Murim Login - Chapter 728

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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 728
All humans are creatures of habit.
When success continues, confidence rises, and the eyes and ears that were once wide open inevitably close.
But Choi Team Leader was not only an exceptional hunter and businessman—he was also a decent person at heart.
Even though he held the power of decision, he always sought everyone’s consent, which made this all the more apparent.
“…which is why I’d like to hear your opinions.”
As Choi Team Leader finished speaking in a quiet voice, those sitting on the sofa fell silent for a moment.
Or rather, not exactly “people”—there was a monster who had naturally claimed a seat among us.
And that monster’s face was more serious than ever.
“I am opposed.”
All eyes turned toward the unwavering, resolute rejection.
But Skeleton King continued without hesitation.
“The reason is what everyone here already knows. Excessive expansion of power invites suspicion, and human jealousy and envy inevitably breed danger. Am I wrong?”
I had to admit, this bastard had really become quite human.
When I shook my head with reluctance, Skeleton King’s voice grew stronger.
“I too wish to avoid further attention. If other humans discover my true identity, it will cause problems for all of you as well. So stop spouting such nonsense.”
With that stern rebuke, the speech ended. Everyone, including myself, exchanged glances as if we’d made a pact.
It was a reasonably valid argument.
Certainly a valid argument, but….
“Then why did this bastard create an SNS account the moment he got a phone?”
At my sharp retort, Choi Team Leader, Lim Hyuk-jun, and Song-i nodded in turn.
“I agree with what Jin Tae-kyung said.”
“Yeah, that’s a point. I don’t do that sort of thing, so I didn’t know, but that guy seems to be quite popular.”
“It’s more than just somewhat popular. The account hasn’t even been around long, but he already has over 100,000 followers.”
Skeleton King, who had faltered at being hit where it hurt, puffed out his chest at Song-i’s words.
“As of today, it’s 120,000.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I’m getting advertising offers pouring in from everywhere.”
I laughed as I watched the creature preen with satisfaction.
“Listen here, you bastard. Want to be divided into 120,000 bone fragments?”
“….”
“Delete the account right now. This is your final warning.”
At my threat, Skeleton King, who had hesitated for a moment, answered in a dejected voice.
“…understood.”
“At least he’s obedient, which is fortunate, but surely he didn’t write any strange nonsense on SNS?”
In modern society, the influence of the internet is truly enormous.
Unlike the Murim, where at best you’d send carrier pigeons, a few finger movements here spread information across the entire world—that’s just how things work in this world.
‘If that bastard posted something stupid, it’d be a real headache.’
And to my well-founded concern, Song-i suddenly interjected in a casual tone.
“Fortunately, there’s nothing unusual. I went through it all myself, and he just uploaded a bunch of pictures of his own face.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. And the majority of my followers are from overseas. Especially men—the ratio is overwhelming.”
“Well, that’s fortunate in a way, but why on earth are so many men… Oh.”
A sudden flash of understanding struck me.
I recalled whose hands had crafted that handsome face of the Skeleton King.
‘Magic Johnson.’
The greatest sorcerer of the century. And the greatest homosexual of the century.
The current Skeleton King was the perfect embodiment of Magic Johnson’s tastes—that very Magic Johnson who wielded two staffs to perform impossible magic.
Even at a glance, the face was undeniably handsome, but it was precisely the kind of face and physique that perfectly satisfied the needs of those in a certain demographic.
The number of followers gathered was a staggering 120,000.
With numbers like that, even if a hundred thousand demon mages came swarming back, we could kick them all to the curb. Though whether they’d only be kicking was debatable.
‘This guy really was something else.’
To amass such a following in such a short time without his name or face being known at all. Even the Alliance Leader couldn’t manage that.
The Skeleton King, unaware of my newfound scrutiny, continued fiddling with his smartphone and opened his mouth with a melancholic expression.
“I don’t have the courage to delete the account. You are more cunning and cruel than anyone else in this world.”
“What sins did I commit in my past life that I have to hear about being cruel from a monster?”
“Ah, such a sudden parting. Some nameless woman who will never again behold this radiant visage shall weep endlessly.”
“….”
“What’s with that strange expression?”
“Nothing. Better left unknown.”
Sometimes the truth is more beautiful when it remains hidden.
After exchanging a glance with Song-i to reach our silent agreement, I looked around and spoke.
“In any case, you all agree, yes?”
Lim Hyuk-jun nodded as if it were obvious.
“Well, if Tae-kyung and Choi Team Leader have decided, I’ll just follow along.”
“Song-i, what about you?”
“I don’t know.”
Song Song-i crossed her legs at an angle and continued.
“If it’s something being done for everyone’s sake, wouldn’t I just look like a bad woman if I refused?”
“Not at all.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I was never that virtuous to begin with anyway.”
“My, listen to this bastard talk.”
Song Song-i grinned and raised her middle finger, then suddenly let out a sigh.
“It’s quite spectacular. When I first got the offer to transfer from Choi Team Leader and left the Ares Guild, I never thought it would come to this.”
“Tell me about it. Should’ve just stayed there instead.”
“Hey, I had no choice. The Branch Director was just too much of a pervert. I thought it’d be better to work under someone young, handsome, and rich. But something felt off from day one.”
“Day one?”
“Yeah. I escaped from that pervert, and there’s this weird guy. I’m starving to death, but he burns all the meat, and suddenly he’s saying his zodiac sign is Taurus. This guy’s completely insane, isn’t he?”
“I see.”
I let out a soft chuckle and gazed at her without further comment.
To be honest, I harbored a sense of guilt toward Lim Hyuk-jun and Song Song-i. Since the Peace Guild’s founding, they had endured countless unforeseen trials and tribulations they never sought.
“Mm.”
“What? That reaction.”
“Just… I wanted to tell you it’s not too late yet.”
“What?”
“This situation might be far more dangerous than you or Kkokjeong think.”
My voice, stripped of its usual levity, caused Song Song-i’s eyes to darken with gravity.
“How much more dangerous?”
“I’d say we’ve already transcended domestic scale.”
“You tend to underestimate yourself. You and Choi Team Leader have already surpassed domestic concerns long ago.”
It was an assessment without exaggeration.
Ever since I defeated the Arch Lich in China, my name had spread across the globe, and Choi Team Leader, as the new City Lord of Ares Guild and heir to the Living Savior, had become a media sensation.
But this was a different matter entirely. Rather, it was a problem born from everything I had accomplished thus far.
I shrugged slightly.
“Someone once told me that the bigger you grow, the more there is for others to devour.”
“So how much are you planning to let yourself be devoured?”
“I have no such plans. And I won’t have them going forward either.”
Song Song-i, who had been studying me intently, suddenly opened her mouth.
“Do you know something?”
“What?”
“It’s already far too late to back out. For Kkokjeong here, and for me.”
Lim Hyuk-jun received her words with a quiet voice.
“I never intended to back out in the first place.”
“Sir.”
“Whether it’s too late or not is beside the point. Once we’ve started, we must see it through to the end together. If nothing else, for the sake of those who came before us.”
“…!”
“Isn’t that right, Choi Team Leader?”
With Lim Hyuk-jun’s quiet question, all eyes turned in one direction.
Choi Team Leader, who had fallen silent at some point, was gazing at an absence—a void left by someone.
A space that had retained warmth not long ago, now impossible to fill with anything else.
And then he spoke.
“I visited the Ancestral Tomb today. Someone had carved words beside the tombstone. ‘Thank you for coming. I love you. Please come again next time.'”
No one spoke, and Choi Team Leader continued calmly.
“So next time, I hope we can all visit That Person together. Next year, the year after… and decades from now as well.”
It was his resolve, born from having to say goodbye to someone precious too soon.
Within those four characters—’all together’—lay the determination that such a tragedy would never befall us again.
‘Decades from now.’
Yes, that would be enough.
I didn’t know what we would look like then, but for now, the promise to walk forward together was sufficient.
“Choi Team Leader.”
At my quiet call, he nodded heavily.
“Understood. Let’s begin.”
Before speaking, we had already finished the preliminary discussion. Choi Team Leader pulled out his smartphone and called the first contact.
Beep, beep. Click.
Before even three rings could sound, the call connected. A measured voice, honed by the breathless demands of political life, came through from the other end.
– I’ve taken your call. This is Baek Han-sung.
The name Baek Han-sung was common enough in South Korea. But in this situation, there was only one Baek Han-sung that Choi Team Leader would contact first.
“Yes, Mr. President. I’m calling regarding an important matter.”
– Ha ha, well. Hearing you say that makes me feel rather peculiar. Excited, yet anxious at the same time.
At the appearance of a heavyweight who moved an entire nation, Lim Hyuk-jun and Song Song-i fell silent, while Skeleton King, eyes wide open, whispered toward me.
“If it’s President Baek Han-sung, could it be that…”
“That’s right. Our country’s Presi—”
“I know. The popular celebrity with over ten million followers, is he not?”
“…”
“Damn it. A mere human with a hundred times this body’s following.”
I watched Skeleton King’s indignation and thought to myself.
‘I hope he’s already dead…’
Come to think of it, he already was.
* * *
The corridor blazed with brilliant light. A-rank mana stones, brimming with immense power, supplied energy ceaselessly throughout the building, and people filling every floor bustled about their tasks.
Until, in an instant, sudden darkness descended.
Crack. Whoooosh.
The light flowing from the lamps faded, and all machinery ground to a halt.
Startled cries erupting from all directions shattered the momentary silence.
“What is this?”
“Uh, it seems like a blackout.”
“Is that what you call an answer? No, damn it… I kept telling you to replace the mana stones beforehand. After twenty-some years of draining them dry, isn’t that thing practically begging to be put out of its misery? This is ridiculous.”
“Right. According to the experts, an A-rank mana stone should last at least thirty years.”
“Exactly. So why did the mana stone fail ten years early? Are you dying to know?”
“Ah, no sir.”
“Never mind, everyone focus! The Security Team and Technical Team will be here within two minutes, so don’t move a muscle! Those with backup mana lanterns, bring them out now.”
Yet despite the department head’s shout, in less than a minute, the corridor brightened once more. The power that had briefly cut out had returned.
“Damn it. This isn’t even a proper drill…”
The grumbling department head waved his hand at the Security Team, who arrived a step too late.
“Ah, as you can see, everything’s fine. But what caused the sudden blackout?”
“I already asked our team leader about it, and while rare, it happens once every few years or so. We’ll need the Technical Team to confirm the exact cause.”
“Well, that’s their jurisdiction anyway.”
The Hunter from the Security Team, smiling awkwardly, checked various matters.
Whether anything had gone missing during the blackout. Whether anyone had been injured. Any suspicious points noticed during the incident, and so on.
But it was merely a simple procedure, and with a blackout lasting barely a minute, there was no time to spare attention or sincerity when mountains of urgent tasks awaited immediate handling.
“Sorry to bother you, but could we postpone any further questions for later? Our situation is a bit hectic right now.”
The Security Team member nodded at the Branch Director’s words.
“Of course, no problem at all. But seeing how much busier you are than usual, something must have happened, hasn’t it?”
“An official notice came down from above. They’re saying something big is going to break today.”
“Something big?”
“Yeah. We don’t know the details ourselves, but it seems to have come down from the Blue House. Everyone’s on high alert because of it. At this rate, we won’t even be able to leave on time.”
“Oh no, I’ve just wasted your time.”
“Don’t say that. We’re all doing the nation’s work anyway. Well, take care, and let’s talk again later.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
But as they each returned to their posts, they remained unaware.
During that brief span of less than a minute, a phantom-like existence had traversed the building’s corridors, riding the thick darkness.
And from the Evidence Storage Room deep beneath the ground, a single item had vanished.
Hundreds of employees going about their duties, the skilled Hunters of the Security Team, even the alarm magic itself—none of them perceived what had transpired, and the entity that had accomplished everything so effortlessly slipped out of the building with ease.
Thud. Thud.
Accompanied by someone’s footsteps.
“Se-hwan, did you check the Third Floor?”
“Yes, Team Leader. There were no particular issues. But what about the technical team?”
“It’s barely been ten minutes—how could they have already identified the cause?”
“That’s true. By the way, the weather really isn’t good today, is it?”
Whoosh.
Behind the Security Team member who was making small talk with his superior, a thick shadow rippled faintly.

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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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