THE DAY THE WORLD CHANGED.
On 1st January, Year 0, the world changed.
Gates. Monsters. Systems. Players.
These new concepts appeared without warning.
Those who protected… and those who invaded.
Two forces clashed across the planet.
One year… two years… three… five.
Then, on 4th November, Year 5, every player received the same message:
> [The final boss for Area: Earth, the Frost Queen, has appeared.]
[Upon her defeat, safe zones will be unlocked.]
The final boss.
If they could just defeat her… they could return to normal lives.
Hope flared. Determination surged.
For one day.
That was how long it took for hope to collapse into despair.
---
On the day the Frost Queen emerged from her gate, the entire southern ocean froze over with a flick of her wrist.
And with it, the world's will to fight turned to ice.
Only five players were not shaken.
The strongest of them boarded an airship bound for the edge of the world.
"Let's catch the Frost Queen."
All for the sake of doing what everyone else believed impossible.
---
FINAL DUNGEON — THE QUEEN'S NEST, FLOOR 2
The five stood before the stairway leading up.
A message appeared in the air:
> [Only one person may ascend the stairs.]
"You've got to be kidding! After everything we've gone through?" barked a muscular man, slamming the ground with a booming stomp.
"Then… the rest of us die here?"
Ever since entering the Nest, they had been relentlessly pursued by the Frost Queen's breath. The only way to survive the creeping frost was to keep climbing.
Only one would make it. The rest would be entombed in ice.
"…Two minutes," said Evelyn Skye, the Great Mage, glancing at the others. "That's all we've got left. Decide now."
"I vote for Specter. He has the best chance of winning."
"I could kill her too."
"And who would win between you and him?"
"…Tch. Touché." The giant shrugged and raised his hands.
Gilbert Greene, the man with the cowboy hat, nodded.
"She's right. Aside from Specter, our odds aren't good."
"…Yeah. Makes sense."
Rahmadat Kane had inhuman strength, but strength alone wasn't enough. Against the Frost Queen, a breath, a flick of her hand—and everything froze.
It was the same for Mira Tenvale, who was fending off the Queen from the rear alongside Skye.
"Then it's decided," she said.
They turned to Specter, clad in a black mask.
"…You won't regret this later?" he asked, voice dry and muffled beneath the mask.
Rahmadat shrugged.
"Oh, we probably will. A lot. But what choice do we have? You're our best shot."
"Alright. I'll kill her before the frost reaches you."
"No. That's impossible," Mira said firmly. "Don't rush. Wait for the right moment."
"She's right," Rahmadat added. "Rushing in will only let her strike first."
Skye gave a solemn nod.
"You hear us? Take her down properly. That's what it takes to win."
"I don't know if the rest of us can… but you can."
Specter looked at them—his comrades.
If he had been the one staying behind, could he smile like they were now?
"…"
No. He couldn't.
He bit his lip under the mask and gave a slow nod.
"…I'll see you again. I promise."
They laughed softly and waved him off.
With that fragile promise, Specter ascended the staircase, skipping several steps at a time.
He didn't look back—because he couldn't.
Crash!
Even when the stairs collapsed behind him and their voices vanished—his eyes stayed locked on the summit.
And then—
He reached the top.
"So… you've finally come to my grave."
> [The final boss of Area: Earth, the Frost Queen, has appeared.]
[Upon her defeat, safe zones will be unlocked.]
---
She sat in silence atop a frozen throne, legs elegantly crossed, her posture serene and regal.
But Specter wasn't deceived by her beauty.
The air around her crackled with frost, threatening to shatter everything in reach.
Shing.
His blade slid free. The room grew colder.
"Five years," he muttered. "Five years of this world becoming a game. Let's end it."
"End… this?"
The Frost Queen giggled, her fingers brushing her lips.
"Ahaha… You really know nothing of this world."
"I'm not here for explanations. I'm here to kill you."
Wooooong!
Darkness surged from his body, staining the frost black.
The world's strongest player—Specter, real name Shade Hollow—spoke again.
"All I need to confirm… is your death."
Darkness and ice collided in a titanic explosion.
---
Haa… haa…
The Queen gasped. Her body trembled, her face pale—but a smile lingered on her lips.
"I had fun."
"I didn't," Specter said wearily.
With a grunt, he lifted his broken sword and swung.
Slice.
The Frost Queen's head fell—cleanly severed.
> [Congratulations! The boss of Area: Earth, the Frost Queen, has been defeated.]
[You have obtained the title: The One Who Opens Spring.]
[Safe zones have been established across Area: Earth.]
"Phew…"
Specter exhaled deeply, the weight of five years pressing from his chest.
It was over.
The world, his life, his pain—avenged.
"…Mother. Father."
> [Absorption percentage: 0.001%...]
[Due to extreme cold, Frost Queen's nucleus reduces all stats to Level 1.]
[Strength: 217 → 21]
[Stamina: 201 → 24]
[Speed: 225 → 26]
[Magic: 183 → 18]
"What?!"
Startled, he tried to toss the nucleus—but it had already begun absorbing through his skin.
Frost crept across his body.
His blood slowed. His joints stiffened. His teeth chattered violently.
"This… damn dungeon…"
And then, Shade Hollow collapsed—frozen.
---
25 YEARS LATER
"Everyone, what happens on the 11th of Frostfall?"
Once, the answer might've been a holiday.
Now, the answer was universal.
"Isn't that Heroes' Day?"
"Of course it is!"
Heroes' Day—the day five legends saved the world.
Every year, tens of thousands visited the Hall of Remembrance, where the frozen bodies of the Five Heroes were displayed for just one day.
---
"The result of a world ruled by monsters…"
A massive crowd filled the auditorium. On stage, a suited curator addressed them. Thanks to the universal translator system, no one missed a word.
"…In Year 5, a monster appeared—one humanity could not stop."
A small child wearing a yellow cap raised their hand.
"The Frost Queen! My teacher told me!"
The curator smiled.
"That's right. Very clever."
She continued, "The Frost Queen could freeze entire oceans. While the world fell into despair, five heroes held onto hope—and ventured into the final dungeon."
"The Nest Attack Team?"
"Exactly. These legends achieved the most important feat in history."
The lights dimmed.
The curator took a breath as the curtains drew back.
Behind reinforced glass stood five frozen statues.
"Today, we honour them as the Five Heroes. Please be respectful."
Cameras clicked. Some bowed. Others whispered thanks.
"Because of them, the Frost Queen was defeated—and our world was saved."
She was about to continue when—
A child tugged at a sleeve.
"T-The statue moved!"
"Oh dear," the curator laughed. "That's impossible. The temperature inside is strictly maintained—"
Crack.
She stopped mid-sentence.
The curator turned slowly. The sound had come from the masked statue—Specter.
Her breath caught. For twenty-five years, nothing had happened.
"W-Well, as I was saying—"
Crash!
The glass exploded.
A figure fell forward.
"Ugh… euh…"
He hit the ground hard, gasping. His body convulsed.
His eyes opened.
> [Welcome back, Specter.]
[Synchronisation complete.]
[Quest Updated: Return of the Hero]
[Warning: World Status — UNKNOWN.]
> [Absorption percentage: 99.9999%...]
[Absorption percentage: 100%.]
[You have successfully absorbed the Frost Queen's Nucleus.]
[You have obtained the skill: Frost (EX).]
[Level has been reinitialised.]
"…Wh-what… so… cold…"
He shivered violently as he sat up, blinking at the crowd frozen in disbelief.
Gasps echoed.
"H-He's moving?!"
"Holy shit!"
"He's alive… Specter is alive! Somebody call a doctor!"
"This is front-page news! Get the article ready—if we're even allowed to publish this!"
In seconds, chaos swept through the hall.
The silence of awe had shattered.
And Shade Hollow, the Hero of Frostfall, had returned.