Murim Login - Chapter 93

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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 93
‘These damned amateurs.’
Hong Woo-jin was seething with rage. If he’d been inhabiting a cat’s body like last time, his fur would be standing on end and he’d be hissing viciously.
But now, as a grain weevil smaller than a fingernail, the best he could manage was to writhe in the gap beneath the refrigerator—a pitiful display of fury.
Squirm, squirm.
‘There it goes again, that bastard.’
The object of his wrath was an endless stream of flies infiltrating the house.
Whoever they were, they at least had the courtesy to enter one at a time, creeping in cautiously—but all it did was sharpen Jin Tae-kyung’s vigilance.
“Damn this fly.”
Whoosh. Splat!
A predictable end. Hong Woo-jin’s body tensed, terrified Jin Tae-kyung might notice.
‘These amateurs lack all decorum and their intellect to match.’
Most hunters would never have caught on, but he recognized it immediately.
That fly was a Familiar controlled by a mage—the faint trace of mana only another mage could sense proved it.
‘Who hired this thing? The Sangdong Guild again?’
If so, he’d have to abandon this contract at once. He was a professional with absolute confidence in his abilities.
He couldn’t tolerate interference in his sacred work.
‘Even after I made it so clear…’
No matter how flawlessly he executed a job, sometimes a single mudskipper released by an impatient client could muddy the waters. Just like now.
“Are all the flies these days like this?”
“W-well, I suppose they could be? Anyway, give me the hundred thousand won.”
“Sure, I’ll pay. But… doesn’t that fly seem strange to you?”
Damn it, I knew this would happen.
Hong Woo-jin swallowed his curses and moved frantically. He was wriggling deeper, into the shadows where human eyes couldn’t reach, when it happened.
Tingle.
‘…What?’
A strange sensation seized him—a floating feeling he’d never experienced since first using Familiar magic.
‘What is this? Is it because this Familiar is so small?’
It was only an instant, but Hong Woo-jin couldn’t shake the unease. For a moment, he suspected detection magic, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
‘It can’t be magic.’
Not just because Jin Tae-kyung was a non-mage hunter. After all, in this world, anyone with money could acquire magical equipment.
But like recognizes like. As a B-rank mage, he couldn’t possibly fail to identify detection magic.
‘The connection must have weakened momentarily. Yes, that’s definitely it.’
The decisive reason he convinced himself it was mere illusion was Jin Tae-kyung’s reaction.
“Maybe its wing is hurt—the fly seems kind of sluggish.”
Clap!
With a crisp sound, Jin Tae-kyung returned to the living room and sprawled across the sofa. He chuckled at the variety show for a moment, then his laughter gave way to thunderous snoring that filled the entire apartment.
Snore. Snore.
Only then did Hong Woo-jin’s tension finally ease.
‘Of course. What would a C-rank hunter know? One who was F-rank just days ago? Everything that happened two days ago was pure coincidence, no doubt about it.’
Two days ago, I had been startled by something I observed about Jin Tae-kyung while using a cat as my Familiar. That lingering shock still occupied a corner of my mind, but now it seemed I could finally set it aside.
‘If he couldn’t even detect such a pathetic Familiar, then that’s that.’
The only problem was that the lazy creature showed absolutely no inclination to move.
‘I’ll need to be more aggressive with my surveillance from now on.’
Hong Woo-jin had chosen a rice weevil as his Familiar from among countless living creatures precisely because of a certain wariness toward Jin Tae-kyung.
But now it seemed time to slip free from the body of this small, sluggish insect.
‘Let’s meet in a different form tomorrow, Jin Tae-kyung.’
Pop.
Hong Woo-jin severed the link. What had been hiding in the gap of the refrigerator was no longer a Familiar. It was merely a small, fragile rice weevil.
And in the next moment.
Snooooore…
Jin Tae-kyung’s snoring gradually subsided, then stopped abruptly.
* * *
A faint presence vanished. It was a change I could perceive because I had mobilized all my senses.
‘Did he leave?’
I opened my eyes as if stretching. My gaze first turned toward the gap at the bottom of the refrigerator.
[Lv.1 Rice Weevil]
Just ten minutes ago, this status window had borne the label ‘Familiar’. Now that the link was severed, it no longer did.
“Yaaawn. Is there anything to eat…?”
I rose from the sofa and naturally wandered through the house. Only then could I be certain.
‘There’s no Familiar left anymore.’
What caught in my [Sense] were only a few ordinary house flies. Among them, not a single Familiar remained.
The sound of fly wings that had been constantly audible also ceased.
Given what just happened, those bastards were probably stung too—at least for today, they wouldn’t dare show their faces.
‘Damn it, a Familiar.’
Familiar magic.
A type of psychic magic used by mages. The caster’s mind becomes connected to the creature chosen as their Familiar, and depending on their level, they can supposedly control it as they wish.
‘This is my first time actually experiencing it.’
Just as not all close-range Hunters are masters of every weapon, the same applies to mages. Among them, psychic magic is considered quite difficult, or so I’ve heard.
‘Why would such people target me?’
The reason I said “people” instead of “person” was because there had been two Familiars. They could be working together, or they might not be.
But I had a rough idea of who sent them.
‘Who else but the Sangdong Guild?’
The only place in reality with which I’ve formed some kind of grudge is the Sangdong Guild. To be precise, Im Chang-su.
‘When you touch a son, the father comes running.’
Im Chun-su—the A-rank Hunter known for being ruthless and foul-tempered.
If today’s incident was under his orders, it wouldn’t end easily.
But…
‘I can’t just sit here and take it.’
Being tailed two days ago was manageable. I could tolerate that.
But today’s situation is unbearable. This is my home, where my beloved family lives. They’ve touched my reverse scale.
‘How am I going to make these bastards pay….’
Just then, Ha-yeon’s door burst open.
Her face was rigid and tense. Had those creatures done something through the Familiar without my knowledge? My heart raced with urgency.
“Oppa.”
“What is it? Is something wrong in your room?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then what?”
“Why won’t you give me 100,000 won?”
“….”
Right. I’ve severely underestimated you.
* * *
The next morning. I left the house at first light.
My eyes were gritty from monitoring the Familiar’s intrusions with [Perception] all night, but I dispelled the fatigue with breathing exercises.
“Where shall I take you?”
“Ilsan Lafesta.”
The taxi sped down the open road without obstruction, arriving at my destination far faster than expected.
‘Is this the first time I’ve been to the Store since that visit years ago?’
The Store, located in central Ilsan, stood out distinctly even from a distance. It was overwhelmingly larger and more ornate than the surrounding shops.
There was another difference that set it apart from other establishments. At the entrance, a security guard in formal attire was screening customers.
“Sir, we’re adults, I’m telling you?”
“Not allowed.”
“But we’re adults—why are we being denied entry?”
“The fingerprint scanner says you’re not adults.”
“Isn’t that a malfunction?”
“No.”
“Come on, just let us in, please.”
“What did you just say?”
At the guard’s words, about six teenagers who looked visibly young flinched and took a step back.
“…What?”
“Is this how you treat customers?”
“Customers? Ha, you little punks are something else.”
The guard rubbed his eyes with a weary expression. He wasn’t an ordinary adult man—he was an employed security Hunter. Even if a half-dozen MMA fighters showed up, they couldn’t get past him.
“To me, customers are either Hunters or adult civilians with membership cards. Not brats like you.”
“….”
“You want me to be nice, or should I call the police?”
Wherever you go, there are always people like that. Especially in a Store filled with items ordinary people could never access.
“…Hey, come on. Let’s go.”
Only after the loitering youths had retreated did the guard notice me and ask in a courteous tone.
“What brings you in today, sir?”
“I’d like to purchase some items.”
“Please present your membership card or Hunter license.”
“Here it is.”
“I’ll need to verify a few things.”
Only after my license was confirmed and my fingerprints were scanned did I receive an access pass.
“As a C-rank Hunter, you have access up to the Third Floor.”
The store’s inventory varies by floor. I’d visited once during my F-rank days, but back then my rank only permitted the second floor—I never got to see anything beyond that.
“Enjoy your time here.”
“Thank you. You too.”
Passing through the entrance, I was greeted by an endless array of glass display cases.
The space was incomparably vast compared to an ordinary shop. Yet the number of customers visible was surprisingly sparse.
‘Well, it would be strange if it were crowded.’
Only an extremely limited number of people could access this place. Hunters—comprising merely 0.1% of South Korea’s entire population—and ordinary citizens with enough social influence to obtain membership cards.
They were the store’s primary clientele.
“This product was manufactured by domestic S Company and features an embedded alarm enchantment, making it excellent for security purposes….”
“This brooch was created by overseas M Company. With its elegant and sophisticated design and embedded shield enchantment, it’s perfect for a lady’s personal protection….”
Staff members diligently explaining their wares to customers.
Right. The store was essentially a luxury department store where one could purchase high-end magical items difficult to obtain elsewhere.
“I’ll take that one, and that one too. And that as well.”
“Don’t you have something with better performance? Price doesn’t matter—just bring me the best.”
Though few in number, the customers possessed purchasing power beyond compare.
I was blankly watching people casually buy items in the tens of millions of won range when an attractive female employee approached and bowed respectfully.
“Welcome. I’m Kim Sun-hee, a representative at the Ilsan Store, here to assist you.”
“Ah, yes.”
She’d been courteous during my last visit, but not to this extent.
Apparently, being C-rank warranted considerably more attentive service.
“Is there a particular product you’re looking for?”
“I’m looking to purchase some Raid equipment.”
The employee’s expression brightened. While the store carried numerous magical items, Hunter equipment ranked among the most expensive.
Moreover, I was a C-rank Hunter. Even mid-tier Hunters could spend hundreds of millions on a single piece of equipment.
From a sales perspective, the employee naturally felt delighted at the prospect of a substantial commission.
“I’ll guide you to the Third Floor.”
I spoke to her as she turned toward the escalator.
“Actually, could you take me to the Second Floor instead?”
“Pardon? But for C-rank Hunter equipment, you’d need the Third Floor….”
“It’s fine. What I’m looking for is lower-tier Hunter weaponry.”
Ignoring the employee’s slightly dimmed expression, I stepped onto the escalator first.
‘I wonder if they have anything suitable for catching rats.’
The time had come to stock my inventory.
* * *
“It’s fine. What I’m looking for is a weapon for low-rank Hunters anyway.”
At the customer’s words, Kim Sun-hee let out a quiet sigh. As someone who was particularly concerned with sales performance, this was hardly welcome news.
‘I need to post good numbers this month if I’m going to get promoted.’
Her cohort who started at the Seoul Branch had already made Team Leader. Whether it was luck or skill, every customer she landed was apparently a big spender.
Compared to that, she was….
“This one looks nice.”
“Ah, yes. That product is crafted from an F-rank magic stone….”
Kim Sun-hee snapped to attention and began her explanation. The customer had picked up a short sword with a blackened blade.
Compared to other weapons, it was nothing special—not even enchanted, just an ordinary consumable item.
“How much is it?”
“We’re currently running a summer special discount, so we’re offering it at the reasonable price of 520,000 won.”
“Hmm. That’s expensive.”
“….”
What was a C-rank Hunter’s salary again? Wasn’t the base stipend alone in the hundreds of millions? Kim Sun-hee was speechless, but she waited patiently for the customer’s decision.
“Ah, well, I can’t help it. I’ll take it. Give me one.”
“…Yes.”
The expression on his face screamed that he was dying over the cost. Just as Kim Sun-hee swallowed a curse and reached for the short sword, he spoke again.
“No, wait. Not that one.”
“Pardon?”
“The one next to it.”
Her gaze shifted to the side. She could see a storage box with one hundred short swords neatly arranged inside.
“It’s the same product, sir.”
“I know. Give me one from that.”
“…Did you perhaps mean the entire storage box?”
“Yes. Give me one box of those. And one box of that as well, and that one too….”
It was the moment Kim Sun-hee’s worries about her sales performance vanished.

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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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