Return of the Frozen Player

“...”

The Heavenly Demon’s expression distorted.

The man in front of him looked utterly unfamiliar to him.

‘It could also be because I haven’t seen him in a long time, but is he really the Specter I know?’

The Heavenly Demon saw Specter twice in Seoul and Neo City.

‘But he’s different from those two…’

The Heavenly Demon felt that the Specter in front of him was a different person from the Specter he was familiar with.

“What do you mean by you’re someone who has killed me hundreds of times before?”

“...”

Seo Jun-Ho didn’t bother to answer. He simply stared at the Heavenly Demon. In fact, Seo Jun-Ho had killed the Heavenly Demon about a hundred and forty times at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.

‘And I’ve also killed him ninety times on the 5th Floor.’

Each time wasn’t an easy task, and he fought desperately for his life every time he fought the Heavenly Demon. Seo Jun-Ho firmly believed that the Heavenly Demon had to be eliminated in advance to change the future.

‘But…’

Nothing changed.

In fact, he even experienced the worst-case scenario. Seo Jun-Ho had no choice but to admit that he had been committing a grave mistake during his regressions.

“I got too greedy.”

It was impossible to create a future where everyone, including his parents, colleagues, and his master, would live happily ever after. Seo Jun-Ho had to dig through his painful wounds hundreds of times before realizing the truth.

‘At most, I can only do it to one…’

Seo Jun-Ho finally realized that he could only twist a single fate.

“My parents died in a car accident.”

“...?” The Heavenly Demon frowned at Seo Jun-Ho’s sudden monologue. As far as he knew, Seo Jun-Ho’s parents were killed by the monsters of the Gate that the fiends had opened.

“They also died of a serious illness, and they were also killed by a fiend they stumbled upon while walking on the streets.”

Seo Jun-Ho eventually managed to ensure his parents’ survival, but tragedy struck during the conquest of the 5th Floor. Most Players on the 5th Floor died, seemingly as the price to pay for saving his parents’ lives.

‘The future worsens the more you interfere with the past, and the more distant the past you’re trying to interfere with…’

Seo Jun-Ho still couldn’t forget the despair he felt after realizing such a grim truth after his countless attempts to save everyone.

Seo Jun-Ho looked down at his own hands.

“...Humans only have two hands.”

He had to let go of something he was holding to hold something new. Seo Jun-Ho was aware of the future, but it seemed that he couldn’t have his cake and eat it too.

“The reason I’m here is that I finally realized that humans only have two hands.”

Seo Jun-Ho decided not to change anything during this regression.

“Like the first time, I had no choice but to watch my parents die. Like the first time, I had to let you defeat me at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. Like the first time, I accepted my master’s death. Like the first time, I ended up letting you escape from Neo City.”

The urge to change the past surged into Seo Jun-Ho’s mind many times during his current regression, but he gnashed his teeth and held back.

“And it was all for this moment...”

It was all to prevent the most recent tragedy that happened before his regressions. He could only twist one fate, so he decided to twist the fate of the Players on the 7th Floor.

“I… have no idea what you’re talking about.” The Heavenly Demon shook his head. He couldn’t understand what Seo Jun-Ho was talking about.

‘His parents died several times for different reasons? He lost to me on purpose, and he even let me go on purpose? Has he gone mad?’

He couldn’t tell why, but the Specter in front of him was abnormal.

‘But…’

Seo Jun-Ho was exuding an energy that was at least twice as strong compared to the Heavenly Demon’s expectations.

‘I managed to absorb the neigong from that chip, so I thought I won’t have any issues winning…’ The Heavenly Demon could see that this battle would be difficult, so he slowly unfolded his arm. The demonic energy in him had been like a coiled-up snake, but it finally awakened and got ready to strike.

“Goodness…!” Kim Woo-Joong’s eyes quivered as he kneeled by the Heavenly Demon’s feet. The powerful demonic energy made his skin feel numb. Kim Woo-Joong was aware that the Heavenly Demon had to be hiding his true power to some extent, but he didn’t expect the Heavenly Demon to be this strong.

“...!” Kim Woo-Joong trembled once more.

‘This is… Jun-Ho’s aura?’

Seo Jun-Ho’s magic was on par or rather even stronger than the Heavenly Demon’s demonic energy. The powerful magic was like a furious tempest, and it pushed out the Heavenly Demon’s demonic energy as if it was showing off its presence.

“...Hm.” The Heavenly Demon examined Seo Jun-Ho’s magic and said, “Isaac, Valencia.”

“Yes, my liege.”

“Please give us your orders.”

“No matter what, do not intervene. It doesn’t matter if I die.”

“...!”

Isaac and Valencia were taken aback.

Valencia immediately refused. “No, my liege! Please take your order back!”

“No, I will not do that.” The Heavenly Demon grinned. “I can feel it. I can strongly feel that I have been living for this moment.”

Indeed, Specter was an opponent that the Heavenly Demon could fight without any reservations.

‘How much stronger I’ll become if I were to eat Specter up with the power to devour?’

“I will cut down anyone who interferes.”

Isaac and Valencia shut their mouths at the Heavenly Demon’s firm warning. They didn’t think that the Heavenly Demon would lose, but they found it hard to imagine Specter’s defeat either.

Isaac Dvor’s eyes slowly turned to someone else.

‘I should keep Kim Woo-Joong hostage just in case…’

If he were to take Kim Woo-Joong hostage, Seo Jun-Ho wouldn’t be able to move recklessly.

“No, you don’t,” said the Frost Queen.

Crackle!

“...!” Isaac was just about to cast a spell, but an icy wall suddenly sprung up between the fiends and Kim Woo-Joong.

Seo Jun-Ho didn’t miss the opportunity. He moved over to Kim Woo-Joong’s side and handed over a teleport scroll before saying, “Here, use this.”

Kim Woo-Joong stared blankly at the teleport scroll.

“I took care of Prince Digor, so you won’t have to worry about the distortion anymore.”

“...No. Jun-Ho. Come with me.”

Seo Jun-Ho smiled faintly at Kim Woo-Joong’s stubbornness and shook his head.

“I knew you would say that, but I have to keep my promise,” he said.

“Promise?”

‘What promise did he make with whom?’

Kim Woo-Joong stared curiously at Seo Jun-Ho.

“It’s a promise I made with you, Kim Woo-Joong.”

“...?”

‘What promise did he make with me?’ The confused Kim Woo-Joong was about to ask.

“Was it this spot right here?”

Squeeze!

However, someone pressed on his sleep acupoint.

Kim Woo-Joong hurriedly looked at Seo Jun-Sik, who was staring at him with a cheeky look.

“What are you looking at? It’s your fault for not listening to the Original.”

“W-wait…!”

Kim Woo-Joong’s voice helplessly scattered as his vision darkened.

“Sleep tight. This time… no one will die.”

The last scene Kim Woo-Joong saw before his vision darkened was Seo Jun-Ho’s melancholic smile. For some reason, Seo Jun-Ho looked like he had given up on something precious.

***

After sending Kim Woo-Joong away, Seo Jun-Ho slowly stood up.

“Frost.”

“I know!” The Frost Queen stood next to Seo Jun-Ho with her arms akimbo.

She was about to do a very important task today.

“No matter what, don’t let those two escape.”

The Frost Queen had to deal with both Isaac Dvor and Valencia Citrin at the same time. Of course, it was practically impossible for her to defeat them, but she wouldn’t have any issues holding them back.

“Okay, but...” The Frost Queen stared deeply at Seo Jun-Ho, but her eyes eventually narrowed as her deep gaze turned into a glare. “You better explain to me what’s going on with you once we’re done here. Do you have any complaints?”

“I’m lazy. Can I just give you cake instead?”

“Cake? Hmmm… n-no way!”

The Frost Queen shook her head vigorously as if she was trying to resist the temptation.

Seo Jun-Ho nodded, acknowledging her strong will.

“Well, all right. I’m not sure about anyone else, but I’d better explain it to you.”

‘Frost is my companion, so she deserves to know.’

Slap!

The Frost Queen lightly slapped Seo Jun-Ho’s back.

“Then, go! My contractor should be strong enough to defeat that wicked Heavenly Demon.”

“...All right.”

Seo Jun-Ho smiled faintly and turned to look at the fiends. When his smile disappeared and when the Heavenly Demon filled his sight, Seo Jun-Ho was already holding the Heavenly Demon by the collar.

“...!?”

The scenery rapidly peeled away. A single dash was enough for Seo Jun-Ho to leave the graveyard and the forest where it was located. He hurled the Heavenly Demon at the red boulder in the wilderness.

Boom!

The red boulder exploded, and the Heavenly Demon was buried in the debris.

“Come out.”

There was no way that kind of attack would kill the Heavenly Demon.

As expected, the Heavenly Demon emerged from the debris unscathed.

“Hm, you’re coming on too strong.”

“What? Gonna cry? We’re just getting started.”

“Is that so? Then…” The Heavenly Demon smiled contemptuously. “What more do I need to say?”

They didn’t have to talk to each other.

Seo Jun-Ho spat coldly. “Overclocking.”

Vrrr!

His magic circuit screeched. The repeated regression allowed Seo Jun-Ho to develop his Overclocking beyond its design limits.

“Five hundred percent.”

The magic circuit of anyone else out there would have imploded under the pressure of the tempestuous amount of magic that Seo Jun-Ho was circulating throughout his magic circuit.

However, Seo Jun-Ho’s magic circuit miraculously managed to maintain thanks to Cell Regeneration (A).

‘It doesn’t hurt.’

It was both false and true.

‘The pain in my heart hurts way more than this.’

Seo jun-Ho lightly kicked off of the ground.

Boom!

“Keugh!”

The Heavenly Demon’s chin turned ninety degrees. Seo Jun-Ho wanted to break the Heavenly Demon’s neck in an instant, but the Heavenly Demon’s neck managed to survive such a powerful punch.

On the contrary, the Heavenly Demon seemed to be thrilled upon being struck.

Swish!

The Heavenly Demon’s demonic energy devastated the surroundings.

‘Wall of Ice.’

Ten huge pristine walls made out of ice rose sprung up on the red wilderness.

“Useless tricks!”

The Heavenly Demon’s demonic energy went out of control in an effort to destroy the massive walls that threatened to crush him.

Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes swept across the ice fragments in the air.

‘124,537…’

Frost (EX) engulfed every ice fragment that had come loose after being struck by the Heavenly Demon’s energy.

“Fragments… converge.”

The ice fragments turned into sharp daggers that inundated the Heavenly Demon.

In response, the Heavenly Demon responded by unleashing as much demonic energy as he could to create an impregnable wall of demonic energy against the ice fragments.

However, the ice fragments still managed to poke holes in the Heavenly Demon’s robe.

‘My demonic energy… has it really been this fragile?’

Something was off.

Specter was definitely powerful, but the difference shouldn’t be this overwhelming.

“I don’t think you understand it yet.”

Four lively blades emerged from Seo Jun-Ho’s inventory.

Seo Jun-Ho saw the frustration on the Heavenly Demon’s face.

“And perhaps you won’t understand even in death…”

“What are you…!”

Fwoosh!

The four blades of the Freedom Blade flew toward the Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon gnashed his teeth and deflected the swords with ease.

‘He really thinks that he can beat me with these four blades alone…?’ However, the Heavenly Demon’s eyes quivered violently when he realized that Seo Jun-Ho was pulling him out of his rhythm. ‘What is going on?’

The Heavenly Demon felt like a ghost had possessed him.

‘He’s reading my thoughts and movements as if I’m an open book. This is bad.’

The Heavenly Demon immediately made twelve changes to his martial arts, but the four blades of the Freedom Blade changed accordingly as if they already knew what the Heavenly Demon would do.

“This is absurd!”

“Don’t you know me very well?” Seo Jun-Ho asked.

The Heavenly Demon knew Seo Jun-Ho frighteningly well, and it was the reason why Seo Jun-Ho had always had a hard time while fighting the former.

“It took me 146 hours, 42 minutes, and 28 seconds to kill you for the very first time.”

Seo Jun-Ho managed to decapitate the Heavenly Demon after a grueling six days of battle. The next time he killed the Heavenly Demon, it took him 146 hours, 42 minutes, and 22 seconds. It was 6 seconds faster compared to the first time.

“I finally understood you somewhat after I had cut you down the fiftieth time around.”

He was finally starting to understand the Heavenly Demon’s breathing, thoughts, and habits. Therefore, it only took him 98 hours and 20 minutes to kill the Heavenly Demon the next time around.

‘And I had to repeat that sickening battle exactly two hundred and thirty-seven times.’

Seo Jun-Ho turned his gaze to the Heavenly Demon.

Seo Jun-Ho’s gaze was so sharp that the Heavenly Demon felt as if there was a sharp sword sticking out of him.

“I probably know you better than yourself.”

Seo Jun-Ho knew everything about the Heavenly Demon from A to Z.

However, that wasn’t the end of it...

‘He’s going to block the first and fourth blade, and then he’s going to leap in the air.’

Flick!

Seo Jun-Ho snapped his fingers, and the world turned upside down.

“...!”

As scheduled, the Heavenly Demon flinched after blocking the first and fourth blades of the Freedom Blade.

The second sword was waiting for him in mid-air.

Slash!

“Keugh!”

A long cut was made on the Heavenly Demon’s arm as he rolled on the ground, leaving a trail of blood.

The Heavenly Demon was visibly perplexed when he finally recovered and stood up.

“...No.”

This wasn’t the fight that the Heavenly Demon wanted—he wanted a more intense and passionate fight to the death.

‘What’s with this ridiculous one-sided battle?’

The Heavenly Demon shook his head. “I won’t accept this.”

He was the Heavenly Demon—he had defied even the heavens.

‘I decided to put even the heavens beneath my feet.’

He had always made sure to obtain whatever he wanted and destroyed whatever he couldn’t obtain. It was his way of life as the Heavenly Demon.

“You were born with good fortune, and you’re ignorant of that fortune.”

‘He will never understand why I had to take such an oath, why I had to become a fiend, why I had to step on the heavens, and why I loathe humans.’

“I am—”

Slash!

Splat!

There was a grotesque noise—it was a noise that one would often hear in a butcher shop. The Heavenly Demon slowly looked down and saw that his legs had been severed.

“I am—”

Slash! Slash!

His shoulders were severed, and the Heavenly Demon finally realized it.

He turned to look at Specter. “You bastard… you’re not going to listen to me at all.”

“That’s right.” Seo Jun-Ho nodded. “I’m not interested in your ridiculous story.”

“...” The Heavenly Demon’s eyes trembled.

The shadows of heartless and emotionless swords loomed over him.

‘I don’t want to get killed by those swords…’

The Heavenly Demon wanted to greet death and be killed by a sword full of hatred—a sword overwhelmed with evil.

“Fight, fight, fight! Fight with all your might! Hate me more and be more enraged!” roared the Heavenly Demon.

“Why should I?” Seo Jun-Ho asked nonchalantly.

With that, the looming four swords fell and pierced the Heavenly Demon’s head and heart.

***

“Cough, cough!”

The Heavenly Demon opened his eyes and emerged from the hole he had made in the wilderness.

‘That was close…’

Specter ended up being much stronger than he expected.

It seemed that he had to recreate his plans from scratch.

‘How fortunate, it seems that he still doesn’t know Isaac’s ability and—’

The Heavenly Demon's train of thought was interrupted when his expression stiffened.

He slowly turned and saw a ghost sitting in the wilderness.

The ghost was casually holding two human heads.

“Oh, this?”

The Heavenly Demon’s gaze turned toward the heads, and Seo Jun-Ho threw them away before saying, “I took care of them while you were dead.”

The heads belonged to the Magician of Death and the Queen of Thorns.

“You’re going to die for good this time.”

The Heavenly Demon was speechless.

He still couldn’t quite understand what was going on.

“Am I dreaming…?” asked the Heavenly Demon.

‘Is this a bad nightmare?’

Tap, tap, tap…

Seo Jun-Ho stood up and dusted himself.

“No. This is reality,” Seo Jun-Ho answered.

Seo Jun-Ho’s answer was like a bucket of cold water that was poured over the Heavenly Demon’s head.

Tremble.

The Heavenly Demon chuckled hollowly upon realizing that his hands were trembling.

“Ha… hahaha…!”

‘I had no idea, but I think I have always been afraid of death.’

He had simply forgotten his fear because of Isaac.

“Then… what happens to me now?”

“You’ll die.”

“Where do I go after I die?”

“Who knows?” Seo Jun-Ho tried to think of a place where a sinful fiend would spend their afterlife, but he ended up giving up before answering, “Even hell is too good for you.”

Seo Jun-Ho hurled the beautiful flower that he was holding at the Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon’s cells immediately started to freeze.

‘Ah. It’s cold. It’s freezing cold…! This is thousands—no, tens of thousands of times colder than the scornful gaze of the people, which I thought was the coldest…’

“Geuh, Geughhh…!”

The freezing cold went on.

However, the Heavenly Demon didn’t lose consciousness or die.

The Heavenly Demon’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. He forced them back with great difficulty and begged with his eyes.

‘Isn’t this enough? Just kill me already…’

“It’s too early for you to die. You should try to live for as long as you can,” Seo Jun-Ho murmured while sitting next to the Heavenly Demon.

‘A quick death is a blessing for him…’

Their ill-fated relationship was finally coming to an end.

Seo Jun-Ho stayed next to the Heavenly Demon for ten whole days until the final page of the book was written.