Return of the Frozen Player

Chapter 363. How That Man Became Powerful (1)

Keen Intuition was like a highly cautious stray cat. Sometimes, he wouldn’t reply when Seo Jun-Ho called, but he would take the initiative to speak sometimes.

‘Are you sleeping? If you’re not, just answer me. I…I’m going to wait until you answer me.’

- Don’t say something so creepy.

Keen Intuition replied, sounding frustrated. His voice was layered with annoyance.

- Partner, are you trying to work me on something trivial again?

‘It’s not trivial! It’s important!’ Seo Jun-Ho’s life itself could change depending on what he obtained from the Administrator’s Store this time. It was a precious opportunity. ‘It’s nothing difficult. Just take a look around and pick a few for me.’

- Sigh. I will say this now: I am not a god.

‘I know.’ Even if Seo Jun-Ho bought an item that Keen Intuition picked out, he knew that it could be a miss.

‘However, I could pick a miss as well.’ As such, it was clearly more advantageous for Keen Intuition to pick the items.

- Hm. Let us begin over there.

Keen Intuition ordered in a much softer voice.

‘Yes, sir.’ Seo Jun-Ho opened his eyes and started running all over the shop with reverent steps.

Reiji watched, holding her chin up with one hand.

“Sir, what do you think of this one? No? Then I shall put it back.”

“Sir, this potion is giving off a brilliant light. Should I buy it and tell it off?”

“Hm. So you’re not sure about this one?”

“You have another idea? What is it?”

He kept picking up and putting down items, all while muttering to himself. Reiji clicked her tongue. “Has he lost his mind?”

Occasionally, there would be people like him. It wasn’t a figure of speech nor an exaggeration. There really were Players who had gone crazy after reaching their limits.

‘No, but he’s a Hero… His mind should be tough.’ Reiji looked at him suspiciously. Suddenly, Seo Jun-Ho met her eyes, making her scowl. “What are you looking at, you little shit?”

Normally, Seo Jun-Ho would have turned red and looked away, but this time, he didn’t do that. He walked up to the register with confident steps.

Reiji lifted her chin from her hand and asked, “What is it? You’re already done choosing?”

“Yes. This, please.” Seo Jun-Ho placed down a sleeping bag that completely erased one’s fatigue and cleared one’s mind whenever one slept in it.

“It’s 100,000 points. Any complaints?”

“No.” Seo Jun-Ho was down 100,000 points. But he still had 30,560,000 points left.

‘A sleeping bag? Seeing that makes me tired, too.’ Reiji couldn’t help but yawn. For the past few days, she had been working on the renovations and went to different dimensions and planets to obtain items for her Store. As such, she really hadn’t been able to get a good night’s sleep recently. ‘I’m gonna take a nap once I’ve sent him off.’

Reiji’s train of thought was interrupted by a flapping sound.

Seo Jun-Ho unfurled his sleeping bag in front of the large counter and wriggled inside, eventually looking like a caterpillar.

Reiji stared blankly at him and asked, “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to sleep.”

“Pfft!” She burst into laughter and pulled her hair up. “Why, are you tired? Do you want me to make you sleep forever?”

“No, thank you. Since I have a lot of points and there are a lot of items for me to peruse, so I want to take my time.’

“...Take your time? How much time are you talking about?”

Seo Jun-Ho met her nervous eyes and smiled mischievously. “Who knows? I’d say at least a week… Perhaps a few months if it’s going to take a long time.”

“Areyoufuckingcrazy?!” Reiji screamed. “What’s wrong with you?!”

“I’m perfectly fine. Were you just about to attack your customer?”

“Hey, it’s all because you just spouted some bullshit!”

“What’s bullshit about it?”

The Administrator’s Store had no time limits. In other words, it was all up to the visiting Player to decide how long they would stay there. “I think I have a good amount of rations in my Inventory, too. I’m going to look around for a long time—a looong time.”

“...” All Reiji could do was open and close her mouth. ‘Is this son of a bitch acting like this because he knows?’

Administrators seemed like gods to Players, but they had a number of restrictions placed on them. The Administrator’s Store also had such restrictions.

[When a customer enters, you have to focus solely on assisting them.]

The Administrator’s Store had such a restriction, but honestly, Reiji never really paid much attention to it. It was all because there should have been no lunatic who would dare to challenge her like this.

“God, my head.” Reiji was suddenly struck with a splitting headache as she gripped her head. She glared at Seo Jun-Ho lying in the sleeping bag, still looking at her with innocent eyes.

“The great World Tree told me that Administrators cannot harm Players.”

“That fucking tree—”

“Anyway, there’s no problem here, is there?”

“Do whatever you want,” Reiji said bluntly, crossing her arms.

‘I can’t let him get to me.’ She had to stay firm so that she could hammer in the fact in his brain that this kind of bullshit wouldn’t work on her. And since Seo Jun-Ho was a human, he would only screw around for a few days at most.

‘You’re cute. Look at you underestimating your noona.’

Confident, Reiji snorted. It was impressive how Seo Jun-Ho even thought of challenging her, but ultimately, she would be the winner.

That was what she thought...

***

Click click click… Fwoosh!

The magic burner energetically ignited a fire. Seo Jun-Ho placed a pot on top of it and poured in water from a water bottle. Today, he was planning to have ramen for breakfast.

“...” Reiji watched him in a daze.

However, Seo Jun-Ho seemed like he didn’t notice or cared. He looked at himself in a hand mirror, observing his stubble.

“Oh, I should shave,” he muttered.

It had already been two months since he entered the Administrator’s Store.

In the beginning, Reiji often yelled at him, asking him when he would leave. Now, she had become more subdued.

Frankly, Seo Jun-Ho had no intention of leaving because he knew that time passed much slower inside the Administrator’s Store.

- I suggested it, but you’re pretty cruel.

‘I thought this was what you wanted me to do. Unless it’s all the way, I wouldn’t have even tried doing this.’

Now that he had come all the way here, Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t stand down anymore. He wouldn’t move a single muscle until she gave him a catalog of recommended items.

“Hey…”

As soon as he cracked an egg into his ramen, Reiji spoke for the first time in a week.

“Yes, Reiji-nim.”

“You…You… Sigh.” Reiji let out a long sigh and scratched her head. “I heard that you cleared the 4th Floor.”

“I did...”

“How long did it take you to clear it?”

Slurp!

Seo Jun-Ho swallowed the chewy noodles. “Seventeen years.”

“...”

He watched as the light faded from Reiji’s eyes. Eventually, she nodded and muttered, “You fucking bastard. You should have told me that from the start.”

Thwack!

Something struck Seo Jun-Ho’s face. He picked it up. The thick book was none other than an item catalog.

“R-Reiji-nim!”

“Shut it, you lunatic! Don’t say my name!” Reiji stomped, fuming. Her dark circles sagged heavily from the lack of sleep. “Take it and get the fuck out of here in three hours! Got that?!”

“I will do my best!”

“Ugh…!” Reiji couldn’t hold back her anger, but Seo Jun-Ho had already turned his back toward her. He cleaned up his ramen and checked the catalog.

‘Let’s start with the consumables.’ His eyes flew to the list of Skill Books and skimmed the section. He didn’t particularly want a new skill right now. ‘But I have a lot of money and a lot of time.’

Reiji had told him to fuck off in three hours, he didn’t actually have to listen to her. He slowly, thoroughly read through the skills and their effects.

‘What I need the most right now…’ He needed a skill that would allow him to maximize the great number of stat points he was obtaining. Unfortunately, there was no Skill Book with such an effect.

‘What about potions and herbs, then?’ Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes flashed brightly as he skimmed through the particular category.

‘Found it.’ He quickly read through the description.

[Vermillion Fruit]

Grade: S

Effect: Upon consumption, your body will always be in peak condition. When stat points are obtained, there will be no need for adjustment.

Price: 13,000,000 PP

Thirteen million was an insane price. However, seeing the description of the item he would get in exchange, Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was fair.

‘It’s hard to put a price on it.’

He closely studied the red peach. It provided an unmatched advantage for master warriors, whose lives depended on the state of their bodies whenever they fought. On top of that, it had the effect of eliminating the adjustment period when his stats were raised, something he desperately wanted.

“Alright, I’m getting this.” Now that he had found what he wanted the most, Seo Jun-Ho continued on without a hitch.

“This, this, this, and this. This one’s pretty good, too.” He started filling his cart with consumable potions, fruits, and herbs.

‘Now that’s what you call retail therapy.’ His cart was starting to overflow, but he still had six million PP left in his wallet.

All of a sudden, Keen Intuition exclaimed.

- P-Partner!

“Yeah?”

- Over there! Take a look over there.

“Here?” Seo Jun-Ho blinked and looked down at the catalog.

[Soul Collector]

Grade: A

Effect: Collects souls.

Price: 5,800,000 PP.

It was expensive. That was the first thought he had when he saw the Skill Book. It was only A-grade, but it had a similar price as most S-grade Skills.

“This? You’re sure of it?”

- I am getting the feeling that this is what you need right now.

“Huh?” Seo Jun-Ho tilted his head.

Keen Intuition had the exact same personality as him. As such, Keen Intuition usually didn’t speak in absolutes.

‘But he’s being so insistent…’ This meant Keen Intuition was just that confident.

“Okay. This will be the last one, then.”

His economical shopping trip came to an end. He approached the counter and saw Reiji nodding off.

“You’re getting everything in your cart, right?”

“Yes, please.”

“If you ask for a return, refund, or exchange after this, I’m gonna kill you for real.”

“Yes, please.”

The amount of PP he had in possession made him feel like a billionaire, but now it all came pouring out. Just as he started to feel regret, the items he had just bought flooded his Inventory.

“Have a good day.”

“Hey, you. I won’t forget this.” There was deep, deep hatred in Reiji’s two eyes. Such was the price of making her an enemy when all she liked to do was relax and rest.

‘This isn’t good.’ Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t let this bridge burn here. As such, he hurriedly opened his mouth.

“I don’t want to be misunderstood. You know why I did all this, right?”

“What?” Reiji squinted with suspicion. “What bullshit are you talking about?”

“Oh… You didn’t know? I did all this so that I could clear the Floors as fast as possible. I desperately want to rest as well, and I’m only holding on right now thanks to my incredible willpower.” Seo Jun-Ho sighed. “You told me last time that you’d help me so long as I can make you retire as soon as possible.”

“You crazy bastard. You delayed my retirement by two months. Do you really think I’d believe you?”

“In exchange for those two months, I will climb the Floors completely within twenty years.”

Reiji’s ears perked up, overcoming her apathy. She thought for a moment. Her arms were crossed like a deadbolt, but she unfolded them.

“...Twenty years? Are you sure?”

“I’m Specter. The same Specter who has already cleared the 4th Floor.”

“Hm.” Indeed, Specter led the humans up to the 5th Floor after being stuck on the 2nd Floor until his return.

‘I suppose he’s pretty fast.’ The reason Reiji had supported him so earnestly from the beginning was that she had seen that spark of potential.

Just as she started to feel convinced, Seo Jun-Ho put on a sad face. “To be honest, I’m a little hurt. I thought we were on the same page, but you confiscated my PP and didn’t give me any hints about the items. I thought you wanted the Floors to be cleared as fast as possible.”

“Come on, I do. But my hands are tied. Administrators have more restrictions than you think…”

Seo Jun-Ho sulked as he listened to her clumsy excuse. “Then, you’re going to help me for sure next time, right?”

“Well… I can’t say something like that so flippantly, or I’ll be in trouble,” she said, growing red with embarrassment. Seo Jun-Ho fixed his eyes on her without moving.

Perhaps it was because she was tired, but she felt pressured under his gaze. Eventually, she gave a very small nod.

“Sounds good.” Seo Jun-Ho held back his wide grin.

Reiji was starting to get a strange feeling, so she hurriedly waved him away and muttered, “Whatever, just fuck off now, will you?”

In an instant, his surroundings distorted. The empty shelves of the Store disappeared, and he found himself in his penthouse. He checked the time and saw that only about 13 seconds had passed.

“Ah, Contractor.”

Seo Jun-Ho smiled triumphantly at her as if he were a hero returning home.

“I’m back in business.”

***

While Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen enjoyed their reunion after their thirteen seconds of parting, Reiji started cleaning her Store so she could close for the day.

“Ugh, that little shit!”

The magic burner and the pot full of bloated strands of noodles were sprawled on the ground. She considered going to Seo Jun-Ho and giving him a proper beating as punishment, but she managed to hold herself back.

“...Twenty years. If you hadn’t promised to let me retire in twenty years, you would have been a dead man.”

As always, she burned with the desire to retire. Reiji crouched and cleaned up the dirty pot.