Chapter 12
Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Uninvited Guest (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
《Uninvited Guest》- (3)
01.
"Ah...?"
How long had it been since he'd felt a chill like this? As the girl's voice—cold beyond measure—rang in his ears, Woojin felt as if he'd come face-to-face with the childhood monster lurking under his bed, the one he'd only imagined.
'What the hell...?'
She was just a small girl walking toward them, but an indescribable terror coiled around his chest. His legs stiffened, his body refusing to move properly.
'She's just a player, so why...?'
Woojin had countless PvP experiences under his belt, but this inexplicable hesitation and fear was a first. Even when he'd been matched against the world's number one ranked player in the duel arena by some rotten luck, he hadn't trembled like this.
A presence beyond that of a mere player emanated from the girl approaching them. His heart pounded wildly, against his will, twisting his expression.
"Ugh..."
"..."
He glanced over. His comrade, the thief 'Kim Jin-ho,' was in no better shape. Every step the girl took toward them, Jin-ho retreated one step back.
"Damn it..."
Woojin scowled at the inexplicable filthy fear and trembling, hurriedly scanning the info above the girl's head. If he could just see her level, the shaking might subside a bit.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [???] Level: ??? Job: ??? 'Huh...?'
Unlike the Holy Shield Knight from moments ago, no information was displayed above the girl's head at all.
'Hidden status...?'
Had she equipped an identity-concealing item like the 'Shy Crown'? The rare full personal info hide threw Woojin's mind into further chaos.
'She hid her info? Why?'
Identity-hiding items were expensive. And only level, name, and guild were public by default—so aside from assassins or concept players, people rarely bothered hiding theirs.
So why had this mysterious girl concealed hers? With her face masked, was she some extreme concept player? A dark hero amid the chaos—maybe that was her theme?
...But it didn't matter. If her level was high, she wouldn't have hidden it. Humans instinctively flaunted superiority.
She'd probably used the item because her level was too low to show for concept play. Right, no need to fear.
The aura and charisma pouring from her were surely some item effect too. This flashy-ora girl was no different from the disarmed Holy Shield Knight, Woojin figured.
"Hey, kid, you'd better stop right there."
Summoning courage, Woojin aimed his twin daggers at her. Sweat still beaded his forehead, but assuming her level was lower eased the terror.
"...Popping up out of nowhere, acting all cocky? Ready to die? Where'd a brat like you sell her manners?"
"......"
"...I'm pretty pissed right now, so if you don't wanna die, turn around and scram while I'm being nice."
Woojin snarled at her, face twisted. His warning carried killing intent, but she didn't stop.
Her reply was a single, bone-chilling phrase.
"......If you can kill me, try it."
The girl's icy voice echoed through the dark alley once more.
Red eyes gleamed fiercely through her mask's slits as she aimed the tip of the greatsword floating around her at Woojin.
The cold emanating from her intensified, now prickling his skin like frostbite.
"Ha, fuck, seriously annoying..."
He'd thought a little scare would send her running, but she grew bolder. Woojin spat curses. The unease and chill made him want to avoid combat, but with her pushing like this, no choice remained.
"...Fine, I'll kill you like you want, you rude bitch."
Forcing nonchalance, smirking, Woojin prepared his attack. Taking stance, he analyzed her.
'Swordsman...?'
First, her job. In Season Off Fantasy, only the close-range dealer Swordsman used greatswords, so that seemed likely—but...
'...No, the sword's a fake-out. More likely an Ice Mage.'
The chill from her, the frost blooming where she'd walked—it pointed to Ice Mage, a second-job Mage class.
Season Off Fantasy only showed level basically, so hiding or faking jobs was common. Woojin's guess made sense.
'Close in fast from behind, cut her throat in one strike.'
Letting a ranged dealer like a mage control distance was suicide for an assassin. Woojin planned to blitz her, disarm in one hit, prepping his acceleration skill.
"Jin-ho."
"Y-Yeah, hyung...?"
"Didn't you say slender girls are your type?"
"W-Well, yeah..."
"......Tonight, hyung'll make your wish come true."
He tossed in short provocation via chat with Jin-ho. Pre-battle trash talk to rile foes was Woojin's psych warfare staple. Her face was masked, but she was surely fuming.
"...Acceleration."
Activating the speed-boost skill, Woojin dashed like a cheetah on the African plains.
'Good...'
True to assassin speed—top-tier with lancers and thieves—his start whipped up wind around him.
'Perfect...!'
Amazed at his imperceptible burst, Woojin grinned. His positive loop kicked in.
Reach her back before she reacts, sever hands to block spells, fully disarm.
Then make her pay for pissing them off—as a toy...
'...Perfect.'
Grinning wickedly with lewd thoughts, Woojin pushed harder, stomping the asphalt.
"Ugh...?!"
The instant his foot hit pavement, a sharp sting grazed his legs. He dismissed it as gravel in his pants, keeping eyes on her, stepping forward.
"Huh...?"
But oddly, his view lowered. His sight, level with her masked face, sank to her abdomen, her worn shoes.
His thrusting leg hadn't extended; suddenly, it went limp.
......It didn't take long to realize he'd pathetically collapsed, legs giving out.
"He... fell...?"
In years of Season Off Fantasy, Woojin had never tripped. Stunned, first step failing like this, he blankly looked down at his legs.
"F-Fuck, h-hyung..."
Turning his gaze, he first heard Jin-ho's panicked, mentally broken voice. Then his own dazed mutter.
"Huh...?"
...His lower body, confirmed by looking down. Where his thick legs should be—nothing.
"M-My legs...?"
No legs where they should be—just spurting crimson, sticky blood like a fountain.
"Wha? Wha? What?"
No sensation below his knees, no matter how he tried. Realizing something was wrong, his pupils quaked, panic rising.
...Then, a red hologram appeared only on fatal damage.
⚠️ CRITICAL DAMAGE! ⚠️ [Fatal Injury Detected]
○ Damaged Area: Both Legs Severed
○ Status: Bleeding (Grade 4)
○ Movement Speed -99%
○ Attack Speed -80%
※ Ongoing bleeding will cause screen shake, mental confusion, etc.
※ Recommend Recovery Item 'Regenerating Pine Needles'
※ Retreat to safe zone with ally support.
"Huh...?"
Seeing the hologram, Woojin realized his legs were gone. Recognizing his state, unbearable agony crashed through him.
...A horrific scream tore from his mouth.
"Gaaah! Gaaaaah!!"
Clutching the stumps, rolling on the ground, tears streaming—what entered his eyes was a massive greatsword hovering, dripping red blood before his face.
...The one that floated by the girl, with its red blade.
"Th-This..."
Seeing it froze Woojin. Blood dripping from her greatsword—clearly his own.
Meaning she'd severed his legs.
'No way, that girl...? With a greatsword? Wasn't she a mage...?! She caught my speed...?'
Woojin's mind raced.
How'd she grab his hard-to-track legs with a greatsword? A mage, bottom-tier physicals?
...Was mage his delusion? Actually a greatsword knight as first guessed? Then what caused the frost on her steps—magic or what?!
"Ugh, urgh, uuurgh..."
Pain and jumbled thoughts plunged him into chaos. As he groaned, an ominous black cloud formed above his head.
...From it poured cold snowflakes.
"Sn-Snow...?"
A dream? Blood loss hallucination? Snow in midsummer? Woojin couldn't trust his eyes.
And the flakes weren't normal—ash-gray, eerie, unreal.
"......"
One ash-gray flake drifted down, landing softly on his nose.
First, bone-chilling cold like ice in his marrow.
...Then, shock rivaling his stump pain exploded.
"Ugh! Aaaaagh!! Aaaaagh!!"
Starting from his face, covering his body—like electrocution wracking him. Screams burst out against his will, echoing into the night.
Another unwelcome red hologram appeared.
⚠️ HP CRITICAL! ⚠️ [Red Zone Reached]
○ Remaining HP ≤0.2%
> Next Attack (Bleed Damage): 100% Death Probability
○ Status: Freeze (new)
○ Movement Speed -20%
○ Attack Speed -20%
※ Freeze locks specific body parts.
※ Recommend 'Ancient Warmth'
※ Recommend 'Revival Flower'
※ Retreat to safe zone with ally support.
"Fr-Freeze...?!"
Sudden freeze status. Plus 20% drops in speeds each. Despite leg loss, his HP bar—fine before—had plummeted to ≤0.1%, one more bleed tick fatal.
'Just one snowflake, and I die...? Me...? Lee Woojin...?'
Legs severed by mystery girl's sword was hard enough to accept; a nose-hit flake causing near-death damage and freeze? Beyond Woojin's grasp.
'Ashen snow? What the hell is this? Fuck, what?! What...!!'
Amid injustice and tears, an old memory flashed.
Years ago, something similar...
'...End of the World.'
Season Off Fantasy's December stage, frozen 'End of the World.' Ace Guild's stage boss raid there.
...He'd been frozen by falling ash-gray snow, head smashed by faster-than-him chains.
Just like now.
'Ah...'
Freeze-granting ash-gray snowflakes.
Eye-untrackable floating weapons.
One being wielding them freely.
'No way...'
Picture sharpening, Woojin's eyes filled with dread. Struggling, he raised his head to the mysterious girl staring down.
'No, no way...'
'Ashen Snowstorm' freeze crept through him, but he wouldn't—couldn't—close his eyes.
'Why the hell is that bitch here...'
Dazed, he stared at the faceless girl.
'Why, why...'
In fuzzy memory, the 'End of the World' boss that killed him was a beautiful girl.
'Why's a stage boss in this shithole...'
......Just like this girl before him.
"F-Fuck..."
Clinging to fading consciousness of pure fear, Woojin rasped at her.
"Y-You don't mean..."
Vision darkening. Pain ebbing. But doggedly, he called the name that shouldn't be in Korea, Seoul—the ruin god's name.
"Se-Selverion..."
"..."
No reply.
Only eternal silence lingered in his ears.
......Woojin's vision blacked out.
02.
"......"
HP hit zero from damage stack, or body shattering on freeze—the assassin's end, melting into asphalt as a snowflake, was more spectacle than expected.
"...You should've been more careful."
I gave final words to the one not even leaving a corpse. His choice to plunder this neighborhood tonight was his own; he bore the consequences.
If life mattered, he'd have chosen wisely, cautiously.
Who could he blame for his death?
"..."
Selverion's influence? Killing a person, yet no emotion stirred. I shifted gaze to his presumed comrade, another man.
"M-Monster, st-stay back!!"
The thief-like support swung his tiny dagger wildly, blocking my approach.
Such a cheap dagger posed no threat to me, Selverion. Ignoring it, I approached slowly.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Kim Jin-ho (Panty Goblin)] ⚡ Level: 1132 💨 Job: Thief ✨ Attribute: Dark 💪 Guild: Ace 🍀 Status: None Selverion's passive 'Piercing Frost' revealed his details at a glance. Seeing his affiliation, I couldn't help frowning.
'...Ace Guild.'
Like the dead assassin, he belonged to Ace—the SPR core guild, capital region's major powerhouse.
"Ha..."
My feared scenario had come true; disappointment leaked out. A deep sigh escaped the mask.
......With Ace holding full capital security authority, cops and military powerless, no one could stop their crimes.
Even internal punishment would be slap-on-wrist favoritism. Seoul would become their lawless kingdom.
Just these two now, but if more Ace members indulged in power for self-gain, chaotic Seoul would plunge deeper.
...Seeing the signs already was sigh-worthy.
"St-Stay back, I said?! D-Do you know who I am?! Ace guild! One more step, and it's guild war declaration!"
"......"
Did they know their wrongs, the butterfly effects? Thief Kim Jin-ho just fearfully threatened.
Ace or not, plundering, raping, murdering civilians—especially in my neighborhood—was unforgivable.
So I didn't stop.
"Fuck! Didn't you hear?! Stay back! Know what you're doing?! Think you can handle Ace?!"
"...Annoying."
His strong Ace loyalty irked me; I scowled in disgust.
Ace's prestige and tradition, battles alongside members numbering dozens or hundreds—loyalty natural. But weaponizing it? Repulsive.
"Don't come closer!!"
"......"
"Stay back!! Ugh, damn it!!"
My ignoring his threats made him switch tactics.
"Kyaa! Kyaaaaagh!!"
"Stay back. Drop that greatsword now, or this woman dies."
...He seized the female priest behind him—likely the Holy Shield Knight's comrade from prior fight—thrusting his dagger to her throat.
"One more step, innocent bitch dies. Because of you."
"......"
Classic hostage play. The priest whimpered; her comrade Holy Shield Knight scrambled up desperately.
"J-Ji-ah!! You bastard! Let her go ri—urk..."
He lunged but clutched his gut—heavily damaged—and collapsed. Even healthy, shield likely stolen via 'Steal,' helpless.
"...Turn back and leave now. Unless you wanna see someone die because of you."
"Hoo..."
Better threat than name-dropping Ace. At this range, her throat would be slit before I acted.
Other players might comply first. Stubbornness killing innocents would be disaster.
But I wasn't 'other players.' Not even a player.
I was a monster—a stage boss, top-tier: Frost of Ruin, Selverion.
...Ways to break this existed aplenty.
Pity the thief didn't know 'Ashen Snowstorm,' still clueless to my identity.
"...Ice Temptation."
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Ice Temptation ...I extended my hand, activating the skill Ice Temptation.
One of Selverion's undisclosed skills: inflicts 'Freeze Temptation' on target, forcing attack immunity and approach to me.
Perfect for this.
"...?! Wh-What is this?! What did you—urk?!"
"..."
Skill fired: blue heart magic circle above his head, 'Freeze Temptation' instant-applied.
No attacks possible now; he'd walk only to me, Selverion.
"What?! M-My body?! Feet moving on their own?! Fuck, what'd you do?! Why won't my body obey?!!"
Couldn't silence his mouth—too greedy. Tempted, he dropped the dagger, slowly walking to me.
"Hah! Hah, hah..."
"Ji-ah! Ji-ah, you okay?!"
Priest freed, legs buckled from tension, collapsing. Holy Shield Knight rushed, supporting her.
"Wha? Wha? W-Wait, wait, n-no, no..."
"..."
Against his will, he neared my face. Reaching me, I gripped the vicious hostage-taker's throat, hoisting him airborne.
"Guh, guh...!! Wh-What strength...!!"
"..."
Selverion's off-chart stats. Girl body or not, lifting a puny thief was nothing.
"Guh, l-let go! Know what you're—guh!!"
Struggling against tightening grip, a mere player couldn't match Selverion. Desperate, glaring hatred, his best threat:
"K-Kill me, and see what happens! Me and Woojin-hyung are tight with guild master—whole Ace'll come for you."
"..."
"We're that close—think a nobody player like you can handle our whole guild?! You'll regret to your bones."
"...Funny."
I chuckled dryly.
Right—maybe showing beats telling a hundred times. And I didn't want this scum dying with hopeful smiles of guild revenge.
......I reverted my full-face mask 'Phantasmal Tiara' and cheap gray hoodie to true Selverion forms.
"......"
Blue light enveloped me. I revealed the full stage boss of 'End of the World': Frost of Ruin, God of Ruin—my true form before him.
"......"
White bobbed hair, crimson eyes.
Beautiful features shining under black tiara.
Sleek black-red dress.
And 'Chains of Death and Frost,' reverting from greatsword to chains.
...Season Off Fantasy's strongest: God of Ruin 'Selverion.'
"Huh...?"
Seeing me, the thief's eyes widened, face paling.
"Huh? Huh? W-Wait, you...?"
Unknown passives, but my look he knew—shock and confusion bare. My name spilled from him.
"Se-Selverion...? Selverion? Why're you here...? W-Wait, what...?"
Grasping now? Whose turf they'd raided, whom they'd threatened—his face drowned in despair.
...Smiling faintly, I whispered coldly in his ear.
"Ace Guild...?"
Korea's largest, most prestigious 'Ace.' The loyal guild he boasted, certain they'd crush me.
I smiled wide at the rigid thief.
"......Yeah, bring 'em all."
"Uh, uuh, wha..."
"Tell 'em to avenge you, to come at me."
"Uh, uaa, th-that's not what I—"
"Bring all Top 4 guilds too."
Tears streaming, regretting errors. Too late. Choices demand care; time doesn't rewind.
I whispered final words in his ear—colder than any winter.
"......I'll kill Ace, Legend, all of them."
Then Kim Jin-ho froze solid.