Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Found You!
Pick Me Up!
A mobile game developed by Moebius.
The objective? Conquer the 100th floor of the Tower. Players, known as Masters, gather materials, summon unique Heroes, and devise strategies to overcome each challenge that stands in their way.
Today, for the first time since its release, Pick Me Up! is launching its first major event.
Han Islat, a young man in his twenties with black hair and brown eyes, sat on his bed, eyes glued to his phone's screen. The familiar interface of Pick Me Up! displayed a new notification. "Transcendental Advent?" he muttered, pondering the event's title. A smirk crossed his face. "This overhyped game finally got a proper event," he remarked.
Despite his outward disdain, Han couldn't deny his obsession with the game. Heroes in Pick Me Up! ranged from 1-Star to 7-Star, each uniquely generated by the Moebius Summon System. Yet, despite thousands of paid gacha pulls, his luck had been abysmal; he had never summoned a Hero above 5 Stars, while others boasted teams of 6 and 7-Star Born Heroes.
So why did he keep playing? He'd never admit it openly, but the truth was embarrassing: he was determined to collect every female character in the game. His collection was vast, each Hero meticulously leveled and customized. He often found himself lost in fantasies about his digital companions, their detailed designs fueling his vivid imagination. His maybe too vivid imagination.
Han scrolled through the event menu and tapped on the special dungeon. His eyes locked onto the reward list, skimming past the usual enhancement materials and equipment. What mattered was one particular item:
[Book of Reversal] – A rare item that can turn a Hero into a 7-Star.
"A dungeon with a low drop rate for the Book of Reversal, huh? There's no reason not to join," Han muttered.
But unlike other mobile games, Pick Me Up! didn't hold back. It had hardcore mechanics. Even the heroes you invested your everything into—once they died, they were gone forever. No revives, no retries.
Han leaned back, deep in thought.
"So, regardless of whether it's a 1-star or 6-star, if they die a single time, it's over. i should send a recon team that i dont care about first in the dungeon to scout things out."
With a few quick selections, he formed a squad of expendable 6-Star Heroes and sent them into the event dungeon.
"Let's see what this place has to offer," he muttered, watching the loading screen.
[The Advent Dungeon has opened!]
But before he could react, the screen was immediately flooded with red warning signs.
[All the members of Party 38 feel fear.]
[Diora (☆☆☆☆☆☆)'s stats have been reduced by 30%.]
[Nicolas (☆☆☆☆☆☆)'s stats have been reduced by 30%.]
[Kent (☆☆☆☆☆☆)'s stats have been reduced by 30%.]
[Akela (☆☆☆☆☆☆)'s stats have been reduced by 30%.]
[Melky (☆☆☆☆☆☆)'s stats have been reduced by 30%.]
Han's eyes twitched as he processed the barrage of debuffs.
"...What the hell?"
Even though they were just his disposable 6-Stars party, this was still ridiculous. An immediate 30% stat reduction across the entire party? What kind of broken dungeon was this?
"What the hell are they so scared of?"
His fingers hovered over the screen as he debated his next move. Something was seriously wrong with this event.
"Well, regardless I just have to look at the patterns or shape of the boss."
[Diora (☆☆☆☆☆☆) suggests retreating.]
[Diora (☆☆☆☆☆☆) is in panic!]
As soon as Han Islat saw the system notification, his eyes widened.
A shadowy figure loomed over the battlefield, its presence alone warping the air with an eerie, oppressive aura. The monster had a humanoid form, but its features were distorted, as if reality itself struggled to define its existence. Its entire body was shrouded in a writhing darkness, an abyssal mist that flickered like dying embers.
The ground beneath it was painted in blood, bodies scattered around like discarded dolls. Its mere presence sent waves of fear crashing through Han's heroes, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
Above its head, a single detail stood out, shaking Han to his core.
[Lv. 999]
Han's heart pounded. That wasn't supposed to be possible. No hero, no enemy in Pick Me Up! had ever reached that level.
And yet, here it was. A being so powerful that even the system refused to give it a proper name, displaying only a garbled mess of symbols.
Han's fingers hovered over the screen.
"...What kind of name is that? A bug?"
His words sounded hollow even to himself.
Something was very, very wrong with this event.
In an instant, all of his heroes were wiped out.
[You lose!]
Han stared at the screen in disbelief. "This has to be a system error... There's no way this boss is actually this strong."
His frustration grew as he gritted his teeth. "They died before I could even analyze its attack pattern. I didn't learn a single thing—"
But before he could finish his thought, his screen flickered.
The monster, the level 999 enigma, was no longer just standing on the battlefield.
It was staring directly at him.
Its glowing red eyes pierced through the screen, radiating an eerie, suffocating presence. A deep, distorted voice resonated through the device.
"Found you."
Han's breath hitched. "Huh? The game should be ove—"
His words cut off as his vision suddenly blurred. A wave of dizziness struck him, and before he could react, everything around him faded into pitch-black nothingness.
His body plummeted through the void, weightless, as if he were being dragged somewhere beyond his understanding. The darkness stretched endlessly, swallowing everything in sight.
Then, suddenly—
Fwoosh!
A violet light erupted from the abyss, illuminating the void with an ethereal glow. It felt strangely familiar, almost like… a system interface.
[Creating your account.]
Han's eyes widened as the words materialized before him. "Account? What's happening?"
A new prompt followed immediately after.
[Choose your name...]
Han's confusion deepened. "What is this?"
[Anytng]
"Huh?" Han blinked.
[You can use this name. Will you use it?]
[Yes]
[No]
"Anytng? Is this supposed to be short for 'anything'?" He muttered, trying to make sense of it.
Just then—
Click.
The "Yes" button pressed itself.
"I'm not entering it! What is this thing doing?! It's acting on its own!" Han's voice rose in frustration, his confusion mounting by the second.
[Anytng, welcome to the world of Pick Me Up!]
The violet glow intensified, and before Han could react, the darkness around him shattered like glass.
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Hey, guys! This is my first fanfiction, hope you like it!
I am a degenerate by the way...