Return of the Frozen Player

“The Floor is… locked?”

A Floor being locked by an Administrator was unprecedented. It had never happened while he was asleep, and it had also never happened while he was clearing the 1st Floor up to the 7th Floor.

The Frost Queen nodded and said, “People had been talking a lot about that over the past month.”

“You can’t be serious—wait, did you just say a month? I’ve been asleep for a month?”

“Oh, I didn’t tell you?”

“No, you did not.”

‘You haven’t done anything other than munching on that apple since I woke up.’

Seo Jun-Ho asked, “So what happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“It says here to contact an Administrator.”

A month was more than enough time to ask an Administrator and receive a response.

However, the Frost Queen shook her head and said, “As far as I know, no one has succeeded in asking questions.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m not sure either. That’s why everyone’s in panic, don’t you think?”

Seo Jun-Ho turned on Vita and accessed the Internet.

Soon, the articles from the portal site came into his sight.

[Where are the Administrators? An unfriendly Floor system causes panic.]

[8th Floor still tightly locked. Where should the Players go?]

[Winter is coming. After the lost 25 years, could this be another era of stagnation?]

[Is the clue downstairs? Players scattered across seven Floors are investigating. (picture attached.)]

Everyone was talking about what was going on with the 8th Floor, so Seo Jun-Ho figured that everyone was indeed panicking.

Seo Jun-Ho stood up and got ready to go outside.

“Where are you going?”

“To Deok-Gu.”

‘He must have way more information about this situation compared to the Internet.’

***

“Yes. Let’s talk more about it once we get more information.” Shim Deok-Gu turned off the Vita and sighed deeply. “This is exhausting.”

‘Things must be much more difficult for the Players who are investigating on the front line.’

He sipped the coffee that had gone cold and started researching some old documents. “I’ll have to find a clue before he opens his eyes. Otherwise, he’s going to nag me until I die.”

“Hey, I don’t think I nag that much.”

Shim Deok-Gu was surprised. He turned and saw the back of a familiar man staring at Seoul’s night view.

“W-w-when did you get here?”

“Hmm. Maybe about ten minutes ago? I used Night Walking.”

“Hey! We’re close, but you still have to respect my privacy, you know!”

Seo Jun-Ho stared intently at Shim Deok-Gu.

“Privacy? Are you talking about you and Skaya texting each other earlier?”

“Ahem.”

Seo Jun-Ho casually sat down on the couch and said, “So, how is it?”

“To be honest, I have no idea what’s going on,” Shim Deok-Gu shook his head and said, “Starting from Gray on the 1st Floor and Reiji on the 2nd Floor… the Administrators cannot be contacted at all.”

“Hm.” There was only one way a Player could get in touch with an Administrator. It was by using the customer service function in Community.

“So the Players have scattered throughout the 7th Floors to look for clues...”

“...”

Seo Jun-Ho held his chin with a serious look. “There’s something wrong. They would have already shut everyone up, considering how many inquiries they must be receiving every day.”

“Are you saying that they’re not answering us on purpose?”

“I think there are three possible explanations for it,” said Seo Jun-Ho.

Shim Deok-Gu stared wide-eyed at Seo Jun-Ho. ‘It has only been a few hours since he woke up, but he has already grasped the situation to this extent?’

“Indeed, the World Player Association and the Guilds around the globe have deduced two possible explanations behind this unprecedented event, but I see that you came up with another one,” said Shim Deok-Gu.

“Two?” Seo Jun-Ho asked, obviously curious. “Let me hear it. Let’s see if you guys came up with the same possible explanations as me.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be much different, but fine,” said Shim Deok-Gu. He wet his lips with his tongue before saying, “The first possible explanation is that the Heavenly Demon must have done something using the Holy Sword that he stole.”

“Oh, you guys did great. Indeed, we should never forget that.”

“And that is why the Players investigating the Floors are also looking for the Heavenly Demon,” said Shim Deok-Gu.

“Sounds great. What’s the second possible explanation?”

“The second possible explanation was suggested by the Players who had participated in the 7th Floor conquest rather than the World Player Association…” Shim Deok-Gu glanced briefly at Seo Jun-Ho and went on. “They’re wondering if the Administrators decided to lock the 8th Floor on purpose because the Players’ levels are way too low to conquer the 8th Floor.”

“Mmhm.” Seo Jun-Ho nodded. It seemed that they reached the same conclusion as him as well. “Indeed, Kineos was already extremely strong and was a Star Destruction Stage creature despite being just the Floor Master of the 7th Floor.”

Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the 7th Floor conquest would have failed if it hadn’t been for him. ‘The 7th Floor was just that difficult.’

“The enemies on the 8th Floor will definitely be much stronger than the Overminds.”

‘In other words, the 8th Floor is too dangerous for most Players.’

“Reiji once told me that we’re clearing the Floors too quickly.”

“...”

“I guess the Players are weaker than what the Administrators expected.” After all, even an elite Player could still die against the monsters on the 2nd and 3rd Floors.

“If the Administrators locked the 8th Floor because the Players are too weak to even attempt clearing it, then it would take a very long time before the 8th Floor is unlocked.”

“How long?”

“Who knows? I can’t be too sure, but it’ll be more than a year or two.”

Honestly, Seo Jun-Ho thought that even the cream of the crop Players who had helped him clear the 7th Floor would need at least five years of grinding and training to attempt the 8th Floor.

“Ugh. There’s a massive issue that we have to handle if that’s the case.”

Shim Deok-Gu pulled up a hologram image of the Dimensional Elevator buttons.

“And that is the absence of prey…”

The lights on the buttons that indicated Balbortan, Frontier-23, and Trium were off, which meant that those Floors had no enemies that the Players could fight to grind and train.

“The low-level Players will be fine because they can train on the Gates here and hunt on the 2nd Floor, which has never really run out of monsters.

”Afterward, they can go to the 4th Floor and challenge Another World at Seo Jun-Ho difficulty. The issue is the hunting grounds of the high-level Players.”

They had nowhere to go other than Neo City.

“However, thirty-three percent of the contaminated caves had already been purified, and the purification rate has increased massively over the past month.

”In other words, the high-level Players would soon have no place to grind once the contaminated caves of Neo City are purified.”

At this rate, the above Level 300 elite Players would have no choice but to hunt orcs on the 2nd Floor.

“The worst thing is that there’s nothing much we can do about this because it’s a structural flaw of the Floors.”

“No, the Floors have no structural flaws.”

“Have you been listening to me?”

“The Administrators aren’t stupid, and the being who created the Floors and the System must be much smarter than them. I think they have taken into account the possibility that we might face this conundrum down the road.”

Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes deepened as he said, “It seems that the only viable explanation is the explanation I came up with by myself.”

“Wait, are you saying that there’s a way to take care of the high-level Players’ hunting grounds and the locked 8th Floor at the same time?”

“That’s right. I think the answer to our question is in…”

Seo Jun-Ho pointed at the shining button for the 5th Floor on the hologram.

“Neo City.”

“I already told you that the contaminated caves—”

“I’m not talking about the cave.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“Neo City is the most advanced Floor out of the seven Floors we have conquered.”

“Yes. Everyone knows that, but—” Shim Deok-Gu abruptly stopped talking. He stared wide-eyed at Seo Jun-Ho and stammered, “W-w-wait! Are you serious? Is that actually possible?”

“In theory, yes.”

“I thought Neo City has been isolated from the outside world?”

“Ah, yes. Namgung Jincheon did something like that.”

Namgung Jincheon had not only isolated the planet from the other planets, but he also banned all exchanges and communications with the outside world.

He was afraid that the outside world would threaten his position as Neo City’s emperor once the previous emperor’s death came to light.

“Have you already forgotten that I lifted the ban that Namgung Jincheon had imposed?”

Seo Jun-Ho’s actions allowed the Overflow Merchants to visit them, and they had even agreed to a business deal.

“Since it’s possible to enter the planet, it’s definitely possible to exit the planet as well. I think it’s worth a try,” said Seo Jun-Ho.

“...” Shim Deok-Gu fell into deep contemplation after hearing Seo Jun-Ho’s unprecedented solution. “The issue about the hunting grounds will definitely be resolved if what you’re saying ends up being the truth.”

“The universe is huge, and there are a multitudinous amount of monsters out there. I can just issue the Players with a space mercenary certificate or something and send them out to outer space. I don’t think it’s that difficult.”

“What about the 8th Floor? How is that related to this?”

“Well, the Administrators aren’t simply programs.”

In other words, they existed somewhere in the universe. Seo Jun-Ho believed that it was possible to visit them in person as long as they could traverse space.

“I don’t know why they decided to lock the 8th Floor, but since they’re refusing to answer our questions.” Seo Jun-Ho shrugged and got up. “I guess we have no choice but to visit their headquarters. What do you think?”

“Wait, do you even know where to go?”

“I have a rough idea.”

“Huh? Where?”

“They keep on mentioning this one place whenever I talk to them.”

‘They all said that their higher-ups live there…’

“The empire.”

The Aeon Empire...

***

Seo Jun-Ho saw familiar faces upon returning to his room. It seemed that they had rushed here upon hearing that he had already awakened.

Skaya was the first to open her mouth.

“I heard from Deok-Gu. You said we can go to outer space?”

“...There really is no secret between you two, is there?”

“Of course not. Lovers don’t keep secrets from each other.”

“Ugh, stop it.” Rahmadat jeered, “I feel like throwing up the chicken breast I ate earlier.”

Skaya didn’t mind Rahmadat’s remark.

Her eyes were unwittingly transfixed on Seo Jun-Ho as she said, “Take me with you.”

“Hmm.” Honestly, Seo Jun-Ho was planning to go by himself. It was a dangerous mission, after all.

‘The empire may not feel comfortable about our visit.’

In the worst-case scenario, they could shoot Seo Jun-Ho’s spaceship down. With that possibility in mind, Seo Jun-Ho didn’t feel comfortable taking someone else with him.

“I know what you’re worried about, but things could turn out the other way around.”

“Other way around? What do you mean?”

“You know, you might end up in a situation where you need a friend to help you.”

Skaya certainly had a point.

“Of course, I have to prove myself first.”

“Prove yourself? How?”

“I’ll fight Jun-Sik, and you should judge me. If I’m good enough by your standards, you should let me go with you. What do you say?”

“Huh?” Seo Jun-Sik exclaimed. He had been reading a comic book on the couch, so he was surprised to hear his name being mentioned from out of the blue. He sat up straight and made a long face.

“Why me? You can just fight the Original. I mean, he’s the Original. I’m just a clone,” Seo Jun-Sik complained.

“Well, Jun-Ho’s going to be busy preparing things on the 5th Floor.”

Seo Jun-Ho agreed that Skaya’s idea wasn’t too bad, and she wasn’t just whining.

She was willing to go through a screening test.

‘Now that I think about it, I actually don’t know just how strong these guys are right now.’

They had certainly changed compared to when they were with Seo Jun-Ho around the clock. Seo Jun-Ho thought about it and soon nodded. It was a pretty great way to see just how strong his friends had become.

“That sounds great. All right, everyone. Take turns fighting Jun-Sik. Remember to record the fight, so I can watch it and judge you guys later.”

“All right. When should we start?”

“It’s already late today, so let’s start tomorrow,” said Seo Jun-Ho.

His friends expressed their desire to win and left excitedly to prepare for tomorrow’s screening test.

Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Sik walked over to Seo Jun-Ho and asked, “Hey, Original. Do I fight them with all my might, or do I go somewhat easy on them?”

“Hm, with your current strength…” Seo Jun-Sik could now use ninety-five percent of his Original’s prowess, but Seo Jun-Ho believed that Seo Jun-Sik still had to train so that he wouldn’t get rusty.

“I guess you should just use about seventy percent of your power, and you should also take this opportunity to increase your Overclocking’s maximum output.”

“Ugh, but I’m reading a comic book…”

“Here.” Seo Jun-Ho handed over a card that his Vita had printed out to Seo Jun-Sik and said, “Buy whatever you want to eat with this card. Of course, you’re free to read more comic books or do whatever you want once the screening test is done.”

“I, Seo Jun-Sik, do solemnly swear to bark like a dog when needed and work like a cow when necessary for you, boss!” Seo Jun-Sik exclaimed and bowed deeply before accepting the card with both hands.

Seo Jun-Ho walked away to grab his coat, but he came to a halt upon recalling something. “Oh, Frost. Did Kineos have a nucleus?”

“Nope.”

‘I guess it makes sense. I mean, Namgung Jincheon didn’t drop a nucleus when he died because he was wearing a tin can. Of course, Kineos wouldn’t drop a nucleus because his true body was basically a gray sphere of light.’

“All right. Take good care of the house while I’m gone. Don’t make a mess.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Who are you calling your mother, you punk?!”

“What should I call you, then? Papa?”

Seo Jun-Ho's glare remained fixed on Seo Jun-Sik until he closed the door behind him.