

The last command of the Master.

I didn’t know what that meant—but I thought I’d try.

Master.

I turned to the side.

Amkena’s control window was flickering.

She couldn’t hold on much longer. The connection would drop soon.

Up in the sky of the Boundary,

In the tiny window of a smartphone screen—

Amkena was looking at me.

[Warning!]

[The server is unstable!]

[Prepare for disconnection.]

Of course. It’s the end.

Our paths were just too far apart.

‘Try not to game so much next time.’

Your mom seemed pretty worried.

Sure, games can help with stress—but only in moderation, so they don’t mess with real life.

...Not that I’m one to talk.

Whatever. Doesn’t matter now.

“Hey.”

I had something to say before it ended.

“Change this thing for me.”

I picked up the warhorse figurine.

Its head and legs were worn down from being touched so much. It wasn’t even a statue anymore—just a lump.

[Gift Shop!]

[Purchase ‘Warhorse Figurine’ for 5,000 Gold.]

[Send ‘Warhorse Figurine’ to ‘Han’ as a gift!]

Clunk.

[‘Han’ receives the Warhorse Figurine and is pleased.]

I whistled as I took the new figurine into my hands.

Then said—

“Take care.”

Bzzt. Crackle.

With a couple bursts of static, Amkena’s control window closed.

[Error!]

[Connection lost.]

The drifting light overhead vanished.

As I turned the figurine in my hands, I spoke.

“Don’t you guys think we should change Niflheim’s emblem?”

Yurnet blinked.

I carefully tucked the figurine into the pouch behind my belt.

“The mountain goat is outdated. Not cool at all. Now that we’re starting fresh...”

“If you’re talking about that toy in your hand—no thanks.”

Siris cleared her throat.

“Didn’t you say you were reflecting earlier?”

“That’s a separate issue.”

Siris smiled at me.

Tch.

Philistines with no taste.

I clicked my tongue.

HROOOOH—

A distant cry echoed.

I reached out my hand.

Bifröst, planted in the ground, flew into my grip.

No need to say anything.

Everyone had already finished prepping for battle.

Their faces, once carefree, were now taut with tension.

I’m not alone.

It was a strange feeling.

Having someone beside me.

A sensation I hadn’t felt in ages—almost ticklish.

And with it, a new flame surged.

There is an end.

Someday, this war will have a conclusion.

There will come a time when victory and defeat are decided.

Will I still be standing when that day comes?

Obviously.

A grin formed. Even alone, I’d always said the same.

I don’t fight battles I can’t win.

GRRRAAAAHHH!

Thousands of Fragments poured forth.

Of course, I’ll be the one who—

“...ends this.”

I raised Bifröst high.

And beside me, the other heroes leapt into battle.