Murim Login - Chapter 294

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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 294
A week ago, Choi Team Leader had wrung every last concession from Lee Jung-yong’s faction after days of relentless negotiation.
Exclusive rights to roughly twenty Gates, real estate holdings, and staggering sums of cash. I didn’t know the exact figures, but the value was undeniably astronomical.
Ten Black Hunters and the trusted associates dispatched by Myeongdong Guild Master Park Tae-seop—without them under our command, we could never have claimed such a valuable prize.
‘This place is no different.’
I barked out a sharp command and was the first to cross through the mana barrier.
A viscous, repugnant yet familiar sensation washed over me—the distinctive feel of mana itself—and everything around me transformed.
Ding.
– You have entered the A-rank Gate,
[Black Forest of the Dark Sorcerer]!
You have entered!
– Quest,
[Gate Conquest]
has been automatically generated!
“Left foot, left foot! One, two, three, four! Hold formation!”
“One, two! Align!”
By the time the human chain halted with crisp, synchronized commands, roughly fifty people had already streamed through the Gate entrance.
Darkness draped the forest, and pale moonlight filtered through skeletal branches.
The newcomers who’d belatedly grasped the situation spun around with panic-stricken faces.
“Gasp!”
“We’re… we’re doomed.”
“Wait, what rank Gate is this? Why is it so massive?”
The three-week veterans, by contrast, remained utterly composed.
“The Black Forest of the Dark Sorcerer again?”
“Ugh, I’m gonna puke.”
“Glad I brought my war hammer.”
Though they’d joined within a span of less than a month, the gulf between them was immense.
Meanwhile, the day-one rookies listening to the veterans’ banter had gone deathly pale.
“The… the Black Forest of the Dark Sorcerer?”
“It’s an A-rank Gate!”
The A-rank Gate, Black Forest of the Dark Sorcerer.
Even those unfamiliar with this place could sense its nature from the name alone. The desolate atmosphere and the eerie forest landscape were enough to unsettle anyone.
This was a domain ruled by the Dark Sorcerer—a necromancer.
“Sir! Senior Jin Tae-kyung!”
One of the rookies rushed over with a desperate expression.
“Please, could you possibly let me out of here?”
“Why?”
“I’m terrified of ghosts. Regular monsters are fine, but ghouls and skeletons… I just can’t handle those.”
“Trauma?”
“Not quite that severe, but they genuinely frighten me.”
“Well, this works out perfectly. Experiencing it in 4D style isn’t a bad idea anyway. Besides, they’re all just monsters.”
“But that’s….”
“And our guild application said there were no issues like that, didn’t it?”
“That was just to get accepted… Please. I can’t even watch horror movies with my girlfriend.”
“Ah, a girlfriend. I understand. You there!”
I snapped my fingers. Among the Dosa Dogs grinning sheepishly at me, one figure shot out like a bullet.
“You called for me.”
“Yeah.”
He was Kim Jin-su, who subtly held the position of leader among the Dosa Dogs.
He had decent leadership skills and excellent combat ability, making him function as my right hand during every raid we conducted together.
Of course, I’d already dropped the formalities with him.
“It’s nothing special, just have some separate instructions. About this person here.”
“Yes.”
“Put him in the vanguard.”
The dog-like man who’d been breathing a sigh of relief suddenly gasped and held his breath.
“D-did you just say vanguard?”
“What’s the problem? You’re holding a tower shield, so your position is clearly tank.”
“But….”
“If you want to back out, go ahead. Just be prepared to get fired.”
“F-fired?”
“If you’re going to refuse raids because you’re scared of ghosts, there’s no reason to employ you. And are there ghosts in gates? They’re all monsters. Jin-su, am I wrong?”
Kim Jin-su answered promptly.
“A hundred times, a thousand times, you’re absolutely correct.”
“If all these guys were ghosts, why would I bring hunters? I’d bring exorcists. Wouldn’t I?”
“A thousand times, ten thousand times, you’re absolutely correct.”
“You really do have a way with words, Jin-su.”
“Thank you.”
“So, do you want to keep working as a Peace Guild hunter, or would you rather get fired and transfer to being an exorcist?”
The dog-like man answered with a stiff face.
“I-I’ll continue as a hunter.”
“Then if you run away during combat, I’ll send you to heaven with my own hands. Okay?”
“O-okay.”
“Okay. Vanguard! Okay! Heaven!”
As I waved my hand, Kim Jin-su grabbed him by the arm and dragged him off somewhere.
I’d gone through a fairly meticulous selection process to recruit them, but there’s always one of these types mixed in no matter where you go.
‘What? So scared of ghosts he can’t even watch horror movies with his girlfriend?’
Jang. Complete nonsense.
It’s not that I got angry about him having a girlfriend. I’m serious.
“….”
Whiiiiing.
A desolate wind swept through the forest, and my sides ached from the cold. I shuddered once before stepping toward the trees.
Behind me, the conversation grew distant and faint.
“Um, excuse me, sir.”
The frightened voice of some cowardly hunter, punctuated by the blunt retort of a seasoned veteran.
“What?”
“Jin Tae-kyung, where are you going right now?”
“A drive hunt.”
“I’m sorry?”
“That man’s nickname is the Pied Piper.”
The seasoned veteran added cheerfully.
“I can’t suffer alone. Let’s all do our best together.”
“….”
* * *
I made a loud racket as I moved through the forest, and the effect appeared immediately.
Rustle! Screech.
– Guaaahhh!
– Krrr, krrrrrr….
Thud, tap-tap, tap-tap-tap!
With grotesque cries, the corpses that had been sleeping in the earth and tombs awakened.
Ghouls shedding rotted flesh in chunks, skeletons stripped bare of any meat, their bones bleached white and exposed.
In an instant, the forest and hillside were overrun by cursed spirits known as Undead Monsters.
“Hey, hey! I’m going slowly, so keep up with me! Got it?”
– Guaaahhhhh!
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
Zombies shuffling along with their bodies drooping and limping were now an outdated image.
Whenever I saw these creatures running, I couldn’t help but wonder if they’d trained at some elite athlete facility.
Of course, they were no match for my speed.
‘Since we have new recruits today, I should keep the numbers down a bit.’
I dashed forward, glancing back occasionally to count them.
Around one hundred and fifty, give or take?
Three times our force’s size, but still fewer than usual.
Ghouls and skeletons weren’t particularly powerful monsters to begin with, and besides, we’d prepared thoroughly and built up considerable nerve.
‘There’s a reason they call me the Pied Piper.’
After repeatedly dragging in monsters that numbered three times our force, sometimes even ten times over, showing these kids the threshold of hell, their eyes gleamed with fierce determination.
Of course, whenever things seemed truly dangerous, I’d step in from the sidelines, and thanks to that, we had injuries but no deaths.
By repeating this several times a day, I’d become both a public enemy and an object of trust.
‘I don’t want to go this far, but… there’s no choice.’
This is intensive training. I need to plant hardy weeds that survive in harsh environments in the Pyeonghwa Guild House’s yard as soon as possible.
In less than a month, several had already given up and transferred to other teams. I didn’t try to stop them, and I felt no regret.
‘The choice is theirs to make.’
Everyone has their own life. I merely intruded into theirs for a brief moment.
I can present options, but I have no right to force a choice upon them.
Screeeech!
The Black Forest of the Dark Sorcerer lived up to its A-rank Gate designation with its vast expanse.
However, the portion I had explored was only a fraction of it. As I adjusted my pace and ran, the Gate Entrance soon came into view.
“They’re coming!”
“That bastard Jin Tae-kyung….”
“Still, since it’s our first time, the numbers seem a bit light.”
“Gasp, skeletons!”
From those loudly announcing the monsters’ arrival to those cursing me or calmly assessing the enemy count—the variety was striking.
Still green and lacking any real combat experience, these hunters visibly shrank back in fear.
Of course, the ones I had put through the wringer wouldn’t just stand idle.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing over there! You’re breaking the line!”
“Don’t back up. Grip that shield tight. What? You need to piss? Then do it right there!”
“Listen up, newcomers—keep your heads on straight. That bastard Jin Tae-kyung won’t help you. Word is he founded a charity foundation because he was worried people might die here!”
….
They were painting me as an absolute scoundrel.
I found it absurd, but I held my tongue. Yeah, to keep these kids’ morale sharp, they need this kind of pressure.
‘People curse the king himself when he’s not around—what’s the difference?’
Of course, I remembered every face.
As the distance between me and the hunters already forming their formation closed, I quickly scaled the tallest tree and shouted.
“Shield formation, tighten up!”
Boom!
Synchronized movement. The undead monsters, who had been looking up at the distant tree like dogs chasing chickens, turned their grotesque faces.
One of the skeletons, having spotted the fifty or so hunters arrayed in formation on the hillside where the Gate Entrance stood, raised a bone sword high and let out a horrific shriek.
– Grrrraaahhh!
This was no ordinary skeleton.
Its bones, which should have been fully exposed, were wrapped in tattered armor, and the bone sword raised skyward blazed with a dark, ominous black aura that burned more intensely than the night itself.
“A Skeleton Knight?”
Just because they’re both skeletal doesn’t mean they’re the same rank.
Skeleton Soldiers, Mages, Warriors….
Each individual possessed vastly different abilities and power levels, and the Skeleton Knight was a formidable monster rightfully recognized as A-rank.
‘I’ve encountered them frequently in the Black Forest… but this one feels different.’
Meeting an A-rank monster like a Skeleton Knight in an A-rank Gate was entirely natural. They had subordinate Warriors and Mages under their command, positioned throughout the Black Forest.
It was as I narrowed my eyes, scrutinizing the creature.
– Grraahhh!
– Gruuuhhh!
Tssssss!
Following came more shrieks and two surging pillars of aura.
I muttered in a voice tinged with astonishment.
“…Three Skeleton Knights in a single group?”
I’d never seen anything like this before.
A skeleton horde was an army, and a knight was the general commanding that army. Each independent army had only one general.
‘Could three separate hordes have formed an alliance?’
But my prediction fell spectacularly short of the mark.
The two newly emerged knights clattered their bones as they approached the first Skeleton Knight that had appeared, then dropped to one knee and drove their bone swords into the ground.
A gesture that unmistakably signified submission. From the hollow sockets where eyes should have been, a violet glow suddenly blazed forth.
Roooaaarrr!
The light that erupted from the pitch-black darkness was blindingly intense.
In the instant my gaze locked with those flames that burned like wildfire—
– Grrrraaaaahhh!
Crack-crack-crack!
With a roar, its body underwent a transformation. Every bone grew thicker and longer, their surfaces gleaming with an inexplicable black luster.
The change did not stop there.
Whoooosh!
The armor, corroded and shattered in places, was restored as if time itself had been reversed. Severed chains reattached themselves, and the faded skull emblem emblazoned across its chest blazed with vivid color.
Finally, a dark-green cloak billowed in the wind.
At last, having completed its transformation, it gazed intently at its own palm.
Where bone-white fingers had been, a hand clad in sturdy gauntlets now rested.
And in the next moment—
– Not. Bad. At. All.
“…!”
The air surrounding the forest trembled.
Everyone, myself included, stood speechless, our eyes fixed upon it.
A Skeleton Knight. A once-great warrior fallen into undeath’s corruption.
But that was no longer what it was.
[Lv.105 Skeleton Warlord]
– Come. Down. Here. Human.
The blazing violet gaze fixed directly upon me.

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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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