Murim Login - Chapter 439

Thwack!

The Skeleton King’s head jerked back from the blow to his forehead, but he quickly recovered, setting his head back in place with an unaffected grin.

“Heh, this is barely a tickle.”

“Oh, right. I momentarily forgot you’re dead,” I muttered, briefly thrown off by how realistic he looked. Undead monsters like him don’t feel pain, and Magic Johnson’s full-body reconstruction was impressively convincing.

The Skeleton King shrugged at my reaction.

“It would be a mistake to compare this body to a mere human.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t. You’re an undead monster.”

“Undead monster? I was born and raised as the Stone King in Atlanta, Georgia, USA!”

“Hey, hey…”

The lunatic suddenly shouted, startling everyone around.

Quickly, I raised my qi to block the noise, then sighed in relief when I saw everyone else was still sound asleep.

“Anyway, you don’t even speak English that well.”

“I picked up a few things on the internet. They say as long as you know two phrases, you can communicate just fine.”

“Let’s hear it, then.”

With full confidence, the so-called Stone King of Atlanta, Georgia, opened his mouth.

“How are you? I’m fine, thank you. And you?”

“…You’re Korean, aren’t you?”

He had a Hollywood face, but his language skills and accent were straight out of Seoul.

The Skeleton King looked at me in shock.

“So… my English is really that bad?”

“Yeah. Let’s just say you’re half-Korean. No one’s going to care that much about your background.”

“Then let’s say I was adopted in Atlanta…”

“No, seriously, what’s your obsession with Atlanta? Did you leave some treasure hidden there?”

“Well, I read that white men are popular with women worldwide. And I’m quite the handsome guy.”

“Sure, but it’s not like you can actually, you know, do anything.”

The Skeleton King pointed at me with a trembling finger, clearly offended.

“How dare you say such harsh things!”

“Oh, I can say much worse, so cut the nonsense. If you don’t want people to find out you’re a monster, wear this.”

I handed him something I’d summoned from my inventory. He took the ring, his irritation momentarily forgotten, and looked at it curiously.

“What is this, vile human?”

“A gift from Magic Johnson. He had it specially delivered from the States, though it took a while.”

“That gracious man gave me… a ring?”

The Skeleton King looked at the ring with a serious expression.

“Is this what humans call a proposal?”

“What are you even talking about, idiot? It’s just a ring with a translation spell.”

“Hmph. Though I appreciate it, it’s a bit plain. It doesn’t sparkle like a diamond, and it lacks a royal appearance.”

“Magic Johnson had it custom-made by a top mage, so it’s top-tier quality. It’s worth a fortune.”

“On second thought, it does have a noble look. It shall certainly enhance my royal dignity.”

This guy is seriously annoying.

Somehow, he’s become even more arrogant and insane since upgrading from a Skeleton Warlord to the Skeleton King.

With a satisfied smile, he slid the ring onto his finger, then pulled a smartphone out of the lining of his jacket.

That, too, was a high-end model equipped with a magic stone, gifted by Magic Johnson.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to send my gratitude to the kind human.”

“You’re actually thoughtful. Need help sending a message?”

“Foolish human.”

“Hm?”

The Skeleton King gave me a pitying look.

“Who sends messages these days? It’s all about social media.”

“…Right.”

“I’ve already followed him back. I even learned how to DM.”

I glanced at the Skeleton King’s phone screen, jaw dropping in disbelief.

He wasn’t kidding. An undead monster with a social media account? And this app doesn’t even require user verification?

But the real surprise came next.

“…You have five thousand followers?”

“State it accurately. I have 5,134. It’s an impressive achievement for just a week.”

“How did this even happen? Is it all fake?”

“Obviously, being handsome is the best. All I did was put my face as the profile picture, and people from all over the world started following me.”

Looking smug, the Skeleton King started composing a message to Magic Johnson.

[Good human. I’m fine thank you. and you?]

After reading it, I let out a small sigh.

“Just… don’t send messages to anyone else, okay?”

“Why not?”

“Just don’t. You hear me?”

Forget Atlanta, Georgia. I’d sooner believe he was from Atlanta, Gyeonggi Province.

It seemed even a translation spell couldn’t fix the glaringly awkward ‘Korean-style’ English in his messages.

“Even a secluded tribe in the Amazon wouldn’t think you’re American at this point.”

“Hmph. I don’t understand what you mean, but it’s oddly specific, so it annoys me more.”

“Whatever, just follow my advice. If your cover’s blown, it’ll be more than just a hassle.”

I turned to someone nearby and spoke.

“Isn’t that right, Chief Choi?”

Diagonal from me, Chief Choi, who’d woken up a few minutes ago, replied.

“Indeed, the Skeleton King—”

“It’s Stone King. Please call me Mr. King.”

After a pause to stare at him, Chief Choi continued with a sigh.

“Anyway, regarding Mr. King’s situation, we’re considering all possibilities. Avoiding exposure to the media is definitely best for now.”

“I refuse. I shall reveal myself proudly to the world.”

“Oh, really? Chief Choi, what’s the penalty for illegal entry from abroad?”

Chief Choi responded instantly.

“Deportation, no doubt. He’d likely face fines or imprisonment as well.”

“And what about for illegal entry from the demon realm?”

“Well, that’s unprecedented, but a large-scale raid team would probably be dispatched.”

“See?”

The Skeleton King’s eyes darted around before he finally spoke.

“…Very well. The world is clearly not yet prepared to accept me, so I shall exercise restraint for the time being.”

“Good. You’ll be restrained permanently if you don’t.”

“…Understood.”

One major headache resolved.

Now, onto the next issue… Unfortunately, I’ll have to face it head-on. Not because I lack choices, but because it’ll benefit me going forward.

‘It’s a hassle, but it can’t be helped.’

Lost in thought, I tapped on the armrest, then asked,

“What’s the mood back in the country?”

Chief Choi’s reply was short and to the point.

“It’s chaotic.”

“…That bad?”

“When someone passes the bar exam, banners are hung in their neighborhood, and a small article appears in the local paper. And that’s for just one of the 1,500 annual bar passers. Now imagine what it’s like for you.”

Chief Choi clicked the air, and a hologram appeared from his seat’s display, filled with countless internet articles.

[The Hero Returns at Last.]

[Who is Jin Tae-Kyung? Xiao Yang Bows His Head on Behalf of China’s Citizens. Reverent Farewell from S-Rank Hunters…]

[The Young Hero Who Fought to the End to Rescue Survivors, Finally Returns to His Homeland.]

Not only the domestic media but also international news outlets—especially in China, where the incident took place—were constantly churning out articles about my return and future plans.

Even though I was somewhat prepared for this, I couldn’t help but gape when I saw a photo attached to one article from just five minutes ago.

“Wait. Are all those… people?”

“They’re definitely not monsters, so yes, they are.”

“Oh my… holy…”

The picture showed Incheon Airport packed to the brim with a massive crowd.

Thousands? No, tens of thousands.

As I stared in shock, Chief Choi’s voice continued.

“Traffic in the area is completely paralyzed, and a car parade has been arranged under military and police control.”

“Excuse me? A car parade?”

“Didn’t I mention that?”

“I thought you were joking. I didn’t think it would actually happen.”

Chief Choi shook his head firmly.

“This is necessary. You’re Korea’s new representative S-Rank Hunter, after all.”

“This feels excessive… At this rate, the President himself might show up.”

“Oh, I didn’t mention that part?”

“…Pardon?”

“He’s coming. We received word from the Blue House this morning. I meant to tell you on the plane, but I dozed off.”

For a moment, my mind went blank.

Thousands of people waiting for me at Incheon Airport, a paralyzed road, a grand car parade… and now even the President was coming?

I struggled to find my voice.

“…Are you serious? No joke?”

“Yes. He wants to shake hands and take a photo together at the press line.”

“Chief Choi, I don’t know much about politics. If I get entangled in something, it could ruin everything.”

“I understand your feelings. I tried to politely decline, but they seem determined. It wasn’t easy.”

“You should have insisted. I’m with Peace Guild, not the government. You shouldn’t decide something like this on your own.”

Even though we have a trusting relationship and time was short, he should’ve at least consulted me.

Chief Choi bowed his head, looking apologetic.

“I’m sorry. They offered favorable terms, including tax cuts, so I thought it would benefit you.”

“Forget it. Just call and cancel… Wait, did you say tax cuts?”

“Yes. The bounty on the Arch Lich counts as foreign income since it’s coming from the Chinese government, which would be taxed under Korean law…”

“Hold on. How much tax are we talking about?”

“Probably a few trillion won. The bounty alone is fifty trillion, so even at ten percent, the tax would be massive.”

“…Still.”

“I apologize again for not seeking your consent. I’ll let the Blue House know we’ll decline.”

I nodded firmly, keeping my expression hard.

“Chief Choi, don’t ever let this happen again.”

Soon, I’ll be holding tens of trillions of won. Even after paying taxes, I’ll be incredibly wealthy.

Even if they offer generous terms, getting involved with politics over a tax cut isn’t worth it. That’s a line I need to avoid.

‘I’ll just pay the few trillion and be done with it.’

Feeling relieved, I leaned back against the soft seat.

—

Pop, pop, pop!

At Incheon Airport, hundreds of cameras flashed in unison.

On the tightly controlled photo line, two people from completely different professions stood side by side, shaking hands with bright smiles.

“Mr. Jin Tae-Kyung, you’ve done us all proud.”

“Oh, thank you, Mr. President. You must be busy these days too.”

Watching this scene, the Skeleton King had only one thought.

‘What a devious human.’

And that brief thought seemed to amuse Chief Choi as he observed everything with a pleased smile, as if everything had gone exactly as planned.