Return of the Frozen Player

Fifteen days ago, Seo Jun-Ho had to face another short farewell. It was the ball in his hand. The LED on Wisoso's face was dim.

- I'm sorry. Young Hero Seo.

"What for? Rather, I'm sorry."

- I hope you achieve what you want.

"Sleep tight."

- I will… do...

The LED turned off. Even if it contained the soul of a person, a machine was a machine. Since the battery had run out, it couldn't work properly.

‘Then, what will happen to Wisoso’s soul in the meantime?’ Seo Jun-Ho thought as he lifted the cold machine ball. He felt sorry for them for being locked up in a cold prison until the battery was charged.

‘I'll charge you as soon as I can.’

Seo Jun-Ho vowed, put the ball in his Inventory, and opened a box. There were still many rations and bottled water inside of it.

Crunch, crunch.

Hunger was easily filled with every meal, but there were things that would never get filled here.

'Black Moon Martial Arts.'

It had been a month since he started, but he was still stuck in a bottleneck. He even had no idea what was wrong, not to mention what to do.

‘I only have around four percent of magic remaining…’

It was just a handful. It was the last handful of magic he left just in case something happened. Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. The world around him was plunged into darkness, but a campfire burned in his heart. Cheon-Gwang walked in front of him and sat down. As always, Seo Jun-Ho asked.

‘What is the Black Moon Martial Arts?’

- Black Moon Martial Art is a martial art made to change the world.

‘I know that. I have heard that hundreds of times.’

Seo Jun-Ho even failed to even learn the Black Moon Heart Method, much less change the world.

- Didn't I tell you? Empty yourself.

’How exactly do I do that?’

- It means not clinging to meaningless things. Just like what you are doing right now.

‘It's not as easy as it sounds.’

To completely empty oneself was a state that even an old saint like Buddha achieved only after decades. These days, Seo Jun-Ho felt like he was standing in front of a massive wall.

'It's not my first time facing a wall. I have crossed a lot of walls to get where I am right now.’

However, this wall was high. It was so high he even felt like he couldn't get over it.

Crackle, crackle.

Staring at the campfire, Cheon-Gwang spoke.

- It feels like a wall because you're looking at it with displeasure.

‘What the heck does that mean?'

- The wall has always been there, it has always been standing there from the beginning.

His eyes were on Seo Jun-Ho.

- Empty yourself.

He left the same words as always and disappeared. Whenever Seo Jun-Ho did image training like this, he would always feel like he was wandering through a thick fog. In addition, no one was with him to ensure that he was on the right track.

‘…’

Seo Jun-Ho continued to empty himself with his eyes closed.

***

Tenmei Oga came up to the 5th Floor with twenty Players, who were extremely loyal to the family. Wearing gas masks so they could be active outside, Tenmei Oga left the city with the elites of his family and the Murim Alliance.

Kwak Won-San, the Sect Leader of Volcanic Wave, who was looking down at them from the top floor of the Murim Alliance’s building, asked, "Alliance Leader, is there a reason you let a small fry like him join?"

"There's nothing bad about it. The Earthlings have interesting abilities." Namgung Jincheon turned his head and asked, "Have you looked into what I asked?"

"Yes.” Kwak Won-San revealed the data in the form of holograms.

"First of all, the man occupying the Demonic Cult building refers to himself as the Heavenly Demon."

"That's interesting. Is he the Heavenly Demon because he killed the Heavenly Demon?" Namgung Jincheon was staring at the picture of a young man with long white hair taken from the roof of the Demonic Cult’s building.

"What's their mission, and where did they come from?”

"I am sorry. I still haven’t fully grasped their mission." Kwak Won-San apologized and manifested additional data in the air. “However, I found a picture of them when they first appeared in the city."

A total of four people were captured on the CCTV. There were males and females, including the white-haired man from earlier.

“So they’re Players..."

"Yes. They came from the pub where the elevator was previously located."

"So only four people took over the Demonic Cult?"

Namgung Jincheon was slightly surprised. The reason he hadn't touched the Demonic Cult so far was simple. He thought such a mammoth undertaking would be bloodier than he could ever expect.

"As you know, there are thousands of Demonic Cult members who have been strengthened in a short period of time by using illegally modified martial arts."

"There were about a thousand people thrown in the landfill.”

"I think they have absorbed the rest."

"…How?"

Namgung Jincheon frowned. There was only one reason why the existing Demonic Cult members followed had been following the late Heavenly Demon.

'Because you can get strong quickly and easily.’

It was all because the late Heavenly Demon advocated the use of illegally modified martial arts based on the ‘Beta Neigong Chip’. In that case, why were those who joined the Demonic Cult in pursuit of strength serving a new master even though the means for them to become even stronger had disappeared?

"There’s a high chance that he is just an ordinary Player.”

"Yes. Come to think of it, I think the Earthlings should know. I will ask the child from the Sky Soul Guild when he returns." Namgung Jincheon nodded and looked at the other materials. "And this?"

"This is a summary the city code interpreters had put together on their disappearance."

"It seems that they were last seen in the eastern area."

"That is correct. There are a few people who have seen them enter the Demonic Cult building."

"Is it because of the neigong chip?"

"Yes. I think they’re trying to unlock the chip."

"Ku." Namgung Jincheon smirked.

Kwak Won-San found it strange and asked carefully, "Are you not worried? If the new Heavenly Demon unlocks the chip, things will go awry."

"That's not going to happen." He was sure of it because he had already unlocked the Alpha Neigong Chip, and it took him 397 years to do so.

“It took me so long to break through the security measures of the chip that His Majesty and I shared. The chip couldn’t possibly be unlocked by mere engineers.”

"Then, why is he trying to unlock it?"

"Because he thinks that he can do it…"

However, there was no way he would succeed. The closer one got to the central code, the more they would despair in the face of the Aeon Empire’s technological prowess. In short, the new Heavenly Demon was working in vain.

Namgung Jincheon said, "Wisoso. That child is the key."

"Wisoso...?"

"The security on the first chip can't be breached with such nonsense. Only those authorized can use it."

The late Heavenly Demon had the authority to use it. It was very likely that he only managed to foster thousands of Demonic Cult members in a short period of time because of the authority he possessed.

‘I’m sure he only believes in his child the most, no one else.’

While the new Heavenly Demon was working in vain, Namgung Jincheon would secure Wisoso. If things went as planned, he would soon get the second neigong chip.

‘When that day comes...’

He would use the six thousand gapja of neigong to break through the security of the System Chip and become a god. He would become an overwhelmingly powerful god no one could possibly resist.

"By the way, would it be okay with ten transcendent masters? Seo Jun-Ho even defeated Beggar."

Yoo Joo-Wan was weaker than them, but he was pretty capable in the Murim Alliance.

The transcendent martial artists participating in the search party outside of the city were weaker than Yoo Joo-Wan.

"He spent a month outside. He should have run out of neigong by now. He also won’t be able to last long without a gas mask," Namgung Jincheon spoke, confident of his victory, "Let me watch the live feed. I'd like to see how he dies."

"Understood."

Kwak Won-San contacted the transcendent martial artists out of the city.

Riiiiing.

A few moments later, a huge hologram screen displayed the search party’s situation in real-time.

***

‘…’

Seo Jun-Ho worked hard to empty himself for fifteen days. Sitting cross-legged, he didn't take a sip of water or move. It was all to forget everything and empty everything. He had been reduced to skin and bones, similar to a sick patient, but his incredibly sharp senses betrayed his appearance.

Tingling.

He sensed something.

‘Sixty-one. Twelve kilometers west.’

Seo Jun-Ho slowly opened his eyes. He could already feel the approaching energies. It was unfortunate because he felt that he could have reached it if he were given just a bit more time.

"Whew."

Seo Jun-Ho sighed and fell while trying to get up. His legs, which moved for the first time in fifteen days, didn’t move according to his will.

‘I emptied myself because he told me to, but what the heck is this?'

Seo Jun-Ho smiled in vain and staggered to the box.

Crunch, crunch.

He ate the rations and slowly drank water.

- Partner.

‘I know.’

Was it because his senses were sensitive? He could feel the murderous aura of those approaching him. The disgusting aura from some of them even made him feel like vomiting.

- Partner. It's impossible for you to deal with them, considering your current condition.

'I know...’

Unfortunately, there was nowhere to run. Mr. Shoot left Seo Jun-Ho here and didn’t come back even once. Moreover, the enemies seemed like they knew his location because they were moving at a very fast pace in a beeline toward him.

‘They have someone with a tracking-type skill. In other words, there are Players among them.’

Seo Jun-Ho left the damp cave while sticking close to the wall. He covered his eyes upon seeing sunlight for the first time in over a month. Fortunately, he didn’t get dazzled by the sunlight because the sky was covered with gray gas.

"Intuition."

- Why are you calling?

"Am I going to die here?"

- …

Keen Intuition didn't answer. After all, Keen Intuition couldn’t predict the future.

- Survive somehow. As always…

"Keuk, you speak like it's someone else's business."

Seo Jun-Ho retrieved White Dragon from his Inventory. As he gulped down his remaining recovery potions, he could feel his strength returning just a bit. Still, he had no idea if he could even deal with them, considering the handful of magic he had left.

"I can see familiar faces, too."

Seo Jun-Ho looked at the faces of those surrounding him. Among them, he saw a face he wouldn’t be able to forget.

"What brings you all this far?"

"I came all the way here for a reason," said Tenmei Oga, pulling out his sword.

It was him. He was the one emitting that disgusting and murderous aura.

‘What the hell happened on Earth?’

Just what happened on Earth that Tenmei Oga ran out of patience and decided to come here just to kill him?

Seo Jun-Ho looked at his enemy’s forces.

’Twenty-one Players and forty-one Murim Alliance martial artists.’

There were ten transcendent martial artists. The rest were all high-grade martial artists.

"Aren’t you going to give me a warning this time?"

Surrender and drop your weapon. If they told him something like that, then Seo Jun-Ho was willing to pretend that he was giving up. They were outside the city, so one could see anyone’s eyes because of the gas masks.

Seo Jun-Ho spoke, "Intuition."

- Why are you calling me again?

"Do you want to do something crazy with me?"

- Hmm.

Keen Intuition answered coolly.

- Why do you have to ask? That’s what you always do, there’s nothing new about it.

"Good answer.”

He had to beat all these people with his battered body and survive. Imagining it alone made his hand holding White Dragon tremble ever so slightly. Was he trembling because of the pressure, or was he trembling because he was afraid of death?

Seo Jun-Ho smiled, seemingly relieved.

‘Like a fool. I was told to empty myself, but here I am filling it again.’

He banished even his fear of death.

"Your spirit is commendable, and you truly deserve to be called a Hero.”

The search party’s captain finally gave the order.

"Kill him!"