The Queens Classroom (1)

After discussing the details of tomorrows press conference with Deok-gu, Seo Jun-ho went back to his apartment on the 77th floor. He grabbed a can of beer from the fridge and a snack before lying down on his sofa.

Do you not need to eat? He asked the Frost Queen, glancing at her.

I am a spirit. Unlike humans, we are higher beings that do not require sustenance, she boasted.

Really? Then I guess you dont have to spend money on those things. He took a long swig of beer and started to ask about the things hed been wondering about.

Tell me everything you know about the Dimensional Elevator. Seo Jun-ho intended to find out all he could about the cause of this horrible game from his former enemy.

I do not know anything, she said curtly, shaking her head.

Hey, dont be difficult

I really do not. I swear on my own being.

An Oath of Existence

Seo Jun-hos eyebrows furrowed. Are you kidding me? You were a Floor Master. How do you not know anything?

Once I forfeited the role, I lost all memories regarding it.

Your memories were erased?

I remember knowing certain things, but my mind goes blank when I try to call upon those memories.

Mm. Thats a waste. It wouldve been nice if she knew why the world changed or had information on the other floors.

The System is more thorough than I thought. Who knew that it would go so far as to erase her memories. Of course, it had already done the impossible by connecting Earth to other dimensions. It could probably erase memories with the flick of a wrist.

Seo Jun-ho drained the last of his beer and tried to ease his frustration.

Do not be so disappointed. Though the memories you desire have disappeared, my intelligence is so great that it is known in other lands. It will be helpful in the days to come.

I sure hope so. Oh, and I heard that spirits dont use the magic of their contractors. Is that true?

You speak the obvious.

Then how the heck do you use your powers? I dont even sense any magic from you.

Do you really not know? The Frost Queen looked at him like he was being absurd. Contractor, do you really not feel anything when I use my powers?

Not really?

Haa, you really are quite insensitive She shook her head. When a spirit draws power from their contractor, it is from their mental strength.

What if Im mentally drained?

Then I am unable to use the same amount of power as usual. If your mental state is extremely weakened, the contract may be dissolved.

I see Theres a penalty after all. It turned out that spirits werent as all-powerful as hed thought.

Well, if they were able to use that much power without a cost, they would practically be gods.

Most of his questions had been answered, but Seo Jun-ho felt like his homework had increased in number.

Then the things you showed me before used up my mental strength?

Of course. You will have to practice a lot before using it in a real battle.

Practice Sounds fun. Hed been looking forward to doing some special training with his new skills. Look forward to it. Youll see why people call me a tough cookie.

Do not be so hasty. No matter how extraordinary of a human you are, it will take at least a month.

A month? The Frost Queen was underestimating him. He grinned.

Two weeks.

Hell change her mind within that time.

* * *

The click of heels echoed across the hall on the 77th floor of the Player Association headquarters. Cha Si-eun walked past the art on display and knocked on the door.

The doors open.

Cha Si-eun entered and looked around the room.

Whenever I come here, I feel like it would be embarrassing for me to live here. Not only would it be hard to clean, it was hard to get to and had an unnecessary number of rooms. She suppressed her thoughts and walked over to Seo Jun-hos bedroom.

Youre here?

The door was open, and Seo Jun-ho was standing in front of a full-length mirror. Cha Si-eun was shocked when she saw him. Yes.

He wore his pajamas last time. Shed brought a suit for this very reason, but she saw that it didnt matter.

Youre not wearing pajamas today.

Its only fun when you do it once.

Seo Jun-ho looked like a model or actor in his light-blue suit. His hair was slicked to the side, and it made him look much more alive.

When did his body get so good? She blinked. When shed first met him, he was concerningly skinny, but now, his muscles were visible and well-defined.

Im done getting ready. What do you think?

Hm. She spun him around, then gave two thumbs up. Perfect.

This was the second time Seo Jun-ho was having a press conference in Korea. The last one had been a small event and theyd barely been able to accept one hundred people, but it was different this time; it was a large-scale conference with five hundred people.

The doors finally opened.

Wow, look at all these people.

There are some big leagues here too.

Well, its Seo Jun-ho after all. You cant exactly compare him to other rookies. Hes too big.

Damn. The editor-in-chief for the Players magazine is here.

And thats the BBC They already got the scoop from him two days ago, but theyre here again.

The press conference hadnt even started yet, but the room was filled with flashing cameras and the sound of typing. An entire article could be written just about the different people and groups that were attending.

Ha, he really is something else. The conference three months ago wasnt like this.

What?! You went to Seo Jun-hos first press conference?

My department head sent me to write something up But when I saw Seo Jun-ho, I felt it instantly.

Felt what?

At some point, other reporters had started to gather around them. The reporter noticed this and cleared their throat before speaking.

He was wearing pajamas, slippers, and his hair was a rats nest. At first, I thought he was just some lunatic, but I was wrong. They pointed two fingers at their eyes. The look in his eyes. He was yawning and all, but the piercing look he had was unforgettable.

Really? He just looked tired in the pictures.

No. It was a vigor that you could only feel in person. Like with Kim Woo-joong or Shin Sung-hyun.

Ahh. They understood. Even when Shin Sung-hyun or Kim Woo-joong were just sitting around, they had a powerful presence.

So Ive personally been looking forward to this a lot. The reporter adjusted their glasses. I wont be surprised if Seo Jun-ho announces that hes going to a 1-star Gate.

What? Nah, thats too much. Someone waved him off. Even if hes a super rookie, hes still a rookiea newbie.

He only debuted three months ago. If he goes in alone, thats suicide.

Im just saying, the reporter laughed, embarrassed.

I know what youre saying, but theres no way hell say that if hes sane.

* * *

Hey, its almost time, Seo Jun-ho muttered. He was sitting in the waiting room, snacking on crackers. Deok-gu looked at him in amazement.

You really Arent you nervous?

Not really? Its not like its my first time, Seo Jun-ho said, still eating. Were announcing two things today, right?

Yes. Well do as we discussed last night. Shim Deok-gu gulped and adjusted his tie. Lets go.

Cha Si-eun escorted the two of them out. As they entered the conference room, they were covered in flashing lights. Seo Jun-ho casually took a seat.

The press conference will now begin and last for forty minutes.

Unlike last time, he wasnt taking questions from reporters who raised their hands. Reporters had signed up beforehand on a first-come, first-served basis. Most of them were ones the Association had expected. A question hed been waiting for came up.

Will you be going to the Cave of Trials? Seo Jun-ho quickly grabbed the mic.

Of course. Im trying to set a date.

Ooh!

Yeah. Its a rite of passage for all new players.

You can only go there once in your life. Its a waste if you miss it.

The reporters nodded in understanding and typed on their keyboards. Theyd found something good.

The Cave of Trials was a Gate in the alpine regions of Tibet. Its rules were different from other Gates.

Its a Gate that cant be cleared, and you can leave it even if it isnt.

It had first appeared when the world became like a game and had been around for close to thirty years.

Im looking forward to how much player Seo Jun-ho will grow after going to the Cave of Trials.

Are you thinking that youll at least reach the 5th level?

I dunno. Well have to see when I get there.

The Cave of Trials gave the player a choice to go or stop whenever they cleared a level. They could leave the Gate if they were satisfied with their rewards, or they could proceed to the next level for a chance at a better reward with the risk of losing everything.

I got to the 9th level last time. Hed been level 30 at the time and barely survived. Still, the things he won had been a huge help to his journey as a player.

Then, have you thought about what Gate youll be going to after the Cave of Trials?

Of course, Seo Jun-ho nodded without hesitation.

All eyes were on him. The reporters positioned their hands on their hologram keyboards to type down what he was about to say.

I will be going to the Winter Castle, he said shortly.

With those two words, the bustling conference room fell silent.

Only

The reporters couldnt even type. They werent sure if theyd heard him right, even though there was only one Gate in the world called the Winter Castle. It was one of three Uncleared Gates in the world whose Difficulty was labeled as Brutal.

The Gate in Antarctica.

Twenty-five years after the Frost Queen had been defeated, the people had experienced the horrors of Antarctica once more through the 1-star Gate.