Murim Login - Chapter 564

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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 564
When a company grows, what is the first thing a CEO must do?
Different people would offer different answers, but every CEO harbors one dream deep in their heart.
Building a corporate headquarters.
‘Or should I call it an expansion in this case?’
As I walked through the Guild House, I suddenly stopped and gazed down at the scene unfolding below in the corridor.
“Geo Han, use gravity magic to lift some materials up here!”
“Alright, listen up. Former tank, Song.”
“That’s me.”
“I’m here too. But why?”
“Why? Because I’m putting you to work. If you understand, get five F-rank hunters over here. Throw in a couple of E-rank ones too.”
Crack. Boom!
Polished marble floated through the air, and every time the muscular Four Giant Bearers swung their hammers, solid concrete walls shattered to pieces.
Nearly a hundred workers moved about diligently. Since they were all awakened individuals, the work pace was no joke.
Of course, the wages were proportionally expensive, but to a certain young tycoon with deep pockets, it was pocket change.
‘With more people, the Guild House has become cramped.’
A few days ago, Choi Team Leader had casually dropped that remark and immediately sprang into action.
From what I heard, he’d purchased all the nearby land, even paying a premium, and launched a massive expansion project. I simply accepted it as it was.
‘It’s not even my money being spent anyway.’
And there were other places where my money needed to go.
The fifty trillion won in assets, untouched by taxes, was gradually diminishing depending on its use, but compared to what remained, it was merely a drop in the bucket.
‘Fifty trillion won….’
No matter how many times I thought about it, the sum was surreal. Much like the figure of a man gradually drawing closer from beyond the corridor.
Whoosh.
A large man glided through the air like a ghost and suddenly opened his mouth.
「Hey, I saw your press conference.」
“…?”
Wait, why is Elder Brother appearing there?
I stared at Magic Johnson with a bewildered expression before finally managing to speak.
“What are you talking about?”
「Why what?」
“That’s what I’d like to ask you. Why are you here again today?”
「I had some business to attend to.」
“You didn’t come here just to use the bathroom, did you?”
「Of course not. I came to pass something along to Choi. And to check on Jin’s progress while I’m at it.」
“Do you eat your emails with cereal?”
「Surely my presence isn’t making you uncomfortable, is it?」
“Surely you didn’t think it wasn’t, did you?”
At my sharp retort, Magic Johnson let out a deep sigh.
「Hey, Jin. A tender-hearted person like me gets hurt by such harsh words.」
“…A wound?”
I gazed at his thick neck and steel-hued forearms, lost in thought.
‘Looks like a blade wouldn’t even penetrate that.’
Damn, that physique is something else.
With that level of physical prowess, he could switch careers from mage to melee Hunter right this instant.
And I’m not exaggerating—search “Magic Johnson staff” on the internet right now and you’ll find a cascade of related videos.
The story of how he crushed an Ogre’s skull in a single blow with a staff designed for magic is so well-known that practically everyone’s heard it, and fitness communities are endlessly debating just how much that staff weighs.
‘As if someone like that has a delicate heart.’
Magic Johnson, catching the meaning in my penetrating gaze, shook his head slowly.
「It’s not the body—it’s the heart. The heart is what matters, Jin.」
“A person with a delicate heart couldn’t survive a cataclysm. They endured because they’re strong, which is why they’re called heroes now.”
「Hmm. Can’t tell if that’s praise or criticism.」
“Consider it praise.”
Magic Johnson, his eyes narrowing with suspicion, continued.
「Anyway, I saw the press conference. It was quite significant.」
The press conference….
I scratched the back of my head, embarrassed.
The official Blue House press conference I attended at the President’s request had generated an enormous response.
I heard the domestic viewership alone surpassed 70%, and foreign media made it a major topic as well.
Even now, two days later, related search terms remain firmly in the top trending searches. And likely will be the same a week from now.
“There was the broadcast incident’s impact, and the viewership numbers came out quite well. I didn’t expect you to have watched it, Johnson.”
「Jin’s movements are always a hot topic in America too. Especially for certain people, President Baek’s final words must have sounded quite meaningful. Of course, I’m one of them.」
“Ah, that.”
「I was wondering why you were promoting Mr. Lee so much, but you really landed a solid blow. Didn’t you?」
“Well. I didn’t exactly land it myself… but from Seok Go-jun’s perspective, it must have stung a bit.”
Though we’re not in an age of warring states, legitimacy is still always necessary to inherit a massive organization.
And from that perspective, Seok Go-jun, who had just taken office as the new sub-guild master of Ares Guild, was considerably lacking in legitimacy.
「Ares Guild is a vast empire. Even if he inherited shares according to the will, he couldn’t inherit all of Mr. Lee’s influence. If he were of the same bloodline, he’d meet certain conditions by Asian standards, but he’s not, is he?」
“Lee Jung-yong did have a son, but I heard he died young. Even if he’d lived until now without awakening as an ordinary person, he wouldn’t have been able to succeed Lee Jung-yong.”
Modern Guilds are like Murim sects. Just as a scholar cannot become the sect master of Hua Mountain Sect, only those with power and authority as Hunters can become Guild Masters.
Magic Johnson, fully aware of this fact, nodded in agreement.
「True enough. On the other hand, that fellow—despite his character flaws—has solid skills. I heard he passed the S-rank Hunter qualification exam with an outstanding score. Of course, it got buried quickly under all the other issues erupting lately.」
“It’s Seok Go-jun, not that other name. And well, he was Lee Jung-yong’s security team leader anyway.”
「That’s far from sufficient. He needs the support of the other founding contributors who built the current Ares Guild. But…」
“He didn’t have enough time.”
「Exactly. Time. Mr. Lee probably never imagined he’d die so soon, even when drafting his will to prepare for contingencies.」
But he died nonetheless, and Seok Go-jun inherited the crown before he could solidify his position as successor.
The title of security team leader was proof he’d been the closest confidant, but inheriting such a massive organization as Ares Guild came with numerous complications.
Even with Lee Jung-yong’s will in place, it wasn’t easy for elderly veterans to respectfully serve a fresh-faced man in his thirties as their superior.
Especially given how Seok Go-jun himself had shown signs of rapid deterioration since Lee Jung-yong’s death.
‘And in the midst of all this, he’d been openly denied legitimacy at the Blue House’s official press conference with a 70% viewership rating….’
President Baek Han-sung’s words were subtle yet razor-sharp.
He’d criticized the Ares Guild in connection with this gate mutation through indirect insinuation, while simultaneously highlighting Lee Jung-yong’s lifetime achievements and packaging me as the successor carrying on his legacy.
‘It was a completely orchestrated affair.’
This press conference was a collaborative effort between President Baek Han-sung—who had maintained an anti-Ares stance since his days as a congressman—and Choi Team Leader.
They’d cultivated the journalists, fed them prepared questions, and guided the narrative in their desired direction.
Meticulously rehearsed dialogue and actors from beginning to end.
Had Lee Jung-yong still been alive, this scenario would have been scrapped, but Seok Go-jun lacked the power to suppress the rebellion of a new underdog, and thanks to that, we’d wrapped filming without incident.
Basking in the impressive 70% domestic viewership ratings and the international media spotlight.
「After all, another small victory. This calls for champagne. Where’s Choi?」
“As always, but especially these days, he’s swamped. If we’re lucky, he might be in his office right now.”
「He’s not.」
Magic Johnson added with a shrug.
「I just came from there.」
“Ah. Sounds like something else has come up.”
Nothing new about that. Team Leader in title, but Choi Team Leader had been the de facto Guild Master from the start, and public perception had caught up to that reality by now.
He was probably one of the busiest people in all of South Korea at this point.
「Hey, Jin. Want to take a walk?」
“Sure. As long as we avoid any dark alleys.”
「Your sense of humor’s improved.」
“….”
「…Tell me you were joking.」
I picked up my pace without responding. Magic Johnson, drifting along as if floating through the air, grumbled behind me.
「Jin, why do you keep making me out to be some weirdo?」
“Because you keep saying weird things.”
「That’s obviously just joking around. And I have preferences like anyone else. You don’t qualify. Now that guy over there—that’d be a different story.」
Following Magic Johnson’s gaze, a strikingly handsome man was passing by.
「Haven’t seen him before. Is he one of the new guild members?」
“…Anyone listening would think Johnson here is a guild member too. How many faces do you actually remember?”
「That’s ridiculous! There’s no way I’d forget a handsome face like that!」
“….”
What’s with the unnecessary conviction?
He’s got a sixth sense for this sort of thing, honestly. I let out a small sigh before answering.
“I don’t know his name either, but he’s definitely a Rookie. I think he was C-rank?”
「The previous Guild Master must have wept tears of blood. With looks like that, he’d have plenty of star power. Could’ve made it big as a celebrity Hunter.」
“The previous Guild Master you mentioned is probably weeping tears of blood for other reasons. He got thoroughly humiliated at the press conference.”
「Ah, so could it be?」
“Yes. That guy used to be with the Ares Guild.”
Transferring from the Ares Guild to the Peace Guild wasn’t merely a matter of changing teams.
Magic Johnson, grasping the broader situation, murmured to himself.
“Iron Fortress is crumbling—we have a living witness to that fact. How many have defected from Ares Guild so far?”
“The numbers are modest. Around ten people.”
“The quantity matters less than what it represents—evidence that cracks are forming.”
I nodded quietly. If the fracture was visible from the outside, the internal rupture had to be far more severe.
‘Of course, I can’t dismiss the possibility that Seok Go-jun sent them deliberately as spies.’
That’s why they’d been accepted only after rigorous vetting, and I’d heard they were being deployed into actual operations gradually.
Even with my System, I couldn’t peer into the depths of human hearts, so Choi Team Leader’s intelligence network would prove invaluable in this regard.
“But what is that place? The security looks remarkably thorough.”
I lifted my head from my thoughts, breaking my silent walk.
Magic Johnson’s finger pointed toward an entrance door crafted from titanium alloy.
“Ah, that? It’s the Training Room.”
“Training Room? A training chamber?”
“Yes.”
“Good heavens. What kind of training room requires security this tight?”
Magic Johnson chuckled softly as he asked.
“Five layers of overlapping magic alone. I understand not wanting to expose your training methods to outsiders, but… considering this is inside the Guild House, isn’t that excessive?”
“I suppose.”
I kept my words sparse. That Training Room was prepared for only a select few.
Specifically…
‘Only for those cultivating the Jin Family’s core techniques.’
This was still a secret I hadn’t shared with Magic Johnson. It was a space I’d granted access to only Choi Team Leader, Kim Butler, Song Song-i, and Lim Hyuk-jun.
“Judging by the security level, it doesn’t seem to be open to all Guild members.”
I nodded at his astute observation.
“Precisely. It’s exclusively for the Guild’s founding members, including myself.”
“Hmm. A secret, then. Now that you mention it, my scholarly curiosity as a mage is awakening.”
“Please put it back to sleep.”
“That’s terribly unfair. Can’t I at least take a quick look?”
I hesitated for a moment, then waved my hand.
“I’m afraid not. Someone’s inside.”
“Who? Perhaps Choi?”
“No.”
A bitter feeling washed over me as I continued.
“Someone whose need for training is more desperate than anyone’s.”
“…?”
“Yes. There is such a person.”
Though I couldn’t see him with my eyes at this moment, a vivid image crystallized in my mind.
A middle-aged Hunter, drenched in sweat like rain, repeating his training relentlessly.
His will to rise again, wearing a facade of composure while harboring a heart brutally shattered.
‘Perhaps… it’s time to begin that.’
A thought that flickered through my mind gradually took shape as I listened to Magic Johnson’s words flowing forth.
「I have no choice. Tell Choi Team Leader this when you see him.」
“Yes? Tell him what?”
「This.」
Whoosh.
A small object pierced into my chest along with a subtle flow of mana.
Upon confirming the chip’s presence and lifting my head, I could see it—the Grand Warlock’s face, grave and hardened.
「It’s not just Korea and the United States. Mana levels are skyrocketing across the entire world. A seven percent increase compared to last year. This is the first time a lucky number has felt so ominous.」
“…!”

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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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