Murim Login - Chapter 567

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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 567
“Has this old man lost his mind….”
I’d lost count of how many times I’d locked eyes with those crimson irises.
Go Se-won found himself swallowing hard at the ominous—no, downright chilling gleam in Seok Go-jun’s eyes.
But he was the Security Team Leader.
He was the only brake capable of halting the rampaging Seok Go-jun, even momentarily, and he bore the duty to dissuade his superior from making a disastrous move after such deliberation.
“Sub-Guild Master.”
Seok Go-jun’s pupils shifted toward him. Feeling a chill run down his spine, Go Se-won barely managed to extract his voice.
“Are you… truly serious about what you just said?”
Seok Go-jun’s brow furrowed.
“Of course not. Do I look that stupid to you, Team Leader Go?”
“Ah.”
Go Se-won, who had been waiting for an answer with faint hope, exhaled a quiet sigh of relief internally.
Indeed, thinking about it, the words made no sense.
While it was true that Seok Go-jun’s temperament had grown explosively violent recently, there was no way he would order the massacre of Song Cheon-woo’s entire family….
“Don’t kill them. Bring them here.”
“Pardon?”
“You didn’t hear me?”
Impossible.
Go Se-won was an A-rank Hunter who could hear a mosquito’s wingbeat from ten meters away.
Yet he asked again precisely because he had heard words he would have preferred never to hear at all.
“Could you please repeat that, sir?”
Crash! Splinter!
The table, replaced merely days ago, shattered once more. Flames erupted from the depths of Seok Go-jun’s eyes.
“Bring them here. Whether it’s that grandson brat Song Cheon-woo dotes on every single day, or the white-haired grandmother he met in the Silver Town of Europe—anything that lets me strangle that old man’s lifeline!”
His roar echoed through the space. The veins in his neck bulged as he screamed, then his voice dropped to a terrifying whisper.
“So, Team Leader Go. Send the men out immediately and bring them in.”
“…!”
“What? Didn’t hear again?”
There would be no second chance. Realizing there was nowhere left to retreat, Go Se-won bowed his head slightly.
“No, sir. I heard you clearly.”
“Then move immediately. Oh, where did that old man’s family say they live?”
“In the London Outskirts. They all live together in a Grand Mansion built by renovating a castle.”
A life befitting European nobility itself.
Song Cheon-woo, who had lost in the internal power struggle long ago, could live such a life only because of Lee Jung-yong’s tacit approval and support.
Old friendship as comrades? Tolerance? To Lee Jung-yong, such words were as useless as cabbage.
It was merely the arrogance that only one who looked down upon another from several steps above could display—and that arrogance was the leisure of a powerful being with overwhelming strength.
‘That Person had completely controlled his only political rival, but the successor who inherited his position is already thinking of kidnapping families.’
Innate temperament. In other words, a difference in caliber.
Go Se-won quickly pushed the thought that had surfaced from his mind and continued speaking.
“Between my children, their spouses, and grandchildren, there are about thirteen of us. Some of my grandchildren commute using helicopters or teleportation magic circles. Of course, I’m receiving real-time location reports on all of them.”
“You’ve already made arrangements? Since when?”
“Right after entering the country. I reported it at the time, but the Sub-Guild Master seemed so busy that I took the liberty of handling it on my own authority.”
“You’re doing great work, Go Se-won. I thought you’d lost your edge after getting married.”
“…Thank you.”
A single phrase laden with both praise and reproach. Seok Go-jun, gazing down at Go Se-won as he bowed his head once more, suddenly muttered in a chilling voice.
“That ungrateful old bastard. He should’ve been grateful just that I kept his position secure all this time. And now he stabs me in the back like this?”
Song Cheon-woo was supposed to have retired before the new year arrived.
But the monster wave that erupted in China and Lee Jung-yong’s death had rekindled the dying embers of ambition that the aging lion had never truly abandoned, and the hyenas who caught the scent quietly lined up behind the old lion.
The senior figures of the elder generation, standing on the brink of a sweeping generational shift.
They were the pack of hyenas.
“Damn these old bastards.”
Seok Go-jun, who had sprung from his seat and began pacing around the room, suddenly opened his mouth.
“What about him?”
Him.
It was a reference to someone whose name had never been spoken, yet Go Se-won understood immediately.
In truth, what concerned him most in the current situation was not the aging lion leading the pack of hyenas.
It was the young male lion prowling beyond the high walls of the Ares Guild, watching the steppes for his opportunity.
“Choi Min-woo has returned to the Peace Guild.”
“Did he definitely meet with that old man Song Cheon-woo?”
Go Se-won answered immediately.
“The meeting itself was extremely covert and disguised with high-level concealment magic, but it’s certain.”
“What about Hong Director? Can he be trusted?”
Hong Director was one of the elder generation who, like Song Cheon-woo, was facing honorable retirement, and he was the resourceful informant who had brought word of today’s meeting.
Go Se-won nodded.
“Yes. He has excellent situational awareness.”
“That man always had a sixth sense for these things. Still, don’t let your guard down. He’s known Song Cheon-woo for over thirty years.”
“I’m already monitoring his every move without his knowledge.”
Betrayal upon betrayal. Everyone was struggling to achieve their own purposes, and Hong Director had simply chosen comfort and survival for the few remaining years of his life.
“What about the Security Team?”
“All thirty members are on standby at all times.”
The Security Team was composed of elite personnel specially selected from within the Ares Guild.
Each member was an A-rank Hunter, so their skill was beyond question, and their loyalty was exceptional.
Though their master had changed suddenly, these were servants who would handle murder without batting an eye.
‘And I’m no different.’
Go Se-won murmured to himself.
He was the one who had gotten his hands dirty with all manner of filthy work while serving under Lee Jung-yong.
Sometimes he felt disgust at his own reflection, but until now it had been bearable enough.
After all, he had accumulated wealth that others could never dream of in a lifetime, and at an age past forty, he had even married late to a beautiful and lovely wife.
But….
‘Have I been working too long?’
Whether it was the hypocrisy of one who had forgotten hunger, or the disillusionment I had been suppressing all this time, I couldn’t say.
Perhaps it was because of my youngest son, who had only just begun taking his first steps, and my wife, who had recently become pregnant with our second child.
‘Song Cheon-woo. That man’s youngest grandson was about the same age as my son, I think.’
The thought of instructing my subordinates to kidnap a child who couldn’t even speak yet already left a strange taste in my mouth.
‘No, if it ended with just a kidnapping, that would be fortunate.’
Over the past month or two, Seok Go-jun had become a different person.
No one knew what atrocities this increasingly brutal man would commit next.
Even Lee Jung-yong, who had never hesitated to use any means necessary, had never laid a hand on children….
“Team Leader Go.”
At the sound of my superior’s voice breaking through my thoughts, Go Se-won’s spine straightened rigidly.
“Yes, Sub-Guild Master.”
“Prepare the Security Team. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
The softer tone from moments before sent my hair on end. After a brief silence, my lips parted.
“Yes.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could bring me results as quickly as possible. Is that asking too much?”
My answer was already predetermined.
I too was nothing but excrement in the same cesspool. Once I had stepped into the mud, it was far too late to turn back.
“No, sir. I will bring good news by tomorrow at the latest.”
“Good. You’re dismissed.”
The conversation ended there.
Moving my stiffened legs, I left the Office and brought my hand to my ear.
Beep. A faint mechanical sound accompanied the light flickering back on in the communication device I had turned off moments before.
“Report current personnel.”
Before my brief command had even finished, a sharp voice crackled through the communicator.
– Team 1 all standing by. No issues.
– Team 2 all standing by. No issues.
– Team 3 all standing by. No issues.
Thirty in total across the three teams. These were the finest talents carefully selected from within the Ares Guild, where only the best gathered.
Even I, the Security Team Leader with overwhelming power, could not guarantee easy victory if five or more of them united, so no matter how thoroughly the enemy fortified their defenses, they would be unable to stop us.
“This is the Sub-Guild Master’s order. In one hour. Complete all preparations and move to the assembly point. The final destination is….”
I hesitated for a moment before speaking in a subdued voice.
“Britain. London.”
This journey would require no passport.
Concealing our faces, names, and even fingerprints with advanced illusion magic and special disguises, we assembled before the long-distance teleportation magic circle exactly one hour later.
And we walked toward the brilliant cascade of light.
Whoooosh!
* * *
The next morning, Seok Go-jun received the answer he had been waiting for from his Security Team Leader.
“Success. Of the thirty Security Team members, excluding the two casualties….”
“What about Song Cheon-woo’s family?”
“…All safely captured, sir. Teams 1 and 2, disguised as the existing security detail, remain to occupy and monitor the mansion.”
“Well done. Go Se-won truly is the right man for the job.”
“The team paid a heavy price. We maximized the advantage and launched a surprise attack, but the mansion’s security was more formidable than anticipated—we suffered two casualties….”
“That’s fine. You handled the cleanup without issues, I trust?”
After a brief silence, Go Se-won’s tightly sealed lips parted.
“Yes. We’ve seized their communications network, and through illusion magic, we’ve learned all their codes and reporting procedures. Even if they try to contact us, they won’t suspect anything amiss.”
“How long can we maintain the deception?”
“Four days at most.”
“That’s more than enough to finish the job. Song Cheon-woo, contact that old man. New Year’s is coming soon—let’s see his face after all this time.”
Seok Go-jun laughed aloud as he imagined the expression of the elderly traitor he would soon face, then suddenly lifted his head.
“Oh, and. Go Se-won.”
Go Se-won, who had been staring at his superior with an unreadable gleam in his eyes, quickly composed himself.
“Yes, Sub-Guild Master.”
“My apologies. I was so delighted by the good news that I completely forgot.”
“Ah.”
“As you know, I’ve been scattered lately. You understand, don’t you?”
“Not at all, sir!”
A more spirited response than before escaped his lips.
That’s right. No matter how much a person changes, this wouldn’t happen.
Go Se-won, muttering inwardly, waited for the words he’d been hoping to hear, but froze solid at Seok Go-jun’s next remark.
“You work hard all the time. Keep this aside for yourself.”
“…!”
Whoosh.
Along with the words, a pristine white envelope was placed on the table.
Given the nature of the operation, it undoubtedly contained a check for a substantial sum—based on past experience, likely no less than ten billion won.
But what Go Se-won truly desired was not an envelope filled with bonus money.
Yet….
“Thank you, Sub-Guild Master.”
Go Se-won accepted the envelope respectfully and bowed deeply.
His gaze, reflected in the spotless, gleaming marble surface, had already sunk into profound darkness.
* * *
Martial arts consist of countless movements.
Thrusting, slashing, striking or sweeping.
When such movements connect in sequence, only then can they be called a technique.
Whoosh, crack!
A single punch thrust toward empty air. Compressed wind explodes, and hair scatters.
I continued executing techniques against an invisible opponent.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Swish!
The insights I’ve directly witnessed and mastered seep into the techniques. They connect naturally, flowing ceaselessly without pause.
The connection of basic techniques. That is the Path of Combat itself.
Whoosh!
Hand blade. Elbow. Shoulder. Every part of my body rotated and twisted, striking in all directions.
Learning martial arts had taught me something once again—the word “weapon” was not limited to bladed instruments alone.
‘Anything capable of wounding an enemy is a weapon.’
That is why training was essential. A single finger could snap a neck, and a rusted fragment of a blade could cleave stone.
Whoosh. Crack!
A heel descending like lightning struck the ground with devastating force. Even an A-rank monster with a hardened carapace would have had its skull shattered instantly by such a blow.
But there was no enemy to fell in this space.
The corpses of a hundred or more adversaries were merely phantoms conjured by my imagination.
“Hah…”
The moment I exhaled softly.
Clap clap clap.
Vigorous applause echoed from behind me.

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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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