Murim Login - Chapter 81

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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 81
At the Gate Entrance, ten Hunters in combat gear engaged in cheerful conversation.
“Guys, we’re good on this, right?”
At the female Hunter’s words, a B-grade Hunter from the Sangdong Guild tapped his breastplate.
“Don’t worry. You don’t trust us?”
“No, I trust you. But someone died here last week, didn’t they?”
“Forget about those idiots. What do you expect when incompetent fools get cocky and end up dead? Right, Chang-su hyung?”
Im Chang-su, who had been listening quietly, exhaled cigarette smoke into the air and spoke.
“If you’re anxious, go home. Don’t ruin the mood with your bullshit.”
The atmosphere instantly froze. The female Hunter who had spoken forced her lips into a smile.
“No, hyung, I was just—”
“Shut up. What are you going to do about it?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Then stay in the corner. There are plenty of other girls I can bring anyway.”
No one dared to object to his crude behavior. They simply tried to lighten the mood with awkward laughter.
Such scenes were familiar and natural to Im Chang-su.
‘Pathetic fools.’
Gates were geese that laid golden eggs called mana stones, and Hunters were laborers harvesting those eggs. Born into a noble family, he had started from a different position.
“Either head to the Hotel now or stay close. If more annoying rumors spread, it becomes a hassle.”
“Hyung, you can trust these guys.”
“I don’t trust anyone, you bastard. Didn’t you say the last group was trustworthy too?”
“Well, that was…”
Though the Sangdong Guild was a mid-tier organization in the area, it couldn’t ignore public scrutiny. He’d been warned by his father, the Guild Master, several times for inappropriate incidents with women.
“Let’s handle this without problems. Got it?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll remember. Loyalty!”
“Tsk. You’re good at answering.”
Im Chang-su flicked his half-burned cigarette away. As if waiting for this moment, a spell echoed from beside him.
“Wind.”
Magically conjured wind swept the cigarette butt and its smell far away. The Female Mage who cast the spell flashed an alluring smile.
“I did well, didn’t I?”
Im Chang-su looked her up and down. With her sleek figure and captivating beauty, she was essentially his kept woman.
A C-grade Hunter with poor skills despite her stunning appearance. Yet she had joined the Sangdong Guild solely because she was the Guild Master’s son’s girlfriend.
A house, a car, countless luxury items—all came from Im Chang-su’s pocket, yet he never felt a trace of regret.
‘Well, that was how it was until now.’
But his thoughts changed today. Compared to that woman he’d met about thirty minutes ago, this one seemed provincial and cheap in body, looks, and presence.
‘Was her name Song Song-i?’
Just thinking of her made his lower abdomen feel heavy.
A flower too precious to waste in a shabby new Guild. He planned to uproot her without damaging a single root and plant her in his own pot.
“Oppa, did something good happen? Why are you smiling like that?”
Im Chang-su didn’t answer. Instead, he waved toward five figures appearing in the distance.
“Ah, here we are!”
Of course, I didn’t forget to add a quiet jab directed at my ex-girlfriend.
“Who’s your older brother, you bitch.”
* * *
Kkul-tteok-soe—no, Im Chang-su—flashed a bright smile as he spoke.
“Welcome. Ah, these are my team members.”
Those who appeared to belong to the Sangdong Guild bowed their heads respectfully.
Including Im Chang-su, there were exactly five men and five women. All of them wore gleaming, high-end equipment, though their outfits prioritized design over practicality.
Especially….
‘Oh man.’
As for the female Hunters, I didn’t know where to look. Lim Hyuk-jun, a married man with two children, whispered with a rigid expression.
“They’re incredible.”
“….”
I almost found myself nodding in agreement but barely restrained myself.
Song-i was watching us with a distinctly displeased expression.
‘Anyway….’
Was this a raid or a blind date? If handsome men and beautiful women paired off, laughing and joking as they entered the Gate, they’d likely end up dead.
Well, judging by their levels and equipment, they seemed competent enough.
“Is everyone assembled?”
A middle-aged Gate Administrator checked our numbers and credentials. It was one of the mandatory procedures before entry.
“Sangdong Guild, five B-rank and five C-rank. That’s correct, yes?”
Im Chang-su offered a courteous smile.
“That’s right.”
“Then Peace Guild. Two B-rank and two C-rank, and….”
The Administrator’s hand, which had been flipping through Hunter licenses, paused.
“One E-rank? Where are they?”
Lim Hyuk-jun raised his hairy arm with a flourish.
“Here I am.”
“What’s your position?”
“Sir, you lack discernment. Would I be casting spells while carrying around such a crude shield? Hehe.”
“A tank, then.”
The Administrator’s brow furrowed.
A tank was literally a human shield who blocked monster attacks from the front lines. Because of the danger, they received some of the highest hazard pay among Hunters alongside healers, and their mortality rate was high.
“Why is an E-rank here? And a tank at that? Unbelievable.”
“He can pull in a lot at once. Who knows? If magic stones rain down, it’s like winning the lottery.”
“Oppa, we’re really okay with this today, right?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you, Hyerin.”
Murmurs spread among Im Chang-su’s team members. The Administrator tasked with letting us through was no exception.
“An E-rank tank….”
At his concerned voice, Kim Butler stepped forward.
“He’s a veteran with twenty years of experience. I believe there shouldn’t be any issues since he’s equipped with sufficient gear for contingencies.”
“Veterans are fine, sure, but you know what happened last week, right? Two C-grade Tanks died. In a situation like this, of all times.”
It was then that unexpected reinforcement arrived.
“Administrator, how could we possibly refuse?”
It was Im Chang-su. He continued speaking in measured tones.
“We’ve already signed the cooperative raid contract, and having met such wonderful people, it would be a shame to nullify it.”
“Well, I mean, this is…”
“If you could overlook it with just a bit of flexibility… I’d really appreciate it.”
A curious fellow indeed. His words dripped with gratitude and pleading, yet his neck remained rigid and his demeanor distinctly commanding.
The Gate Administrator flinched momentarily before releasing a resigned sigh.
“Very well. However, you must ensure proper supervision, Team Leader.”
“Of course.”
Supervision. The word left a bitter taste.
Though Im Chang-su’s assistance had secured the permit, an itch gnawed at the corner of my chest like an ant crawling beneath my skin.
‘Well, what’s good is good, I suppose.’
Even Lim Hyuk-jun himself wore an indifferent expression, so it would be foolish for me to harbor resentment.
“Then you may proceed with entry.”
At the Gate Administrator’s word, everyone assembled at the Gate Entrance. Ten from Sangdong Guild, five from Peace Guild. A total of fifteen, with seven B-grade Hunters among them—a truly elite raid team.
“Well then…”
Im Chang-su, naturally taking the lead, winked.
“See you inside the Gate.”
Whoooosh—!
As Im Chang-su vanished beyond the mana barrier, Song-i murmured.
“What a nuisance.”
I couldn’t agree more.
* * *
Whoosh.
The mana’s characteristic damp and viscous aura clung to my body only briefly. The moment I opened my eyes, a new world unfolded before me.
A cave of immense proportions—incomparable to any F-grade Gate. Three gaping entrances yawned open like maws. This was the place I’d seen in the footage on the way here.
‘If there’s anything different…’
Ding.
–
[Minotaur’s Labyrinth]
You have entered.
– Quest,
[Clear B-grade Gate]
has been generated.
A system notification that only I could hear. And on top of that, a Quest as well.
“Alright, before we proceed, let’s do a quick check of personnel and equipment.”
As everyone verified their belongings, I quietly slipped toward a corner of the cave and cursed inwardly.
‘Check Quest.’
Ding.
Quest
[B-Grade Gate Clear]
You have entered a B-Grade Gate for the first time in your life.
Upon successful raid completion on this first attempt, you will receive corresponding rewards.
Rank
: First-Class
Restriction
: Jin Tae-kyung
Objective
: B-Grade Gate Clear (Incomplete)
Reward
: ???
Failure
: ???
A promising start. I closed the Quest window with a warm smile.
“What are you doing all by yourself?”
A voice suddenly came from behind. When I turned around, I saw Im Chang-su walking toward me.
“Me?”
I thought I’d misheard, but I hadn’t.
“You’re Jang Tae-kyung from the Peace Guild, right?”
“It’s Jin Tae-kyung.”
“Yes, Jang Tae-kyung.”
Whether this guy’s ears weren’t working or my tongue had slipped, I nodded along anyway.
‘It’s not like I’ll see him again anyway.’
Since I’d gone out of my way to help with the Lim Hyuk-jun situation before, I felt a bit of gratitude toward him.
“Is there something you need from me?”
“Ha, nothing I’d call business exactly. Since we’ve crossed paths, I thought we should exchange names. You already know who I am, so no need for introductions. Looking forward to working with you.”
They say you can’t spit in the face of a smiling person. It was a bit awkward, but I grasped Im Chang-su’s outstretched hand as he smiled warmly.
“Ah, yes. I look forward to it as well.”
A team leader from another Guild I’d never met before was initiating a handshake?
Over the past seven years, I’d run cooperative raids a few times and had considerable experience as a freelance Hunter, but this was a first.
‘Then again, I was F-Grade back then.’
Back in those days, I was treated like I didn’t exist, so it felt strange to suddenly be treated like a person now that I’m a C-Grade Hunter.
‘But why me specifically?’
The answer came quickly.
“That black drake leather set. Am I right?”
“Ah.”
So this guy was a luxury goods enthusiast too. Im Chang-su scanned my equipment from head to toe, letting out continuous exclamations of admiration.
“Wow, I’ve only ever seen this in pictures. Where did you get it? International shopping? Or Cheongdam-dong?”
“I leased it.”
“Ah, so you got it through a leasing company. I thought you were a C-grade Hunter, so I wasn’t sure if you could maintain something like this… Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything malicious by that. Did I offend you?”
Of course I’m offended, you idiot.
But I’m not stupid enough to show it so openly.
What Im Chang-su said was actually a cold, hard truth anyway.
‘This guy really lacks tact, doesn’t he.’
I waved my hand gracefully, mixing in a bit of good humor.
“My back’s already bent from the strain. Everything I earn goes straight to maintenance costs. People around me call me crazy for it.”
“Haha, but there are things more important than life itself, aren’t there? Don’t you think?”
“That’s true.”
“Then the same must apply to the others.”
“Others?”
“The other members. The Peace Guild members. They all had excellent equipment.”
“Is that so? I’m not really familiar with that side of things.”
Im Chang-su laughed as if he’d heard an amusing joke.
“Come on, you shouldn’t say that when you’re spending a fortune on equipment leases.”
The leasing part was true, but I hadn’t spent a fortune on it. Choi Team Leader was providing it free of charge. I briefly considered telling him the truth, but then decided against it.
‘What’s the point of explaining that.’
All it would do is tire me out.
Tired of discussing equipment further, I gave a vague response.
“We’re all in similar situations.”
“I see.”
Just then, one of Im Chang-su’s team members came running over to announce that preparations were complete.
“Oh, we’ve been chatting for quite a while. Well, I should get going. I need to do a final check on my team members and then we’ll all move together.”
“Good luck.”
“Will do.”
Im Chang-su was about to leave with a polite bow when he suddenly asked a question.
“Right. I’ve been wanting to ask this for a while.”
“…?”
“Have we met somewhere before?”
If Song-i had asked me that, I would’ve been thrilled, but hearing it from this armored male made me feel nothing but irritated.
“This is our first meeting.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
I’d only thought his name sounded familiar from somewhere, but this was definitely our first meeting. My firm answer made Im Chang-su’s smile deepen.
“Understood. Then I’ll be going.”
What was that about? That last smile felt oddly unsettling.
As I watched his retreating figure, Choi Team Leader, who had approached without my noticing, asked a question.
“Do you know him?”
“No, no. I just wanted to be friendly.”
“Hmm. Not a recruitment offer, then?”
“Not at all. I think he was just a gear enthusiast. He came up to me out of nowhere asking where I bought my equipment.”
“I bought it in Cheongdam-dong.”
“….”
I wasn’t curious anyway.
* * *
“Im Chang-su, why did that guy suddenly approach you?”
“Just. Noticed his gear looked decent, so I casually probed him.”
“Wow, seriously? Is that his own equipment?”
“Think about it, you idiot. How does a C-rank wear something like that?”
“Then it’s a rental? That’s insane. The maintenance costs alone must be brutal.”
“Leave him be. It’s kind of cute, really. He’s struggling to make his own way in the world.”
Im Chang-su chuckled softly.
‘They really were nothing special after all.’
I’ll admit, when he suddenly showed up decked out in expensive gear, I felt a twinge of caution. One wrong move could’ve escalated things unnecessarily.
But now that I’d figured him out, my mind was at ease.
‘Song Song-i.’
With money and ability, anything was possible. Getting a woman was child’s play. That’s what Im Chang-su believed.
“Let’s head out soon. Pass the word.”
“Yes, sir!”

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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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