Murim Login - Chapter 306
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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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As the massive fuselage of the Boeing 747-8 VIP ascended into the sky, Jin Tae-Kyung, who had been fidgeting in his seat, suddenly sprang up and began exploring the interior of the plane.
“Wow, this isn’t just a plane, it’s like a luxury hotel suite! Chief, look at this! There’s even a bed!”
His constant exclamations made Choi Min-Woo rub his forehead in exasperation. Anyone watching might think they were on a vacation, not heading into a battlefield.
“Uh… Tae-Kyung?”
“Just a moment, I’m going to check what kinds of drinks they have here.”
The private jet, sent by the Chinese Central Committee, had three Chinese flight attendants on board. Tae-Kyung called one of them over and began conversing fluently in Chinese.
‘Isn’t he practically a native speaker?’
His command of the language was impressive, almost as if he had been born and raised in China.
Choi Min-Woo, who also had a talent for languages and spoke several fluently, couldn’t compare to Tae-Kyung.
He had heard that Tae-Kyung wasn’t a particularly good student, so when had he managed to learn Chinese to this level?
As Min-Woo pondered in amazement, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
‘Come to think of it, this is the guy who even communicates with monsters.’
Tae-Kyung was the one who could fluently curse in the Demon Realm language, a language that even renowned linguists struggled with.
When asked how he managed to do it, he had simply said it was a trade secret.
‘…I’ll just give up thinking about it. It’s easier that way.’
Sometimes, it’s just better to let things go. After all, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, and he figured Tae-Kyung would explain it when the time was right.
Resigned, Min-Woo accepted the glass of alcohol handed to him by the flight attendant.
“What kind of drink is this? The clear color makes me think it’s some sort of vodka.”
“It’s ‘Cheoeumcheoreom Fresh.’” [1]
“I never thought I’d see soju here. You know, soju tastes best on the rocks.”
Tae-Kyung sat down on the sofa and started downing drinks one after the other. Astonished by his relentless drinking, Min-Woo asked,
“Did a ghost who died of alcohol poisoning possess you?”
“I’m just getting it in now, so I don’t have to keep going back and forth later.”
“What?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Tae-Kyung mumbled something incomprehensible and then asked,
“It’s supposed to take about six hours, right?”
“Yes, it should take about that long to reach Chengdu International Airport in Sichuan Province. It might take longer if something unexpected happens.”
“Unexpected, like what?”
“What else could it be?”
Min-Woo was referring to the possibility of the monster army, led by a Lich, taking over Chengdu.
“Of course, it’s a slim chance. By now, a massive number of the People’s Liberation Army and hunters should be guarding the area.”
With a population of 100 million and an area twice the size of the Korean Peninsula, Chengdu is the administrative capital of Sichuan Province. If Chengdu falls, it would mean the entire province is overrun.
After hearing Min-Woo’s words, Tae-Kyung waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t rely on probabilities. If we did that, the Monster Wave wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
“True, but…”
“Always prepare for the worst. Don’t assume the best outcome.”
It was a simple statement, something anyone could say, but coming from Tae-Kyung, it felt different.
How should one describe it? Perhaps it was a sense of meticulousness and seasoned experience, hidden beneath his carefree exterior.
‘He’s a strange guy,’ Min-Woo often found Tae-Kyung to be an enigma.
It wasn’t about skill or combat experience.
Talking with him gave the impression that he wasn’t just someone who had survived a few crises. He seemed to be someone who had navigated through countless dangers.
‘And he’s younger than me.’
Tae-Kyung, who had been sipping his drink, paused when he noticed Min-Woo’s curious gaze.
“Why, do you want some vodka instead?”
“No, this soju is fine.”
“Right? It’s got a clean taste…”
Tae-Kyung trailed off, frowning suddenly.
“That bastard’s at it again, huh.”
“That wasn’t directed at you, Chief. There’s just some loudmouth who won’t stop squawking.”
Min-Woo, glancing at the flight attendants, whispered,
“Are you talking about the Skeleton Warlord?”
“Yeah, he’s been throwing a fit for a while now, saying he doesn’t want to go to China.”
“Because of the Lich, I assume?”
“The class difference between them is huge, even though they’re both named monsters. And on top of that, the Lich is a high-level undead monster.”
If the Lich is like a lion, then the Skeleton Warlord is like a cat. Even if the Warlord is a named monster, their fundamental nature is entirely different.
Moreover, the Lich that appeared this time is far stronger than the Lich from the Great Cataclysm in the past.
Min-Woo, his expression serious, spoke up.
“Tae-Kyung.”
“Ah, shut up! Huh? What?”
“Something feels off lately.”
“Your back hurting?”
“No. I mean, the state of the world.”
“Oh, the atmosphere. Yeah, I feel it too. I want to live peacefully, but all these idiots keep causing trouble everywhere… No, not you, quiet down.”
Min-Woo rubbed his temples as a headache suddenly hit him.
“I’m talking about the Gates and monsters.”
“Ah…”
Tae-Kyung, who had been bantering with the invisible Skeleton Warlord, lifted his head.
“It is strange. A named monster that appears maybe once every few years, and now we’ve had two of them pop up in a matter of months.”
“The number of Gate incidents has also skyrocketed this year. The media loves to blame guilds and individuals for being careless, but I don’t know. The International Gate Research Institute has a completely different take on it.”
Min-Woo handed Tae-Kyung a tablet displaying a document with the title *[Investigation Results on the Surge in Gate Magic Power]* in bold letters.
“It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but it’s practically confirmed. Magic power distribution in many Gates is rapidly increasing.”
“That’s the real cause of the recent Gate accidents?”
“Yes.”
Magic power is the source of a monster’s strength. If the magic power distribution within a Gate increases, it’s only natural that the monsters will grow stronger.
And more importantly…
“I’ve got proof of it right here.”
Min-Woo nodded at Tae-Kyung’s words.
The Skeleton Warlord. The named monster Tae-Kyung had encountered a few days ago had ‘evolved.’
It was so sudden that even the Warlord himself didn’t know how it happened.
“The Lich that appeared this time might have gone through a similar power growth.”
“I had some idea this might happen, but…”
Tae-Kyung brushed his long hair back.
“This is going to be tougher than I thought.”
“That’s why we need to prepare thoroughly. According to some information I’ve obtained regarding this situation…”
“I’ll look at the data later.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve got a lot of unfinished business to take care of right now.”
“Unfinished business? Right now?”
The Boeing 747-8 VIP they were on was flying at 25,000 feet.
What unfinished business could he possibly have at this moment?
Tae-Kyung’s answer left Min-Woo even more baffled.
“I need to get some sleep.”
“…Sleep? You can sleep at a time like this?”
“I haven’t slept properly in days.”
“Wait, hold on.”
“Don’t wake me up. It’s the best thing I can do right now.”
Seriously, what kind of person is this?
Before Min-Woo could protest, Tae-Kyung was already crawling into the bed set up inside the aircraft.
“Oh, right, Chief?”
Tae-Kyung, with just his head peeking out, added seriously,
“Please turn off the lights.”
As soon as his head hit the pillow, Tae-Kyung was sound asleep. Watching him, Min-Woo thought,
‘I’m definitely taking 90% of the profit this time.’
Ding.
– [Login] complete.
With the familiar notification, Tae-Kyung woke up, feeling the hard surface of a wooden pillow and a stiff bed beneath him instead of a soft mattress.
The unfamiliar ceiling of the Murim Alliance hall greeted his eyes.
‘I’m back.’
It had been a month since he last returned. In Murim, however, only about four hours had passed.
Turning his head to the right, he saw the small frame of an elderly man deep in sleep.
Even with the sunlight streaming in through the window, the Fire King, Jeok Cheon-Gang, didn’t stir.
“I’m back, Master,” he whispered softly as he stood up.
“Mm, oh. Ah.”
“Yes, that’s it. Oh yeah.”
He looked down at Hyeok Mu-Jin, who was wriggling like a worm in the corner of the room.
‘I’m pretty sure I assigned him to guard the place before logging out.’
But this idiot is having a wet dream instead.
It’s a pity I can’t record this and share it in the Taewonjin group chat.
But I can at least kick his ass.
Wham!
“Wake up, you Tokyo Hot wannabe!”
With a jolt of pain, Hyeok Mu-Jin shot up from his dream.
“Captain! Did you cough?”
“Yeah. It sounded like you were coughing too.”
Hyeok Mu-Jin awkwardly chuckled, his eyes darting around.
“Well, you see, I had some… circumstances.”
Circumstances, huh? Or were you *about* to have them?
I looked at Hyeok Mu-Jin with disgust and sighed deeply.
Yeah, it’s all my fault for trusting this guy.
“When did you start sleeping?”
“I didn’t sleep much. Really.”
“So, nothing happened while you were awake?”
“Yes, until two hours ago, I was keeping everything secure.”
I thought for a moment and then asked,
“Two hours ago? That’s right when I fell asleep, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah, but I didn’t sleep much, really.”
“True. Two hours isn’t much sleep.”
“Exactly!”
“So, you followed me into the dream world to guard me?”
Hyeok Mu-Jin nodded enthusiastically.
“Indeed! As a member of the Taewonjin clan, Hyeok Mu-Jin remains unwavering in his loyalty to you, Captain!”
“Aww, how touching.”
I chuckled and picked up a vase sitting next to the bed.
“So why were you making those weird noises while guarding me in the dream?”
“Who were you with? Mimi from Honghwa Pavilion? Kirara from Tokyo Pavilion? Or maybe the filial daughter from the tofu shop?”
Just looking at this guy makes me so angry I can hardly stand it.
As I raised the vase high, Hyeok Mu-Jin began to back away in fear.
“Please, just let me off this once.”
“I’ve let you off 500 times already.”
“Then just one more time, for the 500th time…”
“Just take it.”
At that moment, three things happened simultaneously.
First, the vase in my hand flew through the air with a fierce force. Second, the vase narrowly missed Hyeok Mu-Jin’s head as he ducked and flew toward the door.
Third, the door opened at the perfect moment, and someone walked in.
“What’s the condition of Great Elder Jeok…”
Smack!
The short, stout old man, holding a small bundle in one hand, was cut off mid-sentence.
He blinked in shock, looking at both me and Hyeok Mu-Jin, then collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Thunk!
The vase, which had struck the old man squarely on the forehead, rolled across the floor, and various acupuncture needles and medical tools spilled out from the bundle he was holding.
!
The man who had rushed in at dawn to check on Jeok Cheon-Gang’s condition, known as the Eccentric Doctor of Luoyang, had been knocked out cold.
***
Footnotes:
[1] Cheoeumcheoreom Fresh is a popular brand of soju, a traditional Korean distilled alcoholic beverage typically made from rice or other starches. It’s known for its smooth and clean taste, often enjoyed neat or on the rocks. Soju is a staple in Korean drinking culture, often consumed during meals or social gatherings.