Chapter 279: The Queen in Anguish (4)

When the corner of Seo Jun-Ho's mouth went up, Rahmadat said, "Looking at your twisted mouth... I don't think it's a bust.”

"Be careful what you say. How dare you call the precious Cell Regeneration-nim a bust?”

On the contrary, it was the cream of the crop.

‘Well now, let's see… How do I use it?’

Seo Jun-Ho looked at the hologram window in front of his eyes and was lost in pleasant thought.

[You have received a bone fracture injury.]

[A lesser bone fracture resistance has been added to the cells.]

Suddenly, Janabi came to mind. The latter was not only able to immediately recover upon being injured, but he had also developed resistance to the injury itself.

‘The Cell Regeneration skill is the same as his.’

In other words, this skill was evolving the user into a more powerful being the more injuries they sustained. Of course, because it was currently A-grade, it wouldn’t have the same effect as Janabi's skill.

‘But in the long run...’

It would clearly produce a much better effect than Rahmadat’s Super Regeneration. Seo Jun-Ho's gaze turned to Rahmadat.

"…Why are you smiling?"

"Just because. I like it." Seo Jun-Ho grinned and thought.

‘Above all, Cell Regeneration suits me better than Super Regeneration.’

It was all because Seo Jun-Ho's fighting style wasn’t as extreme as Rahmadat’s fighting style. In other words, Seo Jun-Ho was not the type to go in aggressively and fight while ignoring wounds.

‘Even if the recovery is slow, it's better to develop permanent resistance to wounds.’

Above all, the skill had a part he really liked.

"I can grind it.”

"Construction work? Do you need some emergency money? Do you need me to lend you some?”

"No, not construction work."

Seo Jun-Ho recalled the number of times he had cut himself in the past two hours.

"Rahmadat, we had probably... cut ourselves like a hundred times, right?”

"Yea, we cut the small thoracic and abdominal muscles, the right tibialis anterior, left sartorius muscles, and a few others..."

Rahmadat was a man crazy about fitness. The names of muscles ordinary people wouldn't even know where they were located came out of his mouth one after another.

‘Those are words that I didn't really want to know...’

Unfortunately, after being with Rahmadat for so long, Seo Jun-Ho had long memorized those words.

"Anyway, that's right.”

A hundred wounds for one lesser resistance. Seo Jun-Ho smiled brightly and took out a blunt weapon and a spear from his inventory.

"Rahmadat, shall we change our weapons and test again?"

***

As soon as the mangled wound recovered, a message popped up.

[You have received a crush injury.]

[A lesser crush resistance has been added to the cells.]

[You have received a stab injury.]

[A lesser stab resistance has been added to the cells.]

"Bingo."

Recovering from the same kind of attack a hundred times would create a lesser resistance to it in the cells. But, what was the effect?

Slice, slice.

Seo Jun-Ho immediately cut his left forearm with a dagger.

"

Hmm…

Indeed."

Of course, because it was lesser resistance, he could

still

be cut.

‘But I won't get a paper cut in the future.’

It was just about

that

level. However, Seo Jun-Ho wasn’t disappointed.

"If the grade goes up... It's going to be worth seeing.”

Perhaps, he might truly become an existence that wasn’t even human anymore. He might become a human being who wouldn’t get hurt even after being stabbed.

"What, that’s scary. Will I be able to remain human?"

It was a complete lie. Rather than being scared, Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t stop smiling out of joy.

"What is it? Tell me what's so good, and what’s making you smile. It's frustrating.”

Seo Jun-Ho explained to Rahmadat, who was frowning and slapping his chest. When he was done explaining, Rahmadat’s expression became even more distorted.

"…What? Compared to that, doesn't my skill look too shabby for an S-grade?"

"Of course, not. Super Regeneration fraudulent skill in its own right."

Even if Rahmadat’s head were severed, the head would automatically reattach if it was placed back on his neck. If that wasn’t a fraudulent skill, what would be? But of course, it was normal for someone to think that another person’s skill was better than theirs.

"…I'm hungry. I'm going to go eat."

The jealous Rahmadat walked out of the training room with his drooping shoulders. The Frost Queen had been watching a drama in the corner of the training room all this while, but she hurriedly came up to Seo Jun-Ho after Rahmadat’s departure.

"Contractor, is there any chance that with that skill…”

"Yeah. It'll take a lot of time, but it'll be possible."

With Cell Regeneration, he would be able to gain resistance to Moon Eye by repeatedly using it.

"But the Moon Eye’s aftereffects are too great… It will be hard to create resistance right away."

"I'll be in the hospital again if I do it now. For now, the priority is to increase my strength and stamina stats.”

"Go up the floors diligently, go up."

She was right. If he went up to the 3rd floor, his title, ‘Bringer of Spring,’ would increase all stats by 30 once again.

"…Now I can see a little."

His insides felt like they were going to boil and explode from frustration, but now, they had significantly calmed down. In addition, the foggy road ahead of him was starting to become a bit clearer.

***

After training and taking a shower, Seo Jun-Ho returned home. While sitting on a wide leather sofa, a message arrived.

"…Huh?"

When he checked the Vita, there was no message for him. As such, it had to be a Community message. Seo Jun-Ho opened the message box for the first time in a long time and was surprised.

"What's all this?"

Shin Sung-Hyun, Kim Woo-Joong, Milphage—these three Players he was familiar with from the Big 6 had contacted him.

[Duokshin: This is Shin Sung-Hyun. How have you been?]

[Swordpoint: Hi, this is Kim Woo-Joong… We were supposed to have a talk next time, right? I'm sorry if I misunderstood.]

[Mercenary King: Hey, this is Milphage. Where are you right now?]

They were all asking about him. Looking at the messages for a while, Seo Jun-Ho was lost in thought.

‘What's wrong with them?’

It wasn’t a New Year's greeting, and it wasn’t his birthday either. The answer to his question came quickly.

"

Oh,

I think I know what it is."

Shim Deok-Gu said Isaac Dvor fled with the Heavenly Demon’s body. However, the Heavenly Demon’s arm was unretrievable.

'And on that arm, there should be traces of Moon Eye.’

Those who sent him messages had one thing in common. They had been in ‘Blackfield’ and in the ‘Heavenly Demon Hunt.’ In other words, they were revealing their doubts about his relationship with Specter.

‘There's a lot of reason to doubt.’

The ability that killed Janabi at that time was known to have been created by Specter and Seo Jun-Ho together.

"Then..."

The reason they sent the messages was obvious. If he didn’t reply, the thought that he and Specter were the same would weigh more heavily in their minds. It was all because Specter was supposed to be a patient who couldn’t lift even a finger right now.

‘...It's not that I don't trust the Big 6, but if you want to fool the enemy, you have to fool your allies first.’

To effectively eliminate the three Heavens of the Fiend Association, the fewer the people who knew the secret, the better. After coming to a decision, Seo Jun-Ho turned off the Community window. He didn’t need to reply with a hundred fancy words.

"Frost~"

When Seo Jun-Ho called her name, she popped her head out of his room.

"Why are you calling me? I am binge-watching the dramas I have fallen behind with…”

"Aren't you hungry? Why don't we go eat something delicious?”

"…Something delicious?”

Her pointed ears fluttered like wings.

‘Those ears aren’t even flapping, but they’re fluttering now?’

While Seo Jun-Ho was amazed, the Frost Queen ran into the room and exclaimed, ”I will get ready right away!"

***

About a week after the terrorist attacks, the world was now on its way to normalcy, although it wasn’t quite normal just yet. Seo Jun-Ho and the Frost Queen were walking along Apgujeong Street, a fairly busy street. In addition, she was without her mask.

"

Huh,

what’s that? A doll? It’s not? It’s walking?"

"Is she a child actor from abroad?"

"

Kyaa!

So… So cute!"

"Are you perhaps the child’s father? Can I take a picture of the child? I'm a team leader of a children's clothing company...”

"

Oh,

a photo, I’m not sure…"

Those who saw the Frost Queen while walking on the street unknowingly smiled. The Frost Queen was just that cute, pretty, and lovely. However, were their intense reactions nothing but burdensome to her? The always confident Frost Queen was busy hiding behind Seo Jun-Ho's legs whenever the traffic lights stopped.

"

Ugh…

Insolent people. How dare they treat me like a monkey in a zoo."

"Well, the meaning of their gazes is a little different. They watch monkeys because they find them cool, but they’re watching you because you’re cute.”

“…”

Khmm, hmph, ahem!

A compliment was enough to bolster her confidence to the point that she would come out from behind Seo Jun-Ho’s legs whenever she was given a compliment. The Frost Queen looked up at Seo Jun-Ho and asked, “But, Contractor, where are we going?”

"There's a place I've always wanted to go with you."

"A place you always wanted to go with me?"

"Yeah. There are many candies and chocolates there, too."

"

Ohooo,

isn’t that a great place?"

The Frost Queen eye’s twinkled. She liked her contractor very much today.

‘To serve delicious food on his own, how commendable. Most of all, he hasn’t been nagging.’

He would always tell her to brush her teeth, wash her face in the morning, and he would even ask if Spirits could skip laundry. His nagging had been getting progressively worse to the point that he was becoming more and more like his bald friend. But today, he was very kind since morning.

‘Hmm… if only the coming days would be like today…’

The Frost Queen would be willing to pass on a few more techniques to him in the future. A happy smile appeared on her face as she followed Seo Jun-Ho.

Arriving in front of a building, the Frost Queen asked with an innocent look, "Contractor, what's a dentist?"

"That's where we're going.”

"

Oh,

the place with lots of candies and chocolates?"

She voluntarily jumped into the store with great excitement. But the air inside was quite different from her imagination.

"What, what is this... This…"

First of all, the place didn’t give off a delicious smell as she had expected. The only thing that entered her nose was the smell of disinfectants with strong oil-rich substances. In addition, the clerks’ clothes weren’t pretty.

"How did you come here?”

They were dressed in uniforms similar to the nurses at the hospital.

The Frost Queen muttered while shaking Seo Jun-Ho's sleeve, "C-contractor… I think we came to the wrong store...”

"This is the right place. I made a reservation under the name of Seo Jun-Ho."

"

Oh,

you have a doctor's appointment for eleven o'clock."

For a moment, the Frost Queen had a blank look on her face as if the world had collapsed. Then, a kind nurse approached her and offered her candy.

"Little patient, do you want some strawberry candy?”

"N-nooooooo!”

Her one-word scream was buried in the classical music being played gently from the dental office's speakers.

***

"…Traitor." The Frost Queen’s eyes were fierce. The wounds of betrayal she had sustained from the contractor she once trusted were still fresh. "…I. I think the most important thing in a mutual contractual relationship is mutual trust."

Like, the belt of faith? However, the belt broke today.

"How can you do this to me?"

"That's why I told you to brush your teeth properly normally. You always have tea, coffee, cake, candy, chocolate, and coke. How can your teeth not rot and hurt?”

"It is not rotten! The dentist said my teeth are sturdy!” The Frost Queen's face flushed.

She even shed tears because she was sad about having to open her mouth wide to a human being she had never seen before in her life.

"That's why I'm buying you something delicious.”

"O-of course it is delicious, but…!"

They weren’t just empty words, it

really?

was delicious. What she was currently eating was a 71,000 won per person tteokbokki made at a luxury hotel restaurant. She found it so sweet that its taste had wrapped around her tongue; it was comparable to her contractor’s cake.

"...Anyway, I will never forget what happened today. Be prepared."

"Forget it, please. I did everything for you.”

While Seo Jun-Ho was comforting the sulky Frost Queen, internet users who witnessed them walking around spread stories on the Internet. Naturally, the news was transformed into a report, and it entered the ears of the Big 6.

"Did he really look normal?"

"Yes, he looks uninjured."

“…”

Reading all the reports, Shin Sung-Hyun put his hand on his chin.

‘Seo Jun-Ho… Specter…’

In fact, this was something that turned out to be a misunderstanding once before. But this time, there was quite a bit of suspicious evidence, so he tried...

'Well, I think I know how it works.’?

The brilliant Shin Sung-Hyun nodded slowly.

‘Catching Janabi was entirely due to Specter’s contribution.’

It was just that Specter had distributed a little bit of the contribution to Seo Jun-Ho, whom he was backing.

‘Maybe, Seo Jun-Ho requested Specter to do that in exchange for melting the 5 Heroes…’

He didn't mean to criticize in particular. In this world, getting something with whatever they had was also their ability.

"Jang Kyung-Hoon."

"Yes, Master."

"As of now, we will reduce Player Seo Jun-Ho’s importance by two notches."

"…I understand."

Doing so would inevitably affect Seo Jun-Ho’s stock price, which had risen to the highest after killing Janabi. However, Shin Sung-Hyun didn’t want to have the wrong information on his list of people.

‘...’

But while staring at the report, Shin Sung-Hyun asked, "But what on Earth is this crazy cute-looking exotic child mentioned in this report?”

"W-well. I don't know very much about that…”

Jang Kyung-Hoon wasn’t able to acquire a picture, so he could only scratch his head awkwardly at Shin Sung-Hyun’s words.

1. The Korean word here means construction work, but in gaming jargon, it means to farm/grind.

2. Tteokbokki is a Korean rice cake dish with spicy, creamy sauce.