Pick Me Up!
Chapter 60: Mission Type, Escort (4) (2)

These things existed even in a well-organized city.

A man sitting next to the entrance stood up.

His greasy face was covered in sweat. Chuckling, he approached us.

To be precise, he headed towards the girl in the middle of us.

“Hehe, what kind of rice cake is this?”

The girl jumped in surprise and stepped back.

“Miss, are you lost? Or did you run away? Let me guide you…”

The man seemed to ignore Edis in front of him as he passed by.

Edis grabbed him as he walked past and forcefully pushed his foot.

The man spun around in midair and fell to the ground.

Thud!

Edis hit the back of his head with her heel. With a sound like bones breaking, blood spurted.

The man trembled, writhing on the ground.

Ignoring the fallen man, we passed by and entered the slum.

As soon as we entered, pieces of trash were swept up by the wind and flew around. Along with that, an indescribable nauseating smell wafted through the air. The girl wrinkled her nose and pinched it shut.

A clothesline was hung between high walls.

Dirty clothes were hanging on the line.

But there were no residents in sight.

“If we’re hiding, this place should be good. The paths are as tangled as a maze, and there are plenty of buildings.”

I nodded at Edis’ words.

First, we needed a place to stay until it was dark. Action would come after that.

That’s when the message popped up.

[Tips/About Long Missions]

[Sometimes missions can take a long time. Even if you log off, the hero will continue to act.]

It was a guide message about long missions.

Since there were signs of the mission dragging on, it seemed like the system had made a judgment.

“I’ll go check first.”

Edis stooped low as if melding with the shadows of the wall.

The figure became blurry. It was the effect of Edis activating the thief’s exclusive skill, “Stealth.” Edis, who had triggered the skill disappeared into the inner part of the street.

“Stand behind me.”

I walked slowly, surveying my surroundings.

There were hardly any people in the slum.

It’s better that way. Soon enough, soldiers will flood in here too, and the search will begin.

I glanced behind me briefly.

The girl’s expression was tense, but she was maintaining a certain level of composure. There was no hint of childishness or tantrums for someone of her age.

‘She’s not an ordinary kid, then.’

If she were, she would have probably rejected the suggestion to follow us.

Amidst the chaos, she quickly identified her way to survive.

After a while, Edis returned, and we entered a rundown building following her lead.

A two-story stone building on the brink of collapse. The windows were covered with nailed cloth. Inside, very little light seeped through, making it dark. Aside from the front door, there was also a back door, and I noticed a noticeable alley that could be used as an escape route.

‘Perfect.’

Even if soldiers were to approach, there was a way to flee.

We decided to spend time here. Edis immediately began setting traps using thin strings and stones. She placed a stack of stones tied with strings on top of the entrance after stretching the tight string across it. If someone were to touch the string, the stone stack would collapse, creating noise.

It was the effect of Edis’ skill, “Trap Installation.”

Rogues shone the brightest in missions of this type. Edis had also acquired numerous skills over time.

“We’ll be spending time here.”

The girl leaned against a half-collapsed wall and sat down.

Her once-white dress was now dirty with mud and dust.

I pulled a dusty chair from the living room and sat on it. With a knife sheath on my lap, I looked out the window. The sky visible through the gaps in the nailed cloth was dimly lit.

“I’m going out for a while.”

“Going out again?”

“I have a role to play as well. You’re more than enough to handle guarding. I’m going to find an escape route.”

Edis faintly smiled and then vanished silently.

‘Perhaps I should have brought Jenna instead of her.’

In this setup, I don’t have much to do.

I rested my chin on my hand and spent time quietly. The sound of insects outside the window could be heard. About ten minutes passed like that.

“Priasis Al Ragna.”

I turned my gaze to the girl.

With long silver hair and golden eyes, the girl, Priasis, was looking at me.

“It’s my name. I am the second heir to the imperial throne.”

“And?”

“It seems you’re just as stubborn.”

Priasis let out a bitter laugh.

However, she soon regained her determined expression and continued speaking.

“Where did you come from?”

‘What a strange question.’

Anyway, our relationship was going to be short-lived.

I replied briefly.

“You don’t need to know.”

“I revealed my identity and name. Can’t you tell me at least that much?”

“Telling you won’t make you understand.”

“Is it that complicated? Did you come from somewhere I don’t know?”

“Let’s just say that.”

“By any chance… are you the heroes who saved Nelesa?”

I frowned.

Nelesa.

It was the name of the city we saved in the 10th floor.

“It seems like I’ve got the right answer.”

“How did you know?”

“I saw it in a dream.”

“A dream.” Sᴇaʀᴄh the N0vᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“In that dream, the heroes were struggling to protect the city. I couldn’t see their faces, but I had a strong feeling that it was you.”

Priasis let out a chuckle but soon put on a determined expression and spoke again.

“For a year now, I’ve been having strange dreams. Very ominous dreams. In those dreams, everything was coming to an end. The Millennium Empire’s capital, the capital of the four major houses, and all the other big and small cities and towns. Everything on the continent was burning.”

“….”

“In the middle of that dream, I was convinced. If things continue like this, the continent will be destroyed.”

Priasis lowered her gaze.

“Do you know? Strange things have been happening all over the continent lately. Unidentified diseases are spreading, insects are swarming, and monsters are going mad. Nelesa’s invasion must be part of that. Originally, they didn’t trespass on human territory.”

Priasis spoke slowly.

I was dumbfounded and retorted.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“…I need power.”

“Power?”

“The power to save this world.”

——————— –

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