Emperor of Solo Play

Chapter 145 - Frost Knight (1)

1.

Hydra, Big Smiles and the Hahoe Mask.

These three participants had created an incident that had never been seen before.  Moreover, the reverberation caused by the struggle for the rights to the Northland was so strong that the topic refused to go away after a day had passed.

- So we have to ask for permission if we want to go to the Northland?

- The Hahoe Mask doesn't have a personal site.  Do we have to go to his Youtube page, and ask for his permission in the comment section?

- I don't know.  In the case of guilds, they keep a fixed schedule regarding the hunting grounds they own.  I get the concept of a guild holding the ownership.  However, isn't this case a little bit different?  We've never had a private User insist on the ownership of a region.

- ㄴ The Hahoe Mask fought and won in a fair manner.  So what's the problem?

- ㄴ Didn't the Hahoe Mask ambush Sinclair after he fought Sohank?  It wasn't fair and square.

- ㄴ Of course, it is.  He fought 30 Users.  It was a 30 vs 1 fight, so it is as fair and square as it could be.

- ㄴ In truth, I can't believe the Big Smiles tried a 30 vs 1 fight.  I feel a bit bad about the Big Smiles.

- So when is the Hahoe Mask going to upload his video?

Even amongst the common Users, the presence of the Hahoe Mask dominated everything.

The presence of the Hahoe Mask lingered.  The Red Bulls guild and 7 additional guilds of the 30 great guilds gave up on conquering the Urugal mountain range.  After they abandoned the task, the only challenger left was the Stormhunters guild.  However, it seemed they practically ran away from the Urugual mountain after suffering heavy damage.  Then there were the stories of the skilled Users that represented the Underfoot guilds.  They were receiving VIP treatments from the 30 great guilds.  These Users were transferring to the 30 great guilds.  Then there was the V&V guild that was continuously rewriting the time records for the Boss Monsters.  However, all these news just brushed by the consciousness of the Users.  These news wasn't retained in their memories.

- If looked at it in a certain way, the Hahoe Mask might be the warlord.

- Isn't the strongest User in Warlord called the warlord?  Doesn't that mean the Hahoe Mask is the warlord?

- If a warlord appears, does this mean it is the end of Warlord?

- ㄴ Then the Hahoe Mask will bring this game to an end.  Do you this the Tobo Soft plans to erase the Hahoe Mask?

- ㄴ Let's stop talking about the Hahoe Mask.

Some were uncomfortable with the excessive interest that was paid to the Hahoe Mask.

There was a scary tornado brewing outside the interest of the Hahoe Mask.  However, only a few people realized this fact.

“This is driving me nuts.”

He was so frustrated that a User mumbled out a complaint he shouldn't have voiced.  His character name was Strauss, but he was known more by his nickname and rank.  He was the First Head.  The User was constantly rubbing at his face.  He was one of the few people that saw the hidden storm that was brewing.

‘The Hahoe Mask isn't the important story right now.’

The First Head Strauss had heard the news about Sohank's failure and he had received Natal's report.  When he heard it, he saw through to the most important issue at hand.

‘Sohank lost to Sinclair.  Sinclair now has the Big Smiles' emblem on his chest.  That’s the dangerous part.’

Of course, the First Head was very well informed about Sinclair.  Moreover, he knew a lot about the Hands guild.  The Hands guild had earnestly started their activities through the V&V guild.  The First Head wasn't surprised by it.  He surmised it would happen one day.

However, Sinclair wasn't the Hands guild expert that represented the V&V guild.  The Hydra's strongest spear, Sohank, was broken by a member of the Big Smiles.  When this had occurred, he had thought about the worst scenario that played out like a nightmare.

‘Are they planning on eating the entire 30 great guilds?’

The V&V guild was already in the hands of the Hands guild now.

In a brief amount of time, the Big Smiles guild will also be owned by the Hands guild.  Sinclair had defeated Sohank, and he would be treated like a hero in the Big Smiles guild.  Of course, the Big Smiles guild will restructure themselves with Sinclair at its core.

Similar events would start to occurring in the other guilds.

What would happen next?

‘Shit.’

These Hands guild members will earn political power and they will start gaining a following.  They would be able to crush anyone that didn't listen to them.

Moreover, the attacks aimed at the Big 3 was very thinly veiled.  The Hydra guild had already taken a body blow from the Big Smile guild.

He couldn't guarantee it would end at this.

‘I shouldn't have used the Stormhunters as bait when we were trying to catch the Immoral Prince.  Instead I should have deepened our relationship....  No.  If we had allied ourselves with the Red Bulls or the Stormhunters, they would have just used us.’

In the end, the Hydra guild didn't have many strong spears in their arsenal.  Sohank was really strong.  However, if Sohank was excluded, who else was there?  If one excluded Chev from the Red Bulls guild, they were overflowing with skilled Users.  Aside from the Storm Queen, the Stormhunters had the Storm Princess, Ballista Hatch, and other veteran heroes that had been tempered through numerous Raids.  This was why he had tried to form a closer relationship with them.  However, this plan became a mess when the Stormhunters guild suddenly attempted the Immortal Prince Raid.  It further deteriorated with the appearance of the Hahoe Mask.

As he was about to go mad as his thoughts reached this point, the First Head started to touch his face again.  He ordered his thoughts.

‘Anyways, there's no benefit in regretting past events.  It isn't as if I can do anything to change it.’

The hands that was touching his face stopped.  The First Head thought about the best path he could take going forward.

‘I might have to bet big in recruiting the Whistling Pit Bull.  The resources we would have to use would bleed us a lot, but we need a spear that will deter the other guilds from taking our preys.  Moreover....  Wasn't there a User called Challenger Kiyote?  He's making quite a name for himself recently.  I have to use this opportunity to rope them in by giving them a VIP treatment.’

Recruiting.

This was the best method that was available to the Hydra guild.  However, the First Head let out a sigh when he thought about the cost that would have to be expended in recruiting these Users.

‘I can't believe I miss my days working at Wall Street.’

He had hated making such calculations, so he had given up his job to play this game.  However, this game was forcing him to make similar decisions to his past job.

At that moment, the First Head couldn't hold back his sudden laugh.

‘At the very least, I have to thank the stars that the Hahoe Mask isn't part of the Hands guild.’

In a funny way, this thought consoled the First Head's feeling.  It was the fact the the Hahoe Mask wasn't part of the Hands Guild.

Up until now, he had considered it quite likely that the Hahoe Mask was a member of the Hands guild.  Since the Hahoe Mask and the Hands guild weren't in it together, it was a big relief for the First Head.

If the Hahoe Mask had really been a member of the Hands guild, the Hydra guild’s hostility towards the the Hands guild wouldn’t have mattered.

‘If we can rope in the Hahoe Mask, I wouldn’t have to worry about any of this....’

In other words, the Hahoe Mask was the biggest variable.  He was a variable that could mess up the Hands guild's plan.

‘……just by looking at his recent actions, it is very unlikely that he'll enter one of the 30 great guilds.’

Moreover, the Hahoe Mask had announced a guild war towards the Big Smiles on the frozen land.  It wasn't just an announcement he gave to the 30 members that was present there.  It was a warning and a challenge to all of the 30 great guilds.

Maybe it was this fact?

The First Head had been full of worry, but at that moment, he was filled with genuine curiosity about the Hahoe Mask.

‘So what is the Hahoe Mask's ultimate goal?  If he simply wanted money and fame, there would have been easier ways to get that.’

What did the Hahoe Mask want to achieve through Warlord?

‘The man doesn't make any sense to me.’

Even the smart First Head could come up with the answer to that question.

2.

This castle once boasted a splendor that couldn't be described in words.  It wasn’t a splendor given off by a regular castle.  At one time, this place was the capital.  It had been the most majestic castle of them all.

However, this splendid stage was now in ruins.  The castle walls were in horrible ruins, and the buildings across the castle wall was in a miserable state.  If one looked past the buildings, one could see the traces of the inner castle walls still left over, but the buildings that was suppose to be protected by this inner wall was in a pathetic state.  Moreover, there were footprints of some unknowing beings filling up the grounds of the inner castle, and this detail accentuated the appalling state of this place.  It was the finishing touch.

On top of it all, everything was coated in ice and there was a large layer of snow covering everything. This appalling sight gave off a feeling of extreme sadness, and there was an indescribable shabbiness that was pervasive.

Two groups were using this stage as a battle ground.

One group consisted of Orcs with leathers that had turned pale.  Instead of weapons, these Orcs used their sharp frozen arms to attack.  The Orcs didn't possess heat, eyes, vitality or vigor of living beings.

The other group facing the Cursed Orc horde wasn't all that different from them.  They were wearing very stylish armors, and they held excellent blades that was well-used.  However, the most pervasive detail about the Skeleton Warriors was the sure proof of death they possessed.

This was a battle between beings that couldn't die.

None of them could let out any sound, so in a way, one would assume that the battle would have been silent.

Kah-ahng, kah-ahng!

However, the sounds of steels clashing was more powerful than any lame shout or roar.

Moreover, the sound they produced varied immensely.

Kwah-ahng, kwah-ahng!

The swords swung by the Skeleton Warriors were breaking the frozen skin of the Orcs. The sound was cheerful and heavy at the same same time.

Ggee-eee-eee-eee!

The Cursed Orcs were frozen solid, and they were sturdier than most swords.  Their sharp arms were swung to damage the armors of the Skeleton Warriors.  The sound it made was goosebump inducing yet sharp.

These two groups were tirelessly carrying out the battle, and the sound that was being emitted was so rhythmic that it sounded like a music ensemble.

Moreover, these beings looked as if they would be able to carry out this diverse performance until the end of time.

The broken body of the Orcs were surprisingly being healed by the blizzard.  Even a deep wound was mended when snow covered it.

It was the same for the Skeleton Warriors, but it was the responsibility of another being to mend their wounds.  It was the responsibility of the owner.

‘Busy.  I'm so busy.’

Hyrkan was the owner of the Skeleton Warriors, and he never retreated on the battlefield.  In a battle between the Undeads, he was doing something funny.

When a Cursed Orc's body received a critical blow, it tried to repair its crumbled body.  Hyrkan searched through the pile.  He was like a cat searching through a trash bin.  Instead of using his sword, he could be seen holding a bottle, and he was spraying holy water on the item he had found.  This wasn't a look of a veteran hero that fought in front of the fearless Skeleton Warriors should be showing.

[The Cursed Orc's Curse is dispelled.]

However, at that moment, Hyrkan wasn't lamenting or smiling in self-deprecation.  He was actually struck by admiration.

‘I've been feeling this for awhile now, but... The Stormhunters must had shit blood when they first hunted here.

Twenty days.

It had been 20 days since Hyrkan had entered the Frozen Kingdom's territory after passing the frozen land.

This wasn't a short amount of time.  During this period, he faced monsters that were dead, but they were still moving in their frozen state.

Of course, these monsters didn't possess only the simple abilities that came with a frozen monster.

‘The difficulty of this game is really fucked up.’

The basic setup was that the monsters had been cursed by the Frost Dragon.

They couldn't die on their own, and even deep wounds would regenerate within a snowstorm.  This terrifying curse wouldn't disappear since the weather wouldn't change here. These monsters were cursed as they suffered an endlessly pathetic fate.

Of course, from the User's point of view, the frozen body significantly increased the monster's defense.  Moreover, they held properties of an Undead, which was even harder to kill. Even if one made a critical wound, the endless snowstorm would heal the wound in short order....  

This was a commonly spoken phrase among Users.  

'The Users weren't meant to catch these monsters.  Instead, these monsters made the Users hunt down the game planner that came up with this monster design.'

Of course, this begs the question.

What method allowed Hyrkan to use these ridiculous monsters as his hunting fodder as he leveled up?  Moreover, he hadn't done this for just one or two days.  He had spent 20 days fighting here, so how was he able to make these monsters his prey?

‘I'm really curious.  How the hell did the Storhunters catch these guys without the holy water?’

In the end, it was all thanks to the Stormhunters.

He had learned from the Stormhunters on how to deal with the monsters cursed by the Frost Dragons.  The monsters had an emblem that was the source of their curse.  If one sprayed holy water on top of this emblem, the curse was dispelled.  The Stormhunters guild had found this out by clashing against these monsters.

[Your level has increased.]

Hyrkan had heard this Announcement for his 198th and 199th level up.  It was all thanks to the Stormhunters.

‘Ok.’

When he heard the Announcement he had been anticipating, Hyrkan clenched his fist.

‘Oppa's magic is replenished!  All of you get ready to die!’

Hwah-roo-roo!

From between Hyrkan's clenched fists, flame erupted outwards.  When Hyrkan unclenched his fist, the flame shot up into the sky.

The burst of flame opened its mouth wide, and it started to take shape.

[The Orcs have been cursed by the Fire Golem's Heat.  Their Defense will lessen.]

Hwal hwal!

This giant made from flame possessed powerful fire that made the snow into steam in an instant.

The Fire Golem's presence was on a different level as it appeared.  The Fire Golem was letting out heat, and the it was making the frozen body of the Orcs melt steadily.

Of course, at the same time, Hyrkan's magical energy was also being consumed rapidly akin to the snow melting.

‘I can't waste any more consumable Items from this point on. I have to pull out after taking them out all at once!’

At that moment, Hyrkan decided to end the battle as soon as possible.

Ddahk ddahk!

His will was conveyed into his finger as he flicked it twice.  It basically ordered the Skeleton Warriors to become more aggressive in their attacks.

Ddul-goo-ruhk, dul-goo-ruhk!

The Skeleton Warriors reacted to their owner's order.  They aggressively drove into the Cursed Orcs.

Kwah-jeek!

To be precise, the melting of the ice would lower the defense, but it would also decrease the physical abilities of the Cursed Orcs.  The Skeleton Warriors were starting to overwhelm the Cursed Orcs.

It looked very funny, but Hyrkan once again started his important task.  

Choo-roong choo-roong!

Instead of carrying his weeping Crying Sword, he held a bottle of holy water.  He search for the Orc's Curse Emblem, and he splashed it with holy water.

One, two....  Hyrkan kept up with his ridiculous task, and when he reached 50, the Orcs numbered in the single digits.  

Of course, Hyrkan continued on with this ridiculous form of battle, but it seemed he wouldn't be able to end all the Cursed Orcs once and for all.

‘Ah!’

An abrupt end came to his ridiculous looking work.  The bottle with the holy water was empty.

However, there were still seven Cursed Orcs left!  

The apparent state of his holy water should have left him flustered.

However, he had a determined expression instead of being flustered.  He firmly closed his mouth.

‘I've reached that point.’

He had run out of the holy water.  It was a signal.

‘I can't believe I've made it this far.’

This was a signal that signified the final showdown.  He had to put everything he had done to this point behind him.

It was as if it had read Hyrkan's mind.

Suddenly, a powerful coldness swept across the ruins of the nameless castle.

Zzuh-juh-juhng!

When the coldness swept over him, frost grew on top of his armor like new buds. It was an unfathomable coldness.

[The Frost Knight is raging.]

[The Cursed Beings will awakened by the Frost Knight's rage.]

‘Frost Knight.’

In front of the coldness, Hyrkan started reminiscing for a brief moment.

‘This bastard…… This was that bitch's ultimate accomplishment.’

For a brief time, Storm Queen Shir had been the strongest User in Warlord... This was the video that had made her almost synonymous with Warlord.

Hyrkan had hated her very much, but that particular video allowed him to acknowledge her skill, talent, competence and iron will.

Hyrkan reminisced on that video.