Return of the Frozen Player

Seo Jun-Ho was in a trance.

His mind was calm, but he was moving at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

“Huff, huff.”

Seo Jun-Ho was gasping for air.

He would die if he were to falter for even a second. There were simply too many raindrops for him to relax. He was exhausted, but he endured it and kept on moving forward.

‘When will this end…’

Seo Jun-Ho had already parried away thousands or perhaps tens of thousands of raindrops. However, the Rain of Darkness poured down with no sign of stopping any time soon.

Seo Jun-Ho was fighting a desperate battle on his own.

His body screamed at him as he maintained a thousand percent Overclocking output.

‘How long has it been?’

Many questions came to Seo Jun-Ho’s mind.

‘Frost must still be fighting Specter outside this downpour. How much of my mental strength did she use? What if my mental strength suddenly runs out, and I end up fainting?’

Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t help but have bad thoughts one after another out of exhaustion.

Snap!

To make matters even worse, Twilight—Sir Hart’s favorite sword and Frontier’s national treasure—snapped in half.

Seo Jun-Ho didn’t have the luxury to mourn the weapon, as he had to immediately look for another weapon to use.

‘I should use…’

Unfortunately, there was no suitable weapon for him to use.

The Sky’s Will was more of a decorative sword the emperor used to command Neo City’s armed forces, so it was practically useless here.

‘Cruel Executioner.’

Seo Jun-Ho gripped an ink-colored halberd. Cruel Executioner was suitable for cutting down a large number of monsters, considering that it had the Lightweight option, but it wasn’t very efficient against raindrops.

Crack!

Cruel Executioner only managed to parry a few hundred raindrops before shattering.

For a moment, the memory of the battlefields and crises Seo Jun-Ho had overcome with Cruel Executioner passed through his mind like a panorama.

He decisively took White Dragon out of his Inventory.

‘I only have two left…’

The only weapon he had left other than White Dragon was the Freedom Blade.

‘Please… I need to reach Specter before White Dragon succumbs to its injuries.’

Seo Jun-Ho prayed desperately as he slowly moved forward toward Specter while thrusting White Dragon toward each and every raindrop ahead of him.

“Gasp, huff.”

The accumulated fatigue engulfed Seo Jun-Ho at once due to the disappearance of Indefatigable and Concentration—Twilight’s special options.

Seo Jun-Ho wanted to collapse and forget about everything. He wanted to lie on the ground and catch his breath, but he knew better than anyone else that he couldn’t.

“...”

He could give up on everything and lift the burden off of his mind if he thought of no one else but himself.

“Huff, huff.”

However, he knew that mankind’s future depended on each and every difficult step he took toward Specter. As such, he couldn’t stop moving just to put himself at ease.

Boom!

The raindrops slightly abated.

‘Light…?’

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He could see the world outside from within the dimensional gap. Upon seeing the light, Seo Jun-Ho’s figure erupted into flames.

‘I don’t care even if I burn to ashes.’

Seo Jun-Ho had long lost control of his temperature, and Cell Regeneration was the reason he was still alive. It had been desperately regenerating his organs and blood vessels every time they were destroyed by the heat from Overclocking.

Swoosh!

‘It’s coming.’

A powerful attack was making a beeline for him.

Seo Jun-Ho didn’t stop parrying the raindrops as he squeezed every ounce of power he had left. All of a sudden, Seo Jun-Ho remembered the desolate and anguished teardrops that the Frost Queen had shed on the 8th Floor.

Fwoooosh!

At last, Seo Jun-Ho finally saw the oncoming attack.

‘The Spear of Darkness.’

The Spear of Darkness contained so much demonic energy that Seo Jun-Ho doubted if he could block it even if he were in his best condition. In addition, the spear was flying in a trajectory that didn’t allow Seo Jun-Ho to escape.

‘It’s either I break that spear or I break.’

Crunch!

Seo Jun-Ho stomped powerfully and lowered his knees slightly before looking up.

“Black Moon Martial Arts Final Skill…”

Seo Jun-Ho’s magic receded like a tide as he prepared to perform Black Moon, but…

‘...Damn it.’

He realized that he was too weak to break the oncoming spear.

Fwoosh!

The Spear of Darkness ruthlessly parted the raindrops as it filled Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes.

Just as Seo Jun-Ho started regretting his decision to face the Spear of Darkness head-on, several System messages popped up in front of him.

[My Contractor (S) has been activated.]

[The number of blessings varies depending on the bond level.]

[The current bond level is Soulmate. Every blessing has been granted.]

[For 10 minutes, all stats are increased by 50.]

[For 10 minutes, the Frost Queen will not consume mental strength.]

[For 10 minutes, Seo Jun-Ho can use the power to block.]

Seo Jun-Ho felt comfortable all over as the ability increase made him even stronger.

‘With this… I stand a chance.’

White Dragon turned pitch-black in his hands.

‘The scornful power of darkness.’

A terrifying cold enveloped the White Dragon as well. Seo Jun-Ho hadn’t been able to use the Frost Queen’s power to block, but now, he was wielding both the strongest spear and the strongest shield at the same time.

He took a stance with his spear.

“Haha…” He chuckled dryly upon sensing the absurd power within White Dragon.

‘The power to ignore all defenses and withstand all attacks at the same time, huh?’

The combination of the two powers created a power strong enough to be called the power to deny—deny the existence of every obstacle standing in the spear’s path.

Seo Jun-Ho slowly thrust White Dragon toward the Spear of Darkness.

“...Black Moon.”

—!!!

White Dragon roared, and a monochrome power engulfed everything.

It didn’t spare even light.

The raindrops of destruction were torn apart, and even a chunk of the dimensions collapsed.

“...!”

The monochrome world lasted for quite a while, and the first thing Seo Jun-Ho saw after was Specter’s red eyes colored with frustration and shock.

“This is ridiculous… how?” Specter muttered.

The attack he had sent at the expense of giving up his left arm wasn’t weak.

It was a deadly attack made with the determination to kill Seo Jun-Ho at all costs.

The attack contained more than half of his total demonic energy.

‘But he blocked it…?’

No, Seo Jun-Ho hadn’t just blocked the attack; he annihilated it.

Crackle!

The Frost Queen took advantage of Specter’s confusion to restrain the latter.

“Contractor! Now!”

“...”

Seo Jun-Ho charged at Specter, and he soon found himself standing in front of the latter. His cold and firm gaze met Specter’s eyes filled with hatred.

“You’re wrong. You were wrong all this while.”

“...”

Red tears began to flow down Specter’s bloodshot eyes.

“...This can’t be! I can’t be wrong!” Specter screamed.

“Ugh! Just stay still so we can kill you!”

Crackle!

Specter’s tempestuous demonic energy erupted.

Cracks started to appear on the ice chains restraining him.

“I can’t be wrong! I must be right! You two are wrong! I have to be right even at the expense of everyone’s lives!”

Specter struggled like crazy.

The Frost Queen used all of her might to maintain the ice chains. She glared at the restrained Specter and scolded, “Just admit it. You were wrong, and I was right.”

“I’ve done nothing but obey you!”

Boom!

The ice chain on his right arm shattered, and Specter started thrashing around like a madman. “Everyone begged me to save the world and clear the Floors! I did what they wanted me to do, and this is what I get in return?!”

“You fool! Do you still not understand? We’re saying that your methods were wrong!”

“Shut up! I’m a human, too! I’m just a human! I’m nothing but… a measly human!” screamed Specter. His trembling voice made it seem as though his words just now had come from the bottom of his heart.

“You want me to bring down the Archduke without abandoning my humanity? That’s bullshit! That’s impossible! A human can’t possibly defeat the Archduke! I-I was just trying to end this damned quest by any means necessary…!”

‘Why can’t anyone understand me? Why is the world blaming me when all I’ve done is for its sake?!’ Specter raised his upper body at the injustice digging into his bones and grabbed the Frost Queen by her neck.

“Ah! L-Let me go! I can’t breathe…!”

“I am not wrong. I offered a clear and certain path. How dare you bastards question my ways when you have no alternative way to offer! You bastards just don’t want to admit that I was right all along!”

The Frost Queen’s face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and she went beyond pallid at Specter’s crazed expression and trembling voice.

Seo Jun-Ho finally arrived, and he thrust White Dragon toward Specter’s heart.

“The same goes for you.”

Shwik!

The spear pierced Specter’s heart.

Specter looked up at Seo Jun-Ho in a daze and asked, “What?”

“You just don’t want to admit that you’re wrong. Didn’t we just show you an alternative way to defeat the Archduke without abandoning one’s humanity?”

“...” Specter tried to open his mouth, but no words would come out of his mouth.

Eventually, he fell silent and remained quiet for quite a while.

In the end, Specter sounded helpless as he asked, “...Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Specter’s red eyes glazed over as he slowly let go of the Frost Queen.

“Well…” He gently patted the Frost Queen’s cheek and paused. ‘What more can I say?’

Specter smiled faintly at Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen.

His smile seemed like a smile of relief as he muttered, “Good luck…”

He then collapsed onto the mountain of bones.

[Congratulations! You have defeated the Underworld Area Boss Monster, Specter.]

[You’ve obtained the title: Specter.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

…

[All stats has increased by 27.]

[Safe zones will now appear in the Underworld Area.]

“...”

Seo Jun-Ho wordlessly dismissed the System messages.

“Cough!” the Frost Queen coughed.

“...Do you want some water?” asked Seo Jun-Ho while staring at the Frost Queen’s tear-stricken face.

“Mmhm. sniff!” The Frost Queen nodded as she sobbed.

***

The battle had already ended, and the fatigue finally caught up to both Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen.

Seo Jun-Ho finally achieved his dream of lying on the ground and relaxing.

However, he abruptly raised his upper body.

“I thought a lot about it.”

“About what?”

“About which of the two should I absorb—this punk’s demonic energy or his memories?”

“What? The answer’s obvious, you stupid Contractor. It’s obviously his demonic energy!”

Seo Jun-Ho recalled Specter saying that the reason he became a fiend was to consume demonic energy more efficiently.

‘The amount of demonic energy he had accumulated had to be beyond imagination.’

Seo Jun-Ho would definitely become ridiculously stronger if he were to absorb Specter’s demonic energy.

“But if I read his memory, I will be able to master the Watchguard of Darkness and learn why he actually became like that. Plus, I might even be able to get some information about the Archduke. They’re too valuable to forgo.”

Wriggle.

The Frost Queen’s long ears wriggled, intrigued by Seo Jun-Ho’s words.

“Hmm. That makes sense. Any information about the Archduke is priceless.”

“I mean, the best thing would be to have both his demonic energy and his memories. It’s a shame, but I don’t think that’s possible, and—”

Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes widened the moment he placed his palm on Specter’s head.

[You can use Confession of the Dead on the target.]

[You sense the highest-level of demonic energy from the target.]

[Watchguard of Darkness can consume the demonic energy.]

[Upon absorption, your magic will increase.]

[The selected target is yourself. You can absorb both memories and demonic energy.]

“What a relief.”

‘I guess there’s no need to choose between the two.’

Seo Jun-Ho decided to read Specter’s memories first.

“Well, show me everything.”

‘What kind of life did the very first Seo Jun-Ho live before the parallel worlds appeared?’