Murim Login - Chapter 605

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

Chapter 605
– Jacob. How are things on your end? You haven’t been injured, have you?
Within the holographic television, a heavily made-up East Asian female announcer posed the question to a sturdy Black reporter at the scene, who winked in response.
– Thanks to Jenny’s concern, I’m fortunately unharmed. The same goes for everyone else.
– For a location where a Byeon Yi Gate appeared, it looks remarkably peaceful.
– Of course. No one was injured, and the situation wrapped up in an instant. Besides, this is Texas. Everyone here—men and women alike—is tough.
– Ha ha. Well, that’s fortunate. But where is the hero who saved everyone in such a dangerous situation?
– Jenny, I owe you and our viewers an apology. The hero who would have graced this moment, Magic Johnson, has already left. I did my best to keep him here, but I couldn’t.
– Oh, no.
– He refused the interview, saying he had urgent business, and disappeared. He seemed so pressed for time that I thought he was rushing off to meet some secret lover.
– I see. By the way, Jacob, the exact cause of this Byeon Yi Gate was…
A secret lover, huh.
I hummed absently while lounging on the sofa, watching the holographic television.
“When Dad goes to work, smooch smooch. Magic Johnson comes to Korea, smooch smooch.”
Whoosh, crash!
As I ducked my head in sync with the sound, a crystal glass tumbler grazed my nape and shattered the holographic television.
Shards scattered everywhere, and water pooled across the floor. The moment our eyes met, Choi Team Leader opened his mouth with a composed expression.
“Ah, you dodged it.”
“…”
“I’m telling you this so there’s no misunderstanding—it was intentional.”
“…You’re not even making excuses about it being an accident.”
“Because it wasn’t an accident. It’s really a shame, too. If I’d been just a bit faster, I could’ve gotten Jin Tae-kyung’s head…”
“No, what do you mean ‘head’? Head?”
“Because you carelessly mock that stubborn mouth of yours, that’s why you get called ‘head.’ Honestly, even the word ‘head’ is wasted on someone as thick-skulled as Jin Tae-kyung.”
“Huh? Head? Mouth?”
“From now on, don’t even think about falling asleep in front of me. If you sleep with your mouth hanging open, I’ll pour cyanide down your throat.”
“…”
Is this guy insane with punchlines?
His fury was so intense that his spitting tone and the venom seeping through it left me speechless.
I briefly considered pulling out the Manumission Pill, then gently waved my hand.
“Choi Team Leader. Calm down, calm down. This is all my fault.”
“Do you look calm right now?”
“No, but what could I do in that situation? You saw the news. He said he was busy because of the Byeon Yi Gate situation—what was I supposed to do? I had to call him out first.”
“So you just wagered my lips without permission?”
“King, I couldn’t exactly wager my own lips, could I?”
“…!”
Whoosh! Crash!
Wow, that was really close this time.
I barely dodged the attack again and cried out in panic.
“Stop! Team Leader! Stop!”
Choi Team Leader picked up his third crystal glass and responded.
“Shut your mouth. Not another word.”
“But we didn’t kiss! We didn’t actually do it!”
“We almost did!”
It was at that moment when Choi Team Leader, with a roar that rivaled a lion’s cry, was about to swing his arm.
The door burst open.
Before the unopened door stood Skeleton King, brimming with anticipation, and Magic Johnson, looking dejected.
“The job’s done. Should we head to the Club?”
「Choi, I have my principles too.」
Choi Team Leader stared silently at the Club novice and the righteous grand sorcerer, then lowered his hand with a sigh.
* * *
Before being an exceptional War Mage, Magic Johnson was a grand sorcerer capable of wielding the vast majority of magic.
Upon receiving word, he had moved directly to Korea, and we laid out the facts to him immediately.
‘Mr. Johnson. The truth is, there’s something we need to relocate….’
‘Regardless of the reason, I don’t mind. But first, I’d like to receive Ppoppo. You’re ready, aren’t you, Choi?’
‘I’m not ready yet, and I won’t be in the future, and I never will be.’
‘Then this is troublesome. I don’t know what object you’re trying to move so secretively….’
‘Well, it’s not an object, but more precisely a person.’
‘What are you saying, Jin? A person? Are you helping someone escape?’
‘I’m not sure if “escape” is the right word, but it’s similar.’
‘Who is it? Don’t tell me it’s some heinous criminal? Or a hidden lover?’
‘It’s my maternal grandfather.’
‘Oh, Shit. I’m sorry, Choi. That wasn’t my intention… Wait. Who did you just say?’
Even after hearing the full circumstances, Magic Johnson remained silent for a long while, only opening his mouth after confirming Cheon Tae-min’s face with his own eyes.
‘What the hell is this situation?’
‘As you can see, it’s a damn mess.’
‘So that’s why you couldn’t explain it over the phone. Alright, let’s handle the urgent matters first. Choi, where do we need to move this person from this prison-like place?’
After that, everything proceeded swiftly.
Magic Johnson deployed a teleportation spell using the coordinates provided by Choi Team Leader, and we all—or rather, one person lost in a deep sleep from which waking would be difficult—returned to the Mansion where he had once stayed. Home, at last.
It had been some twenty years.
「I’ve layered spatial distortion with barriers. Defensive magic is standard, and I’ve even set up humidity and temperature controls. And…」
Magic Johnson, reciting every conceivable type of magic like a wanderer atop a beat, concluded with a breathless phrase.
「In other words, I’ve taken every measure currently available to me. Though additional work may be needed later.」
Skeleton King, sulking over missing the Club, muttered.
“I understand it’s impressive, but to what extent exactly?”
「Unless a grand sorcerer of my caliber, or two or three S-rank Hunters, come at it with intent to destroy it, it’ll remain intact.」
“Performance is certainly reliable.”
I agree with Skeleton King’s assessment. Magic Johnson had truly taken every single measure currently available to him.
Even ordinary S-rank Hunters would be unable to detect Cheon Tae-min’s existence or location.
‘Combat specialists and mages operate on different planes.’
Just as there is no end to martial arts cultivation, magic too knows no bounds.
Had I not opened my middle dantian, I would never have found Cheon Tae-min so easily.
「But among all this, does anyone know who created that secret space? The same goes for Area A—the level of magic installed there is certainly not beneath me.」
“This one does not know well, human.”
I gently patted the shoulder of Skeleton King, who had answered so readily.
“I asked if anyone knew. Not a monster.”
“You’re a real bastard.”
Hmm. His vocabulary is improving day by day.
Smack!
Having struck the back of his head as a reward for the vocabulary growth quest, I turned to Magic Johnson with a question.
“I’m curious about that too. Is there perhaps someone you suspect?”
「Hmm, well. When you think about it, only someone like me—an Archmage—could manage it. Especially at that level of magic.」
“Then perhaps….”
「Those two people, you mean?」
Magic Johnson shook his head with a grave expression at the sight of me closing my mouth with a suspicious look.
「It’s probably not them. Though I can’t say I have no suspicions at all.」
“Someone you suspect?”
「Yes.」
Magic Johnson, who had fallen into thought while letting out a low hum, continued speaking.
「I’ll hold my tongue on this matter. It’s too early to be certain. But just in case, I should seek out the other Archmages. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen their faces.」
“Then I’m grateful.”
It was welcome news to hear. Magic Johnson, with the keen insight befitting an Archmage, was offering to verify the truth himself.
‘Currently, there are only three Archmages in the entire world.’
If there was an Archmage who had received such a commission while fully understanding Lee Jung-yong’s intentions… this was a matter that could never be overlooked.
The guilt of condoning the confinement of a hero who saved humanity from catastrophe as though he were a criminal must be held accountable.
For the sake of even one person.
“Choi Team Leader.”
At my call, Choi Team Leader stood as if nailed in place.
Inside the elliptical hibernation chamber made of cold metal, he gazed endlessly at his maternal grandfather lost in deep sleep, then suddenly opened his mouth.
“I’ve waited so long… but he won’t wake.”
Clumsy comfort is worse than silence. Knowing this truth, none of us could speak easily.
The immortal hero, Cheon Tae-min, still had not regained consciousness.
‘And that for more than twenty years now.’
The cause and reason remain unknown. Unfortunately, everything Choi Team Leader had heard from Song Cheon-woo was true.
Lee Jung-yong and Song Cheon-woo—those two ambitious men had also exhausted every effort to awaken him, yet ultimately bore no fruit.
In this frustrating situation, there was only one thing we could say right now.
“There must be a way.”
「Jin is right. Just as there is no result without process, there is no illness without cause.」
“Take heart. He’s certainly not dead yet. Even if he were to die, I could search for a way to resurrect him as a Death Knight….”
At the sudden surge of murderous intent in my gaze and Magic Johnson’s, Skeleton King faltered and began stammering out excuses.
“I was just trying to comfort you.”
“Is that supposed to be comforting, you bastard?”
「Monster murderer fucker….」
Just as I was cursing Skeleton King in a voice barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz, afraid he might hear me, Choi Team Leader opened his mouth with a faint smile.
“It’s alright. We’ll find a way somehow. The fact that he’s alive is a blessing in itself.”
A smile doesn’t necessarily mean joy.
Neither I, nor Magic Johnson, nor even Skeleton King—who possessed all the perceptiveness of a finger bone—could fail to sense the emotion emanating from Choi Team Leader in that moment.
And as if we’d made a pact, we all fell silent at once, and Choi Team Leader’s voice, heavy and deeply subdued, pierced through our ears.
“But… at least for today, I’d like to rest. You’ve all worked hard. I’m truly grateful.”
He looked at each of us in turn, then bowed his head with genuine sincerity.
Understanding the meaning behind that gesture, I was the first to move toward the entrance.
It had been nearly twenty years since their reunion. Now was the time to step aside for a grandfather and grandson who couldn’t even exchange a single greeting with each other.
* * *
One of the most important things to Koreans is rice.
Have you eaten rice? Let’s grab a meal sometime when we’re free. Are you crazy?
The last one’s a bit odd, but the fact that rice appears even in curses—that’s Korean culture.
Which means that when a Korean finishes work, they must share a meal together. And the best kind is rice with broth.
「Gugbab? What’s this?」
Magic Johnson, eyeing my mother’s homemade blood sausage soup with suspicion, set down his spoon.
「Hey, Jin. No toast?」
“Just try it once, please.”
「Nah, I’m good. Not hungry.」
Grrrrrrr.
「…Toast. Really none?」
“Even if there is, there isn’t. If you insist, at least try the broth. Just the broth.”
「Damn it. This is Korean soup, right? Why does it look so weird?」
Grumbling, Magic Johnson picked up a spoon and awkwardly sipped the broth.
And that was the end of the game.
「Ohhhhh. Fuck Yeah.」
Magic Johnson, who had devoured two entire bowls of blood sausage soup while exclaiming profanities, grinned contentedly.
「There were so many incidents today that I’ve been busy all day, but now I finally feel alive.」
“I saw the news earlier. Byeon Yi suppressed the Gate and came straight here without doing an interview.”
「Byeon Yi Gate? Did you not watch the news all the way through?」
I didn’t. Choi Team Leader smashed it to pieces with a crystal glass.
I shrugged and asked back.
“Why?”
「If you had, you wouldn’t have said that.」
Magic Johnson picked up a toothpick and continued.
「To be precise, it wasn’t the Byeon Yi Gate.」
“Huh?”
What in the world is he talking about?

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