Murim Login - Chapter 727

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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 727
Should I tear it up, or leave it?
Watching Jin Tae-kyung, whose every thought was written plainly across his face, Choi Min-woo couldn’t help but let out an inward, exasperated chuckle.
‘I simply cannot fathom him.’
His usual words and deeds were refreshingly straightforward, his thoughts equally uncomplicated.
Yet occasionally, Jin Tae-kyung revealed facets of himself that transcended mere surprise—they bordered on the astonishing.
‘It’s strange to keep being amazed, but this… this is truly something.’
Choi Min-woo’s gaze settled upon the table before him.
[The Grinning Mana Cultivation Method]
The handwriting was as crooked as a child’s scrawl, and the title was absurdly ridiculous.
Yet the contents contained within those ten or so sheets of A4 paper were anything but laughable, despite the title’s frivolity.
‘He actually created an entirely new Mana Cultivation Method.’
The reason Jin Tae-kyung had teased Choi Min-woo earlier, even pointing out his poor handwriting, was simple enough.
It was a petty form of revenge for presenting something so absurd so suddenly, without a single word of warning.
The shock Choi Min-woo had felt mere hours ago had been that profound.
‘How is this even possible?’
The explanation was clearer and more concise than anything he’d ever encountered before. The Mana Cultivation Method was remarkably stable, grounded in fundamental principles.
Choi Min-woo, who had become a master rivaling even the greatest experts of the Murim, immediately grasped the true value of this new Mana Cultivation Method.
Moreover, he could now comprehend what the series of events that had captured the world’s attention mere days ago had meant to Jin Tae-kyung.
“The Week of Judgment.”
Breaking the brief silence, Choi Min-woo fixed his gaze upon Jin Tae-kyung and continued.
“Just as God created the heavens and earth over seven days, terrorists across the globe experienced their Week of Judgment. It’s what Trump Junior, the U.S. President, said at a White House press conference a few days ago.”
These were the official words of the American President himself, spoken in a formal setting.
Naturally, his provocative remarks spread like wildfire in less than an hour, and by now, there was scarcely a soul in South Korea who hadn’t heard of them.
Perhaps with one exception.
“He said that?”
At Jin Tae-kyung’s question—posed from within the Training Room where he’d been confined—Choi Min-woo nodded.
“For a statement from a national leader, especially the U.S. President, it was quite inflammatory. There were criticisms that he was deliberately provoking the terrorists.”
“Hmm. Why make such a grand comparison to creation itself? So, any retaliatory attacks?”
“None. Not a single one.”
“Not even one?”
“No. In fact, they’ve been remarkably quiet.”
The sullen expression on Jin Tae-kyung’s face softened slightly.
“All that beating them down was worth it, then.”
It was at that very moment.
Choi Min-woo, who had been gazing intently at Jin Tae-kyung, suddenly opened his mouth.
“So that was it.”
“What was?”
“I’ve been pondering two things: why you suddenly suppressed the terrorists, and what it meant that you gave me this new Mana Cultivation Method.”
And now, the answer had come to him.
[Mana Cultivation Method with a Grin].
Choi Min-woo lifted the document, bound together with a single careless knot that showed no sincerity whatsoever, and continued speaking.
“You’re planning to reveal this Mana Cultivation Method to everyone, aren’t you?”
Jin Tae-kyung let out a dry chuckle.
“Our Choi Team Leader is as sharp as ever, I see.”
* * *
At this very moment, the expression on Choi Team Leader’s face as he regarded me was enigmatic.
He seemed to be admiring something, yet at the same time, his mind appeared to be churning with countless thoughts.
“What is it? Is there a problem?”
“Well…”
Choi Team Leader ran his hand through his disheveled hair.
“There are so many problems that I’m not sure where to begin.”
“The Mana Cultivation Method I created has no flaws, so it must be the practical aspects you’re concerned about.”
“…Yes, unfortunately, that’s the case.”
“Among those, which is the biggest problem?”
Choi Team Leader, who had been thinking for a moment, opened his mouth.
“First of all, simply revealing this Mana Cultivation Method itself becomes the first problem.”
“Go on.”
“The Mana Cultivation Method is something only an extremely small number of high-ranking Hunters possess—a kind of know-how and secret technique. I’m sure you’re well aware of how closed-off they are, and how different the world they inhabit is from that of other Hunters.”
“I know. I’ve been rolling around in this field for years now. Of course, back when I was an F-rank Hunter, I’d never even heard of a Mana Cultivation Method.”
No profession in the world has as severe a disparity as Hunters do.
While ordinary people in society distinguish themselves by education, family background, and appearance, Hunters are divided solely by rank into the noble and the base.
How much mana one has been granted. How agile and strong one is. Based on these primal criteria, they are selected and graded like cattle destined for slaughter.
‘It’s no wonder F-rank Hunters are called slaves.’
In contrast, high-ranking Hunters are beings that exist above the clouds.
They earn in a single Raid what ordinary Hunters could never make in a lifetime, and they live beneath envious gazes and spotlights.
Perhaps that’s why.
Just as nobles of old built castles and lived within them, these Hunters too have erected walls for themselves alone.
Walls that no one but a high-ranking Hunter can cross.
Even if someone is fortunate enough to receive a high rank, there exists a gate that only opens with their permission.
Connected by these invisible threads, high-ranking Hunters are scattered across the globe, each protected by the massive Guilds they belong to.
“This isn’t a problem limited to just our country. If we reveal this Mana Cultivation Method to the world, the backlash will be far greater than you might expect.”
“Because they’ll think their own value diminishes if we expose the Mana Cultivation Method?”
“That’s part of it, but there’s another reason.”
“What is it?”
“The problem is precisely that it’s ‘us’ doing it.”
“…!”
Though his answer was brief, I immediately grasped what he meant.
‘Have I been standing out too much?’
Suddenly, I recalled the conversation I’d had with Jeok Cheon-gang just before logging out.
Whether he wanted it or not, his words carried the weight of a truth—he had already drawn far more attention than necessary.
The spotlight shines brightly. But the darkness surrounding it grows deeper still.
That passage from a novel I’d loved during my school days proved prophetic. As I grew brighter, the shadows enveloping me only intensified.
Both in the Murim and in the modern world.
“Choi Team Leader, is something the matter?”
Choi Team Leader shook his head, understanding what I was asking.
“There are no major issues yet, but… we’re facing invisible pressure. That’s why we’ve also put a hold on establishing additional overseas branches.”
“That’s all?”
“Every major Guild across the globe is watching us right now. Even without direct military action, if they make a move, our situation becomes precarious.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Choi Team Leader’s expression hardened as he replied.
“Did you give me the chance to?”
“…Fair point.”
This world is a mess too, it seems.
Those who already possess much despise change in the world.
Even the rare Hunters who’ve mastered their own independent Mana Cultivation Methods fall into that same category.
‘Actually, at this point, calling them Hunters rather than power brokers would be more accurate.’
Perhaps they are power brokers capable of controlling entire nations.
With their vast wealth, prestige, and overwhelming strength, they overturn even common sense itself—and they desire neither further change nor the emergence of another power broker who could rival them.
People like me or Choi Team Leader, for instance.
‘Even so, these bastards seem to operate on a different level than the Murim sects.’
In the Murim, if secret martial techniques leak out, they hunt you down with fury and shatter your skull. But at least they don’t throw a tantrum at a merchant selling the Tri-Calamity Sword Technique in the marketplace.
Yet these wealthy bastards are throwing a fit over us releasing a simple Mana Cultivation Method?
Damn, that pisses me off.
“If I expose this Mana Cultivation Method, they’ll lose their minds, won’t they?”
“Yes. We will too.”
“What if I just tear them apart instead?”
“What?”
“Think about it—I’ll just recklessly expose the Mana Cultivation Method first, then tear apart anyone who complains afterward. That should shut them up…”
“No! Don’t! Absolutely not!”
For Choi Team Leader to raise his voice to this volume—normally so measured and composed—meant he was essentially saying, ‘Walk over my corpse if you must, you insane bastard.’
But this time, I couldn’t easily agree with him.
“I understand your position, Team Leader, but this must be made public. It wasn’t created to be hoarded like a diary.”
Mana levels have already increased globally. In fact, they continue to rise even now.
As a result, mutated Gates have proliferated, and now Monster Waves have begun occurring.
“As mana increases, monsters grow stronger too. You know this as well as I do. But if this Mana Cultivation Method becomes known to the people in the current situation…”
“The overall level of Hunters would rise. Even the weakest Hunters could master it without difficulty, given its exceptional stability.”
Choi Team Leader continued, his expression grave.
“I understand what you’re thinking, Jin Tae-kyung. From the start, the reason you suppressed various rebel groups and terrorists was to minimize the possibility of the Mana Cultivation Method being misused, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. I had to consider whose hands would wield the weapon I created before worrying about its sharpness.”
Approximately two weeks ago in modern times, an incident that occurred in Texas, United States, instilled a sense of vigilance within me.
Specifically, terrorism involving mana stones.
Fortunately, the terrorist’s attempt came to nothing and no casualties occurred, but through that incident, I came to understand something clearly.
“The word ‘everyone’ that I’ve been thinking about includes all manner of criminals and lunatics as well.”
After that, I followed Magic Johnson to the Pentagon, where I obtained information about those bastards with the tacit approval of the American President, and together with my companions, I stained the desert with blood and cut away any elements that could become threats.
Rebel groups conducting shooting training on kidnapped children. Fanatical terrorists willing to commit suicide bombings….
I killed anyone who stood in my way, and those who died that way were conscripted into the Skeleton King’s Undead Legion to pursue those who fled.
Simultaneously, for those far away, I issued false orders through the captured leadership.
False orders commanding the rebel groups to attack the terrorist organization, and the terrorist organization to attack the rebel groups.
It was a war between dogs and bastards, and the price they paid for being deceived by false orders and launching an all-out assault against each other was a massive loss of military strength that could be called mutual destruction.
“As you well know, Team Leader Choi, completely eradicating those bastards won’t be possible just this time but in the future either… but we’ve already achieved our objective with the current situation. Even if those bastards master this Mana Cultivation Method, they won’t pose as much of a threat as before.”
It’s not just those bastards who grow stronger from the Mana Cultivation Method I created.
The overall level of Hunters will improve enough to respond to monsters strengthened by the mana enhancement phenomenon, and with this, we can maintain balance.
‘If the situation deteriorates far worse than it is now….’
In that case, I was prepared to even disclose the Jin Family Heart Method, which I had only revealed to an extremely small number of people including Team Leader Choi.
Lower-ranked Hunters who don’t know the first thing about the Mana Cultivation Method wouldn’t be able to apply the Jin Family Heart Method even if I threw it at them right now, but once they grasped the method, they would be able to master it on their own.
I stared directly at Team Leader Choi and opened my mouth.
“We have to disclose it, no matter what.”
….
“Fortunately, it’s not too late yet. The public’s evaluation and interest in both you and me are quite favorable.”
In fact, it went far beyond favorable—it was enthusiastic.
I was being called the young hero born of this new era, and Team Leader Choi succeeded Kim Butler as the master of the Peace Guild. Before the freshly minted nameplate even had time to cool, he even took over the Ares Guild.
Moreover, he possessed an aura more brilliant than anyone else’s.
The savior who rescued humanity from Demon King Asmodeus. The aura of being Cheon Tae-min’s sole blood relative and successor.
I grabbed his hand firmly.
“Team Leader Choi.”
My grip was forceful. Team Leader Choi, meeting my burning gaze, flinched as if burned by fire.
“W-why are you suddenly doing this?”
His reaction was as if he’d just encountered Magic Johnson in a dark alley at night. But I didn’t back down and pressed on steadily.
“If you’re really that worried, let’s try a different approach. Hmm?”
“What method are you referring to…?”
“Let me sell your Maternal Grandfather’s name just once.”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s cash in on the Savior Coin this time around.”
…!

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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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