The Frozen Player Returns

m his seat and looked around.
“You should hire someone to clean up your house and take care of the property.
You’ll get sick if you live in a place like this.”

“I should do that.”

“Then, I’ll be back if I need to commission you again.”

Shasha waved goodbye as he left the estate. 

“Thanks,” he said to the Frost Queen. 

“For what?” 

“It’s dangerous to touch someone when they’re absorbing that much energy.
You blocked her because of that, right?” 

“Well…You got me the house and all…” she mumbled.
She was too embarrassed to admit that she was just being protective of her Contractor. 

***

’

He met Ply for the first time in a while to pay off Shasha’s debt.
It was only 22 gold, so it wasn’t too much.
After that, Seo Jun-Ho went right to the auction house.
When he went up to the pick-up counter, the employee got it ready for him. 

“These are the items that you have successfully bid on.
Three Spirit Crystals.”

“Thank you.”

The crystals were all in different sizes. 

‘I suppose the one I got from the Dungeon was on the bigger side.’ 

The three Spirit Crystals were about a finger-length smaller than that one. 

The Frost Queen wrinkled her nose as she stared at them.
“Once again, I refuse to eat rocks.
Do you understand?”

“Yeah, whatever.” Despite what she said, she had been complaining about the taste of the cake and tea when they didn’t have any Spirit Crystal shavings in them. 

Seo Jun-Ho didn’t go anywhere else and went right back to the inn.
The Kobold Hunting Competition would begin at dawn, so he would have to sleep early. 

He sat down on the plush sofa and started looking for information about Baek Geon-Woo.
The man had caught his interest. 

‘I feel worried about him for some reason.’ 

There were more articles about him than he initially expected; it was probably because he had been active for so long. 

 

[Lone Survivor of a Fiend’s Family Massacre Debuts as a Player.]

[For the Sake of Revenge! Baek Geon-Woo Goes Up to the 2nd Floor After Only Five Years Since Debut.]

[Player Baek Geon-Woo is Unshakeable Despite Fellow Players Recommending Retirement.]

[Is it Really Worth The Effort? Why is Baek Geon-Woo Still the Same As He Was 15 Years Ago?]

 

In the beginning, there had been many people who were rooting for him.
But five, ten, fifteen, and after sixteen years.
Instead of enthusiastic support, all he received now was pity. 

“What are you looking at?” the Frost Queen asked, emerging from the shower.
She flew over, drying her hair with a towel.
Seo Jun-Ho explained what he had found about Baek Geon-Woo, whom he met a few days back. 

“Hm, that man has lived a hard life,” she commented. 

“Yup.”

“But there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“What?” 

The Frost Queen nodded.
“People will laugh at those who try and fail.
But I would never look down on someone who accepts a challenge.”

“I agree,” Seo Jun-Ho said.
The ability to be so stubbornly tenacious was a commendable talent in itself.
There were many people who didn’t know what they wanted to do, and there were even those who wouldn’t try hard in what they were doing.
“Effort doesn’t guarantee success…But every successful person has put in the effort.”

“That’s correct.
Even if you are born with immense talent, you must still put in the effort,” she added. 

“Then maybe he has been putting his time and energy into the wrong thing,” Seo Jun-Ho remarked.

’

“Perhaps… We will not know until we see for ourselves.”

“Hmmm.” He stroked his chin.
“Then, let’s keep watch.
Starting tomorrow,” he muttered. 

***

The early morning wind was chilly, but since he had Cold Resistance (C), Seo Jun-Ho arrived at the plaza with only light outerwear. 

“There are so many people even though it’s dawn,” the Frost Queen observed, admiring the crowd that had gathered.
Seo Jun-Ho thought the same. 

‘They only chose those that passed the test… But this many people passed?’

There were at least 500 people here.
As he leaned on the wall, Phivir went up to the podium a moment later. 

“There are 671 people gathered here today.
First, let me extend my gratitude to the participants who have come for the sake of Gilleon’s future.”

“671 people?”

“That’s more than I expected…”

“Will it be possible to measure contributions with this many people?”

“Tsk, the mages might snip targets from the rear.”

Bam! 

Phivir stomped his foot on the ground and quieted the murmuring audience. 

“For the past few months, Gilleon’s eastern gate had always been shut tight.
It leads to the Hainal Mountains, which those despicable kobolds have been occupying as a pack.
The lord of the city wished to dispose of them immediately, but it had been too much for the knights alone to handle.
They are unable to leave the city at this time.
That is why we have requested the aid of you Adventurers, Players, and mercenaries.
You have but one objective—to kill the leader of the kobold pack, which is hidden somewhere in the Hainal Mountains.”

The Players started to mutter at the word ‘leader.’

“What kind of monster can lead so many kobolds?”

“Maybe it’s a Kobold Champion?”

“Nah, no way.
From what I heard, there are over a thousand of them… A Champion wouldn’t be strong enough.
Wouldn’t it be a Kobold Lord?”

“A Kobold Lord…If that’s the case, it’ll be the first time in eight years since we’ve seen one.”

According to the official records, the last Kobold Lord had been killed eight years ago. 

“As you all may know, kobolds are monsters with a clear hierarchy.
Your rewards may differ based on how many kobolds of a certain kind you kill.”

The eyes of the Players and Adventurers sparkled.
Of course, Seo Jun-Ho was among them. 

‘I’ll get the best possible outcome and meet the city lord.’

Phivir checked the time. 

“Fall into ranks and march toward the eastern gate! Move out!”

They started to move…