Return of the Frozen Player - Chapter 21
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Return of the Frozen Player 021
Nine Yin Severance Syndrome (2)
Seo Jun-ho rubbed his eyes. But the message in front of him didnât disappear.
In my 25⊠no, is it my 50 years of life? Iâve never seen anything like this before.Â
The Frost skill really was all-powerful in all aspects.
I can even absorb the Magic stat.
It really was the perfect skill. Not even Watchguard of Darkness could let him do anything like this.
No. Itâs too early to draw conclusions.Â
If the Frost skill could absorb Yin energy from a rare disease like this⊠It was possible that Watchguard of Darkness could absorb something with a âDarknessâ attribute.
Something with a Darkness attribute⊠Iâve never seen anything with it, but Iâll have to do some research.Â
This situation wasnât bad. Actually, it had turned out for the better.
If itâs gonna raise my Magic stat, Iâm definitely gonna absorb it.Â
And if it worked, he would be able to save the Cinder Foxâs core for another time.
Seo Jun-ho slowly closed his eyes and grabbed Choi Sun-heeâs wrist. He concentrated all of his attention into his hands.
Shwaaaa.
All of the magic in her body pooled into her wrists.
First, let me take a look at her magic circulation.Â
He pictured the magic circuits in her head like a drawing. It was much more crowded than an average personâs. The Yin energy had frozen into icicles.
I should do this with one push. If he prolonged the treatment, it would be hard on the patient.
Crackle!
Seo Jun-hoâs magic pierced through Choi Sun-heeâs circuits. The icicles cracked and shattered into fragments from the collision of magic. But it wasnât over yet.
It⊠looks like a snowball. Like a snowball being pushed around in a field, the shards gathered around his magic energy until it started to enlarge. Seo Jun-ho switched his attention over and checked on the patient.
ââŠOh?â His face became curious.
This is beyond my expectations.
In the past, heâd used the Cinder Foxâs core to cure Nine Yin Severance Syndrome, using its Yang energy to melt down the frozen magic circuits.
It wasnât good for the patient. The two extremes would clash, and he had to work to cancel them out. They were like little explosions within the patientâs body. It was unimaginably painful, both mentally and physically.
But now, it was the opposite.
Choi Sun-hee let out a slight groan, breathing evenly with a peaceful look on her face.
Iâm relieved.Â
After making sure she was ok, he no longer felt nervous. Seo Jun-ho grabbed her wrist with both hands, using both of them to absorb the Yin energy. It was faster than using just one.
ââŠâŠâ
Of course, it also helped him concentrate. Magic circuits required care and focus. If he made the slightest mistake, he wouldnât know how it would affect her. So he went slowly, keeping his focus as if he were crossing a rope bridge.
Drip.Â
A drop of sweat fell from the bridge of his nose onto the bed sheet, and Seo Jun-ho let out a long sigh. It was finally over.
âPhewâŠÂ I donât know if Iâll be able to do this again.â When he glanced at the clock, he found that four hours had passed since he started.
Using the core only took about two hours and ten minutes last timeâŠÂ
Perhaps it was because the method was different, but it had taken nearly twice that time. But the successful results made him proud.
âShe probably wonât have any side effects either.â Heâd absorbed all the Yin energy that had spread throughout Choi Sun-heeâs body. It was good for her, but it was even better for him.
[Your Magic stat has increased by 5.]
Finally, his Magic stat had gone up.
âStatus window.â
[Seo Jun-ho]
Level: 13
Title: The One Who Opens Spring
Strength: 46Â Â Â Â Â Â Stamina: 44
Speed: 50Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Magic: 51
As he took in his stats, Seo Jun-hoâs lips curled.
âHeheâŠâ He laughed like a senile old man. There was no helping it. Even compared to his peak, his stats were crazy good.
People tend to deviate slightly from the average stats of their levelâŠÂ But he was sure. My stats are similar to someone around level 35.Â
In other words, there was no one at his level who could compare to him. On top of that, his Magic stat had finally passed 50.
Now I can use Watchguard of Darkness properly. The skill required a crazy amount of magic. Of course, he wouldnât be able to use it as heâd had at his peak, but heâd at least be able to use it at the level it was when heâd first started out as Specter.
As he opened the door and left the room, Choi Pil-ho stood up from his seat right outside.
âTh-the treatmentâŠâ Hearing the trembling in his voice, Seo Jun-ho gave him a bright smile.
âIt went well. The disease is cured, and there wonât be any side effects either.â
ââŠâŠUrk.â
There was nothing else he needed to say. President Choi Pil-ho couldnât form the words. He simply gripped Seo Jun-hoâs hands as his tears fell.
The gratitude spilled from his touch, hitting him like a wave.
âPlease, go in.â
âReally⊠Iâm really thankâŠÂ SniffâŠâŠâ
Crying like a child, Choi Pil-ho asked him to wait as he stepped inside.
Choi Pil-hoâs estate.
Seo Jun-ho sat on the sofa opposite the President.
âReally, truly, thank you,â he said once again. His complexion was much brighter after checking on Choi Sun-hee.
âI just did what I had to.â
âNo. Technically speaking, you were only contracted to bring me the core. You could have demanded me to write up a separate contract and reward for the treatment itself.â
It was true. But Seo Jun-ho hated the dirty feeling of making money with othersâ lives on the line.
âIâve been thinking a lot in this short span of time about how I could possibly repay you.â Choi Pil-ho looked up at him with warm, grateful eyes. Seo Jun-ho glanced away, feeling pressured by his gaze.
âAt first, I considered giving you more money⊠But I remembered that when we first made the contract, you didnât seem like the type of person whoâd want that.â
âI feel like my finances are stable enough.â Seo Jun-ho already enjoyed luxuries that money both could and couldnât buy. For him, money was something that was nice to have and something he could always earn if he didnât.
âSo Iâve decided. One time.â Choi Pil-ho raised an index finger.
âOne⊠time?â
âIf you ever need our help, the Myungho Group will do everything in our power to assist you that one time.â
Only once.
It seemed cheap. But Seo Jun-ho tried to imagine what he could do with their power.
âŠâŠNo, it would be quicker if I considered the opposite.Â
Rather than what they could do, it was faster to list what they couldnât. The Myungho Group was Koreaâs number 1 company.
They also had one particular weapon in a specific field. A guild.
The Scarlet Tower.Â
The guild whose leader was Choi Pil-hoâs eldest son.
People called it a nation of players, ranking as the top 5 guild in Korea.
Iâll be able to call them up as reinforcements when I really need them. Overwhelmed by the thoughts of his reward, Seo Jun-ho bowed his head lightly.
âIâll make sure to use it carefully so as to not harm the Myungho Groupâs reputation.â
âHahaha, just give me the word. Youâre our familyâs savior.â Choi Pil-ho gave a generous look. âThen, how about we have a meal together? We missed it last time.â
âOf course.â
âYour secretary should come too.â Seo Jun-ho was hungry and didnât refuse.
It was the best meal heâd had after being freed from the ice.
* * *
Cha Si-eun wouldnât stop repeating herself after they returned to the Association.
âThe doctor said you should rest⊠At least four days⊠Donât do any strenuous exercises⊠Understand?â
âI said I got it. But Secretary Cha should go home early today too. Youâve worked hard since early in the morning.â
ââŠâŠReally?â
âOf course.â As he nodded, her face brightened a bit.
âTh-then⊠Iâll go home early and spend some time reading.â
âYou like to read?â
âThe old scholars would say that books hold the secrets of the world.â To think that she would voluntarily spend her free time studying; she really was a model student. Deok-gu kept praising her as an elite, after all.
âI hope you enjoy your reading, then.â
âThank you. Iâll see you tomorrow. And Iâll just say this one more timeâŠâ
âIâll rest for at least four days and not do any strenuous exercises.â
âWow, youâve memorized it. Iâll see you tomorrow.â
Seo Jun-ho watched her leave blankly with a satisfied look on his face.
ââŠâŠWhy does everyone nag me so much?â Were the people around him just like that? Or was he himself the problem? He shook his head as he went up to the Associationâs executive office.
âOh!â Deok-gu exclaimed as he saw him. He grinned as he patted Seo Jun-hoâs shoulder. âI just got off a call with Choi Pil-ho. I heard she made a full recovery. He was really happy.â
âHe wouldnât stop smiling.â
âThatâs great. Howâre you feeling?â
âIâm fine. My muscles are just a bit sore.â
ââŠâŠDid they give you an elixir or something?â
âThatâs what I thought, but they said they didnât.â
âYour bodyâs amazing.â The two sat down on the sofa as they talked. âThe press is a mess right now. Theyâre calling every few seconds, asking when youâll be free to give interviews.â
âInterviewsâŠâŠ? Tsk, thatâs annoying. I held a press conference not long ago.â
âThat was for Leufâs Garden, but this time, you defeated the Cinder Fox. Arenât you starting to realize how great your feats are?â
âItâs so annoyingâŠâŠâ When Shim Deok-gu saw how serious he was about it, he spoke with a wave of his hand.
âThen just ditch it. Just do what you did in the past.â
âIn the past?â
âUnless itâs really important, donât do interviews at allâŠâŠ You know, the âmysteriousâ concept.â
Seo Jun-ho considered this, then nodded.
âI wonât go all the way, but Iâll pass this time. Theyâd probably ask really basic, simple questions, and I donât want to waste my precious time.â
âAlright. Iâll take care of it.â
âThanks. Oh, andâŠâŠâ Seo Jun-ho took out the Cinder Foxâs core from his inventory. The temperature in the room suddenly shot up, and Shim Deok-gu frowned as he loosened his tie.
âHey, itâs hot. What is that?â
âThe Cinder Foxâs core.â
ââŠâŠâ
Shim Deok-gu looked between Seo Jun-ho and the core with a confused look.
âWhat? It gave you two?â
âHey, the core isnât a ramen soup packet. It only gave me one.â
(TN: Heâs saying that the core doesnât drop by accident. It sounds funnier in Korean lol)
âWhat? But Choi Pil-hoâs daughter made a full recoveryâŠâ
âI didnât use the core for that.â
Crackle.Â
As he activated the Frost skill, the temperature went down again. Shim Deok-gu looked happy as he tightened his necktie again.
âAh, thatâs nice. Youâre lucky. You can save money on your electricity bills during the summer.â
âPfft. Anyways, I cured Choi Sun-hee with the Frost skill. I absorbed all the Yin energy from the disease.â Shim Deok-gu tilted his head.
ââŠâŠIs that possible?â
âYeah, it worked. It even raised my Magic stat.â
âDamn, you really can use that skill for anything.â
Shim Deok-gu looked momentarily bored, but his eyes flashed as he realized something.
âHold on. Does that mean you can absorb items with Yin energy?â
Smart dude.Â
Seo Jun-ho grinned. Heâd been thinking the same thing. âWhy else would I mention it?â
âAha. You want me to find those items for you.â He snorted as if annoyed, but he didnât look mad.
âThanks. Thereâs a problem, though. The diseaseâs energy level was only Intermediate, and it only raised my Magic by five.â
âHm. Nine Yin Severance Syndrome is so potent that modern medicine canât even touch it⊠but itâs only Intermediate-level? That means most items wonât even trigger the message.â
âThereâs one more thing.â Shim Deok-gu raised his hands, surrendering to Seo Jun-hoâs continuous demands.
âAh, yes, yes~ Your wish is my command, Seo Jun-ho-nim.â
âI want to know if Watchguard of Darkness is able to absorb things too.â
ââŠâŠOf course. It would be good to know.â
Skills with specific attributes were rare. And Seo Jun-ho was the only player who had attribute skills that were S- and EX-rank. That meant he had no other choice but to do the research himself.
Shim Deok-gu considered this for a moment before nodding.
âAlright. Iâll look for items you can use while you go look in the Market.â Of course, he wasnât talking about the neighborhood supermarket.
He was talking about the global Player Market.