Chapter 45 : The Frost Hand’s Encounter

Before the Return.

That is, far in the future from the current point in time.

The environment of the Abyss had become far harsher than anyone could have imagined, yet the level of the explorers who survived kept rising steadily.

Among them, there were those who reached the very pinnacle.

The Legendaries who survived worldwide and led other explorers.

Those powerful beings who surpassed the standards of both S-rank and A-rank.

Even when the world’s strongest gathered in the Abyss to fight the Great Evil Dragon, the Legendaries were, of course, present.

Han Seoryeon was one of them.

Since Yuseong cared about nothing but food, he didn’t know much about her.

Still, even Yuseong knew a thing or two.

About her abilities and her astonishing background.

So Yuseong quickly regained his composure.

Wasn’t she the beloved granddaughter of Chairman Han Jeongmun, the head of South Korea’s number one conglomerate, Taeyang Group?

This Hotel Febis was also one of Taeyang Group’s subsidiaries.

It was no surprise that she appeared in the uppermost floor, in the space of the Council.

So Yuseong continued with what he was doing.

He was going to temper the melting pot.

Pick, clink.

But Han Seoryeon seemed to have heard a faint clinking sound from Yuseong.

“Sorigum…?”

The nickname “Sorigum” — ‘Frost Sword’ — given to her for freezing everything her sword touched.

That name wasn’t hers yet.

At this moment, her title was a little milder — “Cold Hand.”

Han Seoryeon had no idea who Yuseong was, standing there in the kitchen late at night.

She certainly wasn’t a member of the Council, nor was she old enough to be a chef.

So she was momentarily at a loss, unsure what to do.

“Please continue what you were doing.”

Yuseong said to her.

There must be a reason she had come here.

In truth, seeing her brought a faintly warm feeling to Yuseong’s heart.

After all, she was someone he had fought alongside before, and they had shared meals.

But now, they were complete strangers.

Han Seoryeon hesitated but then nodded, stepping into the kitchen.

Compared to when they met before the return, she was far less approachable now.

Perhaps curious about what Yuseong was doing, she glanced over at him before moving on.

Stopping in front of the food storage, Han Seoryeon pondered for a moment before looking back at Yuseong.

“May I ask who you are…?”

“I’m Baek Yuseong. I was introduced by Chairman Lee Woo-do.”

“Ah.”

She hesitated slightly as Yuseong focused on melting the chocolate.

“My name is Han Seoryeon.”

Saying that, she swiftly entered the food storage, as if retreating.

Since she had asked Yuseong to introduce himself, the principle was that she had to do the same.

Seeing Han Seoryon disappear inside, Yuseong smiled.

“A friend lacking in social skills.”

Anyone who knew Yuseong before the return would laugh at that—saying “the pot calling the kettle black.”

Yuseong refocused on his task.

Since he was using precious ingredients, he couldn’t afford to lose concentration.

The premium Belgian chocolate in the melting pot was melting to the right consistency.

Whisky bonbons were chocolates with a well (shell) — that is, a hollow shape — made of chocolate.

Inside, syrup and whisky were poured to create the dessert.

So the hollow shell had to be made with melted chocolate, and there was a simple method for that.

It involved pouring chocolate into an ice tray designed to freeze water.

Pour melted chocolate into the chilled ice tray, wait a few seconds, then invert it to pour out the unmelted chocolate.

This causes only the sugary part on the surface of the ice tray to solidify, forming a bowl-shaped chocolate shell.

Whisky syrup was then injected into it.

The syrup had to be a 6:4 mixture of sugar syrup and whisky.

Yuseong carefully poured the whisky syrup he had just made.

Not a drop could be wasted — these were precious ingredients.

After injecting the proper amount of whisky syrup, he poured more chocolate on top to cover it.

Now all that was left was to chill it and separate the shells — twenty whisky bonbons completed.

Yuseong took the ice tray and headed toward the food storage.

The food storage always had refrigeration and freezing, so he could let the chocolate harden there temporarily.

“This is going to be a bit tricky to carry.”

Whisky bonbons were convenient to eat, and above all, delicious.

But if the surrounding temperature got too warm, they would easily melt.

He would probably have to carry them in a cooler box.

Eating them in a controlled state was best, but that was simply impossible on the go.

“By the way, is that person still not out?”

Han Seoryeon had entered the food storage quite a while ago, but she still hadn’t come out.

Yuseong flung open the door.

“Ah!”

The gasp came from Han Seoryeon, who was inside.

Surprisingly, she was hugging a pillar in the middle of the food storage.

Silence hung thick for a moment.

He had sensed it before — unlike right before the return, Han Seoryeon now showed no expression on her face.

Yet, Yuseong realized for the first time that a blank expression could still look vulnerable.

Her pupils trembled at a speed that was almost unbelievable.

“What are you doing there? Aren’t you cold?”

The pillar she was hugging was a cooling tower supplying cold air to the food storage.

It was cold enough to spread a white frost around, but Han Seoryeon clung tightly to the pillar.

“……I’m working part-time.”

“…Part-time?”

“Twice a year… I blow cold air into this storage. In exchange, my grandfather, well, the Chairman…”

Trailing off, she suddenly stopped talking.

She must have realized how embarrassing it was to reveal such a pointless story.

This was not something she would have shown in her usual self.

She was more flustered than she had ever been.

Yuseong listened quietly to her explanation.

The silence only made her more uneasy.

Luckily, Yuseong’s gaze held neither mockery nor reproach.

He was simply genuinely surprised.

“So, the refrigeration system here runs on your Gift?”

Then Yuseong examined the fresh produce stored inside.

They were preserved from before the great catastrophe.

Yet even so, the freshness was unusual.

Some vegetables weren’t even vacuum-frozen but stored refrigerated.

Still fresh, with dew drops like they had just been harvested.

Yuseong had thought the Council’s resources were just overwhelming, making the quality of ingredients excellent…

“But if it’s refrigeration using magic…”

A puzzle seemed to click inside Yuseong’s mind.

Han Seoryeon’s Sorigum Gift was famous for controlling cold.

Her power had grown enough to freeze giant monsters instantly.

Yuseong had seen her freeze enormous beasts under layers of ice, and the monsters could only die long after, once the ice finally melted.

Then, with her power, wasn’t it possible to create refrigeration far superior to modern technology?

A freezer cooler that maintained freshness better and was far simpler than electric refrigeration.

Yuseong stared at Han Seoryeon, still hugging the pillar.

“I’m envious.”

His colleague Jang Dojin was like a walking food storage and an excellent transport.

And Han Seoryeon, with her talent—

“A walking refrigerator…”

“…Ridiculous.”

Han Seoryeon finally finished injecting the cold air.

She trembled a bit as she let go of the pillar and crossed her arms.

But the slight shaking in her arms showed her endurance was still limited.

Yuseong checked her wrist.

As expected, she held an A-rank Explorer License.

She herself was the beloved granddaughter of the chairman of the country’s largest conglomerate.

Even if she worked part-time, the payment couldn’t be money.

Then the reason she maintained the cold air in the food storage was—

“When you supply the cold air, what do you get in return?”

She had no obligation to answer Yuseong’s question compliantly.

But Han Seoryeon was already caught in his aura.

“It’s not really payment, but more like an errand.

Sometimes, my grandfather—or rather, the Chairman—attends Council meals…”

Of course.

She was one of the people who had shown interest in the Great Evil Dragon steak Yuseong made before.

Despite her cold exterior, she cared a lot about food.

Yuseong handed her a whisky bonbon.

“Can this chocolate bonbon stay cold like this?”

“It can, but…”

Yuseong’s face lit up.

“It has to stay around fifteen degrees at least without freezing. It should last for about ten days.”

“Why do I have to do that?”

Eventually, she couldn’t help but ask.

Yuseong’s demands from a complete stranger must have felt a bit odd.

“I’ll give you one, no, two.”

“What on earth is that…?”

“Whisky bonbons I made myself.”

Han Seoryeon clammed up.

Yuseong added that they were made with whisky aged 102 years.

“!”

As expected, she realized the meaning behind Yuseong’s words.

Compared to briefly using a Gift, the cost was excessive.

Besides, the sweet aroma that had been wafting since she entered the kitchen had been distracting.

“Why? Are you underage?”

“I’m twenty.”

“That’s good then.”

Yuseong didn’t expect Han Seoryeon to refuse the offer.

And that was true.

Han Seoryeon couldn’t say no.

Her curiosity about the taste of the whisky bonbon — the source of the sweet scent — was too strong.

Without a word, she raised her white hand.

Sssshhh.

White frost descended from her hand, instantly solidifying the whisky bonbon that had been half-melted.

Yuseong smiled as he felt his hand holding the ice tray cool down.

“Perfect temperature. It’ll stay like this for ten days.”

“Yes… As long as you don’t try to heat it, it’ll stay cold.”

“Good.”

Yuseong separated the whisky bonbons from the ice tray.

“Your hand.”

He handed two pieces to Han Seoryeon.

She silently accepted the two bonbons.

Not only that, Yuseong pressed his wrist to hers.

“What are you doing…?”

“A contact.”

Yuseong connected his Explorer License to hers.

He input his contact details into her license.

“This is a bit overkill for what you’ve done, but I’ll be in touch.”

“What are you talking about?”

Han Seoryeon was flustered, but Yuseong ignored it.

His mind was already lost in the completed whisky bonbons.

Using only one-tenth of a bottle of whisky, he had made twenty of these bonbons.

Moreover, they were preserved in the optimal condition for both eating and storage.

The efficiency couldn’t be better.

Once again, Yuseong coveted Han Seoryeon’s ability.

“Then, see you next time.”

But for now, he was eager to test the whisky bonbons’ effect.

Leaving Han Seoryeon bewildered behind, Yuseong exited the kitchen.

And the whisky bonbons he tested that day exceeded his expectations brilliantly.

***

Several days passed.

The long-awaited contact from Tamyeon finally arrived for Yuseong.

The preparations for the Serpent Subjugation were ready.

But the one who called Yuseong wasn’t from the Explorer Association Seoul Branch.

It was A Tower, the headquarters of Cheonghwa.

Specifically, the brewing laboratory in the basement—the Lab.

Yuseong came to A! Tower with Jang Dojin.

After passing the security screening, Park Mi Sun and a man with glasses greeted them.

“Mr. Baek Yuseong!”

The bespectacled man beside Park Mi Sun suddenly dashed forward and grabbed Yuseong’s hand.

Yuseong dodged, but the man still seemed delighted, bouncing up and down.

“So we finally meet.”

“Who are you?”

“Oh, we haven’t met before. I’m Park Gyutae.”

Still an unfamiliar name.

When Yuseong gave him a puzzled look, Park Gyutae hurriedly added an explanation.

“When you first called us on the hotline, I was the one who answered.”

“Oh, that.”

Park Gyutae was the staff member who had first answered Yuseong’s call long ago, later nearly killed by Gwak Cheongrae.

Yuseong vaguely remembered him.

Looking at his legs, Yuseong noticed his gait was somewhat unnatural.

“Haha, my legs were injured by Gwak Cheongrae… I left the Special Strategic Planning Office and came to the Lab. He caught that guy for me. I wanted to thank you but never got the chance.”

Only now did Yuseong roughly understand.

He had heard from Chief Manager Choi Jun Yeol that many people had been hurt or killed by Gwak Cheongrae.

This Park staff member who was smiling was one of them.

“But how did you become a researcher? Your jobs must be different.”

That was a question.

Park Gyutae wore the white coat typical of researchers.

As far as Yuseong knew, Special Strategic Planning Office staff weren’t researchers but field operatives.

It was odd that Cheonghwa transferred Park to the Lab due to his injuries.

“I was originally a researcher. My Gift was unique, so they recruited me, but I’ve returned to my original position. Honestly, I’m more comfortable here.”

Park smiled with eyes like ice.

“Thanks to that, I was able to help develop ‘that thing’ you mentioned, Yuseong. I made it with a grateful heart.”

“Grateful? I didn’t purposely get involved to catch Gwak Cheongrae.”

Yuseong had requested Cheonghwa Electronics to manufacture a device.

It would be a tool used in the Serpent Subjugation.

“Hahaha, you’ll be surprised when you see it. You can look forward to it. Follow me.”

Saying so, he started guiding Yuseong’s group.

Park led the way, Park Mi Sun quietly followed Yuseong’s side.

“Yuseong…”

“Yes?”

Her face was a little pale.

“I saw it first. What these people made here.”

“Oh, is it well made?”

Park Mi Sun answered in a low voice.

“Just… they’re a little crazy, those guys.”

At the heavily secured door, Park Gyutae stopped.

“Finally, the reveal.”

He placed his palm on the fingerprint scanner.

The machinery whirred into action.

The massive door slowly opened.

As Park Mi Sun said, Park Gyutae’s bright smile looked a little unhinged but imposing.

“Presenting to Mr. Yuseong: Project Taegong Net.”

The legendary figure from ancient times, Gang Taegong.

The project named after him.

And the revealed ‘that thing.’

Everyone’s mouths dropped open.