Murim Login - Chapter 414

There are faces that aren’t welcome no matter how many times you see them. For me, Lee Jung-ryong and Wu Haixing were just that kind.

Still, the reason I spoke to them first was that, for once, Wu Haixing didn’t look half as insufferable as usual.

“Fancy seeing you here. I thought I’d never see you again.”

At my cheerful greeting, the ragged-looking Wu Haixing shot me a venomous glare.

“Shut up.”

“Oh…”

“If you say one more word, I swear on my grandfather’s honor, I’ll tear you to pieces.”

Is he some knock-off Chinese detective? Why do guys like him always flash their dead grandfathers’ honor like a credit card? I’ll never understand.

With a serious expression, I spoke again.

“Didn’t get along with your grandfather, did you?”

“What?”

“No, really. Why would you risk your grandfather’s honor on something impossible? If you want to make a bet, you should gamble on the part where you get torn to pieces instead.”

“You bastard!”

Wu Haixing shot up, livid with rage, but before he could charge at me, Lee Jung-ryong raised a hand to stop him.

“Enough.”

“But, Mr. Lee! This bastard—”

“It’s foolish to fight among ourselves right before a decisive battle. Calm yourself.”

Gnashing his teeth, Wu Haixing glared at me before muttering through clenched teeth,

“Understood. Since you insist, I’ll let this go.”

“Wise choice.”

I glanced at Lee Jung-ryong, who was wearing a faint smile. Wu Haixing backing down so easily was unexpected. I noticed Chief Choi’s thoughtful gaze meeting mine.

“And you, Jin Tae-kyung?”

Shrugging nonchalantly, I turned to face Chief Choi.

“Got to respect my elders, right?”

“I didn’t think you were the type to care about that.”

“It’s just proper order between seniors and juniors, isn’t it?”

At my nonchalant response, Lee Jung-ryong chuckled while Wu Haixing stared daggers at me.

“Proper order? Don’t spout such nonsense. I’m seven years older than you!”

“Then stop glaring and act your age.”

“You… son of a—”

“Stop ranting.”

Once again, Wu Haixing’s anger was cut short.

My gaze turned icy as I stared him down.

“If you still have the energy to get angry over this, maybe you should go check on the condition of your friends.”

“…!”

“The ones who risked their lives to follow you here. They’re not disposable tools, you know.”

I didn’t bother to hide my contempt.

There were barely fifty hunters left around Wu Haixing.

From what I’d heard, they had started with a force of five hundred. Most of them had either died or been left behind.

“Losing people in battle? Sure, it happens. But…”

His armor was drenched in blood, yet it was completely intact. That meant he had fought while making sure to protect himself, even as his comrades died around him.

“Got something to say, jackass?”

There was a line from an old hero movie I saw as a kid.

With great power comes great responsibility. And that applies to more than just people bitten by radioactive spiders.

If you can draw out an aura blade instead of a web, if you’ve used that power to amass wealth and fame while covering up your own crimes, then you owe the world at least some responsibility.

“You might be an S-rank, but you’ll never be a real hunter. So next time you introduce yourself, don’t say you’re a hunter. Just call yourself the lucky S-rank Wu Haixing. Got it?”

Wu Haixing clenched his trembling fists in silence, but it was Lee Jung-ryong who spoke next.

“He did his best.”

“Doesn’t look like it from his armor. That thing looks like it could be cleaned up and sold as secondhand gear right now.”

“Wearing sturdy, high-quality armor isn’t something to criticize.”

“Since we’re being honest… You’ve been defending him a lot. Did he catch you in some kind of scandal?”

“Everyone has weaknesses, and I’m quite good at hiding mine.”

“Maybe you should check your computer. Who knows, Vice Guild Leader, maybe Chinese hackers are sharing your browser history in a group chat.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He’s a tough opponent.

Lee Jung-ryong didn’t flinch, only chuckling lightly. However, the man standing behind him was different.

Seok Go-jun, Lee Jung-ryong’s head of security, was quietly emanating a faint killing intent. I raised a hand and greeted him.

“Well, if it isn’t Team Leader Seok. Our good old Go-jun, huh?”

Seok Go-jun, Lee Jung-ryong’s personal bodyguard and disciple.

I distinctly remembered beating him up before our mission to China, but now he looked not only perfectly fine, but stronger. His eyes were deeper, more seasoned—a sign that his skills had improved.

‘And he’s learned patience, too.’

Seok Go-jun, the most loyal of Lee Jung-ryong’s hounds, would have charged at me long ago if this were the past. But now, he kept his killing intent in check and chose silence over drawing his weapon.

Lee Jung-ryong, satisfied with his disciple’s restraint, spoke up.

“We’re nearing the Arch Lich’s lair. According to our coordinates, only 20 kilometers remain.”

I ran my hand through my blood-matted hair.

“It’s going to be the longest and most brutal 20 kilometers on Earth.”

“Indeed. The Arch Lich still has plenty of forces left.”

“How many?”

“Estimated at 50,000.”

The moment those words left his mouth, a collective gasp of horror rippled through the Death Squad, who had been listening closely to our conversation.

Between all the forces led by me, Lee Jung-ryong, and Wu Haixing, we barely had 500 fighters left.

The thought of having to break through an army a hundred times larger to reach the Arch Lich was enough to fill everyone with despair.

Perhaps that’s why someone shouted out in fear.

“We… we should retreat right now!”

It was as if a dam had broken, and more voices of panic followed.

“Fuck!”

“There are too many monsters!”

“If we keep going, we’ll all die!”

“I came to defeat the Arch Lich, not to die in vain!”

Even the 200 fighters from the Western Front, who had made it this far with barely any casualties, were on the verge of breaking.

But amidst the spreading fear, two people remained calm and unwavering.

Xiao Shen, who looked at me with deep trust, and…

“There’s still hope.”

Chief Choi, whose trust in me had led him to another conclusion. In a steady voice, he explained.

“An estimated 50,000 monsters… That’s far more than the command center predicted.”

“So we should retreat, right?” one of the Death Squad members shouted.

Chief Choi shook his head immediately.

“And the number of monsters we’ve faced has been smaller than expected, too.”

“What?”

“Though there were many, the forces we encountered on the front lines weren’t as overwhelming as we thought they’d be.”

“So then…?”

“It’s possible the Arch Lich has been holding back. Instead of committing all of his forces to the front line, he may have kept a final reserve of 50,000 troops for a last stand.”

The hunters surrounding Chief Choi stiffened. Not because they fully understood his reasoning, but because of the growing tremors in the ground.

*Rumble… Rumble…*

The sound of the approaching army was so powerful that everyone’s bodies quivered.

The shattered road, the wide plains flanking us, and beyond the dense fog, the sound of tens of thousands of monsters roaring and marching in unison grew louder.

*— Grrraaaagh!*

“This is insane…”

“We have to run. This is an unwinnable fight.”

People began taking hesitant steps back.

The only ones standing their ground were the members of Ares Guild, and at the front of them, Lee Jung-ryong was watching Chief Choi with interest.

“So?”

Their eyes met across the battlefield. Chief Choi gripped the hilt of *Soul of a Hero* tightly.

“Though the command center’s prediction was off, the Arch Lich not launching a full-scale offensive has given us some breathing room on the front line.”

“And yet our forces are still far smaller than the enemy’s.”

“That’s why we’ve left this final battle to those who can fill that gap.”

*Rumble… Rumble…*

The tremors and roars of the approaching army grew even stronger. As anxiety spread, Chief Choi’s voice, imbued with mana, reached everyone’s ears.

“Those who can turn the tide of this battle… The ones who can fight like an army all on their own: the S-rank hunters.”

At that very moment—

*Shwooooosh!*

A brilliant light erupted above us.

The air split as if slashed by an invisible blade, and descending the invisible steps of the air were three figures.

*「My great-grandmother used to sit me on her lap and say, ‘A royal must always fulfill their duty.’ You commoners wouldn’t understand, of course.」*

I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh and bowed slightly. Though normally I’d find his attitude obnoxious, this time, I couldn’t resist playing along.

“Prince Felix.”

*「Ah, how pleasant it is to hear you say that, Hunter Jin from the East.」*

Prince Felix’s pompous demeanor made the beauty next to him click her tongue.

*「Can’t you do something about him? Maybe gag him or something.」*

“I think we should let him have his moment today, noona.”

*「Oh my.」*

At my response, Pai Chen blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly.

*「Well, that’s lovely to hear. I’m glad we came. Don’t you think so?」*

The third figure laughed heartily at Pai Chen’s words.

*「Does this mean I should expect something, too? What do you think, Jin?」*

“Why, would you like a kiss?”

*「Not bad, but I’ll have to decline. I’m already married to my beloved Fred, and we have five adopted children.」*

*Whoosh.*

Sliding down from the air, Magic Johnson slapped me on the shoulder with a hand the size of a pot lid.

*「Jin, you crazy little bastard. What possessed you to pull off a teleport this dangerous? I almost gave up several times.」*

“But you didn’t, Johnson.”

*「That’s because the odds were better this time. There was only a ten percent chance of failure. You’re at least eighty percent braver than I am.」*

There’s no measure of bravery. The fact that they risked their lives to be here proves they deserve to be called the world’s greatest hunters.

And the hunters who saw these unexpected reinforcements couldn’t believe their eyes.

*「Pai… Pai Chen?」*

*「Prince Felix and Magic Johnson are here too!」*

*「S-rank hunters! The S-rank hunters have come to help us!」*

*「I love you, Johnson! Fucking nice guy!」*

But that wasn’t all.

*Thud, thud, thud.*

Another rumble, different from the one we had felt earlier, echoed across the field.

It was the signal of an approaching army. On the distant horizon, a new force appeared as a small dot, soon growing into a visible line that stretched across the land.

*「Did you think we’d come here alone?」*

Pai Chen grinned, flashing a mischievous smile.

*「10,000 troops, combining forces from both the Western and Eastern Fronts. This should give you enough time to escape, right?」*

Someone’s voice, filled with disbelief, muttered,

*「We’re going to live…」*

And then came a voice in response.

“No.”

It was Chief Choi, raising *Spirit of a Hero* high into the air.

The translucent blade gleamed brilliantly even through the thick fog.

“We’re going to win.”

And I believed it too.