MDPS 23

 Chapter 23

My Dark History Is Too Strong

The Mysterious Adventurer

With a heavy thud, the box dropped to the ground.

Judging by its weight, it wasn’t ordinary.

And this was something I’d never once seen back when this was still just a game.

“Judging by the name ‘End’ and its ominous color, this must be related to Lucifer somehow…”

I reached out and checked the box’s information.

[Legacy of the End]
Description: A box containing the legacy of the End.

Even after reading it, I couldn’t make sense of it.
Should I open it now? Or leave it for later?
The name feels too foreboding…

“…Then again, my entire class and summons are already soaked in ‘End.’ What’s one more thing?”

[Would you like to open the Legacy of the End?]

Of course, I chose “YES.”

The box burst open with a brilliant flash of light.

[You have obtained the Relic of the End.]

Inside was a dark violet orb.

It looked like something a shady fortune teller might use.

The moment I reached out to inspect it more closely—

Fwoosh—

“…Huh?”

The Relic of the End vanished, absorbed straight into my hand.

Ding!

[By absorbing the Relic of the End, a new class-exclusive skill for Rebel of the Morning Star has been unlocked.]

“Whoa!”

I yelped in surprise before I could stop myself.

Thankfully, my summons were too busy bickering—arguing about who was stronger—to notice.

Good. Because my heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

Unlocking a class-exclusive skill was huge.

Normally, you had to fulfill all sorts of grueling conditions to gain one. To get one as a dungeon reward? That was nothing short of divine luck.

I quickly checked the new skill.

[Remnant of the Morning Star]
Description: When you defeat an enemy hostile to the Seven Deadly Sins, you will absorb the power of Sin. Each time you absorb power, you unlock new passive skills, tier by tier.
Warning: The more power you gain, the more your body may undergo changes.

“…A skill that hands out passive skills as it grows?”

This was insane.

Passive skills were always valuable, no matter what they did. Getting them just by progressing? That was broken beyond belief.

“Still… what kind of passives will it give?”

I opened the detailed view.

[Remnant of the Morning Star]
Collected Sin Power: 0
Stage 1: Locked

Unfortunately, I couldn’t yet see what the passives were.

The explanation was vague, but it still fired me up.

After all, “enemies hostile to the Seven Deadly Sins” basically meant every faction opposed to the Legend Seven.

“…Not that that’s something to brag about.”

Still, as long as I climbed the Tower, I’d naturally grow the skill.

The only part that stuck out was…

“…Body changes? What the hell does that mean?”

Honestly, it bothered me a lot.

But you can’t refuse to make kimchi just because you’re afraid of maggots.
It wasn’t like I’d quit the Tower just because of a single ominous warning.

“Okay. That’s enough worrying about rewards.”

Next problem: the fact that Barg remembered “Lucifer.”

I’d assumed Hertia and Caligo remembered me only because of my special perk.

But if even a Tower boss—unrelated to any perk—retained memories of Lucifer… wasn’t that something I should think harder about?

“…Nah. Too few clues right now. Pass.”

Honestly, I didn’t care about the Tower’s mysteries or their memories.

The important things were my survival. My growth. My success. And my family’s safety.

That’s all I’d been aiming for since the start.

Which meant what I really needed to worry about now was—

“The outside world must be in chaos by now.”

A mysterious adventurer had cleared the true boss of the 50th floor.

That fact had been broadcast worldwide.

Naturally, guilds and nations would’ve gone crazy pressuring the Tower of Records.

Whether or not they gave in, right now, countless people were probably being asked—
“Are you the mysterious adventurer?”

“…And that’s the chance I’ll exploit.”

My value had skyrocketed overnight.

Yes, suspicion would also be aimed squarely at me.
After all, my achievements came through a “villain” who’d be executed if discovered.

“But… what if I present a strategy that anyone with normal summons could follow?”

That would give my results plausibility.

People would say, “Oh, he must’ve been a former top ranker. He knows methods we don’t, which explains his ridiculous achievements.”

“That’s why I recorded fresh strategy videos from floors 1 to 10.”

From here on out, I’d be the poisoned apple—suspicious, yes, but too tempting not to bite.

And the perfect negotiation partner would be…

“The Korean government. More desperate for me than anyone else, and the best choice to entrust my identity to.”

With their administrative power, surveillance systems, and control over adventurer records, no one could rival them.

They needed someone like me as a weapon.
I needed a safe fence within which I could move freely.

Our interests aligned. Success was practically guaranteed.

Of course, I had no intention of bowing down meekly.

“Phew…”

Come to think of it, how long had it been since I cleared the dungeon?

The gloomy atmosphere hadn’t let me relax at all.

Checking the clock, I realized quite some time had passed.

Perfect. By now, media outlets, management firms, and government officials would’ve all mobilized.

Couldn’t ask for better timing.

“…But just walking out saying, ‘I’m the mysterious adventurer!’ won’t be convincing.”

I couldn’t exactly summon a Villain and say, “Look! Proof!”

But then, a good idea struck me.

[Barg’s Spider-Eye Mirror]
Description: A mirror crafted from Barg’s spider eyes, master of the Blood Palace. Used as material for myth-grade equipment.

A rare drop from defeating Barg.

Perfect proof. Any adventurer could verify it instantly.

“Good. Now it’s time for negotiations. Don’t let your guard down, Oh Hyun-woo.”

[Descending to the entrance of the Tower of Strife.]

Meanwhile, Korean media was ablaze with reports about the Blood Palace and the mysterious adventurer.

[The Blood Palace had a secret true boss?!]
[World Rank 3, Schatten Legion’s mascot Toavis Schultz, humiliated!]

Online communities overflowed with wild theories.

• “Did you hear? The true boss was actually discovered in China.”
  └ “Really?”
  └ “Yeah, right lol.”
  └ “Stop trolling, for real.”
  └ “Lmao take the bait properly, man.”

• “But seriously, how’d they even find the boss? And why didn’t anyone know until now?”
  └ “No idea, but the current rankers’ pride definitely got wrecked haha.”
  └ “…Could it have been… Korea?”
  └ “Yeah right lol. Legend Seven’s ruined country, remember?”

As speculation ran rampant, so did the ringing of Jeon Myeong-il’s phone—the head of Korea’s Adventurers’ Association.

Bzzzt! Bzzzt!

“Sigh… Reporters, guilds, they’re all like hungry wolves today.”

“Chairman?”

“I know. We’ll step in first. We must handle these negotiations ourselves.”

Jeon Myeong-il, Team Leader Lee Jung-yul, and Park Tae-kyun immediately headed to the Tower of Strife, carrying the best terms the Korean government could offer.

“We must secure this deal, no matter what.”

The Association head was an elected position.

With elections just a year away, he needed a big win to impress the public.

When they arrived, the Tower was swarming.

Adventurer industry insiders, random onlookers—so many that it looked like a dungeon break scene.

Police were trying to hold the crowd back but were being pushed to the rear.

Even the Association head was shoved aside by the frenzied press.

“…There are so many waiting. Surely he hasn’t already left?”

“I doubt it. If he had, there’d be—Ow!”

Thud!

Team Leader Lee was knocked over by a burly reporter rushing past.

“Ugh… that hurt…”

“You okay?”

“I-I’m fine.”

She stood and looked toward the Tower exit.

Every time someone emerged, reporters swarmed them.

“Are you the mysterious adventurer?!”
“What are the conditions for meeting the true boss?!”

But time after time, they were false alarms.

“…So, what do you think?”

“The way I see it, whoever’s behind this is intentionally revealing themselves. Like they’ve been waiting for the right time.”

“And that means?”

“They’re probably gathering people right now. It’s been two hours since the clear, so I’d say…”

At that moment—

Step. Step.

A steady sound of footsteps cut through the crowd.

A tall man in a black hoodie and jeans.

Sharp eyes.

Nothing particularly flashy, yet everyone’s gaze locked on him.

And Lee instantly understood why.

Unlike the other flustered adventurers, he walked straight forward, meeting the press’s eyes head-on.

One quick-witted reporter shoved a mic toward him.

“Are you… the mysterious adventurer?”

The man answered calmly.

“Yes.”

Click! Click! Click! Click!

Cameras exploded with light.

But even amidst the chaos, he didn’t flinch.

“C-Can you prove it?!”

The man silently pulled out an item—Barg’s Spider-Eye Mirror.

The adventurers present immediately recognized it as genuine. Proof enough.

But for reporters, the questions had only just begun.

“How did you find the true boss?!”
“Were you a Legend Seven Pictures employee?!”
“Are you using exploits or dangerous summons?!”

The man smiled.

As if he’d been waiting for these kinds of questions.

He raised his phone, displaying the Tower of Records guide.

“I didn’t use cheats. But I didn’t use the existing guides either.”

Another barrage of flashes.

“I have to ask—who wrote those trash guides? And are they taking responsibility for all the harm they’ve caused?”

The faces of big guild managers hardened.

One finally spoke.

“Then… do you have new strategies? How much will you sell them for?”

The man’s smile widened, bright and mocking, as if to say ‘Shove it.’

“As for my strategies—they’ll be free. I’ll release them publicly on my social media, including the exact summon combinations I used.”

The crowd erupted.

“Y-You must be using high-grade summons!”

“Hero.”

“…Excuse me?”

“To my knowledge, the Legend Seven Tower can be cleared from floor 1 to 100 with only Hero-grade or lower summons.”

Whoooosh—

The venue exploded like a bomb had gone off.

Everything they thought they knew was shattered.

“I’m sure I’ve upset many people already. That’s all for the interview.”

He turned to leave.

Reporters swarmed after him, but before chaos could break out, men in black suits surrounded him—bodyguards.

Through them, Association Head Jeon carefully approached.

“Would you accompany us for a moment?”

“Your name?”

“…Jeon Myeong-il, head of the Adventurers’ Association.”

“Ah, Chairman. I look forward to working with you.”

The man’s attitude toward the government was surprisingly friendly.

“…May I ask your name? No pressure, of course—”

“Oh Hyun-woo.”

“Ah… Mr. Oh Hyun-woo.”

“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you today, Chairman. For many reasons.”

“…I’ll do my best not to disappoint.”

At those last words, Jeon Myeong-il felt cold sweat bead on his back.

The car carrying the two quietly drove off toward the Tower of Records.