/
Darkness bloomed at his fingertips like a small flickering flame.
‘Oh…’
Gong Ju-Ha’s mouth fell a little as she stared.
It was the same thing Specter had used when they fought Janabi. It was a vicious element, the mere sight of which sent a shiver down her spine.
This was Watchguard of Darkness, which was often regarded as the most powerful elemental skill in human history.
“It’s Watchguard of Darkness!”
“Wow… I never thought I’d be able to see it up close.”
“Can I take a picture?”
Gong Ju-Ha’s soul didn’t return to her body until Seo Jun-Ho returned from giving the Players autographs and pictures.
‘If Mr. Jun-Ho is Specter-nim, and Specter-nim is Mr. Jun-Ho…’
Everything that had happened between them passed through her head like a panorama. At this, she grew as red as a beet.
‘Oh, oh no…’
It hadn’t been on purpose, but she had fangirled over him in front of the very man himself. Gong Ju-Ha was so embarrassed she wanted to go hide in a ditch.
Then, she remembered something else, and she looked like she was about to cry.
“W-wait. Then the autograph you gave me…”
Seo Jun-Ho thought for a moment. With an awkward look, he nodded. “The autograph… You mean the one where you asked me to write ‘To my precious fan Ju-Ha♡’?”
Gong Ju-Ha bowed stiffly, like a robot. “Goodbye. I am going to depart from this world, so please don’t look for me. Have a good life.”
Just as she was about to run away in the opposite direction, Seo Jun-Ho easily grabbed her by the collar.
“L-let me go!” she exclaimed.
“I can’t do that!”
“Then let me at least find a ditch!”
Seo Jun-Ho chuckled at her serious request.
“Calm down for now,” he said.
“Do I look calm? Obviously, I talked about how much I like you to your face, and all this time, I have been acting like a sunbae…”
She had explained this and that about the industry, trying to teach him. She definitely seemed pathetic, right?
‘And…’
He had saved her life while they were fighting Janabi. Seo Jun-Ho had even been seriously injured in the battle.
‘Then that means…’
It was very likely that he was injured while trying to save her.
This wasn’t true, but right now, she felt like everything was her fault. Gong Ju-Ha’s eyes welled up with tears, and she stared at the ground while biting hard on her lip.
“...I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” he asked.
“Because of me, Janabi—”
“That’s not it at all. It was completely unrelated to you,” Seo Jun-Ho quickly said, trying to clear the misunderstanding before it got even worse.
The injuries he had sustained truly had nothing to do with her. He had left himself open on purpose to effectively use Moon Eye.
“On the contrary, you helped a lot, Captain Gong,” he assured. He finally let go of her collar. “25 years… It has been a long time. Naturally, I felt a gap.”
Seo Jun-Ho could have navigated through Earth on his own with his past experience, but that wasn’t the case for Frontier. If she hadn’t helped him, he was sure that it would have taken longer for him to adjust.
“...Really?”
“Specter does not lie.”
A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled.
That was true. Gong Ju-Ha unconsciously nodded.
The human heart was temperamental like that. Gong Ju-Ha had felt so guilty she wanted to die, but now that he told her that she had been of help, she became happy.
‘I must be an idiot…’
Even though Gong Ju-Ha tried to hold herself back, her lips still twitched.
Meanwhile, Seo Jun-Ho had to put in great effort to stop himself from laughing.
‘Man, Frost should have been here to see this.’
How was Gong Ju-Ha a fox? She was more like a puppy. If she had a tail, it would have been waving back and forth like a helicopter propeller right now.
“So, don’t feel so uncomfortable,” Seo Jun-Ho concluded.
“...I’ll do my best,” she said. Her very answer was her trying her best. Specter had been her idol and hero all her life, after all. It was only natural that she was finding it hard to process the fact that she had treated such a figure so casually and the fact that she had acted as an industry sunbae in front of him.
“Then, um, well, I’ll see you next time,” she said politely before scampering away.
Seo Jun-Ho watched as she disappeared. He didn’t really feel offended by her behavior, as he had encountered plenty of people in the past 90 days who had trouble speaking to him.
‘I have already accepted it.’
Every choice had a consequence. He knew that. He knew that, but…
‘It’s just a little…’
He felt bitter when he thought about how it might not be possible for him to laugh casually with her again. He smiled wryly and turned, heading out to where he had to go.
He was hoping that someday—she would speak casually with him again—just like before.
***
“Everyone’s so busy first thing in the morning,” Seo Jun-Ho said flatly. He was all dressed up in a suit.
At that, Shim Deok-Gu told him off. “You should be busy too. So, why aren’t you?”
“Because I can just step out wearing a mask.”
The reason things were so hectic was that the Player Association was about to hold a press conference where they would make an official statement.
Of course, the topic was about how they would go up to the 4th floor. So, aside from Seo Jun-Ho, the 4 Heroes were busy getting ready.
“Everyone knows your face already, so why would you go out wearing a mask?” Shim Deok-Gu asked.
“Business ethics, I suppose. If I do makeup on top of everything else, actors will go out of business.”
“What bullshit.”
Seo Jun-Ho snorted. “How are things on that front?”
“That front… Oh, you mean Climb?” Shim Deok-Gu waved it off. “They probably already know everything we’re going to announce today.”
“They’ll try to shoot us down, won’t they?”
“Clearly. It’s obvious that they’ll try to pile on and insist that they go to the 4th floor, too.”
“Hm, could we stop them?”
“With what justification?” They would obviously try to accuse the 5 Heroes of acting snobbish thanks to their popularity. “They claim that they made the organization to focus solely on climbing the floors without regard for politics. If they push the story, the public will obviously start thinking that something’s off,” Shim Deok-Gu explained.
Why would the Player Association try to stop people who simply wanted to clear the 4th floor? Were they truly asking elite Players to make a one-sided sacrifice to raise the 5 Heroes up?
Those ignorant of the details would think like that.
“Seems like things are the same as always,” Seo Jun-Ho said.
“Of course. Even if 260 or even 2,600 years had passed instead of 26, it’ll probably still be the same.”
There would always be people jealous of those who had more, no matter the country or era. The people at the top had to bear the weight of appeasing them.
“Why are you so conflicted?” Rahmadat asked as he approached, wearing a suit. “Can we not just do as we did in the past?”
“Things are similar… But still different.” Shim Deok-Gu let out a small sigh. “Nowadays, people don’t live with the stress of their lives being in danger every single day.”
“Hmph. So, in other words, they’re spoiled.”
“Compared to the days when all we wanted to do was survive, yes.” During difficult times, someone skilled and charismatic enough would become a hero, but in peaceful eras, they would be seen as self-centered mavericks. “Climb will probably want to push that image, so I’m just saying that you guys should be careful.”
As Shim Deok-Gu warned, Seo Jun-Ho looked around. There was a woman in the VIP room getting her makeup done like the rest of them.
“What do you need?” she asked, meeting his eyes.
“You were my secretary, but we’re teammates now. I feel uncomfortable by how formally you speak, so I’m not sure what to do,” Seo Jun-Ho said.
“Time will fix that,” Cha Si-Eun said firmly.
She was a hardcore fan of Specter on the same level as Gong Ju-Ha. Ever since his identity had been revealed, she had always been courteous to him.
“Still, it’s too much. One would think I’m a president or something.”
“Specter-nim, you are even more incredible than a president.”
“...”
That was true.
As he kept his mouth shut, he could feel everyone staring straight at him.
***
The reporters kept fiddling with their cameras. They didn’t have the sharp eyes they did at most press conferences. Rather, they were filled with excitement, as if they were children opening presents on Christmas day.
“I never thought I’d be able to photograph the first time the 5 Heroes spoke at an official press conference.”
“It’s an honor. I’m going to tell this story to my kids.”
“But why do you think they suddenly decided to hold a press conference at this time?”
“Wouldn’t it just be a simple showcase? They’ll probably just say that they’ve returned and that they’ll be in our care and answer a few questions. That’ll be it.”
The news outlets were obviously watching closely today, but so were the Guilds. The 5 Heroes were nearly on the same level as the Big 6, and quite possibly even higher.
“They’re coming!” One of the reporters cried out as five men and women walked out. As they did, the room was filled with the countless sounds of camera shutters and flashing lights.
No one was dumb enough to shout or cheer. Even those who detested the 5 Heroes at least took this moment to take in their return.
“Hello,” Mio said. Though her voice sounded stiff at first, it became smoother the more you listened. As the educated daughter of a prestigious family, she was skilled at speaking in these kinds of settings.
“Thus, we will be resuming our journey, which has been put on hold for 26 years and 7 months.”
“Resume your journey?”
“Wait, does that mean the 5 Heroes will climb the floors together once more?”
“This is a scoop!”
Countless reporters and Players frantically typed on their hologram keyboards, spreading the news. Meanwhile, the impatient reporters’ hands shot into the air to ask questions.
“Hang Seung-Hoon, local news reporter for Player Today. A few days ago at the global conference, the decision was made to restrict access to the 4th Floor. Considering this, what do you really mean when you say you’re going to resume your journey?”
“What do we really mean?” Rahmadat frowned. “There’s nothing like that. Is it so strange that we will be climbing floors like Players?”
“I-it’s not strange… But it can be seen as ignoring the decision of the conference—”
Just as things started to heat up a bit, Gilberto expertly cut them off. “If we were to state a reason, it would be that we were asked to do this.”
“Asked? By whom?”
“Wei Chun-Hak of the Nine Heavens, along with Silent Moon, the Sword Saint Kim Woo-Joong’s Guild.”
“Oh!”
Finally, the reporters exclaimed when the pieces fell into place.
‘So, Wei Chun-Hak has allied with the 5 Heroes and Silent Moon to get more firepower.’
‘They were specifically chosen by the Player who has had the most success on the 4th floor.’
‘It’s likely because he’s certain that the 4th floor will be cleared faster if he brings them with him. As such, there’s no reason to stop them.’
Just then, Silent Moon and Celestial Dragon, Wei Chun-Hak’s Guild, released statements that they would go up to the 4th floor with the 5 Heroes.
‘Things are going as expected…’
There were people from Climb mixed into the crowd, and they nodded. This situation wasn’t bad for them either. They raised their hands and began their assault.
“But even considering the status of the 5 Heroes and Silent Moon, wouldn’t it be right to officially submit a request to the World Congress and receive approval first?”
“Setting a precedent of ignoring rules and regulations wouldn’t be wise.”
“In addition, if the 5 Heroes are allowed to go up but the other Players are still prohibited from going up, how will you handle their feelings of deprivation?"
Those words were reasonable. They were questions Climb had prepared to injure their honor.
“What? Feelings of deprivation?” Just as Rahmadat scowled and started to reach for the mic, Specter held up his hand and stopped him. Everyone was shocked when he picked up the mic in Rahmadat’s stead. It was because the former Specter had been famous for never saying a word even in press conferences.
‘Hm. With the mask, he really doesn’t seem like Seo Ju-Ho.’
‘I never would have guessed that the ruffian who came shuffling out in slippers would end up being Specter-nim.’
‘He’ll probably show us a new Specter.’
The taciturn Specter versus the spontaneous Seo Jun-Ho. They wondered which side Specter would show. As the anticipation grew like a balloon, Specter spoke…