Murim Login - Chapter 279

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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 279
[Jin Tae-kyung]
Three letters materialized sharply on the screen.
Park Ji-hoon’s hand froze mid-reach for the call icon, arrested by a thunderous reprimand.
“I wasn’t finished talking. Put that damned phone away and sit down this instant!”
“….”
“Are you deaf?”
“…No, sir. I understand.”
Park Ji-hoon extinguished the phone screen and collapsed into his chair. Park Tae-seop glared at him with smoldering eyes.
“Wasn’t it enough that you killed a Team Leader-class Hunter without authorization?”
“That matter has already been discussed, as I understand it. ‘That person’ also contacted the Guild Master personally and obtained his consent.”
“Consent? Or was it coercion?”
“He would be disappointed to hear you say that.”
“What grudge could Jin Tae-kyung and the Peace Guild possibly have that would drive them to employ Black Hunters….”
“Let’s stop there.”
Park Ji-hoon cut him off with a clipped tone.
“There’s no need for you to know facts you shouldn’t.”
“…!”
“What matters is that the Guild Master accepted the proposal. Either way, results matter more than process.”
“So that’s why you’ve made such a mess of this crucial result?”
Park Ji-hoon’s brow furrowed. Park Tae-seop’s complaints were nothing new, but never had they been so blatant.
What on earth had happened?
“I think we should drop the verbal sparring. What’s the problem?”
Park Tae-seop, breathing heavily with agitation, dropped his next words like a stone.
“Two hours ago, an emergency contact came from Team 11.”
Officially, the Myeongdong Guild maintains ten teams.
But this was merely the public facade. Team 11, which Park Tae-seop had just mentioned, was a team that didn’t officially exist—a team composed entirely of Black Hunters.
“You said an emergency contact two hours ago?”
“If you have eyes, check it yourself.”
Park Tae-seop withdrew something from his coat pocket and tossed it over. Park Ji-hoon caught an ancient-looking phone, its manufacture date impossible to discern.
The call history had been meticulously erased, and the message folder contained only a single text that had arrived two hours prior.
[Intruder detected.]
A brief single line. Yet the content was far from ordinary.
Park Ji-hoon closed the phone folder and asked.
“Where was the location?”
“Far from here. A remote village nestled against an Unnamed Mountain. It’s an unsafe zone with no Gates nearby, so there’s no reason for anyone to find them.”
“Any updates since then?”
“If there had been, would I be bringing this up?”
“You mean all contact has been lost.”
“I sent people to investigate, but… something feels wrong.”
Park Ji-hoon agreed with his sentiment.
Seven years ago, the moment he was dispatched to the Myeongdong Guild, his first assignment had been related to Team 11.
Park Tae-seop, the Myeongdong Guild Master, had shown strong resistance to harboring and training criminals, but he couldn’t defy ‘that person’s’ orders.
In this way, they had assembled approximately thirty Black Hunters.
‘Three A-rank Hunters. And twenty-five B-rank Hunters.’
A formidable force that rivaled or even surpassed Team 1, which could be called the elite of the Myeongdong Guild.
Yet after the intruder incident, all contact had been severed.
It was then that anxiety began creeping up from a corner of his chest.
Vrrrrr.
The phone in his coat pocket vibrated again. With each continued vibration, Park Ji-hoon’s anxiety swelled larger and larger.
* * *
Brrring. Brrring….
The signal coming through the receiver inevitably ended in a voicemail notification.
This was already the tenth call. I’d sent a text message long ago, but no reply had come back.
‘It’s work hours.’
The entrance to the high-rise building standing tall in the heart of Seoul was crowded with people. It was while I was watching that scene intently.
“Excuse me.”
The one who spoke was a man in a business suit.
His face was angular and his eyes sharp. I could sense his solid build and the restrained energy coiled within him. The man’s colleague standing beside him was similar.
I put my phone away and replied.
“Yes, excuse me.”
The man in the business suit hesitated before speaking. On the nameplate pinned to his chest, his name and affiliation with the Myeongdong Guild were clearly written.
“We’re from the Security Team. We received a report about you.”
“I’m not a teacher. What kind of report?”
“When we reviewed the CCTV, you were loitering in front of our building for quite some time… Is there something you need?”
Their gaze toward me was full of caution and suspicion.
Casual training pants and a hoodie. With a cap pulled down low and sunglasses on top of that, it made sense they’d file a report when someone like me kept glancing inside the building.
“Sir, would you mind moving to a different location?”
“No thanks. I’d rather not. And I’m not a teacher.”
“It’ll only take a moment.”
Despite their polite tone, their actions were the complete opposite.
Whoosh! With a brief gust of wind, both men extended their arms simultaneously.
And in the next instant, question marks appeared on their faces, which had been full of certainty.
Tap, snatch.
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
I casually caught both their wrists and opened my mouth with a deliberately stern expression.
“Hey, you rude bastards. How dare you lay hands on me?”
“W-wait a moment.”
“Who are you? Are you going to let go or not?”
The two C-rank Security Team hunters were visibly flustered. Even when they applied all their strength, nothing budged, and their mouths fell open in shock.
‘Should I break it?’
I considered it briefly, but now wasn’t the time. Before any major commotion could erupt, I released their wrists.
“Please don’t lay hands on people so carelessly.”
The two hunters, gingerly massaging their reddened wrists, asked cautiously.
“Are you a hunter…?”
“If I may ask, what guild are you with, and your name?”
“I’m Jin Tae-kyung from the Peace Guild.”
“Pardon?”
“Could you be that person I know? The Crazy Bastard?”
“…You must watch internet broadcasts.”
I’d rather be called Shanxi Sleeping Dragon. What’s with this Crazy Bastard nonsense?
I exhaled a sigh and slid my sunglasses down slightly. The two hunters gasped and bowed their heads deeply.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
“You’re much more handsome in person.”
Their eyes sparkled like high school students meeting their idol. From their demeanor, it was clear they didn’t know the deeper truth.
Well, matters related to Black Hunters would be classified. If a mere Security Team hunter knew about it, it would have leaked long ago.
“But what brings you to our guild….”
“I came to see someone I know.”
“Someone you know?”
I pulled out a thin piece of paper from my wallet—Park Ji-hoon’s business card that I’d received and kept long ago.
“Team 1’s Park Ji-hoon?”
The Security Team hunter, tilting his head after seeing the card, asked his colleague.
“Senior, do you know who this person is?”
“Who?”
“A hunter named Park Ji-hoon from Team 1. All the hunters in Team 1 know him, but I can’t quite remember….”
“Park Ji-hoon, Park Ji-hoon… Ah, that person. That, um. You know too.”
When I nudged his ribs with my elbow, an “Ah!” finally escaped him.
The two hunters then alternated their gazes between me and the business card with curious eyes.
‘What’s with this reaction?’
My eyes naturally narrowed. The Security Team hunter, unable to see my reaction hidden behind the sunglasses, asked.
“Are you close with Hunter Park Ji-hoon?”
“We went to middle school together.”
“Ah, so you’re friends.”
I smiled gently and replied.
“Well, for now, yes.”
“Pardon?”
“Just joking.”
Though it might be the truth.
Unaware of my thoughts, the Security Team hunters burst into laughter and continued their questions.
“So you’ve come to see Park Ji-hoon?”
“Yes, he wasn’t answering his phone. He wasn’t home either, so I thought I might catch him if I came by his workplace.”
“I apologize. We didn’t know about that either.”
“You were just doing your job, so don’t worry about it. But is Ji-hoon inside?”
The Senior Security Hunter responded.
“He probably won’t be coming in today either.”
“Today as well?”
“Yes, he rarely comes to work. If I had to guess, maybe once a month? I’ve been here almost a year since I started, and I’ve only run into him a few times. This guy’s only been here a month, and….”
“It seems the hunters at Myeongdong Guild don’t come in very often.”
“That can’t be right. For some reason, everyone just accepts it as the way things are.”
That’s strange. Why would that be?
This is the first time I’ve heard of a guild hunter who only comes in once a month.
The question that had taken root in my mind grew deeper.
I spoke without revealing my thoughts.
“Could you contact Ji-hoon for me? I believe there’s a separate guild communication phone.”
“Well, that’s….”
I threw an offer at the two hesitant men that they couldn’t refuse.
“I came to discuss a cooperative raid. If you ask me, I think I could bring in one or two more people….”
“Gasp.”
“Are you serious?”
Of course not.
It’s all lies from beginning to end. But I kept a straight face and continued.
“You’re both C-rank, right?”
“Yes, yes.”
“How did you know?”
“Just a guess from looking at you. But your skills seem too good to waste in the Security Team.”
Strictly speaking, the guild’s Security Team is nothing more than a backwater assignment.
If a hunter was truly skilled, why would they rot away doing security work? From the guild’s perspective, deploying them on raids would be the profitable move.
The two Security Team members couldn’t possibly not know this. Their eyes gleamed as they looked at me.
“I’ll contact him right away!”
“Then thank you.”
“Is there anything else you might need…?”
“Could I take a look around the guild for a moment? While I wait for Ji-hoon inside.”
“Yes. Yes. Of course.”
Unlike the obsequious senior, the junior hunter’s face had hardened.
Only one month into the job. He was still burning with a sense of mission and company loyalty.
“Um, senior. I don’t think that’s right.”
“What? You bastard?”
“I really do respect Hunter Jin Tae-kyung, but isn’t this against guild regulations?”
“Hey, you punk!”
He realized he’d shouted and quickly glanced at me before lowering his voice to a whisper.
“Are you insane? It’s an A-rank Gate. You won’t get an opportunity like this even if you rot in the Security Team for three years.”
“Then shouldn’t I report to Team Leader first….”
“Ah, you’re completely inflexible, aren’t you? We’re just taking a quick look—what’s the need for a report? And it’s not just anyone, it’s Hunter Jin Tae-kyung.”
“No, but still….”
“Please, let’s live with a little flexibility. Okay?”
“Excuse me? Flexibility?”
In that moment, the junior hunter’s expression hardened.
“I must ask you to refrain from using such careless language in times like these. It’s uncomfortable.”
“This guy’s insane. Do you want your guild life to become difficult from now on?”
This was a complete mess.
I clicked my tongue and stepped forward. The junior hunter flinched, then puffed out his chest.
“D-do you have something to say to me, sir?”
“No. I was just impressed listening to you.”
“Pardon?”
“Your patriotism is unwavering. And your dedication to the guild is beyond question. I’m planning to mention you when I meet the Myeongdong Guild Master later.”
“T-the Guild Master, sir?”
“Yes. Ji-hoon said he’d mention it to the Guild Master too. I should definitely tell him there’s excellent talent available.”
I added while glancing at the junior hunter’s name tag.
“Hunter Kim Chul-soo.”
“…!”
Kim Chul-soo’s eyes trembled with emotion at my words.
I asked with a friendly smile.
“May I enter now?”
Kim Chul-soo shouted loudly.
“Welcome!”
“…Ah, yes. Thank you.”
* * *
The luxurious twenty-story building belonged to the Myeongdong Guild.
The senior hunter who had followed me after dismissing the junior one chattered away.
“Floors one through nine house civilian departments—taxation, accounting, corporate affairs, and so on. Floors ten through nineteen each have their own raid teams stationed.”
“What about the twentieth floor?”
“Of course, that’s where the Guild Master and the board of directors are.”
“I see.”
“Team 1 is the guild’s elite team, so they’re on the nineteenth floor.”
Ding.
The elevator arrived just as he finished speaking. I was about to press nineteen and wait for the doors to close when—
“Hey, hey! Wait!”
At the shout, the senior hunter hurriedly pressed the open button.
As the doors slid open, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline stepped into the elevator.
He glanced at us sideways, partially covering the receiver as he answered.
“Yes, yes. No, it’s the elevator. Yes.”
The aura emanating from him as he continued the important call was considerable.
‘An A-rank Hunter?’
As the middle-aged man appeared, I gestured toward the Senior Security Hunter, who had gone rigid, silently asking who he was. The hunter subtly raised one finger and grinned.
‘Team Leader 1.’
That explained it. There was a reason he hadn’t pressed a floor button.
Team Leader 1 heading to the nineteenth floor was only natural. I listened intently to his call.
And in the next moment, a familiar voice pierced my ears.
– Twenty-eight men completely annihilated? How is that possible? Hurry up and—
“…!”
My body trembled as if struck by lightning. That familiar voice, combined with the number twenty-eight.
‘It was you.’
The moment the thought formed, my hand moved.
Crack!
“Gack, who are you—!”
I seized Team Leader 1’s throat like a shackle and whispered into the receiver.
“Park Ji-hoon. You fucking bastard.”

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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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