Return of the Frozen Player

His body reacted first. There was no other way to describe it; he couldn’t spare a second to scream or even think. Seo Jun-ho’s body hit the ground.

Slash! Kis’s sword hit the ground as Seo Jun-ho stood up. He activated Booster again.

“I won’t miss this time!” He kicked off the ground, Black Dragon Fang aimed at Kis’s face.

“……”

But Kis was an experienced knight. He dodged the attack, tilting his body ever so slightly before digging his knee into Seo Jun-ho’s stomach.

“Guh!” His body raised into the air from the force of the strike, and Kis grabbed him by the neck and smashed his head into the ground.

“…Keok!” Blood spewed out from Seo Jun-ho’s mouth as he coughed. But he couldn’t afford to lose focus. He’s coming again!

As his eyes flew open, Kis’s steel boots looked like mountains before him. Seo Jun-ho quickly rolled his body and narrowly dodged. Crunch! The ground shattered into pieces.

If he had been even a moment late, that would have been his head.

“Dammit…”

Kis didn’t give him a moment to rest. He prepared his next strike.

I can’t be the only one who keeps getting attacked!

Seo Jun-ho rolled off the ground and placed his hand down. Crackle! A giant ice fang sprouted toward Kis.

– “……!!” He quickly drew his sword to block, but he couldn’t handle the force. He flew into the air and disappeared into the mist once again.

“Are you alright?”

“Phew, somehow…” When he finally thought he’d have a moment to breathe, a sword pierced through the mist.

“Give me a break!” he complained, quickly blocking.

Claaang! Their blades clashed, but Seo Jun-ho was the one who pushed the other forward.

“From this distance…” It would be impossible to dodge. Seo Jun-ho stepped closer and elbowed Kis in the chin.

Crunch! The strike was so powerful that it dented his helmet. For the first time in the entire battle, he staggered.

Seo Jun-ho wouldn’t let this chance slip by. He grabbed Kis’s helmet and kneed him in the face. He heard his nose break as blood pooled to the ground.

“Contractor! Be careful!”

He didn’t hear her warning until it was too late. The world spun. Huh…?

He only realized what had happened when he felt the pain in his legs. Even as he was being beaten, Kis had kicked him. As his back hit the ground, Kis’s sword came down like lightning.

Crackle! He quickly created a shield out of ice to block, but the sword cut through it like butter. Kis had aimed for his heart, but Seo Jun-ho’s shield had redirected his sword to his shoulder. He screamed.

“Contractor!”

Panicked, the Frost Queen quickly created twenty ice arrows and flung them at Kis.

– “……” He dashed back and calmly cut through each one.

The Frost Queen fluttered over to Seo Jun-ho. “Are you alright?”

“Keuk… Thanks to you.” He safely managed to stand and looked down at his left shoulder. He was bleeding a lot, but he didn’t freeze the wound. Freezing it would be suicide. He needed to use both of his arms—even if he bled to death. Even if he died and came back to life with one arm, he’d never be able to defeat Kis.

“Phew…”

– “……”

The distance between them was barely one meter; they could almost feel the other breathe. They stared each other down, trying to catch their breaths.

Just once… If I can just land one good attack, I think I can do it. He considered intentionally creating an opening, but he quickly shook his head. At his level, it’s too dangerous. There was a 100% chance that Kis’s strike would be lethal.

Kis took two steps back and disappeared into the mist. As Seo Jun-ho watched, he cloaked his own body in darkness.

“Night Walking.”

The two of them concealed their traces and silenced their breaths. Silence fell over the long hall. The only sound was the whoosh of the blizzard outside, heard through the crevice of a window.

“Contractor, can you not ambush him in this state? Like the way you did in the Cave of Trials.”

He shook his head. “I can’t. It’s hard to hide my traces from someone as strong as him.” If his comrades in the Cave of Trials hadn’t been mere illusions, they would’ve sensed him too. Night Walking was most effective against less experienced opponents.

“Ah, that is unfortunate. You only have 24 seconds left for Booster as well.”

At her warning, Seo Jun-ho grit his teeth and released Booster. Heat rippled off his body, and his head pounded like a migraine. He leaned against the wall and dug through his inventory for a potion, pouring it over his wound before drinking the rest of it down. 

“Phew…” Of course, potions weren’t all-powerful. He didn’t feel any instant changes either. He quickly inspected his body.

…It’s the worst possible situation. After using Booster consecutively, his body was extremely worn out. The burning sensation in his head wasn’t a good sign either; it meant that his judgment would falter. Let’s calm down. If I can’t think straight, I won’t be able to do anything at all.

He caught his breath and calmed himself before he started to analyze the situation. The problem is the fucking mist. I can’t ever make the first move.

Kis was superior in terms of skill, strength, speed, and everything else. But the battle only ever started when Kis ambushed him.

“This is bad… I’ve been playing right into the palm of his hand.” There was only one way to win.

“I’ll turn the tables right back at him.”

Seo Jun-ho removed Black Armor and wrapped his shoulder. Despite the pain, his eyes shone with the ferocity of a hunter.

* * *

– “……”

Kis slowly walked through the mist, looking for the player he had crossed swords with.

– He’s hiding his traces from me… Impressive. It was a remarkable stealth technique, but that’s all it was. I’m starting to sense his magic. That meant he was getting closer. Kis raised his sword and prepared himself to ambush the player again.

– I caught you. He swung his sword at the large mass of magic in front of him, cutting straight through his opponent’s neck.

– “……?” Kis’s face fell. He felt something off. It was too easy. His opponent hadn’t even reacted. Kis grabbed him and checked his face.

– I was tricked. The shadow dummy dissipated with a hissing noise, as if it were laughing. At that moment, he felt a powerful wave of magic behind him.

– “……!” Kis whipped around.

“It’s too late.”

Seo Jun-ho unleashed the Frost energy. The ground froze over in an instant, trapping Kis’s ankles.

– This is nothing… Kis tried to pull his legs from the ice, but it kept freezing in from all directions.

“You didn’t know, did you?”

Mist was simply a condensed mass of water vapor. Thus, it would become ice if the temperature was lowered.

– “……!” Kis finally realized what Seo Jun-ho was doing, but it was too late when he raised his sword. He had been too focused on escaping the ice.

“I already told you. It’s too late.”

Crackle! The entire hall froze over. The black mist fell to the ground in hailstones.

He took a deep breath. Seo Jun-ho raised his sword and walked over to Kis, who was trapped in the ice. The sword pierced through the thick ice and through his heart.

It’s finally over… He finally relaxed.

Crash! Kiss broke through the ice and kneed him in the stomach.

“Guh!”Seo Jun-ho flew back, rolling on the red carpet that was covered in hailstones. Kis followed him like a flash of lightning, drawing his sword.

Clang! Sparks flew as their blades met. Seo Jun-ho had managed to take out a greatsword and block him, but Kis was too strong. Seo Jun-ho’s arm started to give out, and Kis’s sword got closer and closer, pressing onto him like a mountain.

How… How is this possible…?! He couldn’t believe it. Black Dragon Fang was stuck through his heart. He shouldn’t be able to move, let alone attack with superhuman strength.

Just what… is he fighting so hard for? As his head started to fill with questions, Kis’s strength finally started to fade.

– “Cough! Cough!” His sword clattered to the ground as he vomited black blood. He fell to his knees and fell over to his side.

“……” Seo Jun-ho unconsciously touched his temple. It stung every time he touched it. If he had been a tenth, no, a hundredth of a second late, Kis’s sword would have cut through his head.

“I really almost kicked the bucket this time…” Just as he let out a sigh of relief, his vision darkened. Hot blood had started to drip down from the crown of his head.

“Contractor, are you alright?”

“Yeah, well… Once I get seen by a healer, it won’t even leave a scar,” he said as he took out a fresh potion and poured it over his head.

“That’s good to hear.” Relieved, the Frost Queen now looked over to her knight. Kis Bremen was leaned up against the ice dummy, staring at the ceiling. His consciousness was fading.

– …I failed. Warm tears spilled down from his eyes, but it wasn’t because he was afraid of death. I’m sorry.

It was because he had failed to protect the monarch he’d sworn his loyalty to, because he had lost the last chance to make right of his regrets.

– “Your Majesty…” He looked up at the ceiling, hand outstretched.

“He’s looking for you. Wouldn’t it be good to show yourself, at least?”

“I do not deserve to do that.” She smiled bitterly as she shook her head. “A monarch must protect their people. The knights of the Winter Castle are citizens of Niflheim before they are my knights. And… I failed to protect them.”

“What’s with that…” Seo Jun-ho couldn’t understand her. She saw his expression and laughed weakly.

“Remember this: the righteousness of the weak is nothing but a shout in the silence.”

“……”

She’d learned this painful lesson in the war. That was all.

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