Murim Login - Chapter 384

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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 384
Qingcheng Mountain.
A sacred site of Taoism, keeper of countless ages.
Faced with its solemn and overwhelming majesty, anyone would find themselves momentarily speechless, simply gazing in awe.
Yet I felt astonishment for an entirely different reason.
‘They’re clearly different, and yet… they’re so alike.’
Qingcheng Mountain in the Murim. And Qingcheng Mountain in the twenty-first century.
The two worlds I had experienced thus far shared so much in common—the terrain of the Murim, the language, the people’s appearances and lifestyles.
There was a time when I had even wondered if perhaps the Murim was merely a distant past of the modern world.
‘But it wasn’t.’
A butterfly effect? Such things only happened in movies.
The two worlds were indeed similar, yet subtle differences existed, and their histories diverged.
Moreover, the Murim world was narrower than the modern one, not divided into five oceans and six continents.
Foreign peoples lived in distant lands, but that was all. The true center of that world was a vast continent existing under the rule of a great empire.
Perhaps what the Chinese people so tediously proclaimed as the Middle Kingdom was none other than the Murim itself.
‘But why did it have to be similar in this regard too?’
I had barely returned from experiencing the Three Sects Blood Massacre, which had mercilessly drenched Sichuan in blood, only to arrive at Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan Province.
Whether it was mere coincidence or a cruel twist of fate, I couldn’t say.
I could only hope that the similarities didn’t extend that far…
“Jin?”
“Jin Tae-kyung.”
“Ah.”
I lifted my head as though waking from a dream.
Wei Penghu and Choi Team Leader, who had descended from the business jet, were regarding me with peculiar expressions.
“My apologies. I was momentarily captivated by the scenery.”
“To behold the splendor of Qingcheng Mountain in such darkness—you must possess considerable mana, Jin. Truly remarkable.”
It wasn’t entirely wrong, though at my current transcendent level, I could pierce through most things with my vision alone, without needing to expend any energy.
Wei Penghu expressed his admiration as I nodded with a subtle expression.
“Indeed, now I understand why Korea kept Jin so carefully hidden. You are truly worthy of being called the nation’s face—an S-rank Hunter of the highest caliber.”
“What? I’m still only A-rank by certification.”
“There’s no need to hide it. Our homeland has already grasped the situation to some degree.”
Before I could respond, Wei Penghu continued with eloquent fluidity.
“To become an S-rank Hunter, one must achieve enlightenment through endless spiritual cultivation and arduous training. Our nation has also fostered its current Hunters through numerous trials and errors… but for someone as young as you to reach such heights suggests Korea’s government provided unwavering support.”
“…?”
“…?”
“Of course, Master Choi beside you is also an excellent Hunter. Having such capable individuals together gives me great reassurance.”
What kind of reassurance was this—like mixing everything into a bowl of rice?
In that brief moment, Choi Team Leader and I exchanged glances and reached a silent understanding.
‘Keep our mouths shut.’
‘Let’s just go.’
It seems this happened because I’ve climbed to this position in an unrealistic manner, but there’s no need to remove the label they’ve already attached to us.
Besides, convincing Wei Penghu right now would be tedious anyway.
“Well, I think there’s been a slight misunderstanding, but I’ll explain things gradually when the time comes.”
「There’s no misunderstanding. We both know the circumstances.」
“….”
“….”
「Since the Chairman is already aware of this matter, when you meet, don’t bother denying it and simply accept it.」
Know what? I let out a quiet laugh.
‘The Chairman, huh.’
A king-like figure who holds in one hand the population of over a billion people, the economy, and the military of the People’s Republic of China.
Even now that I’ve reached the pinnacle of transcendence, to me—rooted in modern common sense—he remains both near and infinitely distant.
Will I be able to see his face once this is all over?
Well, what does it matter? That’s a problem to think about much later.
Even excluding raid bonuses, my weekly salary is a hundred billion. To me now, he’s simply a generous employer. I get people and earn money—two birds with one stone.
“I’ll do that. When we meet.”
「Good. Then let’s go meet him.」
“Pardon?”
「Didn’t I tell you? He’s waiting in the underground bunker right now.」
What on earth is this situation?
I stared blankly at Wei Penghu’s retreating figure, then quickly approached Choi Team Leader and whispered urgently.
“D-did you just hear that?”
“Yes, I did. But I must say, it’s quite unexpected. The National Chairman leaving safe Beijing to come all the way here. It seems public opinion has some basis in fact.”
“Public opinion be damned. The Chinese—the Chairman, the Chairman!”
“Not the Chairman—the General Secretary! The National Chairman!”
「Hmm? What did you just say?」
「Nothing at all, Minister of Defense.」
Choi Team Leader, who had turned back toward Wei Penghu and responded respectfully, spoke with an expression of utmost gravity and earnestness I’d never seen from him before.
“Jin Tae-kyung. You cannot make verbal mistakes like that in front of the Chairman. Do you understand? Especially don’t even mention that name. It’s not like some high school classmate’s name.”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“….”
I think Choi Team Leader just cursed under his breath. Must be my imagination.
I took a deep breath and muttered to myself.
‘Not that name. General Secretary. China’s Chairman.’
Unlike Choi Team Leader, who was born a bone-deep aristocrat, I’m a commoner through and through.
Regardless of what feelings I normally harbored toward China, my heart pounded at the fact that I was about to meet the leader of a superpower ranked in the world’s top ten.
‘Just don’t make mistakes. Especially not that name.’
And ten minutes later, I stood in a deep underground bunker, shaking hands with the leader of the People’s Republic of China while the gazes of key figures bore down upon me.
「Pleased to meet you, Jin. This old man serves as the National Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, Xiao Yang.」
Good—I won’t even think that name. Having cleared that hurdle, I opened my mouth with ease.
“Welcome.”
「…?」
“…?”
Ah, damn it.
* * *
Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party, General Secretary, and the national president standing at the apex of over a billion people.
Xiao Yang.
His voice toward the people was gentle, yet his eyes burned with intensity.
「As you all know, regrettably, I am neither a military expert nor an exceptional general. I am merely a schemer who devoted himself to politics early on and achieved modest ambitions only at seventy years of age.」
For the leader of a nation with the fourth-largest territory on Earth and the greatest population to refer to himself as a schemer was so unconventional that it seemed almost unbelievable.
‘Was this what Choi Team Leader meant by public perception?’
I was beginning to understand what kind of person he was.
Perhaps it was merely a mask he wore before the people, or hypocrisy.
But at least from the old man speaking before all of us, including myself—Xiao Yang, the Chinese president—I felt an entirely different kind of presence.
「Do your utmost. I beg you to save as many people as possible and prevent this terrible catastrophe as soon as you can. If you do so, I will express my gratitude befitting you and your nations, and I will remember this assistance for a long time to come.」
In truth, I don’t know what kind of life this old man has lived or what policies he has pursued.
But I wanted to give him great credit for extending a helping hand to nations around the world to save his own people.
「This old man’s words end here. I earnestly request that you not concern yourselves with complicated matters such as politics, and instead find the best way to prevent this crisis with minimal sacrifice.」
The old politician who had devoted his entire life to politics turned his head to look at one person.
「Wei Penghu, Minister of Defense. My old friend.」
「Yes. Esteemed Chairman Comrade.」
「Do you wish for full authority of the Central Military Commission?」
Wei Penghu, who had hesitated for a moment, nodded heavily.
「I do.」
「You would use that power well. However, I must refuse.」
「…Chairman Comrade?」
「Bring me the orders once the meeting concludes. I will bear all responsibility and authority myself.」
For a moment, I wondered why China’s president was acting this way, but now I understood—it was a declaration of his will to shoulder everything himself.
Choi Team Leader, who had been watching the scene, murmured beside me.
“He’s a good leader.”
I shook my head slightly.
“No. To me, you’re the best, Choi Team Leader.”
“Jin Tae-kyung….”
“So please raise the Guild settlement ratio a bit.”
“Jin Tae-kyung….”
The same words, but a different feeling.
It was just as Choi Team Leader looked at me with eyes that said, ‘I knew you’d say something like that,’ shaking his head.
「The Chairman is departing.」
At the secretary’s announcement, everyone who had been seated rose to their feet. It was the minimum courtesy owed to a head of state.
「I wish you all good fortune in your endeavors.」
The Chairman made eye contact with each and every person in the room and spoke. Of course, I was no exception.
And of all things, it had to be me who got caught last.
「Jin.」
“…Yes.”
A faint smile crossed Xiao Yang’s lips as he regarded me.
「I have great expectations for you, Jin. Though ours is a contract of mutual necessity, I would appreciate it if you could prioritize human life in any situation.」
Perhaps it was my imagination, but his farewell seemed unusually lengthy compared to the others. I nodded, acutely aware of the gazes fixed upon me.
“I understand.”
「I do hope you will be of great service to us.」
Xiao Yang turned to leave after those words, but his footsteps faltered. Then he added one more thing.
「Welcome.」
“….”
「Then I shall take my leave.」
The high-ranking Chinese officials who had been seated to escort Xiao Yang vanished, and I collapsed back into my chair.
‘Damn it.’
If I died, the cause would be embarrassment. Even if a monster killed me, I’d make sure the official cause of death was embarrassment.
‘Ugh, ugghhhhh!’
As I silently screamed inwardly in all directions, something pressed firmly down on my foot. It was unmistakably Choi Team Leader sitting beside me.
“What?”
Choi Team Leader let out a small cough.
“Ahem.”
“What is it?”
“Ahem. People, people.”
“Oh.”
I glanced around the Underground Bunker and finally realized it—roughly a dozen people of mixed gender and ethnicity were watching me intently.
And among them, four individuals stood out distinctly.
‘Those people….’
A Chinese man and woman. And two Western men, one radiating a greenish aura, the other a bluish one.
Just meeting their gaze, I could sense it—the immense power coiled within their bodies.
Rather than surprise, what struck me was inevitability. Anyone who knew the identities of these four would feel exactly as I did.
‘S-Rank Hunters.’
People whose very existence was newsworthy. The pinnacle among the countless hunters scattered across the globe.
Faces I’d grown tired of seeing on television and in advertisements now stood before my eyes.
And now, one of them rose and extended a hand toward me.
「Nice to meet you. I’m…. Oh, do you perhaps not speak English well? I could use an interpretation spell if needed.」
I hadn’t expected him to approach me first. With a bewildered expression, I grasped his offered hand and replied.
“No, it’s fine.”
「Oh, listen to this guy’s pronunciation. I’d believe it if you told me he was American.」
A middle-aged Black man. His massive frame, towering well over two meters, gleamed with blue eyes as he asked.
「You seem to know who I am, don’t you?」
How could I not? I answered, trembling far more intensely than I had when facing Xiao Yang.
“Of course, Magic Johnson.”
Only three people in the entire world had been granted the title of Grand Mage.
The black man before me, Magic Johnson, was a War Mage—the one among those Grand Mages most specialized in combat.
‘I’m actually talking with Magic Johnson. Never thought I’d see the day.’
The world’s greatest War Mage flashed me a brilliant smile and spoke to me, and I genuinely felt I’d made the right call coming here.
“Ha ha. Thanks for recognizing me. Truth is, I’ve known about you for a while now.”
“Really? Me?”
“Of course. My youngest daughter just started elementary school this year, and even she knows about Puck Seat.”
“….”
Damn it, how far has that ridiculous nickname spread anyway?
I wonder what they call Puck Seat in English-speaking countries. Puck Guy? Puck Man?
The thought that Magic Johnson’s young daughter knew me by such a name brought me no joy whatsoever.
And it seemed I wasn’t the only one in a foul mood.
“What a vulgar nickname. Though I suppose it suits an A-rank Hunter perfectly well.”
A Chinese man who looked to be around thirty, relatively young, stared at me with his arms crossed diagonally.
“Isn’t that right, Bread from the Peninsula?”
Choi Team Leader didn’t even have time to stop me. My voice was already flowing out like an automatic response.
“What’d you say, you continental 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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