Murim Login - Chapter 213

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 213
“The netizens are really going at it. Everyone’s talking about the press conference.”
Choi Team Leader’s leisurely voice drifted from behind me.
Whiiing!
Simultaneously, razor-sharp beast claws raked through the air. I tilted my head back to evade and muttered under my breath.
“Tell me about it. I thought it’d be a broadcast disaster, but things worked out perfectly.”
“And on top of that, everyone’s praising you for heading straight to the Gate after the conference ended.”
“Isn’t that just what hunters are supposed to do?”
“That’s exactly why image matters. You know what they say—do something outrageous, and you’ll become famous.”
“…That doesn’t sound quite right.”
Shiiing! Crack!
I swept away all the claws flying at my head, shoulders, and chest, then smashed through.
The creature let out a pained cry and retreated, its body glistening. Just as I moved to close in, Choi Team Leader asked.
“Will you do it next time?”
“Do what?”
“That outrageous thing.”
“Not a chance.”
I answered firmly while swinging my spear.
Thud!
With a sickening crunch, the creature charging from the side crashed headfirst into the ground.
Standing nearly two meters tall, the massive gray-furred bipedal wolf had nothing left above its shoulders. I’d simply torn its head clean off with pure force.
At the same moment, a system notification chimed.
Ding.
–
[Lv.73 Lycanthrope]
has been defeated!
– You have gained experience!
The other Lycanthropes, having witnessed their kin’s death, let out cries.
– Grrrrr.
– Awoooo.
Their vertically-slit yellow eyes trembled.
Seeing the creatures hesitate, Choi Team Leader remarked with newfound appreciation.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen Lycanthropes look so docile.”
“They’re actually pretty good at controlling their anger. Since they’re half-human, I guess they picked up that trait too.”
Whenever I saw those hot-headed creatures who claimed to have anger management issues, their pattern was always the same.
They’d act without hesitation toward the weak, but the moment they faced muscular older men, they’d become the most courteous people in the world.
‘And once they lose the momentum, it’s all over.’
Whoosh!
I flicked the blood clinging to my spear blade and beckoned the creatures forward with a finger.
“Come on, you mutts.”
– A whimpering whine.
Ears folded halfway back, tail curled between its hind legs.
The moment a wolf becomes a dog, the fight is as good as over.
“These bastards are adorable.”
Choi Team Leader spoke as I moved forward with a grin.
“If possible, could you dispatch them as cleanly as you can?”
“Why?”
“We’re taking proof shots. We’ll be posting them on the Peace Guild’s official SNS account.”
….
“Too much censoring looks bad, you know. People prefer uncensored content.”
Ah, fair point.
* * *
– A deafening roar echoed across the clearing!
The boss truly was different—incomparably so.
A roar brimming with ferocity and murderous intent. Its massive frame, far larger than any other Lycanthrope, was covered in silvery fur.
The sheer presence it radiated proclaimed to the world that it was indeed a boss monster.
“Damn. That’s impressive.”
As I marveled at the sight, I made a decision.
This one deserved special treatment.
“One slash.”
A sickening crack. A heavy thud.
The massive corpse of the monster, its chest hollowed out, collapsed like a rotting tree.
Ding.
–
[Lv.83 Silver-Maned Lycanthrope]
has been defeated!
– B-Rank Gate,
[Black Forest of Lycanthropes]
has been cleared perfectly!
– Substantial experience gained!
– The exit will open now that the boss monster has been defeated.
A high-pitched hum.
As the condition was met, the Gate exit materialized at the center of the clearing. But I still had work to do.
“Now then, time for the satisfying cleanup.”
Looking at the corpses scattered about, a sense of contentment welled up inside me.
I approached the bodies with the heart of a farmer gathering his harvest, when—
“About Won Myung-hun, sir.”
“Hmm?”
I turned at the sudden sound of Choi Team Leader’s voice from behind me.
Sitting atop a large boulder, surrounded by a shield spell, he was staring at a specially modified phone.
But something about his expression seemed off.
“Won Myung-hun? Your older brother?”
“Yes. What happened to him eight years ago?”
I wasn’t sure why he was suddenly curious about that.
I’d been a student back then, and as a devoted fan, I knew the details by heart, but explaining it all would take forever.
“Just search it. Pine Tree Wiki has everything if you look it up.”
“People say Pine Tree Wiki is unreliable, though.”
“…There’s some truth to that, I suppose.”
“A brief explanation would suffice. It seems Jin Tae-kyung knows Won Myung-hun better than anyone else around me.”
“Well, if you put it that way.”
I began the story while skinning a Lycanthrope with my short blade.
“Eight years ago, Won Myung-hun was in decline. He’d failed at everything—films, dramas, music—and on top of that, there were tax evasion allegations.”
“That’s not particularly rare.”
“Right. The entertainment industry is full of scandals like that.”
“From what I skimmed of the articles, it looks like he was cleared of the tax evasion charges.”
“Yes. It all ended without any real issues.”
But that wasn’t the end of it.
Once his pristine image had been tainted, all manner of speculative articles and rumors about Won Myung-hun began circulating online.
Eventually, Won Myung-hun, whose peak had already passed and who was struggling through difficult times, decided to take a period of self-reflection.
“He said he’d been too distracted by other things, and that he’d focus on his duties as a Hunter for a while.”
“And then that incident happened?”
“Oh, you read about it?”
“Just now.”
Choi Team Leader held out his phone. On the palm-sized screen was a headline from eight years ago in bold font.
[Myeongdong Station Mutant Gate Catastrophe, Approximately 30 Dead Including A-Rank Hunter Do Min-su… Surviving Won Myung-hun Says “Min-su, I’m Sorry.”]
It was an incident that had made headlines back then.
“Who is Do Min-su?”
“An A-Rank Star Hunter who was very close to Won Myung-hun. He was rising in popularity, but he died when they went on a cooperative Raid together for social bonding.”
No one had anticipated such a disaster occurring in a B-Rank Gate they’d entered as casually as a picnic.
Especially not a catastrophe involving two A-Rank Hunters.
The domestic media boiled over like a cauldron over hot coals, then quickly cooled.
“It took several years of trials before he was cleared of charges.”
After lengthy courtroom battles, all that remained was an image covered in filth and public indifference.
He made a few television appearances after that, but that was all. Unable to make a comeback, he quietly retired from the entertainment industry.
‘But it doesn’t seem like he’s given up entirely.’
If he’d truly abandoned all lingering hopes, he wouldn’t have made me a recruitment offer to become a Star Hunter.
In any case, after hearing my entire explanation, Choi Team Leader gave a small nod.
“I see.”
“But why are you suddenly asking about that?”
“Won Myung-hun’s name is the number one trending search. There are already dozens of related articles.”
“Ah, really?”
“And Jin Tae-kyung is also tied for first place.”
“What?”
What? Was there a joint first place in the real-time search rankings?
Choi Team Leader held out his phone screen again to me, who tilted my head in confusion.
The screen displayed a fresh article from today, uploaded just ten minutes ago.
[Jin Tae-kyung & Won Myung-hun. Successful Otaku, Transfer to Star Guild?]
[The Birth of a New Star Hunter Anticipated.]
A brief silence fell.
After I tore my eyes away from the phone screen, Choi Team Leader asked.
“Are you perhaps transferring?”
No, what is this nonsense.
* * *
‘Elder Brother, we’ll see each other again soon.’
I never expected those words I’d spoken to Won Myung-hun just hours ago to come true so quickly.
Of course, the place where we reunited wasn’t the Coin Karaoke but the Peace Guild House.
“My apologies.”
Won Myung-hun, who had rushed over immediately after reading the article while handling business, bowed respectfully to all the guild members including myself before explaining in a flustered voice.
“I was quite startled myself. It seems someone saw us meeting and spread a speculative article… I’ve lodged a complaint with the media outlet and arranged for an immediate statement to be issued.”
Choi Team Leader, who had been staring intently at Won Myung-hun, opened his mouth.
“I saw the article denying the facts just a few minutes ago. You certainly work fast.”
“False information must be corrected as quickly as possible, even if it’s just a second.”
“False information, you say.”
Choi Team Leader’s long fingers tapped the phone screen.
“But it’s not entirely false, is it? According to what I heard from Jin Tae-kyung, you made a recruitment offer. In a cafe with other people around, no less.”
“That is…”
“Team Leader Choi. Let me explain this to you again.”
I stepped forward on behalf of the hesitant Won Myung-hun.
Given the gravity of the matter, I had no choice but to reveal the conversation I’d had with him at the cafe, and it was something that had been gnawing at my conscience.
“To explain exactly what happened…”
But the words that were about to follow were cut off by Won Myung-hun’s firm voice.
“It’s true. I made a recruitment offer, and Tae-kyung refused. It all stemmed from my own greed, so I sincerely apologize.”
“Hmm.”
Who was Won Myung-hun?
Beyond his career as a hunter, he was once a celebrity who had enjoyed the pinnacle of popularity.
When such a person acknowledged his mistake respectfully and cleanly, bowing his head, there was little to say.
‘In truth, it’s not something that violates honor codes so egregiously.’
Hunters are professionals, pure and simple. Within the regulations, they can switch guilds or leave whenever they wish.
The dozens of recruitment offers I’d received before Won Myung-hun were no different.
The only difference was that he had made a special effort based on his fandom of me.
‘The transfer-related articles that came out after that have already been proven false.’
With swift action from both sides, the situation was already subsiding.
Choi Team Leader, who had been lost in thought, finally spoke.
“Understood. Let’s consider this matter closed.”
Won Myung-hun’s face brightened.
“I feel much more at ease knowing you see it that way. Thank you.”
“Not at all. I have no intention of blowing a minor incident out of proportion either. Besides, we share some of the blame in this.”
Lim Hyuk-jun, who had been observing quietly, interjected with a warm smile.
“That’s right, that’s right. You two look good together. That’s how people should live—understanding each other.”
Kim Butler and Song Song-i nodded in agreement at his words.
The internal atmosphere, which had felt awkward just ten minutes ago, now flowed with warmth.
‘I’m glad things worked out better than expected.’
Won Myung-hun, who had even been offered coffee, wore a gentle smile as he brought up various topics.
“Tae-kyung really cares deeply about the Peace Guild. I even tried to tempt him once, but he wouldn’t budge an inch.”
“Ha ha! That’s just how Tae-kyung is—loyalty is his strong suit.”
“It seems everyone here is such good people that he couldn’t bear to leave. Now that I’ve met you all in person today, I understand why he refused so decisively.”
“Wow, Myung-hun, you certainly know how to make things sound good. I thought everything I saw on TV was just a script.”
“Because of that, I’ve been called an unpleasant person many times.”
It was then, amidst the warm atmosphere, that Won Myung-hun naturally brought up a proposal.
“By any chance, what are your schedules like tomorrow? I was thinking we could run a Raid together…”
“Tomorrow?”
“A Raid?”
The reactions varied, but all eyes converged on one person.
Choi Team Leader.
Won Myung-hun, too, had noticed that while Kim Butler was nominally the Guild Master, Choi Team Leader was the true power behind the scenes.
“What do you think, Team Leader? This could be a good opportunity to clear up any suspicions about the rumors, and it would be valuable experience for the guild members as well.”
“Hmm.”
Perhaps because I had grown accustomed to Choi Team Leader by now?
A subtle hint of reluctance appeared on his face.
However, Choi Team Leader’s hesitation vanished at Won Myung-hun’s next words.
“It’s an A-Rank Gate. Fortunately, our Guild earned the qualification to raid it this week. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.”
“An A-Rank Gate, you say?”
“Yes. We’ll also guarantee the rights to the loot from the Gate.”
Gate qualification assessments are rigorous.
For the Peace Guild, which had only recently begun recruiting members, considerable time would be needed before they could access A-Rank Gates.
“An A-Rank Gate…”
Choi Team Leader, who had murmured softly, finally nodded.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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