Murim Login - Chapter 83

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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 83
Im Chang-su’s attention had been fixed entirely on Song Song-i since earlier.
‘Damn, she’s playing hard to get.’
He’d deliberately lingered nearby and struck up conversation a few times, but Song Song-i’s responses were utterly bland. Yes. Thank you. I understand.
For all his efforts, the return was pathetically meager.
‘Such a difficult woman.’
They said women judged men by their faces when young, then by their bodies and abilities as they aged. Im Chang-su possessed all three, and he’d never failed at his game.
There had been women who grew disillusioned with his shallow relationships and left first, or times he’d grown bored and dumped them before that—but this kind of indifference was entirely new.
‘She thinks she’s so special.’
Even when irritation flared, the sight of Song Song-i’s sleek figure and ethereal face melted his anger away. Her natural fragrance, entirely different from other women’s cosmetic scents, certainly helped.
‘No need to rush. She’ll come around eventually.’
There was still plenty of time. The Minotaur’s Labyrinth was literally a labyrinth. Raid times could stretch to double that of other Gates. That should be more than enough time to seduce one woman.
Though there was one problem.
‘That guy keeps getting on my nerves.’
Choi Min-woo, was it? He looked like he belonged in a fashion magazine rather than inside a Gate. That polished face, those long limbs. Even his characteristic blank expression rubbed me the wrong way.
‘The rest are just idiots anyway.’
That old man laughing away and the bandit-looking guy were out of the picture from the start.
There was another young one named Jang Tae-kyung, but he wasn’t even worth considering as competition.
‘Something about him just feels off.’
A dime-a-dozen C-rank Hunter. Not affiliated with any Large Guilds, just a day laborer leasing high-end equipment beyond his means, yet his attitude and tone were oddly confident.
At the end of their earlier conversation, I’d even sensed annoyance directed at me.
‘Is he trying to save face?’
Jang Tae-kyung and Choi Min-woo stuck together, so naturally Im Chang-su’s eyes and ears couldn’t leave that direction.
– Mooooooo!
That’s when the Minotaurs began appearing in succession.
“What do you think?”
“It’ll probably be difficult.”
Look at these guys.
Im Chang-su, who’d been about to dismiss his subordinates, closed his mouth and listened intently.
“What about you, Tae-kyung?”
“Me?”
Just from this much, I was already speechless, but what came next was even more absurd.
“I’m not sure.”
A C-rank Hunter facing eight Minotaurs, and what? Not sure?
Even in a one-on-one fight, this guy would be a corpse in under a minute, yet his mouth kept running.
‘Insane bastards. They’re making up stories.’
Im Chang-su, who’d been smirking, suddenly froze.
The thought had struck him that this was an opportunity to humiliate those two annoying guys right in front of Song Song-i.
That’s why he’d abruptly wedged himself between them.
“You two were having such an interesting conversation, I thought I’d listen in. You don’t mind, do you?”
I’d accept the apology, mock him in return, and make it crystal clear who held the upper hand in this exchange.
But then….
“Should I call you Shit-chang-su instead?”
“What?”
“Whether it’s Im Chang-su or Shit-chang-su. Your surname doesn’t matter to me either way.”
Shit-chang-su.
Im Chang-su’s brain simply shut down at hearing such profanity for the first time in his life.
* * *
Silence consumed the space around us. The Sangdong Guild, the Peace Guild. Even the Minotaurs seemed to have stopped their roars.
In that suffocating stillness, the man’s tightly sealed mouth finally opened.
“…Hey, you bastard.”
At this point, using formal speech felt ridiculous.
I answered back with equal bluntness.
“What, you bastard.”
“Are you seriously insane?”
“All humans on Earth are crazy. Don’t you know about heliocentrism? You ignorant bastard.”
That’s when Choi Team Leader interjected.
“That would be heliocentrism, not geocentrism. Geocentrism is the cosmological view that Earth is fixed at the center of the universe and does not move, while the moon, sun, and planets orbit around Earth on their respective celestial spheres….”
Thwack.
Lim Hyuk-jun’s massive hand, the size of a cauldron lid, suddenly clamped over Choi Team Leader’s mouth.
“Mmph. What are you— Mmmph mmmph.”
“….”
I wished he’d just die right there. There had to be limits to lacking social awareness. I was starting to suspect he’d been paid off by the Sangdong Guild.
“I can’t believe I’m even talking to these people.”
Im Chang-su stared at me and Choi Team Leader with an expression of utter disbelief.
“How did dimwits like you even become Hunters?”
“What, do you recruit based on grades? B-rank if your TOEFL is over 900, A-rank if you can speak Chinese too?”
“You should shut that mouth. If you want to live long.”
“Oh wow, threats now? I’m so scared I can’t even piss toward the Sangdong Guild.”
Crackle. Sparks erupted from Im Chang-su’s eyes.
“Seems you forgot… this is a Gate.”
“I know, asshole. I also know eight Minotaurs are heading our way from over there.”
They say even tigers come when you speak of them.
Right on cue, a bovine roar echoed through the cavern.
– Mooooooo!
“Oh, they’re coming!”
“What do we do?”
“What else? Fall back! Now!”
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The cavern floor trembled with each movement of the Minotaur herd.
Watching my teammates scramble away with their tails between their legs, Im Chang-su spat out a glob of phlegm.
“You should consider yourself lucky.”
“I suppose I am rather fortunate.”
Thanks to obtaining the system, it’s no exaggeration to say I’m living a second life. I’ve endured hardships that could have killed me, but when it comes to luck, I’m blessed beyond measure.
“Let’s talk after I deal with those things.”
“That works for me.”
“I hope you’re someone who can take responsibility for what you say.”
“I can handle it.”
I gazed at the level window hovering above his head.
[Lv.65 Im Chang-su]
Level 65. Impressive. Seeing that he’s nearly ten levels above his other team members, he must be quite capable even among B-rank Hunters. Though naturally, not as much as me.
‘Well, character and skill don’t always correlate.’
Hunters aren’t selected based on TOEIC scores, GPA, or personality aptitude tests, after all. I shook my head and turned away—that’s when he spoke.
“How about now?”
“…?”
“The Minotaur. Didn’t you say you were confident going solo?”
Ah. I can roughly guess what he’s getting at.
His transparent intent and expression drew a smirk from me.
“I don’t recall saying anything like that.”
“You should take responsibility for your words.”
“That’s too childish for me to play along with. If you’ve got complaints, we’ll settle it one-on-one after the raid.”
Kim Butler and Song-i, who had been observing the situation with calm expressions, finally spoke up.
“I think it would be best if you both calmed down.”
“Uh, I don’t think this is the right time for this.”
Thump, thump, thump.
Even as we spoke, the Minotaur herd drew closer by the second. If they’d decided to charge recklessly, combat would have erupted long ago.
“Did you hear? Don’t cause trouble for innocent people, and we’ll settle this later….”
“Five plates.”
“Huh?”
Im Chang-su spread all five fingers wide.
Five stars? No, five plates. Surely not?
“Is that what I think it is?”
“That Minotaur herd. If you take them down solo, I’ll give you five big ones per head.”
“Big ones?”
“Yeah, big ones.”
Fifty million won per head meant four hundred million for eight of them.
A substantial sum even for me now that I’m a C-rank Hunter.
‘But….’
I don’t want to show weakness for money in front of everyone, especially not in front of Song-i. It’s a matter of pride!
‘Song-i. Can you hear what’s in my heart?’
I gazed at her with a penetrating stare and answered.
“I refuse.”
Im Chang-su’s eyebrows twitched.
“Even if I grant you complete authority over the byproducts?”
“I don’t want it.”
“Magic stones could drop, you know.”
“Still no.”
My refusal was as firm as a juvenile court judge’s ruling, and Im Chang-su bit his lip.
“You’re just a stubborn bastard with too much pride. I’m offering 4 billion won plus byproduct rights, and you’re turning it down?”
“Wait, hold on. What did you just say?”
Had my ears deceived me?
A thousand thoughts flooded my mind. Only after organizing them could I finally open my mouth.
“How much? 4 billion won?”
“Didn’t I mention it? Five large ones.”
….
“So… 500 million per one?”
I should have said five damn large ones.
Four billion won—an incomprehensible sum. Not just me, but Song-i and Lim Hyuk-jun all stood there with our mouths hanging open.
‘What kind of scale does this bastard operate on?’
Sure, as a team leader of a mid-tier Guild and a B-rank Hunter, he’d earn well, but casually throwing out tens of billions like this made no sense.
“You’re just giving that away? 4 billion won?”
“Just? That won’t do. This is a wager.”
“What kind of wager?”
“I need to gain something too.”
Im Chang-su’s lips twisted into a smile.
“If you die or run away, all compensation becomes void. And beyond that…”
His head turned slowly. His gaze settled on one person.
“Me?”
“Yes, I would like to invite Song Song-i to our Guild.”
Im Chang-su bowed politely. The shift in demeanor was so dramatic compared to before that it sent chills down my spine.
“Ugh, that’s creepy. Just act like you were before. That’s way better than this fake politeness.”
….
….
Song-i certainly has a blunt personality.
She shuddered visibly, wrapping her arms across her chest.
“You, or rather Im Chang-su, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Look, I’ll be direct. You’re not my type.”
A fastball thrown at 160 kilometers per hour—straight and unrelenting—made Im Chang-su’s eyes waver.
“Pardon?”
“You’re tall and handsome—exactly the type who’d cheat. I hate infidelity, you know. I just got my hair done, and if the wind messes it up… wait, is that not it?”
“Y-yes?”
“Anyway, you’re not my type. Philanderers who brag about money constantly? Absolutely not.”
I’d never seen Im Chang-su look so dumbfounded.
If anyone else were watching, I probably wore the same expression right now.
“Actually, that expression just now wasn’t bad. But I’ve been observing you this whole time, and your character seems a bit… you feel it yourself, don’t you?”
Im Chang-su, barely composing himself, answered.
“Those things can be worked out one by one.”
“How would you know without trying? You just seem interested in… well, getting close to me. Isn’t that right?”
“…!”
“…!”
All of us, myself included, stood with our mouths agape. She spoke softly, bashfully running her fingers through her hair, but each word hit like a nuclear bomb.
“That said, it’s not like I particularly dislike Sangdong Guild.”
Im Chang-su, who’d been relentlessly hammered, perked up hopefully.
“Really?”
“Yes. I can always transfer again anyway.”
“….”
Song-i, you’re a genius.
Song-i, with her radiant smile, delivered that final blow and continued.
“But to transfer guilds, I’d need permission first. Right, Guild Master?”
“Ah, of course.”
Kim Butler, watching with keen interest, answered, and Song-i turned her gaze toward him.
“What do you think, Team Leader?”
“What about it? Song-i transferring guilds?”
“If I lose this bet, that’s what would happen.”
Choi Team Leader nodded calmly.
“So be it.”
“…Isn’t that answer coming a bit too easily?”
“It’s an easy question, so I answered easily.”
Was it just my imagination that I saw disappointment flicker across Song-i’s eyes?
‘No, it couldn’t be.’
The emotion had passed too quickly to be certain. Song-i, returning to her bright and cheerful demeanor, turned to Im Chang-su.
“Then I’m in. Tae-kyung, what about you?”
“I….”
My hesitation wasn’t long. From the moment I first heard Choi Team Leader’s question, a strange certainty had already taken root deep within me.
The certainty that I was stronger than them.
“I accept the bet.”
A smile spread across Choi Team Leader’s lips.
“I’ll participate as well. A bet’s only fun when the stakes are high, wouldn’t you say?”
“My, you’re quite the gambler. So how much?”
“Four billion won. Of course, I’m betting that Jin Tae-kyung will take down all eight of them.”
“What?”
Im Chang-su, who had been glaring at Choi Team Leader for a moment, burst into laughter.
“You’re an amusing bunch. One of you is desperate to die, and the other can’t wait to throw money away.”
“So, what’s your answer?”
“Of course it’s yes.”
“Should we draw up a contract?”
“A contract? What kind of person do you take me for? I keep my word once I’ve spoken it. As for you… you don’t have to keep yours. I’ll make sure you do. Everyone, fall back!”
The moment the vast, damp cave transformed into a colosseum.
A gambling arena with an astronomical sum at stake. I am the gladiator who must fight the horde of Minotaurs.
“Team Leader Choi. What will you do if I lose?”
“You’ll win.”
Where does this confidence stem from? Faith in myself? Or the version of me he’s observed all this time?
It doesn’t matter. I simply do my best to achieve my objective.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
– Mooooo!
Twenty meters ahead. Each of them comes into sharp focus.
Hot breath, searing heat, rippling muscle, and raised weapons.
‘This is my first time fighting so many at once.’
This should prove to be an interesting experience.
I gripped my spear and charged toward the herd like a matador.

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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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