Return of the Frozen Player-Novel

“Did you say something?” asked the man as he jumped out of his seat.

Shin Sung-Hyun momentarily paused what he was doing. He had been signing documents to approve them, and the man’s question interrupted him.

Shin Sung-Hyun glanced at the man and replied, “...No, I didn’t. More importantly, didn’t I ask you not to interrupt me until I’m done approving these documents?”

“I’m sorry. I must have heard wrongly,” said the man as he quietly sat back down.

Shin Sung-Hyun sighed. The man—Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong—whom Shin Sung-Hyun considered his rival visited him out of nowhere a few hours ago.

Shin Sung-Hyun shook his head. He could still recall how shocked he was upon hearing that. Shin Sung-Hyun wanted to ask Kim Woo-Joong what the latter meant by what he said.

Shin Sung-Hyun was the Guild Master of one of the Big Five Guilds, so he always had mountains of documents to process on his desk, and his time throughout the day was even divided and managed into minutes.

When Shin Sung-Hyun finally put down his fountain pen, Kim Woo-Joong jumped up like a meerkat. “Are you done working?”

“...”

Shin Sung-Hyun wanted to tell Kim Woo-Joong that his work was never-ending, but he didn’t say that. Instead, he turned to look at the latter with a tired look and said, “Yes, but it doesn’t mean that I have time to deal with you. I have my own life, you know.”

“...I can’t really say anything because I visited you without an appointment.”

Shin Sung-Hyun sat on the couch directly opposite Kim Woo-Joong and said, “Well then. How about you explain to me what’s going on first? I don’t really understand what’s going on.”

“All right.” Kim Woo-Joong then explained everything with a serious face. Shin Sung-Hyun’s head started aching when Kim Woo-Joong was finally done with his exposition.

“To sum it all up…you fought a True Vampire on the 6th Floor, and he was very strong?”

Kim Woo-Joong nodded.

“You swung your sword as hard as you could, but your opponent directly froze your sword using space?”

Kim Woo-Joong nodded again.

“Therefore, you came to me because you thought I would be a good training partner because my ability is similar to that True Vampire. Is that right?”

Kim Woo-Joong clapped.

“That’s an excellent summary. You definitely deserve to be the Guild Master of the Goblin Guild.”

Shin Sung-Hyun checked the time.

He was about to open his mouth, but someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Ju-Ha.”

“I’m waiting for him to finish signing those documents there,” replied Kim Woo-Joong.

“Yes, but why?” Gong Ju-Ha entered the room and took a seat.

Shin Sung-Hyun spoke to Gong Ju-Ha. “Team Leader Gong.”

“Yes, Master.”

“What brings you here?”

“Let me explain.”

Gong Ju-Ha started explaining with a grim look.

When Gong Ju-Ha was finally done with her exposition, Shin Sung-Hyun covered his face with both hands.

“To sum it all up…you fought a True Vampire on the 6th Floor, and he was very strong?”

Gong Ju-Ha nodded.

“You used the strongest flames you can use, but your opponent swallowed your flames and even sent them back to you?”

Gong Ju-Ha nodded again.

“Therefore, you came to me because you thought that I may be capable of doing the same thing as what your opponent had done because our abilities are similar. Is that right?”

Gong Ju-Ha clapped.

“As expected! You’re really quick on the uptake, Master!”

“He’s also really good at making summaries,” Kim Woo-Joong added from the side.

“...” Shin Sung-Hyun felt a strong urge to kick the two of them out of the room.

Shin Sung-Hyun rubbed his temples and asked, “Who do you think I am?”

“The Conductor of Space,” Kim Woo-Joong answered.

“You’re great at manipulating space,” Gong Ju-Ha replied.

“Help me train,” said Kim Woo-Joong.

“When should we start?” asked Gong Ju-Ha.

Shin Sung-Hyun felt like smacking the two in the head when he saw how brazen they were to ask him to help him train as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He then tapped on his Vita and called Jang Kyung-Hoon.

- Yes, Master. How may I help you?

“Empty my schedule.”

- Your afternoon schedule?

“No. All of them. I have no idea when I’ll return.”

- What?! No, you can’t do that, Master! The Guild will be paralyzed without you, and—

“That’s actually weird…” In the end, Shin Sung-Hyun was a Player. He became a Player to eradicate monsters and protect the people. “I didn’t become a Player just to scribble on some documents in a room with a nice view.”

- Then, what should I do with the piled-up documents?

“I think it’s time for me to start going out there and do something. You should look for a professional assistant, or you can even do it yourself.”

With that, Shin Sung-Hyun ended the call. He then got up from his seat and removed his tie, which was starting to make him feel suffocated for some reason.

“Follow me, unwelcome guests. I will show you the terrors of space.”

***

Mone was fanning him using a big leaf.

“Are you okay?”

He slapped his head a few times before asking, “What am I doing here?”

“My father hit you once, and you passed out.”

“...”

Hearing that, Rahmadat finally remembered what happened. He could have never imagined that requesting to see a werewolf’s emancipation was the same as asking them for a duel.

Rahmadat felt a shiver down his spine upon recalling the terrible energy that Arnold had emitted back then.

“Does he get even stronger than that at night?” Rahmadat asked.

“Yes—especially during a full moon,” Mone answered.

“So you weren’t lying…”

It seemed that Mone’s remark about how Arnold was stronger than True Vampire Ghost beneath the moonlight was true. Rahmadat didn’t believe her in the beginning, but now, he had no choice but to acknowledge it.

Arnold was incredibly strong.

“...Are you alright? Is your head okay?”

Mone was concerned to see Rahmadat laughing for no reason.

“I’m perfectly fine. Actually, I’d like to ask for some guidance.”

“No.” Rahmadat grinned. “I want to fight Arnold again.”

***

“...It is courageous to challenge a being you can overcome.”

However, it was impudence to challenge an insurmountable being without any preparations.

Arnold frowned at Rahmadat. In Arnold’s eyes, the latter definitely looked like he hadn’t prepared anything at all.

“Go back. I think highly of your resiliency, but you are not ready just yet.”

“Hey, it’s not too late to judge me after we have properly confronted each other.”

“This sounds a bit petty, but yes—I simply let my guard down.”

Arnold glanced at someone else, and a man strode out.

Rahmadat didn’t even spare the man a glance as he said to Arnold, “I already fought you once, so I already know how strong you are. I’m planning on fighting you with all my might this time, so you might get a bit hurt in the fight. Will that be fine?”

“...The taste of my toenails will bring that arrogant bastard to his senses. For the wolves!”

Ballack thumped his own chest twice and glared at Rahmadat.

Rahmadat turned to look at Ballack and asked, “The energy you’re using is definitely not magic. What is it?”

“You’re arrogant enough to fight a werewolf without knowing what Lunar Force is?”

“Look at me, you idiot,” Ballack said derisively, “How dare you look the other way when there’s a werewolf in front of you!”

With that being said, Ballack rushed at Rahmadat.

Humans couldn’t possibly react to Ballack’s speed.

Arnold was about to sigh in disappointment.

However, his train of thought was interrupted by a loud bang.

“...Tandav.”

Ballack flew and was buried into the stone wall on the other side of the training hall. He had flown three times faster than the speed he used to rush at Rahmadat.

“...”

Rahmadat’s brief disappearance meant that he had momentarily become light itself.

“So? Was that enough proof?” Rahmadat asked.

“What was your name again?”

“Rahmadat Khali.”

“All right, Rahmadat. You have proven your brilliance.” Arnold glanced at the other werewolves. “Enough training for today, and everyone should leave the training hall right now.”

“Yes, Chief!”

The werewolves carried Ballack away and disappeared.

Once the other werewolves were gone, Arnold finally muttered, “Emancipation.”

A formidable force flowed out of Arnold as he was quickly enveloped in gray fur.

The presence of someone more powerful than him made Rahmadat’s skin tingle.

Arnold stared at Rahamdat.

“Rahmadat. What is it that you want to gain from challenging me?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I want to learn that emancipation or something to become stronger.”

“I’m sure there aren’t any humans out there who can match your prowess, so why do you want to become even stronger? Just what are you chasing?”

“What do you mean, what I’m chasing? Of course, I’m chasing strength to defeat that True Vampire and—” Rahmadat abruptly stopped speaking. Defeating that True Vampire was a short-term goal. Arnold’s question was deeper than that.

Rahmadat had never really thought about it before.

Rahmadat’s instinct was to protect them.

What he had done contained neither sublime nor heroic meanings behind them.

“...Wolf. Thank you for that good question.” Rahmadat’s eyes turned clear, and his thoughts had become firmer than ever. “I’m stupid, so I can’t really think deeply, but I will get stronger to beat the stronger and worse bastards out there…”

"For me, it’s really fun to beat evil bastards.”

“Is that so?” Arnold answered in a cold voice and slowly closed his eyes.

Arnold smiled.

They could only be made by hearts that spoke only the truth, without even a tinge of falsehood.

“What is it?”

“What you said about how there aren’t any humans out there who can match me is wrong.” Rahmadat only blinked once, but that friend of his was suddenly well ahead of them. “I’m a bit sad chasing after my friend’s back. I… want to walk side by side with him. I want to walk side by side with them.”

“It seems that I won’t be bored for a while,” Arnold muttered.

It was always fun to teach someone.