Return of the Frozen Player

Seo Jun-Ho came out to see Seo Jun-Sik off. He couldn’t help but warn once more. “I’m telling you, don’t cause trouble. Seriously, this is the seventh time I’ve told you, but you better not cause trouble.”

"Ah, I understand! What are you, my mom?! Stop nagging..."

"I’m not your mom, but I can be considered your older brother."

Seo Jun-Sik snorted and chuckled. "I'm your clone, you know? What are you talking about?”

"Think about it. It has only been—Anyway, it has been a while, but you're only two years old."

"Is that how it works?" Seo Jun-Sik stared wide-eyed at Seo Jun-Ho. He tilted his head, and the latter’s words did make sense.

"Anyway, never open your mouth while you’re walking. If you're not confident that you can do that, how about I wear a muzzle?”

"Ah, this is annoying. I don't need anything," Seo Jun-Sik walked out of the great hall and grumbled, "I hate this shitty home!”

Seo Jun-Ho was already worried while staring at Seo Jun-Sik’s back.

"Contractor, you look worried. Why don't you follow him secretly?"

"No, I believe in Jun-Sik.”

Seo Jun-Sik was his clone, so he should be able to do it right…

"We also have a lot of work to do, so…”

The World Tree said that the Emperor of the 5th Floor had a unique authority.

"We need to find out what authority she was talking about.”

Seo Jun-Ho opened the city management window and started looking through the stored items.

***

While Seo Jun-Ho was busy with his investigation, a parade was taking place on the streets of Neo City.

- Thump ♩ Ppiriri ♬

The energetic tones of drums and flutes could be heard as a huge palanquin being carried by robots passed through the streets. Seo Jun-Sik was sitting in the palanquin with a displeased look.

He looked down at the street and grumbled, "What is this? An amusement park?"

On the street, they sold churros and cotton candy, as well as animal ear headbands. And there was an endless crowd who came out to see him.

Hawkers were selling churros and cotton candy on the street, along with animal ear headbands. The crowd was endless, and it seemed that the entirety of Neo City had come here to see Seo Jun-Sik.

"Specter-nim, over here!”

"Look this way!"

"Smile! Smile!"

"Haaa…" Seo Jun-Sik didn’t know what to say. The scene was so shocking that it dumbfounded him. Still, the camera flashes continued as if they were ignorant of his feelings.

"Well, let's move on to the next point. Let's take it from the left this time.”

"Yes!"

The members of Specter’s fan club moved as a group as if they were on a tourist tour.

‘They really like him…’

‘If only they know that Original is a cold-blooded individual who never sheds tears or blood. Even worse, he never complies with labor laws…’

Seo Jun-Sik turned slightly.

"Wow! I made eye contact with His Majesty the Emperor...”

"I-It’s my first time seeing His Majesty, too!"

The children were excited to see His Majesty the Emperor for the first time, and they kept on following the palanquin. The children were so cute that Seo Jun-Sik couldn’t help but smile faintly and pay more attention to them.

That was when he heard their conversation.

"My mother said His Majesty can do anything!"

"That's right. They said His Majesty can make it rain or snow!"

"Really? But why can't His Majesty get rid of the gas outside the city?”

The child’s question contained no malice.

‘Well, the emperor’s rule is only limited to the city...’ thought Seo Jun-Sik. However, his expression quickly turned stiff. ‘Wait, but why is the scope of the emperor’s rule only limited to Neo City?’

He could only manipulate the settings of the city. Seo Jun-Sik thought about it casually, but he felt that there was something more to it.

"C’mere."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Give those children lots of food as a gift, and turn the palanquin around. We’ll return to the palace."

Seo Jun-Ho sighed. Seo Jun-Sik canceled the scheduled parade and returned early.

“What’s the issue? Why did you stop the parade without consulting me—” Seo Jun-Ho abruptly stopped talking. Seo Jun-Sik’s expression was pensive, and it seemed that he was pondering something serious. Seo Jun-Sik’s usual playful demeanor was missing.

"What? What happened? Did someone bully you? Do you want me to scold them?"

"Don’t be ridiculous. Do you really think that someone can bully me?”

Seo Jun-Sik gave a quick summary of his thoughts during the parade.

“Isn’t it strange? Original, if the Administrator of the 5th Floor is the Emperor of Neo City, then why is it that your power is only applicable to the city rather than to the entire Floor?”

"That’s—Mmhm, that’s true."

In other words, he was the Administrator of Neo City rather than the Administrator of the 5th Floor.

Seo Jun-Ho’s expression turned serious as he said, "In other words, you’re saying that the 5th Floor has an actual Administrator?”

"That's right. Actually, no one told us that we’re the 5th Floor’s Administrator.”

"That's true."

It was just their assumption.

The Neo City Area was the 5th Floor, and he was the Emperor and Administrator of Neo City. In other words, he was the Administrator of the 5th Floor as well.

“It was a syllogistic fallacy..."

"That's it!"

The premise that they had been taking for granted collapsed, and they finally saw a brand-new fact.

"So there’s another Administrator on the 5th Floor?"

"Probably. I did think it was a bit strange. After all, the Administrators we have encountered so far were transcendents.”

So how could they assign that kind of role to a Player? It was indeed strange in retrospect. Seo Jun-Ho started assembling the puzzle pieces he had acquired so far, and he suddenly remembered a particular detail.

- The emperor of the 5th Floor does not have the authority to open the Administrator’s Store, but the Frost Queen's presumption was not entirely incorrect.

- The emperor has his own unique authority.

“She fooled me…”

Seo Jun-Ho could still remember how the World Tree called him the emperor of the 5th Floor. However, she never called him Administrator.

"Ugh."

Seo Jun-Ho suddenly felt embarrassed. He couldn’t help but wonder what thoughts were going through the World Tree’s head while she was staring at a Player who seemed confident that he was an Administrator in front of the real Administrator.

Seo Jun-Sik’s expression turned red as well, and he couldn’t help but grumble, "Damn it, you're the one who jumped to that conclusion, so why do I have to feel ashamed as well?”

"I don’t care. Just stay quiet so I can think,” said Seo Jun-Ho as he organized his thoughts.

'In other words, I'm just the Administrator of Neo City rather than the Administrator of the 5th Floor.’

The World Tree said that he had his own unique authority.

'She even praised Frost Queen's insight…’

In other words, his own unique authority would help him absorb Tepes’ nucleus.

Finally, Seo Jun-Ho reached a conclusion.

"Wait, I have an idea, too!” Seo Jun-Sik exclaimed with bright eyes. "How about we tell each other our ideas at the same time on the count of three?"

"Do we even have to do that?" said Seo Jun-Ho with an indifferent expression. "It's simple. Doesn’t the emperor have the right to meet the Administrator of the 5th Floor?”

"Ah, yes! I was going to say the same thing!" Seo Jun-Sik exclaimed, but he seemed dissatisfied.

Seo Jun-Ho tapped his shoulder and said, "You really did a great job this time. If it hadn’t been for you, we would have suffered for a long time without any solutions."

"Uh… Huh? No, well. I think you would have done well on your own...”

They had finally arrived at a conclusion, so Seo Jun-Ho immediately opened the city setting window to look up the term.

"Call Administrator."

He was unsure if it truly existed, but there was a result after a few moments.

[Call Administrator]

"...Do you want to press this button together?"

"Well, it’s already too late for us to back out,” said Seo Jun-Ho before gently reaching out with his hand.

The two pressed the button at the same time, and their surroundings abruptly distorted.

“T-This is…”

Seo Jun-Ho found himself standing on a ground made out of steel. There was a massive void in front of him, and it seemed to be expanding infinitely.

He was staring at the universe.

The scene was so surreal that Seo Jun-Ho muttered blankly, “What is this?”

No one answered him. He looked around and saw that Seo Jun-Sik had disappeared.

In addition, he couldn’t feel any magic in his body.

It was like he was a normal human being rather than a Player.

‘Is this a trap?’

He raised his guard and looked around warily.

- Don't panic.

The mechanical sound of churning cogs could be heard as something massive loomed over Seo Jun-Ho.

Seo Jun-Ho quickly turned around, and the sight in front of him struck him with awe.

Creak, creak, creaaak…

The ground made out of steel was torn apart, and a massive humanoid figure made out of steel rose to loom over Seo Jun-Ho.

- My name is Deus Ex Machina, and I’m the God of Machines.

The giant humanoid figure made out of steel spoke loudly.

- I am the Administrator of the 5th Floor, so you do not have to be afraid.

"I’m not afraid... ” said Seo Jun-Ho.

He belatedly realized that his voice was trembling along with his body.

- This is my own world, and magic cannot exist here. Your feeling of dread is natural because you are a human being on the verge of transcension.

The steel giant lowered himself carefully.

- Now, can you tell me why you wanted to see me?

The steel giant was as huge as a skyscraper, but he was surprisingly polite.

Seo Jun-Ho thought for a while before answering, "I have a favor to ask of you, Deus-nim."

- A favor… It has been a long time since I heard such a request. What kind of favor?

“Does Deus-nim know that a Player can obtain a nucleus after getting rid of a Floor Master?”

- Of course. The nuclei are safety devices in place. They are given to Players so that the Players can continue to challenge the more difficult Floors.

The steel giant’s eyes shone blue, and he stared intently at Seo Jun-Ho.

- As far as I know, you have already absorbed a few of those nuclei.

"Yes, and I luckily obtained another nucleus,” said Seo Jun-Ho. He retrieved Tepes’ nucleus from his Inventory and showed it to Deus.

Deus nodded.

- It seems that the nucleus of that vampire fell into your hands.

"Yes, but it says that it will take me seventeen years to absorb it. I think there’s something wrong with it."

- Specter, there is nothing wrong with the system’s description. The Floors were created in a way that Players would need hundreds of years to clear them.

"Hundreds of years…?”

It was a ridiculously long time. If Deus wasn’t lying, then their clear speed was abnormally fast. After all, they had already cleared the 6th Floor in just twenty-eight years.

- Seven years…

Deus looked at Seo Jun-Ho.

- The Players cleared the 6th Floor in just seven years after you stepped up.

"That is an overestimation. It is too much to say that it is entirely due to my ability…”

- You are indeed humble. However, think about it—what happened while you were gone? What happened in those twenty-five years?

“…”

The Players couldn’t clear even a single Floor while he was gone. Reiji was considerate enough to allow them access to the 3rd Floor, but they couldn’t even find Janabi, not to mention kill him.

- I have already heard about what happened between you and the Administrator of the 2nd Floor. I heard you absorbed a nucleus in her store. Perhaps the favor you’re asking is similar to that.

Seo Jun-Ho didn't find it strange that Deus knew about it.

Now that he thought about it, Reiji got punished and was sent to the Hole of Repentance after she had allowed him to absorb the nucleus in the Administrator’s Store.

With that thought in mind, Seo Jun-Ho realized that the other Administrators probably wouldn’t help him do the same.

‘I got too impatient… I should have thought about it more.’

Was it too much of a favor to ask?

Seo Jun-Ho's face darkened.

The steel giant closed his eyes and agonized.

- Hm, If you do me a favor first, I am also willing to do you a favor.

"Are you sure?"

- I swear on my existence.

An Oath of Existence. The Frost Queen had done the same.

If the oath were violated, the oath-taker’s existence would disappear.

'And the oath-taker is a transcendent being...’

Seo Jun-Ho had every reason to trust Deus. In addition, Deus wouldn’t really gain anything from lying to him.

"All right. What kind of favor can I do for you?"

- Can I get a closer look into what kind of person you are?

"Will this be some kind of psychological counseling?"

- Similar, but it is much more sophisticated. I will look deep into your heart.

Seo Jun-Ho contemplated for a moment before nodding.

"All right. What should I do?"

- You just have to stay still.

‘Oh, that line, I think I heard that before...’

- Let's get started.

Hundreds of iron wires flowed like a river from Deus and headed for Seo Jun-Ho.

- Please... Prove it to me.

'Prove what?’

Seo Jun-Ho wanted to ask, but the iron wires penetrated him.

At the same time, his consciousness was sent somewhere else.