Murim Login - Chapter 607
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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 607
The Pentagon.
This massive five-sided structure was nearly impregnable.
Nearly a thousand security personnel, each of them an elite Hunter, and the vast flow of mana that enveloped both the interior and exterior of the building spoke volumes about the Pentagon’s status.
“Impressive, isn’t it?”
As I gazed around with wide eyes, Magic Johnson, who had just completed the authentication process, smiled knowingly at both me and Choi Team Leader.
“Since its initial construction during World War II, the Pentagon has been attacked only twice. The 9/11 terrorist attack. And the Great Cataclysm. I’m sure you both know how those turned out.”
Choi Team Leader nodded.
“Even against the massive assault by Demon King Asmodeus and his monster army, it never fell.”
“That’s right. It was the second fiercest battle of my entire life. The first was, needless to say, ‘Victory Day,’ and each time I narrowly escaped death thanks to one person.”
This was a fact known to anyone on Earth, not just Americans.
There had been only one person capable of stopping the demon that descended upon this land—Demon King Asmodeus—both during the Great Cataclysm and afterward.
“Cheon Tae-min. If it weren’t for your grandfather, whom Americans call Sky, neither I nor this Pentagon would exist today.”
Magic Johnson was gazing at Choi Team Leader with a distant look, as if recalling something, when—
“I share the same sentiment, Johnson.”
The voice that suddenly rang out belonged to neither me nor Choi Team Leader. Naturally, it wasn’t the Skeleton King hiding in my inventory either.
Thud. Thud.
The sound of heavy footsteps. Wrinkled jeans and a shirt, with disheveled white hair all tangled and matted.
An elderly white man with one side of his face severely contorted approached with an unobstructed gait and suddenly extended both hands.
“I can’t decide which of you two to shake hands with first, so let’s do it all at once. Chuck Haigl. Just call me Chuck.”
From the very first greeting, the aura of a Texas tough guy radiated and overflowed.
I stared intently at Chuck Haigl’s face, which felt strangely familiar for some reason, and grasped his hand.
“I’m Jin Tae-kyung. But could you be…?”
“The very same Chuck Haigl? That’s right. I’m not as famous as you, but back in my day, I slayed quite a few monsters myself.”
“Wow. Wow.”
Even as I looked at him, I couldn’t quite believe it—the old man before me was none other than the legendary S-rank Hunter from the previous generation, known as Uncle Chuck.
I never thought I’d meet a war hero from the Great Cataclysm that I’d admired as a child. I let out an exclamation and shook his hand vigorously up and down.
“I’m a fan. A real fan. I even collected your Hunter cards back in elementary school.”
“Hunter cards? They sold those in South Korea too?”
“They probably sold them in North Korea as well. I saved up my allowance and bought them every chance I got.”
“Ho. So there’s another foolish little kid who gifted me a massive royalty. Of course, I spent all those royalties on alimony from five divorces.”
Chuck Haigl, who had just obliterated my childhood memories in one breath, continued with a satisfied smile.
“Later, if you have any of my cards, bring them by. I’ll sign them if you’d like.”
“Ah, I traded all of them away.”
“What?”
“After collecting ten cards, I traded them to a friend for a Cheon Tae-min card. Honestly, Uncle Chuck cards weren’t that rare.”
「….」
Chuck Haigl’s smile vanished completely, and he let out a sigh.
“Damn it. And the person you traded them for wasn’t just anyone—it was Mr. Sky. There’s nothing I can say to that.”
“The rarity and value aren’t even comparable. He originally asked for twenty cards, but I negotiated him down…”
“…I got it. I got it, so stop now.”
Chuck Haigl shook his head and shook hands with Choi Team Leader as he spoke.
“You’re the spitting image of your maternal grandfather. Pleased to meet you, Choi.”
“Pleased to meet you too, Mr. Haigl.”
“Call me Chuck, make it casual. If you were one of those other blockheads with nothing but shit in their heads, maybe not. But you and the turncoat next to you have more than earned the right.”
Here he was, treating me like a traitor just because I sold some cards. As I muttered this inwardly, Choi Team Leader responded in a composed tone.
“Please understand, Mr. Haigl. I’m not comfortable addressing the head of the Pentagon and the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America so casually.”
“Hmm. Is that so? Come to think of it, you probably are concerned about people’s eyes. After all, you’ve taken charge of two massive Guilds.”
I blinked as I listened to their conversation.
“Head of the Pentagon? Secretary of Defense?”
“Hm? You didn’t know?”
“No, of course I didn’t.”
“Really? Everyone else knew. I thought Johnson at least would have told you.”
The next-generation National Security Advisor-elect, a grand sorcerer, scratched his chin at the Secretary of Defense’s gaze.
“I naturally thought you’d know too. Jin. You really didn’t?”
At this point, I felt like an idiot. I replied in an awkward tone.
“I really didn’t know. Did you perhaps take office a few days ago? Ah. So that’s why I didn’t know?”
Chuck Haigl’s short and blunt answer came back.
“It’s my eighth year now.”
“…Ah.”
“Well, there’s no real need for you to know anyway. Compared to what we’re about to discuss, it’s hardly important. Now, everyone follow me.”
Chuck Haigl naturally pulled a cigar from his uniform’s front pocket and lit it, taking the lead, and we followed in his footsteps.
Each time Chuck Haigl puffed on his cigar, the acrid smoke that billowed out touched the ceiling, and a warning alarm sounded with a red light flashing.
Whee! Wheeee!
– Fire hazard! Fire hazard!
Crash!
Chuck Haigl, who smashed the warning light without a moment’s hesitation, muttered.
“Fucking siren.”
Beyond a tough guy and a reckless fool, there’s just a madman. The Skeleton King, who had safely passed through the security checkpoint hidden in my inventory, whispered.
–
Is he even human? Not a monster?
I had considerable doubts myself, but it matched exactly with the description written on the Hunter cards I’d collected as a child.
From Texas with dreams of being a cowboy, and the unbelievable story that he actually tamed a Minotaur with his bare fists and rode it around, among other things.
Thump. Thump.
There was no one bold enough to block Chuck Haigl’s path as he advanced without hesitation.
Researchers, Hunters, and employees belonging to the Pentagon parted left and right as if facing a disaster, and the Moses with a cigar instead of a staff crossed between them, spewing smoke like a chimney.
Of course, he didn’t forget to trash talk in between.
“When the hell is this damned corridor going to get wider? Every time I see it, I want to smash it to pieces.”
“Hey, Smith. Put away that e-cigarette while I’m being nice. One more time you waft that dog-shit strawberry scent in front of me, and I’ll put you on the casualty list. But cigars are fine.”
“Gordon. The warning light in sector 3 got smashed, so go fix it. Who broke it? Listen up. Your fucking direct superior.”
No one could stop Chuck Haigl as he rampaged like an enraged bull.
During the five-minute journey, poor Smith was forced to have his vape liquid replaced, innocent Gordon sprinted to repair the warning lights with his feet practically on fire, and seven additional warning lights were smashed to pieces by the billowing cigar smoke that posed a fire hazard.
And Gordon would probably have to repair those warning lights too.
“….”
This is absolutely insane.
As I pondered who on earth had the crazy idea to seat that man as Secretary of Defense, Magic Johnson whispered softly.
「Hey. Guys. Chuck’s been on edge lately because of the terrorist situation. He’s a good guy at heart, so cut him some slack.」
The moment his words ended, Chuck Haigl slammed his fist against the wall.
「This damn corridor! Corridor! Corridor! Corridor! Didn’t I tell you to widen it!」
Boom! Boom! Crash!
Choi Team Leader stared at the widening corridor and asked earnestly.
“Are you really sure he’s a good guy?”
「…Probably. Despite appearances, his abilities and drive as Secretary of Defense are absolutely top-notch.」
Of course they would be. Anyone who rubbed Chuck Haigl the wrong way even slightly would have their life ruined.
Along with Magic Johnson’s increasingly uncertain response, Chuck Haigl, who had passed through the mana detection device, pointed at the firmly closed door.
「We’re already here. Now then, everyone. This is Building 5.」
“Building 5?”
「It’s what we call the E-Ring. And let me tell you one thing—to my knowledge, a foreigner hasn’t set foot in this place for twenty-five years.」
Chuck Haigl, glancing at Choi Team Leader, smiled and added a remark.
「There was only one outsider on this entire planet who could freely come and go from here. Mister Sky. He received the same treatment as the President of the United States of America.」
Setting everything else aside, the very fact that Chuck Haigl himself consistently used the title “Mister” spoke volumes about Cheon Tae-min’s standing.
「And now his grandson and a young hero have taken up the torch. All of you… welcome to Building 5.」
The moment Chuck Haigl finished speaking, brilliant light poured from the entire door.
Whoosh!
No, this wasn’t light—it was magic.
I accepted the flow of mana coursing through my entire body without resistance.
Along with the dazzling light that flooded my vision, the space surrounding me warped and distorted.
‘This is….’
The moment I recognized this familiar sensation as Teleport, I opened my eyes and realized I had arrived in a completely unfamiliar new space.
As my vision quickly returned, I saw people seated around a pentagonal table.
「So the forces to be deployed to the Middle East Front are… Oh. Our guests have finally arrived.」
Beep.
With the mechanical sound, the hologram that had illuminated the dark chamber vanished, and the middle-aged man with a neat impression seated at the head of the table stopped speaking and rose from his seat.
An extraordinarily familiar face.
He, who held a position constantly exposed across all media, looked older in person than on television, and radiated a charisma that exceeded what the newspapers conveyed.
「You’re later than expected, Secretary Haigl. I hope you didn’t destroy another innocent warning system.」
In response to the middle-aged man’s words tinged with laughter, Chuck Haigl, whose cigar end was glowing red-hot, flicked it with his finger and replied.
「Just deduct it from my salary.」
「The Treasury Secretary already asked me to tell you—your entire salary for this month has already gone to Pentagon repair costs you’ve caused.」
「Damn it. Again? At this rate, I’ll be too scared of alimony to even get a divorce.」
Chuck Haigl exhaled a sigh-laden murmur and turned his head toward us.
「Introductions aren’t necessary, are they?」
At least not this time.
Team Leader Choi, myself, and even the Skeleton King—we all knew who this middle-aged man was.
–
Cunning human. Could that old man possibly be….
Yes. I nodded slightly and approached the middle-aged man with measured steps, murmuring his name silently in my mind.
‘Donald Trump Jr.’
A title more famous than his name: President of the United States of America.
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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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