Pick Me Up: A Different Han Islat

Han let out a breath and dismissed Shay's status window with a wave of his hand. "As expected from a born Four-Star hero..." he muttered.

Then, as he took a closer look at Shay, a thought slipped into his mind.

"Well, now that I look at her… she is really beautiful…"

His gaze lingered on her ponytail swaying slightly, her sharp yet elegant features, and the confident posture that exuded strength.

"And her body is great… especially that big ass of hers—Han!"

He mentally slapped himself.

"Remember the situation you're in right now. Stay focused!"

He shook his head, forcing his perverted thoughts away. Right, this wasn't the time to be appreciating this summoned hero's assets. He had bigger problems.

Clearing his throat, he finally addressed Shay, remembering her earlier question.

"I'm H-Han Seojin."

Shay responded without hesitation. "I am Shay Lathasterie, a knight." She paused briefly before tilting her head slightly. "Khan Seojin… what a weird name…"

Han twitched. "No, i-it's Han—"

Before he could correct her, another screen flickered into existence in front of him.

[Will you form a party with heroes? Drag the hero to the party slot and drop, make your own party!]

[Han (☆) and Shay (☆☆☆☆) have formed a party!]

A sudden sense of weightlessness overtook him.

"What the—?!"

The surroundings blurred, and in the blink of an eye, Han found himself and Shay in the same burning town from before—the tutorial quest's location.

But this time, things were different.

Instead of a single goblin, more than ten of them stood before them, their twisted grins revealing jagged, yellowed teeth. Their crude weapons—clubs, rusted blades, and even a makeshift spear—gleamed under the flickering firelight.

Han barely had time to tense before—

Shay moved.

A blur of white flashed past him.

Slash!

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Nine goblins were cut down in an instant. Shay weaved through them like a phantom, her rapier striking with terrifying precision. Every movement was efficient, every attack lethal. The goblins barely had time to react before their lifeless bodies hit the ground.

Meanwhile, Han was still locked in battle with a single goblin.

His grip tightened around his sword as the creature snarled, lunging at him with its rusted blade. Han barely managed to parry, his arms shaking from the force. Gritting his teeth, he retaliated with a clumsy swing.

It wasn't graceful. It wasn't efficient.

But it was enough.

His sword struck true, cutting into the goblin's neck. The creature let out a wet gurgle before collapsing in a heap.

Panting, Han turned to find Shay effortlessly slicing through the last goblin. She flicked her rapier clean of blood before giving him a side glance.

"Are you a newbie?" she asked, her tone neutral yet carrying a hint of scrutiny. "Your form is quite bad."

"Yeah," Han replied, still catching his breath as he looked at his fallen opponent. "It's my first time!"

His grip on the sword tightened as he observed her.

"So that's the difference between a 4-Star Hero and a 1-Star Hero at the same level, huh?"

A notification flashed before his eyes.

[Stage Clear!]

[Shay (☆☆☆☆) Level Up!]

[Rewards have been given. Check your mailbox.]

[MVP - Shay (☆☆☆☆)]

Han barely glanced at the MVP announcement. It didn't matter. What mattered was that the stage was over and he was still alive.

Before he could even think, his body once again broke apart into shimmering light. The dungeon vanished, and the next moment, he found himself back in the same place as before—the lobby.

The instant they arrived, another notification appeared.

[Master, your heroes have fought well.]

[The final tutorial stage awaits.]

The summoning chamber where Shay had appeared suddenly shone with a deep blue light. The massive doors slowly creaked open, revealing an eerie glow from within.

[A way to enhance heroes.]

[Synthesis!]

[The door has been opened!]

[Click the 'Synthesis' tab on the menu.]

The moment Han saw the notification, his eyes widened.

"I'm fucked!"

Before he could process what was happening, a voice suddenly called out to him.

"Hey, you!"

Han turned toward the source and was immediately met with the sight of a small, fairy-like girl floating in front of him.

She had long, black hair styled in wavy pigtails, with two large ribbons tied at the base of each. Her crimson-red eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence, resembling polished rubies. A pair of translucent wings fluttered behind her, keeping her aloft. She wore a sleek black dress with silver accents, form-fitting gloves, and thigh-high stockings. Though her appearance had an undeniable elegance, her expression was one of pure impatience.

"Go in fast!" she urged, pointing toward the glowing chamber.

"Master awaits!"

But Han didn't move. His gaze lingered on her, a hint of recognition flashing across his face.

"...Iselle?"

The moment he spoke her name, the fairy stiffened. Her wings faltered for a second, and her crimson eyes widened in shock.

"Yes, I'm Iselle... But you—how do you know my name?! What are you?!"

"Me?" Han's expression was unreadable. "I'm Han Seojin."

"Han Seojin?" Iselle's confusion deepened. "Not Han Islat?"

A second later, she snapped her fingers, summoning a thick book out of thin air—the Hero Book. Its leather cover glowed faintly with mystical energy, and as she flipped through its pages, her eyes darted back and forth between the text and Han.

Her face twisted in shock.

"Wh-What? Why are you different from the picture? You don't look like the Townia Hime's Han Islat!"

Han's eye twitched. He was already starting to lose patience.

"Yeah... That's because I'm Han Seojin from Seoul, Gangseo-gu," he said, his tone sharp. "Now, send me back while I'm still being nice."

But instead of responding, Iselle's mouth slowly opened in realization.

"...Wait! Are you from Earth?"

Han let out a frustrated sigh.

"Of course I am. Or should I be from Mars?"

A moment of silence stretched between them.

Then—

"Aaaaack!" Iselle clutched her head, her voice rising into a wail of pure distress. "What the hell happened?! I'm gonna go crazy!"

Iselle was still clutching her head in distress when she suddenly snapped back to reality.

"Well, just go in!" she exclaimed, still visibly shaken but determined to force Han forward.

Han immediately shouted back, "No! If I go in, I'll die!"

"You won't!" Iselle countered, her voice rising. "You'll get synthesized!"

Han's frustration hit its peak. "That's the same thing!"

"Anyways, go—" Iselle started, reaching out to physically shove him inside the chamber. But just as she was about to push him in, Han suddenly spoke.

His frustration disappeared in an instant, his demeanor turning ice-cold.

"I wonder what will happen to Moebius when people discover that they killed one of their players…"

The moment those words left his lips, Iselle froze.

Her grip on him loosened, her red eyes widening in shock.

"What?" she whispered, almost in disbelief. "One of their players? You are a Pick Me Up player?"

Han let out a low chuckle. "Hmpf… How do you think I know your name, Iselle?"

"Fuck!" Iselle nearly shrieked, panic overtaking her. "This is an even bigger problem!"

But despite her obvious distress, she quickly shook it off and refocused.

Without hesitation, she grabbed Han again and resumed forcing him inside the chamber.

"Well, nobody will bother over the disappearance of a small, nobody player like you—"

Han cut her off immediately.

"A small, nobody player like me?" His voice was sharp, carrying a dangerous edge. "And where did you get the assumption that I am a small player?"

Once again, Iselle froze in place, her grip tightening.

"What?"

Han's once dark eyes now glowed an eerie blue. The air around him seemed to shift, growing heavier, suffocating.

And then, with a smirk, he spoke in a voice laced with undeniable authority.

"I am… the Master of Masters… the 5th Greatest Master of Pick Me Up..."

His smirk widened.

"Loki."

---

Liked this chapter? There's finally some differences between the original, right?

Liking this Han? It's still the same as the original, but you can see that he is a hidden pervert (as you can see from his comments on Shay's body).