Return of the Frozen Player

Filgrim floated gently toward the sky. It was the flight magic that any skilled mage could use.

"..."

However, Skaya, who had been cautious of him since the beginning of the battle, clicked her tongue when she saw his appearance.

Magic was the manifestation of will. The easiest way for a person to express their will was to express it in language. In other words, the difficulty of casting magic without chanting was several times higher.

‘I can also use flight magic without chanting, but…’

It was difficult for her to reach that height and speed.

Filgrim quickly rose to the sky, attracting the attention of the Players.

"It’s cold and I’m pretty old, so I’d like to leave early. Please excuse me."

Words that seemed like incantations flowed out of his mouth. At the same time, dozens of magic circles appeared above his head.

"..."

Even the main gate, covered in the Rahmadat’s and the Overminds’ blood, fell into silence. When everyone's gaze instinctively turned toward the sky, purple lines fell down from the magic circles.

"Fall."

"Apocalyptic Rain."

They weren’t particularly fast, so they didn’t look all that strong either.

"... Block it."

But Skaya's face became more desperate than ever. Each of those seemingly inoffensive beams of light falling to the ground was as powerful as a Destruction Ray.

"What are you doing!? Deploy the protective barrier!"

A sharp voice resembling a scream came out of Skaya's mouth. The mages on the Players’ side quickly unfolded layers of defensive barriers, enveloping the ice castle in a dome shape. On top of that, the priests and healers, including Christin, cast holy barriers.

‘Huh, this should be enough…’

‘... to block even a collapsing mountain.’

Just as the Players breathed a sigh of relief at the sturdy and majestic appearance of the defensive barriers, the beams of light falling from the sky struck the barriers.

Booom!

"W-what...?"

"This can't be!"

It was wholly insufficient. The holy barriers were easily pierced, and the backlash struck the priests.

"Uwaaack!"

"Ugh!"

The mages trembled as they watched the fallen priests spitting out blood.

Thud! Thud!

Dozens of destructive rays fiercely shattered the dozens of layers of defensive barriers beneath them.

"U-uggh!"

"Damn it! Magic power...!"

The defensive barriers that could even block cannonballs were easily penetrated, as if they were made of glass. The mages staggered, and their faces paled from exhaustion.

Seo Jun-Sik, who was observing the situation, bit his lip.

"Damn, he's a complete monster. But we want to take care of him first?"

"We have to capture him first, no matter what."

The main gate was still being blocked by Rahmadat and Son Chae-Won like an iron wall.

Skaya looked at Filgrim, who was floating leisurely in the air, and said, "We at least have to make him leave this battlefield. Otherwise, there's no chance of winning this war."

"... Hoh?"

Filgrim smiled lightly. It was an excellent answer that would deserve a perfect score if she were his disciple.

"Great, but…"

War was reality. Finding the right answer wasn’t the end of it. You had to also put that answer into reality.

The magic power gathered in Skaya's hands generated a magic circle.

"Mio!"

"Yes."

Mio approached nonchalantly and didn't say a word. There was no need for such words anymore. She forcefully struck the ground and launched herself toward Skaya.

"Go!"

Twang!

Like a volleyball player catching a spike, she caught Mio and shot her up into the air.

"...!"

In an instant, Mio's eye level matched Filgrim’s. Who would have thought Skaya could send a person flying like a stone from a sling?

"Die."

The sword shot out like lightning, right at Filgrim's heart. For a moment, a fleeting look of surprise passed across his wrinkled face.

"Haha."

He immediately twisted his left hand.

Whoosh!

The sword cut through the empty air. Their two bodies repelled each other like magnets.

'That was a bit dangerous.'

Filgrim manipulated Mio’s position using gravity magic. However, even in that situation, she managed to maintain her posture and swing her blade at him.

“...?”

Why would she try to cut him from that distance?

The moment he thought that, Mio’s lips moved lightly.

"…The fierce wind will cut down even the moon in the sky.”

Enlightened martial arts, Purple Dawn Style, first move.

Moon-Cutting Fierce Gale.

“…!”

Filgrim's eyes opened wide. The two swords left Mio’s hands and flew toward him, spinning like crazy.

'This must be dodged.’

The intuition of a mage who had lived for many years warned him: if he tried to block those blades, he would die. It felt as if the scythe of the grim reaper was hovering around his neck.

Shoosh!

Filgrim sparkled once and soon disappeared.

"Teleport..."

Cutting through the clouds, the blades returned to Mio's sheath. Slowly falling down, she murmured with a hint of regret, "As expected of Skaya."

Up to this point, everything had worked as planned.

***

"..."

Filgrim slowly looked around. Five men and women surrounded him. He quickly assessed the situation.

"Hmm, I see. Magic to change my coordinates."

"Don't feel so aggrieved. If you hadn't used Teleport, Mio would have killed you,” Skaya muttered.

The place they were currently in was the training ground inside the ice castle. It was a little away from where the battle was taking place. At the same time, it was a place where they could receive immediate assistance once the fight at the main gate was over.

"Mio will join us soon."

When facing an opponent as strong as Filgrim, a few elite combatants were bound to do a much better job than hundreds of mediocre ones. What Skaya needed was to make sure he used Teleport at least once.

"..."

Filgrim's gaze turned to the sky. An invisible force blocked the entire castle.

"Even spatial distortion magic?"

"You won't be able to use Teleport."

With such a huge distortion, it was clear that all human mages were involved.

Filgrim chuckled. "Thorough, indeed. Just to catch an old man."

"It's not an excessive investment if it means being able to take you down."

"... Agreed." Unconsciously, he nodded. If they could kill him here, the balance would definitely tip. "But isn’t that a story for when you’ve actually taken me down?"

A faint smile appeared on Filgrim's lips. "It won't be easy."

"I never thought it would be. That's why I made thorough preparations."

There were the Frost Queen, Seo Jun-Sik, Shoot, the master of Labyrinth, and soon Mio would join. Lastly, Gong Ju-Ha, the strongest fire-attribute Player, would also come.

‘With this much power, it's worth a try.’

Skaya sincerely believed so. She believed that even if the opponent was an exceptional genius mage, he wouldn’t be able to handle this team.

"Hmm. A junior from a parallel world has prepared this much for me. I should enjoy it."

"Who is your junior!?"

In the moment Skaya burst out angrily, Mr. Shoot launched the first attack.

- Weapon Hell!

Three rings formed by weapons rotated fiercely and rushed toward Filgrim. It hadn't been long since he got up from the infirmary, but his condition today was at its best.

"Hoh, is this a type of ability that manipulates metal?"

Filgrim's quick-witted eyes instantly grasped the principle of Mr. Shoot’s Skill.

"Then I could just change the characteristics of that material."

- O_O?

Mr. Shoot's LED showed a bewildered expression.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

At the same time, the weapons that were rotating fiercely in the air fell to the ground like a bunch of toys.

"I changed the nature of the weapons to wood. What do you think?"

- ...!

Mr. Shoot stiffened up. He seemed devoid of his Skills and felt as if he had lost all strength. Furthermore, Filgrim's attack didn't end there.

"Was it… like this?"

Weapons with their material properties changed to wood floated in the air, forming a massive ring. An instant later, the rings fiercely rotated and flew back right at him.

"Get back!"

Standing in front of Mr. Shoot, Gong Ju-Ha gathered her magic power.

Whoosh!

The massive pillar of fire that emerged from the ground engulfed the approaching ring.

"The humans from that world are quite fascinating. Can they freely control fire as well?"

Filgrim flicked his finger with an expression of interest, as if he were a college student on a field trip.

"In that case, I'll have to prohibit that as well."

"...!"

At the same time, the faces of the five people contorted. They realized what the monster in front of them had done.

‘He's crazy. He just removed all the oxygen in the area.’

‘I-If there's no oxygen, we can't ignite it, right?’

Of course, all of them could hold their breath for 30 minutes. But with the measures Filgrim had taken, even if Gong Ju-Ha and Mr. Shoot used their full power, that full power was pretty much halved.

"Now, what else will you show me?" Filgrim chuckled and spoke.

At this point, his laughter sent chills down their spines.

"Both of you, move back as far as possible!" Seo Jun-Sik shouted.

Since they couldn't protect themselves, they were nothing more than burdens at the moment. It was a cruel thing to say, but facts were facts. The two knew their situation better than anyone else and quickly moved backward, in spite of their frustration.

- Jun-Sik.

Skaya's voice resounded in his mind. Realizing that it was magic, Seo Jun-Sik didn't show any signs and only glared at Filgrim.

- I need time.

They couldn't defeat the monster in front of them with small attacks. Skaya, who realized that with just two exchanges, made a decision.

- I'll prepare the strongest magic I can unleash, so buy me at least 10 minutes somehow.

‘10 minutes…’

The thought of whether it was possible or not crossed his mind first, but there was only one answer. They had to do it.

"Frost, I'm counting on your support."

"Leave it to me," the Frost Queen replied cheerfully.

As Seo Jun-Sik dashed forward, Skaya moved to the back. At the same time, Filgrim's gaze deepened.

‘She's preparing a powerful spell.’

It was a classic technique. While the warrior stalled for time in the front, the mage prepared the spell from behind.

"In that case, I can only finish you off as quickly as possible."

“Try it, if you can."

Seo Jun-Sik's White Dragon instantly split into five. It was incredibly fast, but Filgrim didn't panic and flicked his fingers.

Crack!

A magic whip tightly coiled around the five dragons.

‘Damn it, I can't get it out!’

As Seo Jun-Sik tried to step back and let go of the spear, his eyes suddenly lit up. He tightened his grip on the spear.

"..."

For some reason, Filgrim felt some discomfort looking at his opponent. He immediately flicked his other hand’s fingers.

Crack!

“Indeed.”

“...”

In an instant, Mio, who had been approaching silently, came to a sudden stop. Since time itself had stopped, she couldn't even perceive that she had stopped.

"Jun-Sik!"

Crack!

Ice rose from the ground and trapped Filgrim's body. But his face remained calm.

"Even if my body is bound, as long as my mind is free, I am still fine."

Filgrim's eyes focused straight ahead. He ignored the spear entwined with the magic whip and focused on Seo Jun-Sik who was running forward with a sword in hand.

"... Chaos Magic, Mental Collapse."

Kwoong!

Seo Jun-Sik, who had been rushing forward, froze in an instant.

[Hero’s Mind (EX) resists ‘Mental Collapse’.]

If the main body didn't have Hero’s Mind, or if it wasn't an EX-grade, he would have been annihilated on the spot. But ultimately, he managed to withstand the attack.

"Hoho. So you have a mental protection ability. That's valuable information." Filgrim's voice echoed not from the front, but from the side. "But it seems like you haven't resisted it completely."

"... Huh?"

Crack!

An irresistible force twisted his arms and legs in a grotesque manner.

'When did he… escape from Frost's barrier?'

Before the question could even fully form, his vision began to blur. He couldn’t let Filgrim go. If he let Filgrim approach Skaya, it'd be all over.

"Curtain of Darkness."

"Hmm?" Filgrim muttered in an inquisitive tone as pitch-black darkness surrounded him.

"Not yet, I have no intention of letting you go just yet."

"Even after your arms and legs have been broken?"

"If you wanted to stop me, you should have broken my neck."

"… All right."

Filgrim nodded and flicked his fingers.

"Ugh!"

Thanks to Cell Regeneration (S), the arms and legs that had been bent in a bizarre manner were reattached. Seo Jun-Sik barely threw himself away in time and touched the ground with both hands.

"Basilisk!"

A snake made of darkness raised its head. Filgrim slightly stiffened when his eyes met the snake’s.

‘It worked.’

The basilisk froze in place whoever met its eyes.

Seo Jun-Sik did not hesitate and gathered his magic.

"Deathscythe… Ugh!"

He felt a cold wind on his chest. He belatedly understood that something had penetrated his chest.

"Phew, that was a little dangerous."

Filgrim breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t expected an attack that would cause his body to harden when he made eye contact, and its power was quite decent.

"If it were me in my human days, I would have been done in.”

However, after struggling to live somehow, he had become an Overmind. He had several genes specialized in getting rid of abnormalities.

"You said I should break your neck.”

As soon as Filgrim flicked his fingers, a sound akin to wood cracking filled the darkness.

Crack!

‘Goodbye.’

The Curtain of Darkness flowed down, and the training grounds reappeared. However, Filgrim’s face hardened at the same time.

‘When…’

A woman was using chaos magic. Magic was gathering like a storm around her, on an extraordinary scale.

‘Is she going to blow up the whole area?’

He didn't know what magic she was preparing, but it was unquestionably dangerous. Alarm bells ringing in his head, Filgrim extended his arm urgently.

Craaackle!

A few layers of ice went up in front of him.

"Destruction Ray."

No matter how much defensive power was imbued into the wall, it still wouldn’t last in front of overwhelming destructive power. The ice walls quickly began to collapse.

“…”

The last wall fell, and the figure of Skaya Killiland appeared before him once more.

Filgrim flicked his fingers.

"It's my victory."

Once again, the Destruction Ray shot at her.

"… Phew." At that moment, Skaya Killiland's golden eyes flashed.

"This technique is... Were you preparing a Destruction Ray?"

It was a magic that he had devised, and he prided himself on it being a spear that could penetrate any shield in the world. Furthermore, when it came to the perfection of the technique, he would win by a landslide. How could a young human reach that level?

"You don't know what my specialty is, do you?" Skaya asked.

‘Specialty?’ He wondered what the point was of saying such a thing in this situation.

However, Skaya pointed her index finger at the frowning Filgrim without a moment of hesitation.

"Destruction Ray."

A brilliant purple ray shot from her fingertips. The ray was so huge that it simply swallowed the Destruction Rays that he was shooting.

"… Fivefold."

"W-what?"

Filgrim's eyes widened. The Destruction Ray was different from simple magic like a magic missile. Considering what a complicated spell it was, how could she overlap it five times?

‘The direction she pursues is different from mine.’

If his Apocalyptic Rain could turn a large area into a wasteland, the purpose of this woman's Destruction Ray was clear. It was a special Destruction Ray produced with the express purpose and determination to bring down a single powerhouse.

“…!”

It announced a fair death sentence for everything that stood in its way.

Line of Death.

'Pushed… back.’

His own Destruction Rays, which had been polished and completed after a thousand years, were extinguished. The moment he realized that fact, Filgrim Gaunessia's mind turned blank.

"Arghhh!”

A terrible scream came out of his mouth, which had always been calm and relaxed. His right arm and a large chunk of his torso had vanished, as if they never existed.

"What, no way…!”

He, who had practiced magic all his life, had lost against magic that he himself had created?

The only reason he was still alive was that he was an Overmind. If he had been still a human, he would have died immediately the moment he got hit by that.

‘She's outstanding.’

Such accomplishments at that age…. It was an ugly feeling, but she was outstanding to the point he felt jealous.

Filgrim pointed his left hand at Skaya, who had exhausted all her magic and fallen down.

"Amazing. I acknowledge you, I truly do. However, the winner is always the last one standing."

"Really? Well, that…makes me…the winner."

Filgrim frowned as the exhausted Skaya smiled weakly.

"What? How does that make you—”

Before he could finish his sentence, his vision shook. A moment later, he saw his own headless body somewhere in the distance.

"Come on…people are still sleeping here… You’re too noisy."

The last thing Filgrim heard was a sleepy voice coming from behind him.

Kim Woo-Joong yawned, shaking off the blood on his blade.