Chapter 596. Screening Test (1)

Munch, munch, munch!

Chewing noises were the first thing that Seo Jun-Ho heard upon waking up.

“...”

He opened his and saw a familiar ceiling. He was also lying on a soft bed.

‘It’s my room.’

Seo Jun-Ho deduced that he was in his home in the Korean Players Association. He turned, and his eyes met with the Frost Queen, who was munching an apple beside him.

“Oh…?” The Frost Queen’s eyes widened as if she had been caught red-handed, and then she asked awkwardly, “D-do you want one, too?”

“...No. I have no appetite right now.”

‘I need to examine myself first.’

Seo Jun-Ho raised his stiff body and closed his eyes to examine himself.

“Huh, what is this? I feel much better than I thought.”

“Don’t you remember anything?”

“Remember what?”

“You were a total mess, Contractor.”

“What are you talking about?”

“How should I explain this? What was it called? Like when you reconstructed your physique or something. Uh… what was it again…”

Seo Jun-Ho searched through his memories for a while before answering, “Body transformation?”

“Ah! Yes, that’s it. You did that again.”

“I did?”

Seo Jun-Ho blinked and looked down and saw that the scars he had sustained after his first body transformation had disappeared.

‘I feel much lighter as well, but how come I went through another body transformation?’

The Frost Queen seemed to have seen through Seo Jun-Ho’s thoughts and said,

“You should read the System’s event log before anything else.”

“Ah, you’re right.” Seo Jun-Ho nodded and opened the System’s event log.

Dozens of messages flooded his vision at once.

Fwoosh!

[Congratulations! You have defeated Frontier-23’s Boss Monster, Kineos Mullibach.]

[You’ve obtained the title: Death’s Phobia (S).]

[Safe zones will now appear in the Frontier-23 area.]

[You’re the first Player to have reached the Star Destruction Stage.]

[You’ve obtained the title: Pioneer (S).]

[You’ve obtained the title: Star Destroyer (S).]

[Your fleshly body and your magic circuit have been reformed as a result of reaching the Star Destruction Stage.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

…

[All stats have increased by 40.]

“I see...” Seo Jun-Ho nodded. ‘I guess I really wasn’t a Star Destruction Stage creature until I defeated the emperor.’

However, he really didn’t find it strange because he couldn’t maintain Overclocking at 400% for a long time.

“Hold on. Does that mean…”

Seo Jun-Ho mustered his magic, and he was surprised to see magic traveling around his body at breakneck speeds.

“...”

Despite his high Overclocking output, his body temperature remained stable.

Seo Jun-Ho smiled lightly. “I guess I’m now a true Star Destruction Stage creature.”

He could only maintain Overclocking at 400% output for a few minutes back then, and he also had to try his best not to make any mistakes, but now, Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that he could maintain 400% Overclocking output with no issues for even a few hours.

‘...I had no idea that the Star Destruction Stage would be this awesome.’

Actually, Seo Jun-Ho still had no idea what the Star Destruction Stage meant. He only thought of it as nothing more than a way to measure one’s strength against others in the universe.

‘I thought it’s just something similar to levels among Players…’

However, the difference between the Stages was so big that Seo Jun-Ho reckoned that there had to be something deeper about the Star Destruction Stage. ‘I need more information. I wish I could ask someone about it. Is there even anyone like that?’

Seo Jun-Ho contemplated, and he soon turned to the Frost Queen.

“Hmm…”

‘Unfortunately, Frost won’t be that much of a help.’

Seo Jun-Ho could still remember how a demon had ridiculed the Frost Queen for not knowing the Five Stages. ‘But it has been a long time since then, so perhaps she had already recovered some of her memories.’

Seo Jun-Ho asked, “Frost, are you familiar with the Stages?”

“Stages?”

Munch, munch, munch!

The Frost Queen nodded while munching on an apple like a rabbit.

“Of course, I’m familiar with them! What do you think of me, Contractor? An idiot?” The Frost Queen cleared her throat and shouted, “Disaster! Liberation! Star Destruction! Transcendence! Absolute!”

The Frost Queen revealed a proud look, and she looked like a kindergarten student who had just counted her numbers correctly in front of her teacher.

“Yes, I know their names as well,” said Seo Jun-Ho with a nod before continuing. ”A demon told us that, remember? What I meant is that if you’re familiar with the details.”

“T-the details?” the Frost Queen stammered before looking down at the ground.

‘All right, she has no idea.’ Seo Jun-Ho shook his head, but he didn’t look disappointed as he said, “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. You can keep eating those apples.”

“All right. This apple tastes really good…”

Munch, munch, munch!

The Frost Queen proceeded to devour the apples.

Seo Jun-Ho turned his attention to his new titles.

‘Let’s start with Death’s Phobia.’

[Title: Death’s Phobia.]

Grade: S

Description: Even death could not defeat you.

Effect: You become stronger as death approaches.

Seo Jun-Ho frowned. ‘It’s not telling me anything.’

And Seo Jun-Ho couldn’t really check the title’s effect.

“...Oh, wait.”

‘I can check it.’’

Seo Jun-Ho clapped his hands and said, “Summon Jun-Sik.”

“Jun-Sik is here!”

Seo Jun-Sik manifested in a corner of the room and raised his hand excitedly, but tears welled up in his eyes the moment he met Seo Jun-Ho’s gaze.

“Okay, you can kill me.”

“Are you okay? How come you’re so obedient today?”

“Nothing will change even if disobey. You’re going to kill me to check the title’s effect, right? You’re going to kill me like I’m nothing but a mere guinea pig.”

“Ah!” The Frost Queen gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “That’s so mean of you, Contractor!”

Seo Jun-Sik kneeled and looked up at the Frost Queen with a sad gaze.

“Frost. It was a short reunion, but it was nice to see you again.”

“...Jun-Sik, noooooo!”

“Are you guys done yet?” Seo Jun-Ho clicked his tongue and let out a sigh. “Do you seriously think that I’ll kill you just to check the title’s effect?”

“...You won’t?”

“No…” Seo Jun-Ho shook his head and added, “But it’s going to hurt a lot because I have to put you on the brink of death. It can’t be helped; it’s the only way to check”

“What?! Then, how’s that any different from actually killing me?” Seo Jun-Sik exclaimed before sighing. “At least let me do it myself.”

“You’re going to hurt yourself? That’s scarier, actually,” said Seo Jun-Ho, who had killed himself dozens of times on the 4th Floor.

“I still want to do it myself. I’m scared that you’ll stab me with no mercy, Original.”

“Well, how am I supposed to put you to the brink of death, then?” asked Seo Jun-Ho. In the end, he nodded and said, “All right, do as you wish. Hurry up.”

“Huff… puff…!” Seo Jun-Sik took a few deep breaths to prepare himself. Moments later, he sent a palm strike to his heart.

Boom!

Seo Jun-Sik’s expression distorted in pain as his heart abruptly stopped upon impact.

“AH!” Seo Jun-Sik inhaled sharply as his heart started beating once again. He crumpled to the floor to catch his breath.

Seo Jun-Ho asked. “Did it work?”

“Can someone even get meaner than you? And you actually call yourself human?”

“Oh.”

‘Was I too heartless?’

Seo Jun-Ho awkwardly scratched his head. “Are you okay? Anyway, did it work?”

“...” Seo Jun-Sik stood up with an annoyed look and said, “Yes, it worked. I got stronger.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I literally got stronger while I was dying.”

Seo Jun-Ho nodded at Seo Jun-Sik’s explanation. “I see.”

Seo Jun-Sik expounded, and it seemed that his stats weren’t the only parts that had gotten stronger while he was dying—mental strength, skills, et cetera also increased while he was on the brink of death.

‘But it’s kind of weak for an S-grade title. Well, I guess it’s better than nothing.’

How come Seo Jun-Ho didn’t get the title on the 4th Floor? He figured that it was all because those deaths were a part of the regression. Seo Jun-Ho moved on to the next title.

[Title: Pioneer]

Grade: S

Description: You’re the first Player to have reached the Star Destruction Stage.

Effect: Level + 50 while your level is the highest among Players.

“Wait, this is…”

Seo Jun-Ho thought that it was a decent title because it basically meant that Seo Jun-Ho possessed an additional two hundred and fifty stat points as long as he had the highest level among Players.

‘It’s a permanent level increase as long as I make sure that I have the highest level.’

The title was priceless, considering how difficult it was to level up the higher one’s level.

Seo Jun-Ho was thrilled. Pioneer (S) was such a great title, so he was excited to see if the next title could compare to it or perhaps even surpass it.

[Title: Star Destroyer.]

Grade: S

Description: You’ve reached the Star Destruction Stage.

Effect: Your fleshly body and magic circuit are reformed.

‘I knew it.’

It was clear that Star Destroyer (S) was the reason behind his second body transformation.

‘I profited a lot.’

Seo Jun-Ho checked his status window for the first time in a long while.

[Seo Jun-Ho]

Level: 372

Title: Bringer of Spring (+11 more)

Strength: 1009 Stamina: 1003

Speed: 1013 Magic: 1024

“Wow.”

Seo Jun-Ho's stats reached four digits upon clearing the 7th Floor, and his massive stats clearly played a huge part in why he felt much lighter than before. “Wait a minute.”

Seo Jun-Ho’s eyes narrowed. He examined his status window closely, and he discovered that Pioneer (S) wasn’t active.

‘I’m not the Player with the highest level?’

He had wiped out tens of thousands of fiends and vanquished Floor Masters after Floor Masters, so how come Pioneer (S) wasn’t active?

“...”

‘There’s only one reason why it’s inactive.’

Seo Jun-Ho said, “Frost. Do you have any idea what happened to the Heavenly Demon? He was on the 7th Floor as well.”

“No one knows his current status. He probably died after getting hit by the shockwaves from your battle with the emperor because he was around the area.”

“...No. He’s still alive. I’m sure of it.”

‘I’ve already killed every fiend out there aside from the Heavenly Demon.’

Seo Jun-Ho was certain that the Heavenly Demon was still alive because the latter was the only Player that could possibly exceed the former’s level.

After all, the Heavenly Demon had access to the entire Underworld, which was definitely teeming with demonic creatures for him to hunt.

“Wait, he was around the area?”

“Yeah, he stole the Holy Sword, Contractor.”

“The Holy Sword?” Seo Jun-Ho instantly guessed why the Heavenly Demon decided to take it for himself. “He must be absorbing the power within the Holy Relic right now.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Not really.” Seo Jun-Ho was confident that he could protect everything precious to him.

“I’m just glad that he didn’t attack me while I was asleep.”

“I think he’s going to reach the Star Destruction Stage as well once he’s done absorbing the Holy Sword’s power.”

“Yeah, and I’m waiting for him to reach the same Stage as me.”

The Heavenly Demon had been running away like a cockroach because he was weak.

He wasn’t confident enough to defeat so many Players, including Seo Jun-Ho.

However, it would be a different story once he reached the Star Destruction Stage.

“He would have nothing to fear.”

‘Aside from me, of course.’

Seo Jun-Ho concluded that the Heavenly Demon would come out on his own once he reached the Star Destruction Stage.

“Are you sure that he’s going to come out on his own?”

“The Heavenly Demon is prideful, Frost.”

He was prouder than everyone whom Seo Jun-Ho had met before.

“And he hates humans as well….”

The prideful Heavenly Demon had to be stewing in humiliation at the harsh reality that he couldn’t afford to confront the humans whom he detested so much because he was too weak to do so.

“That bastard will come down to exterminate us once he becomes strong enough.”

‘And when that day comes, only one of us will survive to see another day.”

“I think the Heavenly Demon will come down to attack us soon, so we should get ready for that rather than get ready to clear the 8th Floor.”

“I see, but we can’t really clear the 8th Floor,” said the Frost Queen.

“Huh? Why?”

“I thought you read the event log?”

Seo Jun-Ho turned and checked the event log once more, and his eyes narrowed at a certain message.

[Safe zones will now appear in the Frontier-23 area.]

[Player level cap has increased from 400 to 450.]

[An Administrator has locked the 8th Floor. Please contact an Administrator for more information.]

“...What is this?”