Murim Login - Chapter 54

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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 54
It felt like watching an old television.
Flickering scenes and voices on a faded screen. Yet despite this, the heat of the battlefield felt vivid and alive.
‘Kill them!’
‘Destroy the Taewon Jin Family!’
Those who filled the narrow Gorge surged forward with a roar. Behind them, a banner bearing the name Hangsan fluttered in the wind.
At the tips of gleaming weapons, another banner appeared.
Jin.
And hundreds of martial artists blocking the Gorge.
‘They have neither martial virtue nor honor. The Hengshan Sword Sect will disappear today!’
‘Attack!’
Crackle.
The static clears and the view expands. Toward two figures standing out distinctly beneath the banner symbolizing the Taewon Jin Family.
An old man with a flowing white beard opened his mouth.
‘This will be a long battle.’
A massive man replied.
‘And it will be our last.’
The old man laughed broadly.
‘It will be. Without fail.’
And then.
Man against man, blade against spear. Countless martial artists clashed, and a thick mist of blood settled over the Gorge.
From somewhere, a war drum sounded to mark the beginning of battle.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
* * *
“Gasp.”
I pulled myself up, my body drenched in sweat. Another dream about Murim.
Unlike before, I could now recall the dream’s contents clearly even after waking.
‘The battle has begun.’
Even as I return to reality, time flows on in Murim.
What I saw might be happening in Murim right now. A great battle between two massive powers, with their fates hanging in the balance.
‘No, there’s one more thing.’
A third force led by the Grand Elder.
When the battle reaches its peak and both sides suffer heavy losses, only then will they make their move.
‘What about Hyuk Moo-jin? What happened to the Scout Unit members?’
If they arrive in time and expose the betrayal, the worst outcome can be avoided. Or perhaps everything has already ended.
‘The Grand Elder…’
That old man who unsettled me from first sight. To think the elder of the Taewon Jin Family would orchestrate something like this.
If the Grand Elder becomes the final victor, everything is over.
For betrayal is always followed by a bloodbath of purges.
‘Jin Wi-kyung, Wi Paeng, Hyuk Moo-jin, and the Scout Unit members.’
On top of that, Han Yeop suffered severe injuries during his fight with Jo Pil and couldn’t participate, while Gong Ya-cheong and So-cheon were still recovering, along with the So-yul siblings.
Familiar faces flickered through my mind, appearing and disappearing in succession.
‘What were they to me?’
One month in Murim.
To them, I had been their benefactor, a commander they could trust, a comrade whose back they could rely on. And to some….
‘I’m so proud of you.’
‘Are you hurt anywhere?’
‘Survive, youngest.’
I had been their blood brother.
But what had they been to me? Advanced NPCs with sophisticated artificial intelligence? Or actual people?
‘What were they?’
Another dimension only I could traverse, and the people remaining there. How was I supposed to handle this?
My eyes naturally drifted toward the capsule.
‘If I were to go back….’
The sudden thought startled me. I must be insane.
Go back for what? It’s a massive battle involving nearly two thousand Murim warriors. Among them are monsters as strong as Jo Pil, or even stronger.
And I’m thinking of going back there?
“This crazy bastard. Absolutely insane. Completely out of my mind.”
As I muttered like a sigh, my phone rang.
Zing.
[Luxury Addict]
It was Choi Team Leader.
* * *
A large upscale cafe located in the heart of the Building District.
“Here are the documents you requested.”
Kim Butler handed over a thick file folder. At first glance, it contained roughly a hundred pages of extensive material.
“That’s quite a lot.”
“We conducted a thorough investigation.”
Choi Min-woo nodded and began flipping through the pages rapidly. What he was reading was one person’s entire life.
Jin Tae-kyung’s twenty-seven years were contained in these hundred-odd pages of paper.
Birthplace, family background, upbringing, even bank account records provided by financial institutions. There was nothing missing.
Since any unusual or suspicious sections were highlighted in bold, Choi Min-woo finished reading all the prepared documents in less than thirty minutes.
“What’s your assessment, Butler?”
“Clean.”
Kim Butler answered with certainty.
“He’s not a negative awakener, and he didn’t approach the young master with any calculated plan.”
Choi Min-woo nodded. If Kim Butler said so, then that was the case.
After all, he was the man who had spent the last two weeks using every means at his disposal to investigate every aspect of Jin Tae-kyung. Similarly, all the hundred-odd pages of documents now on the table would have passed through Kim Butler’s hands.
“So this is all just coincidence?”
“For now, that appears to be the case.”
“Butler Kim.”
“Yes, sir. What is it?”
“Do you know what the probability of re-awakening is?”
“I understand it to be around 1%.”
One in a hundred.
To the untrained eye, it might not seem like such a slim chance. But those hundred are not ordinary people—they are Hunters.
Hunters already born through similar odds. Only the chosen among them ever experience the fortune of re-awakening.
“Then what would be the probability of an F-rank Hunter re-awakening directly into a C-rank Hunter?”
Choi Min-woo didn’t wait for an answer.
“And the likelihood of a C-rank Hunter clearing a same-rank Gate alone?”
“Alone, it would be impossible. They would need to be at least B-rank….”
“Yet I found someone who could do it.”
“You don’t say?”
“Ten C-rank Gates. Ten D-rank Gates. Across twenty raids in total, all I did was stand with my arms crossed and watch. There was no need for me to lift a finger.”
Long fingers tapped rhythmically against a thick folder.
Everything about Jin Tae-kyung was written inside it, yet in another sense, nothing was written there at all.
Kim Butler, who had been silent for a moment, finally spoke.
“I shall conduct a more thorough investigation.”
“No.”
Choi Min-woo shook his head.
“Scratching too much only causes sores. I intend to keep him close and observe him for now.”
“Are you planning to recruit him into the Guild?”
“I have to. If something smells off, I’ll dig deeper. If not….”
Choi Min-woo’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
“I’ll make him mine. Even if it takes three visits of courtship.”
And in the next moment.
Ding.
The bell chimed as someone entered the upscale cafe, and Choi Min-woo let out a soft chuckle.
Zhuge Liang—no, it was Jin Tae-kyung.
* * *
Contract bonus: 500 million won.
Fixed monthly salary of 50 million won and a 70% profit-sharing ratio.
A studio apartment of about 1,300 square feet and a vehicle were optional extras, while the four major insurances were standard. After reading through the entire contract, only one thought came to mind.
‘This is insane.’
Such an outrageous contract.
A house, a car, and money flowing like water.
The average annual salary for a C-rank Hunter is 200 million won. That’s combining fixed salary and raid bonuses.
And me?
‘Just the contract bonus alone is 500 million.’
This was a contract only B-rank Hunters or higher could receive.
This means my skills have reached that level, and it’s also proof that I’ve met a discerning employer who doesn’t judge hunters solely by their rank.
‘And on top of that, there’s money.’
I stared intently at Choi Team Leader across the table. As always, his expression was unreadable, his gaze deep and penetrating.
Choi Team Leader suddenly opened his mouth.
“This is the third time.”
He had made two contract offers before. I’d rejected both, but this was a subtle way of saying I shouldn’t refuse this time.
“I apologize for that. There was a minor issue.”
“Have you resolved it?”
“Yes. It seems I have, for now.”
“Then there’s no problem now.”
“…I suppose not.”
Even as I answered, doubt crept in. Was there really no problem now? Was this truly all right?
‘What am I even thinking?’
I needed to settle this before second thoughts took hold.
“I’ll sign.”
I took the fountain pen Choi Team Leader offered and began signing.
One page, two pages, three pages….
There were five pages in total. One more signature and it would be finished.
In that moment, doubt surfaced once more.
‘Is this really all right?’
The fountain pen that had been moving without hesitation slowed its pace. Thoughts cascaded one after another.
‘What if it’s not all right? Isn’t this what I’ve wanted?’
Yes. This was the situation I’d desperately dreamed of for seven years.
Obtaining a massive salary and high social status.
Becoming a son and older brother my family could be proud of, providing them comfort.
Becoming an object of envy and admiration instead of contempt and scorn.
‘Now I can achieve it all.’
I could live enjoying all of it. Goodbye to that squalid life, goodbye to that dog-eat-dog Murim.
Crack.
And goodbye to the fountain pen.
I released my grip. The shattered fountain pen and spilled ink dampened the contract.
“Jin Tae-kyung. Let me ask you again.”
Choi Team Leader pulled out a white handkerchief and wiped the ink that had splattered on his chin.
Despite the sudden situation, he appeared composed.
“That problem from last time—has it really been resolved?”
“No.”
The moment I answered, my chest felt lighter.
“If it’s a problem I could help with….”
“I appreciate the offer, but I must solve this alone.”
Choi Team Leader, who had been studying me with an odd gaze, let out a soft chuckle.
“I didn’t realize contracts could be this difficult. I never expected to be rejected three times.”
Her tone suggested amusement rather than anger.
“When would be a good time for the fourth offer?”
She’d asked it half in jest, but my response was serious.
“Tomorrow, at this time, in this place.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes. Tomorrow.”
Just one day.
But for me, it would be a month, or perhaps several months.
Choi Team Leader, unaware of this fact, furrowed her brow.
“I don’t particularly like jokes like that.”
“Neither do I. Jokes like this.”
She doesn’t know what my words truly mean.
“I’ll see you then.”
This was a vow to myself.
A promise to return alive, no matter what.
And…
“Tomorrow, I’ll need to raise the contract terms even higher.”
I left the cafe, leaving Choi Team Leader with widened eyes in my wake.
* * *
“Phew.”
I took a deep breath and opened the capsule.
The moment I saw the sunken chair and VR helmet, my heart began to race. Despite having come this far, temptation kept rising its head, whispering to me.
Don’t go back.
Just forget everything and live satisfied with your reality.
Everyone you met in Murim is just an NPC, and Murim is nothing but a simple game.
Yes, there was a time when I thought that way.
But after much deliberation, I realized the truth: I would return no matter what.
‘The conclusion was already made long ago.’
That snowy night, I returned to Gong Ya-cheong.
I brought along the useless young siblings, used the scout unit members as shields, and faced Jo Pil in battle, narrowly escaping death.
‘It must have been from then.’
The three letters “NPC” that had been embedded in my mind began to fade.
When I saw Jin Wi-kyung’s retreating figure as he told me to survive, I recalled the two words “family.”
“Damn, life really is unpredictable.”
With a bitter laugh mixed with a sigh, I entered the capsule. The moment I put on the VR helmet, a message appeared before my eyes.
Ding.
[Murim]
Do you wish to log in?
Accept / Decline
“Yes.”
My consciousness faded, my vision darkened.
I logged in.

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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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