92 - Murim Login

Chapter 92 [Target Report: Jin Taekyung] Name: Jin Taekyung Age: 27 Residence: Hope Gosiwon, Address XXX-XXX. Currently estranged from family. Family Background: Eldest son among one son and one daughter. Father involved in an accident 11 years ago. Separate details attached regarding mother and younger sister. This report was received three days after the investigation was commanded. Im Choonsoo, upon reading the densely packed information across five pages, spoke. “Hey, Team Leader One.” “Yes, Guild Master.” The Team Leader One seated opposite him responded. Aside from Im Choonsoo, the guild master, he was the only A-rank hunter in Seongdong Guild and Im Choonsoo’s loyal right-hand man. “Did you read this report?” “Not yet.” “It’s the guild master’s order. You instructed to report any incoming information without filtering it midway.” “Then take this opportunity to read it.” The Team Leader One politely accepted the report handed over by Im Choonsoo. His eyes moved swiftly over the pages. After about ten minutes, he looked up and murmured. “This is a bit…” “What do you think of that report?” “I merely follow the guild master’s judgment.” “No, speak frankly.” After a brief hesitation, the Team Leader One replied. “The information seems incorrect.” “Which part specifically?” “Jin Taekyung, the report’s subject, was an F-rank hunter just two weeks ago. However, he successfully reawakened to a C-rank hunter. Though rare, it’s not impossible so far.” “Continue.” “But, according to testimonies from Hunter Im Changsoo and other participants in the raid, Jin Taekyung single-handedly defeated a group of B-rank monsters, Minotaurs.” “At least five to as many as ten, wasn’t it?” “Indeed. They even said he took down the boss monster in a single blow.” “Right. A mere C-rank hunter handled a Minotaur warrior in one strike. Does that make sense to you?” “I don’t think it makes any sense.” “Then what could it be?” It wasn’t that he didn’t know. This is merely a process to confirm whether Team Leader One shared his thoughts. “There are three suspicious parts.” “Let’s hear them.” “First, the possibility that the report is incorrect.” “Who wrote this report?” “Hong, Hong… it wasn’t Hong Gil-dong, that's for sure.” “It’s Hong Woojin. Though young and not much experienced, his skills are well recognized.” “Right, confirm it with that Hong Woojin or whatever. Throw some weight around. Anyway, what’s the second one?” “Second, the possibility that Hunter Im Changsoo and others colluded and lied.” “Changsoo, that rascal, isn’t exactly the sanest, but he's never lied to me in his life. Go on.” “Lastly, it’s possible Jin Taekyung is an unconfirmed A-rank hunter or perhaps…” A hint of distress crossed the typically composed Team Leader One’s face. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke cautiously. “A third awakening?” “Third?” “…Yes.” “Team Leader One, even you find it ridiculous after saying it, right? Does a third awakening even sound plausible?” Team Leader One answered by lowering his head. Im Choonsoo clicked his tongue at the sight and picked up the report. Extreme cold seemed to radiate from his fingertips. Shrrrr. Snap! “Get the report redrafted. Finish it by this week and have it on my desk when you report in on Monday.” “Understood.” “And, who was it? Was it the Peace Guild or Love Guild? What’s the status on the information about those other folks?” “…I was just about to report on that.” “What, haven’t you figured any of it out?” “All but three have been identified.” Im Choonsoo furrowed his brow. “Three? One of them would be Jin Taekyung. Who are the other two?” “I’ve heard about them from my son. The young team leader is quite impudent and the elder guild master is said to laugh through the entire raid like a fool.” “And what’s up with them?” “They’re under lock.” “What?” “It’s exactly as I said. All their personal information, even account details, are locked down, and the inspection team is quite perplexed.” “Did you skimp on money?” Running a guild requires institutional support. Corrupt officials in institutions never hesitate to exchange information for bribes. “Not at all. We ensured they were well compensated…” “And?” “Yet the hesitation on their end is palpable. They claim their higher-ups secured it so tightly, it is challenging to tamper with.” Im Choonsoo was astounded. A guild not even a month old. If you gathered all the guild members, they wouldn't even form a full raid team. At that level, calling it a guild is a stretch — more like a social club. And yet, what’s this talk of a lock being in place? “Ha, look at these guys.” “What should we do?” “For now, don't delve any deeper into those two’s cases. Ensure those who got paid this time keep their mouths shut.” During the Era of Great Confusion, Im Choonsoo, infamous for his fiery temper, learned one important lesson while managing a guild: To achieve your goals, and even surpass them, remain calm and prudent. “Besides those three, has everything else been figured out?” “Yes, perfectly.” The words of a Team Leader One trusted for his thorough and meticulous nature. Im Choonsoo nodded. “For those two under security, do as I instructed. For now, focus solely on Jin Taekyung. Deploy additional surveillance from the guild inspection team.” “Additional... you say?” “Yes, judging by the state of the report, it’s dubious. And let’s be real, our guild inspection team isn’t exactly inferior, right?” “That may be, but…” Team Leader One hesitated momentarily, recalling the cautionary words Hong Woojin had pleaded with him. ‘By accepting this request, this job becomes mine, you understand, right? Within a week, I’ll find out the color of this guy’s underwear on the day. So have faith in me and don’t start something on your end that might tip off the target; it’ll ruin my work.’ Hong Woojin might be inexperienced, but he’s already made a name for himself as effective and reliable. His tone might have been full of arrogance, but his professional demeanor was reassuring, and he even made a direct promise. 'I should probably mention this...' However, the objection that Team Leader One was about to voice quickly fell back into silence with Im Choonsoo’s next words. “Why? Do you have something else to say?” “No, nothing. I’ll pass on the instructions as they are.” “Alright then, go on.” These days, Im Choonsoo hasn’t been in the best of moods. It’s Team Leader One’s job to keep things on a positive track by managing his temper as much as possible. 'This should be fine... It will be, right?' Even as he left the guild master’s office, Team Leader One couldn’t shake off the unsettling feeling. Home, vacation. Just the thought of these two words brings a sense of happiness. It truly felt that way. But... Buzzz. Buzzzzzz. “Ah, I’m losing it.” I swatted at the fly with lightning speed—not just with an ordinary palm, but one infused with ki. The fly, killed in one blow, was disposed of in the trash, and I returned to the sofa. “How are there so many flies?” Having just come out to the living room for a drink of water, Hayoung sighed deeply. “It’s summer, isn’t it, you doofus of a brother?” “It’s not just that level, it’s beyond that right now.” “No matter how many there are, how many could there be? You just dealt with one, right?” "The problem is they keep coming in one by one. No matter how many I catch, they keep getting in somehow.” “How many have you caught?” “I swear to heaven, I’ve caught a hundred since this morning.” “Such exaggeration. This is why guys...” “It’s true!” “Alright, alright.” Wow, this is driving me nuts. I tore at my hair and smacked another fly. A hundred flies? It's no exaggeration. What kind of neighborhood is this that one house could be so infested with flies? 'Did someone smear honey on the windows?' At first, they were just a bit annoying. As Hayoung said earlier, it made sense since it was summer. But as time went on, I realized something was off. ‘It was after catching about thirty.’ These persistent pests wouldn’t stop coming in! If I caught one, another would enter, replacing it. Even after closing all the windows in the house and scanning everything with my ki detection, the nightmare of this fly swarm continued. Buzzzzzzz. “See, another one immediately came in. Where the hell are they entering from?” I checked thoroughly for any tiny unspotted gaps, but I was stumped. It seemed like they were coming through a space just enough for an ant to pass through. “Stop swatting them and leave them be. Then they’ll settle down.” “What kind of creative nonsense is that? If we leave them alone, will they leave us alone? With the constant buzzing, we won’t get any sleep.” “The flies in my room stay put if I leave them.” “What?” “There are about three in my room too. At first, they were annoying, and I thought of catching them, but when I left them alone, they just sat still on the desk.” “That’s only temporary. They’ll probably buzz around loads while you’re not looking. They just seemed like lazy flies. They haven’t moved at all.” “Talk about making sense.” “Seriously. Bet 100,000 won?” “You got 100,000 won? A student?” “Of course, I do. I got some the last time from you.” “You’re using the allowance I gave you to bet against me?” “Back out if you’re scared.” “Screw it. I’ll take the bet.” Wow, money definitely goes around. We headed straight to Hayoung’s room. She pointed smugly at a fly sitting still. “See that? I was right, wasn’t I? Hand over the 100,000 won.” “What do you mean hand it over? We need to test this out.” I moved my hand over the fly, slapping at a normal speed that a fly could easily evade. Yet... Twitch. Scamper. Startled, the fly hurriedly scrambled away. I was bewildered. Hayoung also seemed baffled. “Little sister.” “Yes, brother?” “Do all flies do that these days?” “Well... maybe? Anyway, give me the 100,000 won.” “I’ll give it to you. But... don’t you find that fly suspicious?” “A fly is just a fly. It’s probably just a weird one.” “What kind of fly just lazes around? I’ve seen goblins and Minotaurs, but flies that don’t buzz around like this are a first.” Just as I ended my sentence. Buzzzzzz- Something doesn’t sit right; the timing is too coincidental. Their wing movements seemed exaggerated, as if trying hard to look ordinary. Even their flight was awkwardly clumsy. Forget about that, it’s just unsettling. 'Why does this feeling seem familiar?' Where did I experience something similar? Ah, that’s right. The alleyway while coming back from checking out the house two days ago. That nagging sense of being watched. 'Am I being paranoid?' As I eyed the fly, I heightened my [Ki Sense]. The range, now extending seventy meters, spread throughout the house's every corner. And then, something unexpected happened. Ding. Ding. Ding? [Lv.1 House Fly - Familial] [Lv.1 Black Fly - Familial] [Lv.1 Golden Fly - Familial] "…What the… what's all this?"