Murim Login - Chapter 599

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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 599
Throughout the drive back to the Mansion after the audience, I sensed the subtle shift in the air around me.
It was likely a natural handling of their gaze and movements honed through rigorous training, but such things could not escape my perception.
‘They’re definitely suspicious.’
The A-rank Hunters belonging to the Blue House Security Service.
They claimed their role was merely temporary protection for me and my family, but I wasn’t naive enough to accept such words at face value.
‘The moment they sense anything amiss, they’ll report it up the chain immediately.’
They were neither members of the Peace Guild nor ordinary Hunters.
They were civil servants of the Blue House Security Service, answering directly to only one person—the President.
Perhaps President Baek Han-sung had already received a report about today’s audience.
The private meeting between Go Se-won and myself. And the contents of our conversation that remained unheard during those brief one or two minutes.
‘What should I do?’
I fell into thought, gazing out at the specially treated windows that obscured the vehicle’s interior.
The existence of another secret sector revealed through Go Se-won’s words. And the question of when and to whom I should disclose this information.
My deliberation did not last long.
‘For now, I cannot act immediately anyway.’
Only two days had passed since that day. The world remained turbulent, and people had not yet emerged from their grief and shock.
Even Choi Team Leader, who needed to know this information before anyone else, was no exception.
So at least until Kim Hwa-jong’s funeral, which would soon take place, I had to hold my tongue.
It was not solely for Choi Team Leader’s sake. I too needed time to process everything.
“Sigh.”
As I exhaled softly, the escort in the driver’s seat glanced at me through the rearview mirror and asked.
“Is there anything uncomfortable, sir?”
“No, nothing at all.”
I buried myself deeper into the seat along with the lie.
The truth was, everything around me felt uncomfortable.
I murmured the sincerity I had left unspoken and gazed out at the world beyond the window.
Like the scenery passing before my eyes, time too flowed swiftly.
* * *
January 19th.
One week had passed since that day, now known as the 119 Incident. The world remained in turmoil.
The flames ignited from that point forward would not be easily extinguished. Rather, they continued to rage beyond anyone’s control.
Media outlets across South Korea and the world threw kindling and fuel onto the flames, while public opinion fanned the ever-growing fire.
[January 19th. The day darkness fell upon South Korea.]
[Two artificially triggered Monster Waves. UN Secretary-General: “An unforgivable international crime.”]
[Roman Catholic Vatican: “He is no human—he is Satan. Another Demon King.”]
[Ares Guild Official Statement: “Seok Go-jun’s atrocities deserve condemnation. We humbly apologize to the people.”]
[Bereaved families of 119 Incident victims prepare massive lawsuits against Ares Guild and the state.]
[Go Se-won’s continued revelations: “Ares is rotten to the core.”]
It was Seok Go-jun and the Ares Guild who bore the brunt of the world’s condemnation.
Go Se-won had briefly held the position of second-in-command within the Guild, and he detailed every misconduct and criminal act he was aware of with meticulous precision.
As secrets that everyone had either ignored or deliberately concealed came to light, the world was turned upside down once more.
When the Prosecution issued numerous search warrants and arrest warrants, several overseas branch directors who caught wind of the situation even attempted to flee.
Did you see the news? The China branch director got caught trying to escape locally.
Yeah, right after the wanted notice dropped, the Public Security Armed Forces nabbed him.
└ Of all people, caught by the Chinese. Seriously, what an embarrassment for the country.
└ ???Don’t insult the Public Security Armed Forces—they’re good guys. Don’t you remember how they smashed the Arch Lich’s head in during the Sogyeokbyeon incident? They were all fired up about it.
└ What does “good guys” mean?
└ Good Chinese.
The King’s Armed Forces Division acknowledges it. The one who caught the China branch manager this time is Shao Shen, and he became the youngest Armed Forces Division chief, but he’s a Jin Tae-kyung fanboy.
└ For real?
└ In the interview, he kept going on about Tae-kyung. Seriously, he was all about it. Turns out the China branch director also damaged local cultural relics, so the Foreign Ministry is absolutely furious right now.
└ ??Was this bastard a Red Guard in his past life?
└ Isn’t this revenge for the Northeast Project? Those continental guys still call hanbok by the name of hanfu.
└ Winnie the Pooh died ages ago, but hanfu is still alive….
It was the worst crisis the Ares Guild had faced since its founding.
Nearly half of the Guild’s executives were summoned by the Prosecution, and even those who hadn’t committed any particular misconduct or crimes had to undergo questioning as witnesses.
And in stark contrast, public opinion toward Jin Tae-kyung and the Peace Guild—who had played the most crucial role in the 119 Incident—was overwhelmingly favorable.
[Sogyeokbyeon Achievement Summary.jpg]
[I was present during the Pyeongchang Monster Wave. I express my gratitude to the fifteen Peace Guild Hunters, including the late Guild Master Kim Hwa-jong, and offer my deepest condolences.]
[Honestly, what crime did Jin Tae-kyung commit? (Long post warning)]
[Blue House Petition now surpassed 10 million signatures.]
Enormous volumes of supportive posts flooded the internet daily.
They passionately asserted Jin Tae-kyung’s innocence through national petitions and, in the early days when the truth remained obscured, they condemned the media outlets that had hastily attacked Jin Tae-kyung and even staged protests.
Yet despite all this, there remained those who stubbornly continued to criticize Jin Tae-kyung.
[Patriotic Daily editorial director Lee Gang-hee: “Jin Tae-kyung is nothing but a lawless man. The disciplinary action against Seok Go-jun should have been left to the law…”]
The remarks of a certain prominent media figure gained considerable agreement, but as the meaning of the Code Red issued by the Ares Guild against Jin Tae-kyung and the precise casualty figures from the 119 Incident came to light, that consensus quickly faded.
[Fierce combat resulted in 538 casualties. Yet only 20 were fatalities….]
[The identities of the deceased finally revealed. The late Seok Go-jun and his security team.]
[Go Se-won: “Seok Go-jun’s security team were loyal hunting dogs and fanatics. The Busan Monster Wave was also carried out by security team members acting under Seok Go-jun’s orders.”]
[Testimony from victims at the scene: “Jin Tae-kyung struck down all who stood in his path, but he never attacked the healers.”]
[Jin Tae-kyung, the spirit of modern chivalry shining through the chaos.]
[Murder in London, Britain. Ten security team members who murdered and fled with the families of Song Cheon-woo, the Europe branch director of the Ares Guild being detained. Interpol warrant issued….]
[Patriotic Daily editorial director Lee Gang-hee. The reason he criticizes Jin Tae-kyung. Hundreds of billions in real estate under shell companies—where did it come from? Prosecution launches investigation.]
As the truth continued to emerge, the voices criticizing Jin Tae-kyung faltered, and the statements made by prominent figures who had taken a confident stance from the beginning resurfaced.
[Chinese State Chairman Xiao Yang: “We have not forgotten what happened in Sichuan. Jin is a great hero, and he acts only with righteousness.”]
[American Grand Sorcerer Magic Johnson: “Jin is a hero, and Korean media is garbage. The truth will soon be revealed, so that idiot Kanghee Lee should stop wasting paper with his pathetic writing and bow before my thick and mighty magic wand.”]
[British Prince Felix: “Jin was not born of noble blood, yet he has proven his nobility through his own deeds. Regrettably, those who insult him seem to possess base character. Let them kiss the back of my hand.”]
[Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Shinichiro: “I believe Korean media that insults Jin should reflect, and while they are reflecting, I believe they should reflect on the fact that they are not showing the attitude of reflection, which is why I believe they should reflect.”]
[Former American President Joseph Biden: “He is a good young man. I met him directly not long ago, and he was calm and virtuous.” When a reporter asked when they met, he paused briefly before saying, “I think I confused him with someone else.”]
In a world still shrouded in chaos, people found themselves consumed merely by the constant stream of news that reached their ears each day.
President Baek Han-sung issued a public apology, pledging that such an incident would never occur again.
And in that same moment, wielding the banner of social purification, he targeted the massive guilds that had swollen beyond reach—organizations previously untouchable.
Influential figures and leaders across the globe ceaselessly defended the Peace Guild.
Meanwhile, Seok Go-jun, who had committed crimes too horrific to even imagine, the Ares Guild tainted by corruption, and even the former Sub-Guild Master Lee Jung-yong could not escape the voice of condemnation.
And amid all this, between the truths gradually coming to light, one question remained unresolved.
Why. How could it be.
That very man—Cheon Tae-min—why did he not reveal himself even in such circumstances?
It was a question everyone harbored, and simultaneously, a truth no one could uncover.
The Immortal Hero who vanished one day without warning. The whereabouts of Cheon Tae-min remained shrouded in mystery.
Even when the Arch Lich ravaged China months ago, dealing astronomical damage, even when Lee Jung-yong—his sworn brother in all but name—received a state funeral.
Even when the Ares Guild headquarters, where he served as Guild Master, was reduced to ashes by Jin Tae-kyung….
Yet Cheon Tae-min never appeared, and the incomprehensible questions people harbored about his seclusion snowballed ever larger.
And amidst the chaos and uncertainty that had not yet fully subsided, a grand state funeral was held for the victims of the 119 Incident.
* * *
South Korea, usually so loud and bustling, was quiet that day.
The government declared a temporary national holiday; the roads that should have been filled with automobiles lay empty; and the news reported in solemn tones that thirty million citizens had gathered across the nation to pay their respects.
And… I am here now.
In this place where the honored and devoted are laid to rest. The National Cemetery itself.
Crunch.
As spring began to approach, the grass in late January was verdant and brimming with vitality.
Along with it came the wind brushing against my face and the warm sunlight.
What beautiful weather. Perfect for bidding farewell to someone, and for remembering someone anew.
[January 19th. In remembrance of them.]
I lifted my gaze from the brief inscription engraved below.
Brilliant sunlight streamed down upon the towering memorial monument, piercing my eyes.
Among the names of roughly two thousand victims carved into its surface, I found one familiar name.
[Late Kim Hwa-jong]
A sudden thought crossed my mind—how fortunate that the weather was so fine.
That he, who had shivered in the cold until his final breath, would now rest in eternal peace on such a warm day, receiving the greetings of countless souls.
‘It will be warm now. Will it not, Kim Butler?’
Though his ashes, now cremated, would be buried elsewhere rather than at this monument, I believe his spirit will linger here as well.
It was then that I posed an unanswerable question to Kim Hwa-jong.
“He will rest in peace. Kim Butler will.”
A soft voice pierced my ear. Choi Team Leader, gazing at the monument with sorrowful eyes, added his words.
“But we… will only grow busier from here on.”
I nodded. Now was the time to speak of what had been hidden away.

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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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