MDPS 48🔐

 Chapter 48

My Dark Past is Too Strong
The Elf Fortress (1)

Oh Hyun-ah steadied her mind.

It had already been six hours since she had entered the training room.

Oh Hyun-woo looked at his sister’s changed expression and felt certain.

“Are you mentally prepared?”
“Yeah… now I’m ready.”
“No! Again! Not yet! You’re still not Astaroth!”

At that moment, Oh Hyun-ah’s eyes changed.

“How arrogant! This Astaroth-sama is always, everywhere, and possesses a mind more perfect than anyone else. A lowly person like you couldn’t possibly even approach!”

Clap clap clap!

Oh Hyun-woo clapped at Oh Hyun-ah’s transformed demeanor.

“Good! Then let’s start now. No matter what kind of summoned creature comes out from the ticket, you can handle it alone, right?”

Oh Hyun-ah nodded.

She had already heard the background explanations of each summon from Oh Hyun-woo. Whatever appeared, she could respond appropriately.

“Then… summon.”

Oh Hyun-ah inserted the ticket into the summoning scroll she held.

Immediately, strong winds swept through the room, and the pages began to turn on their own.

Rrrrrrr!

As the final page turned, a black smoke filled the training room.

“Summoning the Black Warhorse, Calyx.”

The Black Warhorse, Calyx – Teo’s subordinate.

Its black armor and neckpiece were adorned with mane-like fur, and the chest piece bore a motif of a horse’s head. It casually gripped a massive greatsword in one hand and stared at Oh Hyun-ah, radiating undeniable arrogance.

“……”

Oh Hyun-ah flinched for a moment.

Its sharp features, like carved marble, the dark hair flying wildly… The intellect of a scholar, the resolve of a knight, and the wildness of a wolf were all in its piercing gaze, sizing her up like prey.

Of the two locked in that stare, the first to break the silence was Calyx.

“…You’re an eyesore.”

Despite the insult, Oh Hyun-ah did not falter.

She had heard from Oh Hyun-woo that in a battle of wills with these beings, she must never lose.

“Answer me, girl. Who are you to summon me?”

Oh Hyun-ah remained silent, staring straight at him.

Calyx raised its greatsword and brought it to her neck.

At that moment, Oh Hyun-ah’s expression hardened.

“You wretched thing. To fail even to recognize your master… I spared you, a lost dog, out of pity. And now, ungrateful, you bare your teeth?”
“What did you say?”
“And what about that proud knight? Has he rusted away? How laughable! You claimed undying loyalty, and I even found it somewhat cute.”
“This scathing insult… could it be that you are…?”
“Leave. A dog who cannot recognize its master is of no use. You will never see me, nor that proud Teo, ever again.”
“……!”

As Oh Hyun-ah turned her back, Calyx knelt on one knee in respect.

“I apologize, Astaroth-sama. Please forgive my foolishness. I was mistaken by your changed appearance.”
“…Your tail-wagging apology is laughable. I will forgive you this once, but remember—there will not be a second time.”
“Yes, Astaroth-sama!”
“Return.”

“Reversing the summoning of the Black Warhorse, Calyx.”

As Calyx vanished, Oh Hyun-ah shivered and exhaled heavily.

“Huff… huff… I thought I was going to die.”

Watching her, I clapped my hands.

“You didn’t die, Oh Hyun-ah! Thought it was like back then?”
“Oppa… do I have to use this tone every time?”

I grinned as widely as I could and replied:

“Yes.”

After leaving the training room, Hyun-ah and I headed our separate ways.

I went straight to the dungeon, while Oh Hyun-ah went home to recover her wounded spirit.

I understood her feelings well. I still wasn’t fully used to this either.

‘Hang in there, Oh Hyun-ah. I’ll hang in there too.’

Where? In the dungeon!

Since announcing my self-imposed hiatus, I had been raising the level of every summon to 100.

In RPGs, they say you start at max level, right?

‘While I’ve been working so hard, the fortress strategy is still going nowhere.’

The progress on the fortress in our country remained sluggish.

Even with no interference from Deathside, at this pace, it looked like things wouldn’t move forward anytime soon…

Let’s see how other countries are doing.

‘Oh, Germany is ranked number one?’

Germany had also done very well during the “Legend Seven” days of the game.

I knew because I had frequently done PVP with these friends on my alternate account.

‘They had some really skilled players.’

Germany favored unpredictable, unconventional gameplay. Their plays were flashy and often left opponents flustered.

China preferred speed. Their “weeding” strategy relied on fast summons, finishing enemies before they could act.

Japan, on the other hand, took the opposite approach.

Rather than speed, they focused on high effect resistance to block debuffs, preferring steady accumulation.

‘PVP used to be so much fun.’

Being able to duel immediately without conversation was wonderful. Running the decks I designed in my head was incredibly satisfying.

At one point, it was so enjoyable that I played the Astaroth account more than Lucifer’s.

‘Clearly, countries with consistent gameplay adapt quickly to new content.’

I could only hope that in those countries, meta and deck research was thriving. There might even be combinations that could surprise me.

It was frustrating that Korea’s focus was solely on efficiency and fastest growth.

Perhaps the sluggish fortress clear was due to decks too specialized for the Battle Tower.

And it wasn’t just me feeling frustrated.

[Time Remaining for Elf Fortress Conquest: 46:32:43]

[News from advanced countries: clearings reported one after another. Korea still stagnant?]
[No time! 48 hours until Dungeon Break… are the strategy teams doing their job?]

The media had started to move seriously.

There really wasn’t much time left.

The community wasn’t much different.

-When will Jeong Bul-mo’s hiatus end?
└ It’s been a while since the Battle Tower hype cooled. What’s he up to?
└ Maybe he went overseas because he lost interest?
└ Still, no excuse. People were scapegoated when content disappeared at the end of the century;
└ Please come back, GOAT…

Public opinion was heating up, and preparations were complete.

[Illusion of Annihilation]
Description: If the fourth afterimage appears, the skill Chenyeon Manyeong activates automatically, regardless of turn.

Chenyeon Manyeong: The four remaining afterimages additionally attack Azas’s target.

Using the now immensely powerful Azas, it would be good to attempt the Elf Fortress.

People would be very surprised to see Azas. Its abilities were extraordinary, and rankers might recognize it immediately: “Oh, that’s the Battle Tower 100th floor boss!”

Even abroad, it might attract attention.

But I couldn’t stay crouched forever.

Above all, there was the artifact from clearing the fortress.

Revival artifacts were useful in many ways, so I wasn’t about to let it be taken.

‘Alright, decided.’

Time to go. To the fiery stage of the Elf Fortress.

So that no one could deny the worth of “Adventurer Oh Hyun-woo.”

When I arrived at the Elf Fortress, less than two days remained before the strategy deadline.

Perhaps fearing public opinion, or struggling with cleanup, Deathside, the Sword Faction, and the Incarnation Guild were completely silent.

Currently, challengers led by the Radiance Guild were advancing to clear the fortress.

But there had been no significant progress.

As a new content area, the enemies were strong, and changing strategies for each battle was a burden.

Elves excelled in swordsmanship, magic, and archery.

They even used spirit and summoning magic, making counter-strategies extremely tricky.

For adventurers from Korea, whose decks weren’t diverse, it was overwhelming.

“Here! A mysterious adventurer!”

In this desperate situation, I appeared in front of the fortress.

Journalists excitedly raised their microphones at my appearance.

“Are you resuming adventuring?”
“What activities during your hiatus…?”
“Did you prepare a strategy for the Elf Fortress?”
“Any comments on the 100th floor Battle Tower disappearance incident?”
“Who asked the last question? Drag them out!”

Amid hope, expectation, criticism, and jealousy, I calmly spoke.

“I am here simply to do what I, as a Korean adventurer, must do.”

“Can this be considered a de facto return declaration?”
“Yes, it is.”

“Do you have a specific strategy for the Elf Fortress?”
“I will prove it with results. For now, I want to focus on the strategy. Excuse me.”

After a brief interview at the fortress entrance, I strode toward the dungeon entrance.

‘Good. Let’s start again.’

[Entering Elf Fortress]
[PVP is forcibly enabled within the Elf Fortress.]
[Within this area, PVP can be conducted without opponent consent and without penalty.]

Upon entering, a PVP-related warning greeted me.

It seemed like a cautionary message, but it was useless to me now.

No one could hinder me.

Even if some adventurers were displeased, they had fought elves for five days straight.

They were likely at their physical limits, and unless they wanted to die, they wouldn’t provoke me.

Indeed, the Radiance Guild members before me showed no hostility.

“So this is Jeong Bul-mo. First time seeing him in person.”
“Is the hiatus over? Would be great if he joins the strategy team…”

In times like this, one must remain humble.

I bowed my head to them. Even if my skill wasn’t top-notch, I respected those fighting on the front lines.

“Thank you for your hard work on the front lines. Thanks to you, I could come here comfortably.”
“Oh… yes. Haha.”