Serpent's Den Conquered
TNA channel, dedicated to broadcasting Illusion non-stop.
Even before the game officially launched, they hooked viewers with all the latest news and updates.
Thanks to that, it now boasted the highest ratings among countless channels.
And today, the new MC, Yura, appeared with a bright smile, kicking off the show.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Yura, and starting today, I'll be hosting Illusion's World! Please take good care of me!"
Only then did the original MC, Woo-hyun, finally appear on screen beside her.
"Yes, I'm thrilled to be co-hosting with Yura. Why, you ask? Because Yura's level is a whopping 46. Got any questions? Just ask her—she knows it all!"
"I'll do my best to share everything!"
"Haha, I love that straightforward attitude. Alright, shall we dive into the game world?"
With Woo-hyun's words, the background shifted.
The world of Illusion.
A village appeared, and Yura began strolling through it slowly.
Clad in her gear, she exuded a completely different vibe from the casual clothes she'd worn moments ago.
A rugged, wild allure, perhaps.
Woo-hyun's eyes widened at her captivating figure.
"Wow, MC Yura's gear is insane."
Before Illusion launched, Yura hadn't been all that popular.
But after diving into the game herself and climbing to a ranking-worthy level, she got an offer to host Illusion's World.
She accepted without hesitation.
She loved playing Illusion, and being ahead of the curve meant she had access to tons of info others lacked.
Just unpacking that bit by bit would fill endless episodes.
"Alright, MC Yura."
"Yes!"
"Heard about the latest hot topic?"
Yura smiled.
"Of course. Every Illusion player has checked it out at least once—the ranking system. Everyone's dying to know more about the rankers."
"Exactly. It's the most inquired-about thing, especially requests to spotlight the number one ranker, Dark."
"He's incredible. Word is, he's already done his second job change."
"The issue is..."
"No one knows who he is."
Yura's expression darkened.
"But there's one peculiar detail I've heard."
"Right. The rankings show job and character name. There was this incident once—Dark's level stalled out one day. He dropped from first place, didn't even crack the top 10,000."
"I see. And then?"
"Not long after, things changed. He shot back to number one out of nowhere."
"Ah..."
"From level 35 to 39. In just one week—an insane leap."
"Whoa, that's wild. Leveling from 35 to 39 in a week..."
"I was so shocked, I even messaged about it."
"Oh, did they reply?"
"Yeah, let me read it verbatim. 'The current number one ranker used no bugs, only pure skill...'"
After the long explanation, Woo-hyun nodded.
"So, it's all about raw talent."
"Right? Amazing, huh?"
"Still leaves questions. Why stall at 35? How'd he gain four levels in a week...?"
"Illusion has tons of undiscovered content. Maybe he found one first and pulled ahead."
"Makes sense. Anyway, it's impressive. Dark's a beast, but mad respect to all the rankers below him too. A single level separates thousands in the rankings, right?"
"Totally!"
"Blood pressure through the roof. Whew, I could never compete with rankers. Anyway, enough chit-chat—time for the main event. We said nothing's known about Dark, yeah?"
Yura made a pouty face.
"Yep, zilch."
Yura bowed her head.
A brief silence fell.
The camera caught both MCs at once.
They suddenly grinned and continued.
"But we can investigate, right?"
"You bet!"
"His Holy Knight job suggests solo hunting. Self-heals and strong in combat. So..."
"Ah! Check the hunting grounds?"
"Spot on!"
The two MCs stood side by side.
"That's why we prepared this."
"'Hunting Down Rank One!'"
While they fixated on number one...
Mu-hyuk's sword was buried in the black serpent's body.
"Hoo..."
The final blow.
He was too exhausted for corpse dissection.
As the dead beast turned gray...
You have cleared the 'Unique Dungeon (Serpent's Lair)'.
You have acquired a large amount of experience.
You have acquired 'Fame (300)'.
The dungeon clear messages.
"Ah..."
It had been grueling.
Every time he logged in, the dungeon's confines crushed his chest.
Virtual or not, he'd never been trapped alone in darkness like this in his life.
If not for the stat-up notices after each serpent kill, he might've quit midway.
"Hoo."
Fresh, crisp outdoor air—invigorating.
"Hoo!"
He breathed deep, vowing one thing.
Next time, more thorough prep.
Cooking was non-negotiable.
To boost dexterity alongside tasty field meals.
Anyway.
Clearing it felt great.
Especially the stat gains: ten points total.
Strength, Agility, Vitality, Knowledge, Wisdom—two each.
No more gains after that, no matter how many monsters he felled.
As expected.
Regrets? Not a chance.
Mu-hyuk knew this was reward enough—no greed here.
Unique Dungeon.
Truly remarkable.
An ancient one? Maybe five per stat.
That's why players flocked to dungeons.
Or would, once more learned of them. For now, only a handful knew.
Future stuff.
He shook off stray thoughts.
Time to head back.
To Arsen Kingdom.
*
Passing the gates, Mu-hyuk eyed the throng of players and remembered.
Ah, rankings.
Suddenly curious.
How far had number one climbed?
Ranking system.
Mu-hyuk's eyes gleamed.
Since he started Illusion, number one had gained two more levels.
He'd rocketed to 19.
Monstrous pace.
Even including sword-crafting time.
Without crafting, he'd be mid-20s now.
If anyone knew, jaws would drop.
Bug accusations, probably.
But rankers were still distant.
More effort needed.
No immediate hunting, though.
Time to step back for two steps forward.
For summon growth, grind time was essential.
Blacksmithing swords to level Weapon Crafting and dexterity, plus learn Cooking to push dexterity higher.
Aim for 30+ dexterity, then stronger Bone Assembly for skeletons.
Hit 20, start hidden class quest for Gangster Necromancer.
Plan set.
Cooking first.
He veered toward a nearby restaurant.
"Welcome!"
The plump woman—Lena—greeted him warmly.
He sat and asked.
"What's the best dish?"
"Everything's tasty, but our bestseller's mountain boar leg roast."
Leg meat from mountain pigs, fire-roasted with special sauce.
That sauce made it legendary here.
"That'll do."
"It's a lot for one..."
"It's fine."
"Alright, won't be long."
Order done, he scanned the room.
Lively buzz.
More players than expected.
Pain reduced, but taste intact. Good food's universal.
Plus, in-game prices beat reality.
His order: 30 silver. Plenty for two adults, delicious. Barely 3,000 won—huge hit.
Food arrived.
"Enjoy!"
"Ah, thanks."
Four hefty leg pieces on the plate.
Way too much solo, but he grabbed one anyway.
Warm steam rose as he tore into the flesh—boar aroma flooded his mouth.
Ooh...!
No porky stink.
Like premium beef's richness.
Similar yet distinctly boar.
Tender, chewy texture deepened with sauce—an ecstatic, novel bliss.
Perfection.
Chomp, chomp.
Four legs vanished in seconds.
Belly stuffed.
"Hoo..."
Hard to breathe.
Spotting that, plump owner approached with water.
"All done?"
"Yeah... too good."
"Hehe, thanks."
Now's the moment.
Cooking skill method.
Come alone, order owner's rec, eat it all.
Then, as she brings water, say it's so good you crave it on solo adventures, especially long monster nights—want to learn.
Some balk at "just tasty."
Needs that hook.
Tricky keyword if unknown.
He knew—time to act.
Mu-hyuk parted his lips slowly.
"Um..."
"Yes?"
"I've been exploring lately, and being solo makes me miss good food. Especially pulling all-nighters in monster dens. This would give me strength then..."
Pause.
"If it's not too much trouble, could you teach me how to cook it?"
"Ah..."
Torment crossed her face.
Now, patience game.
No more words—just wait, eyes locked.
Feeling it, she glanced at him.
"Sigh."
Long sigh, then...
"Exploring alone... must be tough."
"Yes."
"And my food would power you up..."
She trailed off, but Mu-hyuk knew.
Success.
Her next words confirmed.
"Alright. I'll teach you. But help with my work while learning?"
Acquire Cooking
📍 Learn cooking from Hanna, owner of the rest stop.
🎁 Reward:Cooking skill
❌ Failure: No retry
Mu-hyuk accepted instantly—no hesitation.
"Of course."
A soft smile curved his lips.