Murim Login - Chapter 303

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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 303
A week prior, the four people who had heard my entire story reacted in ways both similar and starkly different.
‘Conducting a raid by controlling a captured Named Monster? Ahahaha! What a madman!’
‘…Are you seriously insane?’
‘I apologize for asking, but… are you truly mad, Hunter Jin Tae-kyung?’
‘You’ve lost your mind. I’ll pretend I never heard this.’
Only Lim Hyuk-jun had laughed. Song Song-i, Kim Butler, and Choi Team Leader regarded me as though I were a lunatic.
But what could be done? The moment the interview concluded, the media erupted like a dormant volcano, and within less than an hour, I had become a celebrity known to half the nation of South Korea.
“I should have stopped it back then.”
Pap pap pap pap!
Choi Team Leader lamented while watching the Warlord’s lightning-fast strike.
Yet the milk was already spilled, and remarkably, it had been cleaned up without a single problem.
“Still, we managed to get through it well.”
Even the government’s audit team, renowned for their thoroughness, had failed to discern the truth behind this affair.
It was only natural—no one could have imagined such a thing. Moreover, there was evidence to support the narrative.
“The mana distribution survey conducted with the mana measurement device passed. Since bone fragments from the armor worn by the Skeleton Warlord were recovered, it’s a complete pass.”
Everything leaves traces.
Unlike the other skeletons that had either melted away or been shattered by the blade, the Warlord’s bones—impossibly durable—had maintained their form perfectly intact.
And those bones, saturated with formidable mana, were adopted as crucial evidence testifying to the existence and elimination of the Named Monster.
“Speaking of which, you didn’t put those bones up for auction? I wonder what the winning bid would be?”
– Bones?! Do not refer to my noble form in such a manner!
“You still don’t grasp your situation. Warlord, body slam.”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Warlord, having bounced off the office wall like a tennis ball, clattered its jaw mournfully.
– Ah, my loyal soldiers. How I long to see you.
“So, how many troops are you providing this month?”
– …I shall replenish them with haste.
It was precisely then that the office door swung open with a click.
A pair of legs boasting artistic, graceful lines stepped forward before hesitating. I gazed into her pale brown eyes and asked.
“What are you doing? Come in.”
“…Jin Tae-kyung, you absolute madman. Would you want to enter a room where a talking skeleton is playing ball?”
“Yeah.”
I waved the Skeleton Warlord toward the reluctant Song Song-i.
“Warlord, startle her.”
“Kyaaaah! Don’t! I said don’t!”
“Warlord, lightning strike.”
– I possess no tail.
“Then flash strike.”
Pap pap pap pap!
– Uuugh, uuuugh!
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
Thank goodness for the sound-dampening magic.
While Song Song-i’s screams and the Skeleton Warlord’s howls formed an oddly harmonious acapella duet, Choi Team Leader’s phone on the table began to ring.
“Everyone, quiet for a moment.”
It took several minutes before Choi Team Leader’s lips finally parted as he stared intently at the screen.
“I’m afraid I need to step away.”
“Is something wrong?”
Choi Team Leader shook his head at my question.
“I’ll let you know once I’ve confirmed what this is about. And Song Song-i.”
“Yes?”
“Cancel the additional Raid scheduled for next week. Since I’ll be neglecting my duties for a few days, I’d appreciate it if you could assist Kim Butler.”
Kim Butler was stretched so thin that even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough. Between handling the aftermath of this incident and commanding the Guild members for Raids while simultaneously training in the Jin Family’s internal techniques, he was drowning in work.
Of course, the five of us—myself included—were sharing the load, but as the Guild Master, his burden was incomparably heavier.
“Got it, that’s nothing. Besides, I can’t exactly ask Kkokjeong to do that.”
Song Song-i, who had been nodding readily, suddenly paused and looked at me.
“What about you?”
“Me?”
“Who else is here besides you?”
“Warlordmon, Jeon-gwang.”
“If you do that one more time, I’m killing you. I’m serious.”
“…Petrification.”
I should probably stop here.
Like Pavlov’s dog, I reflexively stuffed the Warlord—who was prone to seizures—into my inventory.
“I’m heading out now.”
“Heading out? I’m working late tonight.”
“I have something to take care of.”
“My, is that so? What could be so important that you’re leaving early while everyone else is working?”
I answered with a yawn.
“An exam.”
“An exam? What exam?”
“What exam would it be? Don’t you even know what day it is today?”
Song Song-i, who had been blinking for a moment, suddenly widened her eyes.
Mid-November. Even the busiest person alive would know what day this is. It’s the day of such an important exam that the news counts down to it.
“You’re taking the College Entrance Exam?”
“Are you insane? It’s my younger sister.”
I checked the clock on the office wall.
Five o’clock in the afternoon. If I left soon, I should be able to make it by the time it ended.
“I’m heading out now. Work hard, everyone. You too, Song-i.”
I lifted myself from the plush sofa and left the office.
I could picture my mother praying earnestly near the exam hall and Ha-yeon diligently solving problems.
I’m worried. She probably hasn’t been able to study well these past few months because of me.
Ha-yeon had been exposed to the media over the past several months due to various issues surrounding me, and had to endure intense public scrutiny.
For a student facing the college entrance exam, that was catastrophic.
I felt terrible about it.
I could only hope her results would reflect all her hard work.
I headed to the exam hall with anxiety gnawing at me. An hour later, seeing Ha-yeon’s gloomy face, I realized my worst fears had come true.
“You… never mind. You worked hard.”
“That’s right, our daughter. You’ve been through so much.”
At our words, Ha-yeon offered a faint smile.
“What brings you here? You’re someone we rarely see.”
“My sister was taking the college entrance exam. Of course I had to come.”
“Even with all that disguise?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah. Sunglasses and a mask at night is really bad. It actually makes you stand out more.”
“Damn it. No wonder people kept staring at me.”
“Are you an idiot? Of course people stare when you disguise yourself so blatantly.”
Her smile was utterly devoid of energy—a dull, gray thing. Seeing Ha-yeon so completely drained only deepened my guilt.
“Are you okay?”
Ha-yeon answered with a dejected expression.
“No.”
“I’m sorry. Because of me.”
“I thought I’d get a perfect score, but I got one question wrong in English.”
“Because I’m your older brother, I’ve caused you harm like this. I’m so sorry I can’t even face you… what did you say?”
“One question! One single question cost me a perfect score on the college entrance exam!”
Stomp! Stomp!
I stared blankly at Ha-yeon, who was kicking the ground with a furious expression, and thought to myself.
She’s insane.
Getting only one question wrong across all subjects on the college entrance exam?
I knew she was a good student, but I didn’t expect this level.
Wait, how does she even know she got only one wrong?
Was that why she came out thirty minutes late?
In any case, one thing was certain: this winter was going to be quite warm for our family.
And…
“Getting one wrong! If I’d just gotten one more right, I would’ve had a perfect score! How could I miss that!”
If I left this lunatic alone, the other test-takers and parents would probably form a lynch mob to kill us.
“Stop spouting nonsense and let’s go eat.”
“Don’t touch me! What would someone with a 7th percentile GPA know about my feelings!”
“Lower your voice, please.”
I grabbed my sister by the scruff of her neck and dragged her away. The Skeleton Warlord I’d stored in my inventory muttered.
– Blood truly cannot lie.
You’re guaranteed one hundred uses of Lightning Flash.
* * *
Time flew by like an arrow.
Ha-yeon’s college entrance exam had finished, and my family finally moved back into our old house after completing the remodeling—my mother shed tears of joy at this unexpected gift.
“Son… I’m truly grateful. I don’t even know what to say.”
“Please, don’t say such things.”
“I’m grateful too, son.”
“Ha-yeon, now that your entrance exam is over, do you want to end your life as well?”
With the matter I’d been holding in the back of my mind finally resolved, my heart felt lighter.
Yet something still gnawed at me, leaving an uneasy feeling.
‘They could become targets because of me.’
Taking family hostage was a simple yet devastatingly effective tactic.
I hadn’t thought Lee Jung-yong would resort to such methods given his weaknesses, but I needed to prepare for any contingency.
‘Money will keep flowing in anyway, so I shouldn’t hold back.’
High-rank Hunters are called walking small-to-medium enterprises due to their substantial income.
But even those elite Hunters couldn’t compare to my earnings.
It was because I cleared Raids several times faster than others, and I frequently hunted solo.
A Hunter’s exceptional skill naturally begets wealth.
And if there’s one more thing to add to that, it’s fame.
“Kim Butler, could you handle the interviews and advertisements that have come in under my name?”
“All of them, sir?”
“No. Only the important ones with high fees.”
Even handling only a fraction of the hundreds of proposals, an astronomical sum had been deposited into my account.
Interest in me was equally intense, both domestically and internationally.
A few advertisements, interviews, and TV talk show appearances—that alone was sufficient.
The numbers in my account had become severely obese, and the Peace Guild’s stock price had soared.
One stone, two birds. A win-win situation.
“May I ask you for one important favor?”
“Please, speak freely, sir.”
“Look into security companies for me. A trustworthy one.”
“Heh, leave it to me.”
My mother and Ha-yeon noticed nothing.
Not that the houses adjacent on both sides and across the street had been quietly sold off, nor that the seemingly harmonious couples living there were actually secret bodyguards.
They simply found it curious.
“Son, did you know there are so many couples living in this neighborhood?”
“Really?”
“Yes. I run into them every time I go to the Neighborhood Mart. There are young couples and older couples, but none of them seem to have children.”
“It’s the era of low birth rates, after all.”
“Oppa, there are two men living next door. They walk around arm in arm.”
“…It’s the age of gender equality, after all.”
That would be far too conspicuous!
A few days after I requested the security company to redeploy their personnel, Ha-yeon received a message.
〈 Jin Ha-yeon
Jin Ha-yeon
No way
This time two women moved in
They’re always holding hands;
“….”
Can I really trust this security company?
Contrary to my concerns, the security personnel executed their duties flawlessly.
Reports came in every thirty minutes, and they never took their eyes off my family.
Though I was frantically busy, everything proceeded smoothly. Yet there remained one frustrating matter—leveling up.
Ding.
–
[Lv.70 Skeleton Archer]
has been defeated!
– You have obtained an extremely small amount of experience!
– The power gap is too severe. Experience gain has been drastically reduced.
“Oh, damn it. Please, God!”
Contrary to my desperate wishes, the experience factory could no longer provide me substantial aid.
A mere three or four level-ups. That was all.
– Hehehehe, I know not what you speak of regarding experience or leveling, but how fortunate. Human, this is the very end of greed!
“But if I annihilate you, I could level up at least once more, couldn’t I?”
– …I shall endeavor more earnestly. Please, anything but that!
“Hmm. Let’s set that aside for now. Instead, keep sending me your troops as tribute.”
– Why! You said my soldiers yield nothing even if captured!
“That’s my concern. My guild members need separate experience.”
– Experience?
“I’ll have your subordinates conduct combat drills against our people. Make sure they act convincingly—don’t let it show you’re going easy. Of course, if any of our members die, you’ll answer for it.”
– …You intend to squeeze me to the marrow. To what depths of depravity can the human race truly descend?
The Skeleton Warlord lamented, but I already held his leash firmly in my grasp.
The Rookie guild members accumulated genuine combat experience against the Skeletons, who served as excellent supporting actors.
‘Yes. Work hard and grow steadily.’
It was exactly one week after Ha-yeon’s college entrance exam when Choi Team Leader appeared.
“It’s been a while, everyone. But before we catch up on old matters, I must show you this first.”
His voice was weary. With a stiff smile, he withdrew a USB drive from his pocket and connected it to the hologram TV.
“This is footage from China.”
Beep.
The video began playing with a crisp mechanical sound.

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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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