94 - Murim Login

Login Murim Chapter 94 "Three hundred and fifty million won." Both the voice of the employee calculating the total and my hand handing over the card trembled. Goodness, three hundred and fifty million won. That’s three years of salary from the days when I worked like a dog, all spent in just an hour. 'No, let's think positively.' This money is to protect my family from the watchers. I can keep earning money in the future, and the things I bought today can be used for a long time. Beep - The transaction has been approved. "The payment is complete." Thanks to that, this young lady hit the lottery. I received my card back from Assistant Manager Kim Hee-sun, whose smile stretched from ear to ear. "Is that everything then?" "Oh, if you give us your address, we can deliver it for you." "That's okay. I have somewhere to go right now." No need for delivery. As soon as I'm out of the public eye, I'll store everything in my inventory. 'The system is handy at times like this.' With those thoughts, I held shopping bags in both hands. Of course, these weren't just paper bags. They were made from ogre leather—durable and tough leather shopping bags. I received them as a free gift, but instead of joy, it left a bitter taste. "Well then, take care." "Please make sure to visit us again." "…Yes." I accepted a business card from her as she deeply bowed at a perfect right angle. A man obsessed with his sales performance, that was who he was. After stopping by a nearby restroom to store the items I bought from the store into my inventory, I hailed a taxi. Lately, I've been regretting not getting my driver's license. "Please take me to Ilsan A Apartment." As soon as I sat in the passenger seat, I immediately took out my smartphone to search for information. The search term was... 'Familiar.' As soon as I pressed the search button, related information poured out. There was a lot of information available only to hunters who completed their certification, something regular people couldn't access, and among them, a striking title caught my attention. [Do not use Familiar Magic. Hair Loss Ensued.] It was a title that truly resonated with the soul. There was no way I could ignore clicking it. 'Ah, it was this post.' The site where the post was published was a well-known domestic hunter community. This post had achieved monthly best status with over 100,000 views and 2,000 comments, a testament to its majesty. 'Let’s take a look.' Click! [Do not use Familiar Magic. Hair Loss Ensued.] I am a currently active Grade B mage. I've eaten well enough and earn decently as a freelance hunter. I apologize for not being able to disclose specific details. Anyway, the reason I wrote this post is exactly as the title suggests. I suffered hair loss because of Familiar magic... I’m still in my twenties, but my crown looks older like a 2000-year-old mummy, damn it. I anticipated someone might question this, so let me say upfront, my family has boasted robust hair for generations. I’ve even seen a photo of my great-grandfather taken during the Japanese occupation, and he looked like the Rapunzel of Joseon. To make a long story short, Familiar magic is a double-edged sword. For a mentally-inclined mage like me, mental magic isn't common. Even civilians can live off of learning just one skill. Mental magic for a mage is exactly that. If you have even one, you can live well. But damn, I keep losing hair. It keeps falling out. Has anyone here washed their hair with high-grade potions? I have. I spent millions on washing my hair, you idiots. I tried everything to no avail. Eventually, I went to a regular doctor, and he just sighed deeply and said to me: - Are you a mental mage? Those were his exact words, not a single word different. I was so shocked and asked how he knew, and he told me something that gave me real chills: over 90% of mental mages suffer from hair loss, especially those using high-difficulty Familiar magic, and for them, it's 100%. Exerting your mind to the max means even the most robust person becomes a hair-loss victim at some point. At first, I thought it was nonsense, but when I looked into it, it turned out to be true. In a hurry, I joined a mental mage cafe to see if there were others like me, but out of 100 members, 98 had hair loss. When they heard my situation, they said it was already too late, and told me that using potions only temporarily regenerates cells, so frequent use would just kill the hair cells. Ignoring an offer to write a review on the cafe’s bulletin board in exchange for leveling up, I quit and am now finding my own cure... Summary: 1. Mental mages are good. But your hair will fall out in return. 2. Using potions is useless. You're better off using hair loss prevention shampoo and going to a regular hospital. Cure your hair with hope and sincerity, not magic. 3. I will not give up. That's all. After reading, my vision blurred. I always envied the mages, thinking they had everything, never realizing they had such struggles. "Sir, are you alright?" "I'm fine..." "What's wrong then?" "Oh, no, it's okay." Ironically, the taxi driver at this moment is bald too. I, feeling like a sinner, lowered my head and my smartphone. Below the post were more than 2,000 comments. Anonymous #232: Could someone summarize this in one line? Writer: [Comment blocked due to strong language.] Anonymous #112: Is that first commenter even human? I shed tears. I'll be cheering for you, stay strong. Writer: Thank you... Anonymous #1512: I don’t know about anything else, but from the second comment, it seems that person also has hair loss. But it sounds like you make a lot of money, so can’t you manage without some hair? You could just wear a good wig. Writer: [Comment blocked due to strong language.] Anonymous #4885: Wow, seeing a Familiar Mage here. You guys might not know, but the writer is a real aristocrat. Even among Grade Bs, he’s incomparable in terms of income and treatment. Writer: What’s the use of a lot of money if I have no hair? Anonymous #4885: Now that I think about it, that’s true. Writer: If you’re going to comfort me, do it thoroughly, man. Admin: Congratulations! Your post has been selected as a popular post! Anonymous #5252: Hahaha Anonymous #8984: Hahahahahahaha Writer: Should I laugh at this or not. Anonymous #2652: How can you laugh when you have no hair? Writer: [Comment blocked due to strong language.] **Writer:** Thanks for the overwhelming support. It looks like I'll be making it to the Hall of Fame with a monthly best post. If you have any questions, leave a comment. I'm at work, but I'll pop in to answer whenever I can. **Anonymous #9665:** You mentioned you're a freelancer—what kind of work do you do? **Writer:** Being a freelancer sounds fancy, but my work is more like a detective agency. I’ve tracked down high-profile criminals (hunters, of course) and handled infidelity cases for nouveau riche families. **Anonymous #915:** Wow, you must make a lot. How much do you earn? **Writer:** It depends on the job. But after working for a few years, I managed to build a property in Seoul. The house I'm living in is also under my name. **Anonymous #5252:** Show us proof of your house. **Writer:** I'm out working now. I'll provide proper proof later, so stay tuned. **Anonymous #9882:** What does being at work have anything to do with it? Isn’t Familiar control remote anyway? **Writer:** Even with remote control, there’s a distance limit, you idiot. Do you use your home Wi-Fi while traveling in the US? **Anonymous #9882:** Sorry. **Writer:** The maximum connection distance for a Familiar is 500 meters. I’m gradually increasing it but it's tough. If the link forcibly breaks, it makes you queasy and feel like throwing up. Plus, there's a risk of mana backfire. **Anonymous #9882:** So you have to stay within 500 meters no matter what. **Writer:** Yes, to work safely, it's about 300 meters. Always be prepared for any contingencies. Most would say the same. As I scrolled through the comments, I stopped abruptly. Did I just stumble upon some crucial information? 'If you go beyond 500 meters, the link with the Familiar breaks?' The maximum distance is that, and for safe operation, it's 300 meters. If the writer's comment is true, the guys summoning Familiars yesterday were nearby our house. 'And they’d be bald. Or completely shaven.' Though it’s likely they’re wearing wigs, it doesn’t hurt to be aware of it. I continued searching for more information on Familiar magic and managed to piece together a few facts. 'For a Grade B mage, the Familiar link distance is 500 meters max. Safety distance is 300 meters. If the Familiar is killed, the link forcibly breaks and the caster takes some damage.' And one more thing; I realized why they’re using such an expensive Familiar mage to monitor me. 'What? Miniature Familiars don’t get caught by most detection spells?' For instance, it's like a detection spell is a net, and small Familiars, like flies or tiny bugs, are so small they slip through. Of course, products with top-tier detection spells that can even catch those exist, but they’re priced at 550 million won for a summer deal. I have no idea which part of that is a summer deal. As if there aren't enough expenses coming up already, 550 million is out of the question. 'There's another reason to catch them myself.' Suddenly, I thought of the other guild members as well. Were the Familiars only targeting my family? We still don't know the exact identity of the perpetrator who ordered this. The Sangdong Guild is only a strong suspect. "That'll be 8,400 won." "Oh, yes. Here you go." I paid the taxi fare and exited the car. The entrance to the apartment complex, always the same, looked unfamiliar today. The presence of a watcher felt like a thorn in my throat. 'Should I contact Manager Choi?' I was contemplating while looking at his number saved on my smartphone when suddenly— "Brother!" A familiar face in a green tracksuit and round glasses. The swan with her greasy hair tied back waved at me. "Uh, what's that reaction for?" "I just, you know, feel embarrassed to acknowledge you outside." "You're embarrassed by your only sister, huh?" "Go buy some clothes. What are you doing with the outfit we bought at the department store and wearing that tracksuit again?" "You should talk; you wear similar clothes all the time." Ha-yeon's sharp retort left me momentarily speechless. I just spent over 300 million won a couple of hours ago, yet I'm still wearing jeans and a t-shirt. The old frugality ingrained in me over 27 years isn't entirely gone, it seems. "Anyway, where are you headed?" "Where am I going? The convenience store!" Ha-yeon, who had just been sulking, now started beaming. What's gotten into her? I asked with a perplexed tone. "Why are you so excited? Is your heart already racing anticipating the convenience store haul?" "No, I’m just getting some tuna cans." "Tuna cans? Is lunch tuna kimchi stew today?" "No! It's not!" "What's with you today, seriously? Did you drink?" "You’ll feel the same once you see this." Ha-yeon, who was usually giggling against my reaction, unzipped her tracksuit and took something out from inside. A small, white and yellow furry creature squirmed in her palm. Meooowww. "…A kitten?" "Isn't it cute? I found it abandoned in a box while taking out the recyclables. Someone left a note saying whoever wants should take care of it." "No matter who abandoned it, it’s pitiful, isn't it? What crime did it commit? Right, brother?" "…Yeah. Animals aren’t at fault." "I got Mom’s permission for temporary protection just for a while. You’re okay with that, right?" "Me?" "Yeah, Mom's such a sucker for her eldest son. She said I should get your okay too, so could you say something nice when you get inside later?" "I guess." "What’s with that? Didn’t you love animals when you were younger?" I did. And I still do. But the little one nestled in Ha-yeon's palm is... [Lv.2 Cat - It's a bit different from an ordinary Familiar.]