Murim Login - Chapter 568

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 568
Clap, clap, clap.
The sound of vigorous applause. Simultaneously, a voice I’d been aware of moments earlier echoed through the space.
“Impressive, truly impressive.”
Click-clack. Glossy black dress shoes moved toward me.
Sharply creased formal trousers without a single wrinkle, and above them a leather coat that descended to the knees—he stopped before me.
“Mister Jin, I’ve heard much about you… but it’s gratifying to see you’ve come this far. You exceed expectations.”
This sudden situation left me bewildered, unable to comprehend. To my confused expression, he responded with a leisurely smile.
“No need to be so flustered. The time has simply come.”
“The time has come?”
“Indeed. Did you truly believe you were the only hero in this world?”
“What?”
“From this moment forward, you’ve become part of a far greater world. You simply haven’t realized it yet.”
“…!”
A sharp current coursed through my entire body. I glared at this uninvited guest, my voice dripping with hostility.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Few people know my true identity.”
He let out a slight chuckle and continued.
“As for me…”
“No, what the hell are you doing?”
“Huh?”
His eyes widened as if confused, but I simply waved my hand dismissively while staring at his face in silence.
“Forget it. Go ahead and ramble. You’ve got more prepared lines anyway.”
“Will that work?”
“Of course. Finish it.”
He cleared his throat audibly and continued with a suddenly serious expression.
“My name is King Fury. Director of the Barrier…”
Smack!
“Ugh!”
The punch caught him square in the jaw. The Skeleton King staggered like a drunk man. I seized the moment and unleashed a barrage of punches.
Smack! Smack! Crack!
“Ugh! Argh! Wait! Wait! My jawbone!”
“Don’t give me that ‘wait’ nonsense, you bastard.”
This guy deserved a beating.
Here we were in the midst of crisis, and I was working tirelessly for a brighter future, yet this fool suddenly appears spouting movie character dialogue.
I’d wondered why he suddenly showed up wearing that leather coat he’d never worn before.
“You enjoying this? Is the hero movie really that entertaining?”
The Skeleton King, who’d been taking the blows, suddenly hardened his expression and gave a thumbs up.
“So fun.”
“…”
“I hate you about thirty million times over.”
“What the hell, you bastard.”
“Wait! My bones are cracking!”
Crack! Crack!
“And you call yourself a person? Huh?”
“I’m a monster!”
“This asshole only calls himself a monster when it suits him. What, is your race a buffet? A multiple choice question?”
Crack! Crack!
“Hold on! Really, just stop for a second. This time it’s an orbital fracture!”
“….”
For a monster, that diagnosis was remarkably accurate.
At the professional medical terminology, my fist hesitated for a moment. Skeleton King quickly twisted away and fled, his entire frame trembling with humiliation.
“Vile human. You’re not even a person.”
“Good grief. What am I hearing from this monster bastard right now.”
“Devilish wretch. When the day of judgment comes in the future, you shall be cast into the depths of hell.”
“Wait, are you going to Church these days? Your word choice is unusually refined.”
Skeleton King froze for a moment, then let out a fake cough.
“Ahem. A human woman….”
“What?”
“A beautiful human woman approached me first. We met at a crosswalk up ahead. She said if I followed her, we’d all sing songs together and eat delicious food.”
“…And then?”
“I went. It wasn’t particularly entertaining, but it wasn’t bad either. A pastor recognized my noble worth and even gave me a gift.”
“My God.”
An undead monster going to Church. Was this real?
Just as I was at a loss for words, Skeleton King pulled down the collar of his coat, which he’d styled in that old-fashioned way from forty years ago.
“Hehe, behold.”
If I’d doubted my ears before, now I doubted my eyes.
Displayed boldly between the folds of his coat was none other than a cheap cross necklace.
“This is the symbol of a noble king’s dignity.”
“….”
Isn’t that a symbol of exorcism?
For a moment I wondered if he’d met an exorcist instead of a pastor, but Magic Johnson’s illusion magic was so flawless that not a hint of incongruity could be found.
The exponentially growing number of Skeleton King’s SNS followers was proof of that.
Click.
“…He’s taking selfies in the middle of all this. Should I smash his smartphone?”
“I bought it with my own money. A vile human has no right to say anything, so keep your mouth shut.”
A monster adapted to capitalism—now that’s what I’d call a true monster.
Moreover, since he paid for it himself, I had nothing to say. He hadn’t even received any sponsored ads; he’d legitimately purchased it with the settlement money he’d recently received from the Peace Guild.
“I’m now quite a high earner among humans. I hear that the people of this world are divided into classes by annual salary, and I earn 600 million won. Hehehehe. And that’s for the next ten years, no less!”
“….”
Ten years as a slave, welcome aboard.
If we’re ranking by Hunter standards, Skeleton King easily qualifies as S-rank, yet here he is being worked like a mid-tier Hunter on a mid-tier salary.
I wanted to flick Hyuk Moo-jin right in the forehead for Choi Team Leader’s ruthlessness.
“What’s with that expression?”
“Nothing. Really, nothing. Don’t worry about it and just make plenty of money going forward.”
Skeleton King, eyes narrowing to slits, looked me up and down.
“Something’s off. Not just now, but these past few days—your behavior’s been strange.”
“Who? That undead monster who went to the Church?”
“You! You cunning human!”
Skeleton King burst out, continuing his tirade.
“At the Gate, you’re constantly lost in thought. A human with no refinement whatsoever suddenly sketching and taking notes. And yesterday you even rejected the Emergency Rescue Team’s call, forcing me to make a personal appearance!”
For a monster, he’s remarkably perceptive. Perhaps because he’s been the one sticking closest to me lately.
Scratching my chin, I countered Skeleton King, who’d just finished his passionate speech.
“I understand what you’re getting at. So?”
“Huh?”
“What do you want me to do about it? Am I not allowed to think? Can’t I sketch and take notes?”
“W-well, that’s not exactly…”
Skeleton King hesitated for a moment before immediately launching into a rebuttal.
“But rejecting the Emergency Rescue Team call is…”
“I can defer it if I have reason to. You’re here anyway.”
“W-what?”
“It wasn’t like the Gate suddenly ruptured or anything. Looking at the mana level increase, I figured it was manageable, so I sent you instead of going myself.”
“Me? In your place?”
Skeleton King, mouth agape and eyes blinking, asked in a faltering voice.
“Why?”
“Because you’re trustworthy enough to rely on.”
“…!”
“I went along with you before just to be safe, but I’ve seen enough firsthand. And hearing what people around me say, I figured you could handle it alone.”
Skeleton King is a true Named Monster.
Even in his days as a Warlord, he possessed formidable power, but through his battle with the Arch Lich, he was reborn as an even mightier being.
‘Mediocre Named Monsters can’t hold a candle to him.’
From what I’ve witnessed firsthand at his side, he possesses exceptional physical abilities and can even establish himself as a one-man army through his own unique authority.
In these respects, no current S-rank Hunter can match Skeleton King.
Well, unless we’re talking about someone like Magic Johnson—a grand sorcerer who dominates the battlefield.
‘And then there’s me.’
An undead warrior of such caliber that he could single-handedly sweep through a Gate.
And the only reason I kept such a powerful Skeleton King at my side was one thing alone.
‘Insanely deficient social skills.’
Without ever explicitly revealing his identity, he broadcasts to all corners that he’s a monster, plain as day.
Had I brought such a creature to the Blue House’s official press conference last time, he would’ve called President Baek Han-sung a “human male,” and the Liberation Army under their commander-in-chief would’ve surely risen up, waving the national flag and demanding we investigate this bastard’s background.
But now….
“I’m relieved about this one. He goes to church, the bastard. From now on, let him live a little more freely.”
Pat, pat.
At the warm touch patting my shoulder, Skeleton King’s eyes widened. Or perhaps it was because of that single word I’d just spoken.
“F-freely?”
“Yeah. You’ve reached a level I can trust and rely on now, so you deserve at least that much freedom.”
“Cunning human. Weren’t you monitoring me?”
“Monitoring?”
I chuckled and continued.
“You—the one who saved my life in China?”
“That’s….”
“Of course you have debts to me too. We both won’t dwell on it, but just know that I’m always grateful.”
“…!”
Golden eyelids trembled faintly. Skeleton King, who had been staring at me with an indescribable expression, opened his mouth with eyes glistening wetly.
“Cunning human.”
“Oh, stop. Don’t say anything.”
“But I must say this.”
“Don’t. Really. I hate this kind of atmosphere.”
Soft background music seemed to drift from somewhere. As I gazed awkwardly at distant mountains, Skeleton King’s voice reached my ears.
“So can I go to the club today?”
“….”
“I’ve been tricked by that sorcerer so far and gone to gay bars twice. This time I absolutely want to succeed at some dignified grinding at the club.”
“….”
This bastard’s spouting nonsense about dignified grinding.
Give me back my emotions, you asshole.
“Please, cunning human. I promise I’ll definitely be back before midnight!”
“Fine, go.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah. Go. Unless you want to die.”
“….”
This lunatic’s talking about clubs. Who knows what kind of trouble he’ll cause.
My heart softened a bit at the mention of going to gay bars twice, but Skeleton King still hadn’t reached the level of socialization needed.
It’s not like I’ve never been to a club myself.
…Really.
“Why! How is this possible! When he’s so handsome!”
Just as Skeleton King was wailing in pitiful tones, the smartphone in his hand vibrated.
Bzzzzt.
The creature’s face contorted miserably as he checked the screen. Without even looking, I knew it was a hologram.
“An emergency call came in?”
“…Damn it.”
The timing was absolutely exquisite. After checking the summons, I lifted my gaze and stared directly at Skeleton King.
“What are you doing? Go.”
“I refuse, you cunning human. This time, you go.”
“What are you talking about? One look and I can already tell the scope. You’re more than capable of handling this alone.”
“Damn it. Why do you get to loaf around here while I’m stuck working!”
Loaf around? Me?
But Skeleton King had no way of knowing what I was actually doing.
I let out a soft chuckle and raised my hand instead of answering. Sensing my intent, he quickly slipped out through the door.
Slam!
The door shut with a loud bang, and it didn’t open again until the sunset faded and morning came the next day.
And…
Whoosh. Exhale.
Swish, boom!
In that quiet, isolated space, I repeated cultivation breathing and training endlessly.
It was a long journey, clutching a faint thread of possibility, searching for a new path I had never walked before.
* * *
Pallid complexion, trembling fingertips.
When had it started? A bead of cold sweat trickled down the nape of his neck as he listened, falling with a soft plop.
“W-what did you just say?”
Despite his towering frame that belied his seventy years and his middle-aged face, the voice that emerged from between his lips was as faint as that of one standing at death’s door.
The story he had just heard from someone’s mouth carried a shock so profound it shook him to his core.
“W-well, that is….”
Simply recalling what he had heard made his vision swim. The Old Master barely managed to steady himself and drew out his trembling voice.
“You’re saying you… kidnapped our children?”
“Kidnapping sounds a bit harsh. People might misunderstand.”
“Y-you dare.”
“So let’s call it… protection instead.”
Beyond the table laden with an elaborate feast, Seok Go-jun answered in a cheerful tone and bit into his steak.
The juices of the rare beef trickled down his angular jaw, and with them came a casually added remark that pierced the Old Master’s ears.
“For now, anyway.”
…!”
Watching the frozen expression on Old Master Song Cheon-woo’s face, Seok Go-jun smiled with satisfaction.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————