Episode 29: Twilight Colosseum (1)
Go In-su was the most promising raw talent I’d seen among adventurers since the Cataclysm.
Yesterday’s conversation at the room café was astonishing.
- Hyung, I did some studying on my own.
- And?
- Looking closely, Legend Seven’s summons are structured to counter each other.
- Right. Every summon has weaknesses.
- But there are ways to cover those weaknesses too.
- Like what?
- Using weapon set effects and artifacts to compensate for a summon’s weaknesses! You can eliminate them entirely, but I think it’s better to amplify strengths to avoid exposing weaknesses altogether.
Wow, this kid figured that out already.
Since the Cataclysm, adventurers have been obsessed with the Gale set for speed boosts.
But summons like Hertia don’t need speed, and others like Iron shine brighter with specific artifacts.
Most adventurers don’t realize this—or rather, they don’t bother to.
They blindly follow guides from major guilds or the government, losing the ability to think for themselves.
But Go In-su was different.
He analyzed independently, with solid reasoning.
I saw the essential skill of a deck maker: the ability to read the meta.
“Oh… this is the guy…”
Son Tae-ha looked flustered, understandably so.
In-su’s so young, it’s hard to take him seriously at first.
“I’ll train In-su myself. I’ve already taught him a lot.”
“Oh, so he’s awakened as an adventurer…?”
“Of course. In-su, show him.”
“Yes!”
In-su handed his adventurer registration to Son Tae-ha, who nodded.
“Got it. Looking forward to working with you, Mr. Go In-su.”
“Same here!”
They shook hands, and Son Tae-ha turned to me, his tone growing serious.
“Are you sure about this?”
“About what?”
“The major guilds are preparing to push back. Likely because of the strategies we’re releasing. The higher the floors we cover, the stronger their resistance will get.”
“What kind of pushback?”
“Typically, they’ll cut off strategy support, enhancement materials, crafting resources, and refuse to sell high-grade summons, gear, or artifacts. But that’s not the core issue.”
Son Tae-ha paused, then continued quietly.
“The upcoming boss event, ‘Twilight Colosseum’. They’ll do whatever it takes to crush you and the company there.”
***
In a conference room at a luxury hotel in Seoul, executives from Korea’s top ten guilds gathered.
The meeting was hosted by Sun Sung-tae, master of the Deathside Guild, and the agenda was none other than Oh Hyun-woo.
“First, thank you all for attending. I know you’re busy, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
Sun Sung-tae displayed a graph on the screen.
“As you can see, major guilds are taking losses across the board.”
The guild masters cleared their throats uncomfortably.
“Since the association released the revised low-floor strategies, sales of high-grade summons, gear, and materials have noticeably dropped.”
Everyone agreed.
The Gale set, a steady bestseller, and its materials had been declining in price since the new strategies emerged, which didn’t rely on such equipment.
“What’s more, Ascend is set to release another guide soon. This one reportedly covers a much wider range of summon combinations.”
“Clinging to unverified info? Pathetic,” one scoffed.
The room sighed in frustration.
Blindly trusting a rookie’s strategies, barely scraping Floor 50, was lamentable.
“That’s exactly it! Verification, trust—that’s where we strike back.”
Sun Sung-tae switched the screen with a remote.
[Twilight Colosseum]
“As you know, the ‘Twilight Colosseum’ is a boss-raid event held before major updates. Failure to clear it in time triggers a dungeon break.”
Given its stakes, all Korean guilds participate in the ‘Twilight Colosseum’, turning it into a showcase of each guild’s prowess.
“We must crush their arrogance in this event. If we prove Ascend Management and that adventurer are all talk, it’ll be a public lesson!”
Sun Sung-tae paused, locking eyes with each attendee.
“They’ll struggle to keep causing trouble, and their strategies’ credibility will tank. Thus, I propose full information sharing for the ‘Twilight Colosseum’.”
The screen turned off, and Sun Sung-tae sat down.
The guild masters mulled over his proposal.
It wasn’t a fatal blow to Ascend, but branding them as “all talk” was appealing.
Plus, it involved no illegal risks, which was attractive.
But one person, Yoon Hae-joon, master of the Radiance Guild, spoke with a smile.
“If Ascend is an unstoppable wave, wouldn’t it be better to cooperate?”
Yoon Hae-joon’s remark made Sun Sung-tae snap.
“Work with that fraud?! Are you saying we let that rookie walk all over us?!”
“We’re already reliant on foreign info. Wouldn’t it be smarter to align with a domestic company we can communicate with?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Radiance might be cozy with Ascend, but the rest of us aren’t. This could disrupt guild operations!”
Yoon Hae-joon sighed deeply at Sun Sung-tae’s outburst.
“Fine. If the other nine agree, Radiance will follow. I’ve said my piece, so may I leave?”
“Hey! Master Yoon!”
Ignoring the protests, Yoon Hae-joon exited the room.
Sun Sung-tae clicked his tongue, visibly annoyed.
‘That arrogant jerk.’
Still, he suppressed his emotions.
He needed Radiance’s information to crush Ascend.
‘This is just the beginning. I’ll do anything to uphold that person’s honor.’
***
At Ascend Management’s office, with Son Tae-ha and Go In-su out handling contracts, I was alone.
I scoured the marketplace for ‘Twilight Colosseum’ prep, but nothing decent was available.
Even the adventurer community was full of nonsense.
- Anyone see the news? Those guys are up to something.
└ Obviously? It’s about the “unknown adventurer” lol.
└ Unknown adventurer?
└ The guy giving out free guides lol.
└ They held a meeting because of him? Why?
└ Why else? Free guides hurt their profits lol.
They’re already moving, huh.
Skimming the news, headlines popped up:
[Top 10 Korean Guilds Hold Secret Meeting in Seoul]
[Industry Tensions Rise Over Undisclosed Agenda]
That meeting was likely about crushing me and Ascend Management at the ‘Twilight Colosseum’—probably something tame like humiliating us.
‘This is why you play in the big leagues.’
I truly felt I’d stepped into the spotlight.
The current Adventurer Oh Hyun-woo was the eye of the storm.
If I were still an obscure ‘unawakened strategist’, I’d have been quietly dealt with.
‘What can they do to me now?’
With a solid sponsor and public attention, even they’d hesitate to pull anything illegal.
Fame is a blessing, hallelujah!
‘Anyway, I need to start prepping…’
The Twilight Colosseum, a classic boss-damage-ranking event in collectible RPGs.
Since the game became reality, failing to score enough within the time limit triggers a dungeon break—a wild system.
Each server—each country—competes for rankings with tiered rewards.
I’d love to snag a high-rank reward this time.
‘The Mystic Crystal. I could really use one.’
The Mystic Crystal is a rare resource that boosts a summon’s unique skill level.
In Legend Seven, skill levels are critical, often flipping the battle’s outcome.
It’s a high-value item, rarely available even at a premium.
The issue? The Twilight Colosseum requires at least two parties.
‘I only have one party right now.’
So, I’m hunting for new summons to form a second party.
The problem is, the event’s boss hasn’t been announced yet.
The Twilight Colosseum introduces a new boss each time, with abilities revealed only the day before, making prep tricky.
‘Of course, I already know.’
Call it foresight.
The bosses follow the game’s release order, a fact only I, who memorized it, would know.
[Athenica, Wreathed in Ashes]
She’s the next boss.
So, I’m scouring for summons to counter her, but…
‘The market’s dry as a bone.’
Sighing at the empty auction house, I stood to check the marketplace in person when—
Bang!
“Hey, you punk! Your most stunning noona’s here, so hurry up and bow!”
An unexpected figure burst through the office door.
Long, flowing hair and impeccably dressed.
I’d seen her in the society pages.
‘Son Tae-yeon… Taepyeong Group’s granddaughter and an adventurer of the Radiance Guild!’