Chapter 98. Those Who Meet Must Part (3)

Seo Jun-Ho knocked on the door of the presidents office before he entered. As usual, Shim Deok-Gu was sitting on the sofa instead of at his desk.

He looks different.

Shim Deok-Gu didnt have anyone to take care of him, so he always looked frazzled with his wrinkled suit and crooked tie. But today, there wasnt a single wrinkle on his suit, and his tie was tied properly. It was as if knew that this would be their last goodbye.

Youre leaving right after?

Yeah. Theres no need to drag it out.

Thats just like you. I knew youd do something like this. As Seo Jun-Ho sat down, Shim Deok-Gu smiled as if he remembered something.

Its been about 7 months since you broke out of the ice, hasnt it?

Yeah. A little more than that, actually.

I didnt tell you this before, but I was really shocked. I thought it was some sick joke.

His friend had been frozen in ice for 25 years, so how could he believe it when he was told that his friend had woken up? He had watched the video of Seo Jun-Ho waking up from the ice over and over all day.

But when I saw you at the hospital, I finally believed that you came back.

I think thats when I realized that I returned as well.

...And because of you, the last 7 months have felt like 10 years, you rascal.

Im sorry that I gave you a lot of work to do.

Shim Deok-Gu chuckled and shook his head. It made me nostalgic. You know what they say: people get younger the longer they live.

Ew, you sound so old!

Just wait until youre my age.

Physically, the two of them seemed to have a big difference in age. However, they snickered as they started to chat about old memories. From the first time they met in kindergarten, to their elementary school years, to the time when he helped Shim Deok-Gu confess to the girl he liked, to the times when they would sneak out during exam prep sessions to go to PC cafes, to the time they screamed and jumped when they found out that they got into the same university, and finally, to the days when the Gates first appeared and they fought for their lives. They had spent almost their entire lives together.

We talked for too long.

This always happens when I talk to you!

It had been three hours since they started talking, and they had become a little worn out. They paused to take a drink of water. At some point, the Frost Queen had gotten bored of their chatter and had fallen asleep on the sofa.

I dont have much else to say to you. Just keep living like yourself Jun-Ho.

Live like myself? What do you mean?

Thats up to you to decide. Im not you. If I told you, then itd be a Seo Jun-Ho defined by Shim Deok-Gu.

I see. Seo Jun-Ho snickered. I hope you dont regret saying that. Ill live doing whatever I want and causing all the trouble I want.

As long as it makes you happy

They embraced and patted each others backs.

Im sorry, I cant help you much on the 2nd floor. The Associations stronghold is in a remote desert.

He quietly took note of the information. Dont be. Since you helped me so much on the 1st floor, its my turn to help you. And sorry for giving you so much work even till the day I leave. Im counting on you.

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The former sponsors? Dont worry about them.

And take care of Secretary Cha too. Get her a good boss, if possible.

...You dont have to worry. And if you cant find any drinking buddies, come down from time to time. It doesnt take long to come down. As he spoke, he pulled out a large pouch and placed it on the table.

Whats this?

The currency of the Ruben Empire. I dont know about the capital, but you should be able to live in nice estates in most territories with this. Its a lot of money.

Man, you didnt have to

What, and make you sleep on the streets? People are gonna say that were treating you badly. He felt like a father giving his son an allowance to go study abroad. But of course, Seo Jun-Ho wasnt his son, and the amount was too much to be called an allowance. If you see Arthur, send my regards.

Yeah. Ill contact you from time to time.

Mmm At that moment, the Frost Queen rubbed her eyes as she woke up. She flitted over to Jun-Hos shoulder and yawned as she waved. Ill take care of my Contractor, so do not worry.

Haha. Ill be counting on you, Your Majesty.

Whos taking care of who now? Seo Jun-Ho grinned.

***

After saying goodbye to Shim Deok-Gu, Seo Jun-Ho headed straight for the Seoul History Museum, entering through the back door like last time to get to the morgue.

You guys are still the same... Seo Jun-Ho stared at the four ice statues and tried to use his skill.

[Effect of the skill Frost (EX) has been checked.]

[Seal of Frost (EX) can be removed.]

[Your base magic stat is too low. Removal failed.]

I knew it Its still too low. Thankfully, there was one good newsthe contents of the message box had changed.

Last time, it said that my base magic stat is absurdly low but this time its telling me that its too low.

It wasnt much of a difference, but it was still slightly comforting because it meant that the last 7 months hadnt been a waste. He glanced down at the Frost Queen, but she looked away.

Hm? He moved around to look at her from the other side, but this time, she completely turned around to avoid his gaze. He squinted. Whats up? Do you feel guilty or something?

O-of course not Despite her words, her eyes clearly showed how guilty and sorry she felt.

Seo Jun-Ho looked back to the statues. Theyre still alive, right?

...Yes. Im sure of it. But if either of us wishes to remove the seal, we must become much, much stronger.

He was relieved when she confirmed that they were still alive. Her words were good enough. As long as they were still alive, he could save them eventually.

Lets go.

So fast? Do you have nothing else to say?

Ill say it later. He could say it after he broke them out of the ice while eating and drinking together in a warm room. Wait a little longer. It wont be long.

He left the morgue with the Frost Queen

***

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Dimensional Elevator. It was a massive facility that had first appeared after Seo Jun-Ho defeated the Frost Queen 25 years ago in the Pacific. It took them seven hours to get there by plane.

Woah He stepped onto the large, artificial island. The Dimensional Elevator was in the middle of the ocean, and waves splashed on the shore.

The Frost Queen was full of admiration. To think that they made an island in the sea Earths technology is greatly admirable.

You can do it too. You froze the entire ocean, after all.

That was more akin to a glacier. This looks like a real island.

She was right. The only thing that distinguished it from other islands was the sheer number of Players on it.

...There are so many. Though, theyre all weaker than you are.

Its been a while since Ive seen something like this. Recently, the most number of Players he had seen in one place was at the Wild Forest. At that time, there had been 200 Players but it was incomparable to the number of Players on this island.

There are at least a thousand people here. It reminds me of the old days when a Gate would open in the middle of a city and everyone would have to go out and fight.

The Players milling around were waiting to use the Dimensional Elevator, and everyone who seemed wary of others was most likely affiliated with a Guild or an Association.

I can feel their eyes on you.

Well, I expected as much.

Just like the Frost Queen said, he could feel their eyes on him.

Hey, look, thats Seo Jun-Ho.

So hes going to Frontier...

...Doesnt that mean that hes gonna break the record?

Yeah, I think. The fastest before him were Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong.

Normal people take at least a few years, but he only took 7 months

The people were looking at him with a mix of apprehension, envy, and respect, but he didnt pay them that much attention as he strode forward.

It looks simpler than I expected... Based on the name, he had expected something grand, but it was nothing more and nothing less than the size of a normal elevator. A Player Association employee was standing in front of it.

Please show me your Player license. The employee checked it and handed it back. Please make sure to be careful of three things in Frontier. He tapped on the sign in front of the elevator.

1. Nobles

2. Fiends

3. Unfamiliar Players

In Frontier, you must adhere to the customs of the Ruben Empire. The nobles are very powerful, and some of them are quite fickle, so you must not meddle in their affairs. Second, although there are fiends on Earth, they are more dangerous in Frontier. Please be careful. Lastly, the Player Association, unfortunately, does not have much influence on the 2nd floor, so there are Players wholl take advantage of this to extort, assault, and kill. Please be cautious of other Players.

It felt like he was receiving a tutorial for a game. Seo Jun-Ho nodded, and the employee pressed the button to open the elevator.

Player Seo Jun-Ho, I wish you luck.

Thank you...

When he stepped in, he heard a pleasant voice saying the familiar the door is now closing from the speaker. The inside of the elevator was a little bigger than what it looked like from the outside. It looked like it could hold about 12 people, and the outside world could even be seen from the inside.

Wow The Frost Queen pressed her hands to the wall and watched. Contractor, there is something I would like to know.

The latest_epi_sodes are on_the . website.

What is it?

How do fiends go to the 2nd floor when the island is so closely guarded?

This isnt the only place with a Dimensional Elevator.

Just like she said, famous fiends wouldnt be able to come here. Seo Jun-Ho heard that they used the Dimensional Elevators that would appear randomly in the Pacific.

I see...I guess it would be difficult to guard every single Elevator.

The Pacific is so large. How could they keep an eye out on everything in there?

This man-made island was simply the biggest platform. Looking around, there had to be about thirty Dimensional Elevators, and people kept coming in and out of those Elevators.

Lets go.

Seo Jun-Hos heart pounded as he was filled with anticipation. He was on an Elevator, about to step into a different dimension, a whole new world.

C-Contractor, what shall we do if it goes too fast? I dislike having too much movement

Really? Im excited. The internet says it has things you cant imagine.

I prefer sights that are familiar.

Stop whining. Lets go.

He held out his hand. The buttons were numbered from 1 to 10, but they were only lit up to 3. He pressed 3 out of curiosity, but the voice rang once again.

[Your level is too low to enter the 3rd floor.]

So you cant cheat... He expected as much.

He pressed the 2nd floor, and the Elevator trembled and shone. Their hearts pounded in anticipation as they waited for it to move.

Hold on tight!

Yes, I am! She gripped his hair hard.

[2nd floor. Doors are opening.]

[The effect of Bringer of Spring has been activated. All stats increased by 30.]

...?

The announcement was repeated. The Frost Queen spoke with uncertainty. Contractor Have we arrived?

Seeing how the title effect has activated But no way.

Depending on the user, teleporting even a short distance could cause motion sickness, and this was an Elevator that crossed dimensions, so it should have been no different, but they had felt nothing. How was this possible?

That was anticlimactic, he muttered, looking around as he stepped out of the Elevator.

Daybreak is looking for new Guild members Achoo! Join the family!

The adventurer Guild Blackfoot is looking for ambitious Players!

Come here for a short tutorial if this is your first time in Frontier!

Among the recruiters, there were guards to make sure that no one would stir up trouble. The buildings resembled architecture from the Middle Ages. Most notably, the magic in the air was much more abundant than on Earth.

Visit ., for the best no_vel_read_ing experience

...I see. This truly is something I have never experienced before. The Frost Queen nodded.

Seo Jun-Ho had to agree. He had never seen something like this before.