Murim Login - Chapter 86

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 86
“Oh my, you must be exhausted.”
The Government Official came rushing out to greet us.
Well, to be precise, he came to greet Im Chang-su.
He meticulously examined the various byproducts and mana stones we’d brought, then made a fuss over them.
“Wow, that’s quite the haul. At this rate, the Minotaurs in the Labyrinth must be completely wiped out.”
“….”
Im Chang-su, his complexion ashen, merely nodded without responding, prompting the Government Official to read the room.
“Team Leader, is something troubling you?”
I had no idea when Government Officials started worrying about hunters’ health.
Before anything awkward could slip out, I jabbed Im Chang-su in the ribs.
“You should answer. Chang. Su.”
“…No, I’m fine.”
“Ah, well that’s a relief then.”
Perhaps sensing the strange atmosphere, the Government Official glanced at me with suspicious eyes, but that was as far as it went.
“How would you like to handle the byproducts? As you know, there are two methods available.”
As the Government Official said, there were two ways to sell byproducts.
Private sale and consignment sale. The former meant the owner of the goods handled the transaction themselves, while the latter meant entrusting the Administrative Bureau—the government agency—to sell them.
‘Each has its pros and cons.’
Rare items were better sold privately, but otherwise it was more convenient to hand them over to the government. It was like the difference between a luxury auction and a general market auction.
“What should we do?”
At Im Chang-su’s question, Kim Butler stepped forward. Though he hadn’t participated once during this Gate raid, he was also a veteran hunter. In fact, he’d likely be more knowledgeable about this than anyone else here.
“We’ll sell to the Administrative Bureau.”
They say nothing goes to waste on a cow, and the same was true for Minotaurs.
The hide was used for equipment crafting, the bones were boiled for medicinal broths, and the horns were popular among collectors.
“A wise decision.”
The Government Official began tallying the byproducts with an expression of pure joy. The Administrative Bureau was the buyer, so the reason he was pleased was obvious.
‘Looks like he’s getting a little kickback.’
Well, whatever the Government Official pocketed wasn’t my concern.
My own share was far more substantial.
Tap, tap.
“The promised amount?”
Im Chang-su answered with a rigid expression.
“I-I’ll send it.”
“By when?”
“I’ll send it by tomorrow.”
Four billion won by tomorrow? He certainly lived up to his reputation as a wealthy heir—so generous. I smiled broadly and handed him a note.
“Great, then I’m happy. Here’s my account number. Keep it like a precious heirloom and send it tomorrow. If you say later that you lost it, that won’t be fun. Understand?”
“…Yes.”
That should do it. I patted Im Chang-su’s back as my farewell.
I watched with satisfaction as the staggering figure receded into the distance, when Lim Hyuk-jun posed his question.
“Do you think that bastard will actually pay what he promised?”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“Well, you know. It’s a bit awkward. Sangdong Guild is a mid-tier organization with considerable influence in the area. If that guy decides to renege on his word….”
“Come on, we have video evidence. Surely he wouldn’t.”
“Evidence can be destroyed. But that’s not really why I’m concerned. I’ve heard some things.”
“What kind of things?”
Now he had my attention, and I felt a twinge of unease.
Lim Hyuk-jun glanced around cautiously before leaning in and whispering.
“The Sangdong Guild Master. You know who that is, right?”
“Yes. Though I heard his name for the first time today.”
Im Chun-su. The name conjured an image of a middle-aged man with a protruding belly, but reality was the complete opposite.
“He’s an S-rank Hunter who achieved remarkable feats during the Cataclysm. What did people call him again? Fr, Fr. I can’t quite remember.”
“Frozen.”
“Ah, that’s right. Frozen. A specialist in ice magic.”
Renowned Hunters earned distinctive epithets befitting their prowess.
Im Chun-su was no exception. As an S-rank Hunter, he had demonstrated exceptional skill during the Cataclysm, and his particular mastery of ice-based magic had earned him the epithet Frozen.
“That man ranks among the top five in the country for ice magic. He built the Sangdong Guild of today on the foundation of that reputation.”
When the brutal Cataclysm finally ended, the first-generation Hunters faced a crossroads: retire or continue active duty. Im Chun-su chose the latter and established the Sangdong Guild.
“That’s impressive. His son, though—he’s nothing special.”
Even among S-rank Hunters, few survived the Cataclysm with nothing but their bare hands and emerged with both wealth and renown. Im Chun-su’s present circumstances represented the future many Hunters dreamed of.
“Impressive? Certainly. That’s what bloodline means.”
Lim Hyuk-jun gestured with his chin toward Im Chang-su’s retreating figure.
“Don’t forget whose blood runs through that bastard’s veins.”
“What do you mean….”
“I’m not bragging, but I’ve been in this business for over twenty years. The Sangdong Guild was established when I was still a complete novice.”
“And?”
“Even now it’s competitive, but back then Bucheon was a bloodbath among Guilds. There was simply no room for a newcomer to break in.”
“Im Chun-su managed to break through that?”
“Exactly. That’s what makes him terrifying.”
“I see.”
How did that connect to this situation?
Guild rivalries were nothing new, and in a merit-based society, the stronger naturally survived—that was simply how things worked.
“But someone of his caliber had exceptional abilities as a Hunter and considerable fame. He must have had powerful connections too.”
“Don’t you think the other Guild Masters had the same?”
“What?”
“While Im Chun-su might have lacked slightly in renown compared to them, they were all war heroes. They’d pioneered the market years before Sangdong Guild and controlled a substantial number of Gates.”
Lim Hyuk-jun continued in a low voice.
“Back then, the system wasn’t fully established, and all manner of illegal activities ran rampant. The reason Sangdong Guild exists today is because Im Chun-su crushed every single competitor. He’s not someone to be taken lightly.”
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
What if Im Chun-su learned what happened today? How would he react to hearing that his only son had been utterly humiliated?
‘Things could get messy.’
When speaking of South Korea, one cannot overlook three pillars: school ties, regional connections, and blood relations.
The Sangdong Guild, which had firmly held its position for twenty years, was a regional pillar; our guild was nothing but a newborn in comparison.
If the Sangdong Guild decided to come at us with intent, they’d tear up our birth certificate.
“By any chance, is the Sangdong Guild Master good-natured?”
“How would I know? I’ve only heard rumors.”
“Just tell me what you’ve heard.”
Lim Hyuk-jun, who had been pondering for a moment, answered.
“When I saw Im Chang-su today, an old saying came to mind: a tiger father and a dog son.”
“But that’s actually a compliment, isn’t it? It means a great father with a disappointing son. So he’s someone you can reason with?”
“No, interpret the Chinese characters literally.”
“…A tiger father and a dog son?”
“If Im Chang-su’s a bastard, then Im Chun-su’s a tiger. His temperament is absolutely insane.”
“….”
“There’s talk that his personality mellowed with age, but I doubt people change that easily.”
Damn it all.
The more I heard, the colder my spine felt—as if something terrible was about to explode.
‘Shit, I shouldn’t have made that bet.’
The excitement of receiving tens of billions was short-lived. Now I felt like I’d seen something terrible and hadn’t cleaned up after myself.
Never mind me—I absolutely couldn’t let the other guild members suffer any fallout.
“Tae-kyung, don’t worry too much about it. I only mentioned it just in case.”
“This isn’t going to cause trouble, is it?”
“It’s fine. Choi Team Leader even found the bet amusing and joined in.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
“Exactly. And look at what Im Chang-su’s been doing. If I were his father, I’d have beaten him half to death. I’d be too ashamed to tell anyone.”
He had a point. What could possibly go wrong?
Hearing that eased my mind considerably. I even found myself smiling.
“Thank you. Hyuk-jun, or rather, Elder Brother.”
“Then as a celebration of your newfound wealth, buy some beef. Actually, you should eat it with Song.”
“…Ah.”
He’d driven a spike through my heart.
At Lim Hyuk-jun’s words—words that killed me twice over—I swallowed my tears.
* * *
“What brings you here?”
The owner of the voice was a man with a striking appearance.
Though he was in his fifties, his skin was taut, and his hair, stretched taut like wire, was black. His piercing eyes alone were enough to make one’s legs tremble.
‘What kind of gaze is that….’
The branch manager of K Bank was no exception. Though they’d met several times already, he was an ordinary person while the other was an A-rank Hunter—and not merely a witness to the Cataclysm, but someone who had lived through it with his entire being.
His tongue twisted of its own accord, and cold sweat poured down his face.
“That’s….”
“If you’re here to waste my time, then leave. Otherwise, speak up right now.”
The content was sharp, but the tone was surprisingly mild.
I’d heard rumors that he was making an effort to temper his personality with age, and it seemed those efforts weren’t entirely in vain.
‘Damn it.’
The branch manager shut his eyes tight and forced himself to speak.
“My apologies, Guild Master. I came regarding your son.”
Your son. At those three words, Sangdong Guild Master Im Chun-su’s eyebrows twitched.
“Im Chang-su? What’s that bastard done now?”
“Previously, your son asked me to inform him immediately if any banking-related transactions occurred….”
Im Chun-su nodded as if he’d grasped the situation.
“What is it this time? Did he forge my seal? Or is it a secured loan?”
“He transferred a substantial sum in a single transaction.”
“It’s bound to be some woman. How predictable. What’s the amount?”
“Eighty billion won—forty billion to each of two accounts.”
“How much?”
“Eighty billion… gulp.”
The branch manager swallowed hard in panic. He’d witnessed the glass window behind Im Chun-su’s back rapidly freezing over.
Fwoosh.
Though it was late summer outside, the office was seized by cold and frost.
He gestured to the branch manager, who was trembling visibly.
“Anything else?”
“I’ve brought the relevant documents.”
The branch manager set down a stack of papers on the desk with shaking hands.
“Good work. You may leave now.”
“I-I’ll take my leave.”
After the branch manager fled the office, Im Chun-su picked up the receiver. The phone, equipped with cold-resistance functionality, transmitted the signal without issue.
Beep, beep, click.
– Yes, Guild Master. Team Leader 1 here.
“Bring that bastard in right now.”
– …Do you mean Team Leader Im Chang-su?
“Team Leader? As of today, he’s fired. Bring that son of a bitch in immediately!”
Crash! The receiver’s lifespan ended there. Hundreds of ice shards scattered across the desk.
“How pathetic. I made myself clear, yet….”
Im Chun-su’s gaze, cold and piercing as he surveyed the devastated office, fixed on one thing: the stack of documents the K Bank branch manager had left behind.
The whereabouts of those eighty billion won had to be in there.
‘Fool. Which woman did you throw it all away for this time?’
He spent over ten minutes turning through the pages one by one.
When Im Chun-su closed the final page, the door swung open with the sound of someone being dragged inside.
“Team Leader Im Chang-su. We’ve brought him.”
A middle-aged man with a warm impression. And a young man gripped tightly in his grasp.
“Ah, Father!”
“My proud son has arrived.”
At his son’s appearance, Father extended his hand.
Of course, it carried no meaning of forgiveness whatsoever.
Crack, crack, crack.
A chill emanated from Im Chun-su’s grip. What had transformed from gas to liquid, then from liquid to solid, had finally completed its metamorphosis into an ice club as hard as steel.
“I have much to ask, but first we fight.”
“Father!”
“Shut your mouth, you bastard!”
The middle-aged man who had brought Im Chang-su, the First Team Leader of Sangdong Guild, quietly closed the door. This place would be off-limits for the next half day.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————