Chapter 543: Re:wind (6)

The Frost Queen found everything interesting about coming back to the past.

Her contractor was particularly interesting to her.

‘Hmm… Contractor is kind of cute right now.’

Seo Jun-Ho was glaring at the Frost Queen as if she was his arch nemesis, and his expression reminded her of a cute stray cat. However, she found him pitiful at the same time.

‘Poor Contractor. He has no idea of the path that is waiting for him in the future…’

The Frost Queen felt a sharp pain in the corner of her heart as if someone had poked her heart with a toothpick, but she clenched her tiny fists and vowed to herself.

‘I will change everything.’

She was determined to help Seo Jun-Ho walk on the right path without straying too far away from his destiny. This was the relationship between a Spirit and their contractor who shared souls.

“...What do you think? It’s actually perfect this time,” asked Seo Jun-Ho as he handed over a sword made out of ice to the Frost Queen.

“Hmm…what should I say? I kind of don’t like it. Make it again,” the Frost Queen smiled and teased Seo Jun-Ho.

“No way. Stop evaluating my skills with your feelings!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Seo Jun-Ho complained for a while, but he eventually started making another sword.

The Frost Queen’s gaze deepened at the sight.

‘Contractor. All of these times and moments will pile up one after another—I promise that all these trivial moments will come together and become your strongest asset when you are in need of help the most.’ Of course, the Frost Queen wasn’t just making fun of her innocent and young contractor. ‘I’m not lying.’

***

Time flew, and the moment that the Frost Queen had been waiting for finally arrived on the 2nd Floor.

“I brought your favorite tea for you. I bought this cake from the most famous bakery around here. Do you want to eat?”

The Frost Queen looked at the strawberry shortcake and freshly brewed black tea. The Frost Queen assumed that the cake and tea had Spirit Crystal shavings mixed into them.

‘You have no idea how badly I wanted to eat this..!’

The Frost Queen almost nodded in agreement when Seo Jun-Ho told her to eat a Spirit Crystal yesterday. However, she held back. She couldn’t risk changing the future by not being able to hold back her appetite.

‘I overcame the temptation for this moment.’

“...W-what’s wrong? Does it taste bad?” Seo Jun-Ho asked.

The Frost Queen furiously shook her head while eating the cake.

“No, it’s super delicious!” she exclaimed.

The Frost Queen emptied the plate and the cup in a heartbeat, and then she closed her eyes with the fork still in her mouth.

‘Ahem. Come to think of it, I need to focus on my growth as well, not just on Contractor’s growth. I should keep eating Spirit Crystals for my development so that I can be of greater help to Contractor in the future.’

With that thought in mind, the Frost Queen raised her hand.

“Contractor, give me another slice! I want another cup of tea as well!”

Of course, the Frost Queen wasn’t just asking for more Spirit Crystal shavings because she wanted to eat more.

‘This is really for Contractor’s sake…!’

***

A long time passed, and Seo Jun-Ho was finally on the 4th Floor.

[Congratulations! You have defeated the Another World Area Boss Monster, Erebo.]

[You have received the title ‘One Who Perseveres’.]

‘Hm. It’s four years earlier...’ The Frost Queen was concerned. She had no idea how much impact this would have in the future. ‘But it won’t be that long until we find out just how this change will impact the future...’

The Frost Queen smiled. She decided to enjoy the moment for now.

“Well done, Contractor.”

“I-is it really over?”

“It is. It really is over. You have defeated Erebo.”

The scenery peeled away, and the World Tree appeared to express her sincere gratitude.

- May nature bless both of your futures.

Eventually, it was time for them to leave.

“...” However, the Frost Queen stood still, hesitating.

Seo Jun-Ho poked her and asked, “Let’s go, Frost. What are you doing standing there?”

“Oh, um… well…”

‘This isn’t right. He’s supposed to receive the World Tree’s arrangement here.’

The Frost Queen’s expression was complicated as she asked, “Hey, big tree. Did you forget something by any chance?”

- Pardon me?

The World Tree contemplated for a while, but she soon shook her skinny branches.

- No… I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything.

“Come on. Think harder. You know, perhaps some sort of an arrangement for the future…”

- Oh!

The World Tree exclaimed and chuckled.

- Yes, I do remember an arrangement.

“See? I told you so.”

-Yes. In fact, I had an arrangement for Player Specter while he was clearing the 4th Floor.

‘That’s right. It’s only right that she prepares something for Contractor…’’ The Frost Queen nodded in satisfaction. However, her joy soon turned into shock.

- But I decided not to give it to him after much consideration…

“...Huh?” The Frost Queen blinked and asked, “W-why did you come up with such a bad idea?”

- Because Player Specter already has you next to him…

The World Tree’s warm voice tickled Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen’s ears.

- Seeing the two of you relying on each other, caring for each other, and trusting each other was a heartwarming sight.

Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen were companions, and their souls were tied together.

The World Tree’s mind changed upon witnessing the strength of their bond.

-...I don’t know why, but it suddenly occurred to me that the relationship between you two would change significantly if I gave Player Specter what I had prepared for him.

Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen’s relationship convinced the World Tree that the two would accomplish something great one day, which would be greater than what Seo Jun-Ho would achieve with her arrangement.

- I’m sure the two of you will get through any difficulties just fine, even without it

“...But you might be wrong… Just give it to him.”

- Nope. I’ve already gotten rid of it.

The Frost Queen’s ears drooped at the World Tree’s firm answer.

‘W-we’re doomed.’

In the end, Seo Jun-Ho didn’t receive the final page of his diary.

‘Is this the butterfly effect of clearing the 4th Floor four years early? B-but it’s too big to be called a butterfly…!’ The Frost Queen’s face turned pale as she inwardly panicked.

However, Seo Jun-Ho only smiled as he gazed at the Frost Queen’s pallid face.

“What are you so afraid of?”

“...You have no idea.”

“Sure, but there’s something you need to know...”

Pat, pat.

Seo Jun-Ho’s hand patted the Frost Queen’s head.

“I’m confident that I can overcome even worse enemies than Erebo as long as I have you with me.”

“...Hmph. Let’s see how long your confidence will last…!”

‘How arrogant. I had no idea that I had such a cheeky Contractor.’

‘...’

The Frost Queen grumbled inwardly, but she couldn’t hide her smile. She was overjoyed to know that Seo Jun-Ho trusted her so much.

***

Time flew by, and the duo consistently encountered adversity after adversity, but they faced them without retreating. They overcame hardship after hardship until they finally got to the 7th Floor.

“Contractor!” shouted the Frost Queen. She had been keeping an eye out the window.

“The knights are coming; hurry up!”

“...”

The duo was currently at the Radio Tower on the 7th Floor.

Of course, they were here to bring the Radio Tower down.

‘And we have one more goal...

’

Boom!

The Frost Queen moved quickly when the Radio Tower collapsed.

“Ugh! Come on!” She dug furiously into the debris with shining eyes.

‘Found it!’

The Frost Queen opened the luxurious golden box that she had just found buried in the debris, revealing a white cassock that gave off a pure and sacred aura. The Frost Queen tilted her head in curiosity.

‘This is a holy relic?’

Seo Jun-Ho had told the Frost Queen about the relics that the 7th Floor Administrator, Helic, had told him about in his dream.

~

- We had no idea, but the Radio Tower was created using the power of a holy relic.

~

The Frost Queen had no idea how to make use of the item in her hand, but she decided to keep it with her just in case, since she had been unable to acquire it in her previous regressions.

‘The Overminds would just take it away and make use of it if I were to leave it here.’

The Frost Queen wrapped the holy relic with her clothes and left the Radio Tower.

***

On the same night, the Frost Queen had a dream.

“Where am I?” The Frost Queen found herself on the floating island where Seo Jun-Ho apparently met Helic in his dream.

‘Why am I here? Did the future change again?’

Thud!

The Frost Queen heard footsteps behind her, prompting her to turn around.

“...”

The Frost Queen’s eyes met with the woman in a black suit standing at the top stairs.

The Frost Queen presumed that the woman was Helic—the 7th Floor Administrator.

‘She gives off a different vibe from what I heard from Contractor. I thought he said that she seemed sassy.’

The Frost Queen could still remember Seo Jun-Ho saying that Helic seemed to have been looking at him with contempt. However, the Helic that was standing in front of the Frost Queen didn’t seem to be looking at her with contempt.

“Frost Queen,” muttered Helic while staring at the Frost Queen with longing.

“Do you know me?”

Helic shook her head.

“You seem to know me, but I have no idea who you are,” the Frost Queen said.

“My name is Helic. I’m the Sun God, the Administrator of the 7th Floor, and…” Helic trailed off. She walked down the stairs and smiled softly. “Nevermind. That’s all you need to know for now.”

“...”

‘Hmm.’ The Frost Queen looked doubtful. She crossed her arms and said, “Well, fine. Then, let me ask—why did you wake me up, and why did you bring me here?”

“I’m not sure if you did it on purpose or not, but you did something great today.”

Snap!

Helic snapped her fingers, and the white cassock that the Frost Queen had put away into Seo Jun-Ho’s Inventory appeared in mid-air.

“This is called the Holy Garment Nike, it’s one of the Sun God’s holy relics, and it’s used to carry the voices of angels to the people,” explained Helic. However, the Babella Empire seized the Nike and turned it into a key component of their Radio Tower.

“I’ve recovered a bit of my authority as the Administrator because you recovered one of my holy relics.”

“Holy relics? Authority? What are you talking about?” asked the Frost Queen. She made sure to look like she truly had no idea what Helic was talking about.

“...I am both resentful and ashamed to admit this, but I have lost most of my authority as the Administrator of this Floor,” Helic said.

“Oh, my…”

“The other holy relics of the Sun God were taken away as well; it wasn’t just the Nike,” added Helic.

“I see. So you’re saying that I retrieved one of your holy relics today?” asked the Frost Queen.

Helic nodded. “Exactly. If the remaining holy relics are retrieved, I will be able to help the players with my authority as the Administrator.”

In other words, Helic was asking the Frost Queen to destroy the facilities that the empire had created using the Sun God’s holy relics and retrieve the holy relics. It was the same offer that Contractor had received back then.

“Help, huh…? Then, what will you do for me in exchange if I bring the remaining two holy relics to you?”

“...” Helic lowered her head and smiled slightly. She had never mentioned that she had a total of three holy relics.

“Is it her nature to be so bad at lying?” Helic muttered.

“What did you say? I couldn’t hear you…”

‘She knows information that I haven’t told her yet…’

There was only one reason why the Frost Queen was aware of things that she was supposed to be unaware of. Helic handed over a map to the Frost Queen and asked, “So, how do you find your regressions so far?”

“Eh, it’s okay. It was fun in the beginning, but my head has been aching recently, and… wait! What?!” the Frost Queen exclaimed. She looked at Helic with a startled look while still holding the map that Helic had handed her.

“Hmmm.” Helic crossed her arms and stared at the Frost Queen, and her eyes shone sharply as if she were a cat that had just spotted its prey. “It seems that you and I have to talk.”