Pick Me Up!

As the night drew near, Aaron arrived at the training grounds and spoke up.

“Sorry for being late.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

I mumbled as I hurled a wooden spear.

Aaron caught it skillfully.

“If I had been a bit stronger, those two wouldn’t have…”

“They perished because they were weak. That’s the simple truth.”

It was evening, and apart from me, Jenna, and Aaron, the training grounds stood empty. Those who had trained during the day had dispersed, finding solace in their own activities after having their meals.

And I understood.

Training tirelessly throughout the day wasn’t an easy feat. It’s only natural for our human instincts to crave rest after getting weary and tired.

After catching the spear, Aaron plunged it into the training dummy.

His stance was nothing short of exemplary, devoid of any unnecessary movements. And so, Aaron commenced his familiar routine of “1,000 thrusts.”

Meanwhile, Jenna was engrossed in practicing rapid-fire archery at the shooting range.

Her goal was to shoot arrows swiftly. In a mere second, she would draw an arrow from her quiver, nock it onto the string, and let it fly. Although she missed the mark numerous times, her accuracy steadily improved as time wore on.

As for myself, I engaged in a slow and deliberate sword-swinging practice.

With each swing taking about a minute, it was a training method I had come across in martial arts novels. Surprisingly enough, it proved to be highly beneficial. It allowed me to discern where the power resided within my body and which areas required refinement.

And just like that, an hour passed.

I sheathed my sword back into its scabbard.

I wiped away the sweat trickling down my neck with a towel.

The current time was 9:47 PM.

Based on my estimation, there remained approximately 10 minutes until Anytng would log in.

As I made my way towards the exit of the training grounds, Jenna followed closely behind.

“Master will be joining us soon, right?”

“You catch on quickly.”

“Well, I am your number one subordinate, after all, oppa.”

We stepped out into the plaza and chose a random bench to settle ourselves upon.

Jenna took a seat beside me.

[Welcome to Pick Me Up!]

As soon as the clock struck 10 PM, the sky illuminated with shimmering lights.

[“The loading is complete.]

[T O U C H ! (Selected)]

It had been a month since I arrived in this world.

In Earth’s time, a little over 10 days had elapsed.

Through my observations during this period, I managed to discern Anytng’s pattern of logging in.

There was a time difference of approximately threefold between the waiting room and Earth. According to Earth’s time, Antng would log in three times a day: morning, afternoon, and evening.

Based on this information, I could create a predicted schedule for Anytng’s logins, although the sample size was still insufficient. As time passed, it would become more precise. For now, I had to rely on my instincts.

By the way, time during stages flowed in real-time.

If there was a threefold difference there as well, I would have met my demise yesterday.

[These bastards… I told you to come out to the plaza once the Master logs in!]

Iselle suddenly appeared and exclaimed.

“Compared to them, our Loki… It would be great if the others could learn a thing or two from you. Anyway, amazing job in yesterday’s battle! To overcome the survival mission on the 5th floor, even with those inept ones, truly showcases you as the Master of Masters! You’re extraordinary, Master.”

Master, huh?

An expression from a bygone era, indeed.

[AAAH! They’re still not out? I won’t let them get away with it this time!]

“Just leave them be. They’ll come out on their own when you call them.”

After all, the number of personnel deployed for battle is limited.

[Alright, I understand. I’ll leave them, but only for you.]

“What did you say to make her act like that?”

“It’s a secret.”

Jenna cast a suspicious glance at me, but soon exhaled deeply and relaxed her expression.

“So, today is the Weekly Dungeon, right?”

[Hold on a second! The Master has started.]

Iselle vanished in the blink of an eye.

[Forming a party.]

[Drag and drop your heroes!]

“‘Han(★)’ joins ‘Party 4’!”

“‘Jenna(★)’ joins ‘Party 4’!”

“‘Lewis(★)’ joins ‘Party 4’!…”

[The Weekly Dungeon.]

There’s not much to see here.

[Open up, the rift of space and time!]

The front gate creaked open.

Iselle reappeared and shouted,

“Lewis, Jeffery, Owen, come out now!”

A few moments later, three men with weary faces emerged into the plaza.

They seemed bothered by the interruption while they were resting.

“The five of you will enter the rift of space and time. Go!”

“Five people? Us and those guys?”

Jenna blinked, her eyes scanning the surroundings with a sharp gaze.

They were people she rarely saw, as they stayed on the 1st floor of the main dungeon. Even those three lowered their heads, seeming uncomfortable in our presence.

I entered the rift of spacetime.

A few moments later, the four of them, including Jenna, followed suit.

[Climb the tower and save the world!]

[Main Dungeon: Current Floor – 5][An Ever-changing Dungeon Extravaganza!]

[Weekly Dungeon: Candleroot Forest (11 hours)][Collect various rare materials!]

[Exploration Dungeon][Access Denied! Clear the 10th floor of the main dungeon.]

“As expected, it’s open.”

The mirror at the center, once adorned in ashen hues, regained its vibrant colors.

It was the gateway to the Weekly Dungeon.

“Will you fight alongside us?”

“Well, it seems to be that case, what’s your name…?”

“I’m Owen.”

He was an ordinary middle-aged man, someone you could find anywhere.

He studied me with an anxious expression.

“My strength doesn’t seem like it would be of much help to you…”

“Keep your worries to yourself. You won’t have to fight.”

“Really! Well, I guess that’s a relief.”

Of course, it didn’t mean they were simply here to spectate.

The mirror in the center began to emit a brilliant glow.

When the light subsided, we found ourselves in an unfamiliar forest.

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