On January 1st, 2019, the world changed. 

Gates, monsters, the System, players.

These new concepts sprang up from nowhere. 

Those who protect and those who invade.

These two powers fought all over the world. 

One year, two years, three years… five years. 

On November 4th, 2024, all players received a message from the System. 

The final boss! If we just defeat her, we can go back to our normal lives!

Countless players were filled with newfound determination, and their hope was rekindled. 

For a day. 

That’s how long it took for hope to become despair. 

On the day that the Frost Queen walked out of the Gate, the southern Pacific froze over with a flick of her wrist. Everyone’s determination froze along with it. 

There were only five people who weren’t shaken. 

These top players took a plane to Antarctica. 

“Let’s catch that Frost Queen.”

All for the sake of what others thought impossible. 

* * *

Final dungeon, Antarctica. 

The Queen’s Nest, 2nd floor. 

The five players stood in front of the stairs leading to the next floor. A message popped up. 

“Are you fucking kidding me? After coming all this way?” A muscular man stomped the floor with a loud bang as he swore.

“Doesn’t that mean that the other four will die here?”

From the moment they entered the Nest, they’d been chased by the Frost Queen’s breath. There was only one way to avoid getting frozen by the poisonous breath: to keep climbing. This meant that only one person would ascend and that the remaining four would freeze to death. 

“…There’s only two minutes left until the breath catches up. Let’s choose quickly,” the Great Mage Skaya said as she looked at the others. 

“I think Specter should go. He has the best chance of killing the Frost Queen.”

“I could kill her too.”

“And who would win in a fight between you two?”

“…Tsk. Touche.” The muscular giant raised his hands in surrender. 

The man wearing a cowboy hat, Gilbert Green nodded in agreement. “I agree. With the exception of Specter, our odds against the Frost Queen aren’t too great.”

“…That’s true.”

He was right. Rahmadat Khali had great physical strength, but that wouldn’t be a match for the Frost Queen. If she so much as breathed or raised her hand, the entire area around her would freeze. 

It was the same for Tenmei Mio, who wielded a Japanese katana. Her and Skaya already had their hands full guarding against the Frost Queen’s approach from the rear guard.

“Then it’s settled.”

The four of them turned to look at Specter. He wore a black mask. 

“…Are you sure you won’t regret this?” A dry voice spoke from behind the mask. Rahmadat shrugged. 

“We probably will. A whole fucking lot. But what can we do? You have the best chance of succeeding.”

“Alright. Then, I’ll kill her before her breath reaches us.”

“No way. That’s impossible.” Tenmei Mio shook her head. “Please don’t rush because of us. Lie in wait until you’re sure you can kill her.”

“Mio’s right. It’s impossible to kill her in two minutes. If you rush in like that, you’ll actually give her the initiative.” Rahmadat and Skaya nodded in agreement. 

“You hear that? Don’t be impatient, and kill her properly. That’s what it’ll take to be the one that goes up.”

“I don’t know about the rest of us, but you can definitely do it.”

Specter looked at his faithful teammates. If he was the one that was left behind, could he cheer them on so casually?

“…”

He couldn’t.

Biting his lip under his mask, he gave a heavy nod. 

“…I’ll see you again. I promise.”

His teammates laughed and told him that they got it, that he should go. 

With that empty promise, Specter ran up the stairs, skipping multiple steps at a time. 

He didn’t look back. Because he couldn’t afford to at the time. 

Crash.

Not even when the stair crumbled behind him and he couldn’t hear their voices anymore. His eyes were fixed at the top of the stairs. 

At that moment, he reached the top. 

“So you’ve finally come to my grave.”

In the middle of the room, the Frost Queen sat on a frozen throne. Her legs were crossed, her demeanor elegant and aloof. 

But Specter wasn’t fooled by her alluring appearance. The aura that she radiated threatened to freeze everything around her. 

Shing.

The sound of the weapon being drawn seemed to lower the temperature. Specter spoke in a flat voice. 

“Five years.” That’s how long the world had been changed to become like a game. “Let’s end this.”

“End… this?”

The Frost Queen burst out in laughter, covering her lips with her slender fingers. “Ahahaha! You really don’t know anything about this world.”

“I’m only here to kill you, why would I need to know such things?”

Woooong!

Darkness surged around him, and the ice started to fill with black. The best player in the world, Specter Seo Jun-ho, opened his mouth. 

“All I need to confirm is your death and the end of this game.”

Darkness and ice clashed, creating a massive explosion. 

* * *

– “Haa, haa…” At the end of a long battle, the Frost Queen let out a violent cough. Her complexion was pale, but a smile teased at the edge of her lips. 

– “I had fun.”

“I didn’t.”

With a sullen voice, an exhausted Seo Jun-ho swung his broken sword with as much force as he could muster. 

Slice!

The Frost Queen’s head was no different from other living organisms. It was cut through cleanly.

At the same time, a message rang in his ears. 

“Phew…” Seo Jun-ho let out a long breath. 

He’d done it. 

It had been 5 years since the world had become hell. He’d finally exacted revenge on the monsters who’d stolen his normal life. 

“Mother, father.”

Thinking of his parents, Seo Jun-ho looked at the digital clock with nervous eyes. 

His teeth dug into his lips, bringing a metallic taste to his mouth. 

“…Shit. I’m so sorry.”

His comrades had already frozen long ago. 

“I… I couldn’t keep my promise.” He looked at the ground in shame and exhaustion. 

In that moment, a hellhound crawled out from the ground and started chewing at the Frost Queen’s body. 

Crunch, crunch!

After it finished its scrumptious meal, the hellhound spat something out before it disappeared. 

A nucleus. 

It was a power source some of the monsters used. It was also a new energy source that had recently been in the spotlight. 

“My friends sacrificed themselves…”

Roll.

With a horrified expression, Seo Jun-ho reached down to pick it up. 

“For something like this.”

But when he picked it up, a dizzying amount of messages appeared. 

[Strength: 217 -> 21]

[Stamina: 201 -> 24]

[Speed: 225 -> 26]

[Magic: 183 -> 18]

“What?!” Startled, Seo Jun-ho started to drop the nucleus, but it had already started to absorb through his skin. 

Frost started to spread on his skin and he felt his blood flow and heartbeat slow. The horrible chill filled his veins and his body. His joints went cold, and his chin shook uncontrollably, causing his teeth to chatter. 

“This… crazy dungeon…”

Seo Jun-ho felt his consciousness slip, and froze. 

* * *

* * *

Someone asked: “Everyone, what’s on November 11th?” 

In the past, they would have answered ‘Pepero Day’. But the answer changed in the year 2024.

“Huh? That’s the Day of Heroes.”

“Is that even a question?”

The Day of Heroes. After 2024, November 11th became the day that the Five Heroes saved the world. From the middle of October to the beginning of November, tickets to Korea sold like crazy.

There was a simple reason. On that one day, the frozen statues of the Five Heroes were put on display at the Seoul History Museum. 

“The result of such a world that was overrun with monsters…” 

Thousands of people sat in their seats, listening to the suit-clad curator on stage. She spoke in Korean, but thanks to the live translation system, there was no one who couldn’t understand. 

“…In 2024, a monster that humanity could not quell appeared.” 

A kindergartener wearing a yellow hat raised their hand and yelled. “The Frost Queen! I heard from my teacher!”

“That’s right. Our young friend is smart,” the curator said with a smile. “The Frost Queen was a monster that could freeze the southern Pacific with one wave of her hand. While everyone else lost hope, five people had hope in their hearts as they traveled to Antarctica.”

“The Nest Attack Team?”

“Right again. These legendary players achieved the most important thing in history.” 

The lights on the stage flicked off. 

The curator swallowed as she looked at the audience. She pulled her hand back. The curtain was pulled aside and five frozen statues stood behind a reinforced glass wall.

“Today, we call them the Five Heroes. Please be respectful.”

Cameras flashed all over. The audience was captivated by the statues. Some closed their eyes and said a prayer of thanks. 

“Thanks to the Five Heroes, the Frost Queen was defeated and numerous safe zones appeared. Additionally…” As the curator launched into a deep explanation, the kindergartener pointed, eyes wide. 

“Th-the statue moved!”

“Oho, I’m sorry. That’s incorrect.” The curator smiled and shook her head. “The temperature behind the wall is regulated 24/7 so there won’t be…”

Crack. The curator paused at the peculiar sound and turned around. She cautiously took a step forward to check the statues beyond the wall. The sound had come from the direction of the Specter’s mask-wearing statue. She let her gaze linger for a moment, but the statues had been fine for 25 years. 

“W-well, as I was saying. There wouldn’t be any problems…” She’d barely gotten the words out of her mouth when one of the statues shattered and a person fell to the ground. 

“Ugh… euh…” The System filled his eyes and ears with messages. 

[Absorption percentage 99.9999%…]

[Absorption percentage 100%.]

“What is… fu… cold…” He slowly raised his gaze, meeting the eyes of a shocked audience.

“H-he’s moving?”

“Holy shit!”

“He’s alive… the Specter is alive! Hey! Someone call a doctor, right now!”

“Hey! This is front-page stuff. Start writing an article right away! I mean, if they let us! This is big news!”

In an instant, the audience erupted in noise.