Murim Login - Chapter 428

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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 428
I propped myself up on my elbows and exhaled the breath I’d been holding.
“Good grief, I thought I’d die.”
Playing an unconscious patient for four days required considerable patience.
Especially when festooned with state-of-the-art medical equipment like this.
‘Returning to Murim was an ambiguous situation anyway.’
Even if I went back, I’d just end up standing stupidly in the middle of the Fast Ship, admiring the Yangtze River.
Better to completely wrap up my business in the modern world. As long as the System exists, time is on my side.
Crack, crack.
As I twisted my stiffened neck left and right, Choi Team Leader chuckled and spoke to me.
“If people had seen this sight on the CCTV, there would’ve been chaos.”
“That’s a terrible thing to say. If that had happened, I would’ve bitten my tongue and killed myself.”
Fortunately, there was no CCTV, and my tongue remained intact.
In fact, since I was wearing a brainwave detection device that signals medical staff the moment a patient regains consciousness, CCTV was practically unnecessary.
“I’m curious, but how on earth did you fool that machine?”
I shrugged and replied.
“Ah, the brainwave detector? That’s not actually a machine.”
“Pardon?”
“It is a machine, but the core power source operating it is a mana stone.”
“Then perhaps with mana… or rather, inner force?”
“Yes, I essentially caused a malfunction. That level of adjustment isn’t difficult.”
With my inner force control having surged dramatically after opening the Dantian, I was far more capable now.
If I couldn’t fool a few medical devices, I’d deserve to go check the water temperature of the Han River.
“Anyway, what do you think will happen with the Wu Hei-xing situation? From what Grandfather Jongseok said, it seems he’s made some preparations.”
“This is about the fiftieth time I’m saying this—it’s Chairman Xiao, not Grandfather Jongseok.”
“Why not? It sounds friendly and nice.”
“…Sigh.”
Choi Team Leader shook his head and picked an apple from the fruit basket beside him.
He then pulled out what looked unmistakably like a luxury short blade and peeled the skin away smoothly, before sliding it toward me and continuing.
“You don’t need to worry about the Wu Hei-xing problem. The overall public sentiment is favorable, and Chairman Xiao has apparently sharpened his blade.”
“Chairman Xiao? To be honest, he seemed a bit soft to me.”
Crunch. I bit into the firm apple. Sweet juice filled my mouth.
If Chairman Xiao Yang had been as solid as this apple, the Crown Prince Faction would never have maintained its grip on the center of power all this time.
As if reading my thoughts, Choi Team Leader opened his mouth.
“Did you know that Chairman Xiao was once branded a counter-revolutionary and served five years of hard labor in a pig slaughterhouse?”
“He really went through that?”
“After the Great Upheaval, he aimed for political reform and became a target of the Crown Prince Faction. But what position does he hold now?”
That much was enough for me to understand what he meant.
He held a personal grudge against the Crown Prince Faction, and having endured those difficult years to reach the highest position, he was a man of unwavering resolve.
“A blade honed over a long time—now that the moment has come, it must be wielded. To the Crown Prince Faction, Chairman Xiao will become a swordsman more fearsome than any other.”
“So Wu Hei-xing’s father….”
“Considering his political standing and the sympathy surrounding Wu Hei-xing, execution would be out of the question. He’ll likely be sent to a political prison camp or a labor facility. But given his advanced age, he’ll probably spend the rest of his days there.”
First Wu Hei-xing, now his father as well.
A father and son, both meeting their end like this.
It wasn’t my imagination—the apple tasted unusually sweet today.
I grinned and wiped the apple juice from the corner of my mouth with my hand.
“Four days of lying in bed was worth it, then.”
Choi Team Leader peeled a second apple and handed it to me as he replied.
“Your judgment was correct, Jin Tae-kyung. If the media had learned you woke up in just half a day, we couldn’t have avoided suspicion.”
According to the information Choi Team Leader provided, Lee Jung-yong, who left no corpse behind, was now presumed dead by the public, while Wu Hei-xing, whose neck had been broken, was discovered as a mangled body caught in the aftermath of the battle.
If I had woken up perfectly fine in just half a day under these circumstances, I would have become the perfect feast for the scandal-hungry media.
“When you first woke up, I also struggled to regain my composure…but were you already thinking this far ahead before dealing with those two?”
I bit into the apple and answered.
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”
“Pardon?”
“No, I was just exhausted and my head was pounding, so I told you not to tell anyone. If word got out that I was awake, all hell would break loose inside and outside.”
“….”
“What’s wrong?”
Choi Team Leader, who had been staring at me with a betrayed expression, quietly averted his gaze.
“…It’s nothing.”
“Lighten up. Results are what matter. What else is there?”
True to my words, the results were flowing in an incredibly favorable direction for us.
Setting aside the Wu Hei-xing and Crown Prince Faction issues, we had not only legally eliminated Lee Jung-yong, the greatest obstacle, but also defeated the Arch Lich, preventing an even greater catastrophe.
Of course, the worldwide praise and acclaim that followed was merely a bonus.
I’d heard so many notifications about my fame rising that I was on the verge of developing a neurosis.
Just like right now.
Ding.
– The eyes of the entire world are focused upon you!
– Your fame has increased significantly!
– The amount of information requiring processing is too vast. Future fame-related notifications will be consolidated and delivered on a monthly basis.
“…I should have done this sooner, damn it.”
An involuntary sigh escaped me, and Choi Team Leader tilted his head in confusion.
“Sir?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. More importantly, how are my family members doing?”
My mother and Ha-yeon arrived in China just a few hours ago aboard a chartered plane under Chairman Xiao Yang’s special orders. They received treatment befitting a state guest, complete with dozens of escort aircraft.
“You needn’t worry. Your mother is resting comfortably, and your younger sister….”
“Don’t bother telling me about her. She’ll be fine on her own, whatever.”
“…Ah, yes.”
Unable to keep it from my family any longer, I had secretly informed them through Choi Team Leader that I hadn’t been hurt in the slightest and was already awake. But I was dreading the first visit that would happen soon.
‘A couple of back-smacking sessions won’t cut it.’
Fighting thousands of monsters would be preferable to this.
I’d left nothing but a single message in the family group chat saying I was heading to China before departing, and just imagining the fallout made my spine tingle with dread.
“Choi Team Leader.”
“Yes?”
“During family visitation, you absolutely cannot go anywhere. Understood?”
“…?”
“Promise me. Swear you’ll stay right beside me and protect me.”
“Ah, understood.”
And two hours later.
“You little bastard! You little bastaaaaaard!”
“Gasp, Mom!”
“Oh, Mother!”
Choi Team Leader, standing as a barrier against my mother’s furious charge accompanied by a wail I’d never heard before, became the first victim of a back-smacking assault.
“Oh, Mother, please calm down….”
“Move! Will you move or not?!”
Whack! Crack!
“Ugh! Ack!”
“Jin Tae-kyuuuung-!”
What followed was an unfortunate stroke of bad luck—my younger sister, now fearless after finishing her college entrance exams, drove her kick with perfect precision between his legs.
Thwack!
“…Oh.”
“…Ah.”
Choi Team Leader’s eyes went wide as his voice emerged hollow and vacant.
“My, my special undergarments that don’t burn in fire, don’t get wet in water, and even have semi-permanent cleaning magic cast on them….”
Farewell, Choi Team Leader.
You should have cast reinforcement magic instead of worrying about that.
Thud, collapse.
I offered my condolences to this era’s righteous warrior, who had succumbed to pain and fallen to his knees, and calmly prepared myself for the storm about to descend.
‘Inventory open. Equip Flame Dragon Armor.’
The moment I closed my eyes, feeling the armor of the divine soldier gently enveloping my chest, abdomen, and back beneath the hospital gown.
Someone’s palm strike cracked across my cheek.
Whack!
Ah, wait. I didn’t account for a slap to the face in my calculations….
* * *
I regained consciousness after a week.
Or rather, it was announced that I had regained consciousness.
After another week of complex comprehensive examinations and various follow-up procedures, I held a brief press conference before countless cheers and microphones.
「Jin, we’ve filtered out the problematic reporters, so simply designate the pre-selected journalists to ask your questions.」
But contrary to what Chairman Xiao had said before the press conference, several reporters hungry for a sweet scoop like honey swarmed forward like a swarm of bees.
「Jin! There are reports that you had poor relations with Wu Hei-xing, one of the casualties in this battle. Is that true?」
I gestured to the security personnel trying to drag out the foreign reporter and answered instead.
“I’ve already said everything during the investigation, but I’ll repeat it for you. It’s all true.”
Flash!
A camera flash several times brighter erupted, accompanied by a cacophony of noise. The Chinese reporter’s lips curled into a malicious smile as he pressed further.
“What was the reason? What exactly was the reason?”
“The kid had no manners from the first meeting.”
“Specifically, what did he—”
“He called me a ‘bread eater’ while cursing me out. So I called him a ‘chink,’ and after the meeting ended, he came at me.”
The smile vanished from the Chinese reporter’s face.
“Chink?! That’s a derogatory remark against Chinese people!”
“Ah, I see.”
I nodded casually and gestured to the security personnel.
“Get that chink out of here.”
“Wait! This is press suppression!”
“Suppress his mouth instead. I’ll talk with Chinese people, but not with that kind. He’s just like Wu Hei-xing, absolutely.”
Just then, someone among the clustered reporters raised their hand and asked. Another Chinese reporter.
“Then, did you have friction with Wu Hei-xing after that incident?”
“Friction? No, I just beat him with the spirit of Korea in a rapid-fire rhythm until he quieted down. After that, we got along reasonably well.”
“Then…”
“Yes.”
I continued in a solemn voice.
“Wu Hei-xing was killed by the Arch Lich. There was no time to do anything. I survived thanks to the highest-grade potion he left behind. I offer my condolences once more for his death.”
There it was—condolences.
What’s done is done, and what needs to be sealed should be sealed. Regardless of what crimes Wu Hei-xing committed in life or how broken his character was, admitting that I killed him would only be a negative factor for my future path.
‘If I say Lee Jung-yong manipulated Wu Hei-xing into conspiring with him, hardly anyone would believe it anyway.’
Inconvenient truths are always ignored.
I imagined a 100-terabyte USB containing humanity’s greatest treasures disappearing, and my eyes glistened with tears.
“And above all, the hero of the Great Cataclysm, the senior I respected more than anyone—I feel profound sorrow at the passing of Hunter Lee Jung-yong. He was truly a wonderful person.”
“Ah…”
The press conference hall fell silent for a moment. I wiped away the tears streaming down my cheeks and delivered the prepared words.
“Though the time was brief, it’s something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. I offer my condolences to all those who fell in this war. I’m sorry I couldn’t save even one more person.”
A statement to put an end to the criticism.
This press conference, lasting just over thirty minutes—absurdly brief compared to the matter at hand—was broadcast worldwide through national broadcasters and cable channels of various countries, as well as YouTube livestream, recording a combined 3 billion real-time viewers.
Before the aftermath even touched my skin, I went to find someone.

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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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