Chapter 3. 25 Years Later (2)

They started talking around lunch and continued until Seoul was brightly lit up by the neon lights. Feeling hungry after talking and gossiping for seven hours, Shim Deok-Gu checked the time and spoke. “Wow, it’s already this late. Aren’t you hungry? Wanna grab something to eat?”

After debating for a moment, Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. “I’m fine. Rather than that, I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor? What is it?” Deok-Gu asked.

“I heard that the Seoul History Museum is super famous,” Seo Jun-Ho said.

“.....”

He meant that he wanted to go visit. Shim Deok-Gu knew why.

‘This rascal, he misses his teammates.’

Actually, he knew that Seo Jun-Ho would ask about it. He already made preparations beforehand. Even though he acted aloof, he treasured his friends as much as himself.

Slide

Shim Deok-Gu pulled out a bracelet and placed it on the bed.

Seo Jun-Ho blinked. “Wow, technology sure has come a long way. Is this the famous Seoul History Museum?”

“Very funny. This is Vita. It’s similar to a computer. Live interpretation, calling, internet, maps, payment...You can basically do everything with it.”

“Interesting. So why are you giving this to me?” Seo Jun-Ho asked while wrapping it around his wrist.

Shim Deok-Gu grinned. “I’m going down to the first floor by the stairs. Reporters, politicians, and players are crowding the area so it’s highly likely that it’ll be bothersome for you if you come out with me.”

“You can just tell me to take the elevator. Why make it so complicated?” Seo Jun-Ho frowned.

“Ahem. You can make most payments with Vita, but use this if you need cash.” Deok-Gu pulled out a big stack of bills.

“Hey, this feels kind of weird. I feel like I’m getting allowance from an old man.”

“Shut up. If you go to the back of the museum, there’s a door with restricted access.”

“What’s the password?”

“I registered your iris.”

“Hoo, you’ve gotten better at these things.”

“It’s been 25 years. I wouldn’t be the president if I didn’t improve.”

Seo Jun-Ho looked at his friend with a new light.

“Come back to the hospital when you’re done. The doctors want to monitor your condition for a while,” Deok-Gu said.

“Your wish is my command.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Deok-Gu bid his goodbye.

“Alright.”

Shim Deok-Gu stood up to leave. But before he stepped out, he looked back three times.

“Why do you keep looking back?” Seo Jun-Ho asked with a frown.

“...Just. I still can’t believe that you’re back.”

“You’ve gotten weirder with age. Hurry up and leave,” he urged.

“Haha.” Deok-Gu left the room while laughing as Seo Jun-Ho threw a pillow at him.

“I should get ready too.”

He pulled off his patient gown and pulled on his clothes, which had been cleaned. There wasn’t a huge difference in fashion now that he was in 2049.

“That’s a relief. I was worried that tights or something like that would become popular.”

Well, it was obvious from looking at both Deok-Gu’s clean suit and the doctors’ gowns that not much had changed. He left his room and got on the elevator to the first floor.

Seo Jun-Ho left his hospital room and quickly made his way down to the 1st floor using the elevator.

He saw Deok-Gu surrounded by a huge crowd by the stairs.

Click! Click!

“How is Specter’s health?”

“Is there anything wrong with him?”

“Was it really Specter?”

“Keeping his identity secret is an abuse of power by the Player Association! The world has a right to know!”

“When will you be holding a press conference?”

Shim Deok-Gu answered calmly, not looking the least bit nervous. The look on his face was familiar as he answered questions with confidence. He really was a good president.

“You rascal. Good job.”

Seo Jun-Ho left the hospital with a small smile on his face.

***

There were numerous taxis at the station in front of the hospital, but their driver’s seats were empty.

“What? Did they all go out for dinner?” Seo Jun-Ho crouched by the sidewalk, waiting for the drivers to return.

A moment later, a sweating businessman ran forward. “Jeez, I have so much to do.”

He took a seat in one of the empty taxis. Then, it took off.

“Huh? I’m sure there wasn’t anyone in the driver’s seat in that taxi just now.”

Watching the taxi drive off, Seo Jun-Ho inched toward another. He carefully opened the door and took a seat. As soon as he did, an automated voice spoke.

—Please choose your destination.

“Seoul History Museum.”

—Departing.

The taxi started to move.

“Woah! This is great! I really feel like I’m in the future now.”

As he looked around with an amazed expression, he spotted a small pamphlet.

[After the self-driving taxi was commercialized 18 years ago, the rate of traffic accidents has dropped to 0%...]

“0%? Wow, this world is amazing." The car was comfortable to ride in too. Feeling better, Seo Jun-Ho opened the window as he smiled. The cool wind felt good on his face, and he took in the sights of Seoul’s nightscape.

The time was 8:20 PM. The streets were filled with office workers in suits and young college students.

A street filled with these people had been a rare sight when the gates appeared.

‘Back then, we never knew when gates or monsters would show up.’

He felt proud as he watched the streets, and the taxi soon arrived at its destination.

After he paid with his Vita and got out of the taxi, he was met by a large park built with white stones. The courtyard of the museum was full of couples on dates and families who were out taking walks together.

Something caught Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes as he watched the children run around.

‘Hey, isn’t that my mask?’

The children were wearing plastic Specter masks. When he looked around, he found a stand selling them. He stepped closer, feeling curious, and saw a small child pulling on his parent’s sleeve.

“Pleaseee! I want it! I want the Specter mask!”

“Be quiet. I bought you one last time.”

“Last time was the Skaya mask!”

“Shush! Stop making a scene.”

“Pleaseeee!”

“Then Jin-Ho, you can live here. Mom and Dad are going home.” The child lay on the ground and began crying, begging for the mask.

Feeling a bit conceited, Seo Jun-Ho went up to the seller. “Do the Heroes’ masks sell well?”

“Of course they do. They’re my most popular product. Especially…”

As if they were telling him a great secret, the seller looked around. “The Great Mage Skaya’s. They’re the most popular,” they said in a low voice.

“...That doesn’t make sense.”

Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes went wide in surprise, and he looked at the seller with a confused expression. “Shouldn’t Specter’s mask sell the best?”

“Of course not. They are fourth at best.”

“.....”

With a sour expression, Seo Jun-Ho looked at the other items that were for sale. The collection of masks wasn’t complete.

“Um, well, the other Heroes’ masks have their faces on them, but we don’t know what Specter looks like. All we can do is sell this black mask...Of course, the kids wouldn’t like them as much.”

“But they’re cool. The black masks, I mean.”

“Well, kids like things that look pretty.”

“...I would like a mask.”

Seo Jun-Ho bought four Specter masks and carried them in his arms.

“My original mask looked really cool though.”

He made his way to the back of the museum and found the door. After it scanned his iris, he had the Seoul History Museum all to himself.

“Wow, they put these on display?”

Inside the museum, there were monster models, hides, and bones, along with the battle gears from the famous players of the past.

Seo Jun-Ho walked around casually. He looked at the display cases and eventually arrived in front of the morgue.

—Iris scan successful. Door is opening.

Creak.

As soon as the door opened, white smoke started to flow out.

“.....”

This chill, this feeling. The morgue felt eerily similar to the Frost Queen’s Nest.

‘I suppose it’s because they wanted to preserve the ice statues…’

He didn’t feel good about it. It seemed that his comrades couldn’t escape from the Frost Queen’s grasp, even in death.

Step step.

He reached the center of the morgue and stared hard at the four statues.

The Great Mage, Skaya Killiland.

The King of Destruction, Rahmadat Kahli.

The Gray Envoy, Gilberto Green.

The Sky Phoenix, Tenmei Mio.[1]

They were his comrades, his reliable friends.

“I’m sorry, I’m late.” For him, it was only three days ago when he promised to see them later. But he never imagined that he would only be able to keep his promise in this manner 25 years later.

Thump.

Seo Jun-Ho plopped onto the cold ground.

“Do you guys know? The world has gotten a lot better. Have you heard of the self-driving taxis?” He explained the peace they had brought together. He wasn’t great with words, but he used his hands to explain every single detail.

“It’s the peace we dreamed of.” Even though it wasn’t true peace, they still saved humanity and the world.

“So please…”

‘My work is done, right? I can rest now, right?’

Seo Jun-Ho pressed his lips together, unable to say the words. Because if he did, he felt like he would be admitting that it was the end. His friends were stuck in time forever in ice, and it seemed like only he was given that time back.

“Have a drink.”

He pulled a bottle of alcohol from his inventory and poured a bit in front of each of his teammates.

Drip.

Only a little bit for Mio and Skaya, who didn’t drink well. And plenty for the two others. As for the rest, he poured it down his throat.

“Keuhhh.”[2]

Feeling more awake, he put one mask in front of each statue.

“Take it with you. I’ve done a lot of good deeds, so they’ll give you the VIP treatment in heaven too.” He finished soothing his friends’ spirits.

Still feeling some lingering regret, Seo Jun-Ho dusted the ice statues’ shoulders.

“Hey, don’t go around looking dirty like that.”

Tap tap.

He brushed the dust off their shoulders without a second thought.

[Effect of the skill ‘Frost (EX)’ has been checked.]

[The ice seal can be removed with Frost (EX).]

[Your base magic stat is absurdly low. Removal failed.]

His eyes widened as he read over the three lines.

“What?”

As if he was possessed, Seo Jun-Ho touched the ice statue again. The same message popped up, but his mind was already racing.

‘I can remove the seal? Me?’

Shim Deok-Gu had said that the ice couldn’t be melted even with the current technology or even with player skills.

But it seemed that he could…

“The Frost skill…”

He had acquired the Frost skill from the Frost Queen’s nucleus.

“Fuu, haa, fuu, haa.” Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Seo Jun-Ho fell into thought. He would have to check his current stats before he did anything else.

“Status window.” As soon as he muttered the words, a small hologram window appeared. It was one of the abilities the system gave to the players.

[Seo Jun-Ho]

Level: 1

Title: Bringer of Spring

Strength: 21 Stamina: 24

Speed: 26 Magic: 18

<Skills>

Frost (EX), Watchguard of Darkness (S), Hunter’s Night (A), Hero’s Mind (A), Weapon Mastery (A), Strong Intuition (B).

<Special status>

Original abilities have been drastically reduced.

Original abilities will be restored as time passes and as you level up.

“.....”

He glanced at the special status section and his eyes started to glow with hope. He had the Frost (EX) skill.

‘This is the key.’

This was the key to saving his friends. Not only that, but it had skipped right over the S-grade and directly became an EX-grade skill.

‘Deok-Gu always said that S-grade is the highest.’

If Korea’s Player Association believed that, it probably meant that he was the first to ever have a skill that was higher than S-grade.

‘But the system said that my magic stat is too low to remove the seal…’

He took a closer look at his status window.

“Tsk.”

He dropped from level 80 to level 1, and his stats were depressingly low. But it wouldn’t be that way forever.

‘I’ll be able to restore them.’

Of course, it wasn’t something that he would be able to do in a day or two. His Strong Intuition skill told him that.

“My magic is 18? Is it doing it on purpose?” He laughed until his chest hurt, remembering all the times when his low magic stat had gotten in his way. “The magic stat had always been my bane.”

He tried supplements and magic-boosting items, but his low magic stat had always made things harder for him back then. Eventually, he let out a long, frustrated sigh before he spotted something.

“Huh? Bringer of Spring?”

He recalled that he received this title when he defeated the Frost Queen. He had been a player for 5 years, but it was the first title he ever received.

‘When Skaya created magic for the first time, she received the title ‘Mage’s First Steps’.’

He remembered her boasting about getting 15 extra magic stat points and being able to cast spells much faster than before.

‘Either way, I think you can only get them from doing near-impossible tasks...Still, I should check the effects.’

“Check title, Bringer of Spring.”

Woosh.

A new section popped up below the status window.

1. Tenmei is her surname ?

2. This is like a noise you let out after you drink ?