Murim Login - Chapter 282

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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 282
BOOM!
Two figures materialized amid a thunderous explosion.
I waved toward the familiar face among them.
“Well, well, look who finally showed up.”
“…You.”
I’d considered throwing a punch at him the moment I saw him, but watching his contorted expression, I couldn’t help but smirk.
I gazed at Park Ji-hoon’s clenched fists and asked with feigned disappointment.
“Didn’t you bring it?”
“Bring what?”
“A popsicle.”
“You bastard….”
A massive palm seized the shoulder of the man whose face had flushed crimson.
“There are still eyes watching.”
Park Ji-hoon bit his lip and took a step back.
As I watched this unfold with amusement, the middle-aged man who commanded everyone’s attention nearby spoke to me.
“Do you know who I am?”
I nodded. There was no way I wouldn’t recognize that face.
The weight his name carried was unmistakable, and he appeared frequently enough in newspapers and magazines.
‘Myeongdong Guild Master Park Tae-seop.’
A war hero who distinguished himself during the Great Calamity, one of South Korea’s highest-ranked Hunters.
A man who had survived countless desperate struggles to become the master of a Large Guild—he was the dream and respected elder of all Hunters.
‘I used to respect him too.’
But not anymore.
My fond memories of Park Tae-seop had expired two days ago.
Thoughts reveal themselves through attitude. Park Tae-seop opened his mouth, reading the naked hostility in my gaze.
“It seems you regard me as an enemy.”
“I can hardly consider you a friend. Not when we both know the circumstances.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions so hastily. As you live, you’ll come to understand that there are neither eternal friends nor eternal enemies.”
“I’m not sure about that. I can’t speak to eternal enemies not existing.”
I continued, glancing at Park Ji-hoon standing beside me.
“But eternal friends not existing—that much certainly rings true.”
Park Ji-hoon responded in a cold voice.
“The premise itself was wrong. We were never friends.”
“We were never friends.”
I sank deeper into my chair, mulling over his words.
One thing I still couldn’t comprehend was Park Ji-hoon’s sudden change in attitude.
But….
“Still, what does that matter at this point? It was already over the moment you sent those Black Hunters.”
Black Hunters. The moment that sensitive term surfaced, Park Tae-seop raised his hand in denial.
At the Guild Master’s command, roughly a hundred Hunters who had filled the corridor dispersed like a receding tide.
I listened to their footsteps fade and lifted the corners of my mouth into a smile.
“You don’t seem very confident.”
“It’s shameful.”
“Brutally honest, even. Unpleasantly so.”
“I’m personally ashamed of it as well.”
“For someone who claims shame, you issued a rather despicable order.”
“….”
“What’s the reason?”
A flicker of discomfort crossed Park Tae-seop’s face. But it wasn’t directed at me.
For the briefest moment, his eyes landed on Park Ji-hoon standing beside him, then withdrew.
‘There it is….’
Park Tae-seop’s reaction just now wasn’t intentional.
If such behavior emerged unconsciously, then he was definitely hiding something.
I recalled the inconsistencies that had nagged at me and pondered.
‘Something reeks. It absolutely reeks.’
As I muttered inwardly, Park Ji-hoon suddenly spoke up.
“To check you. To check the Peace Guild.”
“Check?”
“The emergence of a new powerhouse means someone’s slice of the pie shrinks. Not just us—other Guilds think the same way, don’t they?”
On the surface, it made sense.
The domestic Guild market was already oversaturated. Ranks had been established, hierarchies cemented. The entrenched powers had no desire to see new competitors rise.
“The Peace Guild is dangerous. It’s confined to Bucheon for now, but soon it will grow at a terrifying pace and expand its influence.”
“So you sent Black Hunters?”
“We did send them. But didn’t I tell you? It was merely a warning.”
“I think I mentioned it too. That pathetic warning left someone permanently disabled.”
“Disabled? The severed arms were reattached perfectly fine, and there’s no impediment to daily life. Is that considered disability these days?”
“It’s as good as disability. A Hunter’s career is finished.”
“Better than the Guild being finished, wouldn’t you say?”
“What?”
Park Ji-hoon let out a derisive laugh.
“This is just the beginning. Your Guild has already been locked out of every worthwhile high-tier Gate, and surrounded by the rejection of neighboring Guilds, you’ll slowly wither away.”
A memory from days ago surfaced. Choi Team Leader’s words about other Guilds monopolizing all the A-rank Gates.
Because of that, I had no choice but to lead the Rookies through C-rank or B-rank Gates that offered little experience gain.
“Don’t tell me that was…?”
“Slow on the uptake. Did you think it was coincidence?”
Park Ji-hoon’s mouth curved upward. Not only had he completely regained his composure, but he now lounged against the sofa with casual ease.
“You just recruited a ton of Guild members, didn’t you? What will you do? At this rate, you’ll have to let them all go within a year. You’ll be lucky if you don’t get sued for unpaid wages.”
“….”
I loosened my arms from where they’d been crossed.
“You’ve got good skills. No wonder you’re from a Large Guild.”
“Well, I suppose so.”
“But… we’re holding a decent hand ourselves. If the crimes the Myeongdong Guild committed by scraping together criminals came to light, that would be entertaining too. What do you think?”
He continued without waiting for Park Ji-hoon’s response.
“The way things are going, if we hand it over to the police, you’ll snatch it right up. I’m thinking we just do a truth game through AiTube live streaming instead.”
“…AiTube? Live streaming?”
“Yeah, that’s right. You didn’t know we opened a Guild channel? You subscribe and hit that like button too. Don’t forget to turn on notifications.”
“…”
“Man, we’re already at 300,000 subscribers, and if this blows up, we’ll break 10 million. Probably half of South Korea will see it.”
The smile that had been playing at Park Ji-hoon’s lips vanished without a trace.
“It’s better not to start something you can’t handle.”
“I can handle it.”
“Do you want to make enemies of every Large Guild?”
“If I cause a mess here, I can clean it up, right?”
“…”
Park Ji-hoon’s mouth sealed shut as if glued together.
After glaring at me with smoldering eyes for a while, he threw out a single phrase.
“Tell me what you want.”
“What I want?”
“Whatever you demand, I’ll accommodate as much as possible. Let’s negotiate here and not escalate this further.”
“Negotiate, huh.”
“If we go all the way, it’s mutual ruin. You know that too.”
He was right. If this were something I alone could take responsibility for, I would’ve pushed to the end, but many people connected to the Peace Guild have their lives on the line here.
Someone’s friends, lovers, family… their futures too.
I quietly licked my dry lips.
“What can you give?”
“Money and power. And various rights that would allow the Peace Guild to grow.”
“Didn’t you say you sent Black Hunters because the Peace Guild’s growth bothered you?”
“That’s why we need to set limits.”
“Don’t exceed the fence I’ve designated?”
“That’s right.”
As I continued listening to Park Ji-hoon’s words, a picture gradually formed in my mind.
The compensation we could obtain in exchange for handing over the prisoners currently held by the Peace Guild and keeping silent about this matter was considerable.
No, it was enormous.
Buildings and land, the transfer of high-rank Gates that the Myeongdong Guild held exclusive rights to, plus an astronomical sum of cash.
The overall picture was good. But…
“The most important thing is missing.”
“This much is more than enough… what?”
Park Ji-hoon’s brow furrowed.
“What did you just say?”
“The most important thing is missing.”
“Insane. You’re demanding more here?”
“Honestly, even if you explain it to me, I don’t really understand. I only know it has great value, but whether it’s advantageous or disadvantageous—that’s the expertise of our Guild Master or Choi Team Leader.”
“Then what exactly is missing?”
I stared intently at Park Ji-hoon.
“An apology.”
“…What?”
“If you’ve committed a wrong, you need to apologize. But the most important apology is missing.”
His proposal contained only flashy conditions, devoid of any genuine apology.
Most critically, what should have been prioritized had vanished entirely.
“Hah.”
Park Ji-hoon let out a hollow laugh. His eyes raking over me betrayed both bewilderment and fury.
“Fine. I’m sorry. Satisfied?”
“That’s not how you apologize.”
Crack.
The sound of bones grinding echoed from Park Ji-hoon’s clenched fist.
But it was brief. After drawing a deep breath, he met my gaze directly and spoke with deliberate clarity.
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s better, at least.”
“Is that enough now?”
I nodded slightly.
“But next time you do it yourself, put more sincerity into it. Bow respectfully.”
“…What nonsense is this now?”
“What would I do with your apology to me? You need to apologize to the actual victim and their family.”
Park Ji-hoon’s eyelids trembled.
“You’re telling me to apologize to that D-rank Hunter right now?”
“Why? Can’t you?”
“We already said we’d provide compensation. It’s an amount most Hunters would never earn in a lifetime.”
“That’s great then. A sincere apology combined with substantial compensation money will be even more effective.”
“You…”
I added a gentle word to Park Ji-hoon, who was glaring at me with piercing eyes.
“If your pride is hurt, bring one more person and apologize together.”
Park Tae-seop, the Myeongdong Guild Master who had been listening silently to our exchange, finally spoke.
“I’ll go find them in person and apologize with all sincerity.”
“At least you have the basic decency, Guild Master. I suppose you could call that the cleanest of a bad situation.”
The cleanest of a bad situation. Could there be a more fitting yet paradoxical expression at this moment?
But the other culprit I had in mind was not Park Tae-seop.
I straightened in my chair. Opening my mouth, I locked eyes with Park Ji-hoon.
“The person who gave you the order. Bring them along and apologize too.”
“…!”
A turbulent wave surged through his pupils—unmistakable, undeniable.
It was merely a fleeting instant, yet violent enough to transform suspicion into certainty.
“Fine. Park Tae-seop just agreed anyway.”
Park Ji-hoon continued in the most composed tone he could muster.
“I’ll go with you and apologize.”
“Cut the bullshit. Bring them here.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
I rose with a silent laugh and walked toward the reception sofa where Park Ji-hoon sat.
“No matter how much I think about it, I just can’t wrap my head around it.”
I dropped heavily onto the seat across from him.
Beyond the large wooden table, I slowly dissected the figure feigning composure.
A solid frame, muscles rippling beneath his shirt. And within it, I sensed a coiled power.
Immense. Formidable.
The gap between him and Team Leader 1 was evident without even checking levels.
“You don’t understand? What do you mean?”
“Someone strong enough to crush Team Leader 1 with a single hand remains a mere ordinary Hunter, not even a Vice Team Leader. That’s what I can’t fathom.”
“…!”
“And he shows up maybe once a month, if that. From what I heard in his conversation with Team Leader 1, this is essentially a command structure.”
There were far too many suspicious elements.
And with each word exchanged today, my suspicion crystallized into certainty.
“Enormous conditions being negotiated, yet the top authority sits silent while someone with no official position—a mere team member—does all the talking. How am I supposed to accept this, Park Tae-seop?”
Myeongdong Guild Master Park Tae-seop closed his eyes slowly. That was answer enough.
I let out a quiet laugh and looked at Park Ji-hoon.
“So. Bring them here. I don’t know who they are, but bring them and have them apologize first.”
Park Ji-hoon’s tightly sealed lips parted.
“What if I refuse?”
“Then we go all the way.”
“You crazy bastard. Do you know who that person is?”
“No. Don’t particularly care either. But I won’t be satisfied until I see that human come here and bow their head in apology.”
Whoosh!
In the same instant, I extended my hand at blinding speed.
Park Ji-hoon let out a sharp cry of alarm.
“You bastard!”
Crack!
In a fraction of a second, our hands collided and locked. Five exchanges of technique executed in the blink of an eye.
His wrist snapped, and his eyes widened in shock.
I grabbed his carefully waxed hair and slammed his head toward the table.
Boom!
“Like this.”

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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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