MDPS 25

Chapter 25

My Dark History is Too Strong

Management Contract (2)

Thanks to Union Chief Jeon Myung-il, a meeting date with CEO Son Tae-ha was set right away.

‘Still, setting something like this up in just one day… should I take it as a sign they’re really serious, or that they’re just not that busy?’

Wouldn’t the CEO of a company usually have a packed schedule?
I couldn’t tell if this was because Jeon Myung-il was that influential, or if my value had actually risen that much.

The meeting place was Ascend Management’s office.

I briefly considered meeting at a café near my house, but that wasn’t really appropriate—and besides, there was a real problem.

“Ah, you’re the one from YouTube!”

…Yesterday, when I stopped by a convenience store, the clerk recognized my face.

People said successful adventurers were bigger stars than celebrities these days, but it still felt strange when I experienced it myself.

On top of that, it hadn’t even been a week since I opened my social media account, and yet my follower count kept skyrocketing.

My DMs were blowing up so much that I had to turn notifications off completely.

So yeah, meeting in public was out of the question. The domestic press was watching my every move.

That’s why I decided to go directly to Ascend Management.

I was curious to see what kind of company would present me with a contract like that anyway.

Ascend Management occupied the 2nd and 3rd floors of a building in Seoul.

Though it was a relatively new company, it seemed well-funded thanks to its parent company, the Taepyeong Group.

I entered the lobby for external visitors and spoke to a staff member.

“Excuse me. I’m here to meet CEO Son Tae-ha.”

“Ah, you must be the one expected today! Please wait just a moment, I’ll guide you right away.”

The staff member seemed to recognize my face.

It was starting to feel convenient that I didn’t even need to explain who I was anymore.

Knock knock.

“Yes?”

“Sir, your guest has arrived.”

“Ah! Please, come in!”

When I entered the CEO’s office, a familiar-looking man was waiting.

He was about my height, with a youthful face.

Round glasses and an air of calm confidence.

But for some reason… his warmth felt overwhelming, almost burdensome.

“Thank you so much for coming all this way. I really should have gone to see you instead.”

“Not at all.”

As soon as I sat down, Son Tae-ha stared at me intently.

“…Do I have something on my face?”

“No. I just can’t believe it—you’re really here, in front of me.”

…Maybe I should leave now?
Something about this CEO made me uneasy.

“Haha… Well then, may I ask a few questions about the contract?”

“Ah! Yes, of course! Please, ask me anything!”

“First, I think we should review the contract again. The contents are a bit… unusual.”

Son immediately pulled out a tablet PC and opened the contract.

“What’s missing? If you’d like anything added, please let me know.”

“It’s not so much that something’s missing… but the contract basically reads like you’re transferring ownership of the company to me.”

Right. Who in their right mind would hand over a company to someone they’d just met?

A rich chaebol giving his company away to a stranger? That wouldn’t even fly in a drama.

“Ah! Yes, that’s correct.”

“Exactly, I thought—…Wait, what?”

“I intend to entrust this management company to you, Adventurer Oh Hyun-woo.”

…So such a person did exist.

“You’re saying the contract I saw was a genuine proposal? Not a mistake?”

Son blinked his wide eyes and nodded.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But… why would you give away the company?”

“Because I feel like being near you, Oh Hyun-woo, will let me catch some of the benefits.”

“…Sorry?”

“Yes, I know this contract sounds ridiculous. But I’m serious. This is the ‘last train.’ My last chance to connect myself to you.”

That was why he offered such a contract.

And in his eyes, I could see a burning desire.

“Ascend is a new management company. Realistically, breaking through to the top in Korea is difficult. But I want to grow this company.”

“Grow it, huh…”

“Do you know what’s needed to rapidly scale up in this industry?”

The key factor for a management company’s growth? That much was obvious…

“An adventurer.”

“Correct. But ordinary adventurers are a dime a dozen. For a management company to grow, it needs a ‘flagship star.’”

And he was saying that I was perfect for that role.

He had already run the cost-benefit calculation.

“I’m certain you’ll be that flagship star. So, what do you think of the contract terms?”

“I’m satisfied.”

“Then let’s proceed as is, and if we need to fine-tune anything later, we can discuss it anytime. Is that acceptable?”

“….”

This CEO had the spirit of a gambler.

When I thought he was just an investor, I didn’t find him all that trustworthy… but—

‘At least he knows how to recognize people.’

Calling it the “last train” was accurate.

As he said, my current value as an adventurer was still at its lowest.

Whether it was luck or skill, anyone who would place such a bet on me was worth making a deal with.

Besides, the contract terms were far too favorable for me—I probably wouldn’t ever get a better offer.

Still, before signing, I wanted to ask one thing.

“Alright. But may I ask one question first?”

“Yes! Please, go ahead!”

“I heard rumors that you regularly visit the Adventurers’ Headquarters…”

“Ah, yes. After the Great Cataclysm, I came across a very intriguing strategy guide.”

“After the Cataclysm? There were a lot of those floating around back then.”

“True, but this one was different. Extremely detailed. So I kept a close eye on it, and compiled all the writings from that author.”

So it was him—the one who created that archive.

“…And you’ve been selling that, haven’t you?”

Son jumped up in protest.

“Selling it?! Never! I only listed it on an auction once, hoping the original author might contact me.”

He denied it so vehemently, it was almost over the top.

The reason became clear soon enough.

“I respect the intellectual property of adventurers. That strategy guide, and of course, any future guides you might write, Oh Hyun-woo—I swear on my life to protect them.”

He just didn’t want me to misunderstand.

“I see. In that case, let’s proceed with the contract.”

“…You’ve made a very wise decision! I will serve you with all my dedication, Adventurer Oh Hyun-woo!”

“Yes. I look forward to working with you, CEO Son.”

Truthfully, I’d already made up my mind before coming here.

What I needed most was unconditional support without complicated conditions.

And besides, he had recognized the value of my guides back when the world was flooded with nonsense posts.

A man who saw my potential as an adventurer and placed a bold bet at my lowest point.

‘That’s good enough for me.’

I considered revealing that I was the author of those guides, but decided against it—it felt like it would come off too clingy. I’d save that for later.

The contract with Son Tae-ha went smoothly.

After signing, I felt restless, like I needed to do something right away.

It was that uneasy feeling that sitting still was wasting precious time.

‘Good. Now that I have a sponsor, I’ll be able to form a guild soon.’

Guilds played an extremely important role in Legend Seven.

There were contents accessible only to guilds, which rewarded exclusive resources for strengthening summoned beings.

There were two main types of guild content:

• PVP: Arena

• PVE: Forgotten Sanctuary

My immediate goal was the PVE content—Forgotten Sanctuary.

But it wasn’t something I could clear just by being strong on my own.

Not that it was impossible for someone of my caliber… but still.

‘With my current strength, it’s too early.’

So I needed to recruit quality guild members. I already had one person in mind.

Go In-su, the one who had sold me Temina and Iron not long ago.

I planned to bring him in as my first guild member.

‘Talented, but clueless. Perfect to teach from scratch.’

The problem was, creating a guild required five members.

Even with In-su, two people wouldn’t be enough.

‘I’ll just have to find more members step by step…’

With that settled, it was time to resume climbing the Tower.

Before the Episode 8 update, I absolutely had to clear the 100th floor.

《You have entered Tower of Strife, Floor 51: “Path of Blood Pilgrimage (1).”》

That was my mindset as I entered the 51st floor.

‘…Was the atmosphere always this heavy?’

I hadn’t climbed the Tower in a few days, busy with negotiations and contracts. But had my senses dulled this much?

Sure, monsters on the 51st floor were strong, but the pressure in the air felt even heavier than the hidden route of the 50th floor—the Audience Chamber.

The true boss of the 50th floor, Valg, was stronger than even some 60th floor bosses. There was no reason for this kind of oppressive atmosphere here.

‘Something’s definitely off. Even the monsters’ movements seem different.’

They moved with sharper, keener precision.

I was just thinking maybe my instincts had dulled from the break—

Bang!

《The Crimson Pilgrim parries the attack of the Witch of the End, Hertia.》

‘!?’

Ordinary monsters almost never parried Hertia’s attacks.

No—saying “almost never” was wrong. They never could.

Sure, that had just been a basic attack, but still…

Rumble!

“Grrr, kiyaaak!”

“Hmph. You can withstand even that? But my next attack won’t be so forgiving!”

Even Temina’s powerful firepower wasn’t enough to bring them down instantly.

‘…It’s confirmed. The monsters are far stronger than calculated.’

Not to the point of making the strategy impossible, but enough to disrupt my plans.

The smooth, clockwork precision of my previous runs was being thrown off by these small obstacles.

And then, I saw a strange notification.

《You have slain the Crimson Pilgrim.》
《The Rotten Blood of Curse seeps into the Tower of Strife.》

Rotten Blood of Curse?

‘But that only drops when you kill a vampire…’

These weren’t true vampires—just their thralls. That item shouldn’t appear from them.

And not as a drop, but as something that “seeps into the Tower”? That was new.

I’d never seen anything like this before.

Maybe it was a change to the Tower itself, ahead of the Episode 8 update…

“Kalligo.”

“Yes, Sage!”

“Do you sense anything? Any trace of vampires or their kin?”

Kalligo hated vampires more than anyone—if something was off, he’d notice.

“…Not yet. Did you feel something, Master?”

“…No. If you don’t sense anything, then it’s fine.”

Even Kalligo hadn’t noticed.

So was it really just my imagination?

Either way… I decided I’d better move forward with extra caution.