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Chapter 77
My Dark Past is Too Strong
Pandemonium Mansion
Tower of Records, Hall of Assembly.
The heart of the Korean adventurers’ association and the forefront of adventurer diplomacy worldwide.
Today, a special set of guests had arrived.
Matilda Sinclair, Guild Master of the United States, and Ramón Vargas, Guild Master of Spain.
The fact that representatives of two major powers had come in person was proof that Korea’s standing had changed from before.
“Pleasure to meet you. I am Matilda Sinclair from the United States.”
A confident middle-aged woman, her handshake poised and precise.
“And I am Ramón Vargas from Spain.”
A man in a neat suit with black hair, exuding restrained dignity.
“Yes. I am Jeon Myeong-il, administrator of the Tower of Records and Guild Master of Korean adventurers.”
The three sat quietly.
Jeon Myeong-il knew why they were here. Officially, it was to improve relations and strengthen cooperation between countries.
But that wording had never been used when visiting Korea before.
“Strengthen cooperation…”
Diplomacy between nations might be the pretext, but this was clearly a request.
They wanted guidance on conquering the first floor of the Tower of the Elves.
“They must have realized it only after Oh Hyun-woo appeared and witnessed the change of radiance.”
Though his past frustrations simmered beneath the surface, he did not show it.
Still, an uncomfortable expression flashed briefly.
“They probably hoped for a one-on-one meeting with us, but I deliberately paired them together. Not exactly pleasant, huh?”
As expected, Matilda and Ramón were not in the best mood.
In diplomatic settings, one-on-one meetings are the norm. Yet today, the guild masters of two countries were brought together. Such an act could even be seen as a diplomatic faux pas.
Jeon Myeong-il knew they were uncomfortable—and he knew he was breaking protocol.
But he also felt it was necessary to make their positions clear: to show who held the stronger power.
“Besides, this time, they didn’t come to give; they came to receive.”
Neither Matilda nor Ramón could protest.
They knew their past mistakes were returning as karmic consequences.
“Thank you for coming. Shall we begin discussing the agenda?”
“Yes!”
“Certainly.”
“Inter-country exchanges, criminal extradition procedures, adventurer safety guarantees, tax adjustments for tower usage…”
The usual topics of discussion—standard diplomatic procedure.
The mood shifted with one statement from Matilda:
“Congratulations on clearing the first and second floors of the Tower of the Elves.”
“Thank you. We were also very surprised by the unexpected results.”
“It seems we have much to learn from you. Continued information exchange will be possible, yes?”
Until now, the information flow had been one-sided: the major powers gave, Korea received.
But the information was abstract and incomplete. Jeon Myeong-il had not forgotten.
“We actually inquired about it.”
“You mean the information belongs to an unidentified adventurer?”
“Yes. They said some information exchange is possible.”
Both Matilda and Ramón straightened in their seats.
Now, the control over the information had shifted.
“What about details like guild composition, skill setups, item builds…?”
“Unfortunately, that part is off-limits.”
For a moment, Ramón’s mouth twitched, but there was no displeasure. It was an expected outcome.
“However, other information can be provided. But there are conditions.”
Their expressions stiffened. Jeon Myeong-il spoke directly:
“We will not share this information with China or Japan.”
Silence.
The weight of his words hit them. Jeon Myeong-il was essentially saying: exclude China and Japan from the previous major five-power structure, and form a new order with Korea.
This was expected.
The next task: carefully integrate this emerging power into the existing order.
But what followed left the two stunned:
“If this is inconvenient, we will not force you. But if that’s the case, Korea will provide no support. You won’t even set foot on Korean soil.”
“What do you mean—”
“You intend to go your own way?”
A fire blazed in Jeon Myeong-il’s eyes, carrying the weight of years of insult and neglect Korea had endured.
“The first floor of the Tower of the Elves. Other nations struggle even with the third floor. How far will you get without our help?”
Hit right in the core, Matilda and Ramón averted their gazes. Confidence shattered. No argument could counter that.
“I understand you’ll need internal discussions. You’re staying a few more days anyway, so continue negotiations. That concludes today’s meeting.”
For the first time, Jeon Myeong-il rose first.
The balance of power had reversed—thanks to the national power change created by Oh Hyun-woo.
Left in the hall, the two guild masters shared a heavy silence before speaking:
“He seemed so confident.”
“Yes. Far more knowledgeable than we expected.”
“Information from behind may decrease for a while.”
“Eh?”
“The Tower of Records is scheduled for a complete staff overhaul. They’re redoing it from scratch.”
Ramón let out a bitter laugh.
A blessed land, home to the Tower of Records, holding everything related to adventurers in Korea. Yet, previously lacking adventurer strength, it could be manipulated freely. They had tried to suppress it, yet it ultimately soared.
“Even now, their pride is high. How about the future?”
“That depends on us.”
Matilda looked out the window, a slight smile tugging at her lips.
“Indeed, it’s Korea.”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
“They still think they can control the world.”
Ramón nodded in agreement.
“They believe they can shape the world as they wish.”
“Exactly. They know what’s behind them.”
“So, what’s your plan now?”
“Create a new strategy.”
“…The colonies will be safe?”
Matilda gave a faint smile.
“In this day and age, not colonies. We’re cooperating with minor adventurer nations. They’ll be safe. Korea can’t handle everything alone—they’ll still want money in the end.”
“For now, they’ll be safe.”
“And we’ll ensure it.”
After Yoon Hae-joon’s explosive statement, time had passed.
The first-floor clear race of the Tower of the Elves was nearing its conclusion.
[Tower of the Elves 1F Progress]
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KR – Unidentified adventurer: 100% (Complete)
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KR – Yoon Hae-joon: 100% (Complete)
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DE – Tobias Schultz: 100% (Complete)
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KR – Son Tae-yeon: 100% (Complete)
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ES – Miguel Delgado: 100% (Complete)
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US – Dwayne Carter: 100% (Complete)
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ES – Hugo Cruz: 100% (Complete)
⁝
Within the top 10, Japan and China had completely vanished.
The arrival of the US and Spain, and the meeting of Germany and Jeon Myeong-il’s guild master the next day, caused a complete reshuffle.
“Thanks to the information I provided… Korea’s glory. I might even get a meal from the guild master for this.”
The information wasn’t extraordinary—just guidance for a clear route.
Yet it caused a major upheaval in rankings.
The world was abuzz:
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From a minor adventurer nation to the world’s top… Korea sweeps 1st, 2nd, and 4th floors of the Tower of the Elves
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Game changer was Korea. Tower of the Elves conquered, global order restructuring begins
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Japan and China out of the charts; Korea dominates top ranks… birth of a new hegemon?
Community reactions were just as hot:
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“Is this real? 1st, 2nd, 4th all Korea? My chest swells!”
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“Son Tae-yeon steadily climbed to 4th.”
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“This is hilarious lol.”
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“Seo Joo-hyun, now what? Japan out of charts lol.”
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“China gone too lol, so chaotic.”
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“Adventurer superpower, indeed lol.”
Alongside the excitement, rumors spread about transfers to Ascend:
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“I heard Yoon Hae-joon and Son Tae-yeon are moving to Ascend.”
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“Really? Should they?”
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“Yoon Hae-joon giving up his master spot to start at the bottom? Cool or irresponsible?”
Their transfer was confirmed; contracts imminent. Son Tae-ha’s expression, however, remained grim.
“Phew…”
At Ascend management, Son Tae-ha and I sighed deeply. Yoon Hae-joon and Son Tae-yeon sat before us.
“Reconsider, sis. Uncle’s furious.”
“I’ve already decided.”
“Really jumping into the fire?”
“Then should I sit quietly in the corner and cry?”
Son Tae-ha looked frustrated—the weaker sibling pretending to be weak annoyed him.
“Enough. I’m the company representative here.”
“Sorry, but you’re not the final authority, right? The real rep is Oh Hyun-woo?”
“Y-yes, but still…”
It was the first time I saw him at a loss for words.
Son Tae-yeon bowed 90 degrees, showing unwavering determination:
“I, Son Tae-yeon! Please accept me! I’ll work hard! Starting from scratch!”
I teased him about his earlier doubts:
“That Son Tae-yeon is gone! Thanks to Oh Hyun-woo adventurer, I reached 4th! Doubting me now is foolish! I’ve been reborn!”
Son Tae-ha reacted:
“Oh, resurrected? Are you Jesus now?”
“Not resurrection, evolution.”
“If that’s evolution, humanity’s future is bleak.”
“Hey!”
Son Tae-yeon glared, then looked at me briefly before returning to a serious tone.
“Please! I will do my absolute best. I’ll start from the bottom, letting go of everything.”
Impossible to refuse after that. I wanted to accelerate guild creation anyway.
“Alright, Son Tae-ha. Are you okay with this?”
“Phew… Yes! It’s fine! A few scoldings from my uncle won’t hurt.”
“Tell Gwanghwi side we’ll support with deck consultations. Enough to use in negotiations?”
“Much appreciated. But… have you decided the guild name?”
Guild name… I hesitated.
“…I’ll tell you later.”
Not now. Absolutely not!
Two days later, Son Tae-ha entered Taepyeong Group, got scolded severely, but smiled at me.
Permission granted, but he’d been harshly reprimanded by Chairman Yoon Tae-pyeong.
Thanks to his sacrifice, guild creation could proceed.
“That’s why I came here.”
I returned to the Adventurer Management Headquarters after a long time.
Ding-dong.
“Adventurer #666!”
A loud, resonant call. I went to the counter.
The staff recognized me:
“Oh?! Jung Bul-mo, right?”
“Yes.”
“Cheering for you!”
“Thank you.”
“Purpose of visit?”
“Here to create a guild.”
“Oh! The rumor is true! One moment.”
The staff brought various forms.
Ugh, the nightmare of registering as an adventurer again…!
“Fill in all highlighted sections.”
“Yes.”
“Ah! And have you decided the guild name? Need to check for duplicates!”
“…Nium.”
“Pardon?”
“Pa… Nium.”
“Louder!”
“Pandemonium.”
“Ah… Pan-de-mo-ni-um! One moment!”
My face burned with embarrassment. The staff finished searching and spoke:
“No duplicates. Confirm guild name as Pandemonium?”
“…Yes.”
“Guild Pandemonium registration complete. Please fill in the forms.”
Pandemonium… why so loudly repeated? Unnerving!
I moved to a corner to fill out the forms.
These seven deadly sin guys had recommended this name; no other option.
“Should’ve done it myself!”
I completed and submitted the forms.
“Confirmation complete! Please take care of us, Guild Master of Pandemonium.”
At that moment:
[Hidden Bonus ‘The Returned Lucifer’ achieved.]
[Bonus reward: Pandemonium Mansion obtained.]
[Pandemonium Mansion Key acquired.]
“Oh… oh-oh…!?”
