MDPS 81🔐

Episode 81

My Dark Past Is Too Strong

Democratic Republic of the Congo (2)

Central Headquarters of the Adventurers’ Guild, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Joseph Umbanda.

As the head of the Adventurers’ Guild and chief diplomat of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he had made a critical decision independently.

Because of this, he faced internal backlash and turmoil.

“Then, let’s begin.”

A meeting attended by the ministers of foreign affairs, economy, and defense, among other key departments of the republic.

The session began with strong criticism of Joseph’s decision.

“Right now! We have relationships with the United States, China, and Japan! How long have we spent talking with them, and suddenly you act without even a word?!”

“If these relations break down, will you take responsibility?!”

“What kind of irresponsible action is this?!”

Yet Joseph did not believe his judgment was wrong.

“They agreed to clear the Tower of Fierce Battles, and it won’t cost much. We didn’t propose any resource trade. Above all, only three countries can benefit, and I couldn’t just give that up.”

“Even so! This should have been carried out according to law and procedure!”

“I did not commit any illegal acts.”

At Joseph’s words, Foreign Minister Maseka spoke.

“Joseph, your decision is jeopardizing the nation’s diplomatic standing.”

“Economic losses will also be enormous. If the support from these three countries is cut off, our economy will suffer greatly.”

Minister Daniel added. Joseph calmly responded.

“I believe this decision is for the future of our nation. Cooperation with Korea is not merely a diplomatic gesture—it strengthens our adventurers’ capabilities and fosters national self-reliance.”

However, no government official accepted his words.

“You have three days. Treat the representatives from Korea as guests and send them off quietly!”

“…Three days. Just three days.”

Eventually, Joseph agreed to limit the cooperation with Korea to three days. During this period, he would welcome the Korean delegation and explore ways to collaborate. After the meeting, Joseph sighed deeply.

“How should I explain this…”

Joseph felt the weight of the situation.

Injili International Airport

Thanks to Chairman Jeon Myeong-il’s help, I could take a private plane directly to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The route went via Paris, France, and it took longer than expected.

Upon arrival, two familiar faces were already waiting.

“Adventurer, welcome!”

“Hello! This is Deputy Park Tae-kyun!”

“Team Leader, Deputy, you arrived quickly.”

“I had to come ahead to coordinate a few things in advance.”

“Ah, I see.”

“The car is ready, just this way.”

I was so relieved to have this team leader with me in an unfamiliar place. Alone, I might have wandered around.

As I got into the car, I could see the Tower of Fierce Battles rising in the distance from Injili International Airport.

Having always seen the tower in Korea, seeing one in another country felt strange.

“Are you planning to climb the tower right away?”

“Yes. We need to reach the top floor, so we should go immediately.”

“Understood. However, you must obtain a temporary strategy code before entering the tower.”

“Is there such a thing?”

“Yes. So you need to meet Joseph Umbanda, the head of the Adventurers’ Guild of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He played a major role in making this expedition possible.”

“Great. Let’s go right away.”

The meeting with Chairman Joseph was at a 5-star hotel near the Tower of Fierce Battles.

Upon arrival, all staff came out to welcome me.

The lobby was dazzling. Staff lined both sides, bowing deeply.

“Bienvenue, monsieur!”

I was startled by the French greeting.

“What… Who’s here?”

“This ceremony is only for distinguished guests. In this case, it’s Adventurer Oh Hyun-woo.”

Team Leader Lee Jung-yul whispered.

Embarrassing… I’m just here for my personal goal of clearing the tower.

Footsteps.

Through the hotel staff appeared a man.

Crossing the lobby, he radiated tradition, authority, and wildness.

His dark brown skin was adorned with a Congolese traditional shirt, the Gandoura, with gold embroidery, over which he wore a black military-tailored jacket.

On his chest, a golden badge with the emblem of the Congolese Guild gleamed, and on his left shoulder, the emblem of the Adventurers’ Union was stitched in red.

‘So that’s Joseph Umbanda, the guild master here.’

“Welcome, Adventurer Oh Hyun-woo.”

Joseph’s voice was low and heavy, like the beat of drums deep in a dust-filled jungle.

He held a staff with Congolese traditional patterns, and three expressionless bodyguards followed him like shadows.

Joseph extended his hand to me. I awkwardly shook it.

Then I felt a slight tremor in his hand. Suddenly, he pulled me into a shoulder embrace as if greeting me, whispering:

“I’m sorry. I’m not enough; I could only secure three days.”

…Three days?

Ah, he means the time limit for the strategy.

Honestly, that’s more than enough. Even if I had a week, I’d have finished before then.

“Yes! I’ll make the most of these three days.”

“Ah? No, that’s not…”

Joseph paused, then awkwardly looked away. I followed him through the hotel lobby and took the elevator to the top floor.

In the elevator mirror, Joseph’s expression was complicated, like someone who had done something wrong.

Ding─

The floor arrived.

A corridor of massive wooden doors for distinguished guests.

At the end was the Royal Suite—or rather, the Ebony Private Suite.

Filled with black ebony furniture, blending tradition and modernity in a VIP space.

“This will be where you stay.”

“Oh…”

I was genuinely impressed. A spacious, luxurious room, complete with a seating area suitable for meetings. The kind of room I had only seen in hotel dramas.

“Team Leader Lee.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s just drop the luggage here and get the temporary code immediately.”

“Yes, understood.”

I approached Joseph directly.

He looked flustered, like a subordinate who had made a mistake at a drinking party. Then he finally spoke:

“The stay is only three days…”

“Yes. I know. That’s why we need the temporary code quickly.”

“So… effectively, you’ll have only a day or two, considering your departure schedule.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

What’s with him? Does he pity guests who can stay only three days?

His face had grown even more lined.

“Ah… the temporary code will only be usable for 48 hours from today.”

“Ah! A bit tight, but understood. Let’s get it quickly.”

“Yes….”

His words became fewer, while I calculated the schedule in my head. Climbing the tower now, I could experiment with new strategies to save time. This time, I’d enjoy it more, not just follow a calculated route like last time.

Joseph, apparently unable to read my expression, said with a complicated look:

“Really… it’s fine even if you just make do here.”

I smiled and replied:

“Yes, I’ll make the most of it.”

I nodded, thinking: Of course, ‘making the most’ might mean something different to Joseph. But I thought:

‘I have to break my own record myself.’

Adventurers’ Guild Headquarters, Democratic Republic of the Congo

“The temporary code has been issued. You may use the tower for the next 48 hours.”

Smiling, I said:

“Thank you. Team Leader Lee, can I go ahead?”

“Yes. Deputy Park will guide you to the tower.”

“Understood.”

“If any issues arise, contact us immediately.”

I headed to the tower with Deputy Park and the guild staff.

Joseph, watching us, seemed uneasy. Team Leader Lee noticed this subtle tension. Normally, she would accompany me, but because of Joseph, she left it to Deputy Park.

“Chairman Joseph.”

“Yes?”

“You seem troubled.”

“Ah… yes. Towers are always like this.”

“Seems there was some internal friction.”

Joseph didn’t reply, but his silence spoke volumes.

“So the three-day limit… meant just sightseeing, huh?”

“I apologize. It was a choice for the people, but I lacked the ability, and this discourtesy happened…”

“No, you don’t need to worry so much.”

Joseph appreciated Lee’s kindness. Normally, such situations would be a diplomatic faux pas, potentially offensive. He was grateful they handled it gently.

“I should be the one thanking you for understanding.”

“Huh?”

“You had to deal with inconvenience because of me.”

“No, we never intended to stay longer than three days.”

“Really? Then did you never plan to clear the tower?”

At Joseph’s reaction, Lee finally understood and smiled. She knew why he looked so down.

“I think there’s a big misunderstanding.”

“Ah… so it was only one floor free of charge? Perhaps our interpreter made a mistake.”

“No, the interpretation seems fine. Seeing is believing. Let’s wait and see.”

Joseph couldn’t understand what to wait for.

Lee checked her phone:

“They’ve arrived at the tower.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Do you think you have many subordinates who follow you?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You’ll become a national hero for this achievement, so you should prepare.”

“What are you talking about…”

Lee smiled:

“Oh, they’ve entered.”

The tower in Congo definitely had a different atmosphere than in Korea.

You could immediately sense how many adventurers were in Korea. Here, almost no one was around. It was hard to tell if anyone was climbing.

“Not many people here.”

“Yes. Korea is an exception. It’s the only country with climbing numbers comparable to China and India.”

I was surprised. I didn’t care about statistics, but a country of 50 million having similar numbers to countries with over a billion? That meant adventurers were gathering from all over the world.

“Check-in complete. You may enter.”

“Thank you. Let’s go in immediately.”

“Yes, be careful! If you need help, come find me. I’ll be waiting right there!”

“Haha, I’ll finish quickly so you don’t have to wait long.”

I headed to the tower entrance. As I prepared to use the temporary code:

《You have cleared the Tower of Fierce Battles on another server. Would you like to climb again?》

Climb again? There was no such warning in the Korean server. Since I’m on a different server, it seems to ask.

《YES》

《Adventurers who have cleared the tower on another server can enter ‘Challenge Mode’.》

《Challenge Mode starts from floor 1. Special rewards are given if you beat your previous record. Do you want to attempt?》

Oh? There’s such a system? The major powers didn’t mention a word. Is that why they held meetings about tower management?

‘Originally, the plan was to climb from floor 61 quickly…’

Then I’ll start from floor 1! Floors 1–60 won’t even take half a day anyway!

《YES》

《Starting Challenge Mode of the Tower of Fierce Battles.》

《Entering floor 1 of the Tower of Fierce Battles Challenge Mode: ‘Withered Forest’》