Return of the Frozen Player

“If you’re really hungry, I will cook for you. However, I’m not sure if human food will be to your liking,” said Mio.

“They might understand that as a declaration of war,” said Mr. Shoot. He was well aware of Mio’s cooking skills. However, Mio directed a cold glare at him, causing him to lower his head.

“Kehehe? Kehet.”

The Oni Leader placed its club on its shoulder and drew a circle with its finger next to its temple.

“Kehehet!”

“Kehahahaha!”

The oni boisterously laughed.

Mio blinked, confused. “Ibuki. The Oni Leader just drew a circle with its finger next to its temple. Was that a sign of its consent?”

“I… don’t think so,” Mr. Shoot muttered. However, he didn’t dare to say that the Oni Leader’s gesture was a popular gesture among humans. It was used to ask if the other party was crazy.

In the end, Mr. Shoot decided to explain the meaning of the gesture.

Mio’s eyes turned cold. “I see, so that’s how it is…”

“I think it’s best that you give up, Sister.” Mr. Shoot sighed deeply and dissuaded. “The Oni are strong, but I’m sure that you can already feel that the Oni Leader there is markedly stronger than the others.”

Mio had to fight Valencia Citrin right away upon exiting this Unique Realm. In other words, she had to be in top condition if she wanted to defeat Valencia. She couldn’t exhaust her stamina here.

Mr. Shoot bit his lips. “This is why I did not want to reveal my identity. Please don’t waste your precious life for me.”

“I think you are misunderstanding something here, Ibuki.” Mio smiled gently and closed her eyes. The magic flowing inside her was moving in a slightly different path than usual.

‘It’s probably because of my breathing style...’

The Sky Wanderer Style was Mio’s own unique technique, and it was created by combining the family’s core styles into one. Mio didn’t refuse to walk on the unfamiliar path. She decided to run through the unmarked path like an adventurer.

“I’m not the one who is wasting my precious life here.” Mio’s purple-colored magic bloomed from her delicate hand, driving away the darkness of the forest. “They’re the ones who have decided to waste their precious lives by refusing my cooking.”

Mio drew her two swords, but she didn’t use her hand to do so.

‘Lift sword at shoulder height; strike like a mantis with a foot forward.’

Swoosh!

Mio’s two swords descended on the Oni Leader.

“Keet?”

The Onis’ boss parried the swords with a ridiculously fast reflex, but Mio’s move was not over just yet.

‘Be a tempest; attack in all directions. Be a towering tree, stomp with both feet.’

Mio glared with wide eyes.

“Kieeek!”

Mio’s two swords attacked the Oni Leader like a tempest.

The number of wounds on the Oni Leader increased as time passed.Mio was moving in a way that Tenmei Kaisei could only vaguely imagine.

“Sword Kinesis: Sword Dance[1].”

The Oni Leader was perplexed. It wanted to shout at the other oni, but it was abruptly torn into pieces, sending blood flying all over the dark forest.

Mio came to a halt and swept her gaze across the terrified oni.

“You have one choice: face my swords or let us go.”

***

“...”

Valencia Citrin looked up as the dome of darkness in front of her vanished.

“Hmm?” She frowned upon seeing that both Mio and Mr. Shoot were alive.

‘What? They both survived?’

If her memories were serving her correctly, only one person could escape Mio’s Unique Realm. It would either be her or her target. The sight of both Mio and her target surviving Mio’s Unique Realm was unprecedented.

‘...It doesn’t matter.’

Valencia Citrin had no intentions of letting the two of them live, anyway.

She looked down at Mio and Mr. Shoot with her red eyes.

“I guess it’s time for you two to die.”

Fwoosh!

Valencia Citrin cast her Cage of Thorny Death once more, and innumerable thorny bushes emerged from the walls, ceiling, and floor.

They instantly surrounded both Mio and Mr. Shoot.

However, Mio’s mind as she looked at the thorns flying toward her was markedly different from before.

‘How should I describe this feeling? It feels serene…?’

It seemed like it had only been a few minutes ago when she was terribly afraid of Valencia Citrin's attack, but now, she wasn’t trembling anymore. In addition, her mind was clear as she faced Valencia Citrin’s thorny bushes.

Mio smiled softly. “They do say that everything is made with the heart.”

In other words, mind over body. Mio thought that she would be able to deal with the opponent’s thorny bushes with her current level of skill now, and the thought drove away the fear that had settled in her mind before.

“Sword Kinesis: Sword Dance.”

Swoosh!

Two swords emitting a purple light sliced the thorny bushes apart.

Valencia Citrin’s eyes narrowed. ‘She…got stronger? Nonsense. It was just an hour ago when she couldn’t face my attack at all.’

Mio’s dramatic change didn’t make sense at all.

‘I see...’

Mio managed to learn something in just an hour and assimilate that lesson to become even stronger. Valencia Citrin felt like she could finally understand why the fiends warned her to watch out for the 5 Heroes.

‘But…’

However, Valencia Citrin had never once doubted her own genius as well. The time and effort that she had spent training in the Underworld wasn’t something that anyone could easily overtake.

Valencia Citrin’s demonic energy made the surrounding air tremble.

“Your struggle will not change anything.”

‘She won’t be able to do anything other than defend herself, anyway.’

In addition, Valencia Citrin had an ally who was annoying but powerful.

‘Isaac Dvor.’

Once Isaac Dvor regrouped with her, Valencia Citrin reckoned that they could easily take Mio and Mr. Shoot’s lives.

“Do your best to hold out for as long as you can...” Valencia Citrin lifted her hand to attack both Mio and Mr. Shoot when a perplexed expression overcame her. She turned to look behind her, confused.

“...!”

‘Who is that?’

A powerful being was approaching them with a tempest of magic.

***

“Hmm.” Isaac Dvor sighed nonchalantly and shrugged. He was still using John Maverick’s figure as he asked, “Hey, you. What’s the name of your God again?”

“The Sun God.”

“I’m an atheist, but I must admit that your God is not too bad.”

Tap, tap.

Isaac Dvor knocked on the golden shield surrounding Christin Lewis.

‘I didn’t expect my attack to fail at leaving even a little scratch on it.’

Christin Lewis’ skill was annoying in Isaac Dvor’s eyes. Christin Lewis couldn’t harm him, but he couldn’t harm Christin Lewis as well.

‘Christin Lewis is known as the weakest Master of the Big 5 along with Son Chae-Won.’

Tap, tap.

Isaac Dvor didn’t bother paying attention to Christin Lewis because the latter rarely appeared on battlefields, unlike Son Chae-Won.

And that was why Christin Lewis’ golden shield caught him off guard.

“I think we have to approach this with a different method.”

Isaac Dvor closed his eyes, and thick demonic energy flowed out of him. The demonic energy was so thick and powerful that it could be seen by the naked eye.

“Mmhm. Is he going to use a powerful skill?” Milphage nodded. He wasn’t exactly comfortable with his current situation. ‘My cover has been blown, but I can’t silence the witness.’

Milphage paced about anxiously.

“How pathetic of you. Why did you even hold hands with a fiend if you’re afraid of being discovered?” asked Christin Lewis.

“...” Milphage didn’t bother to reply.

“Now that I think of it, you have a wife and a daughter on Earth, right? I wonder if they know what you have been doing.”

Boom!

Milphage’s fist struck Christin Lewis’ golden shield, but not even a scratch could be seen on the shield. Christin Lewis was startled, and he unknowingly took a step backward.

“Do not speak of them with that mouth of yours. I’m warning you.”

Milphage growled and glared at Christin Lewis.

Christin Lewis looked away and muttered, “Your words make it sound like I’m the bad guy here. You know you’re the bad guy, right?”

“Shut up, you dumbass! I’m sure an idiot like you has no idea that everyone suspects you the most.”

“There’s no way they’ll suspect me. I’m a devout believer in the Sun God. Who would doubt me?”

“Pffft!” Milphage snorted. He shook his head and said, “That’s hilarious. I guess you would have managed your guild properly if you were smart.”

“...What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that not everyone is as dumb as you.”

The Church of the Sun was the Ruben Empire’s national religion, so it was powerful, with the highest number of believers compared to the other religions.

“Money gathers where people gather, and flies gather where money gathers.”

If Silver Constellation were a fruit, it would never be sold because it was rotten inside.

“I think you are mistaken. Our guild only accepts players with integrity and those who have passed the church’s verification.”

“Integrity, huh? Kekeke. By verification, are you talking about the same verification that allows even dogs to pass as long as they pay up?” Milphage smirked and retrieved a pendant with the symbol of the Church of the Sun from his pocket.

“Here, look at this. I’ve been verified as well. I decided to get one because everyone told me that life as a mercenary in Frontier would be easier with this pendant.”

“N-no…! That’s impossible.” Christin Lewis’ eyes quivered ever so slightly. ‘I studied hard and made sure I was clean before the verification so that I would pass it in one go.’

“There are many people like me in your guild and in the Church of the Sun.”

The crimes of those men would naturally go unreported.

“I’d love to ask you to go back and find out what your guild is up to, but…” Milphage shrugged. “I’m afraid I can’t do that because you have to die here.”

“Sigh. I’m afraid we’re done talking here.”

Isaac Dvor interrupted and smiled. “It’s showtime.”

“Showtime?” Milphage asked.

However, he immediately had to take a few steps backward.

‘...Has Isaac Dvor always been this strong?’

Milphage felt a shiver running down his spine.

Isaac Dvor’s demonic energy stimulated terror even in Milphage’s heart.

Clap, clap!

Isaac Dvor clapped, and a black pouch appeared in mid-air.

Isaac snatched the pouch out of mid-air and showed it to Milphage.

“Take a look. There’s nothing inside it, right?”

“...What does that have to do with that punk’s shield?”

“Your temper really is short. Just wait. I’m about to show you some magic.” Isaac licked his lips. Isaac grinned and placed his arm into the pouch. The pouch was small, but it seemed bottomless as it engulfed Isaac’s arm all the way to his shoulder.

“Ta-da! Surprise!”

“Ah!”

Christin Lewis exclaimed as Isaac’s hand appeared inside the former’s golden shield and grabbed Christin Lewis by the throat.

“What do you think, Milphage? If you’re impressed, give me a round of applause, please.”

“...How did you do that? Your arm is inside the shield?”

“It’s rude to ask a magician the secret behind their tricks.” Isaac smiled.

He pulled out his arm and pulled out Christin Lewis from the pouch.

“Cough, cough!”

Christin Lewis coughed upon landing on the ground. ‘How did he drag me out of my shield?’

Isaac Dvor’s attack just now was beyond common sense.

“All right. Nothing can protect you now,” said Isaac Dvor. Spades playing cards appeared between his fingers. He looked down at Christin Lewis on the ground and said, “I guess this is it. Goodbye.”

Isaac smiled and hurled the playing cards at Christin Lewis.

“...!”

“...?”

The expressions of the three turned strange when the playing cards froze in mid-air.

Milphage’s expression turned ugly as he said, “Hey, are you really taking this seriously? If you’re going to just mess around, I’ll finish him off myself.”

“No, I’m not messing around…”

“What?”

Isaac Dvor’s grin slowly faded away.

The playing cards he had thrown to kill Christin Lewis wouldn’t budge.

‘No…’ Isaac Dvor examined the playing cards closely. ‘The cards are still moving, but they’re extremely slow.’

Isaac Dvor was extremely familiar with the one and only person capable of freezing objects and just about anything.

“Specter...” Isaac Dvor muttered.

The temperature abruptly fell as if in response to Isaac Dvor’s words, and their breath condensed as they exhaled.

1. Controlling Sword with Qi: 以氣馭劍 ☜