Return of the Frozen Player

Seo Jun-Ho glanced at the Edit Core.

The Edit Core emitted gray smoke and collapsed after fulfilling its role.

‘It’s a shame that I can only use it once, but it can’t be helped. It’ll be too much if I can use it an infinite number of times.’

As soon as the Edit Core hit the floor, the Frost Queen shouted, “Go! My Contractor!”

The Frost Queen’s shout was the signal, and Seo Jun-Ho started running upon hearing it.

[My Contractor (S) has been activated.]

[The number of blessings varies depending on the bond level.]

[The current bond level is Soulmate. Every blessing has been granted.]

[For 10 minutes, all stats are increased by 50.]

[For 10 minutes, the Frost Queen will not consume mental strength.]

[For 10 minutes, Seo Jun-Ho can use the power to block.]

Seo Jun-Ho was just about to give up earlier, but Bringer of Spring and My Contractor granted him 80 Stamina, allowing him to move once more.

‘I can’t use Overclocking.’

Seo Jun-Ho’s Magic was at 80. It was but a drop in the bucket compared to a thousand magic points he once had. He would immediately exhaust his magic if he were to use Overclocking, even for a short moment.

‘I only have one chance.’

Seo Jun-Ho had to create nothing but darkness. However, he couldn’t afford to use a long-range attack. ‘I might not be able to kill the Archduke with skills since I don’t have enough magic to use them.’

Seo Jun-Ho had to kill the Archduke with his own hands.

‘Here I go.’

The devastated scenery of the planet peeled away. He wasn’t using his magic, but his body had already reached the Transcendence Stage, so the distance between Seo Jun-Ho and the Archduke was quickly narrowed.

“Ugh!” The Frost Queen groaned and shouted, “T-this is too much… Contractor! Hurry!”

The Archduke’s red eyes glared at Seo Jun-Ho. He wasn’t idle while trying to escape from Absolute Zero; he controlled his demonic energy to keep Seo Jun-Ho in check.

Eventually, parts of the frozen world shattered, and the Archduke’s demonic energy seeped out of the ice and flew toward Seo Jun-Ho.

Boom!

“Argh!”

Seo Jun-Ho parried the demonic energy rushing toward him at incredible speed with White Dragon. However, White Dragon was torn to pieces as a result, and Seo Jun-Ho was sent flying away.

“...”

However, he remained relentless. His legs were starting to cramp, but he composed himself and started running.

“C-contractor! I can’t…!”

“No! At least make sure that he won’t escape!” shouted Seo Jun-Ho.

The Frost Queen bit her lips tightly. In the end, she decided to thaw the ice that had immobilized the Archduke’s demonic energy and focused all of her attention on making sure that the Archduke wouldn’t be able to escape the ice.

Swoosh!

The released demonic energy charged toward Seo Jun-Ho like crazy.

‘I can’t use magic, so I can’t dodge them.’ Seo Jun-Ho began to calculate. ‘I have to give up what I can give up.’

He only needed two legs to run, a head, and an arm to hold his sword. Seo Jun-Ho decided to give up every part of his body aside from what he needed to kill the Archduke.

‘Run.’

Seo Jun-Ho was supposed to retreat, but he remained steadfast and rushed at the oncoming attacks.

Shwik!

A large hole appeared on his side, revealing his stomach, but he did not stop.

‘...Keep running.’

Seo Jun-Ho raised one of his arms to attract the demonic energy.

Boom!

The collision destroyed Seo Jun-Ho’s arm all the way to his elbows, but he remained steadfast.

“...!” The Archduke was starting to panic. He stared nervously at the human charging toward him in a straight line.

‘What’s going on? What’s wrong with him? Is he not afraid of death? Has he gone mad after turning back time so many times earlier?’

“Why are you not running?” The Archduke couldn’t comprehend it. He couldn’t quite comprehend everything from how the Frost Queen escaped his Land of Illusion to how a Transcendent was managing to stand toe-to-toe against him and fight him.

“Do you seriously think that you can kill me with just a handful of magic?” the Archduke asked Seo Jun-Ho, but he answered his question himself.

‘It feels like he can do it.’

If Seo Jun-Ho wasn’t sure of his chances, he wouldn’t have decided to run in such a reckless manner toward the Archduke.

“...” The Archduke contemplated something for a while before biting his lips.

Swoosh!

The demonic energy in the air dug into the ground at once.

Flash!

A dazzling light briefly flashed as the entire planet collapsed like a sandcastle. The space where the planet once stood was filled with nothing but meteoroids, but that wasn’t the end of it.

The Archduke’s demonic energy extinguished the one and only star in the middle of this part of the universe, causing complete darkness to envelop the nearby starry skies.

Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t see or hear anything.

“But it’s no use.”

Darkness would never cover his eyes nor block his ears.

Seo Jun-Ho had been acknowledged as the master of darkness.

“Open the way,” muttered the master of darkness.

The darkness split open, creating a path that led to the Archduke.

“...So you dare.”

The Archduke frowned and forced his right hand out of the ice.

The universe started to twist as a towering deluge of demonic energy loomed over Seo Jun-Ho.

Fwoosh!

However, Seo Jun-Ho was unfazed.

He charged into the tidal wave of darkness without any hesitation.

“Protect me,” he muttered.

The darkness responded to its master’s call and stopped the approaching wave of demonic energy. The collision between the two generated a force so powerful that it could destroy hundreds of stars at the same time.

‘Is this not good enough?’

The Archduke laughed in disbelief. His opponent started out as a mere human being and eventually climbed up the ranks to become a Transcendent.

The Archduke admired him for that fact alone.

‘But…’

Seo Jun-Ho was clearly showing him that he still hadn’t reached his limits.

“Seriously…humans are so stubborn.”

‘Or is it just you who is particularly stubborn?’

Boom!

The ice that bound the Archduke shattered, and he stepped outside.

“I’ll show you what I’m made of, then."

The Archduke waved his hand lightly.

Rumble!

Hundreds of thousands of dimensional rifts opened at the same time and each of them spat out a waterfall of demonic energy. The sum of demonic energy from all dimensional rifts seemed capable of destroying the entire universe.

“That’s…”

“Yes. It’s every particle of demonic energy throughout the universe.”

Demonic energy was born from sinful feelings like greed, jealousy, anger, lust, laziness, gluttony, and arrogance that pervaded the entire universe.

The Archduke stared at the massive clump of demonic energy in disappointment.

“Its size has never once decreased since the conception of the universe.”

And it was exactly why people had always been fighting each other, and the Archduke reckoned that they would fight forever unless someone intervened and put an end to everything.

The Archduke’s red eyes flashed coldly.

“This is my true power. If you still think that you can stop me after seeing this, come.”

“...” Seo Jun-Ho silently trembled. Hero’s Mind was frantically warning him of the danger, and the giant clump of demonic energy made Seo Jun-Ho feel nauseous even though he was just looking at it.

‘But…’

Seo Jun-Ho forced his trembling legs to move.

“You dare to continue even after seeing this amalgamation of malice?”

Seo Jun-Ho called upon the darkness rather than answering.

The darkness replaced his left arm and enveloped his trembling body.

“Your meaningless human emotions must be the reason you can’t give up.”

In the end, humans were still easily swayed by useless affection and feelings.

The Archduke waved his hand again.

In response, the giant clump of demonic energy charged toward Seo Jun-Ho.

“Contractor…!” the Frost Queen roared.

BOOM!

A massive explosion occurred, but Seo Jun-Ho was still alive, and a chunk of the giant clump of demonic energy had vanished like a lie.

The Archduke’s eyes widened. “What nonsense!”

Demonic energy represented the evil that had always prevailed in the entire universe.

‘But he destroyed that… energy? Is that even possible?’

The Archduke’s eyes turned to Seo Jun-Ho.

A pitch-black wolf as big as a planet was standing next to him.

“Wherever there is light, there is also shadow. The police exist to catch criminals, while good exists because bad exists.” Seo Jun-Ho raised his head to stare at the Archduke before saying, “It doesn’t matter how much malice there is in this universe and whether it’ll continue growing or not.”

‘It’s going to be fine as long as an existence is constantly observing the universe and protecting it from evil, and the existence who shall keep an eye on the evil at the bottom of the abyss deeper than darkness is none other than...’

“The Watchguard of Darkness… I will be the Watchguard of Darkness.”

“How foolish! Do you really think that one person can keep an eye on all evil throughout the universe and stop it from propagating?”

Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes turned cold at the Archduke’s remark.

“Have you ever tried it?”

“...What?”

“Have you ever tried it? Have you ever failed after trying it, or were you too scared to even give it a try?”

The Archduke frowned. ‘Was I… scared? Was I scared that I wouldn’t be able to maintain a leash on the growing demonic energy?’

The Archduke chuckled in disbelief without realizing it.

“Prove it to me, then,” said the Archduke with a cold gaze.

‘Show me that you have the power and ability to keep an eye on all the malice throughout the universe as well as putting a leash on evil itself.’

“Show it to me right now!” roared the Archduke.

The swirling black hole created by the demonic energy greedily consumed everything; the dimensions collapsed, and a chunk of the universe was destroyed.

“Watchguard of Darkness.” Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes remained fixated on the Archduke. “Eat it up.”

The Watchguard of Darkness let out a low, guttural growl as it bit off chunks of the oncoming demonic energy and steadily moved closer to the Archduke.

The Archduke trembled. For the first time in his life, he felt something that only a trivial human being would feel. Indeed, he was afraid. However, he wasn’t afraid of death but of something else.

‘Does that mean… that I might be wrong?’

The Archduke’s faith had remained steadfast over the years. He was confident that his method was the only way to save the universe and end the eternal fighting.

However, the Archduke was starting to doubt his method, and his belief slowly fell apart.

Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho became a ray of darkness and rushed toward the Archduke. He didn’t even bother glancing at the oncoming demonic energy—his eyes were on no one else but the Archduke.

“...Cough!” The Archduke collapsed. He looked down at the blade of darkness that had pierced his heart. He could feel the darkness consuming him from the inside.

The Archduke slowly raised his head and saw Seo Jun-Ho’s firm and determined gaze.

“Why did you not block it?”

“...Who knows?”

‘I think it’s because I started doubting my belief. Our different beliefs collided, and he managed to shake mine…’’

The Archduke asked, “Are you sure you won’t regret your choice?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps I’ll regret it one day.”

‘But for that single possibility, I will move on from this world with everyone.’

“How irresponsible…”

“Maybe.”

The Archduke’s body slowly scattered away into innumerable fine particles.

He closed his eyes and burst out laughing. “Pfft! Is that so?”

Seo Jun-Ho wasn’t sure, but he risked everything for a chance to succeed, while the Archduke couldn’t do the same, even though he was sure of his own method.

“...I see.” The Archduke sounded somewhat relieved as he finally disappeared.

[Congratulations! All the Floors have been cleared!]

‘I’ve been running nonstop just to see that one short sentence.’

“Cough!” Seo Jun-Ho coughed violently and keeled over.

The Frost Queen rushed to support him, but she could feel him slowly turning cold in the vast expanse of the universe.

“Contractor!” the Frost Queen cried out. She tore open a dimensional rift that led to a nearby planet. She put her hand over her mouth upon taking a closer look at Seo Jun-Ho.

“W-w-what should I do…” she stammered.

Seo Jun-Ho barely looked human after burning everything he had in that final exchange against the Archduke. He had Cell Regeneration, but not even the miraculous Cell Regeneration could save him from his terrible injuries.

“Don’t… cry.”

Seo Jun-Ho stared at the Frost Queen through his blurry vision.

The Frost Queen sobbed and cried; her tears pelted down on Seo Jun-Ho’s face.

“I’m sorry… ’m sorry…”

“It’s… okay…”

‘Seeing you cry hurts more than anything.’

Seo Jun-Ho still wanted to say something, but his eyelids had become too heavy.

‘Yes. Let’s take a short break. Just a short break…’

His eyes finally closed.

***

“...”

Seo Jun-Ho looked around. He was surrounded by clouds tinted with twilight.

“I’m actually in heaven.” Seo Jun-Ho burst out laughing. ‘Those damn fiends told me that they would be waiting for me in hell. Unfortunately for them, I’m in heaven.’

Seo Jun-Ho tried to summon Seo Jun-Sik and the Frost Queen just in case, but he received no response. In the end, Seo Jun-Ho slowly walked toward a temple built on a cloud.

The temple had no one else other than a man. The man looked stoic and scary at first impression. He looked like a man who wouldn’t shed even a single drop of blood, even if he were stabbed with a needle.

“Jade Emperor of Heaven?”

“I guess you can call me that as well. It’s still going to make sense,” said the man. “But my name is Chaos.”

“Ah…!” Seo Jun-Ho gasped. It turned out that the man in front of him was the one and only god—the ruler of the universe.

“Am I dead?”

“No, but you were dying. I brought you here, so you’re still alive for now,” said Chaos. He sounded cold, but his next words expressed his appreciation. “Of course, what I’ve done isn’t enough reward for what you’ve done. You’ve prevented the destruction of the universe, after all.”

“...I’m glad you know. Anyway, why did you not take care of it yourself?”

“Because I’m an observer—I don’t intervene. I also gave you enough chances by creating the Floors.”

Seo Jun-Ho stared into Chaos’ eyes and nodded. “So you knew that I’d make it.”

“The Archduke was only a Quasi-Absolute. He was nothing more than an emotion born out of malice.”

“Someone as strong as him is only Quasi-Absolute?”

“Let’s just say that he was a ridiculously strong Quasi-Absolute.”

Chaos’ voice sounded stiff and cold, and Seo Jun-Ho didn’t really find it pleasant to talk to him.

“So why did you bring me here? To say thank you?” Seo Jun-Ho asked.

“I have a suggestion.”

“A suggestion?”

“I’ve been watching you for a long time—your purity, your warmth, and your personality.”

Chaos stared at Seo Jun-Ho.

“I think you’re a suitable successor to my seat. What do you think of it?”

“...Your seat?” Seo Jun-Ho took a moment to understand Chaos’ remark, and he soon laughed in disbelief. Chaos’ was the one and only god—ruler of the universe. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho would have full control over the universe by accepting Chaos’ offer.

“I’m not going to force you to follow my principles. You don’t have to be on the sidelines like me, either. I’ll borrow your words and say that you can be the Watchguard keeping an eye on the malice and evil of this universe. Of course, you can cull them yourself.”

“What if I end up ruining the universe?”

“I guess it would be the fate of the universe.”

“The way you run the universe is really… half-assed.”

“Well, it’s not like I’m getting paid for it,” said Chaos with a shrug.

“Pfft! Puhahaha!” Seo Jun-Ho burst out laughing at the remark, but he soon fell into deep contemplation.

Chaos was dumbfounded to see that.

“Really? You’re contemplating over accepting such a great offer?”

They were talking about the seat of the one and only god here.

Chaos had seen humans fight each other just to occupy a dust-sized land on a planet as big as a fingernail. However, the human in front of Chaos was actually contemplating over his ridiculously great offer.

However, the result of Seo Jun-Ho’s contemplation surprised Chaos even more.

“I don’t want it.”

“Why?”

“It looks like it’s too much work. I have things to do as well.”

“Things to do…? Ah, I see.”

Chaos’ eyes briefly turned gray, and he soon nodded as if he understood. Of course, he definitely understood what Seo Jun-Ho was talking about. He was a god, after all.

“I won’t stop you if that’s what you truly want, but I personally recommend complete annihilation.”

“...Thank you for the recommendation, but I’m not going to do that.”

“Do as you please. I’m asking just in case, but will you be willing to succeed me once everything is over?”

‘He definitely likes me much more than I thought.’

Seo Jun-Ho smiled lightly and shook his head.

“No. I’m going to rest when that time comes.”

“You’ll have plenty of time to rest once you become a god.”

“You should really get to work.”

“...Whatever. It’s a shame.” Chaos shrugged and nodded. “You’ve done a great job, and… keep working hard.”

The scenery before Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes peeled away.

***

When Seo Jun-Ho came back to Earth, there were festivities everywhere.

[The great victory of mankind.]

[What failed to kill us made us stronger.]

[Representatives of the Ruben Empire, Neo City, and Trium have visited the World Players Association to celebrate.]

[World Players Association announces Humanity Liberation Day as a global holiday.]

After a few short press conferences, Seo Jun-Ho was finally able to enjoy the peace that he had been longing for.

“Ah… this is nice.”

Seo Jun-Ho enjoyed an aromatic cup of coffee on a languid afternoon.

“Let’s order some chicken.”

“Fried chicken?”

“Not the fried one. I’m talking about chicken breast.”

“Are you out of your mind? If you want chicken breast, get out of here and eat it yourself.”

For some reason, there was a party being held in Seo Jun-Ho’s apartment.

“Why?” Seo Jun-Ho muttered, sounding displeased.

Kim Woo-Joong stopped decorating the ceiling with balloons and asked, “What do you mean why?”

“Why is everyone doing this in my house?”

Shin Sung-Hyun decorating the ceiling next to Kim Woo-Joong answered, “To celebrate the end of the Floors, of course.”

It was quite funny to see the two wearing cone hats.

“Are you guys not tired? If I could, I’d like to take a good rest for about a month without seeing anyone.”

“Don’t do that. There’s a reason why soldiers from battlefields get PTSD.”

“I don’t have to worry about that part because I have Hero’s Mind.”

“Ah-ha. But we don’t have it, so…”

‘This is ridiculous.’

Seo Jun-Ho’s gaze turned to the corner of the living room.

“Does it look good enough?!”

“Yes.”

It seemed Gong Ju-Ha had no idea what a Christmas tree was, and it was evidenced by the fact that she was decorating a Christmas tree in the living room when it wasn’t even December yet. The tree was so big that it bent sideways.

“All right. Then please light this up right away.”

“...Is this good enough?”

“Wow, it’s so pretty!”

Baek Geon-Woo supplied electricity to the decorations on the tree because the Christmas tree’s power cord was too short to reach the nearest electrical outlet.

“What a mess…” muttered Seo Jun-Ho.

Mio walked out of the kitchen with a slight smile.

“I baked some apple pie. If anyone’s hungry, come here and help yourself.”

“...”

Silence descended upon the living room.

Everyone avoided making eye contact with Mio, but the clueless Arthur raised his hand.

“Oh, then I’ll have a piece and—”

“No.” Gilberto grabbed and lowered his son’s hand. He then shook his head with a solemn expression. “I’m still not ready to let you go.”

“Huh? I mean, it’s not like I’m going to war or anything… I’m just going to the kitchen to eat a piece of apple pie.”

“The kitchen is sometimes a warzone,” said Gilberto. He managed to push Arthur into the bathroom before walking over to Mio.

“Mio. If you must, feed me, not my son.”

“Gilbe, are you hungry, too? I did prepare a generous amount.”

“I’ll eat all of it, so let Arthur go.”

- Come on. You’re so mean.

Mr. Shoot’s LED display flashed as he approached Mio.

- My sister worked hard to bake the pie, but you’re talking as if it’s some kind of poison.

“Eat it, then, Ibuki.”

- Come to think of it, I can’t take my helmet off. It’s broken, haha.

“I’ll help you take it off.”

- S-stay away from me!

Everyone desperately tried to avoid eating Mio’s apple pie as if it were a bomb.

Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and said, “Jun-Sik. You go and eat it.”

“What? Why? Did I do something wrong?”

“I feel sorry for Mio. She worked so hard to bake the pie, but no one wants to eat it.”

“What the heck? If you feel bad, why don’t you go and eat it yourself, Original?”

“Why would I? I have you, so I’m going to make you eat it for me.”

“...” Seo Jun-Sik went silent. Eventually, he ate Mio’s apple pie while crying.

The party soon ended, and the visitors left Seo Jun-Ho’s apartment.

“Please come and help us with our training.”

“...I’ll see if I can make the time.”

“All right, it’s a promise, then!”

The trio finally left.

“I’m glad I don’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt now. It’s all thanks to you, Jun-Ho-nim.”

“I’m always grateful to you, Miss Si-Eun.”

“No, you helped me more than I helped you… that’s for sure.”

Cha Si-Eun smiled softly and left Seo Jun-Ho’s apartment.

Seo Jun-Ho shook hands with every person leaving his apartment.

“You did great.”

- Says you. You did most of the work.

Mr. Shoot bowed deeply and turned around to leave.

Seo Jun-Ho returned to the living room with a slight smile.

“...They’re sleeping so well.”

His friends were sleeping soundly all over the living room; they truly drank and ate well tonight.

“...”

‘I think this is my first time seeing them sleep so soundly. I guess it makes sense since they no longer have to be ready to fight at any moment.’

Seo Jun-Sik walked over to Seo Jun-Ho while wearing a hiking backpack.

“Shall we get going, then?”

“...Where?”

“Come on. Were you planning on leaving me?” Seo Jun-Sik asked with a disappointed look.

Seo Jun-Ho sighed deeply and said, “I’ll be fine by myself, you know.”

“So what? You want me to stay here alone and live as your replacement?”

“Perhaps that would be for the best.”

“No way. If you’re Frodo, I’m Bilbo. We should always be together.”

Seo Jun-Sik pouted and turned to someone else.

“I’m sure Frost feels the same way. Right, Frost?”

“Of course. That’s a given. But I want to be Bilbo. You can be Gollum, Jun-Sik.”

“What nonsense… How can I be Gollum when I’m so handsome?”

Seo Jun-Ho stared deeply at the pair. As always, they would quarrel whenever the opportunity presented itself. Seo Jun-Ho covered his face with the hood of his jacket and said, “Let’s go.”

The three quietly disappeared.

***

The last page.

Frozen Player, Return.

“Huff, huff.”

A man was swinging his sword nonstop.

The broken sword incessantly tore apart the worms rushing toward him.

‘I wonder if he got back safe.’

The man smiled as he glanced behind him.

‘How pathetic of me. I should worry about myself before anyone else?’

“And… they’ll do hundreds of times better than I did.”

‘Jun-Ho, Jun-Sik, and Frost. Those three might be able to clear the Floors. Please… please cut this endless chain of repetitions in your own world.’

The man smiled wryly and swung his broken sword powerfully, annihilating hundreds of baby worms at once.

“...!”

The predator that had been quietly biding its time finally made a move and rushed toward the man’s left torso with its mouth open.

The man instinctively tried to raise his left hand to block the incoming attack.

“Oh,” he muttered blankly and belatedly realized that he had lost his left arm long ago.

‘I can’t believe that I made such a stupid mistake. Perhaps this is my friends’ final punishment to me for being such a pathetic coward. I couldn’t… even protect my star.’

The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes as he stared at the predator’s open mouth.

He felt endless relief as he prepared to embrace death.

‘Finally… I can finally go and see you guys.’

Chomp!

A crisp noise pierced his ears, but he felt no pain.

He opened his eyes upon realizing that something was wrong, and he saw an arm sticking out of his left flank. It was an arm that wasn’t supposed to be there, as he had lost his left arm long ago.

“You’re still as clumsy as ever.”

However, the arm was thin, and the familiar voice that echoed in his ears clearly belonged to a woman. It belonged to the woman he had been missing every single day.

“Absolute Zero.”

Crackle!

The predator and its baby worms froze over and shattered into innumerable ice fragments.

“...”

The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the freezing cold was the reason he couldn’t move even an inch.

“Look at this guy. He’s like a stone statue.”

“Of course, my entrance was touching, after all.”

The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho stared at the smiling man walking toward him.

“...Jun-Sik?”

“Long time no see, Sung-Jun. No, this must be right after I left for you.”

Seo Jun-Sik had just left him, but he had already gotten so powerful that he had to be stronger or at least stronger than Sung-Jun himself.

“...” Sung-Jun slowly turned around. He bit his lips upon seeing the woman.

“What’s up with that funny look? If you’re so touched to see me, you can just cry. Why hold it in?”

“...”

‘I thought I’d never see her again. I had no idea that I would hear her voice again.’

Sung-Jun bit his lips hard enough for them to bleed.

Eventually, he looked around upon recalling something.

‘The fact that these guys are here—I knew it.’

A man was standing a bit farther away from them.

“You guys… did it.”

“Yes, we did.”

“You guys really… you guys really did it.”

‘They really managed to clear all the Floors and defeat the Archduke.’

“But then…” Sung-Jun’s doubtful gaze landed on Seo Jun-Ho.

He presumed that Seo Jun-Ho had to be a Transcendent being based on his aura.

“Why am I still here? When there can only be one of us now that you’ve become a Transcendent?”

“It’s because I’m a resident of a parallel world that was created before I became a Transcendent.”

Of course, Sung-Jun would have disappeared without a trace if Seo Jun-Ho denied the former’s existence, but Seo Jun-Ho didn’t want that to happen.

Sung-Jun’s eyes widened with realization. “No way. Did you…?”

Confusion and pity filled his eyes as he stared at Seo Jun-Ho. Sung-Jun saw through Seo Jun-Ho’s intentions.

“Don’t look at me like that. Probably not as much as you, but I’ve read a lot of memories, too,” said Seo Jun-Ho.

And most of the memories belonged to one person—Seo Jun-Ho. He had read more than ten thousand memories of himself, so he felt sorry and responsible for the worlds he had abandoned.

“I just want to fix the mistakes that you and I have made.”

He wanted to give hope to the people of the world that they had abandoned.

He wanted to save them all and give them a happy ending.

That was Seo Jun-Ho’s wish…

“...It’s not going to be easy.”

“I know.”

“It will take countless hours, and you will walk on a lonely path with no one to remember your journey.”

“I know.”

“Once everything is over, no one will welcome you upon your return because they’ll all be dead by then.”

“...I know.”

And that was exactly why Chaos recommended the complete annihilation of all parallel worlds. However, Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t do it, as the Seo Jun-Hos who had lived in those worlds were him, and they were all living inside of him.

“I’m sure you would do the same if you were in my shoes.”

“...Probably.” Sung-Jun smiled upon recalling something. They were selfless heroes who were always ready to make sacrifices.

“You’re trying to do something stupid.”

“It really is something stupid.”

Seo Jun-Ho reached out to Sung-Jun.

“But do you want to come with us and do this stupid thing together?”

Perhaps people would say that what Seo Jun-Ho was about to do was a pointless and dumb act, but it was fine. After all, Seo Jun-Ho was the only one who could understand what he was trying to do, and it was all because he was Seo Jun-Ho.

“...You’re too kind to the point of foolishness.”

“You say that, but you’re not too different from me.”

Seo Jun-Ho’s soft eyes turned to Sung-Jun.

“Why are you smiling and crying at the same time?”

“...”

The Star Destruction Stage Seo Jun-Ho shut his mouth tightly. He lowered his head to hide his tears, but his trembling shoulders and groans proved that he was crying.

He had always been hoping to save the world that he had abandoned, and it had been an absurd and complete pipe dream until now.

“...Thank you.”

The Star Destruction Stage Jun-Ho seized the opportunity to make things right.

***

It took them thirteen years and two months to clear their first parallel world. The Archduke was no more, so the Floors were cleared the moment they cleared the 10th Floor.

‘This is easier than I thought.’

Seo Jun-Ho’s parents were still alive in this parallel world, so Seo Jun-Ho managed to overcome everything with a smile, even though he was exhausted and tired.

“...Original. It’s over; we should leave now.”

“Yeah, we should.” The Seo Jun-Ho of this parallel world had perished long ago, but his memories and legacy would live forever in Seo Jun-Ho. “It’s time for the fake uninvited guests to leave.”

“All right. Let’s move on to the next world right away.”

“Let’s go. We’re starting to get the hang of it, and we’ll only get better as time goes by.”

The Frost Queen was right. Clearing the Floors got easier for them as time went on. It was annoying that he couldn’t exert the full extent of his ability as a Transcendent, but it was all worth the hassle to see the happy ending of each parallel world.

“...I think this is it for me,” said Sung-Jun. He had just saved a parallel world by himself, and he finally visited the trio when the trio finally cleared their 208th parallel world.

“Perhaps it’s just to satisfy myself, but thanks to you guys… I no longer have any regrets. I no longer hold myself in contempt as well.”

“It’s not just self-satisfaction. I’m sure the people you saved are grateful to you.”

“Thanks…for saying that. And I’m sorry that I’m leaving you guys first. It feels like I’ve always been…”

‘...a burden to you guys.’

The latter part of Sung-Jun’s sentence remained unsaid as he faded away with a bright smile on his face.

Seo Jun-Ho stared blankly at where Sung-Jun once stood.

“...Sung-Jun’s left arm… he recovered it, right?” he asked.

“Yes. He wasn’t lying when he said that he no longer has any regrets nor contempt for himself.”

“That’s a relief.”

Sung-Jun’s memories were absorbed by Seo Jun-Ho.

Sung-Jun’s disappearance meant that they would have to clear more parallel worlds.

“Let’s go.”

“...All right.”

The Frost Queen smiled slightly as she stared at where Sung-Jun disappeared.

‘Rest in peace, my contractor.’

With that, the three cleared every parallel world in silence. A thousand years passed, but Seo Jun-Ho’s mind didn’t collapse, all thanks to the protection of Hero’s Mind and the fact that his mind had transcended along with his Stage.

The three continued on saving parallel worlds in silence, and they repeated the same actions over and over again until they forgot the passage of time.

***

A rift in space opened, and a man walked out of it.

He quietly looked around and found that he was in a dense, primeval forest.

The man wordlessly walked through the forest.

Rumble!

A rift in space opened in front of him, and a man clad in gray walked out of it.

“So you’ve returned, Mr. Specter.”

“...Gray?” Seo Jun-Ho’s tired eyes blinked upon recognizing Gray. “You are still alive?”

“Of course. It’s really difficult to die once you become a Transcendent. Realistically, you can’t really die unless you really want to die.”

“...It feels like it’s been a very long time.”

“It’s been a very long time. If I were to measure the passage of time using Earth’s standards… it has been 21,759 years, 4 months, and 22 days.”

Seo Jun-Ho nodded weakly.

He had expected it, but he had spent a much longer time than he thought.

“Were they happy when they left?”

“Yes. Everyone left with a smile, and they all said that they missed you.”

“...I see.” Seo Jun-Ho nodded and continued walking down the forest.

Gray followed him closely. “What are you going to do from now on?”

“Who knows? Perhaps I should just die.”

Seo Jun-Ho had already accomplished all of his plans. He managed to clear all ten thousand parallel worlds, and the residents of those worlds would live happily ever after.

Sung-Jun was perhaps right when he said that he had been doing it to satisfy himself, but Seo Jun-Ho truly had no regrets.

‘The Seo Jun-Ho whom they know won’t be there, but I guess that doesn’t really matter, as it’s the same as the world where I’m from.’

Seo Jun-Ho smiled bitterly.

“Where is the Frost Queen?” Gray asked.

“I put her to sleep for about two months because she said that she was tired. Anyway, it’s about time I wake her up.”

“I see. What about Mr. Jun-Sik?”

“He died after getting stabbed. I’m not gonna summon him for a while so he can rest. I’m about to clear this world, anyway.”

“I understand,” replied Gray. He then asked another question, “Have you ever thought about the feelings of those you’ve left behind? You didn’t even tell them anything, after all.”

“...”

Seo Jun-Ho stopped walking. Gray had just brought up the topic he had always been afraid to talk about.

“Do they hate me…?”

“Surely, you jest. Of course, they hate you. They really hate you.”

“I knew it…”

Seo Jun-Ho had no idea what to say, as he had truly done something hateworthy.

‘But I wanted to hear them say that they hate me while they’re still alive.’

Gray saw Seo Jun-Ho’s bitter look, and he took it as a sign to continue. “You have no idea how angry they were, and that was why everyone trained so hard.”

“...What?”

“Some of them reached the Star Destruction Stage, and they visited us every single day, begging to meet Chaos.”

“...Why would they want to meet Chaos?” Seo Jun-Ho asked with a frown.

“Who knows? Anyway, they came back after talking to everyone else… and they approached us again after voting for something interesting.”

“Voting for something interesting?”

“Yes. It was a universal vote including Earth, Frontier, Neo City, and Trium.”

Snap!

Gray snapped his fingers, and a hologram window appeared in front of Seo Jun-Ho.

“What? What did they vote for?”

He had no idea what they had voted for, but one thing was for sure—one side won by a landslide victory of 93.86%

Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at Gray.

Gray smiled at him. “What do you think they voted for, Mr. Specter?”

“How am I supposed to know—” Seo Jun-Ho abruptly stopped talking, and he looked as if he had been struck by a hammer. He was certain that his world no longer had any life, but lives suddenly bloomed all over the world—like flowers blooming in the spring after the harsh winter.

Seo Jun-Ho’s Transcendent Intuition was screaming at him.

‘Humans! Not just tens of thousands, but…’

9,273,191,149 human lives appeared all over the planet in the blink of an eye.

“...” Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes trembled for the very first time.

His quivering eyes turned to Gray.

“Gray! What happened?!” he screamed, “I thought everyone died here?”

“No, they didn’t die.”

“Then, what’s wrong with this forest? I can’t find any traces of civilization here.”

“Oh, we’re in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, so this scenery isn’t really strange.”

“Your friends asked Chaos to stop time,” said Gray with a smile. He pointed at Seo Jun-Ho before continuing. “They told Chaos to stop time until your return, Mr. Specter. They voted for and against freezing time for the entire universe.”

“...”

“And as you saw earlier, most of them agreed to stop time.”

“How foolish! How come they’ve decided to do such a thing when they have no idea how long it’ll take me?!”

“It doesn’t matter. For them, it’ll be like blinking their eyes once. It’s all thanks to Chaos’ kind consideration.”

“...But what if things went wrong, and I died? What if I failed to return?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask the stupid people who started it all?”

“...!”

Seo Jun-Ho quivered upon sensing familiar auras behind him. He had spent such a long time clearing the parallel worlds to the extent that he had long forgotten the passage of time, but he could still remember their auras.

He turned around slowly, and the sunlight that came through the leaves shone on familiar faces.

“...”

Seo Jun-Ho thought that he could no longer cry after shedding so much tears, but he still teared up upon seeing them. He hurriedly lowered his head so that they wouldn’t see his tears.

“Hahahaha! Hey, he’s actually crying? Hahaha!”

“Goodness, are you serious? Pretend like you didn’t see it.”

“Jun-Ho, I saw nothing. But here, take this handkerchief.”

“...I’m so proud of you.”

Seo Jun-Ho cried harder when his friends approached him and patted his shoulders.

His heart beat wildly against his chest.

If this were all a dream, he didn’t want to wake up.

“Frost, Jun-Sik.”

Seo Jun-Ho summoned the two and said, “Slap my cheek.”

“I don’t know about your cheek, but I’ll slap you on the back.”

Slap!

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

Seo Jun-Sik tried to slap Seo Jun-Ho, but the latter shook his head.

“Yeah, it hurts. So this isn’t a dream...”

“...But don’t you think you should confirm it once more? How about another slap?”

“Go easy on him.” Rahmadat shook his head and stopped Seo Jun-Sik. “We still have to scold him, after all.”

“Well, let’s take it slow since we have a lot of time now. Let’s give him some break for the time being since he just came back.”

“I’m thirsty. Are there any cafes around us?”

“Give me a second.”

Skaya calmly cast Teleport, and they quickly found themselves in a familiar cafe.

“This place is nice and quiet. Order whatever you want—it’s on me today. I’ll have an Americano.”

“Isn’t Americano considered sewage water in your country?”

“I don’t live in Italy, you idiot.”

“I’ll have a beer.”

“Black tea for me, please.”

Once they had ordered what they wanted to drink, they all turned to Seo Jun-Ho.

“Jun-Ho. What do you want to drink?”

“As always, I’ll have—”

Seo Jun-Ho paused just as he was about to order an Espresso.

“...No.”

He swept his gaze across his friends’ faces and grinned.

He could finally put down the massive weight on his shoulders.

Seo Jun-Ho’s expression was that of relief as he said, “I’ll have an orange juice.”

<The End.>

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