Return of the Frozen Player

At the Edge of Paradise (1)

Marco blinked. His thoughts jumbled as if there were a system error.

Why is he wearing Specter-nim’s mask? Is he cosplaying?

The man was acting like he was Specter himself. The wavering darkness prowled around him as if in search of prey.

But I thought Specter-nim was recuperating in Korea.

There was no way he was as laid-back as this man. Specter was a lofty being who was a role model and guide for all players.

You’re telling me I made him sleep on a haystack in a shabby barn with a bunch of orphans?

Marco slowly shook his head. No matter how much he’d underestimated him, he was not like Specter at all.

“…It makes no sense.”

It didn’t. Of course it didn’t. But why did he feel hope blooming in his chest as he stared up at his back?

The coat suddenly felt heavy on his shoulders. “I’m not very smart, so I’m not sure what’s going on…”

But if he really was Specter…

“Please… Please save my siblings!” Marco cried, wiping away his tears.

Seo Jun-ho held out his right hand in an ‘OK’ sign.

“……” One of Torres’s eyes was twitching. It had started when the insect in front of him had pulled out Specter’s mask.

“Ha… ahahaha!” His face twisted, unable to hold back the laughter any longer. It spread infectiously, and the thirty-some fiends started laughing and clapping.

“Hahaha! Specter? You? Ahahahaha!”

“Well, it makes sense. His name is Sonny.”

“Hahahahaha!”

They grabbed their stomachs. Torres started to fan his face, which had gone red in amusement.

“Phew, it’s been a while since I’ve met someone as funny as you.” He tapped his chin as he studied Seo Jun-ho. He was trying to figure out what the most entertaining way to take care of him would be.

“Well, he does have the Darkness element.”

“I believe that he used it to try to sell himself as Specter.”

“Right. But what to do?” Such tricks wouldn’t work here. Torres crunched on an almond as he sat with his legs crossed.

“For now, break his arms and legs. I’m curious as to what he will say after that.”

“As tasteful as always, Director.”

“I’ll do it!”

It was a good chance to score points with Torres. The fiend who raised his hand swaggered over to Seo Jun-ho. He didn’t move a muscle even as their noses touched.

“Look at this bastard. He’s scared out of his mind.” He looked back at Torres, snickering. He looked over Seo Jun-ho. “So you’re Specter? The world-famous Specter?”

“……” Seo Jun-ho did not reply. He stared at him silently.

“Wow~ Isn’t this like a movie? If you’re really Specter, my head will go flying in, like, five seconds. Right?”

“It won’t take that long.”

“What? You bastard, what are you—”

Beeeep. The fiend thought he heard a strange noise behind him.

What is that? Where is it coming from?

Before he could finish his thought, he realized that he was flying through the air.

Huh?

But he wasn’t. He watched his own body buckle to the floor.

What? How…

How could he see his body? And why was his neck empty?

He died before he realized what had happened.

“……”

A heavy silence fell over the lecture hall. Torres scrambled up from the bench, suspicion in his eyes.

“…Watchguard of Darkness?”

The swift, violent movement had made the fiend’s head go flying in an instant. It reminded Torres of when he’d watched Specter from a distance long ago.

He gulped and lowered his head.

That’s not possible. What were the chances that a random player he’d met on the street was Specter?

Impossible. How could this happen…?

Still, Torres made a choice. Whether or not the man was Specter, he had to finish this.

He’s a powerful player. He’d even managed to fool Torres. When he’d first assessed him, he’d thought he was a foolish weakling. But now, even he was nervous.

He might be stronger than me.

Torres gathered his bearings and tapped on his Vita. Luckily, there was a certain guest staying at Paradise.

Just a few hours ago, I considered him an unwelcome nuisance…

But things were different now. He was grateful that he was here.

The Demon Bow can defeat him.

Of course, the best-case scenario would be defeating his opponent before Signer came. If he couldn’t even take care of a single intruder, what would the Association think?

– Please come to the lecture hall for a moment. I have something to show you.

It was too early to tell the outcome, so he kept the message vague. He kicked his lackeys into action.

“What are you guys staring at? Kill him!”

“Y-yes!” The fiends pulled themselves together and ran toward Seo Jun-ho.

This is why fighting fiends is easy. They were dirty, brutal, and violent. If no one orders them to, most of them won’t help or support their allies. They preferred to rely on their Demonic energy to fight head-on.

“Frost, stay out of this one.”

“You don’t need to tell me.” She smiled and nodded. “If you take this seriously, my turn will not come.”

They came from twelve different directions and aimed at different vital points, bloodlust propelling their movements.

“……”

Seo Jun-ho didn’t try to dodge or reach for his weapon. Instead, he moved his index finger once.

“Be gentle.”

The darkness lingering around him exploded, taking the form of wolves. They bore their fangs before ripping into the fiends.

“……”

Blood rained around him. The twelve fiends disappeared, not even a single corpse left behind. The only proof that they ever existed was the sprays of blood staining the ground.

The remaining fiends started to tremble.

H-he only moved his finger once… That was enough to kill them all?

He doesn’t even have a single drop of blood on him.

They started to feel the difference in power. Even though they wanted to run away, they were frozen in place as if they were facing a Boss Monster.

“You idiots! Show me what you’re worth! Hunt him like he’s a monster!” Torres yelled.

In front of them was Specter, and behind them was their violent boss. Trapped in between, they licked their lips.

Dammit, you don’t need to tell us what to do.

If we attack all at once, we can land at least one.

He’s still a human, after all…

But whoever striked first would die. They knew it in their bones. Their feet stuck firmly to the ground.

The fiends are the same as always.

Seo Jun-ho hadn’t taken a single step since the battle had begun. He crossed his arms and inspected them with a haughty air about him.

If I kill a few of them first, the rest will make their decision.

But what they didn’t know was that it wouldn’t matter.

Either way, whether they die first or last, I’ll kill them all.

He was gonna hunt them.

Seo Jun-ho stomped on the ground. The dark energy blanketed it, covering the entire lecture hall.

“D-dodge it!”

“Don’t let that black energy touch you!”

“The Darkness element ignores defensive skills! Don’t try to block it!”

Their theory was on point, and they had the skill to apply it.

“Scatter!”

“You won’t be able to survive like that.”

“His magic isn’t infinite. Go up!”

The fiends launched into the air. Some of them dashed across the wall, while others used their skills to float into the air. It seemed like Seo Jun-ho’s attack had failed.

“Hmm.” Seo Jun-ho rolled his shoulders as he watched them struggle. After he’d overcome his limits in the Cave of Trials, his magic circuits had been renewed.

Even if I optimized the flow, I would lose about 5% of my magic. And even as Specter, he could barely reach 2–3%.

But now, he lost 0% of his magic. The amount of magic he could use had increased, and he could use it more efficiently. Not a single drop was wasted.

With his arms still crossed, Seo Jun-ho tapped on his forearm. The dark energy covering the ground started to shoot into the air.

“Ahh!”

“Th-thorns?!”

The darkness pierced through the fiends like the sharp thorns of a rose. They tried to escape, but it was no use.

“Run.”

Even though his level was lower, his skill was preserved. With even more magic at his disposal, he had no problem using his old techniques.

The thorns shot out at irregular intervals, and no fiend could escape. They started to come faster and faster, making bodies fall like dolls.

“……”

Except for Torres, all the fiends were lying on the ground, bleeding and groaning.

Shing. Seo Jun-ho finally unsheathed Black Dragon Fang and approached them.

“D-don’t come near me!” A fiend held out his hands and used his Demonic energy. Seo Jun-ho felt something tighten around his neck.

Telekinesis, probably.

That was where his interest ended. He silently swung his sword, cutting off the fiend’s hand.

“Ahhhh…!”

The fiend gripped his wrist, trying to staunch the bleeding as he attempted to crawl away. Seo Jun-ho approached him slowly and stabbed his sword through his chest.

“G-gah…!”

Seo Jun-ho didn’t show him mercy. “It’s too easy to die like that.”

Black Dragon Fang slowly dug into his heart. His face paled and contorted from the pain.

“Guh… huff… K-kill me…”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

The fiend couldn’t endure the pain any longer; he bent forward, ending his own life. Shaken by his violent death, some of the other fiends finished the job themselves.

“…Fiend Hunter,” Torres muttered vacantly.

He remembered the story about Specter killing a hundred fiends without raising a finger. Ever since then, it had become one of his nicknames.

“G-get him! Buy time until the Demon Bow gets here!” He shouted to the children. He was starting to get impatient. All 217 children who were under his perfect control stood up.

“Sit down while I’m being nice!” Seo Jun-ho hissed.

Watchguard of Darkness was much more powerful and vicious than Torres’s Demonic energy. The children had to obey either his order or their instincts.

The consideration between both was too much for the children, causing their eyes to roll back. They started to collapse one by one.

“Ugh… ah…”

Torres was the only one left in the large lecture room. His face became white. He threw aside his almonds and ran toward the door.

Click. As he opened the door, his body was suddenly pulled back.

“Gah!” He fell to the ground and hurriedly tried to stand up, but his body wouldn’t move. He looked down at his legs in disbelief.

“Ah… huh…?”

They weren’t there. In the span of less than a few seconds, his legs had been cut off. He stared down at the stumps of his knees.

And an indescribable pain filled him, one beat late.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

His fists hit the ground, and his body rolled. Tears flowed from his scarlet eyes.

“Fuck! Why… You son of a bitch!” He didn’t understand why he had to go through such pain.

“Isn’t it unfair? You didn’t even do much, but you think I’m being too harsh, don’t you?” Seo Jun-ho whispered.

“Keuh…” Torres bit his lip and looked down. He was so drunk with pain that he couldn’t even look up at Seo Jun-ho.

“But let me ask you. Have you ever once thought about the children whom you forced into becoming fiends?”

“…Yes, yes!” Torres nodded his head eagerly. He was lying of course, but he thought that he would die if he told the truth. Thankfully, it seemed that he made the right choice.

“Oh, really?” Specter’s voice suddenly became brighter. He spoke sweetly. “That’s good. You won’t feel bad when you die, then.”

“What…? You fuck—!”

Torres cursed as he held out his two hands to block the sword. But human flesh is soft, and the sword is sharp.

The blade cut through his palms and pierced through his neck.

“Gah… ugh… Save… keuk…”

Blood poured from his mouth. Seo Jun-ho leaned down and whispered to the dying man.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be lonely. I’ll send over all of your friends soon.”