Murim Login - Chapter 406

The era of great upheaval began with the descent of the Demon King Asmodeus, plunging the world into gloom and chaos. Despite the turmoil, humanity overcame the crisis, quickly rebuilding and achieving an even higher level of civilization.

But for some, there are things far more important than magical elevators or healing potions.

“The internet got faster.”

A man muttered reverently, pushing up his glasses.

The time was 11:30 AM. Behind him, the ramen he had just dropped into the pot was simmering, while cold rice and sour kimchi were set on the table.

Everything was ready. In exactly three minutes, he would crack one — no, two — S-grade eggs that he had painstakingly debated over during a grocery sale. After two more minutes, his perfect lunch would be ready.

And in the meantime, the boredom would be alleviated by the marvelous convenience of modern civilization: the smartphone.

“Now, let’s see what’s in the news today…”

Humming, the man scrolled through his smartphone screen.

On the homepage of the popular forum “Hunter University,” the latest top articles had been updated in order of rank.

1. [A streak of victories, the monster legion is effectively disbanded? UN Security Council official statement: “Humanity is strong. But the war is not yet over. No room for complacency until the end.”]

2. [The miracle of Sichuan: At the center of it all was Jin Tae-Kyung.]

3. [The rising national prestige, the birth of a new hero. K-pop, kimchi sales surge 800%.]

4. [Scheduled Korea-US summit: President Doramp makes a shocking statement during the event, “Is this Jin Tae-Kyung’s country? He’s my idol.”]

5. [Ares Guild’s streak of victories continues. Their reputation is well-deserved.]

6. [Chinese President Xiao Yang: “They are all heroes.”]

7. [Maesaengi.com translation: International reactions to the current situation. “Who on earth is this Jumo [1] that the Koreans are killing every chance they get?”]

8. [Prime Minister Megumi Shinjiro: “We must handle the Monster Wave in a way that’s Fun, Cool, and Sexy.” When asked for clarification by a reporter, he smiled and said, “Explaining it wouldn’t be sexy.”]

9. [Russian President Purin: “To me, Shinjiro is like quantum physics. No matter how much I try, I can’t understand him.”]

10. [Interview with the prophet webnovelist Zero Big [2]. “How do I feel right now? Bewildered. I’m taking a break today.” During the interview, a furious editor stormed in, resulting in a 12-week injury. Despite the unexpected hiatus, Zero Big smiled, saying he was happy to finally get some rest, while his editor cried, “He’s not human.”]

“Wow, it’s really chaotic out there.”

The man muttered with a smile. As he scrolled down further, every other article was about Jin Tae-Kyung.

Though some strange pieces were mixed in, just reading them filled him with a deep sense of pride.

The comment section was already about to explode.

— The forum’s been on fire lately. I’ve been on Hunter University since elementary school, but I’ve never seen it this heated before.
— The real crazy part is Jin Tae-Kyung. He singlehandedly wiped out a legion of 10,000 monsters. It’s still hard to believe.
— Let’s be clear: it wasn’t 10,000, more like a few thousand.
— LOL, still insane, isn’t it?
— ㅋㅋㅋ You’d be crying “Please be gentle” if a goblin dart hit you in the butt.
— But if this is the case, Jin Tae-Kyung’s beyond an S-rank hunter, right? Are all S-rank hunters like this?
— During the great upheaval, feats like this were rare, aside from Cheon Tae-min, who’s in a league of his own. If you look at the records from that time, Lee Jeong-ryong had similar accomplishments.
— Hmm. So he’s not at Lee Jeong-ryong’s level yet? That’s disappointing.
— ?? Are you seriously comparing Lee Jeong-ryong to some old guy from a mountain spring? He’s overshadowed by Cheon Tae-min, but his achievements and influence still make him one of the top-tier hunters worldwide.
— 222. Just look at a week ago. Across five fronts, he wiped out the monster legion with the least casualties. Jin Tae-Kyung is amazing, but so is Lee Jeong-ryong and the Ares Guild. Their northern front is advancing faster.

Reading the comments, the man felt a tinge of unease.

— When I read comments like these, I get nervous. I’m worried that clueless people will show up and ruin the thread with their dumb posts.
— Don’t worry, they’ve banned a ton of IPs. But at this rate, isn’t this whole situation pretty much over? They’re wiping out the monsters with rapid attacks.
— Undefeated for a whole week. ㄷㄷㄷ
— The Arch Lich must be shocked. He made a big move a week ago, and it all fell apart. Even the Death Knight Lord was killed. The survivors are being hunted down, and there’s no hope left for them.
— But shouldn’t the Arch Lich be making a move by now? It’s too quiet; something feels off.
— I thought the same thing, so I sent him a check-in message on KakaoTalk yesterday.
— ??? To who?
— The Arch Lich. He said he’s busy with a rank-up match right now. If he wins this round, he’ll reach gold.

— That commenter is insane.

— The real crazy one is Zero Big. Why did he suddenly go on hiatus? You’ve got to strike while the iron is hot. Unbelievable.
— Enough nonsense. The important thing is, at this rate, we’ll suppress the Monster Wave without any more major casualties. Let’s pray for a quick resolution and mourn the victims.
— I don’t like China, but ㅇㅇ. Every country has its fools and heroes. Props to the hunters and soldiers.

— Fighting.

The general mood among the netizens was upbeat.

What had once been a serious matter, the Monster Wave, was now being used as a source of national pride. And in the comments where people mourned the victims and offered encouragement, there was hope instead of fear.

“Well, it’s true that we’ve been hearing more good news lately.”

The man nodded. It made sense. According to the UN Security Council’s reports, the tide had turned in their favor.

A week ago, the monster legion launched simultaneous surprise attacks on five fronts, causing significant damage. But reinforcements were quickly dispatched, far outnumbering the casualties, and since then, it had been a series of victories.

“At this pace, it could all be over in a few days.”

It was indeed a relentless advance. The most outstanding forces were Jin Tae-Kyung’s western front and Lee Jeong-ryong’s northern front.

“That kid… I was really worried at first, but he’s doing much better than expected.”

After a moment of hesitation, the man logged into the site and left a comment.

Jin Tae-Kyung’s Roommate: Is this the same Tae-Kyung who used to be such a loser? Now he’s a legend. We used to eat ramen together all the time, and now he’s an S-rank hunter, a world-renowned hero. I’m honestly so proud of him…

As soon as he posted, replies flooded in.

While smiling contentedly at his phone, the man, Seong Jin-ho, suddenly realized he had forgotten something important.

“No! My ramen!”

* * *

“Man, I really want ramen.”

Hearing my murmur, Team Leader Choi, who had joined the front line after recovering last night, asked.

“All of a sudden?”

“Yeah, it’s strange.”

“Given the situation, Jin Tae-Kyung seems even more impressive.”

*Slash!*

With a flash of light, [Spirit of the Hero] sliced through the weapon and body of a Lizardman.

Green blood sprayed out, accompanied by a stench that made me lose my appetite as I leapt forward.

*Fwooosh, Crack!*

Myeolyeom Shingwon (Flame Extinguishing Divine Fist).

Terrifying flames engulfed dozens of Lizardmen, leaving the remaining monsters frozen in their tracks, already defeated in spirit.

Sensing the momentum, Xiao Shen led the charge, shouting:

“Charge! Charge!”

“Waaaaaah!”

“Winds of the blade, come forth! Wind Cutter!”

*Swish swish swish swish!*

*Clang! Slash!*

The monsters were no match for the flood of human attacks. Despite having similar numbers, their morale and combat quality were far inferior.

As the front line crumbled like a sandcastle, some of the terrified monsters turned and fled.

‘And with that, the collapse begins.’

Fear is contagious.

One flees, then ten, and soon it becomes an unstoppable stampede.

Sure enough, my prediction was spot on, and I soon heard the confident cries of victory.

“Chase them down! Don’t let a single one escape!”

“Buff us with speed, quickly!”

“Long-range units, prepare, fire!”

*Swish swish! Boom!*

The hunters, brimming with morale, began slaughtering the fleeing monsters without even maintaining formation.

In less time than it would take for a six-lane road to be filled with cars, the asphalt was covered with monster corpses.

“Another victory.”

After the battle, as I checked my equipment, Team Leader Choi spoke to me. I shrugged.

“For someone delivering good news, you don’t seem too happy.”

“It’s funny. I was just thinking the same thing while looking at Jin Tae-Kyung.”

It seemed we were both thinking the same thing.

Despite our victories, I wasn’t happy at all.

I had felt this strange unease since the second day of our mobile operations, as we began our counterattack.

“What do you think, Team Leader Choi?”

“What do you mean? The monster numbers and quality have significantly decreased? Or the dozens of victories we’ve achieved in the past week?”

“Both.”

“Then I’m probably thinking the same thing as Jin Tae-Kyung. The current situation is encouraging, but… something feels off.”

Team Leader Choi looked at the cheering people.

Their tired faces were lit up with smiles, filled with hope that they would soon return to their loved ones after the war.

“I understand. There were so many high-ranking monsters at the start of the war. If they lost their elite forces, this situation would make sense. But…”

“The Arch Lich. The problem is, he’s not the type to go down this easily. Isn’t that right, Team Leader?”

Nodding slightly, Team Leader Choi asked.

“Do the higher-ups share our thoughts?”

“Probably. Maybe not the other S-rank hunters, but Defense Minister Wei Ping-ho certainly seemed aware.”

“Well, that’s a relief, but…”

Team Leader Choi trailed off. He must have been thinking the same thing as me.

The city of Suining was just around the corner.

Throughout the entire war, the Arch Lich had never shown himself. What could he be doing right now?

* * *

The vast space swirled with darkness, which was being sucked into a certain point.

As the black darkness vanished, the light of the setting sun streamed through the broken windows, touching a figure.

“Come, challenger.”

A cold voice, like a winter wind. The Arch Lich’s eyes glowed as he gathered his power.

***

Footnotes:
[1] Jumo is a direct callback from the “Jumogi” term in chapter 390. It’s something about a celebration for Taekyung’s victory which I couldn’t get what the joke is about.
[2] Zero Big is the author of Murim Login. I think during this time, the author is subtly saying that he will take a break from writing. Or probably he is just ranting about his editor.