<Special Feature>

Journalist: Jang Sooro

*Centralized authority around the guild leader, arrogance, and lack of guild structural integrity causes the greatest disaster?*

When the Red Lotus guild first announced that they would launch a raid on <The Officers Tower>, everyone, including me, could not imagine the possibility of failure.

At the time, they were an elite guild whose members were some of the most well-known Rankers in Korea. Before <The Officers Tower>, they had cleared many Dungeons using genius plays that others would find hard to recreate.

Those who saw their broadcasts of their raids on <The Queens Undersea City> and <Second Company>, notorious Dungeons known for their high-level difficulty before <The Officers Tower> had appeared, would agree that it would not be an overstatement to call the guilds performance an art. They were undefeated living legends, documenting their own myths.

What we believed to be the Red Lotus guilds glory days, when we cheered them on as they rode into their last Dungeon, actually masked inner strife and trickery, simmering below the publicized surface.

I dug up an interview of Geum Mi-young, who at the time was in charge of the guilds logistics and accounting, conducted by the prosecution on January 7th.

The ledgers were kept by Seo Dawon, and the specific account for <TheTower of Command> raid was kept vague. The whole process was not transparent at all; the information gap enforced through an iron fist.

Red Lotus was a profitable guild who formed many broadcasting content and sponsorship partnerships with world-class enterprises. However, Geum Mi-young claimed that, in reality, the guilds financial structure was worse than many small companies.

Additionally the guildmaster, Seo Dawon, had always said, Dont waste the taxpayers money. Do not accept commissions from the government, as much as possible. While demanding these strict restrictions, he had been embezzling funds needed for travel expenses or marketing for personal items. Any employees who did not comply with Seo Dawons instructions were immediately terminated.

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Of course, one cannot pin all the blame on the leaders misappropriation, but rumors and effects of the management style emerged within the Dungeon teams themselves.

According to testimonials from the Red Lotus guilds acquaintances, the members may have seemed like close friends on the surface, but, in fact, they were more akin to gunpowder barrels that may explode at any point. Additionally, Geum Mi-young also explained that the incentives and profit system were not transparent. A guild member could not know how much total revenue they earned without going through Seo Dawon.

An anonymous affiliated member said:

The relationship between Seo Dawon and his team deteriorated rapidly since the raid on <Second Company>. Most of the issues stemmed from profit allocation. Whenever his teammates protested, Seo Dawon would make abusive remarks and threats such as: See how well you guys can do without me, and Ill use my personal connections to destroy you all.'

The team members hardly gathered or practiced in preparation for <Tower of Command>; most did not attend the weekly meetings.

Below is a testimony from Lee XXX, a former security guard for the guild office.

These are the entry records. Yes, as you can see, most people (guild members) did not come to work that week.

Perhaps this tragedy could have been foreseen. Severe strife still existed between the guild master and the members. Even though they were preparing for one of the hardest known Dungeons at the time, they didnt have a proper meeting until just days before the onslaught.

I told Dawon hyung that it would be dangerous for us to continue, but he was stubborn. So, we pushed ahead and rushed directly into the hard core zone. It was already too late when we realized we walked into a trap. Said Bae Jaemin (the sole survivor of the disaster), revealing the dogmatic nature of the guild master, Seo Dawon.

His testimonial further identifies fatal mistakes that Seo Dawon made during the raid on <The Tower of Command>.

Map of the Tower of Command Routes:

Normal route: B-1 zone>trap>C>trap>A trap room that would send you back to A zone>Mid Boss room > Portal to the reward room

Hard core route: A zone > trap>trap>trap>trap>D zone > Reward and Boss room (estimation).

Normal Route 2: B-2 > B-3 > trap > maze section > maze section 2 > B-3 > Trap > Portal to the rewards room.

The route that Seo Dawon wanted to push through, despite the risk, had the fastest clear time. However, <The Tower of Command> was famous for its notorious traps. Most guilds would choose to travel the normal route if they were entering a dungeon for the first time. For safety.

However, the Red Lotus guild had always been known for being able to brush off the most dangerous and challenging routes. Even if their opponent was said to be a Dungeon more difficult than expected, the members could not back off for their pride.

My Hyung, (Seo Dawon), who was maintaining the line from the middle fell into a trap that he couldnt escape from. Our formation quickly collapsed afterwards. Hyung was the main offensive striker and played an important role in attracting the Boss Monsters aggro. Without him, our normal patterns of attack were no longer viable. Ragi hyung, who was closest to the boss, collapsed helplessly. The others struggled to fight, but the situation continued to worsen. I ran towards my collapsed brothers-in-arms to save them, but suddenly I felt a burning sensation in my eyes and hands and collapsed because of the pain. I think the trap that took down Dawon hyung started a chain reaction and made its way to me. Thats all I remember about <The Tower of Command>.

Bae Jaemin, the sole survivor, continued to calmly testify about his feelings to the news crew: As a Priest, Ive been beset by guilt. Perhaps if I didnt lose consciousness at the very end, we may have all been able to come back safely.

So, what does this re-challenge mean to him? Jaemin briefly answers this question below.

I have to collect their bodies. Its the only way that I, the guilds youngest, can repay the kindness from my sunbaes 1 and hyungs who were like my family members. I want to relieve myself of this burden.

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When I finished reading the article, I saw a picture of Bae Jaemin looking to the side.

He had lost his right hand and left eye during the catastropheto cover that up he wore a black eye patch and black gloves on his prosthetic arm. His pallid complexion added to create a gloomy atmosphere, but overall he was a handsome man with a fine figure. A weak smile graced his face.

Bae Jaemins face was plastered on so many media outlets that I was familiar with it, but it felt so different seeing him in conjunction with the details of the failed Dungeon raid. When I first saw him wearing an eyepatch I thought, Oh, 8th grader syndrome? 2and thought he was a bit weird.

To think that in some top Dungeons Users could sustain injuries that a potion wont recover.ScaryEven though he sustained so many bodily consequences, hes trying to re-challenge the Dungeon to recover his guild mates lost remains

Perhaps the thousands of other readers and I shared the same feelings of gratitude. Nearly a thousand comments flooded the page, praising Bae Jaemin.

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lkh****

Who the heck bullied my Bae Jaemin..I could say more, but I speaking ill of the dead wont help mattersAnyway, Jaemin hyung-nim! 3 Ive been a fan of yours since you were in Red Lotus. Of course I believe youll succeed, but please dont strain yourself. Come back safely without any more injuries!

(171 replies)

sw3****

Red Lotuss guildmaster Seo Dawon was infamous for being problematic since long~ ago. When he was alive his childish followers would all suck up to him saying how cool he wasbut I hear that the bereaved families of the guild members still gnash their teeth when they hear his name. Thats why even if a person has skills, they have to stay humble to go far

(55 replies)

xx0****

As a Priest, Ive been beset by guilt. Perhaps if I didnt lose consciousness at the very end, we may have all been able to come back safely. << I really admire this. Isnt he Buddha reborn?

(2 replies)

cfc****

Bae Jaemin, hes a real amazing guyI guess hes not a Priest for nothing; how could anyone be so altruistic? Who else would risk that dangerous Dungeon again to find the remains of those who led his body to ruin? Not even blaming themEven reproaching himselfIn just two lines of his interview, you can really tell hes different from a certain Mr. Seo.

(7 replies)

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Under that article, a special addendum [What are the qualifications needed for the public recruitment of teammates for the Tower of Command raid?] appeared.

What on earth is this?

Curious, I clicked on it.