Return of the Frozen Player Chapter 308

Published at 6th of January 2023 12:57:25 PM

Chapter 308. Those Who Meet Must Part, And Those Who Part Will Meet Again (1)

There was no answer.

'I guess he's asleep… Good night.' 

Seo Jun-Ho frowned and was about to stand.

- Sit down. I am awake.

The voice he had been waiting for rang in his head.

- Seo Jun-Ho… Indeed, it seems that I can finally speak to you.

The voice resembled that of an adult man's and was very dignified.[1]

'You make it sound like you've known me for a long time,' Seo Jun-Ho said.

- Because I truly have watched you for a long time. I also fought alongside you.

'That means… Just as I thought, you're Keen Intuition, aren't you?'

- That is correct.

Seo Jun-Ho had suspected as much. The voice in his head was indeed Keen Intuition, just as he had expected.

'Seeing as you can suddenly speak now, does that mean you gained an ego when you became S-rank recently?'

- No. I have long since developed a conscience, ever since you gained the skill called Keen Intuition.

“What?” Seo Jun-Ho muttered; his eyes opened wide in surprise. It had already been 29 years since he gained the skill.

- I also heard you every single time you belittled me.

“ahem.” Seo Jun-Ho felt a sting in his conscience. He quickly changed the subject. “Then, was the reason you weren't working at the beginning of the battle some kind of revenge?”

- No. I was simply busy.

“Busy with what?”

- It took some time for me to adjust and process the broad, newfound sensations that came with raising my rank.

So he had been working hard on his own for the past few weeks to adjust to the new power.

“It feels nice to be able to communicate with you. It's been pretty frustrating up until now,” Seo Jun-Ho remarked.

- The feeling is mutual. You would not understand how frustrating it was to watch you suffer like an idiot even after I warned you.

“Well… Let's forget about the trivial things, and just tell me what you can do now.”

- Before I explain that, you must first grasp an understanding of my existence.

Keen Intuition continued…

- First, I am an entirely separate existence from your five senses.

“...What do you mean?”

- To be precise, your senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. They all exist within you.

In other words, internal sense. Seo Jun-Ho frowned. “So, you're saying that you're an external sense?”

- Indeed. I combine the information from your five senses and give you information that you would never be able to find otherwise. I believe humans call this—

“A sixth sense.”

- Phew, I am once again grateful that we are able to communicate.

So, Keen Intuition was a completely separate sense. Of course, Seo Jun-Ho already knew that considering how many years he had been using the skill now.

“Skip what I already know, and just tell me what you can do,” he insisted.

- Well… Ever since you raised my rank, I have become the best skill you possess.

“Hm? Is that so?” Seo Jun-Ho sounded unconvinced. Of course, he knew how amazing a skill Keen Intuition was. Even during the battle just a few hours ago, he grasped the trajectory of each attack and informed him. It was like a cheat key. “But I have Watchguard of Darkness and Frost.”

- Hmph. Be warned, I can help you more than those skills can.

Seo Jun-Ho couldn't hold back from questioning the resolute tone. “I'm just asking because I'm curious. What in the world makes you believe that?”

- Those skills do not think of you as deeply as I do.

Seo Jun-Ho swallowed at the sudden confession. “Sorry, but I'm not interested in a formless, shapeless entity… Let alone a man.”

- Sigh…

Keen Intuition sighed; he sounded like he was repressing his anger.

- It is exactly as I say. Those two are indeed outstanding skills, but they have not watched over you for as long as I have.

“In terms of time, I've had Watchguard of Darkness longer than I've had you.”

- Let me repeat myself. I am a sense that exists outside of your five senses. While your other senses were asleep for 25 years… I was awake the whole time.

“...!” Seo Jun-Ho's mouth opened and closed. The shock was visible on his face. Even though 25 years had passed, it had only felt like a moment for him. When he opened his eyes, those years had already passed.

'But… He simply endured all that?'

Seo Jun-Ho wondered what that felt like—being trapped in an ice statue for 26 years without being able to move.

“Are you… okay?” As far as he knew, Keen Intuition was an entity that could experience emotions, seeing how he had bristled when Seo Jun-Ho cursed him for being useless. And this very entity had waited for 25 years without being able to speak to anyone.

- Do not misunderstand my words. I am not a separate living being, I am simply one of your senses. Save your worries, and just focus on how you can use me best.

“...” Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes. “What did you do while I was asleep for 25 years?”

- I did not do much. Every year on November 11th, I saw countless tourists. We were normally locked up, so I heard the footsteps and conversations of those in the museum. But you still remained unconscious, so I grew bored and began to review your past battles.

Studying, studying, and more studying.

- And you still did not wake, so I began to prepare for future battles using all the information I had gathered as a foundation.

Preparation, preparation, and more preparation. Even though it had seemed impossible for Seo Jun-Ho to wake up, Keen Intuition had spent the whole time pondering how to help Seo Jun-Ho if he ever entered the battlefield once more.

- Have faith in me. I cannot guarantee this for an attack I have never seen, but I will never fall for the same attack twice.

“...” Seo Jun-Ho was silent. He had always considered Keen Intuition simply as an alarm of sorts that alerted him of danger.

'But this guy…' 

He had been there whenever Seo Jun-Ho entered a Gate and fought monsters with his life on the line. He had been there whenever he floundered after falling for the fiends' trap once again. He had been there as he faced countless adversaries and sufferings while others called him a Hero. And he was still here, even after Seo Jun-Ho's return.

As if he were his partner…

“...I'm sorry that I didn't know. And it's late, but thank you for everything up until now.”

- You are quite a strange human, showing emotion for your Skill.

Keen Intuition let out a small laugh.

“I'll be counting on you in the future too.”

- I will try to be of assistance to you.

Like that, his first conversation with Keen Intuition ended.

***

Seo Jun-Ho woke up early in the morning and took out two ice statues from his Inventory. They contained the two assassins he had killed the night before.

“Confession of the Dead.”

Seo Jun-Ho's face grew pale when he read their memories.

'Silver Constellation… And a Team Leader at that. That's no trivial position.'

His name was Choi Hyun-Min. He was Team 2's leader and had commissioned the assassin's guild to survey and kill Cha Si-Eun.

'I should ask her about this.'

Seo Jun-Ho had to know why they were targeting her so he could assist her. He met with Cha Si-Eun, and she gave him a general idea of the situation.

“...That must have been hard. Thank you for telling me,” he said.

“It's nothing. I believe that it is something you should know.” She had been speaking formally, like when she was still his secretary. But now that it was the morning after, she didn't seem to know how she should speak to him.

“Um, you can just speak comfortably. Don't feel pressured.”

“...Alright, I will try to gradually fix the way I speak.”

Seo Jun-Ho compared the two files she gave him and nodded. “First of all, I don't think there's any doubt that Silver Constellation was the one that intervened.” But there was one other thing he had to know. “Have you ever heard of someone named Choi Hyun-Min?”

“Choi Hyun-Min…? No, I've never heard that name before.”

“Hm.” That means Cheon Hye-Joo's murder hadn't been a crime of passion. Seo Jun-Ho handed back the documents to Cha Si-Eun. “I'll look into this part myself.”

“Thank you...”

“I already told Count Evian what happened. He'll escort you to Gilleon's Elevators.”

“Are you saying that I should wait on Earth?” she asked.

“Yes. Do you have something else you have to do here, by chance?”

“No.” Cha Si-Eun shook her head.

“I should buy a bottle of the President's favorite liquor on my way back,” she added.

“I see now why he was always going on about how great of an employee you are.”

The two of them let out a small laugh and said their goodbyes.

“I'll be waiting down there,” Cha Si-Eun said.

“I'll also be going down by the end of the week. I'll see you then.”

After seeing her off, Seo Jun-Ho prepared to leave. There wasn't really any reason to stay here any longer.

“Are you going to the capital?” Count Evian asked.

“I have to. I can't be late for my meeting with His Majesty.”

“Mmhm.” The count nodded and gestured down the hallway.

As he did, a girl around Frost's height waddled over and bowed deeply. “T-thank you for curing me!”

“I don't know how I could possibly repay you. Will you allow me to do so?” He wanted to reward Seo Jun-Ho, be it with money or anything else.

However, Seo Jun-Ho shook his head. “No. Seeing your daughter's smile is reward enough.”

Of course, it was a lie. An outright lie. However, Jun-Ho couldn't just receive money or items as a reward from one of the empire's powerful nobles.

“Then, I hope you stay healthy until we meet again.”

“Ha…” Count Eviant stared straight at Seo Jun-Ho's back as he left. He really didn't ask for anything. “Well, I suppose he is the saint of the Empire…”

He began to think about how he could help the Player.

And the count wasn't the only one doing that. The nobles who received help from Seo Jun-Ho were all pondering over the same question.

***

When he arrived at the capital, Seo Jun-Ho found a place to stay before walking around the market and buying the things he needed.

Most of these 'necessities' were snacks for Frost.

“This tastes quite peculiar, and that tastes quite interesting. As expected of the nation's capital,” she remarked, hugging the specialties of the capital in one hand.

She then looked up. “But Contractor, what did you mean last night when you said you needed to speak? I fell asleep because I was tired and it was troublesome.”

“Oh, that?” Seo Jun-Ho spoke as they entered his room, shrugging off his jacket. “You know Keen Intuition? My skill, I mean.”

“Indeed I do. You complained that it was pointless to feed it the potion and that it went to waste.”

“H-hey, I never said that.” Seo Jun-Ho flinched and hurriedly changed the subject. “Anyway, now that I raised his rank, I can speak to him now.”

“Speak to him? So, it gained an ego, it seems.”

“Um… Well, he said he's had an ego long ago.”

“And how long has it been?”

“26 years.”

“26 years? Ha, so he is a small child.” The Frost Queen smirked and began to organize her snacks. As she did, Keen Intuition spoke.

- You are the child.

“...?”

She paused. The Frost Queen looked up and stared straight at Seo Jun-Ho. “What… did you just say to me…?”

“T-that wasn't me.” Seo Jun-Ho quickly waved his hands, panicking. He looked puzzled.

'Wait, Frost can hear what Intuition says?'

- Why would it be otherwise? Spirits are tied to your soul.

“This voice… This isn't the Contractor's voice…” she muttered, scrunching her nose. “I will allow your rudeness to slide this once because my mercy is plentiful, so be careful from now on.”

- Don't make me laugh. Do you think I would be scared of a Spirit who does nothing but gorge on snacks?”

“H-how impudent! How dare you insult me like this.”

- Did I say anything false? I do not believe so.

“Contractooorrr! Just listen to the way that skill speaks. How could he be so rude?”

After Keen Intuition kept on hitting her with cold, hard facts, the Frost Queen eventually ran over to Seo Jun-Ho. The latter patted her head while she was looking all resentful.

'Why are my skills so high-maintenance?' he wondered. Unfortunately, he didn't know the answer.

Chapter end