Chapter 154 :

Episode 31 : Absolute Zero (4)

[Stage #17 : Survive or Sacrifice.]

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Stage Information: A pit of limitless ghosts were once humans that lived in a peaceful kingdom in the distant past, and they all had gathered together in this pit to utter out their sorrowful cries, possibly waiting for the day in which a human would be foolish enough to fall and devour them.

Stage Task: Pick the following options for completing this Stage.

[ 1 ] Strive by undergoing the harsh coldness of the cries leaking endlessly out of the pit to ascend to the top floor.

— Or —

[ 2 ] Surrender a person to the ghosts of the pit to allow a safer ascent without being frozen to death.

Time Limit: ∞ Hours.

Reward: ???/???.

Failure: ???.

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Alaine gasped after reading it. "What is with the stage task's options?!"

"..No way." HwanGi staggered slightly as he had the expression of seeing something come into reality.

‘Why does he have that kind of look on his face?’ I wondered as half of everyone around me felt instantly baffled by the stage.

I did understand why they were shocked by checking the stage's description, but..

This stage is doable if we endure the harshness of the cold. 

‘Damn.. It's still not easy even with all the ice resistance items we're wearing.’ I thought, calculating between the ice resistance and the coldness from this stage.

Either way, there was a reason why the stage didn't have a time limit, seeing how the ‘Helpers’ were kind enough to allow the players who couldn't endure the cold to get better at it until they received a somewhat of a resistance to the cold.

Be that as it may, there is one crucial thing that they wouldn't know until we continue on our journey through this stage.

And that's important point is..

..The ghosts aren't going to just stay put in one spot.

"All the preparations are done, my Liege." 

Out of the blue, Frostina had reported this to me while I was spending my time with my internal monologue. 

"Excellent."

And needless to say, it's not that I don't trust Frostina, but just in case, I surveyed everyone with my gaze.

As expected, it seemed like every single person was wearing the Yeti's coats and the Unfreezing bracelets, along with them having the skill, ‘Ice Resistance’.

"Perfect." I spoke with a solemn smile.

Without delay, as I was grinning from this sight of a prepared guild of mine, I heard Alaine.

"So this is why JoonChul wants us to wear this.. It's to endure the cold for this stage, right?" Alaine spoke while cuddling herself because of the coat.

"That's right."

"And we won't need to sacrifice anyone for this?"

"Yes." I smiled falsely since I wasn't certain if they could even handle the cold.

There are the crystal apples and defrost potions we got from the stages, but would that be enough to sustain the coldness?

In any case, their lives are within my hands, and I must not make the tiniest of mistakes, otherwise, my guild would definitely fall apart in one mishap.

When I was in the middle of thinking about my plans, I was suddenly called by HwanGi. "JoonChul-ssi, I want to speak with you for a moment." 

"..." I narrowed my eyes as I sighed. "What is it?"

At that moment when he got to my side, I quickly took notice of him sneaking a glimpse of Pearl.

‘...This.’ 

I furrowed my eyebrows at the thought of how suspicious it was and was questioning why HwanGi was looking at that angel.

‘Did that bastard do something to HwanGi?’ I scowled in my mind.

Nervous yet with a built up courage, HwanGi whispered to me as if what he was about to say to me, wasn't something to speak lightly of to everyone.

"JoonChul-ssi.. I heard from the ‘Helper’ that it's necessary for one of us to die and that we won't have a chance at escaping the ghosts."

…That bastard.

At this point, I had my daggers eyes glaring at that angel who had informed HwanGi of this.

For what reason did Pearl tell HwanGi this? Was it to get back at me because I harmed her pathetic skin? Or to ruin my guild by killing one member at a time?

‘I need to solve this first. Why did it have to be HwanGi of all people?’ I groaned as I shifted my glance back at HwanGi.

As I was already irritated by that Pearl, I eventually spoke to HwanGi with slight frustration mixed in my tone.

"HwanGi, are you trusting the word of that angel? I didn't know you were this naive."

"..! No.."

"Just so you know, I'm doing my best to get everyone to the next stage without any of their lives being taken away."

"..Yes, I know that. I admire how you did an amazing job at being a leader."

‘Ho ho. What a compliment.’ I thought as I hid my grin. ‘Ahem..’

"Then you should know I already have plans to deal with those ghosts."

"Right, but the ‘Helper’ told me that if no one sacrifices themselves, the ghosts will get stronger and try to kidnap one of us."

"Get stronger..?"

"That's what I heard as a hint from her."

I sighed when I got another problem to deal with. "You shouldn't trust the word of an angel, and instead, put all your trust in me."

"..."

"Do you copy me?"

"Yes, sir.”

‘...What is with that answer? We aren't in the military or anything.’ I pondered when HwanGi sounded like he was talking to his boss.

‘Well, I am sort of like his boss, since I'm the guild leader.’ 

Anyways, I let out a long and exhausted sigh until I started to wonder why everything becomes more tiring when it comes to HwanGi.

‘..Am I the older brother or something who looks after his little brother?’

Lucifer responded. ‘It seems so, master.’

‘Ha.. What am I even saying? I should figure this situation out.’

‘..Anyhow..’

To think that the ‘Helper’ told HwanGi that the ghosts will get stronger. Despite my ways of not believing an angel, I must consider what Pearl said in order for my plan to be flawless. 

If those words were to be true, then that will be quite devastating to some of my guild members who can't handle the cold.

‘..But that's not a big problem to worry about. The thing I'm concerned about, is the look on Pearl's face when she stared at HwanGi's.’

Her nightmarish expression wasn't something to take lightly of.. 

…And that made me have a really hard time predicting the future of her actions.

‘Just what is she planning to do?’ I pondered. ‘I don't have a good feeling about this one bit.’

———

After a few minutes had passed, the ‘Helper’ who couldn't afford to let the stage wait for the players to stand idly, started to make her move.

Pearl tried to convince and warn ‘The Rebels’ guild. "P-Players! Please get a move o-on! The longer you s-stay here, the colder it gets!"

"..." 

Of course, everyone was quiet to respond to Pearl, not that they wanted to respond when the guild leader hadn't told them to move yet, in addition they didn't wish to involve themselves with angels.

Obviously, Pearl scoffed inwardly. ‘These players really got on my nerves.’

"Let's start."

All of the sudden when her words didn't even budge the members of ‘The Rebels’ guild, JoonChul's words immediately prompted the others to start moving. 

‘..I wonder how long they can humiliate me.’ Pearl scowled ominously in the background as she watched them moving.

‘My plan to destroy Wang JoonChul before Sapphire does, will slowly but surely begin one by one.’

‘Hehe.. I ponder how he's going to fix this after I start my first step into my plan.’

‘Losing a member to his guild wouldn't hurt that much, would it? Hehe!’

While she was being her true self, the others were embarking on Stage #17 with their preparations being perfect.

With an anxious expression and a faint trembling, Alaine stared down at the pit before she uttered nervously and chillingly.

"I can't believe we have to jump in and let ourselves be lifted by the ghost's cries.." 

"We can't help it." Louis said.

Eventually, Mya asked JoonChul. "Hm..? Uncle JoonChul..! What will this string do?" 

As swift as the wind, he answered. "It will keep us close together without us being led astray by the wind and ghosts."

"Oh! I see!"

"Everyone, grab each other's hands. We will need to be as close as possible."

"Yes." HwanGi replied hesitantly. 

Rustling! Rustling!!

The wind that was made from the cries of the ghosts, soon arose from the pit with its agony being twisted to coldness, waiting for ‘The Rebels’ guild members to set their foot in this windful ascension.

Whoosh!!!

In a blink of an eye, once JoonChul had slid his foot off the ground and to the pit, his body had flung upward, causing the person he was holding hands to launch with him.

"W-Woahhh! I'm flying!!" Mya gasped in shock and awe.

She wasn't alone since Alaine was also gasping alongside her. "Oh my goddd!!"

"It's too cold!!!" Both of them cried out at the same time.

Louis who was holding hands with Alaine and Mya, felt the coldness slipping into his fur coat. 

He groaned from the chill. "Even with ‘Ice Resistance’, the fur coat of the Yeti and the unfreezing bracelet.. How is this still cold to the brim?"

Rustling!

"No matter how cold it is, stay together without letting go of your hands!" JoonChul told them as he looked to be freezing bit by bit.

"Why don't we cover ourselves with the cocoon shield?" Louis mentioned.

"There's a reason we can't do that."

"But we're freezing to death under this many layers of ice resistance, so why?"

"Usually, the cocoon has many pocket holes for air to come in, it allows the people inside to be able to breathe properly."

"And..?"

"Even if the cocoon stops most of the cold wind right here, it will cause the inside and outside of the cocoon to freeze up and weighting ascent much more. And.."

"What is it?!" Alaine said.

"They should be coming now."

"They?"

SHRIEEEEKKKK!!!!

The scream that was echoing from below, caused others to be curious and terrified of what that sound was. 

The moment they shifted their glances to the pit beneath, they witnessed a horde of ghosts flying toward their directions.

"G-G-Ghosts!?!!?!!" Bewildered, Alaine gasped in fright.

"What are they doing?! Watch out!"

With an immediate action, Louis was hasty to activate his skill to defend everyone, but sad to say, he was put to a halt because of JoonChul.

"Don't. They are ghosts, not a physical creature. It won't work on them."

"Then what must we do?"

"...Endure it—"

Swissh!

In a flash, a dozen of the ghosts had flown toward JoonChul, going through his body with ease before leaving behind frost onto his chest.

"Eeekk!! It feels like an ice bucket challenge!" Alaine shivered.

Immediately, JoonChul reassured everyone with a calm voice despite being freezed by the ghosts. "Don't worry, we'll be buffed up by Mirai so that we can endure it much longer." 

"What about I used my divine Flame to kill the ghosts, JoonChul-ssi?" HwanGi asked while flinching from a ghost going through his body.

"Although I appreciate that thought, HwanGi, we can't have the time to be feeling burn and frost at the same time."

"What do you mean? Don't divine attributes kill off ghosts?"

"If you set fire on the ghosts, they will spread it to us and burn everything we have right now, even our clothes."

"A-Ah.. Right." HwanGi became flustered when he understood what JoonChul meant.

On the spur of the moment, HwanGi's mind thought on its own. ‘..It would be like accidentally turning on the cold water in the shower. Nobody would want to experience that while they're naked.’

Poof!

..And HwanGi's face was as red as an apple when his mind imagined something he shouldn't, flustered while experiencing the frost of the ghosts leaving through his head.

‘This isn't right..’ HwanGi groaned in a flustered manner.

Amidst HwanGi, his irides were flashing faintly with a pearl to pinkish color, almost as if he was being affected by a certain power.

‘Ugh!’ 

Slowly but surely, HwanGi's eyes became painful to even gaze at, which led to them shutting his eyes for a moment to ease the pain.

‘Why did it hurt all of a sudden? Is it because of the cold?’ He grumbled before opening his eyes back to glance at everyone.

Shaa..

A vision that was being clouded with falsehood, was unknowingly projecting into HwanGi's eyes.

‘What is this? Are my eyes still hurting? I can't even touch them because my hands are already preoccupied..’

HwanGi groaned. ‘What should I do with my eyes? Urgh..’

While finding himself to be in this situation, somewhere within this stage, an angel was smirking in the shadow as if she had foreseen this to happen.

‘Entertain me well, my idol~’