78 - Murim Login

Chapter 78 Hunters are, without exception, heavy drinkers. Even the lowest rank, F-grade hunters, possess physical abilities and metabolisms far beyond those of ordinary people. There's a reason for the saying, "There are hunters who don't drink, but none who can't." "Hiccup. One more shot." But here was an exception. Song Yi, her eyes half-glazed, was energetically shaking her empty glass. "One more!" She looked pretty... no, that’s not it. Isn't she getting a bit dangerously drunk? I watched Song Yi with concern. 'She’s drinking too quickly.' As soon as the drinking session started, she downed a bottle of soju in one go and was already in that state. Occasionally, she would murmur in a slurred voice about having no sense or being unlucky. 'Could something be bothering her?' Taking the opportunity while Im Geokjeong refilled her glass, I whispered to Team Leader Choi. "Team Leader, did something happen to Song Yi?" Team Leader Choi responded with a pained expression. “...Yes, something did happen.” "I knew it." “Quite recently, in fact.” "Oh. I see." Song Yi’s misfortune was closely tied to mine. Watching her in this state weighed heavily on me. "I hope she resolves it soon." Both Team Leader Choi and Butler Kim, sitting next to me, looked at me with peculiar expressions. This is starting to feel odd. "Why?" “Nothing.” “That happens sometimes when you’re young.” Their responses were lukewarm, but that wasn't my main concern right now. "Drink up! Let’s drink until we drop today!" Song Yi, now on her third bottle, was going wild. “Hahaha! That's why I like Song Yi!” Im Geokjeong egged her on like a bandit immersed in alcohol. “Don’t you think we should stop her?” “You mean Song Yi?” “Yes.” Team Leader Choi shrugged his shoulders. “It’s fine. I've seen her like this before. That’s just her drinking habit.” “Still... wait a minute.” I looked intently at Team Leader Choi. I’ve had my suspicions for a while, and now I’ve caught him. “How do you know about Song Yi’s drinking habits, Team Leader?” “Since we drank together, of course.” “...” Is he joking with me now? Does he think I’m that clueless? "That's not the point." "Then what is?" “Well…” Suddenly confronted, I found myself speechless. Who am I to pry into their relationship? It was at that moment of speechlessness that Team Leader Choi spoke up. “You’ve heard of Ares, right?” “Of course.” Ares, the God of War. The name of a deity from ancient Greek and Roman mythology. But nowadays, it’s famous for other reasons. “Who in Korea doesn’t know the Ares Guild?” The pride and joy of Korean hunters. While there are hundreds of guilds in the country, the pinnacle is the Ares Guild. Their achievements since the early days of the Great Calamity are countless. "It is literally a legend." It appears in educational comics, animation, movies, and even textbooks. The Ares Guild holds a position in Korea comparable to that of a living King Sejong or an active General Yi Sun-sin, or perhaps even greater. "It’s world-famous." Ask, "Do you know King Sejong?" or "General Yi Sun-sin?" and most foreigners might respond with, "Who’s this Asian dude?" But mention Ares Guild, and it’s different. - "Do you know Ares?" - "Oh, yes!" Even the toughest grandfather in Texas would understand, slapping his dual pistols in recognition. “But why bring up the Ares Guild?” Team Leader Choi took a sip of beer and answered. “Because I was there.” “Oh, I see... What?” What did I just hear? I blinked in disbelief before speaking again. “You were with the Ares Guild?” “I was a team leader there. Just on the lower end, though.” The threshold of the Ares Guild is high. They select only the best, and they nurture them to become the best. Team Leader Choi might call himself a low-rank leader, but reaching team leader status there is already impressive. Though, right now, he seems like a madman to me. "Why did you leave?" Money, fame, status. For hunters, and for men, it’s the ultimate workplace dream. Why would anyone throw that away? “Were you, like, bullied at work or something?” After a moment of thought, Team Leader Choi replied. “Perhaps. Song Yi was the only one who was kind to me.” “...Then Song Yi was with the Ares Guild too?” “She was on my team. I found out about her drinking habit during a team dinner.” I swallowed hard. “These are total elites.” Alternating my gaze between Team Leader Choi sipping beer and Song Yi chugging down soju, my eyes rested on another person. “By any chance, Butler Kim, are you…?" “Me, you mean?” Butler Kim waved his hand, smiling warmly. “I retired a long time ago.” “Haha.” “What?" That sounds like he's a former hunter, too. Suddenly, I recalled the odd sense of disparity I felt whenever I interacted with Butler Kim. I had never once tried to sense him with my hunter's intuition. ‘What’s his true identity?’ Just as I was about to sharpen my senses. While we were engaged in conversation, Im Geokjeong, busy devouring his food and drinks, spoke up. “Oh, the stove’s gone out. Miss Song, do we have more gas?” “Hiccup. That was the last one.” "Ah, it shouldn't break the flow now. Should I just eat it as is?" Grumbling as he flipped half-cooked meat, Butler Kim smiled gently at him. “That won’t do.” And in the next instant, two things happened simultaneously. Snap! Butler Kim snapped his fingers. Whoosh! A rush of warmth emerged. A blue flame shot up precisely over the grill, quickly heating it, cooking the meat, and then disappearing. "This is...," Im Geokjeong and I shouted almost at the same time. “A sorcerer!” “It’s cooked perfectly!” “Why? Taekyung, hurry and eat too.” "I see," I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief. More intriguing than the revelation about Kim the butler being a sorcerer was how it all seemed to make perfect sense now. "You had me fooled," I admitted. Kim calmly picked up a piece of perfectly grilled meat. "It wasn’t my intention to deceive. As I mentioned, I’m just a retired has-been." Has-been, my foot. If Kim is a has-been, then half the active sorcerers today should pack it in. 'At least a B-grade,' I concluded. He could summon flames with just a snap of his fingers and control them so precisely, cooking the meat perfectly without burning or undercooking it. Based on the circumstances, it seemed likely he was once part of the Ares Guild before retiring. If he was active during the Great Calamity... '...he's quite a big deal.' Not to mention he was my senior by many years. Curious, I asked cautiously, "By any chance, where did you graduate from in terms of hunter training?" "Nonsan," he replied. "How about you, Taekyung?" "Gasp. I'm from Nonsan too. 28th Regiment, 1st Battalion." "Really? That’s quite the coincidence. I graduated from the 28th Regiment, 1st Battalion too. Which company were you in?" "2nd Company." "It seems it’s not just a coincidence, but fate. Haha." No further words were needed. I rose from my seat and bowed. "Pleased to meet you, senior." In Korea, there's a saying about the importance of shared school bonds, regional ties, and family connections. The same applies to hunters. With an awakening probability of just 0.1 percent—roughly one in a thousand—it’s rare for someone you know to awaken. Hunter training centers often serve as important starting points for connections. "No need for all that. Please, take a seat." "You can speak casually with me." "I don't mind such things…" Just as Kim and I were enjoying our warm senior-junior exchange, Team Leader Choi cut in unexpectedly. "Butler Kim, perhaps it's best to listen to Taekyung's suggestion?" This brash young fellow. Who does he think he is, dictating to his senior... Well, in fairness, he might have a point. Come to think of it, Team Leader Choi is an even bigger deal. After all, he employs a former Ares Guild sorcerer as his butler. 'What kind of family is this?' Grandfather a president, father a prime minister, perhaps? As my curiosity grew, Team Leader Choi continued. "It's time we established proper titles. It doesn’t seem right to keep referring to the face of our guild as just 'butler' or something like that, don’t you think?" Kim pondered briefly before answering. "I'll follow the young master’s advice." Nodding, Team Leader Choi swept his gaze sternly across the group. "From now on, we’ll refer to Butler Kim as the Guild Master. Any objections?" Im Geokjeong and Song Yi answered in their own fashion. "Man, the meat tastes amazing. Must be because it's cooked with magic, huh?" "The drink keeps flowing! So smooth!" With a look of exasperation aimed at those two, Team Leader Choi turned to me. I raised one arm in the air to get noticed. "What does that mean?" "I have a question." At least this guy is a bit better, Team Leader Choi seemed to think as he responded. "Go ahead." "Weren’t you supposed to be the Guild Master, Team Leader?" With a betrayed expression, Team Leader Choi pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me. It was a business card. "And what does it say?" "Team Leader Min-woo Choi, Peace Guild 1st Team Leader." "Yes, that’s right. I'm the team leader." "Oh." "Kim the butler is the Guild Master. I'm the team leader. The remaining three are team members. Does that clear things up?" Whether Kim was a figurehead or the actual face of the guild, I nodded. Not doing so might have further upset Team Leader Choi. "Did everyone else understand?" At his question, Im Geokjeong and Song Yi responded. "The drink tastes killer too. Must be the magic-cooked meat pairing!" "How long are you going to keep me dancing? My shoulder’s dislocated now! Dislocated!" "..." Hey, are you crying?