Return of the Frozen Player

“What do you think? This is my favorite path to walk,” Gong Ju-Ha said.

“It’s nice,” replied Seo Jun-Ho. They had decided to go on a light walk after eating dinner. They were strolling around the pond in the moonlight, and the air was peaceful.

“...”

“...”

A silence hung between them. They didn’t actually have much to talk about. In fact, whenever they spoke, Gong Ju-Ha was always the one who spoke first.

“Oh! Do you know anything about the Dungeon we’re going to?” she asked, clapping. She barely managed to find something to talk about.

“Yes. I heard that it’s a 1-star Dungeon.”

“Well, that’s Earth’s system. The people here call it something different.”

“Captain Gong… I mean, Miss Ju-Ha, do you have a lot of experience with Dungeons?” Seo Jun-Ho suddenly asked.

“Me?” Her eyes went round, and she smiled confidently. “You don’t know, do you?”

“...Know what?”

“When I was on the 1st floor, I was always running around. I even did a lot of personal commissions, I’m telling you.” Well, considering her level of skill, she would probably be able to clear most Gates by herself. “Don’t worry too much about this Dungeon. I’ll protect you if it comes down to it.”

“...Thank you.” He felt a little embarrassed. He avoided her gaze and looked up at the sky. “Oh, now that I think about it…” He remembered that there was something he wanted to ask her. “I saw that you have two losses on your Matching record.”

“...?” She tilted her head. “That’s true… But how do you know that?”

“Y-you’re pretty famous on the Community forums.”

“What the heck, you’re not going to say that everyone recognizes me because I’m short, are you?” It wasn’t just that. Of course, people would recognize her if she used the fire element on top of that.

But Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t tell her the whole truth, so he only told her half. “Flame users aren’t common,” he said.

“Oh, that’s true.” She moved on without questioning it. “But why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?”

“Well… I was just wondering who’d be able to defeat someone as strong as you.” Though, Seo Jun-Ho was only curious about the first person she had lost to. He was the second, so he wasn’t curious about that.

“Ugh, don’t even.” Gong Ju-Ha stuck out her lower lip. “The first person I lost to was that thunderous old man,” she muttered.

“...Who are you talking about?”

“Don’t you know the Thunder God?”

The Thunder God was a Player whom people had nominated to challenge the Heavenly Demon. Though Specter had been the stronger Player in the world in his day, the Heavenly Demon and the Thunder God held that title right now. It was an accomplished fact that the strongest Player was either of them.

‘Though, people who know better know that the Heavenly Demon is stronger.’

He was jealous that Gong Ju-Ha had gotten the opportunity to spar with him.

“How was it?” he asked.

“How was what?”

“Fighting the Thunder God. I heard he’s strong.”

“There’s nothing to say.” She sulked. “I’d need to see something to tell. As soon as I activated my flames, he laughed and called me the mole cricket of Goblin. Then I lost.”

“So you didn’t even see his attack?”

“I didn’t.”

“...”

There wasn’t a big difference between their skills at the moment. If they fought with their lives on the line instead of sparring, Seo Jun-Ho would barely be able to win.

‘But if she didn’t even see his attack…’

The rumors of the Thunder God being much more powerful than Kim Woo-Joong and Shin Sung-Hyun might just be true.

“The second was, well…They’re a pretty hot topic these days. I lost to Newbie 76.”

“Oh, that person…”

She looked at him with a piercing gaze. “What level are you right now?”

“...Me?” He could see the suspicion in her eyes, but he didn’t hesitate to answer. “I’m level 83.”

He had already surpassed level 76 after slaughtering dozens of fiends who were bothering Arthur and killing Roland in West Sun.

[Seo Jun-Ho]

Level: 83

Title: Bringer of Spring (+2)

Strength: 249 Stamina: 254

Speed: 235 Magic: 286

Fame: 4,550

Compared to when he had first returned, he had improved a lot. These days, he would look at his status window when he was tired, and he would feel happy about it. It was the same feeling as looking at a bank account filled with digits to the brim.

“You’ve leveled up a lot. I wonder who Newbie 76 is…” Gong Ju-Ha trailed off, looking up at the moon.

Seo Jun-Ho only had one thing to say. “I don’t know. I suppose they’re the only ones who know who they are.”

***

Four days passed at Goblin’s estate. On the day of the conquest, dozens of Players gathered on the stone path. As he took in the scene, Seo Jun-Ho was suddenly struck by old memories.

‘No matter how much time passes, some things never change.’

As seasoned Players, no one felt anxiety or fear…

‘It’s excitement.’

It was only possible because they were confident in their abilities and trusted that their comrades would have their backs. The members of Goblin resembled Seo Jun-Ho and the Players he used to team up with.

“They’re very energetic. They resemble my knights,” the Frost Queen noted. As she said, both the Players and the knights of the Winter Castle were valiant warriors.

Their leader spoke, “If everyone’s here, let us depart.” Shin Sung-Hyun waved his baton, and space stretched apart. The Guild members started to walk into the rip.

“...A construction site?” The first thing Seo Jun-Ho did was take in his surroundings. The area was lined with construction equipment and workers.

“Did you know that the ground we’re standing on wasn’t always this level?” Gong Ju-Ha said, approaching him. She held out a piece of paper.

“Forever… Land?” Seo Jun-Ho muttered. There was a drawing of an animal character holding hands with children. They were all smiling brightly. It was a flyer for an amusement park.

“Fifteen years ago, an amusement park was constructed here. It was called Forever Land,” she explained.

“Here, you mean?” Seo Jun-Ho blinked and looked around once more. There was nothing around that indicated that an amusement park had once stood here.

“Frontier has no electricity, as you know. Obviously, all the attractions were powered with magic.” Gong Ju-Ha looked sad as she stared at the flat ground. “...They were careless. There was an explosion.” When one ride exploded, it created a chain reaction on the other machines, creating a huge disaster. “This place used to be a basin, and there was a canyon near it… Now, it’s just flat land.”

“...” Seo Jun-Ho found it eerie to stand on the ground now.

“Anyway, that’s enough with the sad stories.” She pointed to herself with her thumb. “You have to stay close to me from now on. It’s dangerous inside the Dungeon,” she declared.

“...Yes, Ma’am.”

The campaign progressed smoothly. The Guild was no stranger to Dungeons. Shin Sung-Hyun took the lead and deftly led them inside.

‘We’re going in…’

The entrance was a staircase leading underground. Along with the medical team, the members who weren’t participating said their goodbyes and wished them luck.

“The stairs go for a lot longer than I thought,” the Frost Queen said.

‘It’s true.’

As she said, it took them a whole thirty minutes to simply reach the bottom. When Seo Jun-Ho stepped off, he could sense the restlessness in the air.

‘Let’s see what’s going on.’

He scouted his surroundings calmly, as befitting of a Player. “...The sun?”

Somehow, the sky and the sun were visible even though they were underground. The scene in front of him looked familiar.

‘An amusement park.’

Far off, there was an attraction that looked like a rollercoaster. He could hear a peaceful, cheery song spilling out from inside.

“Miss Ju-Ha.”

“Y-yes?” she responded after a second.

“What’s going on? Things seem pretty chaotic,” he said.

“Oh, well…” She scratched her head, trying to figure out how to explain it. “I don’t know. It’s my first time in this kind of situation too…”

“What do you mean, this kind of situation?”

“Oh, do you not know the difference between a Gate and Dungeon?” She asked.

He understood their general differences, but he still didn’t understand why everyone was so confused. “Explain.”

“Gates, like their name implies, connect to a different world. If you enter a Gate in the middle of Seoul, you could end up in a desert or a tropical rainforest.”

“Right…”

“But Dungeons are different. They’re not connected to different worlds, they’re just… Ruins or hunting grounds in a specific region,” she said.

“I see.” In that case, this shouldn’t be possible. They had walked down a staircase to go underground. There shouldn’t be a sky or sun here.

“And that song has been playing since earlier… Can you hear it?” she said, cupping her ear. Seo Jun-Ho nodded.

[A happy~ World of hopes and dreams~ We’ll be together forever~ In Forever Land~]

“Forever Land…” He was still holding the flyer that Gong Ju-Ha had given him only half an hour ago. As Seo Jun-Ho looked up again, he started to feel suspicious. “Is time distorted here?” he asked.

“...I’m not sure either.”

A moment later, Gong Ju-Ha left after being summoned by Shin Sung-Hyun.

It was 20 minutes later when Gong Ju-Ha returned; she wore a serious expression on her face.

“For now, I think we’ll continue with the campaign,” she said.

“Because there’s no other choice,” Seo Jun-Ho added. The stairs had already closed behind them. If they wanted to leave, they had no other choice but to clear the Dungeon.

“We’ll be in the rearguard,” she said. Shin Sung-Hyun would take the lead, and Gong Ju-Ha would protect the rearguard.

[Welcome~ To our eternal world~]

The ticket booths were completely deserted. Actually, there was no sign of life anywhere, even beyond the entrance.

“It’s so bright and merry, but the place itself feels dead,” Gong Ju-Ha remarked. Seo Jun-Ho nodded in agreement. They were surrounded by bright, flashing lights and cheerful music, but it was hard to shake the feeling of desolation.

“...Wait. Just a second.” Gong Ju-Ha’s face wrinkled as she picked up a tourist guide placed next to the booth. “How to enjoy Forever Land?”

Seo Jun-Ho grabbed a guide and scanned it. His eyes widened.

‘So this is how we clear it...’

The guide showed the attractions and explained how to leave the place.

<Forever Land Safety Regulations>

1. Each person must participate in at least one ride.

2. After taking a ride, it will remain inactive for 24 hours thereafter.

3. Visitors who do not enjoy the ride until the end will die.

4. Visitors who cut in line will also die.

5. When all rides are inactive, Forever Land will close.

“Tsk, did a kid write this?” One of the Players spat, annoyed.

But everyone knew. If they didn’t follow the rules, they would be trapped here forever.