Red Tower Tips Ignite the Storm
After roaming the sixth floor for a while and logging out, Mu-hyuk fired up his laptop and opened a Korean word processor.
He was drafting the information to send to the broadcast station. He sketched a simple map-style diagram for the path from the first floor to the second.
Next came the monster strategy tips.
First, the second-floor monster Mad Dog can be lured with raw meat...
Second, for the third-floor Giant Bee, if you get hit by its stinger...
Third, the fourth-floor Vampire is weak to non-living entities. For example, classes like Necromancers who summon skeletons or Spiritists who call forth spirits have a huge advantage...
He finished writing and sent the email right away.
Now he just needed to post it on the tips board or free board on broadcast day.
Where to put it?
His posts on the tips board had slipped to second and third place.
First place was about a unique dungeon heavily featured by another broadcast station.
Posting on the tips board might snag first, but there was no need to take the risk.
There was the free board, with way fewer views.
The payout ratio was the same anyway.
Two won per view.
Free board it is.
He made a rough decision and shut down the laptop.
Vrrr.
His phone buzzed right on cue.
(Yo, you ready?)
"All set. Heading out now."
He lied and finally started getting ready to leave.
(Thirty minutes. Got it?)
"Yeah."
He hung up, threw on some clothes haphazardly, and headed out.
It's been a while.
He'd promised to meet Sung Min-woo for pork belly and soju.
Breathing in the night air after so long felt great, anyway.
The wind was a bit chilly with autumn winding down, but bundling up turned the chill into a refreshing coolness...
Nice.
He took his time and hopped on the subway.
After getting off at Hongdae and exiting through exit 1, Sung Min-woo was waiting.
"Over here!"
"When'd you get here?"
"Just now. It's cold—let's move."
"Where's good?"
"I know a spot."
Sung Min-woo was the type with great connections, after all.
Mu-hyuk nodded and followed.
"Here."
It was a rundown building, but the place was packed.
The sizzle of meat and the rich pork aroma wafted over, tempting him.
"Mmm, smells amazing."
"Right? Best in the game."
Inside, the air was warm.
The owner greeted Sung Min-woo warmly.
"Aigoo, it's been ages, kid."
"How've you been?"
"Good, good. What took you so long?"
"Busy life. Here with a friend today—hook us up extra."
"You got it. Sit down."
"Yes, sir!"
They grabbed a table and ordered the two-person meat set.
"Let's see what the hype's about."
"Expectations high."
Soon, pork belly, neck, and offal arrived—plenty of it, top-quality meat.
"How's that, killer?"
"Let's eat first."
He grilled the pork belly crisp and took a bite.
Oh...!
The meat was premium, no doubt.
The pork's rich scent bloomed elegantly as juices burst forth, the crispy skin and tender inside filling his mouth, drawing out a smile.
Chasing it with a shot of soju sent life's bitterness sliding down his throat.
"Kaaah, perfect."
One shot, one piece.
Two shots, two pieces.
Drinking and eating, he got lost in the vibe.
They started chatting about daily life.
This and that.
Worries spilled out naturally.
"Haa, my life's a mess too."
"What's up?"
"Gotta tell Dad."
"Still haven't said you quit?"
"Yeah."
"Whoa, big trouble."
"Tell me about it. How do I even say it?"
Sung Min-woo pondered seriously.
"Hmm, show him your success first?"
"Success?"
"Yeah, like 'I quit the company, but I'm doing better than ever.' Something like that?"
"Hmm, not bad."
"Right?"
"Yeah, but how?"
"Simple."
Mu-hyuk waited for Sung Min-woo's next words.
"A car."
"Hm...?"
"Dude, doesn't a car tell you right away if a guy's made it? Buy a real nice one, roll up in it— even your dad won't complain. 'Look how well I'm doing already.'"
It was a bit ridiculous.
A car, really.
But when it hit home, he couldn't just brush it off.
"Need one anyway. Might as well get a good one."
"Umm."
"Think about it."
Any more pushing would've backfired. But Sung Min-woo cut it off perfectly.
Now Mu-hyuk was the one itching.
Sounds legit.
He was seriously tempted.
Eat, drink.
How many hours passed?
They paid up when the place announced closing and stumbled out.
"Kaaah, yeah! Let's buy it—buy!"
"Buy what all sudden?"
"A car! A good one!"
Mu-hyuk shouted loud.
"Gotta own it proudly!"
"About time!"
Then the film cut out.
Two days later.
No loss for Mu-hyuk.
Fine by me.
He shoved his phone aside and turned on the TV.
Illusion's World was just starting.
At the same time.
The Illusion homepage was exploding.
Most folks browsing the Illusion homepage switched on their TVs.
Mu-hyuk was watching too.
A bit past 7:30.
[Now, continuing on the Red Tower. We're dying to know if this tip-off strategy is legit, so we checked it ourselves.]
The main segment kicked off.
[Shall we head to the site?]
The screen shifted to users at the Red Tower entrance.
[Entering now.]
With Yura in the lead, they breezed into floor 1.
MC Yura navigated the notoriously tricky path that had stumped so many with ease.
Even edited, the exact time was shown, shocking viewers.
[Heard some users wandered over ten hours here. But following the tipster's map? Just an hour.]
They even uncovered hidden spots.
And dispatched the second-floor Mad Dog effortlessly.
[Raw meat works like a charm.]
Viewers lost it.
Homepage traffic skyrocketed.
Right then, the Red Tower strategy post appeared.
It was the same author holding second and third on the tips board.
Mu-hyuk's post views surged from the buzz.
Gazing at the numbers, he drifted into thought.
His drunken chat with Sung Min-woo.
Show your ability.
Yeah, he had info.
He knew Illusion's future. Not everything, but even fragments were worth a fortune.
And he knew a ton. Releasing bits like this would rake in massive cash monthly.
Time to ditch scraping by on ten-thousand-won worries.
He wanted to.
Show the changed him.
To Dad, his family.
*
Red Tower.
A hundred had entered, feeling solid. Guild elites—no sweat to clear.
But floor 3 and 4 claimed a few lives each.
Floor 5 was the real hell.
First Small Ogre fight: seven dead.
They fought on high alert, but losses trickled.
Now just 81 left. Fewer numbers made fights brutal.
"What a joke is this?"
Geum-son, leading squad 1, grumbled.
Guardian Guild.
One of Forma continent's top five.
"We followed Dark Guild to floor 5."
"Who doesn't know?"
Squad 2 leader Bruce shot back.
"Push a bit more, we could clear 7."
"Speed's the issue."
Stuck on Small Ogre.
No choice but advance.
Then a latecomer rushed to guild leader Kim Bada in a panic.
"G-Guild leader!"
"What?"
"It's chaos out there!"
"Chaos? Spit it out."
"W-Well..."
The guild member, who'd logged in after dinner, flailed.
Kim Bada scowled at the fuss; the member caught breath and explained clearly.
"Illusion's World dropped Red Tower strategy!"
Nearby members gathered.
"Red Tower strategy?"
A mutter.
Kim Bada ordered checks. He logged out to verify himself.
Logging back, silence fell.
"Cough, extension to next week at least..."
"Extension? It'll leak by then!"
"Just up to 4 anyway."
"Then our floor 5 next!"
"Hit 6 before next week."
"You think that's doable?"
"What then?!"
"Hey, enough. Calm down."
Mood plummeted.
Gloomy.
"Haa, ridiculous. We bled to climb, now newbies stroll up with strategies?"
Kim Bada, who'd listened quietly, spoke.
"Who the hell is that guy?"
Deep rage simmered.
It erupted.
"Who is it?!"
No one answered the roar.
Why?
No one knew K.Mu's identity.