Pick Me Up Infinite Gacha! - P.M.U Chapter 311: Embers (1) (Part 2)

‘Niflheimr.’

A land without hope.

The continent where she lived was shrouded in thick fog year-round, visibility always poor, more than half the year was winter, and the climate was unrelentingly harsh.

‘A living hell.’

Humans here were born to die.

‘She didn’t know.’

What friendship was.

What love was.

What bonds with comrades meant.

What it felt like to be alive—she couldn’t understand any of it back then.

A being like livestock.

The man’s words had been right.

Siris’s revenge was merely a clumsy imitation.

Her father had often told her stories of knights.

In those stories, the knights were cool, honorable, and noble. Siris, captivated by those tales, had foolishly planned her revenge.

“Please spare me……! Spare me……!”

“Kihahah! Ahahaha!”

The man dragged Siris away.

Their destination was the Twin Goddesses’ temple, not far from the field.

He planned to offer her as a living sacrifice there.

“If we offer your heart, the goddess will be pleased. Be honored! It’s not a chance given to just anyone. You’re contributing to the future of our great race…….”

「I told you, sacrifices aren’t necessary.」

The man stopped.

Not far away, a girl was looking down at him.

“What now, another piglet……?”

「Seems like humans are called pigs in this place. This used to be one of the top realms in Möbius. Even the eternal land of fire, Niflheimr, has truly fallen.」

The girl smirked and approached the man.

His eyes bulged, veins visible.

“Do you want to die……?”

「Watch your eyes. Unless you want to.」

A chilling light flickered in the girl’s pupils.

The man trembled in place, then suddenly prostrated flat before her.

“No way…… Lady Hella!”

「Was that my name here? Hella?」

“Yes, goddess! What brings you to this humble place!”

「Let me be brief. Your world is collapsing. At most, within a week, the Reapers will arrive on the continent. You can’t stop them. Your power is pathetic. You’re disunited. Simply put—this world is trash.」

“What do you mean…….”

「Didn’t you receive the oracle? To revive the world, you were to form a contract with me. That’s the role of your heroes, isn’t it?」

The man blinked.

The girl, called a ‘goddess,’ smirked coldly.

「I came because you’re supposed to be the priest. And yet, you’re not even close to a hero. You might be stronger than a human in brute force, but this is no more than a primitive civilization.」

“Goddess! What are you saying…….”

Thud!

The horned man’s head flew into the air.

Blue blood sprayed from his severed neck.

“Eek!”

The terrified woman backed away, trembling.

The girl’s gaze turned to her.

「…1-star.」

She spoke briefly.

「At most, 2-star. At best, not even 3. No talent here. This is already a dead world. Better to discard it.」

“Who…… are you……?”

「Seems like you weren’t even educated. Are all humans here this primitive?」

The girl before her was not a normal being.

The woman could only tremble.

But Siris, now, knew well who she was.

‘The Goddess of Compassion.’

Chairwoman of Möbius, the company that created Pick Me Up!, and head of the Pantheon.

In Townia, where Siris’s master Loki had stayed, they called the girl ‘Tell.’

「I just had a fun idea.」

Suddenly, the girl’s lips curved.

As if discovering an amusing toy.

「If there are jackpots, there should be duds. Having a few traps like this mixed in isn’t so bad. As for the Hero faction… Yes! Let’s make you humans. Go ahead, unleash your resentment against the White Oni.」

“……?”

「I’m giving you a chance for revenge. I could’ve made you monsters, but then the power difference would be too much. It’d be like a rabbit against a lion. No contest.」

The woman couldn’t understand the goddess’s words.

Talk of games and such—her past self, so ignorant of the world, couldn’t comprehend.

She only blinked her emerald-colored eyes.

「Kuk! Kukuku! This’ll be fun. I wonder what unlucky master will get stuck with you. Who will take these half-made livestock humans and overcome hellish missions? I’m looking forward to it. Aren’t you curious too?」

“…….”

「Oh, right. I’ll give you a service. Even trash accounts should have at least one high-tier hero. Gotta have a hook if I’m going to squeeze money out. Let’s see… 4-star should do. With a bit of status screen deception, I can fool them.」

The woman took a step back.

She didn’t understand the words, but she sensed the girl harbored sinister thoughts.

「Come to me, my child.」

“N-No……”

「Why not? I’m offering you the chance to become a hero. 4-star, no less. In other dimensions, only top-tier figures get that.」

“Stay away!”

「Since when did livestock get veto power?」

Her footsteps halted.

The girl approached slowly and whispered.

「What’s your name?」

“F-Forty-seven……”

「Hm? Your name is a number?」

“Dad…… called me Siris……”

「Alright, Miss Siris. No surname, right? I’ll pick a nice one for you. How about Argentheim? Sounds good, doesn’t it? I’ll set your starting class as Knight. It’s one of the mainstream ones.」

“K… knight……”

「A job that lives and dies for honor. Seems like your type. Though you’re just unfinished trash. That groveling you did, begging like a bug—great performance.」

“Ugh… uuugh…”

「I wonder which unfortunate master will recruit you. If it were me, I’d use you a few times and toss you. Try not to get recycled. Hah! Hahaha!」

The girl burst into wild laughter.

「Hilarious! No one will use this account. Trash among trash. Vermin among vermin! Which master can overcome these conditions? If that’s possible… I’ll personally call them god. Ahaha! Ahahahahaha!」

The nightmare always ended this way.

With the girl’s laughter.

“……Haa.”

Siris opened her eyes.

A familiar ceiling came into view.

Niflheimr’s 13th floor, her quarters.

‘Again.’

She had lost count.

Since her master left, Siris had nightmares every single night.

Clatter.

Siris picked up the water on the table beside the bed.

As the cool liquid slid down her throat, her mind cleared a little.

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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