Return of the Frozen Player

The 7th Floor was already open, but it was suddenly closed.

The entire world was paying attention to the unprecedented turn of events.

[There Was, but Now, There Isn’t. The 7th Floor, Adonia Area, Has Closed.]

[The Big 5 Says: Follow the Instructions of the System.]

[The World Player Association Announces Its Position: We Are Investigating.]

…

'It's definitely weird.’ The opening of the 6th Floor Trium Area was delayed, but this was the first time that an opened Floor was closed. Seo Jun-Ho’s gaze deepened. ‘Is this also related to what Reiji-nim said about the demon’s influence?’

Seo Jun-Ho’s heart felt like it was clogged. The feeling was even more pronounced because he was currently injured and couldn’t control his body properly.

'Yeah, it’s not like something will change.’

They would kill monsters, get stronger, and then eventually kill the Floor Master once the 7th Floor was opened.

They just had to repeat that process until the 10th Floor.

The Frost Queen approached and said, "Contractor."

"You can eat it."

"What? Do you really think that I am some kind of glutton?!"

‘Isn’t that true?’ thought Seo Jun-Ho.

However, his thoughts disappeared upon seeing the Frost Queen’s glare.

"Then, why did you call me—Ah."

Seo Jun-Ho nodded upon hearing familiar footsteps outside the hospital room.

"Can you help me up?”

"All right,” replied the Frost Queen.

She raised Seo Jun-Ho’s upper body using the remote control for the bed.

The door to the hospital room was opened. Seo Jun-Ho’s old friend, Shim Deok-Gu, appeared and said, "You look better than I thought."

"It’s just on the surface" Seo Jun-Ho smiled awkwardly and asked, "Deok-Gu, do you know anything about the current situation?”

"Aigo. Let me take a seat first, why are you so impatient?" grumbled Shim Deok-Gu as he sat down. He seemed calm because he even greeted the Frost Queen.

When Shim Deok-Gu was done settling in his seat, Seo Jun-Ho asked, "I'm dying of curiosity, so hurry up and tell me if you have any news."

"First of all, the World Player Association sent Players to Frontier."

"Frontier? Why?" asked Seo Jun-Ho with wide eyes. They were talking about the 7th Floor, so why was he talking about Frontier?

Shim Deok-Gu explained, "What’s the number one religion in Frontier?"

"The Church of the Sun."

"Yes. Apparently, the popes of Frontier are capable of receiving revelations directly from their god."

"Hoh..."

In short, they were planning on asking the God of Frontier if they knew anything about the current situation.

Seo Jun-Ho seemed confused upon hearing that. "Why ask the God of the 2nd Floor about what is happening on the 7th Floor? I don't think they’ll know."

"Who knows? I think the World Player Association simply felt that they had to do something, so they ended up sending Players to Frontier.”

"Hm."

In the end, it meant that the World Player Association also had no idea what was going on.

"However, this is an unprecedented situation, so we will take extra care once the 7th Floor is reopened.”

"How are you going to do that?"

"We’ll formally implement the scouting system."

The scouting system was first used on Trium when the Association sent an advance party to investigate the 6th Floor. They had to learn more information about the 7th Floor by sending a party with Heavens as leaders.

Seo Jun-Ho nodded. "It makes sense. The results were great, after all.”

The casualties on the 6th Floor were extremely few compared to the casualties on the 5th Floor. Thirty-nine Players died on the 6th Floor, but the media outlets were already saying that it was yet again another great victory for mankind.

“It is expected that the operation involving the 7th Floor will start in three months or later.”

"I didn’t expect that it’ll take that long."

"There’s a reason for that." Shim Deok-Gu pointed at Seo Jun-Ho. "You…"

"Me?"

"Yes..."

The core of the Players was definitely Specter. The World Player Association judged that Specter was the strongest Player in existence. His inability to join the battle meant that the Players wouldn’t be able to display their full strength.

"The World Player Association will do its best to help you recover.”

"Words can't do anything…"

"If they only knew how to bark, then I wouldn’t have told you what they said."

Shim Deok-Gu gestured at the door, and a few men walked into the room with boxes.

"What are those? The holidays are still a long way to go."

"Gifts from the World Player Association… No, is it more appropriate to say tribute?”

In the blink of an eye, dozens of boxes were piled up next to the bed.

"The gifts contain medicine. They’re really sincere when they said that they want you to recover quickly."

"Yeah, they want me to recover quickly, so I can start working as soon as possible,” grumbled Seo Jun-Ho. However, the World Player Association’s gifts didn’t upset him.

Seo Jun-Ho smiled and said, "Tell them that I’ll use their gifts. No, I'll just write them a letter myself."

"All right. I’m sure your letter will be displayed on the wall of the President’s Office.”

The Frost Queen started rummaging through the boxes, and she found that every medicine was at the highest level.

"Where did they get all those things?"

"They took advantage of their influence and reach. They definitely collected all those from the 1st Floor all the way to the 5th Floor.”

Seo Jun-Ho was sure that he wouldn’t fully recover after absorbing the gifts, but he should have no issues walking around afterward.

"There’s more…"

“…?” Seo Jun-Ho stared curiously at Shim Deok-Gu.

The latter retrieved a luxurious box out of his pocket.

"Tepes left this behind when he died..."

Seo Jun-Ho's expression changed.

Aside from that tin can on the 5th Floor, the other Floor Masters had left something behind when they died.

"The nucleus…"

"That’s right." Shim Deok-Gu smiled brightly and held out the box to him. "It has been formally acknowledged that you own this item.”

"Hmm..." Seo Jun-Ho hesitated for a while. He didn't think that he was just the only one who led them to victory this time.

Shim Deok-Gu saw Seo Jun-Ho’s hesitation and said, "Skaya and Rahmadat have already agreed. They said that you should eat it.”

"What? Really?"

"Skaya said it didn’t look tasty, and Rahmadat said that you almost paid with your life for it."

"Those guys...” Seo Jun-Ho felt like crying. He couldn’t believe that they had decided to give up something that any High Ranker out there would happily take for themselves.

“…” Seo Jun-Ho worldlessly received the box from Shim Deok-Gu.

He opened it and saw a transparent nucleus.

[Tepes’ Nucleus]

Grade: Legendary

Description: The nucleus that came from killing Tepes, the first True Vampire.

Effect: Forced sleep for 6,205 days when taken. Acquisition of Wheel of Time (S).

‘It’s definitely a Skill related to time.’ Seo Jun-Ho nodded. He had expected that Tepes’ nucleus would bestow a Skill related to time. ‘I expected either a blood-related Skill or time-related Skill.’

However, the issue this time wasn’t with the Skill itself.

‘6,205 days... That’s seventeen years, right?’

It had taken him twenty-five years to absorb the Frost Queen’s nucleus, and seventeen years was definitely better than twenty-five years. However, the issue was that he had grown a lot compared to when he fought the Frost Queen.

‘I have become much stronger than when I absorbed the Frost Queen’s nucleus, so why do I have to spend seventeen years absorbing this nucleus? Does it mean that it’s a better skill than Frost?’

It seemed unlikely that Wheel of Time (S) was stronger than Frost (EX).

After all, there was a difference in grades.

The most important issue was that Seo Jun-Ho didn’t want to waste seventeen years absorbing a nucleus.

‘I think I’ll have to use that method.’

He had absorbed Erebo’s nucleus in Reiji’s Store.

The Administrator’s Store was a place where time flowed differently compared to the outside world.

‘The problem is Reiji…’

He had already fooled her once, so Seo Jun-Ho was sure that she wouldn’t meet up with him. In addition, if they somehow managed to meet, Reiji would certainly beat him up once she heard his request.

'I need another Administrator.’

He thought Gray would say no with a pleasant smile, but he wasn’t sure about how the World Tree would react to his request. If the World Tree reacted negatively, then he would have no choice but to look for Ignis—the 3rd Floor Administrator.

Seo Jun-Ho swept his gaze across the boxes of medicine in front of him

'Let's eat those first.'

***

Seo Jun-Ho’s routine in the next few days was simple. Upon waking up, he would eat breakfast and undergo a few simple tests before receiving treatment.

Afterward, he would then accelerate his recovery by consuming medicine from the World Player Association.

[You have consumed a Heavenly Acorn.]

[All stats has increased by 3.]

[You have used Gaso Huarumyang.]

[All stats has increased by 5.]

…

Seo Jun-Ho could feel that he was recovering at a rapid pace.

Suddenly, the Frost Queen approached him and said, "Contractor."

"You can eat it."

"No! Why do you keep saying that whenever I say something nowadays?"

"I thought you were going to ask me what else you could eat again. Did you not come here to ask me what you can eat?” said Seo Jun-Ho.

The Frost Queen puffed her cheeks as her eyes filled with dissatisfaction.

"Why did you come here, then?”

"I’m here to tell you that you have visitors!" exclaimed the Frost Queen.

Creak.

The door to the hospital room was opened slightly.

Seo Jun-Ho saw a familiar face.

"Hello..."

"Oh, hello."

The visitor was Kim Woo-Joong of Silent Moon. Seo Jun-Ho thought that he came alone, but Son Chae-Won followed him into the room.

The two greeted Seo Jun-Ho. Kim Woo-Joong was carrying a grape basket, while Son Chae-Won was carrying a kiwi basket.

"How are you feeling?"

"I’m recovering faster than I thought."

Seo Jun-Ho raised his upper body up.

Kim Woo-Joong held out a grape basket and said, "You don't have to peel this fruit, and they have been washed, so you just have to eat them directly."

"Thank you," replied Seo Jun-Ho.

"Hm, that sounded like a personal attack," said Son Chae-Won. She stared at Kim Woo-Joong with a strange smile. Her reaction wasn’t strange because she had prepared a kiwi basket.

However, Kim Woo-Joong remained steadfast as he looked into her eyes.

"So you can hear just fine. I really didn’t expect that you’ll visit a patient with a kiwi basket.”

"What's wrong with kiwis? Kiwis are refreshing and delicious.”

"But the kiwis...” Kim Woo-Joong abruptly stopped speaking and shook his head before saying, "No. I can't say that in front of a patient."

“…?” Seo Jun-Ho looked at Son Chae-Won.

What was wrong? Wasn’t a kiwi basket one of the gifts people often brought with them whenever they were going to visit a patient?

Son Chae-Won shrugged. "I hope for your understanding. He looks fine, but he can be a bit weird sometimes."

"I'm really curious. What's wrong with kiwis?" asked Seo Jun-Ho while opening the basket.

Kim Woo-Joong was surprised. "Jun-Ho, you—so you don't know..."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," replied Seo Jun-Ho.

Kim Woo-Joong hesitated for quite a while before asking, "It can be a bit shocking for a patient, but do you still want to hear it?"

"Tell me. Just what’s wrong with kiwis that you’re acting like this? Are kiwis filled with carcinogens?"

"It's not such a simple matter." Kim Woo-Joong shook his head. His expression turned grave as if he was about to reveal a great secret. "The kiwis we eat... They’re actually birds rather than fruits. Kiwis are actually processed meat.”

“…?” Seo Jun-Ho was dumbfounded.

"Huh?!" The Frost Queen exclaimed with her eyes wide open. She had been playing with a kiwi all this while, and she immediately put it down after hearing Kim Woo-Joong’s revelation. "A-are you sure? Are kiwis really birds?"

"Yeah. So you didn't know it either..." Kim Woo-Joong nodded grimly.

The Frost covered her mouth with both of her hands.

"I-I even the ate kiwis that the granny in the next room gave me yesterday… I ate two..."

"Get tested right away. Perhaps you got infected with an unknown parasite.”

"Y-yes! I will get tested."

Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t help but ask, "Ms. Son Chae-Won, what the hell is he talking about?”

Son Chae-Won was desperately trying to stop herself from laughing as she said, "Well, that's—Pffft!"

Unfortunately, Son Chae-Won failed to hold in her laughter as she started laughing with tears in her eyes and while holding her belly. "Hahahahaha! Was it when we were middle schoolers? I told him that a kiwi is actually the body of a kiwi bird.”

"He still believes in something as ridiculous as that?”

"I was actually confused when he said that just now. Wait, so how many years has it been? Pffft! Hahahahahaha!”

Son Chae-Won boisterously laughed.

Kim Woo-Joong saw that and said, "I did my own research and looked it up on the Internet. I saw that what you said was true. I even saw pictures."

"Are you stupid? Those pictures were photoshopped! Hahaha!” Son Chae-Won’s boisterous laughter intensified, and it looked like she would collapse and start rolling on the floor from the laughter.

The ashamed Kim Woo-Joong tapped his Vita and said, "N-no way they’re fake. Look…! If you look at this picture of a kiwi bird with its belly cut open, you can see that...”

Kim Woo-Joong looked up the words Kiwi Bird, and he proudly showed some photos of it.

However, his pupils shook violently when he saw the caption of one of the pictures.

"I reckon that no one out there believes in the Kiwi Bird rumor, right? Anyway, that is it for today’s post…?”

"Ahahahaha!" Son Chae-Won finally collapsed from laughing, and she even started rolling on the ground.

Kim Woo-Joong froze and stiffened like a stone statue.

"Phew, then it seems that I do not have to get tested.”

The Frost Queen breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off of her forehead.