Murim Login - Chapter 284

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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 284
“That should be enough.”
It was unexpected.
The voice from behind me sent a chill through my mind, as if ice water had been poured over my head.
‘When on earth?’
I hadn’t sensed any presence. Even accounting for the fact that I was in combat, it shouldn’t have been possible.
If someone had evaded my senses at their peak, there could be only one answer.
‘A supreme master.’
I turned slowly. Among the debris of the collapsed wall scattered by the aftermath of our battle, a single figure stood watching me intently.
“Good to see you.”
He was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his early forties. His features were bold and striking, as if painted by a brush, and his physique was so solid it couldn’t be concealed even by his clothes.
And….
‘He’s strong.’
The moment I felt the coiled power emanating from his body, my heart sank. Simultaneously, the accumulated experience and finely honed instincts I’d cultivated whispered a truth.
The middle-aged man before me was a supreme master—someone far beyond what I could handle in my current state.
“You’ve got good instincts, young friend. Better than I expected.”
The middle-aged man, who had been studying me with an intrigued gaze, suddenly tilted his head.
“Or is it because you recognize my face?”
“…Both, actually.”
The shock of his appearance was immense.
I tried to appear as composed as possible, but I couldn’t hide the tremor in my voice or the wavering in my eyes.
“Well, my face would have to have been sold a few times for that to happen.”
The middle-aged man nodded casually and took a long stride forward.
He crossed the devastated office and extended his hand, offering a handshake.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Lee Jung-yong.”
A brief and simple introduction.
Yet the meaning and influence carried by those three syllables—Lee Jung-yong—were anything but brief or simple.
He was a man who could use his face and name as identification anywhere in the world, not just domestically.
‘The second-in-command of the Ares Guild. And one of the two S-rank Hunters South Korea possesses.’
This was Lee Jung-yong.
A powerful figure who wielded absolute authority over the Ares Guild in place of the Guild Master, who was another S-rank Hunter.
The Ares Guild, which ranked among the top five in the entire world. Their influence over politics, economics, and hunters alike was formidable.
No wonder people said South Korea had two Blue Houses.
So why had such a towering figure appeared here, of all places, at this moment?
‘Damn, it’s obvious.’
Suddenly, a conversation I’d had with Park Tae-seop flashed through my mind.
‘Who is he? Earlier, that bastard only called him “That Person.”‘
‘I can’t tell you. Even if I did, you’d only resent me later.’
‘Why be so secretive? Is that person some kind of Asmodeus?’
‘If you made him an enemy, you’d be better off facing a demon lord. The whole world would fight alongside you.’
The answer had already crystallized in my mind.
If the “That Person” Park Ji-hoon mentioned was Lee Jung-yong, and if the Ares Guild was behind this, then every gear would slot into place with perfect precision.
‘This… things are unfolding in a thoroughly wretched manner.’
The unexpected appearance of such a formidable figure drained the warmth from my blood.
Unlike me, rigid and unyielding, Lee Jung-yong opened his mouth with a gentle smile.
“I’ve heard your name before. You look far better in person than on television.”
“…Thank you.”
“Though your face doesn’t seem particularly delighted.”
“How could that be? You’re an S-rank Hunter renowned across the world.”
“Mere reputation. I fall far short compared to the Guild Master. But that aside…”
Lee Jung-yong, with his characteristic smile, opened and closed his empty hand in the air.
“When will you accept my handshake? I’m beginning to feel rather awkward.”
Listening to his affable laughter and soft words delivered like a jest, I thought: this man had at least a hundred serpents coiled in his belly.
And I am someone who despises snakes.
“I’m afraid both my hands are occupied at the moment.”
“What’s the difficulty? It would be resolved simply by releasing what you’re holding.”
“I cannot abandon a pressing matter merely for a handshake, surely you understand.”
I tightened my grip on the weapons in each hand.
With a subtle whisper, thin lines of blood appeared across the necks of Park Tae-seop and Park Ji-hoon.
The two men, who had closed their eyes and clenched their jaws at Lee Jung-yong’s arrival, seemed to radiate even a kind of resolve.
“I understand you share close relations with these two gentlemen. Perhaps you should greet them?”
“Close relations? Me?”
Lee Jung-yong let out a hearty laugh.
“I’ve known Park the Guild Master since the days of the Great Upheaval, so we’re at least acquainted. Isn’t that right?”
Park Tae-seop, the Myeongdong Guild Master, answered with his lips pressed thin.
“It has been a long time. Vice Guild Master Lee Jung-yong.”
“Indeed, it has. But what is this situation?”
“There has been an unfortunate matter… I apologize for displaying such an unseemly state.”
“Whatever misunderstanding exists, it can be resolved through dialogue. Who is that young man beside you?”
“He is one of my guild members. He has served in our guild continuously since completing the Training Facility.”
Park Ji-hoon opened his mouth with a trembling voice.
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Park Ji-hoon of Team 1, Myeongdong Guild.”
“…!”
I was not startled by Lee Jung-yong’s casual manner toward someone who appeared a decade younger than Park Tae-seop.
I was startled only by the shamelessness they displayed.
Everyone in this room knew. Lee Jung-yong was the one who had given Park Ji-hoon his initial orders.
Yet the conversation between these three men that I had just witnessed meant only one thing.
‘A lizard’s tail.’
The aged lizard, having already prepared to sever its tail, gazed at me with a gentle smile.
“You see? That young man is a complete stranger to me. As for Park the Guild Master, we merely exchange pleasantries from time to time.”
I let out a hollow laugh and asked.
“By ‘checking in on me,’ you don’t mean secretly sending Black Hunters to sever someone’s limbs, do you?”
“Black Hunters? Stop that. Your imagination’s running wild. Anyway, about the matter concerning Guild Master Park….”
He shook his head and continued.
“I think I might be able to offer some assistance with that problem.”
“…Assistance, you say.”
“Yes, assistance. Problems need to be resolved, don’t they?”
My earlier assessment was only half correct. The lizard wasn’t ready to sever its tail yet. He wanted to clean up the mess.
My gaze and Lee Jung-yong’s collided in the empty air. A bead of cold sweat that had formed somewhere trickled down my neck.
This was both a proposal and a warning. To let them go.
But….
“Since it’s a personal matter, I’m afraid that would be difficult.”
Whether to stop here or keep running—that decision was mine to make.
I had already decided.
“Hmm? Haha.”
Lee Jung-yong laughed aloud and looked at me with amusement.
“You’ve got quite the resolve for a young man. And ambition too.”
“I hear that kind of thing fairly often.”
“What about being called arrogant?”
“I hear that even more.”
“Ambitious young people are often misunderstood.”
“I think so too.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that, but….”
A mysterious light flickered in Lee Jung-yong’s eyes.
“Don’t you think it’s time for you to change?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re becoming a well-known public figure, and you’re approaching thirty. It would be wise to avoid such misunderstandings.”
“I appreciate the advice, but I have no intention of doing so.”
“Why not?”
“Because the people who say such things to me are always just age-worn idiots. There’s no reason to run away just because a few neighborhood mutts are blocking the path.”
“Getting bitten by a vicious dog isn’t pleasant.”
“No matter how vicious a dog is, it’s still just a dog. If I may be so bold, I believe I’m at least a wolf.”
“A wolf… But what if a tiger, not a dog, were blocking your path?”
The corners of Lee Jung-yong’s mouth lifted gently.
He was the tiger.
The tiger blocking the road ahead. A beast with fangs and claws capable of killing a wolf.
“Then I’d have to run. A wolf can’t defeat a tiger.”
“That’s right.”
“But well, if I just added a few parameters to the scenario, I could charge in anyway, couldn’t I?”
“Parameters?”
“Yes. For example….”
I continued slowly, my gaze fixed on Lee Jung-yong.
“That tiger is the one who gravely injured my friend. Something like that.”
He regarded me with an enigmatic stare.
“It seems the wolf’s friend suffered quite the injury.”
“Both legs were severed. What more can I say? He has young children too.”
“For a mere setting, that’s remarkably detailed.”
“I thought through a plausible scenario, and that’s what emerged. It’s just a simple premise—don’t concern yourself with it.”
“If that’s the case.”
Lee Jung-yong shrugged his shoulders.
“A wolf charging a tiger for the sake of friendship… that’s considerable loyalty.”
“If you watched a wolf documentary, you’d understand. Those creatures don’t joke about loyalty.”
“But it’s reckless.”
“How so?”
“Charging a tiger would mean certain death.”
I let out a soft chuckle before responding.
“You never know. A young, powerful wolf might defeat an aging tiger.”
“…A tiger losing to a wolf? From what I’m hearing, it doesn’t sound like a particularly well-made documentary.”
“I found it entertaining. The wolf wins, and then all the beasts in the mountains gather to feast on the tiger’s corpse. That scene was especially memorable.”
“….”
For the first time, the smile vanished from Lee Jung-yong’s face.
He had grasped the hidden meaning beneath my words—a natural reaction.
Watching his expression harden like stone, I felt as though the formula milk from my infancy was finally settling in my stomach.
“You’re more irritating than I anticipated.”
A single phrase emerged after a brief silence.
Lee Jung-yong slowly withdrew the hand he had been extending, speaking as he did.
“What do you want?”
I answered without hesitation.
“An apology, compensation. And one person’s life.”
“A life?”
“Yes. I want one person’s life.”
A flinch.
The short blade pressed against Park Ji-hoon’s throat trembled. Since Lee Jung-yong’s arrival, the man who hadn’t uttered a single groan was now quaking with the terror of death.
“That’s not acceptable. I cannot permit it.”
“It’s not a matter of permission. I’m making a demand.”
“Learn to distinguish between courage and recklessness. I possess considerable patience, but on the other hand, I’m also quite capricious.”
“I lack basic decency, so I must repay at least what I’ve received—that’s the only way I find satisfaction.”
“Your demand is excessive. Surely the compensation already far exceeds what’s owed?”
“Who receives only the principal? One must collect with interest and compound returns.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Do you remember that documentary I mentioned earlier?”
“…!”
“A wolf’s fangs won’t pierce a tiger’s hide, will they?”
Lee Jung-yong’s eyes, fixed upon me, grew heavy and dark.
In an oddly profound silence, his lips parted slowly.
“A tiger who doesn’t know fear.”
Whoosh!
Before the words even finished, a palm wreathed in crimson aura hurtled toward my chest.
Merely five paces away. My judgment crystallized in an instant.
‘Baek Yeom. Unequip.’
The moment I stored Baek Yeom in my inventory, I extended my now-liberated right hand.
Disperse, compress, unleash. The Fire Dragon, which had been waiting eagerly to awaken, transformed into azure flames and gathered in my palm.
The Flame Divine Palm at full power. And collision.
Kwaaaang!
The entire building trembled as if struck by an earthquake, accompanied by a deafening roar that numbed my ears.
I bore the brunt of that shockwave most severely.
Retreating three steps as if dancing, I spat out blood welling up from deep within my lungs.
“Cough!”
Beyond the pale dust falling from the ceiling, Lee Jung-yong stood motionless in place, entering my vision.
“You….”
Eyes filled with astonishment. But I was equally taken aback.
I had felt a manipulation of qi impossible to experience in the modern era.
‘Different. Absolutely not an ordinary hunter.’
A single clash. Yet it was unmistakable.
Lee Jung-yong’s strike just now resembled the palm technique of a supreme master. He was not merely someone who understood how to harness qi properly—he was capable of far more.
‘So this is an S-rank hunter.’
The power I felt momentarily matched the level of the Demon King I encountered at Shaolin and the Yin-Yang Twin Ghosts.
‘What kind of monster is this….’
I never thought I’d experience something like this in the modern world.
Lee Jung-yong’s eyes widened as he watched me—holding Park Ji-hoon in one hand and a dagger in the other—swallow the blood.
“How does a young thing like you know that method….”
That method?
Apparently that’s what he called internal cultivation techniques.
Just as I was about to respond, I smiled, baring teeth stained with blood.
“I’m taking what you promised.”
In the same motion, I drove the dagger into Park Ji-hoon’s chest.
Thud. Thud-thud-thud!
A scream tore from his mouth as it was torn open along with blood.
“Kyaaaah! Master!”
So that’s how he knew—they were master and disciple.
“Stop!”
Even as Lee Jung-yong shouted those words, he couldn’t bring himself to take another step.
Every time he tried, I pressed the dagger firmly against Park Ji-hoon’s throat.
“Now, now. If you want your precious disciple to live, you’d better stay put.”
“…!”
Thud, thud-thud!
I brought the dagger down without hesitation, slashing his upper body indiscriminately everywhere except the heart, tearing through the muscles of his thighs.
Scrape!
I dragged it down his calf, severed the tendons at his ankle, then straightened from my crouch and sliced diagonally upward through his shoulder blade.
Scrape, shriek!
“Aaaahhhhh!”
A horrific scream.
Perhaps that old man Kkokjeong experienced the same thing. He must have screamed repeatedly, losing and regaining consciousness from the unbearable agony.
But that wasn’t all. The heart of his wife, watching her husband return without both arms, was also being shredded.
“Save your screams. There’s still one more to go.”
“…!”
Scrape! Thud!
Park Ji-hoon’s body, now armless, trembled violently.
“Gack, guh-huh.”
From screaming so much, his throat had grown hoarse, and only grotesque sounds escaped between his lips.
I grabbed him by the hair. The neatly waxed strands were now soaked with blood.
“P-please….”
My blood boiled hotter than ever, yet the voice that spilled from between my lips was colder than ice.
“Ji-hoon.”
“I’m sorry. Please….”
“I couldn’t say this back then because I had to move out in such a rush.”
Staring into his eyes, their whites now burst with burst capillaries, I delivered a congratulatory message that had expired over a decade ago.
“Congratulations on your graduation, you bastard.”
I hurled him away with force.
Thud—a dull sound, and Lee Jung-yong’s eyes, as he caught the crumpled figure, blazed with fury.
“You!”
“I’ve kept him alive. As for his life as a Hunter, well, I can’t guarantee that.”
“Do you really want to die?”
“How about it? If you bring down this entire building and half of South Korea finds out about this, I wouldn’t mind that either.”
Lee Jung-yong’s face contorted in anguish.

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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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