The Frozen Player Returns

aac asked once again.

“F-Four years!”

“Five years!”

’

“If everyone here works together… Three, no, two years!”

“If we really push ourselves, we could even do it in a year and a half.”

To survive, the engineers brought down the number to its absolute lowest, like they were in a bidding war.
Only then did the Heavenly Demon seem satisfied.
“Isaac.
Why is it that humans are only ever obedient once they suffer the consequences?”

“Indeed.
They are pitiful creatures.” Isaac smiled warmly.
He understood the underlying meaning.
“Okay, folks.
We will give you exactly half a year.
Please unlock the chip by that time.”

“…What? Half a year?!”

“Impossible! It won’t be possible even if we work ourselves to death!”

“Is that so? Would it truly be impossible if you worked yourselves to your deaths?” Isaac chuckled.
As he did, a thick, vicious bloodlust enveloped the engineers.
Their instincts screamed that they would die a horrible death if they said yes.

“…”

“…”

Once all of them fell into silence, Isaac turned to the Heavenly Demon.
“I believe half a year will be their limit.”

“Half a year, you say.” It wasn’t ideal, but he could tolerate it, considering that the crazy engineers from earlier had pitched ten, fifteen years.

“Continue with the project, then.”

“Yes, milord.” Isaac led the engineers to someplace underground.

“Chef,” the Heavenly Demon said.

“Yes, my liege.”

“I presume the events of last night have started to spread across the city, correct?”

“But of course.
I can also sense that the dogs of the so-called Murim Alliance have come close to the site and started investigating.”

“That is troublesome.” He had to protect the Fourth Chip for the next six months.
It was a daunting task for three people other than him to handle.
“Put out a notice that we are selecting new martial artists.”

“…Do you plan to create new fiends?”

“If you give them demon’s blood and train them rigorously in the Demonic Cult’s martial arts, we will obtain some useful sacrificial lambs.”

“A wise decision.” The Chef grinned from ear to ear.
This was the perfect opportunity for him to test the new theory he had learned in the Underworld.

“Half a year, is it?”

The wait would be exhausting.
However, the Heavenly Demon still closed his eyes.

***

The Imperial Palace was located on a clean street.
There wasn’t a single filth.
It was a flawless street.

“…”

Seo Jun-Ho felt a strange sense of deja-vu upon seeing it.

– Hey.
Do you truly plan to enter the palace?

“I have to because I need more information on the Alliance Leader,” said Seo Jun-Ho.

’

– But…

Wisoso held back.
The Small Heavenly Demon knew that the Player had an amazing concealment technique, but the martial artists of the Imperial Palace were stronger than even the seasoned troops of the Murim Alliance.

– Young Hero Seo, do you know of the Jinyiwei?[1]

“Jinyiwei? What’s that?”

– Their formal title is the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Simply put, they are the emperor’s personal guards.
Each member is skilled and powerful enough to be a sect leader.
They are the most powerful military organization amongst all the neighboring galaxies.

“Really? That’s news to me.” Seo Jun-Ho frowned.
“Wait, could the Alliance Leader still do whatever he wants with a group like that here? Our theory becomes much weaker in that case.”

– It is possible that they were dissolved.
The last time they were seen was thirty years ago.
It overlaps with the time period when the emperor fell ill.

“What do you think? Did Namgung Jincheon do that?”

– I do not know.
But no matter how powerful he is, he would not have been able to fight and defeat the Jinyiwei in a head-to-head battle.

“They’re that strong?” Even though Seo Jun-Ho only had a small taste of what Seo Jun-Sik had experienced, he knew that the Alliance Leader was strong.
Very strong.
It was only natural, considering that he was possibly a 700-year-old ancient beast.
In addition, he knew how to use every form of martial arts and possessed a colossal amount of neigong.

– According to the rumors, every member of the Jinyiwei is supposed to be a transcendent martial artist.

“Transcendent?” asked Seo Jun-Ho.
That was Director Hyun-Baek’s level.
However, even though they were in the same category, there was an enormous difference in skill between them.

‘Even though I’m also considered a transcendent warrior on this planet, I’m no match for Director Hyun-Baek.’ 

Seo Jun-Ho silently looked at the Imperial Palace.
If he and Wisoso’s conjecture were incorrect, they couldn’t go in there.

‘But what if we’re right?’ 

What if the Alliance Leader was actually over 700 years old? And what if the emperor was truly bedridden and wasting away? In that case, Seo Jun-Ho would have to take proper measures before the Alliance Leader could obtain all four chips.

– Wait, you’re actually considering it? You could die!

Wisoso yelled in frustration.
The Frost Queen slapped the ball a few times.
“The Small Heavenly Demon gets angry often.
We must hit it a few times to calm it down.”

– Ow! Ow! Don’t hit me…Please!

“And you.
It has not been long since you met us, so you know very little about my Contractor.” The Frost Queen smiled warmly and turned to stare at Seo Jun-Ho’s back while he was contemplating.
“He is indeed a fool.
But you simply cannot blame him.”

Seo Jun-Ho had always been choosing the paths everyone had dissuaded him from choosing.
Whenever he was presented with the choice of blissful ignorance or the cold truth, he would choose the truth every time.

– Why is he going so far?

Wisoso couldn’t understand it.
In the past centuries, the only person who stood up for those who were suffering was their father.
Many powerful warriors from other planets had come here before, but they had never fought for the civilians of Neo City.
Why would they do that when they had nothing to gain from doing so?

“I wonder the same.
Why does he go so far?”

After pondering for a long time, Seo Jun-Ho truly started walking toward the Imperial Palace.

Wisoso stared at him.

– That man.
What did you say his occupation was on Earth?

The Frost Queen laughed for a long time at Wisoso’s question.

“He is a Hero.
He is a Hero who never turns away from a thorny path.”

1.
The imperial secret police of the Ming dynasty.
They started out as a group of the emperor’s personal bodyguards.
☜