93 - Murim Login

Chapter 93 "These amateur idiots." Hong Woo-jin was fuming with rage. Had he been in the body of a cat like last time, he would have fluffed up his fur and hissed. But now, he was a grain beetle, smaller than a fingernail. Writhing in the gaps beneath the fridge was the peak of his enraged expression. Buzzzzzz. "That damn thing, it's coming in again." The target of his fury was a fly that kept incessantly entering the house. Though he wasn't certain which one it was, and despite its cautious attempts to sneak in one at a time, it only served to heighten Jin Tae-kyung's vigilance. "Darn this fly." Whoosh. Smack! A predictable end. Hong Woo-jin was anxious lest Jin Tae-kyung notice anything amiss. "Those jokers preach nothing about ethics, but their wits are lacking too." Most hunters wouldn't notice, but Hong Woo-jin discerned it immediately. That fly was a Familiar, controlled by a magician. The faint mana only another magician could sense was evidence of that. "Who hired these guys? As expected, the Sangdong Guild?" If that's the case, he needed to abandon this request immediately. He prided himself on being a consummate professional. He couldn't tolerate intruders disturbing his sacred work space. "Despite my strict precautions... No matter how well you handle things, a hasty client can sometimes toss a wrench in the works. Just like now." "Are all flies like this nowadays?" "Maybe... Anyway, give me 100,000 won." "Sure, but... doesn't that fly seem strange?" Damn, this is what I feared. Swallowing his curses, Hong Woo-jin worked tirelessly. Twitching and writhing, he crawled deeper into the shadows where no eyes could see him. Zap. "...Huh?" He felt a strange sensation of weightlessness, something unfamiliar since he began casting Familiar spells. "What’s going on? Is it because this Familiar is too tiny?" Although it lasted but a moment, Hong Woo-jin was left uneasy. He wondered if it was a detection spell but quickly dismissed the idea. "It's definitely not magic." Not just because Jin Tae-kyung was a non-magic hunting specialist. After all, anyone with the funds could acquire magical equipment in this world. However, kindred spirits recognize each other. Being a B-ranked magician, he wasn't about to misidentify a detection spell. "It must have been a brief disconnect. Definitely that." The decisive cue for dismissing it as mere imagination was Jin Tae-kyung’s reaction. "Was it injured? The fly seems weak." Smack! With a satisfied smile, Jin Tae-kyung plopped onto the sofa after stifling a fly. Moments later, absorbed in a comedy show, his gleeful laughter filled the room. Then, overpowering the laughter, came snores. Snore. Snore. Finally, Hong Woo-jin's tension eased. "Of course. What would that lowly C-ranked hunter, recently F-ranked, know? Everything two days ago was pure coincidence for sure." Two days ago, while observing Jin Tae-kyung through a cat Familiar, he had been startled. Since then, he couldn't shake the feeling, but now he could finally relax. "If he couldn’t notice such a pitiful Familiar, it says a lot." The only problem was that lazy man showed no intention of moving... "I’ll need to monitor more assertively now." Selecting a grain beetle as a Familiar was born out of some degree of caution against Jin Tae-kyung. However, it seemed time to shed this tiny and sluggish creature. "Let’s meet differently tomorrow, Jin Tae-kyung." Whoosh. Hong Woo-jin severed the link. What was once a Familiar hidden under the fridge was now just a small and frail grain beetle. And in the next moment— Snore... As Jin Tae-kyung's snores gradually faded, they abruptly stopped. A faint presence vanished. He could sense the change because he had them on full alert. "Did it leave?" Feigning a stretch, he opened his eyes. His gaze immediately darted to the gap beneath the fridge. [Lv.1 Grain Beetle] A status window that, only 10 minutes ago, bore the label "Familiar." No more now that the link was gone. "Yawn. Is there anything to eat..." Rising from the sofa, I naturally roamed the house. Only then could I be sure. "There are no Familiars anymore." All [Qi sensing] picked up now were ordinary gnats. No Familiar among them anywhere. The persistent buzzing of fly wings had also ceased. Given the recent events, they must have been spooked, so at least for today, they wouldn’t dare show up again. "Damn, Familiars..." Familiar magic. A type of mental magic utilized by magicians, where the caster's mind is linked with a chosen creature, sometimes allowing control over it. "Experiencing it firsthand is a first." Much like not all close-combat hunters are masters of all weapons, not all magicians excel in mental magic. It’s reportedly quite challenging even among magicians. "Why are those guys after me?" The reason for "those" instead of "that" is because there were two Familiars. They could be collaborating, or not. But he had a rough idea of who sent them. "Where else but the Sangdong Guild?" The only group bearing a grudge in this reality was the Sangdong Guild. Specifically, Im Chang-soo. "When you provoke the child, the father comes out." The notorious, ill-tempered A-rank hunter, Im Chun-soo. If today's events were his orders, it wouldn’t end easily. However... "We can’t just sit idly by." Following me two days ago was bearable—tolerable. But today's actions were intolerable. This was home, where his beloved family resides. They had struck a nerve. "How should I give these bastards a taste of their own medicine...?" In the midst of his plotting, Ha-yeon’s room door swung open. His face was hardened with concern. Could they have pulled some trick with a Familiar without him noticing? His heart raced in urgency. "Oppa." "What’s up? Is there something strange in your room?" "No, nothing like that." "Then what is it?" "Why haven't you given me the 100,000 won yet?" Right. I underestimated you. The next morning, I left the house as soon as dawn broke. My eyes were dry from staying vigilant with [Qi sensing] all night against Familiar intrusions, but I relieved my fatigue with some deep breathing exercises. "Where should I take you?" "To Ilsan Lafesta, please." The taxi sped along the open road, arriving at the destination much quicker than I expected. 'It's been years since I last visited the Store here.' The Store located in the heart of Ilsan was undeniably prominent even from a distance. It was overwhelmingly larger and more lavish than the surrounding shops. There was another key difference—the entrance was guarded by a suited security detail screening the guests. “Sir, we are adults.” “No, you’re not allowed.” “We are adults, so why can’t we enter?” "The biometric scanner doesn’t recognize you as adults.” “Isn’t it faulty?” “No.” “Ah, come on, let us in.” “What did you just say?” The security guard’s words made the visibly youthful teens hesitate and retreat. "…What now?" “Are you allowed to treat customers like this?” “Customer? Ha, you kids…” The guard rubbed his eyes wearily, revealing he wasn’t a regular man but a hired security hunter. Not even a squad of fighters could breach him, let alone a few teenagers. “To me, customers are hunters or adults with membership cards. Not punks like you.” “Will you leave nicely, or do I call the police?” Everywhere has its share of nuisances. Especially in a Store brimming with items unattainable to regular individuals. “…Let’s go.” Only after the riff-raff scattered did the guard notice me and politely inquire. “How may I assist you?” “I’m here to purchase some items.” “Please present your membership card or hunter credentials.” “Here you go.” “Please wait for verification.” Following credential checks and fingerprint scanning, a pass was issued. “As a C-rank hunter, you may access up to the 3rd floor.” Each floor of the Store houses different items. During my F-rank days, the 2nd floor was all I could access, leaving the higher levels a mystery to me. “Have a pleasant visit.” “Thanks, take care.” Once inside, an endless row of glass display cases greeted me. The space was vast, incomparable to regular shops. Yet, only a handful of customers were present. If anything, it would be odd if it was crowded.' Only a select few could shop here. Hunters making up just 0.1 percent of Korea’s population, or civilians with significant societal influence to warrant a membership. They were the main patrons of the Store. "This product is made by a domestic company, S, with built-in alert magic, perfect for security…" "This brooch from overseas company M boasts a beautiful, sophisticated design with embedded shield magic, ideal for a lady’s self-defense..." Employees were diligently pitching products to clients. Indeed, the Store is akin to a luxury department store, albeit for hard-to-find magical items. “I’ll take that and this. And show me that one too.” “You don't have anything with better performance? Price isn’t an issue, just bring it out.” Though customer numbers may be low, their purchasing power was unparalleled. Watching them load up on items priced at hundreds of thousands of won, a well-dressed female employee approached with a bow. “Hello, I am Kim Sun-hee, and I’ll be assisting you at the Ilsan Store.” “Oh, hello.” The last time, they treated me courteously, but not to this extent. Being C-rank seemed to warrant some premium customer service. “Is there a specific product you are looking for?” “I’m here to buy some raid gear.” The employee's face brightened up. Among the many magic items, hunter gear is one of the priciest categories. Moreover, being a C-rank hunter, selecting even a single piece of gear would result in a hefty sum. Naturally, the sales staff were eager for such an opportunity to improve their performance. “I’ll take you to the 3rd floor.” As she turned toward the escalator, I spoke up. “No, please take me to the 2nd floor.” “Huh? But to purchase C-rank hunter gear, you’ll need to be on the 3rd floor…” “It’s fine, I’m looking for lower-grade hunter weapons.” Ignoring the faint disappointment on the employee's face, I stepped onto the escalator first. Time to stock up my inventory with something useful for pest control.' “It’s fine, I’m looking for lower-grade hunter weapons.” At the customer’s words, Kim Sun-hee discreetly sighed. Concerned with her sales performance, it wasn’t the news she had hoped for. ‘I need to hit good sales numbers to get promoted this month.’ Meanwhile, her friend at the Seoul branch had already become a team leader. Whether through luck or skill, every customer she seemed to handle was a big spender. In comparison, she was... “This looks good.” “Oh, yes. That product is crafted with F-rank mana stones…” Snapping back to reality, Kim Sun-hee began her explanation. The customer had picked up a dagger with a blackened blade. In terms of other weapons, it was neither special nor magically enhanced—a simple consumer item. “How much does it cost?” “Currently, with the summer special, it's 520,000 won at a discounted rate.” “Hmm. That’s pricey.” What’s the average salary for a C-rank hunter again? Their basic allowance was already in billions, right? Though perplexed, Kim Sun-hee patiently awaited the customer’s decision. “Well, I can’t help it. I’ll take one.” “…Alright.” That "I can’t believe I’m spending money like this” face was infuriating. Just as Kim Sun-hee bottled up her annoyance and grabbed the dagger— "No, not that one." "Pardon?" "The one next to it." Her gaze shifted to the side. There lay a storage box neatly filled with 100 identical daggers. "It's the same product, sir." "I know. Please give me one of those boxes." "...You mean the entire storage box?" "Yes, I'll take a box of those. And also give me a box of those over there, and that one too..." In an instant, all of Assistant Manager Kim Sun-hee’s worries about her sales performance vanished.