Murim Login - Chapter 294
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I will re-publish the earlier chapters to fix those issues with the translation. I apologize in advance if it did not meet your standard. Please comment the chapters you find that is lacking in quality so I can fix them ASAP. Thanks for understanding!
Current re-published chapters (270 - 305)
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A week ago, after days of tenacious negotiations with Lee Jung-ryong’s side, Chief Choi finally got everything he wanted.
Exclusive rights to over twenty Gates, real estate, and a massive sum of cash. Though the exact amount was unknown, its value was undoubtedly astronomical.
This would have been impossible without the ten Black Hunters and the close associates that Myung-dong Guild Master Park Tae-seop had sent over. They were invaluable spoils.
**’This place is no different.’**
I led the charge through the magical barrier, giving commands with vigor.
**Whoosh.** The sticky, unpleasant yet familiar sensation unique to magical energy surrounded me as the entire environment around us changed.
**Ding.**
– You have entered the A-rank Gate, [The Dark Forest of the Necromancer]!
– A quest, [Gate Conquest], has been automatically generated!
“Left foot, left foot! One, two, three, four! Stand in position!”
“One, two! Formation!”
The sharp, synchronized responses echoed as the human train came to a halt, with nearly fifty people having already entered the Gate.
We were greeted by a dark forest, where the feeble moonlight barely seeped through the skeletal tree branches. The rookies, realizing the situation, looked around in terror.
**”Huh!”**
**”We’re screwed.”**
**”Wait, what rank is this Gate? Why is it so vast?”**
Meanwhile, the reactions from the three-week-old “veteran” dogs were as nonchalant as could be.
**”Ugh, not the Dark Forest of the Necromancer again?”**
**”I’m going to throw up.”**
**”Glad I brought my war hammer.”**
Despite less than a month separating their entry dates, the difference between them was vast. In contrast, the rookies who heard the veterans’ conversation turned pale.
**”Th-The Dark Forest of the Necromancer?”**
**”It’s an A-rank Gate!”**
A-rank Gate, the Dark Forest of the Necromancer.
Even those unfamiliar with the place could get a sense of it just from the name. The eerie atmosphere and the chilling forest scenery were more than enough to send shivers down their spines.
This was a domain ruled by a necromancer.
**”Sir! Jin Tae-kyung, sir!”**
One of the rookies came running up to me, his face filled with desperation.
**”Please, can’t you let me out of here!”**
**”Why?”**
**”I’m terrified of ghosts. Regular monsters are fine, but ghouls, skeletons—I just can’t handle them.”**
**”Trauma?”**
**”Not exactly, but they’re just too scary for me.”**
**”Well, this is a good opportunity to experience it in 4D. Besides, they’re just monsters.”**
**”But…”**
**”Didn’t you write on your application that you had no issues with this?”**
**”That was just to get the job… Please, I’m begging you. I can’t even watch horror movies with my girlfriend!”**
**”Ah, a girlfriend. I see. Well then, here!”**
I beckoned with my fingers, and one of the veteran dogs, who had been grinning at the conversation, shot out like a bullet.
**”Yes, you called?”**
**”Hmm…”** He was Kim Jin-soo, who had taken on the unofficial role of leader among the veterans. With strong leadership and combat skills, he had become my right-hand man during raids.
And yes, we’ve dropped the formalities long ago.
**”I have something for you to handle. This guy right here.”**
**”Understood.”**
**”Put him at the front.”**
The rookie, who had been sighing in relief, gasped in horror.
**”The front?”**
**”Why? Is there a problem? You’re holding a tower shield, so you’re perfectly suited to be a tank.”**
**”But…”**
**”If you want to back out, go ahead. Just be ready to be fired.”**
**”F-Fired?”**
**”Of course. If you’re too scared of ghosts to join the raid, there’s no reason to keep you employed. Besides, there are no ghosts in the Gate. They’re all just monsters. Jin-soo, am I wrong?”**
Kim Jin-soo quickly responded.
**”You’re absolutely right, sir.”**
**”If they were all ghosts, I wouldn’t need hunters. I’d bring exorcists. Don’t you agree?”**
**”You’re right, sir. A hundred times over.”**
**”See? Jin-soo here really knows how to talk.”**
**”Thank you, sir.”**
**”So, are you staying on as a Peace Guild hunter, or are you getting fired and switching careers to an exorcist?”**
The rookie stiffened and replied.
**”I-I’ll stay as a hunter.”**
**”Good. But if you run away during a fight, I’ll personally send you to heaven. Got it?”**
**”O-O-Okay.”**
**”Okay. Front! Okay! Heaven!”**
As I waved my hand, Kim Jin-soo grabbed the rookie by the arm and dragged him off.
I thought I’d been thorough in the selection process, but there’s always one like him wherever you go.
**’What? Too scared to even watch horror movies with his girlfriend?’**
Damn it. What nonsense.
No, I’m not mad because he has a girlfriend. Really.
**Whoosh.**
A chilling wind swept through the forest, sending a shiver down my spine. I shook it off and stepped forward into the woods.
From behind, I could hear the conversations slowly fading away.
**”Uh, excuse me, sir.”**
A frightened voice from one of the rookies. Then, a curt response from one of the veteran dogs.
**”What?”**
**”Where is Jin Tae-kyung going?”**
**”He’s off on a hunt.”**
**”Huh?”**
**”They call him the Pied Piper for a reason.”**
One of the veterans added in a delighted tone.
**”We’re all in this together, so let’s give it our best!”**
Raising my voice as I wandered through the forest had its effect.
**Rustle! Rumble!**
**- Grrr! – Scree!**
**Clack, clack, clack!**
Grotesque cries filled the air as the corpses buried underground awoke from their slumber.
Ghouls with decaying flesh falling off their bones, and skeletons with nothing but bare bones gleaming in the faint moonlight.
The cursed undead monsters quickly covered the forest and hills.
**”Hey, hey! I’m going to take it slow, so keep up, okay?”**
**- Grrr! – Thump, thump, thump!**
Zombies dragging their feet and limping along were now an outdated image.
Seeing them run sometimes made me wonder if they were trained at a national sports center. It wasn’t the first time I’d had that thought.
Of course, they’re no match for me, but…
**’Since we have new recruits today, I guess I’ll go easy on them.’**
Leaping into the air, I periodically glanced back to count the numbers.
About 150 or so?
It’s about three times the size of our group, but even so, this is fewer than usual.
Ghouls and skeletons aren’t particularly powerful monsters, and our side has thoroughly prepared and toughened up.
**’They don’t call them veteran dogs for nothing.’**
I’ve brought back monsters three times the number, sometimes even ten times, and shown them the brink of hell so many times that their eyes are now filled with ferocity.
Of course, if things ever got too dangerous, I’d step in, but thanks to that, while there were some injuries, there hadn’t been any deaths.
Repeating that several times a day, I’ve somehow become both a common enemy and a trusted leader.
I never wanted things to go this far, but… it can’t be helped.
**’This is intensive training.’**
I need to plant the seeds of survival in the harshest conditions as quickly as possible within the Peace Guild.
In less than a month, several have already given up and moved to other teams. I didn’t bother stopping them, and I don’t hold any grudges.
**’Their choices are their own.’**
Everyone has their own life. I’m merely a temporary part of theirs.
I can present options, but I have no right to force their decisions.
**Screeeech!**
The [Dark Forest of the Necromancer] was indeed vast, befitting an A-rank Gate. But the area I had explored was only a tiny fraction of it. Adjusting my speed, I soon caught sight of the Gate’s entrance.
**”They’re coming!”**
**”Jin Tae-kyung, you bastard…”**
**”It’s smaller than usual, I guess because it’s their first time.”**
**”Oh no, a skeleton!”**
Some loudly announced the arrival of the monsters, others cursed me or calmly assessed the situation.
The rookies, still inexperienced and lacking combat experience, visibly shrank back in fear.
Of course, the veteran dogs who had already tasted my harsh lessons weren’t going to let that slide.
**”Hey! What the hell are you doing over there? The line’s breaking!”**
**”Stop backing up! Hold that shield tight! What? You need to pee? Then do it in your pants!”**
**”Listen up, newbies! Jin Tae-kyung won’t
help you at all. I heard he set up that charity foundation because he thought people would die here!”**
Wow, they’re really painting me as a villain.
It was absurd, but I held back. Yeah, they need to do that to keep their minds focused.
**’People talk shit about everyone behind their back anyway.’**
But of course, I remembered every single face.
As the distance between me and the formation of hunters closed, I quickly scaled the tallest tree and shouted.
**”Shield wall!”**
**Rumble!**
Their movements were perfectly synchronized. The undead monsters, which had been hopelessly chasing after me, looked up in bewilderment.
At the top of the hill where the Gate’s entrance was located, about fifty hunters had formed a solid line.
One of the skeletons, spotting the formation, raised its bone sword high and let out a piercing scream.
**- Grrraaagh!**
This wasn’t just an ordinary skeleton.
Where there should have been exposed bones, there was instead armor, though worn and rusty, and the bone sword it raised was engulfed in a sinister, pitch-black aura.
**”A Skeleton Knight?”**
Not all skeletons are created equal.
Skeleton Soldiers, Mages, Warriors…
Each has different abilities and strengths, and the Skeleton Knight is undoubtedly recognized as a powerful A-rank monster.
**’I’ve encountered Skeleton Knights in the Black Forest before, but… this one is different.’**
Meeting a Skeleton Knight in an A-rank Gate like this is nothing out of the ordinary. They usually lead lesser skeletons like Warriors and Mages, spreading across the forest.
As I narrowed my eyes to observe it, I suddenly noticed something else.
**- Grrraaaagh!**
**Fwooosh!**
Two more auras shot up into the sky with the next roar.
I muttered in surprise.
**”…Three Skeleton Knights in one group?”**
This was a first.
A group of skeletons is like an army, and the Knight is the general of that army. Normally, there’s only one general per army.
**’Did three different armies join forces?’**
But my guess was quickly proven wrong.
The two new Skeleton Knights clattered over to the first one and knelt down, plunging their bone swords into the ground.
A clear gesture of submission. Their empty eye sockets filled with a bright purple light.
**Fwoooosh!**
A brilliant light erupted from the darkness, intense and blazing like a fire.
The instant I locked eyes with it, it felt as though the very air in the forest was trembling.
**- Grrraaagh!**
**Crunch!**
The first Knight’s body began to transform. Every bone thickened and lengthened, and the surface gleamed with an eerie black sheen.
The changes didn’t stop there.
**Clang!**
The armor, which had been rusty and broken in places, was restored as if time had reversed. The broken chains reattached themselves, and the faded skull emblem on its chest became vibrant again.
Finally, an emerald green cloak fluttered in the wind.
As the transformation ended, the Knight looked down at its hand.
Instead of bare bones, it now wore a solid gauntlet.
And then, in the next moment…
**- Not. Bad.**
The air in the forest quivered.
Everyone, including me, was left speechless, staring at the transformed monster.
A Skeleton Knight. Once a mighty warrior turned into a corrupted undead.
But no longer.
**[Lv.105 Skeleton Warlord]**
**- Come. Down. Human.**
Its blazing purple gaze locked onto me.