Murim Login - Chapter 94

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

Chapter 94
“350 million won.”
The cashier’s voice trembled as she spoke, and my hand shook as I handed over the card.
Good grief, 350 million won. I’d just blown through three years’ worth of salary from my dog-tired days in a single hour.
‘No. Think of it positively.’
This money was being spent to protect my family from the Watchers.
I could always earn more money later, and the items I’d bought today would serve me well for years to come.
Beep.
– Payment approved.
“Your transaction is complete.”
Thanks to that, this young lady had just won the lottery. I took my card back from Kim Hee-sun, whose smile stretched from ear to ear.
“So we’re all done here?”
“Ah, if you provide your address, we can arrange delivery for you.”
“That’s not necessary. I have somewhere to be right away.”
Delivery? Once I was out of sight, I’d simply store everything in my inventory. Problem solved.
‘This is when the system really comes in handy.’
With that thought, I accepted the shopping bags with both hands. Of course, these weren’t ordinary paper bags. They were sturdy leather shopping bags made from ogre hide, I was told. I’d received them as a complimentary gift, but rather than feeling pleased, my chest ached at the expense.
“Thank you for your business.”
“Please, do visit us again!”
“…Yes, of course.”
I accepted her business card as she bowed at a perfect right angle.
A person obsessed with sales figures—that was her title: Sales Associate.
* * *
I stopped by a nearby bathroom to store the items I’d purchased at the department store in my inventory, then hailed a taxi. These days, I regretted not having obtained my driver’s license.
“Ilsan A Apartment, please.”
The moment I settled into the passenger seat, I pulled out my smartphone and began searching for information.
My search term was….
‘Familiar.’
The instant I pressed the search button, a flood of relevant information appeared.
Much of it was information that ordinary people couldn’t access—content requiring Hunter authentication. Among these results, one title in particular caught my eye.
Humor X Don’t Use Familiar Magic. Hair Loss Incoming.
A title that truly spoke to the soul. I couldn’t help but click on it.
‘Ah, so this was the post that went up.’
The site where the post was published was a well-known domestic Hunter Community.
The post had achieved monthly best status with over 100,000 views and more than 2,000 comments.
‘Let me give this a read.’
Click!
Humor X Don’t Use Familiar Magic. Hair Loss Incoming.
I’m a B-rank mage currently active in the field.
I’ve got some experience under my belt and make decent money as a freelance Hunter. I ask for your understanding regarding the specifics of my abilities, which I cannot disclose.
Anyway, the reason I’m writing this post is exactly what the title says.
I got hit with hair loss because of Familiar Magic….
I’m still in my twenties, but my crown is a classmate with a two-thousand-year-old mummy. Damn it.
In case there are bastards who want to nitpick, let me say this upfront: my family line has always been blessed with thick hair. I’ve even seen a photo of my great-grandfather taken during the Japanese occupation, and he was basically the Rapunzel of Joseon.
Anyway, Familiar Magic. This is truly a double-edged sword.
Those of us who practice as mages know this, but Mental Magic isn’t common. Even ordinary people can make a living learning a single skill.
For mages, Mental Magic is exactly that. If you have this one thing, you can live well and eat well no matter what.
But damn it, my hair keeps falling out. It just keeps falling.
Has anyone here washed their hair with high-grade potions? I have.
You crazy bastards, I spent tens of millions of won just washing my hair once. I’ve tried everything to that extent, but it’s only temporary.
After trying everything else, I went to a civilian doctor, and this guy let out a deep sigh and said this.
You’re a Mental Magic Mage, aren’t you?
He said it without a single word out of place. I was so startled that I asked how he knew, and he told me something that gave me real chills.
Over 90 percent of Mental Magic Mages experience hair loss, and especially among those who use high-difficulty Familiar Magic, it’s 100 percent.
Because you’re overworking your brain so much, at some point even those blessed with thick hair become bald.
At first, I thought he was talking nonsense, but it turned out to be true.
I hurriedly joined the Mental Magic Mage Cafe to see if there were others like me, and out of a hundred cafe members, 98 of them have hair loss.
After hearing my situation, they said it was already too late—potions only temporarily restore cells, so if you use them frequently, only hair cells die.
They said they’d promote my rank if I wrote a review after treatment on the cafe bulletin board, but I completely ignored it, withdrew, and now I’m searching for my own treatment method….
Three-line summary.
1. Mental Magic is great. But in exchange, your hair falls out.
2. Using potions is a waste of effort. Just use anti-hair-loss shampoo and go to a civilian hospital instead. Hair should be treated with heart and desperation, not magic.
3. I won’t give up.
That’s all.
“….”
After reading it all, my vision blurs. The mages I’d always envied, those who seemed to have everything—they had troubles like this too.
“Customer, are you alright?”
“I’m fine… *gulp*.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
Of all times, the taxi driver is also bald. I lowered my head toward my smartphone with the heart of a sinner.
I see over two thousand comments below the post.
Anonymous#232
: Summarize it in one line.
└
Author
: [Comment hidden due to severe profanity.]
Anonymous#112
: Is the first commenter even human? I cried. I’m rooting for you, hang in there.
└
Original Poster
: Thanks…
Anonymous#1512
: I don’t know about everything else, but the second commenter seems to be dealing with hair loss too. But reading through your whole story, you seem to be making a lot of money—does it really matter if you’re missing some hair? You could just wear a nice wig.
└
Original Poster
: [Comment hidden due to severe profanity.]
Anonymous#4885
: Wow, a Familiar Mage showing up here. You guys don’t know because you haven’t looked into it, but the original poster is genuinely nobility. Even among B-rank hunters, there’s no comparison in terms of income. The treatment is different too.
└
Original Poster
: What good is money when I don’t have hair?
└
Anonymous#4885
: Now that you mention it, that’s true.
└
Original Poster
: If you’re going to comfort me, see it through, you bastard.
.
.
.
Administrator
: Congratulations! Your post has been selected as a popular thread!
└
Anonymous#5252
Hahahahaha
└
Anonymous#8984
Hahahahaha
└
Original Poster
: Should I be laughing or not?
└
Anonymous#2652
: How are you laughing when you don’t have any hair right now?
└
Original Poster
: [Comment hidden due to severe profanity.]
Original Poster
: Thanks for the support, everyone. I’ve made it to the monthly best and the hall of fame. If you have any questions, drop a comment below. I’m working right now, but I’ll pop in and answer whenever I get a chance.
└
Anonymous#9665
: You said you’re a freelancer, but what kind of work do you mainly do?
└
Original Poster
: It sounds fancy to call it freelancing, but the work is basically similar to private investigation. I’ve tracked down first-class criminals—Hunters, of course—and I’ve taken on cases involving infidelity in nouveau riche households.
└
Anonymous#915
: Wow… you must make good money. How much is your income?
└
Original Poster
: That depends on the job. Still, after working for several years, I’ve built a building in Seoul. The house I’m living in now is also registered under my name.
└
Anonymous#5252
: Prove it with photos of your house.
└
Original Poster
: I’m out on a job right now. I’ll provide proper proof later, so check back then.
└
Anonymous#9882
: What does being on a job have to do with it? Familiars are remote-controlled anyway, aren’t they?
└
Original Poster
: Even remote control has distance limits, you idiot. Do you use your home WiFi when you’re traveling in America?
└
Anonymous#9882
: My bad
└
Original Poster
: The maximum connection distance for a Familiar is 500 meters. I’m gradually extending it, but it’s tough. If the link is forcibly severed, my stomach churns and I feel like throwing up. There’s also the risk of mana backflow.
└
Anonymous#9882
: So you have to stay within 500 meters no matter what.
└
Original Poster
: Yeah, for safe operations, I’d say around 300 meters? You have to be prepared for unexpected situations. I’d guess most people do the same.
I scrolled through the comments and paused.
I’d just stumbled upon something important, hadn’t I?
‘The connection to a Familiar breaks beyond 500 meters?’
The maximum distance was that far, and for safe operations, it was 300 meters.
In other words, if the commenter’s statement was true, then the ones who used Familiars yesterday were stationed not far from my house.
‘And they’re probably bald. Completely bald.’
It’s quite likely they’re wearing a wig, but there’s no harm in knowing.
After that, I continued searching for information about Familiar magic and was able to organize several facts.
‘By B-rank mage standards, the maximum connection distance for Familiars is 500m. Safe distance is 300m. If a Familiar dies, the link is forcibly severed and the caster takes some damage.’
And there was one more thing I realized—why they would go to the expense of hiring a costly Familiar mage just to monitor me.
‘What is this? Ultra-small Familiars don’t get caught by most detection magic?’
For example, it’s like this: detection magic is a net, and small Familiars like flies or grain beetles are too tiny to be caught in it.
Of course, there are products with top-tier detection magic built in that can catch even those, but apparently they’re on summer sale for 550 million won.
“….”
I have no idea what part of that qualifies as a summer sale. With all the expenses coming up, 550 million might as well be freezing to death.
‘I’ve got one more reason to catch them myself.’
Suddenly, I thought of the other guild members. Could it be that the Familiar was only attached to my family?
I still don’t know the exact identity of whoever ordered this. The Sangdong Guild is merely a prime suspect.
“That’ll be 8,400 won.”
“Ah, yes. Here you go.”
I paid the taxi fare and stepped out of the car. The entrance to the Apartment Complex, which always looked the same, felt unfamiliar today.
Like a thorn lodged in my throat, the presence of my watcher irritated me.
‘Should I contact Choi Team Leader?’
I was contemplating while looking at his number saved in my smartphone.
“Oppa!”
A swan in a familiar lime-green tracksuit and round glasses, with her damp hair tied back tightly, waves at me with a smile.
“Uh, yeah.”
“What’s with that reaction?”
“I guess I just don’t want to acknowledge you in public. It’s embarrassing.”
“You’re embarrassed of your only younger sister? Really?”
“Go buy yourself some clothes. What happened to the ones you bought at the Department Store last time? Why are you still wearing tracksuits?”
“You’re one to talk. You wear the same boring clothes every single day.”
Ha-yeon’s jab left me momentarily speechless. Just an hour or two ago, I’d paid 300 million won, yet I was still wearing nothing but jeans and a t-shirt. It seemed the ingrained habits of a small-time citizen from my 27 years hadn’t fully shed.
“Anyway. Where are you headed?”
“Where am I going? The convenience store!”
Ha-yeon, who had been pouting just moments before, suddenly breaks into a grin.
What’s gotten into her? I asked in a flat tone.
“Why are you so excited? Your heart’s already racing at the thought of ransacking the convenience store?”
“Ransack? I’m just buying canned tuna.”
“Canned tuna? Is lunch today tuna kimchi stew?”
“No! It’s not!”
“…Why are you like this today, seriously? Have you been drinking?”
“You’d be like this too if you saw what I saw.”
Despite my reaction, Ha-yeon, who had only been grinning unusually, unzipped her tracksuit and pulled something from inside. A small, white and yellow fluffy mass wriggles in the palm of her hand.
Meow.
“…A kitten?”
“Isn’t it adorable? I went to sort the recycling earlier, and someone had abandoned it in a box. They said anyone who wanted to could take it.”
“….”
“I don’t know who threw it away, but it’s pitiful, isn’t it? What crime did this little one commit? Right, Elder Brother?”
“…That’s true. What fault does an animal have.”
“I got Mom’s permission, and we decided to provide temporary shelter for it. You’re okay with it too, right?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, our Mrs. Kim is completely smitten with the eldest son. She said to get your approval too, so when you come home later, please say something nice about it.”
“I suppose.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You loved animals when you were younger.”
I did love them. Actually, I still do. But this creature resting peacefully in Ha-yeon’s palm….
[Lv.2 Cat – Familiar]
It’s somewhat different.

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