Chapter 501 – Maze of Exiles (1)

Chapter 501 – Maze of Exiles (1)

"...Hmm."

Seo Jun-Ho’s heavy eyelids slowly opened. It seemed that he had fallen asleep on the chair while reading a book to the Frost Queen.

A familiar voice woke him up.

"Are you awake?"

"Sorry, I fell asleep.”

He slept well for ten days, so why was he so tired?

It could also be from the Frost Queen using too much of his mental strength.

Seo Jun-Ho looked up. "How much of my mental strength did you use—”

Seo Jun-Ho stopped talking as his eyes quivered slightly.

The Frost Queen chuckled as if his shocked face was amusing to behold.

“You look funny.”

"You—what?"

The person in front of him was definitely the Frost Queen.

The problem was that she looked much too different from the Frost Queen he knew.

"Did you evolve again?"

“Can you not see it?”

A figure with inconceivable majesty stood by the bed. In the past—no, just a few days ago, the Frost Queen was cute because she looked just like a kid.

Seo Jun-Ho turned gloomy.

"Why do you keep evolving…”

"What is that reaction? Are you not glad that I have become stronger?"

"No, becoming stronger is good, but…"

Seo Jun-Ho’s heart became filled with regret, and he couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

"I should have taken more pictures..."

"Contractor, will you stop being so disgusting?"

"Oh no…"

What did she mean by disgusting? Seo Jun-Ho suddenly felt like he could finally understand the feelings of fathers with adolescent daughters.

Seo Jun-Ho remained gloomy.

At the sight, the Frost Queen sighed and said, "Wheeew. Anyway, you should get out, Contractor.”

The Frost Queen unceremoniously kicked him out.

***

“The first thing I do every morning is to grind Spirit Crystals and then sprinkle them on her cakes and meals…”

"I know… I know you worked hard. I know that more than anyone else.”

"Ha… I really worked hard to raise her…”

Pat, pat, pat.

Seo Jun-Sik patted his shoulder, which made Seo Jun-Ho feel a bit better.

“You already knew that this day would come. Frost won’t remain small forever."

“I’m not saying that she should remain small forever. Maybe for just a hundred years?”

"She has grown, but Frost is still Frost. Nothing changed."

Seo Jun-Ho thought that Seo Jun-Sik was saying that because he had no idea what kind of changes the Frost Queen had gone through this time.

Seo Jun-Ho had only talked to the Frost Queen for a brief moment, but he immediately noticed that she had matured mentally as well.

"I actually think that it’s a good thing. You will have to fight stronger enemies in the future, so she’ll be of great help because she has gotten stronger."

"I could just fight harder..."

“Ha…” sighed Seo Jun-Sik before shaking his head. The Frost Queen’s sudden evolution was shocking, but it was annoying how Seo Jun-Ho kept on complaining.

'What is this? Is this like the law of mental age exchange?’

The other became a bit more mature, while the other became a bit more like a child.

In the end, Seo Jun-Sik could only change the topic. "How did it go?”

"What do you mean?"

"You went to dreamland after absorbing the nucleus. I'm asking if you absorbed it properly.”

"Ah." Seo Jun-Ho looked sad, but he still nodded and replied. "Well, more or less."

~

[Wheel of Time]

Grade: S

Effect: You can exert influence over time.

~

Seo Jun-Sik repeatedly blinked at the system window in front of Seo Jun-Ho.

"Exert influence over time? What does that mean?"

"How would I know?"

Seo Jun-Ho had been planning on researching Wheel of Time (S) after absorbing it, but he completely forgot about it after hearing that the Frost Queen had collapsed. Right now, Seo Jun-Ho was seriously considering taking his time to research the skill in depth.

“If I manage to become good enough at wielding this skill, does that mean I can reverse Frost’s evolution?”

"You talk like a crazy scientist.” Seo Jun-Sik clicked his tongue and said, "Anyway, just use it. I’m curious about what it means to exert influence over time.”

"Hmm. Wait a minute."

Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes and focused.

One by one, details about the skill came to his mind.

‘Hm, it's vague.’

The Wheel of Time allowed him to exert influence over time.

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The problem was the length...

"It's like a buffet."

"Hoh, that sounds great. Explain."

"There are lots of food, but once you’ve placed everything you wanted on the plate, they aren’t appetizing anymore.”

It should be possible for him to turn back time and even fast-forward it using Wheel of Time (S). He hadn’t tried it yet, but Seo Jun-Ho was sure that he would be able to use it as proficiently as Tepes.

"Isn't that totally awesome?"

"The length of time I can manipulate at the moment isn’t that long..”

Right now, Seo Jun-Ho could only manipulate a moment’s worth of time. It was said that a moment was crucial in a fight between masters, but a moment was much too short.

"Let's try it for now. Let’s try it first, and then we’ll talk about it." Seo Jun-Sik clenched his fists and said, "How about I punch you?"

"Uh, go ahead."

When Seo Jun-Ho’s words fell, Seo Jun-Sik’s fist flew toward him like lightning.

'Wheel of Time.'

Creak, creak.

A golden wheel manifested in front of Seo Jun-Ho, and it turned slightly to the left.

Seo Jun-Sik's approaching fist moved in reverse as if a tape was being rewound.

Then, Seo Jun-Sik asked, “How about I punch you?”

"Bleck!" Seo Jun-Ho dry-heaved. He felt a bewildering pain that was akin to someone smashing a hammer into his torso, head, and soul. 

"Wheeew, I knew it.”

One had to sacrifice something to activate a skill, but the sacrifice to activate Wheel of Time (S) seemed a bit too much.

"Wait, what happened?” asked the confused Seo Jun-Sik.

“I turned back time for 0.3 seconds the moment you threw a punch, but it took me four seconds to recover just now.”

Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that he would have an easier time using the skill in the future as long as he used it often, but right now, it couldn’t be used in an actual battle.

Seo Jun-Sik asked, "If it’s too difficult for you to turn back time, then why don't you try seeing into the future like what Tepes could do?"

“Yeah. Let's try everything while we’re at it."

~

They spent the next few hours researching Wheel of Time (S) before reaching a conclusion.

"Time reversal limit is 0.3 seconds, the future prediction limit is 0.2 seconds, while the time stop limit is 0.1 seconds...”

"Hm. It seems that I have to train hard as well in addition to more research.”

Seo Jun-Ho wanted at least a second in all categories. A meaningful result could only be produced if he could manipulate time to that extent.

Having made up his mind, Seo Jun-Ho turned to look at Seo Jun-Sik and said, "I think it’ll be a bit overwhelming by myself."

"Tsk, it can’t be helped. Recall me."

Seo Jun-Ho recalled Seo Jun-Sik to update the latter’s memory before summoning him again.

Seo Jun-Sik nodded upon being summoned. "I see, so this how you use it. It seems that it’ll take some time to master."

"It should be faster if we do it together."

It meant that the skill proficiency would increase if the two of them trained at the same time.

Seo Jun-Sik stared intently at Seo Jun-Ho, obviously asking for something in exchange.

"Okay, I'll give you a meal coupon.”

"No, I don’t want that."

After being deceived, Seo Jun-Sik wanted something else.

"You can’t cancel my meals on a whim."

“Fine…”

The Frost Queen and Seo Jun-Sik.

It seemed that he soon wouldn’t be able to rein them in with food anymore.

***

"Rewind,” muttered Seo Jun-Ho. He groaned once the time was rewound, but he quickly pulled himself together and reached out.

Grab!

"Ah!"

Seo Jun-Ho grabbed Seo Jun-Sik's arm and flipped him upside down.

"Ugh, you saw through me."

Seo Jun-Sik wobbled back up and asked, "How's it? Is it usable now?"

“I don’t know…”

It had already been fifteen days since the Frost Queen became a High Spirit or, in her words—a Grade 4 Arch Spirit. The Frost Queen had also locked herself in a training room, saying that she would train in her own way.

Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho and Seo Jun-Sik had been working together to practice Wheel of Time (S).

"I think I can turn back time for a second now, but... it’s hard."

The Black Moon Heart Method resolved the magic consumption issue, but the mental strength and power consumption were too great.

Most importantly, Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that it would take him a long time to adapt to the information overload that always greeted him whenever he turned back time.

"I think it’ll be better if we strive to acquire a related resistance through Cell Regeneration, but why is it not happening?"

“My soul feels like it’s trembling every time I go back in time, and souls don’t have cells, so I don’t think we can build a resistance to it through Cell Regeneration.”

"If you put it that way, then your Death Resistance doesn't make sense.”

“Well, dying involves the body more than the soul, doesn’t it?”

It seemed to be the case. Anyway, the good thing was that raising the skill proficiency of the Wheel of Time (S) wasn’t that difficult. The rate of growth was fast as well.

"Deus Ex Machina was right. Right now, I think it’s not as powerful as it should have been if I had just absorbed it for seventeen years.”

However, Seo Jun-Ho was convinced that the skill would rapidly become even stronger as long as he raised his skill proficiency. It was proven by the fact that he had grown to this extent in just fifteen days of training.

"I would like to train with you for even a few months, Original, but... I don’t think we can do that, am I right?”

"You’re right."

This morning, a system message appeared in front of every Player's eyes.

~

[The 7th Floor, Maze of Exiles, has opened.]

[Players, please stay strong until the final floor.]

~

The 7th Floor was finally reopened.

"But the Floor’s name has changed..."

Seo Jun-Ho was sure that the 7th Floor was previously called Adonia.

Now, it was called Maze of Exiles.

The name was suspicious as well.

"Earth, Frontier, Balbortan, Another World, Neo City, and Trium."

From what he had seen so far, the name of each Floor was the name of that world, or at least it was the name of a city in that world. This time; however, the word maze was included in the Floor name.

Seo Jun-Ho was uncomfortable about it.

"Don't worry about it too much. The maze might be bigger than we can imagine.”

“Well, I hope that’s the case…”

Right now, Seo Jun-Ho felt like there was something wrong.

"Well, I'll find out when I go."

Before going down to Earth, Seo Jun-Ho decided to say goodbye to Yeon.

Wisoso came to see him as well.

"Hero Seo."

"Yes, Soso?"

Wisoso proceeded to hand over the bag on her shoulder.

"Take these; these are for you.”

"For me? Who sent these?”

"The Overflow Merchants."

At that, Seo Jun-Ho instantly saw through what it contained.

He nodded and checked the list of items.

"As expected, most of them are items that will boost a Spirit’s power.”

"Then, those are for me."

The Frost Queen took the bag and smiled in joy. After evolving once more, the Frost Queen now looked like a girl in her late teenage years.

"Wait." Seo Jun-Ho took the bag from the Frost Queen and rummaged through the items inside of it. He smiled upon finding a small bottle of medicine. “This isn’t for you.”

"What is that?"

"It’s something."

The tiny bottle of medicine contained every man’s dreams.

***

More than a hundred Players had gathered in the briefing room of the Korean Player Association. There were familiar faces, but there were also faces that Seo Jun-Ho had never seen before.

“Let me explain the situation before we start,” said Shim Deok-Gu. He seemed to have become even more charismatic.

Shim Deok-Gu proceeded to put up a holographic slide in the air.

"First of all, the advance party system, which was first introduced on Trium, was finally adopted as a formal system in recognition of its excellent performance. I believe that I don’t have to say what happened, but the advance party system is why you’re here.”

The Players nodded. The previous advance party was too small, so they were planning on increasing the number of advance party members from the 7th Floor onwards.

"Your goal is simple."

The purpose of the investigation team itself had not changed much from the sixth floor.

"Collect as much information as you can about the new Floor. Find out clues about the Floor Master. Finally, if there is civilization on the Floor, find out if there is an intelligent authority that we can establish communications with."

A Player raised his hand and asked, “What should we do if we encounter an alleged enemy?”

"Should we kill them and hide their corpse?"

"No. Run away. You should never forget that survival is the top priority of the advance party."

"Hoh." In other words, there was no need for them to go out of their way to fight.

The revelation made a few Players happy.

“The investigation length will be a week. However, if you think that you cannot continue your mission in the meantime, then you can come back anytime. A 24-hour rescue team will keep tabs on the elevator."

"Nice."

The mission itself wasn’t too difficult, and the members were the cream of the crop.

The elites of the Big Five, a few Heavens, and the 5 Heroes would go up the Floor together. Aside from those who had to protect Earth, this was the strongest team that Earth could possibly muster.

‘I can't believe that I’ll be working with the Heroes I've only ever seen in books.’

‘I’m sure this will be a part of history textbooks in the future…’

Everyone’s eyes shone, and they were clearly excited about the upcoming mission.

Shim Deok-Gu wordlessly swept his gaze across everyone and nodded before saying, "The day after tomorrow at seven in the morning, all of you will climb up the 7th Floor—Maze of Exiles."