Free Web NovelMy body went cold in an instant. The same moment the thing froze, the mana that had been heating my body drained away fast.
Maybe because of how weird this space was, everything still felt unreal even after the situation ended. I closed my eyes, tried to steady my breathing, and calmly think about what came next.
‘I need to get out of here.’
Yeah, even though I had no idea how.
Right then, the mana that had seemed to disappear all at once started slowly filling back up.
It was a strange sensation, like someone else was forcibly pumping mana into me. Every bit of skin touching the ice heated up, burning hot.
I snapped my eyes open and tried to understand what was happening in front of me.
The first thing that caught my eye was the status window.
“What the hell?”
The status window that had just been showing nothing but Plausibility for Destruction was now displaying different text.
Cave Giant’s clone (B) growth failed.
Searching.
......
Even while the text kept changing, my skin was getting hotter and hotter. I rolled up my sleeve to check the burning skin.
“.......”
And there, the mark that only appeared when my life was in danger was engraved.
Reflexively, I opened my palm and looked at the spot where the mark had been.
‘There it is.’
Hadn’t the mark on my palm disappeared and that fur ball appeared in its place? I was sure I’d confirmed in this space that it was completely separated from me.
I immediately rolled up my other sleeve.
“Ha... you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
Once I’d checked that too, I started getting curious about the whole mess. I shrugged off the hoodie I’d just thrown on and looked over my bare upper body.
“.......”
The mark that had spread from my palm had settled firmly across my arm, shoulder, and stomach. Like it had taken root here.
“When the hell did this happen?”
The words slipped out of me without thinking. Was it because I’d mimicked its ability? No, this was clearly spread all through my body. Every nook and cranny.
I could feel mana running along every line where the mark was engraved.
Clenching my fist, I rotated my arm and checked the clearly carved pattern again.
It felt wrong. It wasn’t me drawing up the mana in my body; it was a strange sensation of mana flowing on its own through each mark. My original mana and the mana from the mark weren’t mixing—they just coexisted side by side.
Beeeep—
Right then, a massive warning tone slammed into my ears.
I lifted my head, searching for the source of the sound.
¡Error occurred!
What?
Huge letters appeared across the whole status window, and then the text started changing rapidly.
Searching for possible routes for Cave Giant’s clone (B).
Possibility A – blocked
Possibility B – blocked
Possibility C – pending
Possibility C(1) – blocked
Possibility C(2) – blocked
Possibility C(3) – blocked
Possibility C(4) – blocked
Possibility C – blocked
Continuing to search further possibilities.
What the hell... kind of bullshit was this?
The status window stretched longer and longer in an instant. It looked like it was crunching possibilities and calculations, only for all the results to flip straight to “blocked.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? Say it so I can understand.”
Total possibilities searched: 1,024
Blocked possibilities: 1,024
Approved possibilities: 0
Number of routes by which Cave Giant’s clone (B) can enter pl■usi■ility: 0
Due to ‘Seo Jehyun’-nim’s removal of Cave Giant (A), all routes for Cave Giant’s clone (B) to join pl■usi■ility have been lost.
Would you like to select a subsequent route?
Even as the text kept changing, I had no idea what the hell it was saying. Because I killed the Cave Giant, the clone couldn’t join plausibility?
The status window kept flickering wildly like it was confused.
“Explain it so I can actually understand you.”
I’d never seen this thing give a clear explanation in my life, but I needed something better than this mess. Hell, I didn’t even know where I was to begin with.
“Urgh....”
Meanwhile, mana started slowly rising from the marks spread across my body. Ice rapidly layered over the wall my hand was resting on.
“Fuck, unbelievable.”
The fact that I wasn’t doing this myself was just absurd. It was obvious the mana from the mark was rampaging like crazy.
My heart, which had been gradually picking up speed for a while now, was suddenly pounding. Goosebumps pricked up along my spine. Even though I’d been thrown right into the middle of ice, I didn’t feel the cold at all.
Then, almost like it was reacting to my voice, the status window finally switched to text I could follow.
Switching to 1:1 system chat mode.
“Good. Now explain this pr—”
But before the one-on-one conversation with the system could even start, the status window cut off in a single swoop. The words I hadn’t finished saying caught on the tip of my tongue.
Emergency readjustment in progress....
Emergency? I had no idea what was supposed to be so urgent right now. As I was struggling to even guess, a new, unfamiliar line of text popped up.
system administrator approval!
Partial system lockdown.
Proceeding with downgrade to satisfy pl■usi■ility.
Administrator? Downgrade? freēwēbnovel.com
Having a string of words I didn’t understand slam into me all at once was dizzying. Add in the discomfort of mana overheating my body, and it really did feel like I was about to die.
Right after that, another big line rose up over my head.
Would you like to partially view a previous run?
View a previous run? All of a sudden?
Every time I’d viewed a run in a space like this, all I’d gotten in return was penalty, so I wasn’t thrilled. Hell, this was already a space that didn’t even tell me why it existed, so there was no way this would be good.
The text on the status window changed rapidly.
If you do not proceed, the next searched route, “regression after death,” will be executed.
Fuck, so there’s no actual choice.
Viewing approved.
I felt my vision expand in an instant.
***
Again. I was sick of it by now.
The first thing I saw when I came to my senses was a vast ice cave.
‘I was just in an ice cave, and now it’s an ice cave again.’
Made me wonder why I’d even bothered approving this.
I sniped inwardly and looked up into empty air. Obviously, “Seo Jehyun” was trudging through the cave.
“The dungeon boss is dead, so... I should definitely be able to get out. Why am I still here?”
The flat murmur drifted along the cave walls.
“Do I need to find another way out?”
It wasn’t exactly a situation I liked. My brow furrowed slightly on reflex, then smoothed back out.
“Or... maybe there’s another life-form.”
The second he said it out loud, he sounded convinced.
“Ah... another life-form?” frёeωebɳovel.com
Cases where the dungeon boss died but the dungeon wasn’t cleared flashed through my mind.
The case where, right before the dungeon boss died, it entrusted its ability to a clone. It had only ever happened once, but the damage had been bad enough that it stuck clearly in my memory.
“Me” had gone from bored to interested in an instant, looking around.
With his stats being garbage, killing a dungeon boss was impossible, but he could probably handle a clone that had been hastily loaded with its ability. Something that still had no idea how to wield it properly...
Yeah, basically, like its kid.
I listened carefully for any sounds around me, smiling faintly.
That was when I heard it.
Sscrrk, a soft fur texture scraping against hard ice.
‘There it is.’
I walked straight in the direction the sound had come from. I was sure, so there was no reason to hesitate.
And there... was a small, furry creature looking up at me.
‘Fur? I thought the dungeon boss was ice?’
Well, the clone could be a different form.
I picked up the little creature at my feet, intending to kill it.
What I hadn’t expected was that the moment I did, the dungeon door opened.
“What?”
So that meant the thing in my hand was just another creature in the dungeon?
I thought it over, then took it out of the dungeon with me. If it was a beast from a place like this, I could donate it or sell it; it’d be useful later either way.
My view shifted again.
This time, the space was an ordinary house. I could tell it was “my” house just from a quick look around.
“Seo Jehyun.”
Even when I heard my name called, I didn’t answer; I just drank my water.
He was the type to keep talking whether I responded or not if he had something he wanted to say anyway.
Sure enough, even without a reply, Kwon Taehan went on.
“Thanks... for letting me freeload.”
“Sure.”
I answered briefly, and Kwon Taehan looked a little awkward, then glanced around the house.
“When the reporters come...”
“I’ll kick them out.”
Between the reporters and Kwon Taehan, I’d obviously leave the less annoying one alone and throw out the others.
“...Yeah. Thanks.”
“......?”
“I heard you brought back a beast. What are you going to do with it?”
It was random enough that it threw me a bit, but I answered honestly.
“I’m thinking of sending it to the Association.”
“You don’t like the Association.”
“Ha... Taehan. There aren’t many places I do like.”
“.......”
“Does that answer your question?”
Kwon Taehan pressed his lips together, then asked something else.
“Where is it now?”
Instead of answering, I tapped the freezer.
“...You put it in the freezer?”
“It lived in an «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» ice cave to begin with.”
“...You put a living thing in the freezer?”
“There aren’t many places that can match that kind of temperature. Should I just toss it in Antarctica? It’d be perfect for wrecking the ecosystem.”
Kwon Taehan’s wide eyes softened a little, and then he suddenly burst out laughing.
‘Did he lose it?’
Yeah, after getting torn apart from every side out there, it was only natural his mind would pick up some scratches. I wasn’t particularly surprised.
And as if to prove my point, Kwon Taehan threw out nonsense.
“You... won’t be able to send it.”
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
I rolled my eyes toward the freezer, and his voice continued.
“You don’t look it, but you’re the type who gets weak once you get attached.”
“I know. The fact that I’m not kicking you out right now proves it.”
Leaning against the fridge, I stared straight at him stating the obvious. Kwon Taehan held my gaze for a moment, then looked away and added quietly,
“...First take it out of the freezer. You lunatic.”
