54 - Murim Login

**Chapter 54** It feels like watching an old TV. The faded screen shows scenes and voices that keep breaking, yet the fervor of the battlefield feels vividly alive. "Kill them!" "Annihilate the Tae Won Jin family!" The gorge is densely packed with charging figures, shouts echoing. Behind them, a flag inscribed with 'Hengshan' flutters. At the sharp tip of their weapons, another flag stands. 'Jin (振).' And then there are hundreds of unmoving warriors blocking the gorge. "They're without martial honor or chivalry. Hengshan Sword Clan will disappear today!" "Attack!" A crackling noise. With the noise, the view expands. Under the flag symbolizing the Tae Won Jin family, toward the two distinctly notable figures. The old man with long white whiskers speaks. "This will be a long fight." The giant man responds. "And indeed, it will be the last fight." The old man beams. "Surely, it will. Without a doubt." Soon. People clash with people, swords clash with spears. Numerous warriors collide, and a dense mist of blood covers the gorge. Somewhere, a drum signaling the start of battle resounds. I lifted my sweat-soaked body. Another dream about the martial world. Unlike before, now I can clearly remember the details of the dream even after waking up. "The battle has started." Even upon returning to reality, the time in the martial world flows on. The scenes I witnessed might be unfolding currently in the martial world. A grand battle that holds the fate of two massive forces. No, there's one more. A third force led by the Grand Elder. When the battle reaches its peak and both forces suffer significant losses, that's when those people will finally act. "Where is Hyuk Moo-jin? What happened to the reconnaissance team?" If they manage to arrive in time to warn of the betrayal, the worst can be avoided. Conversely, everything might already be over. "The Grand Elder... An ominous old man from the first impression. Who would have thought that someone as senior in the Tae Won Jin family would orchestrate such a scheme? If the Grand Elder ends up as the final victor, everything is over. The end of rebellion often follows with a bloody purge. "Jin Wi-kyung, Wi Paeng, Hyuk Moo-jin and the reconnaissance team, then Han Yeop, who couldn't set out due to serious injuries from a fight with Jo Pil, and Gong Ya-cheong and So-chun, the siblings recovering. Familiar faces come to mind, appearing and disappearing repeatedly. "What were they to me?" A month in the martial world. To them, I was a benefactor, a trusted superior, a comrade they could rely on. And to some... "I am proud of you." "Are you unharmed?" "Survive, my little one." They were blood-related brothers. But what were they to me? Advanced AI-powered NPCs? Or human beings? "What could they be?" A dimension only I can traverse, and the people remaining there. What should I do with this? My eyes naturally turned to the capsule. "If I go back..." The thought startled me. Am I losing my mind? What would I do if I returned? It's a grand battle involving over two thousand martial artists. Among them are monsters as strong as, or stronger than, Jo Pil. And I would go back there? "You crazy person. Completely insane." As I murmured as if sighing, my phone rang. Buzz. [Prestige Bug] It was Team Leader Choi. In the heart of a skyscraper forest, in a large café. "Here are the documents you requested." Butler Kim handed over a thick file. Even at a glance, it amounted to around a hundred pages of extensive information. "A lot, isn't it?" "We investigated thoroughly accordingly." Choi Min-woo nodded and began flipping through the pages quickly. What he was reading was the life of one person. Jin Tae-kyung’s 27 years were encapsulated in these hundreds of pages. Place of birth, background, growth process, even bank account records provided by the bank. Nothing was left out. Unusual or suspicious parts were boldly highlighted, allowing Choi Min-woo to read through the entire prepared document in less than 30 minutes. "What do you think, Butler?" "It's clear." Butler Kim replied definitively. "He's not an illegal awakener, and he didn't approach the young master with any strategic intent." Choi Min-woo nodded. If Butler Kim said so, it must be true. He’s the one who’s looked into every aspect of Jin Tae-kyung over the past two weeks using every means possible. Likewise, the hundreds of pages of documents on the table would have all passed through his hands. "So it's all a coincidence?" "For now, yes." "Butler, do you know the probability of re-awakening?" "Roughly one percent, I believe." One in a hundred. To a layperson, that may not seem like such a slim chance. But those hundred are hunters, not ordinary people. Hunters born through similar probabilities. Among them, only the chosen few enjoy the fortune of re-awakening. "Then what are the odds of an F-rank hunter suddenly re-awakening to a C-rank hunter?" Choi Min-woo didn't wait for an answer. "What about the possibility of a C-rank hunter clearing a dungeon alone?" "Alone, it’s impossible. They'd have to be at least B-rank..." "But there is someone who can." "Could it be?" "Ten C-rank dungeons. Ten D-rank dungeons. Throughout a total of twenty raids, all I did was watch with my arms crossed. There was no need to intervene." The slender fingers tapped on the thick file. Everything about Jin Tae-kyung was written there, yet at the same time, nothing was truly written there. After a brief silence, Butler Kim spoke up. "I will re-investigate." "No need." Choi Min-woo shook his head. "Keep scratching and you'll just cause problems." “I plan to keep him close and observe.” “Are you thinking of recruiting him into the guild eventually?” “Of course. If there’s a stink, I’ll dig up the past, and if not…” Choi Min-woo's eyes gleamed. "I'll make him one of my people. Even if it takes three visits like Zhuge Liang." And the next moment. With the sound of bells, a person entered the café, prompting a small chuckle from Choi Min-woo. It was not Zhuge Liang, but Jin Tae-kyung. Signing bonus: 500 million won. **A fixed monthly salary of 50 million won with a 70% settlement ratio, a 40-pyeong officetel and a car as options, and the basic four major insurances.** After reading through the contract, only one thought crossed my mind. "Unbelievable." These are some outrageous contract terms. Providing a house, a car, and heaps of money. The average annual salary for a C-rank hunter is 200 million won. That's including both base salary and raid allowances. But for me? "A pure signing bonus of 500 million won." This is a contract you’d only expect a B-rank hunter or higher to receive. It means my skills are up to that level, and it's evidence that I've found an employer with the insight not to judge hunters solely by rank. "Plus, they have money to spare." I gazed across the table at Team Leader Choi. As always, his expression was inscrutable, with eyes full of depth. Team Leader Choi suddenly spoke. "This is the third time." He had offered contracts twice before. I turned them down both times. This time, it's a subtle hint not to decline. "I'm sorry about that. There was a minor issue." “Have you solved it?" “Yes. It seems to be resolved, for now.” "Then there should be no problem now." "...There shouldn't be." Even as I answered, I questioned myself—Is there really nothing wrong now? Is this path truly okay? "What am I even thinking?" Before any doubts could surface again, I needed to finish this. “I'll sign.” I picked up the fountain pen passed by Team Leader Choi and began signing. One page, two pages, three pages...? The contract was five pages in total. Only one more required my name, and it would be done. At that moment, I hesitated once more. "Is this really okay?" The fountain pen that had been moving without hesitation now slowed. My thoughts continued, one after the other. "And if it's not okay? Isn't this what I wanted?" Yes. This is the situation I dreamed of for seven years. Securing a substantial salary and high social status. Becoming a proud son and brother to spoil my family. Being the object of envy and admiration instead of contempt and disregard. "I can now achieve all of that." I can enjoy all those things. Goodbye to my troublesome life and the problematic martial world. Crack. And goodbye to the fountain pen. I loosened my grip. The ink flowed from the broken pen, staining the contract. "Mr. Jin Tae-kyung, let me ask again." Team Leader Choi pulled out a white handkerchief and wiped the ink from his chin. Even in this unforeseen situation, he remained calm. "The issue from last time, have you really resolved it?" "No." As soon as I answered, I felt a weight lift off my chest. “If it’s a matter I could assist with...” "Thank you for the offer, but I need to handle this alone." Team Leader Choi studied me with a peculiar gaze and then chuckled. "I never knew negotiating a contract could be this challenging. I didn't expect to be turned down three times." His tone suggested amusement rather than anger at the situation. "When might the fourth offer come?" It was likely a light-hearted remark, but my response was sincere. "This time tomorrow, at this place." "Tomorrow?" “Yes. Tomorrow.” Just a day. But to me, it would mean a month or perhaps several. Unaware of this, Team Leader Choi frowned. "I'm not fond of jokes like that." "I don't like jokes like this either." He doesn’t understand the weight of what I’m saying. "I’ll see you then." This was a pledge to myself. A vow to return alive, no matter what. And... "Next time, you might need to raise the contract terms even higher." I left Team Leader Choi, his eyes wide in surprise, and exited the café. Taking a deep breath, I opened the capsule. As I looked at the deeply sunken chair and VR helmet, my heart pounded. Despite coming this far, temptation kept whispering, urging me not to return. Telling me to forget everything and be content with my reality. To believe that the people I met in the martial world are just NPCs and that the martial world is merely a game. True. There was a time I thought that way. But after much deliberation, I realized I’d always return, no matter what. 'The conclusion had been reached long ago.' On that snowy night, I returned to Gong Ya-cheong. I joined forces with those who seemed like mere baggage and survived a deadly encounter with Jo Pil. "Perhaps it was from then." When the term NPC lost its grip on my consciousness, when Jin Wi-kyung’s back, bidding me to survive, made me think of family. “Damn, life really is one wild variety show.” With a mix of self-deprecation and a wry smile, I entered the capsule. As soon as I placed the VR helmet on, a message flashed in front of my eyes. Ding. -Do you wish to connect to [Martial Realm]? Y / N. "Yes." My consciousness began to fade, my vision darkening—I logged in.