Chapter 12: If You Want to Survive, Ride the Wave Well (3) (2)


    I gulped down the juice from the stic cup.


    Then tossed the cup onto the counter. Goal!


    Can you ess the inte?


    [The inte?]


    Yes, if you can interfere with the Pick Me Up system, then you must be able to ess the inte too, right?


    [Why do you keep asking?]


    There are good things that would happen if you answer.


    [I can. Web surfing is my hobby.]


    Then the tips you post must be based on the forum strategies. Draw 10 equipment Gachas, then level up the training center to level 1. After that, open the forge.


    It was the most popr post on the official Pick Me Up cafe. With 20 million views. 5 million rmendations. The strategy was shared on various other inte magazines and tranted, spreading worldwide.


    It was posted by a user, and the authors ount name was Loki.


    The post roughly described the facilities used and the methods of selecting and raising heroes.


    [Do you know Loki?]


    I do. Im also a Pick Me Up user.


    [Hah, youre just a low-level pup running around on the lower floors! You cant bepared to Loki. The Master of Masters, hes the god of Pick Me Up! If Loki had only 7-star heroes, he would have been the worlds number one long ago!]


    I chuckled.


    Why do you like Loki?


    [Because he can turn the impossible into possible!]


    Oh, he makes the impossible possible.


    [Dont you know that as a Pick Me Up user?]


    I actually know that, because Im Loki.


    [What?!]


    Im Loki.


    [Now, now, now, who are you kidding?!]


    ount number 46631913.


    Iselles eyes popped out.


    This guy, he also knew the ount number.


    Only the Master and Pick Me Up server officials could know the ount number of Pick Me Up. Masters never reveal their ount numbers because it could lead to hacking.


    [Yes, yes, no, are you Loki?]


    You dont believe me? I can even give you my Google ount! Check out my YouTube channel.


    I even told her the email and password for the Google ount.


    Iselle disappeared in a flurry, then reappeared after a while.


    [Do it.]


    What?


    [Sign it, you idiot!]


    Iselle handed me a pen and paper with a flushed face.


    I took the paper, quickly scribbled on it, and handed it back. Iselle pressed her lips against my rough doodle.


    Yes! With this, Im also a VIP member of Ragnaroki!]


    Whats Ragnaroki?


    [The fan cafe of the Master of Masters, Loki! You need Lokis signature to be a VIP member!]


    Was there such a thing?


    Its news to me.


    And whats this Ragnaroki? The naming sense is the worst.


    [Oh, oh, anyway, you no, Master Loki]


    Speak casually. Its awkward.


    [Are you really Loki? Really really?]


    Its true, so there you go.


    [Kyaa!]


    Iselle, who had been hopping around, suddenly regained her senses and said.


    [Wait. So Ive been speaking arrogantly to Loki all this time?]


    Right now, Im just a lowly 1-star. Does it really matter?


    [I I called Loki a pup!]


    Iselle started to panic.


    I couldnt quite grasp the emotional shift.


    [Sorry! If I had known that you were Loki, I wouldnt have said that! Really!]


    Calm down a bit. I wasnt really angry.


    [Why did Lokie to this ce Aaargh!]


    Iselle grabbed her head and screamed.


    [What kind of situation Im living in..?]


    Was it that shocking?


    I cant understand. This is almost at the level of being an obsessed fan.


    Iselle, who was sulking with her split hairstyle, suddenly stood up and said,


    Wait, wait! What happens to Niflheimr if youre not here?


    Niflheimr is the waiting room name for my ount.


    It consists of a total of 13 floors and is known as the pinnacle of infrastructure construction among ranker types, with a capacity of 20,000 residents, a training center at level 22, and an armory at level 18.


    All that for what?


    Master of masters


    That master ended up in this situation in the end.


    It meant nothing.


    Thinking about that I let out a deep sigh.


    I didnt think about that.


    [Are you thinking of quitting?]


    What else can I do in this situation?


    [But if Master Loki is not here]


    If youre so disappointed, then send me back.


    [I cant do that.]


    Iselle bowed her head with a gloomy expression.


    I know. This girl is nothing more than a mid-level admin, getting caught in the middle of superiors and work obligations.


    Anyway, the owner of this waiting room is a human from Earth, right?


    [Yes.]


    Great, she calmed down, and shes now cooperating.


    I decided to take this opportunity to ask about the things I was curious about.


    The summoned heroes are not artificial intelligence either, right?


    [Thats right. The affiliated worlds are slightly different, but theyre all humans.]


    If I climb the tower up to the 100th floor, can I return to Earth?


    [That I dont know.]


    You dont know?


    [Im serious! Believe me!]


    Fine. Next question. Who brought me here?


    [I cant answer that.]


    Huh, youre not helping.


    [Sorry.]


    Lets move on. As you said, if I climb the tower, Ill probably find out. Next question. How much ess do you have to the Masters authority?


    [Right now, I can disy help, open and close facilities, and assist with autonomous actions.]


    Next.


    This is the key to the question.


    Are other Masters waiting rooms the same as this one?


    [Theyre slightly different in detail, but the basics are the same.]


    Are there really 100 million worlds like this?


    I burst intoughter at the ridiculous scale of it all.


    I cant believe that what was just a game is now a reality in another world. My casual decisions could have been a death sentence for the heroes in the game.


    If I ever return to Earth, I decided to climb the tower in a way that conserves the heroes as much as possible. Ill exclude those who cant fulfill their roles.


    The way heroes can contribute to the Master is not limited to just battles. While this waiting room has most of its functions locked, as the grade increases and the functions are unlocked, nonbat heroes can find ways to contribute to the Master.


    If this waiting rooms grade were higher, even those who died meaninglessly might have had a role. They were just unlucky.


    But what can you do? Thats how the world is.


    I wonder if the Niflheimr crew is doing fine without me.


    If the heroes there are still alive, they would have noticed my absence by now.


    I wont be able to go back for a while.


    But it should be fine.


    In Pick Me Up, theres a feature where designated heroes operate the waiting room when the Master is absent for a long time. So Pick Me Up also had the title of an idle game.


    Seris will handle it on her own.


    Seris, the sub-master of Niflheimr, was unusually intelligent and wise.


    She aplished two tasks when given one, and she had the talent to understand what I wanted. Seriously, its hard to believe shes an artificial intelligence.


    Anyway, I cant help them. They have to figure out how they can live without me until I survive this ce.


    Im here now. And Ive decided to find a way to live here.


    Iselle.


    [Uh, yeah?]


    Do you wish to climb the tower?


    Iselle hesitated for a moment, then nodded.


    Listen carefully. Ill make it possible. Me and you will climb it.


    This time, she nodded her head without hesitation.


    Floor reached: 3rd floor.


    Autonomous actions are finally enabled, and the forge is open.


    The scope of activities has expanded.


    Ill have to speed up the progress starting tomorrow.


    If Iselle helps, it should be more than possible.


    Leaning against the sofa, I looked up at the ceiling.


    The ashen sky remained the same.<ul><li>Long Live The Hokage</li><li>A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War!</li><li>God of Soul System</li><li>Pick Me Up Infinite Gacha!</li></ul>