Murim Login - Chapter 590

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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 590
Everything began and ended in a single instant.
A brilliant flash.
The Flame Extinguishing Divine Fist. Befitting its name, a tremendous surge of heat transformed into cyan-white flames that erupted skyward.
A deafening roar!
In the next moment, a colossal explosion consumed every other sound.
Layers upon layers of formidable defensive magic crumbled, and the ceiling—constructed from the most resilient magical materials—melted away under the scorching heat.
Crash! Crash! Boom!
One, three, five. Ten.
As each ceiling vanished, another appeared, and yet another blocked my path.
But I, transformed into a pillar of flame, shattered, pierced, and melted through every obstacle in my way.
A thunderous crack and the sound of something collapsing.
How high had I ascended? How many ceilings had I destroyed?
When my body finally halted, beyond the wavering inferno lay….
“Fire!”
Enemies—fully prepared and waiting—stood before me.
A piercing whistle of projectiles!
As if they had been anticipating this very moment, they unleashed arrows and magic in unison.
And the instant countless beams of light streaked toward me, I issued a command that no one else could hear, speaking it silently in my mind.
‘Inventory. Store.’
A sharp sensation.
The cool touch of the spear vanished from my grasp. I gathered the still-raging flames in both hands and unleashed a dual palm strike.
‘Flame Divine Palm.’
A brilliant flash. A tremendous explosion!
The Flame Divine Palm at its eighth stage. Twin fire dragons erupted from my palms, writhing with fury.
Terrible heat swept across the wide corridor stretching left and right. Magic, arrows, and people alike.
“Aaaaaahhhhh!”
“Healers, healers!”
Where the flames subsided, only screams and stench remained. The smell of burning flesh and cries of agony echoed throughout.
Had I unleashed my full power, half of them would have been incinerated without even a chance to scream.
“H-how is this possible…!”
I turned my head toward the source of the voice.
At the end of the corridor, a dozen healers stood with their mouths agape, staring at the scene unfolding before them.
“What are you doing? Get moving and save your comrades.”
At my calm words, a middle-aged woman who appeared to be a team leader bit her lip.
“Jin Tae-kyung, what on earth are you—”
“I have something I must do. And you all stood in my way.”
“Whatever your reasons, this is… isn’t this going too far?”
Meeting eyes filled with fear and rage, I felt like the worst villain in the world. Perhaps that’s why a hollow laugh escaped me.
The Ares Guild emblem emblazoned on their uniforms irritated me, and their shameless conduct was infuriating.
The reason I stopped in my tracks was precisely because of that.
“This is too much. You people are going too far.”
“What, what?”
“Code Red. Those four words brought you all rushing here to kill me—and that’s not something you should be saying.”
“…!”
“I said I only needed to meet one person. I even tried to avoid unnecessary conflict. But you were the ones who struck first, and you’re the ones who fell.”
I understand. I grasp that they have no direct connection to Kim Hwa-jong’s death. How could hands and feet know what the mind has orchestrated?
But the fact that an order was given doesn’t erase their actions—the fact that they assembled in response to a command to kill.
“I don’t know what your circumstances are, but why are you even….”
Above the suppressed groans, a low voice flowed from between my lips, echoing through the darkened corridor.
“Stop spouting nonsense. You should have thought before asking. Why would Jin Tae-kyung suddenly act like this? He’s the one everyone praises for saving so many people and hunting so many monsters—so why did he cause a commotion demanding that Seok Go-jun be brought to our guild? And why did the order come down to kill him?”
That’s what the world says these days. They call me a hero.
To be blunt—I’m not. I lack noble self-sacrifice, I’m drawn to money, and I’d rather live for my own people than for strangers I’ve never met.
But… on the other hand, I believed I’d lived without shame.
After gaining this power that exceeded my station, I believed I’d used it for others as much as possible.
I constantly questioned who I was. Whether this choice was right.
“But why. Why. Why.”
I continued hurling empty questions. The vacant faces filling my vision were repulsive, nauseating.
“When ordered to kill another human, why do you stand here without a shred of doubt about that order?”
No one answered, but I already knew the answer myself.
Because they weren’t even fingernails to Seok Go-jun—they were dogs living off the scraps Seok Go-jun and Ares threw them.
Completing the mission meant gaining more wealth and prestige. That’s why they blocked me, just as they always had.
“Do you have any idea what Seok Go-jun did? What if the Monster Waves that occurred in Busan and Pyeongchang were artificially triggered by him?”
Before my words even finished, shouts erupted from all directions.
“Bullshit!”
“That’s impossible!”
Right. I knew it would be like this. That’s why I came this far.
I burst into hearty laughter at their disbelieving expressions.
It’s truly amusing. One person called a hero breaks into the Ares Guild, yet they stay silent about his reasons—but deny everything else without hesitation.
“What did your superiors promise you in exchange for bringing me down? Rapid promotion within the guild? Enough wealth for generations to live off?”
“…!”
“Please, spare me the pathetic excuses about lacking child support funds or having to care for a single mother. You’re not in such dire straits now.”
Everyone here has lived a successful life. Whether they wanted it or not. They suddenly awakened one day and demonstrated prowess remarkable enough to join the Ares Guild.
I have no intention of blaming them for the wealth and honor they gained. It was once a dream of mine too.
The reason their choice today feels so repulsive is… because they make wrong decisions to gain more, yet justify themselves in the process.
How individuals’ silence becomes the silence of the collective. They had become the garrison defending Ares, that fortress of iron.
“So.”
I took a deep breath. Mental exhaustion, anger, and disgust—various emotions swirled together, making my chest churn.
“Stop spouting this ridiculous nonsense and stay down. Sip your potions, get healed, and think about it. Today is my second birthday. Remember that.”
“….”
“….”
Silence enveloped everything. The endless moans that had been seeping from all around had ceased.
Those standing and those lying down—all had closed their eyes or clamped their mouths shut.
I moved forward, ignoring the trembling gazes fixed upon me. I didn’t neglect a final farewell either.
“Pathetic dogs.”
Whether they grasped something from my words or remained locked in their unchanging hunting hound mentality was of no concern to me. My target now was singular.
And to reach that bastard still hidden from view, I would need to push through—there were still many obstacles in my path.
Thud.
My footsteps pressed against the meticulously maintained grass.
Though the world outside remained in the bitter grip of winter, beyond the corridor lay a garden bursting with the verdant promise of spring.
In this place of unknown height, hundreds of blossoms bloomed in profusion, and a smaller number of enemies awaited me.
“Quite the gathering. You bastards.”
Whoosh!
Instead of a response to my greeting, an arrow saturated with mana came hurtling back.
Aimed precisely at my eyes, the archer was clearly stingy, and judging by the mana infused in the shaft, the intent was unmistakably lethal.
In such cases, returning what one receives is only proper. At least, that was my way.
Crack, whistle!
I seized the arrow mid-flight and scattered it back.
The arrowhead, twice as fast and forceful as the original shot, gleamed as it returned to its sender.
Clang!
A pure white blade trembled with the friction.
A man in his fifties, wielding an enormous greatsword, deflected the arrow and fixed me with a gaze of profound depth.
His bearing spoke of seasoned experience, his presence reminiscent of a martial master at the pinnacle of their power.
“As I’ve heard, you’re quite the impatient one, junior.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, senior.”
I cracked my knuckles with deference befitting a junior. A sickening crunch echoed from joints stiffened with dried blood.
“If you withdraw now, I’ll let you pass quietly. Though that archer from before is an exception.”
Smack!
Before my words had even finished, someone’s head snapped to the side.
The middle-aged man, moving with lightning speed, struck the archer on his right across the face and turned to regard me.
“He’s still young and foolish. I ask for your mercy.”
“That was no mistake. His arm needs to be broken.”
“That much should suffice. Survival is what matters most, after all.”
What is this?
He was different from the Ares Guild members I’d faced until now. As I regarded him with newfound suspicion, the middle-aged man continued in a measured tone.
“And while I appreciate the offer you’ve extended, I’m afraid I must decline. I’m an executive of the guild, after all. I’d have to cling to your pant leg and hold on.”
“Then you won’t have a pleasant time.”
“What can I do? I’m ultimately just a hunting dog. Given the circumstances so far, the outcome is obvious, but I’d appreciate it if you’d take it easy on me.”
What was this attitude?
As I stared silently at the middle-aged man, a sudden realization dawned, and I opened my mouth to speak.
“Song Cheon-woo. Or rather, you’re part of Director Song’s faction.”
The Middle-aged Guard’s eyes widened at my words. A confirmation.
And with that, my reason to fight them vanished entirely.
Song Cheon-woo was a figure who commanded his own faction within the Ares Guild and stood in opposition to Seok Go-jun, so this Middle-aged Guard before me was surely someone who shared his cause.
“You… knew?”
“I heard it from someone close to me. There’s no need to fight, so please stand down.”
The Middle-aged Guard let out a hollow laugh.
“The enemy of my enemy is my ally?”
“At least for now, I don’t want to waste strength or time.”
Thud.
The moment I resumed walking, the Middle-aged Guard raised his greatsword at an angle, positioning it firmly.
A clear combat stance. His conflicted voice reached my ears.
“Stop right there. I don’t want to do this either, but I have no choice.”
I answered without halting my steps.
“If you don’t want to do this, why are you here? Because you’re nothing but a hunting dog who can only follow orders?”
“…!”
“If you fear Seok Go-jun, then say you fear him. Don’t dress it up with excuses about having no choice.”
It wasn’t just the Middle-aged Guard. The gazes of everyone turned toward me trembled.
As I advanced without hesitation, over a hundred of them retreated in kind.
An invisible crack appeared across the Middle-aged Guard’s composed expression.
“The tide has already turned. Director Song left for Britain this morning, I heard. What does that mean? We had to find a way to survive somehow. Even if it meant playing the hunting dog.”
Song Cheon-woo going to Britain this morning was obviously a lie. I was certain it was a double Seok Go-jun had arranged, and I let out a soft laugh.
“What if that hunting dog’s master dies today?”
“…!”
Everyone’s eyes widened. I reached toward empty air. At the same moment, Baek Yeom, summoned from my inventory, descended in a diagonal slash.
Whoosh!
A single line cutting across the void.
Everyone held their breath, but there was no spurting blood, no death.
What the blade of pure white cut down was not human, but something else.
Crack, boom!
The magnificent fountain at the center of the Garden—the colossal stone statue standing upon it crumbled and collapsed.
The remains of the statue, carved in the image of someone long dead, crushed the flowers beneath it.
The severed head rolled and rolled until it came to rest at my feet.
I could easily recognize the face of the statue—so lifelike it could hardly be called mere stone.
‘Lee Jung-yong.’
Yes.
Today, this magnificent palace built by the tyrant who sought to possess everything crumbles.
Along with his disciple, now a monster.
I spoke a single phrase to the dumbfounded crowd.
“One of two things. Lower your weapons and clear the way, or stand 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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