The Shocking Reveal
These days, capsule rooms were springing up like mushrooms all over the place—spots equipped solely with the pods needed to log into Illusion.
Just like old-school PC bangs crammed with computers.
"Hmm, sounds good?"
"Shall we?"
"I'm in!"
"Me too."
Everyone was on board.
"Alright, let's settle the bill first."
"Okay."
They paid up and regrouped outside the restaurant.
Sung Min-woo sidled over and nudged Kang Mu-hyuk's shoulder.
"Uh, about that..."
"C'mon, it's been ages since we all hung out."
Logging in at a capsule room would expose his level for sure.
"We can check each other's levels too."
"Mm."
"Gotta have fun, right?"
Those words hit Mu-hyuk like a dart.
Have fun?
Sung Min-woo's casual remark dragged buried thoughts back to the surface.
Do I really need to hide it?
No, they might not even care.
Could just be my paranoia.
Why not just act on impulse?
His old self might've shrunk from the attention and kept it under wraps.
But this wasn't his old life anymore.
Completely overhauling his personality was tough, but shifting to something bolder? Not so hard.
This was a new life.
A fresh start.
Whatever direction it took, he'd roll with it.
He just wanted to steer the flow.
So, no more hiding.
Maybe that's why his mindset flipped.
It felt like a dammed wall had crumbled.
Utterly refreshing.
"You in?"
"Yeah, let's go."
A relaxed smile played on his lips.
*
They arrived at the capsule room, paid upfront, got directions, and filed into a room with six pods lined up.
"Okay, where should we meet?"
"Forma Continent, right?"
"Yeah, that's where us Asians log in."
"How about the central Vir Kingdom?"
"Vir Kingdom, huh."
"It's smack in the middle."
"Hmm, not bad."
"Sounds good."
"Me too."
"Vir Kingdom central fountain it is."
They picked the spot and climbed into the pods, lying back.
The door sealed, plunging everything into darkness. A profound silence settled, broken only by the familiar mechanical chime vibrating his eardrums.
Scanning body.
User 'Mu-hyuk' confirmed.
Please enter your password.
Milky Way.
He thought it, and the light drew nearer.
Logged in.
A light appeared far off, rushing closer until it flooded his vision. In that instant, a new world unfolded before him.
A scene he'd grown used to.
He closed his eyes briefly.
When the subtle vertigo faded, he opened them.
He was back where he'd logged out.
Step.
He left the ogre hunting grounds and headed to the village with the warp gate.
Unlike kingdoms or empires, this remote village's warp zone had a woman staring boredly at the sky.
Even as Mu-hyuk approached, she remained oblivious, lost in a daze.
"Excuse me."
"..."
"Excuse me!"
She finally jolted.
"Y-yes, yes!"
"Warp, please."
"Ah, yes. Sorry!"
She bowed cutely—round face and all.
"Where to?"
"Vir Kingdom."
"1 gold."
1 gold. Barely over 10,000 won in cash.
For pocket change, instant travel across dozens or hundreds of kilometers? No regrets.
"Here."
"Thank you. Step onto the warp zone, close your eyes, and wait."
As Mu-hyuk mounted the platform, the spacey girl muttered low incantations.
Strange energies swirled around the zone.
As he watched:
Flash.
The world warped like a lie.
Ugh...
A mild dizziness hit, but as reality snapped back, the cute girl was gone—replaced by a burly man at the warp zone.
"Welcome to Vir Kingdom."
Only then did he realize he'd come from Bar Kingdom.
"Ah, thanks."
He mumbled a dazed reply and stepped down.
Whew, dizzy.
He pressed his throbbing temples and headed to the plaza.
Users started appearing, numbers exploding until he was swept into the wave before reaching the plaza.
"LFG tank knight for man-eating tree!"
"Ranged DPS for AoE, join up!"
But he didn't waver.
He bulldozed through the crowd, straight to the central fountain.
"Hey, here!"
Sung Min-woo had arrived first.
"Early bird?"
"Yeah, started in Bar Kingdom."
"Ah."
"But what's your level? That gear..."
Sung Min-woo's eyes narrowed.
No wonder—Mu-hyuk's gear had standout options, visibly superior to standard stuff.
"Me?"
"Yeah, looks top-tier."
Mu-hyuk grinned.
Sung Min-woo's brow furrowed at the expression.
"What, spill it."
"31."
The number pierced Sung Min-woo's ear like a needle.
31.
For the guy in front of him?
Didn't he say just two months in?
He shook his head.
His brain auto-filtered it.
Stripping "thirty," leaving just "one."
"Oh, level 11?"
Natural assumption.
No way he'd hit 31 in two months.
The guy wasn't some prodigy.
Plus, his reticence at the reunion screamed lowbie shame—fitting the guess.
But one thing nagged: the gear.
"Your items look better than mine, though."
Mu-hyuk's kit rivaled or beat Sung Min-woo's own.
"Polish effect?"
"Nah."
"Then? How?"
Mu-hyuk just found it amusing.
Mishearing 31 as 11.
Now grilling about shine effects.
Time to clue him in.
He chuckled.
"Just wear good stuff."
"Good stuff? Mine ain't bad..."
"Mine have multi-options. Two or three per piece."
"What? Two, three? Those cost a fortune! Where'd you get the cash?"
This'd drag forever.
Mu-hyuk dropped the smile, locking eyes.
"Listen up."
Sung Min-woo tensed, swallowing hard.
Why?
What was it?
The low whisper followed.
"My level's not 11. It's 31."
"Huh?"
"31."
"31?"
"Yeah."
"Two months?"
"Yep."
"And you're 31?"
"Uh-huh."
"For real...?"
Mu-hyuk nodded. Sung Min-woo threw his head back, bursting into laughter.
"Pfft, hahaha! Kuhahaha!"
Spit flying, finger jabbing.
"31 in two months? Lmao! Even a stray dog wouldn't buy that!"
Heads turned.
"Hm? What?"
"Heard '31 in two months'?"
"Two months for 31?"
"Hilarious. Hehe."
"Some comedian?"
Mu-hyuk's face hardened.
Sung Min-woo's endless guffaws sputtered out.
Staring at Mu-hyuk's stone expression, his eyes wavered.
Really 31?
Confusion hit.
How to defuse this?
He grabbed Mu-hyuk's arm casually, steering to a quieter spot.
"Seriously 31?"
"Yes."
"No joke?"
Mu-hyuk sighed.
"What's your nickname?"
"Uh, SteelFist."
He sent the invite.
Request to invite SteelFist to your party?
Mu-hyuk has invited you to a party. Accept?
Sung Min-woo nodded absently.
The party window popped up. His face twisted at the level displayed.
Level 31. For real.
The unbelievable became truth.
"Whoa..."
He gawked at Mu-hyuk.
Sung Min-woo muttered.
"So, two months?"
"Yeah."
"All-in?"
"Told you."
Shock, naturally.
Illusion's reach spanned the globe: Asia, Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Africa.
Continents locked players to specific Illusion continents, so no crossovers yet.
But Asians were everywhere around him.
That many users meant established formulas.
12 hours hunting daily: 5 days to 10.
15 more days to 15.
20 days to 20.
40 days hermit-mode for 20.
Tougher after: 25 days to 25, month to 30.
Full hermit for 30? 3+ months. Casual? 6 months easy.
That's the formula.
Universal Illusion leveling math.
31 in two months? Unthinkable.
"How?"
"Got lucky. Found a dungeon early."
"Ah..."
"Twice in a row."
"Holy...!"
"Got a title too."
"Gasp!"
Sung Min-woo finally bought it.
"Why not say sooner?"
"Telling you now."
"At dinner?"
"Eh."
Sung Min-woo spaced out awhile.
Then grinned.
"Heh, anyway, badass. Gonna be fun."
"What?"
"Heo Young-chan's face when he logs in."
Mu-hyuk was curious too.
What expression?
"Yeah, wondering. Accepted it now?"
"31 glaring at me? Gotta. Two dungeons, title—rewards must've been nuts?"
"Huge."
"Kya! Plausible then. Man, I want a dungeon!"
"Next one, we go together."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Yes!"
Mu-hyuk smiled naturally.
"Back to the plaza?"
"Right."
They plunged into the crowd again, reaching the fountain.
The others had arrived. Heo Young-chan waved triumphantly.
"Here."
They stopped in front.
"Party up first?"
Eager to flex his level.
"Light hunt nearby. No pressure—friends get the bus."
He scanned the group.
Last, Mu-hyuk.
Destroyer has invited you to a party.
Accept?
Mu-hyuk chuckled and accepted.
"All in party. Now..."
Destroyer—Heo Young-chan—trailed off.
An impossible number in the party window.
He rubbed his eyes, looked again.
At Mu-hyuk.
Back to the window.
The others caught on, checking theirs.
One by one, eyes froze on Mu-hyuk's level.
Heo Young-chan's head whipped side to side, brow furrowed deep. Finally, lips parted heavily.
"Your level..."