Return of the Frozen Player

strength has increased by 2 and speed has increased by 3.]

 

Level 65.
It was the result of Seo Jun-Ho's full-fledged training.
He reached it on the third day.

“I think the higher my level, the more lost stats will be restored when I level.”

Or perhaps it had increased after Seo Jun-Ho came up to the 2nd floor? He was not sure because he didn’t particularly make a note of it.
But there was one thing he was sure of—the pace he was regaining his old strength was increasing.

'The Curse of Bitter Cold will be lifted in another seven hours or so…’

He was rapidly adapting to Overclocking with 15% output.
Of course, there were still areas that clearly showed his inexperience.

‘But this is enough for real battles…’

He had passed his own strict screening criteria.
All he could see now were green lights.

“Status window.”

 

[Seo Jun-Ho]

Level: 65

Title: Bring of Spring (2+)

Strength: 215 (-99)

Stamina: 210 (-94)

Speed: 212 (-92)

Magic: 169 (-75)

Fame: 2,720

 

Of course, there was one thing he was worried about.
It was that the Curse of Bitter Cold would be lifted in the next seven hours.

'It's good that the curse will be lifted, but then my stats will almost double again…’

He felt burdened about whether he would be able to control Overclocking at 15% of its maximum output when his stats dramatically increased after the Curse of Bitter Cold was lifted.

Tug, tug. 

The Frost Queen pulled Seo Jun-Ho's hair with a frown.

“Contractor, it says all over your face that you feel burdened.
Do not worry too much.”

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“Tssp, this must be a disease, an occupational disease.
It's a job where you always have to risk your life.”[1]

That was why he was sensitive to every little thing.
Especially since the humans he would meet tomorrow were fiends belonging to a Squadron. Even Skaya was both slightly nervous and excited.

“Since we found a lead, I hope we can find something bigger…” Seo Jun-Ho muttered as he watched the sunset falling over the horizon.

“Huh? Contractor!”

Then, the Frost Queen raised her voice and pulled Seo Jun-Ho's hair once again.
When he looked up with a questioning look she pointed her finger at something without saying a word.

“The moon?”

The moon she pointed to was brighter and bigger than any other light.
And above all, it was round.

“…A full moon.”

Seo Jun-Ho got up from his seat with a stiff expression.
It was one day earlier than expected.
He clicked his tongue at the status window that was still disrupting his view.
There were still seven hours before the Curse of Bitter Cold was lifted. 

***

“Oh, you're here? You're just in time.”

Back at the inn in Denver, Skaya was waiting for Seo Jun-Ho.
She quickly put him in a chair, not bothering to explain anything.

“There’s no time.
Did you see the sky?” asked Skaya urgently.

“Yeah, it was a full moon,” replied Seo Jun-Ho.

“In a few hours, someone will be at the meeting point.
You have to be Gouf within that time.”

Splash.

Skaya shook a medicinal bottle filled with green liquid.

“Here, drink this.”

“…What is this?”

“Transformation potion.
I made it in a hurry, so the duration won’t be that long.
I think it'll last about six hours?”

Seo Jun-Ho gulped down his saliva.
Today, he would drink this medicine and meet the fiends disguised as Gouf.
The reason why he was doing such a cumbersome job, even though he could easily obtain information through the Confession of the Dead, was simple.

“If they really think you're the real Gouf, they'll probably take you with them.”

“…To the Fiend Association’s branch.”

The Fiend Association’s branch was a small branch of only about ten fiends.
They had no idea how many people would gather there today, so they had to be careful as much as possible.

“And for you…”

Slap.

Skaya stuck a heinous-looking skeleton sticker to his forearm.

“What's this?”

“It's a sticker that has location tracking magic and simple wiretapping magic.
If something happens, this noona will fly over, pronto.”

“Mmhm, you're so reliable.”

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Skaya was to be on stand-by at this inn today.
Only Seo Jun-Ho would be moving according to their plan.
It was all because fiends with sharp instincts might notice her magic.

“How was the training for the last three days?”

“Well… It wasn't bad.
I managed to obtain some things.”

It was very lacking compared to 100% output, but the 15% output was still superior to Booster.

“Just keep one thing in mind, the Curse of Bitter Cold.” Skaya requested sincerely.
“We have about six hours left…
Before that, don't create a situation where a fight might occur.”

It was a reasonable request. 

When Seo Jun-Ho nodded, Skaya tapped him on the shoulder.
“Have a safe trip.”

“Do your best.”

It was unknown when the battle would begin.
Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that she had to be feeling frustrated too.
After all, she had no other choice but to patiently wait while fully prepared.
Seo Jun-Ho left the inn and casually activated Overclocking at 15% of its maximum output.

Stretch. 

Every time he kicked off the ground, his body seemed to leave behind afterimages.
He was definitely faster with Overclocking compared to Booster.

“Contractor, I think this is enough?”

“Mmhm.”

Arriving near the deserted Canal Mountains, Seo Jun-Ho poured the medicine Skaya had given him into his mouth.

“Ugh, it's bitter…”

It was so bad that his face contorted. 

Crack, crack. 

At the same time, his bones began to make strange noises.

“Uck.”

Surprised, the Frost Queen distanced herself.
About ten minutes later, the strange noises calmed down.

“Hmmm.”

Seo Jun-Ho took out a mirror and looked at his face.
He slowly nodded.
“Perfect.”

No matter how you looked at it, it was the face of the Gouf whom he had just hunted a few days ago.
Even his height had slightly grown.
It meant that even Gouf’s skeletal structure had been reproduced.

“Contractor, are you confident in your acting skills?”

“Of course…”

Seo Jun-Ho was confident in his acting skills.
After all…

“I even have his memories.”

In short, method acting was possible.[2]

1. Tssp is the sound of sucking air in between your teeth. ☜

2.
Method acting is acting through identifying with, understanding, and experiencing a character's inner motivation and emotions. – From Wikipedia. ☜