Pick Me Up!
Chapter 56: Reporting Ceremony (2) (2)

“It’s telling me to kill you!”

The leader drew a dagger from his belt.

The two beside him retrieved small crossbows from their bosoms.

I kicked the sword I had been holding on the instep and sent it flying upward. As it rotated, I caught the rising sword in my hand. Evading the dagger-like short swords that were directed at me, I plunged the blade into the back of one of the men’s necks. With my left hand, I drew a dagger from my belt and threw it. The dagger embedded itself in the eye of the soldier who had aimed a crossbow at me. I withdrew the sword from the neck and slashed the upper body of the soldier who lost all strength. Simultaneously, Edis’s thrown dragger struck the forehead of the third man like a dart.

The bodies of the three humans spewed blood as they crumbled. Among the corpses, I stood with my sword dripping hot blood. The dense smell of blood surged even into my head. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NøvᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

I spread out the blood-soaked blade and said, “Do you still intend to talk?”

I had seen a similar incident during my Master’s days.

The enemies were humans, and the hesitant heroes perished.

Negotiation didn’t exist.

No matter who emerged, no matter how they emerged.

Kill or be killed.

Aaron raised his head, then silently picked up the spear from the ground.

An emotionless voice flowed from his mouth.

“Do we have to kill them all?”

“Yeah. Negotiation won’t work.”

“Understood.”

Aaron tightened his grip on the spear and aimed at the enemies.

The five soldiers were already in a combat stance.

“Jenna, do you have any intention of sparing them?”

“If we don’t kill them, we’ll be killed.”

“And you call that an explanation.”

“Well, it’s fine. We’re in a desperate situation. We’re desperate!”

Squish!

An arrow that had left the quiver hit a soldier’s chest. He fell over with wide eyes. Due to the pressure from the ground, the arrow pierced through his chest and emerged from his back.

“…”

Eolka couldn’t care less.

She had already started casting fire magic.

Edis, watching this, muttered bitterly.

“It seems I worried for nothing.”

“It’s a given.”

What I valued most in choosing party members wasn’t talent or strength, but mental resilience. It was the desire, the determination to do whatever it takes to survive.

“Prepare for battle.”

The formation was complete.

Aaron and I in the front, Jenna and Edis in the middle, and Eolka in the rear. With four enemies dead, they numbered nine. The soldiers charged at us with a clamor akin to the sound of metal clashing.

“These guys aren’t normal.”

Edis spun her daggers in her hands.

Abnormal. Literally. Black veins resembling sinister tattoos sprawled across their faces and skin. Madness flickered in their pupils.

【Ignite!】

Whoosh.

A wall of flames surged forth in front of us.

“Aaah!”

Two soldiers engulfed in flames writhed in agony and perished.

The metal plates of their heated armor glowed red.

Through the flames, Jenna’s arrow pierced through the air.

A middle-aged soldier with a beard lunged at me with a spear.

I blocked with my shield while moving my left hand. The spearhead slid off the shield, causing the soldier to stagger. In front of him lay my sword. Accompanied by a splatter of blood, his neck was almost severed, and he collapsed while clutching his throat, gurgling as he died.

‘Weak.’

They may be properly equipped, but their formation and discipline were lacking.

They charged haphazardly, swinging their weapons. It didn’t even take five minutes to sort them out. In an instant, twelve bodies littered the city square.

Only one remained.

He sat trembling, quaking in fear.

I wiped blood off my blade against the wall and approached the soldier. He spat and raised his voice.

“Please spare me! Spare me! I have a wife and daughter waiting for me. I need to go back! Ba-back home. I need to go home!”

“How do you plan to go back?”

“That’s… aaah!”

The soldier grabbed his head and screamed.

As the soldier screamed, black blood spewed from his mouth, and he collapsed. Then, his movement ceased. He was dead.

Eolka grimaced and commented, “These people are strange.”

Edis sheathed her dagger on her belt.

“They’ve been brainwashed. I’ve seen it a few times. Still, this level of thorough brainwashing on this many people is new. Well, if you think about it, last time…”

“Are they the same bastards?”

“Yeah. We definitely killed them, but the same bastards showed up.”

I wiped the tar-like, thick, black blood off the ground.

It was the same as that bi*ch.

I still couldn’t figure it out. There were too few clues.

But these guys were nothing special, they were just trapped on the 12th floor.

Soon, light enveloped us.

It was the return signal.

[Stage Clear!]

[‘Jenna (★★)’, ‘Edis (★★★)’, Level Up!]

[Reward – 3500G, Leather (C) X 1]

[MVP – ‘Han (★★)’]

We returned through the rift.

Edis had already left. The battle was easy, but weariness was etched on the faces of the three. I sheathed my sword and spoke.

“Get used to it. I will too.”

“Yeah. Whether it’s a monster or a human, there’s not much difference.”

The blood that had covered my body disappeared without a trace.

However, the acrid smell lingered at the tip of my nose for a long while.

Taking a life.

There was no hesitation, no thrill, as I had imagined. It would be the same in the future. It was laughable to think that after killing so many monsters I would have a problem killing humans. I would do it if necessary. No matter who the opponent was.

Back in my room, I organized my materials once again.

Humanoid creatures appeared on the 12th floor. If similar guys appeared on the 13th and 14th floors, I could estimate the monsters that would appear on the 15th floor. Based on the methods and times of the three parties’ extermination, I could guess the nature of the mission.

“….”

I couldn’t help but think about what happened again.

Suddenly, a thought struck me.

“Have I changed?”

Well, if I had, that would make sense.

The me on Earth and the me in the waiting room had changed in many ways.

But I didn’t have any regrets. There was no choice but to change. If I hadn’t, I would have died. It was inevitable.

“Going back will be tough, readjusting again.”

I sighed and continued my work.

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