Pick Me Up!

I opened my eyes.

As the blinding light receded, the surrounding landscape gradually came into view.

The first thing I noticed was the acrid air flowing in through my breaths. It was as if I had inhaled sulfur, a nauseating stench that shook my head.

‘…Where is this?’

They said it was a world of illusions created by Irine. I looked around. The air was cool.

A blood-red full moon bloomed against the deep blue dawn sky. Below it, rows of stone buildings lined up in order under the moonlight.

“Kill.”

“Kill the heretics.”

“Hang them. Hang them!”

The constant murmur echoed from all directions. I turned my head. The place I had been summoned to was a vast, circular plaza. Men and women of all ages crowded around a fountain in the center, leaving no space to step. They were all staring at the temple in front of them. More precisely, they were looking at a woman standing on the terrace at the very top of the temple.

“Kill! Kill the traitor! Kill the traitor who sold us out!”

A girl, who appeared to be barely in her twenties, screamed while shaking her fist in the air.

I bit my lip.

Where her eyes should have been, there were only black, hollow sockets.

[Angry Citizens Lv.54] x 658

The people hurled curses and objects toward someone at the top of the temple’s terrace, spitting out venomous accusations.

“Don’t let her live! Tear her limb from limb and execute her!”

“Yes! Yes!”

“How dare she… betray the prince…!”

I clicked my tongue.

I finally understood where I was.

“Is this one of your tricks?”

I glared at the pair of eyes floating in the sky.

〈This place is an illusion, but it is also the truth.〉

“An illusion but also the truth? Sounds like nonsense to me.”

〈Then feel it for yourself.〉

The eyes vanished with a faint laugh.

At that moment, a headache surged. I rubbed my temples and looked ahead.

Soon after, a system message popped up with a sound effect.

[Ding!]

[Hero ‘Han (★★★★★)’ has entered the World of Illusion.]

[A special mission has been assigned. If this mission fails, Special NPC ‘Priasis Al Ragnar’ will die. Master, monitor the situation carefully!]

Crackle. Crackle.

Static filled the air, and the mission target updated in front of my eyes.

[Floor 15(?)]

[Mission Type – Escort]

[Objective – Protect the designated individual.]

Rows of buildings and streets lined up like a checkerboard.

The plaza was filled with countless citizens, and a temple stood on the inside.

There was no mistaking it. This was the city of ‘Adilt,’ the stage of the 15th floor.

The 15th floor.

This was the mission where Priasis first appeared, and as a boss stage, it had been quite the ordeal.

The only difference now was…

The citizens were rioting.

And I was the only hero here.

Lastly…

“This…!”

Priasis, standing on the terrace railing, opened her eyes wide.

She looked around in a panic. Of course, she would be shocked. The location had suddenly changed, and people were glaring at her as if they wanted to kill her.

[10:00]

A timer appeared on the left side of my field of vision.

Ten minutes.

‘There’s no time to think.’

I began walking forward.

“You, what are you doing? Don’t interfere—Agh!”

I grabbed the wrist of the man who blocked my way and twisted it.

“Aaargh!”

Thud!

A kick to his chest sent him flying into the fountain with a loud crash.

“Wh-where is this place?”

Priasis shouted, but no one answered her. The only sounds were the cries of rage from the crowd. A shadow flickered behind the curtains of the terrace.

[09:43]

I leapt to the top of the fountain, then jumped again.

In one motion, I ascended several meters, kicking off window ledges and railings as I climbed.

I landed on the terrace in an instant.

“Eek!”

Startled by my sudden arrival, Priasis collapsed to the floor.

“Han?! What is this place…”

“There’s no time to explain. We need to escape in ten minutes.”

“What are you saying…”

Whoosh!

A sharp sound cut through the air.

I swung my right hand. A crossbow bolt fell to the ground from my open palm.

If I had been just a little slower, Priasis would’ve had a hole in her forehead.

“Doesn’t this situation seem familiar?”

“Y-yes, it does.”

“We need to get out of here. Hold on tight.”

Priasis bit her lip and nodded.

She wasn’t the naive little girl I first met. Over the years, she had grown through countless battles and hardships. With a resolute expression, Priasis wrapped her arms around me. And at that very moment…

“Graaaaaah!”

They appeared.

[Angry Church Soldier Lv.61] x 316

[Angry Church Knight Lv.67] x 17

[Angry Assassin Lv.66] x 21

From beyond the terrace, across the street, from the temple gates, and from the plaza below, soldiers poured out like a flood.

Bloodshot eyes.

Blood oozed from every pore in their bodies.

They were no longer human; they were more like monsters.

‘So this is the big trick, huh.’

The boss stage I had already cleared, but now on hard mode.

Quite the charming twist. I chuckled as I hugged Priasis and leapt off the terrace. Clearing a 5-meter gap, I landed on the rooftop of a nearby building.

“Kill! Kill them all!”

Citizens, soldiers, knights, assassins—it didn’t matter. They all swarmed toward Priasis. Dozens of people were crushed to death in the stampede, but no one seemed to care. There wasn’t a shred of reason left in them.

Ping! Ping-ping-ping!

The assassins fired their crossbows.

Dodging the bolts, I sprinted from rooftop to rooftop.

“Are they really human?” Priasis asked, looking behind her with a pale face.

The soldiers were leaping several meters into the air to reach the rooftops.

As soon as one locked eyes with me, their eyes rolled back, and they dropped to all fours, running like animals.

“Well, I’m not sure either.”

I had memorized the layout of the city.

I dashed through the alleys, passing countless branching paths as I moved. With Priasis next to me, I couldn’t make any large movements, but this was enough. I swung the sheathed Bifrost and shattered the heads of the enemies blocking the way.

It wasn’t hard to shake them off. The problem would come when we tried to leave.

The exits were limited, and they would definitely be guarding them.

‘Well, I’ll have to break through regardless.’

I burst out of the alley.

The exit should be just ahead. Sure enough…

At the end of the main road, a gate stood. Twenty soldiers were standing guard.

“Graaah! Kyaaaaah!”

I glanced behind me.

The mass of citizens and soldiers, a tangled crowd, was rushing toward us.

A massive wave of bodies. If we got caught in it, I might survive, but Priasis wouldn’t stand a chance.

‘As fast as possible…’

“Don’t panic.”

I flung Priasis into the air.

“…?!”

She screamed as she soared upward.

I snapped my fingers. Zap! Lightning sparked from my fingertips and wrapped around Priasis, suspending her in midair. A simple gravity-binding spell.

“What the…!”

“Gyaaaaah!”

“What a strange sound.”

I placed my hand on my sword’s hilt.

Red-black lightning began to crackle around the grip.

〈So, this is your pathetic attempt to stall for time. Even the saintess of the church has reached her limit.〉

Halkion clicked his tongue in disapproval.

A pathetic stall for time.

He was right.

“Graaaaah!”

Before the soldiers could swarm us, I flicked my thumb and unsheathed my sword. Swoosh.

A crimson arc of energy swept through a 10-meter radius.

The people caught within the arc hesitated for a moment before collapsing into neatly severed pieces.

A total of 20 enemies. The once-clean street was now smeared with blood and chunks of flesh.

Click.

I sheathed my sword.

As I lowered my right hand, Priasis, who had been suspended in midair, slowly descended.

“Let’s go.”

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