Murim Login - Chapter 22

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

Chapter 22
The moment I stepped into the room, the stench of mold assaulted my nostrils. In that space reminiscent of an old military barracks, the scout unit members were waiting.
‘Ten of them.’
I activated my perception ability and swept my gaze across their faces.
Each time my eyes passed over them, level windows flickered into view above the unfamiliar faces.
‘Level 14. Level 15. Level 14….’
Most were at similar levels. It was when I moved to the ninth person that something changed.
[Lv.22 Hyuk Moo-jin]
The number jumped dramatically. And the face was familiar.
‘Hyuk Moo-jin?’
It was indeed that Hyuk Moo-jin who had picked a fight with me when I first arrived at the Taewon Jin Family a few days ago. When our eyes met, he curled the corners of his mouth upward.
“What a pleasant surprise to meet again. Young Master.”
I stared at his smile, which dripped with hostility, before speaking.
“From now on, call me Squad Leader.”
“…Very well.”
I brushed past Hyuk Moo-jin’s piercing gaze and looked at the tenth scout member. The young man who had been smiling brightly since my entrance suddenly stood up.
“Young Master—no, Squad Leader! I look forward to working with you.”
[Lv.13 Han Yeop]
It seemed positions had been reshuffled due to the wartime situation. The White Tiger Unit secretary I’d met earlier had mentioned that the scout unit was composed of warriors drawn from various organizations.
‘Hyuk Moo-jin originally belonged to the Gate Master’s Office, after all.’
Perhaps because of this, the atmosphere in the room felt unsettled.
The members watched me with expressions mixing awkwardness among strangers, anxiety about the war, and anticipation.
I opened my mouth for the first time.
“I’m Jin Tae-kyung, appointed as the White Tiger Unit Scout Leader. I look forward to your cooperation.”
Clap, clap, clap. Someone’s lonely applause faded within mere seconds, and Han Yeop lowered his hands with an embarrassed expression.
The atmosphere was stiffer than I’d expected.
‘But this isn’t necessarily bad.’
We’re in a wartime situation. Maintaining this tension is better than trying to build camaraderie with smiles and laughter.
Of course, excessive tension becomes poison, and it’s part of my job as squad leader to release it at appropriate moments.
‘Well, I’m used to it anyway.’
Rookie hunters entering a Gate for the first time literally freeze up. Real combat is different from training. The knowledge and training learned at the Hunter Training Institute fly off into the distant cosmos, overwhelmed by the primal stench of death.
That’s why veteran hunters in the Guild helped manage rookies’ mental states, and I was one of them.
‘Even if it was only F-rank specialization.’
The levels are comparable. From what I’ve observed, second-rate martial artists in Murim hover between E-rank and F-rank.
So I’ve become the party leader of ten F-rank hunters. I’ve never actually been a party leader before, but I’ve seen it done countless times.
“Those with combat experience, raise your hands.”
At my sudden question, all ten scout members raised their hands. They all looked bewildered.
“Those with five or more combat encounters, raise your hands.”
Half the hands came down. Han Yeop was among them.
Five members with five or more combat experiences. That’s not bad. Actually, it’s better than expected.
But the most critical final question remained.
“Have you killed before? Raise your hand.”
Four hands lowered weakly. I gazed at the sole scout member still holding his hand up.
[Lv.22 Hyuk Moo-jin]
“How many did you kill?”
He let out a scoff.
“Five. It was during the bandit suppression last year. One of them was a faction leader. He was quite strong….”
I cut him off without needing to hear more.
“Fine. From now on, you’re the vice-commander.”
Hyuk Moo-jin’s mouth, which had been about to mutter something, snapped shut.
“Vice-commander?”
“Yes. If you don’t like it, speak up now.”
With only beginners gathered here, what mattered most was someone with experience.
Hyuk Moo-jin was the only one who could swing a weapon at an enemy without hesitation.
‘A cat is a cat, whether white or black.’
Whether white, black, or ill-mannered—as long as the cat catches mice well, that’s all that matters.
Hyuk Moo-jin, lost in thought with a complicated expression, finally answered.
“…Hmph. Since it’s an order, I have no choice.”
He was struggling to admit he actually wanted the position of vice-commander.
“Then Hyuk Moo-jin is vice-commander. From now on, we’ll call you Number One.”
“Number One? What’s that?”
“Numerical order. From now on, the scout unit will be referred to by numbers instead of names. Hyuk Moo-jin is Number One. Next, you sitting over there. Yes, you’re Number Two.”
From Number One to Number Ten. I assigned them by pointing at each person.
Hyuk Moo-jin’s brow furrowed.
“Why do it that way?”
“Because it’s more convenient. Combat could break out any moment now—do you want to spend all day memorizing names?”
“That’s——”
“Then do as I command. That’s an order.”
I didn’t avoid Hyuk Moo-jin’s glare as he stared at me with a hardened face.
In fact, part of me hoped he’d come at me again like before, with that same arrogance. If things continued like this, we’d be in trouble when combat broke out in just a few days.
If he attacked, I’d need to show him the difference in our strength. Unmistakably.
“…I will follow your orders.”
“What did you say?”
“Number One, sir. Number One.”
Hyuk Moo-jin’s voice trembled as he answered. He had better instincts than I expected. Perhaps due to the rumors about the Shanxi Hidden Dragon.
The important fact was that Hyuk Moo-jin had submitted to me.
I continued without showing it.
“What I’m about to say may sound unfamiliar and strange to you. But bear with it. It’s better than getting cut down and dying, isn’t it?”
While the other scout members didn’t openly show their discontent like Hyuk Moo-jin, they all looked at me with anxious expressions.
All except one.
“I will follow your lead, Squad Leader!”
Han Yeop cried out like a teenage fan, except instead of a light stick in his hand, he gripped a spear.
‘Right, of course.’
I flashed a grin at the scout team members.
“So, I use a sword. Noted.”
The crux of party hunting: dividing positions.
* * *
The raid formations of this reality had long since been standardized.
Three tanks, four dealers, two mages, and one healer—the ideal composition for a ten-person party.
‘No mages or healers, obviously.’
I had to balance things as best I could with just tanks and dealers, but then….
“…No one knows how to use a shield?”
My voice trembled at the shocking revelation. Ten dealers—all of them. Nine with swords, and only Han Yeop with a spear.
‘What kind of horrifying monotony is this?’
A hybrid composition would be better. At least that would have some variety.
Hyuk Moo-jin spoke as if nothing was wrong.
“Any man worth his salt should wield a blade, should he not?”
Watching the others nod in agreement drained what little patience I had left.
‘They’re all so full of themselves. Absolutely bloated with pride.’
Let them have their heads shoved in a pool of blood and see if they still talk like that.
Swords? Spears? None of that matters. You grab whatever stone is within reach and smash, throw dirt, climb on top, bite with your teeth….
At the edge of death, whatever your hand touches becomes a weapon and a lifeline.
These fools, who’d only ever fought bandits, didn’t understand that yet.
‘Should I start drilling them tomorrow?’
Not for their sake, but for my own survival.
Teaching them the basics would prove invaluable in a chaotic melee.
‘I’ve crawled like a dog for seven years—I won’t die because of these greenhorns.’
It was while I was thinking this that a great bell tolled three times. Dong. Dong. Dong.
In this place where individuals couldn’t know the exact time, bells rang at specific hours. The three tolls just now signaled the arrival of Wei Shi
(未時: 1 to 3 PM)
.
And….
“Prepare yourselves. First deployment.”
It was also the signal flare announcing the scout team’s first mission.
* * *
“He’s probably doing well.”
At Wi Paeng’s sudden remark, Jin Wi-kyung lifted his head. He’d been staring blankly at his cooling teacup until then.
“What do you mean?”
“The Third Young Master.”
A full day had passed since Jin Tae-kyung’s scout team departed from the Taewon Jin Family. Their mission was to scout Hyeon-eup, the area near the Taewon Jin Family.
“He departed around noon yesterday, so he should arrive within two days.”
“Ah. Tae-kyung.”
Jin Wi-kyung let out a weary laugh. There was something exhausted about it.
“I thought… well, never mind.”
“Never mind, sir?”
“How much longer will I treat that boy like a child? He’s become a confident man now. He’ll handle things well on his own.”
“…I doubt my ears, sir.”
“I’ve sheltered him considerably over the years. He was so young back then.”
“I share that sentiment to some degree. He’s changed remarkably in just these few days.”
“Heroes grow by overcoming adversity, after all.”
“…”
“In any case, I’ve lifted a burden regarding the youngest. Now I can focus more on the main family.”
“Please rest for a moment, sir. You look exhausted.”
“Wi Paeng. The main family’s people are dead.”
Sorrow and resolve threaded through his voice, and Wi Paeng fell silent. Jin Wi-kyung returned to his work.
But the silence shattered in less than an hour.
“That is…”
A black speck in the sky drew closer. A massive-winged messenger eagle descended upon the office window—it bore the mark of the Haowen Sect.
Jin Wi-kyung rose from his seat in haste and opened the tube fixed to the bird’s leg. The moment he unfolded the letter, characters as tiny as sesame seeds caught his eye.
One question, one death—Jo Pil and twenty elite warriors. Jeong-yang sighted.
“Jeong-yang…!”
Beyond Jeong-yang lay Hongjoo. Beyond Hongjoo lay Taewon. No matter how elite these warriors were, to traverse hundreds of miles in mere days…
But that wasn’t all.
There were still members of the branch family who hadn’t returned to the main estate. What if those monsters were tracking them?
‘Every moment counts.’
It didn’t take long for Jin Wi-kyung to make his decision.
“Select fifty martial masters at once and send them to Jeong-yang. One question, one death is a ruthless master of the highest caliber. The family’s people…”
Images of children flashed through his mind. Small limbs, faces twisted in agony, eyes hollow and vacant. Jin Wi-kyung clenched his teeth.
“Bring the family’s people back safely.”
“My lord.”
Wi Paeng’s expression hardened like stone. Jin Wi-kyung stared at his face as if possessed, then opened his mouth.
“Tae-kyung. Where did you say Tae-kyung went?”
The words came out wrung from his throat.
“…Jeong-yang, sir.”

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