79 - Murim Login

Chapter 79 I awoke with a subtle headache. Looking around, I found myself in an unfamiliar place—a spacious and pristine hotel room. Slowly, the memories of last night began to resurface. 'Oh, right. We went to the hotel for a second round and had a champagne party.' A champagne party at a hotel—how absurdly opulent. Saying it like that makes it feel as if I've become a third-generation chaebol. Well, I suppose someone like Manager Choi could actually be one. “Karrr-chewwp!” That gentleman really sounds like a bandit. His snores are like shouts. Even though my brother Jin-ho sometimes snores, compared to that guy, he hardly makes a sound. If I were the hotel manager, I would have kicked him out already... Knock, knock. "Who is it?" I momentarily thought it might be a hotel employee here to notify us of forced eviction, but it wasn't. A refreshing and clear voice came from beyond the door. "It's me, Song Song-yi." Wait a minute. Who? "J-Just a moment!" I sprinted to the door at lightning speed, not forgetting to spritz some cologne and tidy my appearance beforehand. Click. Looking into Song-yi's lake-like eyes as she gazed at me, my heart pounded. I barely managed to pull out a trembling voice. "Ah, did you sleep well?" "No. I couldn't rest well because of the snoring." "Oh." Not a great start. I cursed Im Geok-jung, who was still snoring loudly, and changed the subject. "But what brings you here?" "It's breakfast time, isn't it?" "…You mean, a meal?" Song-yi looked at me as if wondering what was wrong. "Yes, why?" Why indeed. It's because I'm delighted. In my lifetime, I never thought a day would come when I'd have breakfast alone with a woman. And she's even my ideal type. My eyes felt as if they were getting a bit moist. 'Finally, an oasis has appeared in my desert-like life.' Even if it were military rations for breakfast, as long as it was with her, it didn't matter. I answered resolutely. "I'll prepare it right away." "Then, could you wake up Mister Geok-jung first?" "…Why him?" "Didn't you check the chat?" Song-yi showed me her smartphone. On the screen was the guild group chat we had set up last night. Manager Choi: Is everyone awake? Butler Kim: I'm up. Song Song-yi: I'm awake too. Manager Choi: What about the other two? Song Song-yi: Still snoring. Manager Choi: …Please wake them and come to the restaurant on the ground floor. Damn it. It was going so well. But that's my life for you. Song-yi turned away as I stood sullenly. "Then I'll head downstairs first." I found myself absent-mindedly watching her as she walked away with light steps. "Even her back is pretty." ?? Karrr, Khewww!" Is he seriously not a bandit? After quite the effort, I finally woke Geok-jung and went down to the first floor. Manager Choi, who was seated by the window, waved us over. "I ordered in advance. Eat before it gets cold." I was concerned that the hotel breakfast might consist of ridiculously small pasta portions, but what was on the table was a piping hot hangover soup. "Ah, as expected of Manager Choi!" "Seems like the manager knows what's up." Still dealing with a hangover, one bowl of hangover soup was better than any restorative exercise. To our reactions, Manager Choi shook his head. "Song-yi ordered it. I wanted pasta." "Song-yi did?" "Yes." Seeing his disappointed expression, he must have really wanted it. But hangover soup from Song-yi? Her delicate looks suggest the upbringing of a cherished daughter, but as shown last night, she surprisingly has a down-to-earth side. "Ah, this is nice. Why are you all dawdling? Eat while it's hot." Watching Song-yi eat the soup heartily made a part of my heart warm up. Her eating habits are charming too. 'Is this what people mean by being full just by looking?' In a state of not knowing whether I was eating through my nose or mouth, the meal concluded. While the others were lounging in satisfaction, Manager Choi spoke. "Now that we've eaten, shall we move to our next location?" Wait, wasn't this the part where we head home and rest? "Where to?" Im Geok-jung, patting his full belly, chimed in. "Where else, but to continue from yesterday. How about makgeolli today? I know a good place." "Ah, I really love makgeolli too." Butler Kim, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, smiled and continued. "It's unfortunate, but we should leave that place for our next gathering. We have something more important today." The guild leader might be Butler Kim, but the decisions are made by someone else. Amidst everyone's gaze, Manager Choi spoke up. "Now that we've eaten, drank, and rested, it's time for work." The first raid of the Peace Guild. Humanity was shocked by a major upheaval. One day, without warning, gates appeared, and unknown creatures began pouring out from them. - What, what is that? - Monsters, they're monsters! Had the invaders been aliens with spindly limbs and large heads, it might have been less shocking. But these creatures didn't arrive in spaceships, nor did they fire guns. - Sreeeak! - Karuk! Krululuk! With horrific stench and eyes teeming with murderous intent, these monsters tore humans like paper, ravaging and burning cities. These were creatures that seemed like they could only exist in novels, movies, or mythology. The Minotaur was one of them… That's what I learned in history class. "Do you know about Minotaurs?" At Manager Choi's question, Geok-jung proudly answered. "Of course. I read about it in Greek mythology comics in elementary school. It was quite impressive, with all those muscles." "…And you, Tae-gyeong?" "I haven't even seen one." The Minotaur is considered relatively high among B-grade monsters. It was about five hundred light-years away from someone like me, stuck forever at F-grade. "It's fine. Think of it as an opportunity to see one." Is he saying we're just going there to watch, like it's a zoo? As if it was none of his concern, Manager Choi handed over a tablet. "Here." "What is this?" "A next-generation tablet powered by C-grade magic stones. They are elegantly designed and superior in performance, available only to a select few VIPs... "Just the conclusion, please." "They've uploaded raid footage on it. Have a look." Why didn't he just say that from the start? Im Geok-jung and I leaned in together and started watching the video stored on the tablet. - Calm down, everyone. Stay calm. Especially you tanks! Keep those shields up. If they break through, everyone here is done for. Well, you’d be finished by me before that. - Yes, sir! Under the raid leader's orders, about a dozen hunters quickly formed a formation with precision. The tension was palpable on everyone's faces. 'Four tanks, melee and ranged damage dealers, a mage, and even a healer.' The teamwork was solid, and the team composition was impressive. And… 'That's the Minotaur.' The B-grade monster, which I had only seen in monster encyclopedias, appeared before us. - Mooooooo. With the head of a bull and the body of a human, the seven half-man, half-beast Minotaurs charged at the intruders. No, they stormed forward. - Moooooo! Their cries echoed through the cave. The battle began under the falling dust caused by the vibrations. - Ranged team, fire! The raid leader shouted at the top of his lungs. Simultaneously, over twenty mana-infused arrows sunk into the head of the leading Minotaur. Pfsh! Instead of a widespread attack, concentrating fire on one was a smart choice. Especially hitting the head accurately proved effective. No matter how formidable a B-grade monster, it couldn’t strengthen its eyeballs. - Moooo! The final blow to the creature that was clawing at its own face in agony was delivered by its own comrades coming up from behind. Thud! A dark club smashed the monstrous bull's head. And then… Thunk, thunk, thunk! 'Huh.' They used the corpse as a shield and charged forward. Arrows and magic rained down on them, but all they did was tear the carcasses apart, leaving the Minotaurs hidden behind unharmed. 'These creatures…' They knew how to use their heads. They're at least as smart as goblins but several times stronger. That's what makes them more dangerous. - Hold the line! - Aaaah! Spurred on by the leader's shout, the veins on the tanks' arms bulged. Their shields, infused with a faint mana, intercepted the swing of iron clubs. Crack! Amidst that, a small shadow dropped from the air. A stealth-type hunter, he stabbed a blackened dagger straight into another Minotaur's eye before disappearing. - Mooo… A B-grade monster is not invincible. Add in the efforts of melee dealers and the support from archers and mages, and within the blink of an eye, two more fell. But the threat loomed swiftly. 'They’re breaking through!' The thought barely crossed my mind before the struggling tank line was breached. Crash! - Aaaaagh! - Healer, healer! Screams and wails echoed amidst the whirlwind of dust, where iron clubs swung madly as the Minotaurs scattered the formation. - Moooo! - Tanks, dealers! Unleash your mana! Ranged, fall back, unleash! - Moooooo! - Healeeeer! The footage continued for about ten minutes before cutting off. The battle hadn't finished—the camera had been shattered by an iron club. - Moooooo! With the Minotaur’s roar, the screen turned to static. Im Geok-jung gulped audibly. "…This is no joke." Of course, it's not. Handing the tablet back to Manager Choi, I asked, "Which guild was that?" "That was a raid by the Bucheon Terminal Guild last week." Whoever named it had quite the knack for naming places. Well, as someone who joined the Peace Guild, I shouldn't talk, but it's certainly better than 'Bucheon Terminal Guild.' "And the result?" "The Minotaurs were wiped out. Two hunters died." Death during a raid isn't uncommon. Hunters are in a profession where they repeatedly dance close to death and then retreat. Yet, the weight on my heart won't lift. It's a weight borne for life by those who survive. Just like me now. "I see." That was all I could muster. Searching on my smartphone pulled up several related news articles. [Bucheon Guild. Reckless Raid Leads to Sacrifice.] On the 16th, C-grade hunters Lee and Park died at the B-grade gate 'Minotaur's Maze.' The Hunters' Association stated... The deceased were C-grade hunters. Of course, a medium-sized guild like that wouldn't have the talent pool to send a dozen B-grade hunters. 'So then…' I quickly scanned through the guild members. Before I could even process it, the foresight skill [Insight] popped up their level screens. Ding. Ding. Ding. [Lv.75 Choi Min-woo] [Lv.80 Kim Hwa-jong] [Lv.64 Song Song-yi] And in the next moment, I locked eyes with Im Geok-jung. "What’s up?" "It's nothing." I forced a casual response and looked away, but inside, I was panicking. [Lv.24 Im Hyuk-jun] This raid—it’s dangerous.